Bracketology - 2014

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Love the matchup NCCU gets. Would definitely pick them to win.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

Just out of curiosity, I looked at who WSU might play Friday. Joey Brackets currently shows Texas Southern as a possible opponent. If that happened, it would be the 4th worst team WSU has played all year.

For those fools you run across today who say WSU might be the first 1 seed to fall to a 16, please remind them of this. WSU will be somewhere between 20-0 & 31-0 against better teams than their #16 seed.

[jocoshock]

Love the matchup NCCU gets. Would definitely pick them to win.

Shades of Bradley, 2006?

[jocoshock]

Possible Dana Altman matchup and rematch of OSU? Yes, please!

Malcolm would love that game..

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Not just shades. Match up nightmare for the Hawkers.

[fansince80s]

I'm sorry but there has been many many top championship favorite teams lose vs 8-9 seed aka KU Rhode Island. KU UNI. Kentucky UAB it happens.

@CBTonNBC: Six things to watch for on Selection*Sunday http://wp.me/p1aWjM-23iI


6.Who ends up in Wichita State’s bracket?: It’s crazy when you think about it, but the lack of any real challenge on their schedule means that Wichita State’s season for the ages will be determined by their performance in the NCAA tournament. If they are “for real”, they will make another run. If they aren’t, they’ll lose early. It’s dumb, but reality isn’t always smart.

Here’s the issue: there are some talented, top ten-caliber teams that had their seeds get dropped because of poor stretches during the season. This is a legitimate possibility for the Shockers: they could play No. 8 seed Oklahoma State in the Round of 32, No. 4 seed Louisville (or Michigan State) in the Sweet 16 and No. 2 seed Kansas (with Embiid back) in the Elite 8. Let’s hope that’s not the case.

[all valley]

Thank you and congratulations on another fantastic season! As far as the tourney goes I think sweet 16 will be a great success. I think (but hope I am proven wrong and you go deep again) that the loss of senior leadership of Beast Hall and Armstead will show in the tourney. Good luck, go shox!!!

[Rosewood]

Lol at clowns who say embiid will be back.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I'm sorry but there has been many many top championship favorite teams lose vs 8-9 seed aka KU Rhode Island. KU UNI. Kentucky UAB it happens.

UTEP.

UNC lost to BC maybe? . Duke losing against a 15 as a 2 seed.

[ShockTalk]

Thank you and congratulations on another fantastic season! As far as the tourney goes I think sweet 16 will be a great success. I think (but hope I am proven wrong and you go deep again) that the loss of senior leadership of Beast Hall and Armstead will show in the tourney. Good luck, go shox!!!

During last year's F4 run, Early, Baker, and Cotton were starters and FVV was the 6th man. That's the same as having 4 returning starters. Not to make little of Armstead and Hall's great contribution to last year's Dance, but I'd take 4 starters with F4 starting experience over no experience at all.

WSU can go all the way. If they take a stumble, it won't be from a lack of leadership. Over the last 4 years, only 3 #1 seeds have made the F4. Of the 13 who did not, 9 were eliminated in the S16 or R32.

[coran13]

Not that his bracket will be right, but Lunardi's most recent bracket definitely provides us with the most difficult path.

Midwest Region:
1. Wichita State

8. Oregon (RPI: 27)
9. Kansas State (RPI: 51)

2. Duke (possible ACC champion)
3. Louisville (AAC champion)
4. Michigan State (possible Big Ten champion)
5. North Carolina
6. Oklahoma
7. Gonzaga (WCC Champion)
SPOILERS: Providence (Big East champion), Iowa, Oregon

East Region:
1. Michigan

8. Oklahoma State (RPI: 45)
9. UMass (RPI: 20)

2. Villanova (overrated/downward slide)
3. Virginia (possible ACC champion)
4. UCLA (PAC-12 champion in a weak PAC-12)
5. Cincinnati
6. Kentucky (should be much lower seed)
7. Baylor (inconsistent)
Spoilers: Harvard, SMU, St. Joe's

South Region (The Easiest Region):
1. Florida

8. George Washington (RPI: 29)
9. Stanford (RPI: 40)

2. Kansas
3. Syracuse
4. Creighton
5. UConn
6. VCU (possibly the second best team in the region)
7. Saint Louis
Spoilers: NCCU, SFA

West Region:
1. Arizona

8. Memphis (RPI: 34)
9. Pittsburgh (RPI: 39) These are the most difficult third round teams, IMO.

2. Wisconsin
3. Iowa State (Big 12 champion)
4. San Diego State
5. Ohio State (should be lower)
6. New Mexico
7. Texas
Spoilers: Nebraska, Mercer, ND State, Western Michigan

[shoxtop]

Not that his bracket will be right, but Lunardi's most recent bracket definitely provides us with the most difficult path.

Midwest Region:
1. Wichita State
2. Duke (possible ACC champion)
3. Louisville (AAC champion)
4. Michigan State (possible Big Ten champion)
5. North Carolina
6. Oklahoma
7. Gonzaga (WCC Champion)
SPOILERS: Providence (Big East champion), Iowa, Oregon

East Region:
1. Michigan
2. Villanova (overrated/downward slide)
3. Virginia (possible ACC champion)
4. UCLA (PAC-12 champion in a weak PAC-12)
5. Cincinnati
6. Kentucky (should be much lower seed)
7. Baylor (inconsistent)
Spoilers: Harvard, SMU, St. Joe's

South Region (The Easiest Region):
1. Florida
2. Kansas
3. Syracuse
4. Creighton
5. UConn
6. VCU (possibly the second best team in the region)
7. Saint Louis
Spoilers: NCCU, SFA

West Region:
1. Arizona
2. Wisconsin
3. Iowa State (Big 12 champion)
4. San Diego State
5. Ohio State (should be lower)
6. New Mexico
7. Texas
Spoilers: Nebraska, Mercer, ND State, Western Michigan

I'm a big fan of this bracket with the exception of having Louisville as our 3 seed.

[ciaomichael]

Just yesterday, Lunardi had Louisville as a number 4 seed. Which sounded crazy to me - they probably should be projected as a #2 seed. Heck, if you throw in any predictive factor at all, they should be in contention for a #1 seed. Do these guys actually get paid to be bracketologists ? As a year-round job?

[calfan]

The slam against Louisville that I have heard is that they
had a weak non-conference schedule.

None of those brackets look easy to me.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

According to KenPom, WSU has more top 100 wins than Louisville.... Not to mention UL has 5 losses.

Louisville is a tough case this year. My numbers above are far from the full story, and yes, Louisville has been playing great recently, but I could see them as a 2, 3, or 4 and could justify each of those fairly easily.