Running 2016-17 College Rings Thread

This committee absolutely detests Wichita State.

 

Shocks make it hard on them. Yeah, you can watch them and think it's a team that can beat almost anyone. But the reality is they lost to every decent team they played and you can't seed them based on past seasons.

 

I would have mailed a $20 bill to NCAA headquarters if the committee chairman would have gone on TV and said Syracuse was left out because there was no value to them being in the tournament.

 

Maybe Marshall got in their face recently.

 

Three bracket-buster specials.

1. NC-Wilmington. Running team that gives the ball away on less than 14 percent of its possessions. And three senior starters. Virginia's going to have its hands full.

2. Bucknell. Again. A gaggle of driveway shooters and one good slasher around a solid 6-9 big man with a soft hook who will stand up to anyone.

3. Iona. More about Oregon being in free-fall, but Iona is solid.

That said, the only one of the three I'd go with in a serious bracket would be UNCW. Really think they knock off UVa.

 

UNCW
New Mexico State
Bucknell
MTSU wins 2 games
And I think Michigan makes a run to the Elite 8.

 

Michigan shot its wad in the B10 tourney.

 

Agreed. Not to mention tired legs after four games in four days.

 

MTSU is much better than they were seeded. They can't help it if the bottom half of the league is death to RPI and SOS. That said, two would be Minnesota and probably Butler. They're a well rounded team, maybe so.

The only two teams from Alabama to get in were Troy and Jacksonville St. Both had exceptionally good years, and they got rewarded with Duke and Louisville respectively. Roadkill, but they'll still have a blast.

 

I'm coming around to my Wahoos winning in the first round, and maybe even the second if things shake out right. The wild card here is Isaiah Wilkins, who has some mystery illness (but not mono!), hasn't been eating and is down 10-15 pounds from the beginning of 2017. Most recent scuttlebutt is that they are considering shutting him down if he doesn't show improvement this week, which would leave UVA's frontcourt with two raw foul machines (Jack Salt and Mamadi Diakite) and one limited, frustrating back-to-the-basket relic (Jarred Reuter).

The good news is that UNCW doesn't have any size either, so it comes down to how well UVA shoots and handles the press. The early-season loss to WVU is disconcerting in that regard, although WVU is clearly several cuts above UNCW and UVA's freshman guards look like different players since then. Wilkins doesn't have a ton to do with the press break, so they could get a win, although it's far from a sure thing. Foul trouble could be an issue for sure - if Devon Hall is the biggest player on the floor, the Wahoos are going home early no matter who they play. For the second round, Florida is in a slide and is missing its own starting big in John Egbunu, although that game is in Orlando.

My best guess is that Wilkins will be in a "break glass in case of emergency" scenario for Thursday. So it all comes down to how well UVA can shoot. Adjust your brackets accordingly.

 

From a Yahoo tournament writeup on Texas Southern. I don't think I've ever heard of this happening before. "Post play had been a strength for coach Mike Davis, but his frontcourt took a hit when 6-7 Derrick Griffin (11.3 ppg, 10.9 rpg) left to prepare for the NFL Draft."

They weren't going to beat UNC anyhow, but losing a guy who averages a double double has to hurt.

 

In that case, Duke is fucked.