OFFICIAL: Selection Sunday Thread

[ShockTalk]

We'll see how far Kentucky will go, but I'll always remember the monumental effort it took a team of NBA players to beat us.

That being said, it's stupid that if we were a #2 seed in the South that we would have had an easier path to the Elite 8.

A 2-seed in the same region (MW) even, would have been easier.

I agree. I assume you mean this playing the high seeds, most of which have departed, not the lower seeds that won. I would even add Kansas and Michigan to that group rather than playing UK and/or Louisville.

[Shox21]

How does the Committee determine what region a given team winds up in. Why wasn't Kentucky in the South Region instead of the Midwest?

[ShockTalk]

How does the Committee determine what region a given team winds up in. Why wasn't Kentucky in the South Region instead of the Midwest?

Travel wise, sending UK to Orlando would make more sense than sending Colorado there and not St. Louis.

My guess, though, is viewership. The WSU/UK matchup was a very interesting one and then, whoever won, would have been a top draw for a match with Louisville.

[HenryMuto]

How does the Committee determine what region a given team winds up in. Why wasn't Kentucky in the South Region instead of the Midwest?

They put the teams in the closest regions the options were Indy, New York, Memphis and Anaheim

Lexington is much closer by far to Indy than Memphis which is why they were put in the MW over the South.

[Shock Top]

I call BS.

When WSU was a 5-seed, they sent them to Portland.

[Shock Therapy]

They put the teams in the closest regions the options were Indy, New York, Memphis and Anaheim

Lexington is much closer by far to Indy than Memphis which is why they were put in the MW over the South.

Kentucky is an 8 seed. 8 seeds aren't supposed to get any sort of preferential treatment in terms of geography. They can be sent close to home, but they usually don't. The committee has consistently sent teams lower than 4 seeds all over the country for no reason. Kentucky playing close to home was more of an anomaly than the norm. The geography argument is garbage as applied to Kentucky.

[shockmonster]

Kentucky is an 8 seed. 8 seeds aren't supposed to get any sort of preferential treatment in terms of geography. They can be sent close to home, but they usually don't. The committee has consistently sent teams lower than 4 seeds all over the country for no reason. Kentucky playing close to home was more of an anomaly than the norm. The geography argument is garbage as applied to Kentucky.

You may be right that it is an anomaly but you can't be sure. If you look at all of the teams that they sent to St. Louis: WSU, KU, K State, and UK, geography being a big factor this year to this particular seeding committee looks mighty suspicious.

[ShockTalk]

Kentucky is an 8 seed. 8 seeds aren't supposed to get any sort of preferential treatment in terms of geography. They can be sent close to home, but they usually don't. The committee has consistently sent teams lower than 4 seeds all over the country for no reason. Kentucky playing close to home was more of an anomaly than the norm. The geography argument is garbage as applied to Kentucky.

Sorry, @HenryMuto:, I'd have to agree with this. This was more than just location.

[Shock Therapy]

You may be right that it is an anomaly but you can't be sure. If you look at all of the teams that they sent to St. Louis: WSU, KU, K State, and UK, geography being a big factor this year to this particular seeding committee looks mighty suspicious.

I think that you misunderstand. I was saying that it was suspicious. That, as an 8 seed, geography wasn't suppose to play any part in where Kentucky went. And yet the committee flat out said that it did. Which was likely just an excuse.

[Remember'70]

Since the committee has set the geographic precedent, make sure we all snatch up tickets in Omaha for 2015!

[Shocker-maniac]

Interesting twitter exchange with Jay Bilas:

@GMD235: @jaybilas talking about UKs historic run last year as an 8 seed!

@JayBilas: @GMD235 It was a historically bad seeding job. That was no 8-seed. Kentucky was a 4, at worst.

@GMD235: @JayBilas also I would say Wichita St was another top team in the tourney last year that in perhaps any other region makes it out to final4

@JayBilas: @GMD235 Maybe not the Final Four, but certainly the second weekend. Wichita State got jobbed by the Committee.

@GMD235: @JayBilas yes I agree Shockers at least make the second weekend. The committee jobbing seemed a theme in that region for a few teams.
08/11/2014

[WuShock16]

I disagree with the notion that Kentucky was under-seeded. Yes, their talent was off the charts...but they had a very underwhelming regular season. I am pretty sure that we were all mocking the notion of them being a Top 25 team towards the end of the year. If they weren't a Top 25 team, that automatically puts them out of the top 6 seeds. Therefore, I had no issues with them being an 8. If you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at Kentucky for screwing around for four months. They should have never put themselves in the position of being an 8 seed.

[Aargh]

Freshman-dominated teams tend to get better as the season progressees. Pretty trough to fault the committee for not figuring out that UK had finally figured it out.

Even without the 8-seed in that bracket suddenly catching on fire, that was one of the most brutal brackets in recent history.

It's good to see that the Shox are still in the discussion of some major national media guys and still getting credit for the good loss. I guess last year was "the year of the good loss". It took us until late March to get ours.

[shockmonster]

UK's late season play including the SEC Tournament and a very strong showing against Florida should have been a clue that Kentucky was figuring it out.

[Shockeriffic]

UK's late season play including the SEC Tournament and a very strong showing against Florida should have been a clue that Kentucky was figuring it out.

Their last four regular season games were losses to Arkansas, South Carolina, and Florida. The Florida loss was by 19 points. It was really only the SEC tournament that showed they were figuring it out. No one knew what to do with Kentucky at the time. If it was only that I could forgive the committee but the rest of the bracket made it clear what they were trying to do.