Running 2023-24 NCAA Basketball Thread

Im not quite done with Virginia.

It was Spanarkle doing the color. Terribly. He said after the center on CSU hit a 3, 'you just don't expect a 6'8" guy to step out and hit a 3'...sounded like he was dating himself back to when he played.

 

NOBODY stepped out and hit a 3 when Spanarkle played!

 

I agree with Florida Atlantic and Gonzaga, the former last year (you could argue with their Q4 losses they could have been left out altogether). Throw San Diego State on there too, who I believe deserved the 5 seed, but based on how the rest of the MW fared, probably got the benefit of the doubt from last year. It is also where I think the BPI played a role, because they weren't as impacted by the altitude element as the rest of the conference. CSU and SDSU actually had very similar resumes -- tough nonconference schedules with big wins, no big road wins in the MW. SDSU's metrics were better, but not five seed lines.

Those examples are easy, but what the heck is the deal with how they handled the A10? If you think New Mexico and Duquense are both 11 seeds because of their conference tourney wins, well. And Dayton safely in? It was just a bizarre seeding all around.

I am a MW (and CSU) fan. I am hoping the conference really shows up. Can't imagine many want to play a team like New Mexico first.

I love the bracketology and all that and do think there is a system to select and seed teams, but just who knows what they did this time. Like I said, I think they really used BPI for the first time. I also have a hard time shaking the thought they make placements for power successes and then to tell the others, but look at how you did when they ask for better down the road.

 

A few thoughts:

* To piggyback on Poin's point, it was clear that the work of the committee was done by Saturday. Nothing could happen on Sunday that would change minds on the bubble teams.
* Re: The A-10. Very clear that no matter who won in Brooklyn, they were going to be an 11 seed. VCU and Duquesne were similar in the NET, and from the looks of things, NET played a bigger role in seeding than it did in actual selection. St. Mary's and Gonzaga were right next to each other in the NET and both received the same seed.
* FAU as an 8 was a surprise. I thought they had a resume for a 10 seed at best. Awful losses with some great wins sprinkled in.
* As a fan of an ACC school, it was very weird to me that Clemson was a total lock from January going forward. The Tigers did impress early, collecting wins over UAB, Boise State, Alabama (away), South Carolina, and TCU. All of those teams made the field. They swept Pitt and beat UNC on the road but sort of stumbled to the finish. After that second win over Pitt, they were in no matter what.
* I agree with the Mountain West being weirdly underseeded, even if I thought San Diego State was a touch overseeded. Probably deserved a 6 rather than a 5.
* On Dayton, the Flyers found a way to game the system, it seems. Against tournament teams, they lost to Northwestern, lost to Houston, beat Grambling, beat Longwood and beat Duquesne twice. They did manage to avoid any bad losses, the worst coming to a 20-win George Mason team on the road. That's the resume. The seeds in that matchup with Nevada should be switched.

 

The thing about Duquesne as an 11 is that BYU was supposed to be a 5 but they bumped them down a line to avoid a Friday/Sunday placement. So it sort of worked itself out.

 

Another story gets lost in the woulds.

 

Well played.

 

I would give this two likes if I could.

 

Yep. Way too much detail about the vacation journey, which was irrelevant. It nearly lost me.

 

Wright Thompson on Caitlin Clark. Long but worth it:

Being Caitlin Clark: Inside the world of the player who redefined the game

 

Just coming to post that. It's like a 30-plus minute read but so fucking well done.

 

As an Iowa fan who was onboard the Caitlin Clark train early, learned a lot from that profile.

For example, I knew her family was Catholic but didn’t realize how close Caitlin came to playing for Notre Dame.