2012 Bracket Busters Projections

[KC Shox]

We'll play MSU, and you can take that to the bank. Although, now that MSU has their starting big guy back from injury and we now have ours on the bench, that will pose a huge problem for us. I'm not sold on EO like many a SNer is, he is still extremely raw and will get worked by any skilled big man. But, he's better than nothing and I like his athleticism against their big guy. If GS doesn't play, then EO just needs to get in the way and try to disrupt shots. Stay out of foul trouble and get rebounds is the game plan.

I would love nothing more than to knock MSU off their pedestal and get a huge rpi win. 2 -2 versus the rpi top 50 certainly looks better than 1 - 4 if we lose (UNI will eventually drop out so I'm not counting them). As Wu and I agree, this will be another game where WSU can demonstrate they are 'turning the corner', but currently, this program can only see the turn ahead.

Katz is a solid analyst, but he certainly made a head scratching comment.

[Anthroshock]

ESPN has a mid-major chat at 2 p.m. Central today. I think we need to weigh in on Katz stupidity about bracket busters: http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/42222

I honestly can't believe he wrote "The four best teams." Nevada is below Long Beach, UNI and Akron.

Too bad it won't be Katz but Myron Metcalf the new "Mid-Major" guy. Whelliston at least saw the writing on the wall with the shoddy ESPN coverage of college basketball and got out. Maybe Metcalf can parlay this gig into a better job.

[bunck]

On ESPNU "The Experts" are on from 12-3 and they are talking about who should play Murray State, I just started watching and one person said Saint Marys and another said Long Beach State (lol) and a couple people seemed to agree with either one.

Edit= Looks like they must have talked about WSU before I started watching and they were ok with that, Gotlieb says we will beat them.

[ShockerEngr]

We'll play MSU, and you can take that to the bank. Although, now that MSU has their starting big guy back from injury and we now have ours on the bench, that will pose a huge problem for us. I'm not sold on EO like many a SNer is, he is still extremely raw and will get worked by any skilled big man. But, he's better than nothing and I like his athleticism against their big guy. If GS doesn't play, then EO just needs to get in the way and try to disrupt shots. Stay out of foul trouble and get rebounds is the game plan.

I would love nothing more than to knock MSU off their pedestal and get a huge rpi win. 2 -2 versus the rpi top 50 certainly looks better than 1 - 4 if we lose (UNI will eventually drop out so I'm not counting them). As Wu and I agree, this will be another game where WSU can demonstrate they are 'turning the corner', but currently, this program can only see the turn ahead.

Katz is a solid analyst, but he certainly made a head scratching comment.

If Stutz is still out by the time the bracketbuster game rolls around..we've got much bigger issues.

[AndShock]

I don't understand why Katz is blatantly ignoring us. He's given us a decent amount of love the past couple of years.

[WstateU]

I don't understand why Katz is blatantly ignoring us. He's given us a decent amount of love the past couple of years.

I'm guessing he watched the Creighton, Illinois State and Evansvillie games where we might have failed the eye test.

[Signman]

Lunardi is illogical at best. And I'm trying to be nice with that description.

Ok so let's break down his "S-Curve" rankings by match up.

St. Mary's (21) @ Murray State (25) - Rating Difference: 4
LBSU (53) @ Creighton (13) - Rating Difference: 40
WSU (32) @ Iona (51). - Rating Difference: 19

However, if you mix up the ratings a bit, and go with something like follows, you get a much closer match up between all 3 games.

St. Mary's (21) @ Creighton (13) - Rating Difference: 8
WSU (32) @ Murray State (25) - Rating Difference: 7
LBSU (53) @ Iona (51) - Rating Difference: 2

Lunardi's matchups make absolutely no sense. Going by his 3 match ups you get a rating difference of 63 spots totaled up. If you go by my matchups you only get a rating difference of 17. His match ups are insane.

I disagree. From Lunardi's/ESPN's point of view it makes a lot of sense. Large San Francisco area tv market vs the upstart undefeated "America's team" from Paducah...Po Dunk. LBSU Heathens from SOCAL (largest TV market) vs Jesuits from Bible Belt. It's about tv ratings. They just should quit hiding behind this make believe journalistic integrity and just say it....

[GoShockers89]

I disagree. From Lunardi's/ESPN's point of view it makes a lot of sense. Large San Francisco area tv market vs the upstart undefeated "America's team" from Paducah...Po Dunk. LBSU Heathens from SOCAL (largest TV market) vs Jesuits from Bible Belt. It's about tv ratings. They just should quit hiding behind this make believe journalistic integrity and just say it....

Respectfully...no. LBSU commands as much attention in SF as UMKC does in KC.

Basically none.

[Signman]

Wouldn't LBSU command some attention from Southern Cal. I agree they would get nothing in NOCAL but St. Mary's will

[GoShockers89]

Wouldn't LBSU command some attention from Southern Cal. I agree they would get nothing in NOCAL but St. Mary's will

Sorry, typo on my end. Substitute LA in for SF.

The 49ers averaged barely 3,000 fans per game during a conference championship season last year. No one, and I mean no one, cares about them out there.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/bdf2030046a3609298bddcc110a6426c/2011_NCAA_mens_basketball_attendance.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=bdf2030046a3609298bddcc110a6426c

[_kai_]

I disagree. From Lunardi's/ESPN's point of view it makes a lot of sense. Large San Francisco area tv market vs the upstart undefeated "America's team" from Paducah...Po Dunk. LBSU Heathens from SOCAL (largest TV market) vs Jesuits from Bible Belt. It's about tv ratings. They just should quit hiding behind this make believe journalistic integrity and just say it....

But my argument was against his basis that these are the "best" match ups. I guess technically he never said "best" in what sense, but I took it as in best basketball match-up.

[WuShock Reaper]

Todays (01/24/12) Bracketbuster Games of Note:

None


Commentary - *=Key Game

I may have missed a game, someone check to make sure I didn't. I am still so upset after reading the "Katz" blog this morning, I think I am going to go punch my daughter's eight-week old Christmas puppy right in the face.

[WstateU]

Todays (01/24/12) Bracketbuster Games of Note:

None


Commentary - *=Key Game

I may have missed a game, someone check to make sure I didn't. I am still so upset after reading the "Katz" blog this morning, I think I am going to go punch my daughter's eight-week old Christmas puppy right in the face.

Oh, please don't @WuShock Reaper:...

[Signman]

But my argument was against his basis that these are the "best" match ups. I guess technically he never said "best" in what sense, but I took it as in best basketball match-up.

Agreed. That is exactly what it should be but I don't think that is what ESPN is doing. They do have to pay the bills and I don't begrudge them this. But they should just announce "We have selected these matchups because these will get the best ratings". It is disingenuous for these pundits to say anything else. Your argument was flawless when comparing the teams based on RPI, Power Rankings, computers or anything but the checkbook.

[GoShockers89]

Another snub at the bottom of the Murray State section here- http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...-lone-unbeaten