NCAA Tourney 2025

[TheA_Bomb]

1 hour ago, dlarry said:

Texas, Oklahoma, Vandy, and Georgia is really crazy. Non Con rank in the 300’s and an under 500 record in conference.

They were given the equivalent of a 3rd grade participation trophy. 

I was surprised a few of those teams got in.  UNC was the biggest surprise.

68 teams have to be selected.  Who do you propose was more deserving?

[ACE]

4 hours ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Because while the SOS is low they racked up wins: according to this reddit post (I did not verify all records):

 

Auburn: 12-1 Florida: 13-0 Alabama: 11-2 Tennessee: 13-0 Ole Miss: 11-2 Texas A&M: 11-2 Kentucky: 11-2 Missouri: 11-2 MS State: 12-1 Vanderbilt: 12-1 Georgia: 12-1 Arkansas: 11-2 Texas: 11-2 Oklahoma: 13-0 LSU: 11-2 South Carolina: 10-3.

The non-conference winning % is 89%. 

"Mid-majors" will need to find a way to schedule better. The MWC did. I think one of the best things the A10 did was the effort to get their top teams playing each other to get more quality games when they schedule. "Mid-major" Conferences could start a similar scheduling agreement with each other for games vs quality opponents.  For instance A10 & WCC enters an agreement that the top 4-5 teams keep dates open for home/away games. That could mean games vs St. Mary's, Zags, USF, Santa Clara & Oregon St. Or MWC vs UNM, CSU, USU, Boise St, & SDSU.

SLU did try scheduling like I suggested with some sneaky good choices Santa Clara, USF, Wofford, GCU, and Wichita State. They won 0 of the games. Then didn't win enough in conference either.

Just for reference kenpom VCU noncon SOS 293, LUC  334, GMU 318, UD 55, SLU 185.

Need to win the games. 

There’s no point talking about the MWC and the WCC. The good MWC teams and the Zags are becoming part of the P6 with the move to the Pac 12.

I have been talking about the death of the “mid major” for a while. Some people are either in denial or clueless.

it’s just about to the point of P6 being the only ones allowed to get multiple bids and everyone else is a one bid league.

Drake, VCU and Indiana State the year before can win a ton of games, but are still not in position to earn an at large.

[3star_recruit]

35 minutes ago, ACE said:

There’s no point talking about the MWC and the WCC. The good MWC teams and the Zags are becoming part of the P6 with the move to the Pac 12.

I have been talking about the death of the “mid major” for a while. Some people are either in denial or clueless.

it’s just about to the point of P6 being the only ones allowed to get multiple bids and everyone else is a one bid league.

Drake, VCU and Indiana State the year before can win a ton of games, but are still not in position to earn an at large.

The A-10 is the only mid-major conference left standing that can avoid the one-bid trap.  But it requires schools like SLU, Loyola, Davidson and Rhode Island who have the ability to  put together a decent non-conference schedule to win more games in conference.   As long as there's a massive drop off in performance between the first place team in the A-10 and everybody else there's no way for the first place team to get an at-large.

In particular I am shocked that Archie Miller has not made more progress at Rhode Island after three seasons.  He was the best coach in the A-10 before he left for the Indiana job.

[thetorch]

8 hours ago, TheA_Bomb said:

Because while the SOS is low they racked up wins: according to this reddit post (I did not verify all records):

 

Auburn: 12-1 Florida: 13-0 Alabama: 11-2 Tennessee: 13-0 Ole Miss: 11-2 Texas A&M: 11-2 Kentucky: 11-2 Missouri: 11-2 MS State: 12-1 Vanderbilt: 12-1 Georgia: 12-1 Arkansas: 11-2 Texas: 11-2 Oklahoma: 13-0 LSU: 11-2 South Carolina: 10-3.

The non-conference winning % is 89%. 

"Mid-majors" will need to find a way to schedule better. The MWC did. I think one of the best things the A10 did was the effort to get their top teams playing each other to get more quality games when they schedule. "Mid-major" Conferences could start a similar scheduling agreement with each other for games vs quality opponents.  For instance A10 & WCC enters an agreement that the top 4-5 teams keep dates open for home/away games. That could mean games vs St. Mary's, Zags, USF, Santa Clara & Oregon St. Or MWC vs UNM, CSU, USU, Boise St, & SDSU.

SLU did try scheduling like I suggested with some sneaky good choices Santa Clara, USF, Wofford, GCU, and Wichita State. They won 0 of the games. Then didn't win enough in conference either.

Just for reference kenpom VCU noncon SOS 293, LUC  334, GMU 318, UD 55, SLU 185.

Need to win the games. 

The rankings and how they figure them are a sham.

How on earth does Mizzou get a high ranking only.  In noncon they were 1-2 in Q1.  Everyone else they played was Q4.  There really can't be any indication from this that they are a truly elite team.  They have proven nothing.  They get a few wins in conference and now their ratings skyrocket?  Why because their conference is so strong?  Why is it strong, most of the teams played the same schedule as Mizzou.  Their is something in the algorithm that rewards teams for playing in certain conferences.  Mid and low majors pull off schedule like this too, but they don't end with high rankings at the end of the season because of their conferences' poor ratings that drag them down.  But why don't the SEC's poor schedule drag down their ratings?  

Make it make sense?  The only sense is the system is rigged, not to reward wins or strength of schedule, it simply rewards the conference you play in.

[BigMouthBilliken]

It’s truly sickening. No one watches March Madness for the Big10/SEC show. But this is exactly what the NCAA wants. Division 1a and 1b

[Bay Area Billiken]

My brackets survived Florida beating UConn and Dan Hurley.

St. Mary's plays Alabama this afternoon (3 p.m. Pacific time) in a battle of radically contrasting styles.  Go Gaels!

 

[HoosierPal]

At half. Duke 19 FTA. Baylor 2 FTA. Why even play the second half?

CBS and the NCAA want Duke to advance Have to have an ACC team in the S16.

[billikenbill]

2 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

At half. Duke 19 FTA. Baylor 2 FTA. Why even play the second half?

CBS and the NCAA want Duke to advance Have to have an ACC team in the S16.

Are you intimating that Duke players commit fouls? Blasphemy.

[CenHudDude]

Koby Brea leads Kentucky to the Sweet 16.

[dlarry]

11 hours ago, TheA_Bomb said:

I was surprised a few of those teams got in.  UNC was the biggest surprise.

68 teams have to be selected.  Who do you propose was more deserving?

Not sure. WVU, UC Irvine, George Mason, Boise? 
 

if it was up to me having a 500 conference record would be a requirement for an at large. 

is UC Irvine going to win the tournament? No. But neither is Oklahoma. UC Irvine can at the very least bring a Cinderella story with them. Oklahoma brings….nothing.

[BigMouthBilliken]

21 minutes ago, dlarry said:

Not sure. WVU, UC Irvine, George Mason, Boise? 
 

if it was up to me having a 500 conference record would be a requirement for an at large. 

is UC Irvine going to win the tournament? No. But neither is Oklahoma. UC Irvine can at the very least bring a Cinderella story with them. Oklahoma brings….nothing.

Well I wouldn’t say “nothing.” Oklahoma brings more revenue to SEC, which is by design

[dlarry]

1 minute ago, BigMouthBilliken said:

Well I wouldn’t say “nothing.” Oklahoma brings more revenue to SEC, which is by design

Sure. I was more thinking about what they bring to basketball fans. Particularly basketball fans who aren’t alumni or live in Oklahoma. 

[billiken_roy]

27 minutes ago, dlarry said:

If it was up to me having a 500 conference record would be a requirement for an at large. 

I'm with you.   

 

This is the most boring NCAA tourney in my memory.

[BigMouthBilliken]

31 minutes ago, dlarry said:

Sure. I was more thinking about what they bring to basketball fans. Particularly basketball fans who aren’t alumni or live in Oklahoma. 

I know what you meant, but why do you think this has anything to do with fans? NCAA and the big boys only care about the $$$, fans and experience be damned. 

[slu72]

As I see it the Sweet 16 is going to end up Majors v Majors. Just the way they wanted it. The debate will be why let Mids crash the party? They can’t compete. 

[BigMouthBilliken]

4 minutes ago, slu72 said:

As I see it the Sweet 16 is going to end up Majors v Majors. Just the way they wanted it. The debate will be why let Mids crash the party? They can’t compete. 

And just like that Maryland hits at the buzzer to beat CSU. The most boring, chalk tourney where the rich get richer. And it will only get worse from here  

[BigMouthBilliken]

Record low number of conferences represented in Sweet 16, 4. SEC, BIG10, Big12, and ACC. Just the way the powers at be wanted it. 

[mrjoelabs]

3 hours ago, BigMouthBilliken said:

And just like that Maryland hits at the buzzer to beat CSU. The most boring, chalk tourney where the rich get richer. And it will only get worse from here  

And he traveled.. But of course refs swallowed the whistle.  This is the worst NCAA tourney of all time.  I won't be watching any more games.

[almaman]

5 minutes ago, mrjoelabs said:

And he traveled.. But of course refs swallowed the whistle.  This is the worst NCAA tourney of all time.  I won't be watching any more games.

that'll show 'em

[Bay Area Billiken]

Arizona 87 Oregon 83 in Seattle, 29 points for #1 Caleb Love. 

[Bay Area Billiken]

All of the Sweet 16 teams are from the Football Power 4. Breakdown: SEC 7, Big Ten 4, Big 12 4, ACC 1.

I’ll be curious to see the West Region attendance figures, with no teams from the West, none from the Pacific and Mountain Time Zones in San Francisco. 

[jonny karate]

Chance for all sec final four. That's just sad. Hope that happens just because I can't imagine rest of power 6 liking that

[BigMacSLU88]

1 hour ago, jonny karate said:

Chance for all sec final four. That's just sad. Hope that happens just because I can't imagine rest of power 6 liking that

My bracket has an all sec final 4.  I didn't think it would happen, and still don't, just did it for fun.

[Gremio14]

13 hours ago, mrjoelabs said:

And he traveled.. But of course refs swallowed the whistle.  This is the worst NCAA tourney of all time.  I won't be watching any more games.

Yeah, three complete steps is a travel anywhere except the NBA….but you have to admit the big fellow does have a sweet inside game.  Really soft touch.

[TheA_Bomb]

Even #1 SEC seeds getting screwed 1PM start is criminal.