Uh huh…or maybe we realize that someone who has already forgotten last years March Madness winner…and is criticizing the strength of the conference, probably ain’t worth responding to… 
Well, if you are going to use RPI to back up your argument, then you may want to know that Georgia is #27 and Alabama is #51. I think Georgia deserves to get in over Bama.
Georgia finished 9-7 in the stronger SEC East while Alabama finished 8-8 in the weaker SEC West. Alabama had these fine teams on its schedule: Ark Pine-Bluff, Grambling, Wofford, North Texas, Northern Iowa, SE La, plus others. Also, Alabama won exactly one game on the road (@LSU). Pitiful.
Re OP: The committee looks at what the team did over the season, not just the tournament. Iowa finished tied for 6th (with Penn St) in the Big 10 standings. No way they should be seeded higher than Ind, Wisc, or OSU.
BTW, my team is seeded third (Maryland) and I’m happy with that. I expected them to be a 4 seed.
I realize that. That’s why I don’t think Iowa should get a 1 seed (or a 2,3 or even a 4 seed) even though they won their tournament over Illinois and Michigan State.
That being said, the tournament should count for SOMETHING…especially as an indicator of how they are playing NOW…why else have a conference tournament right before the selection time then except for shits and giggles?
The tournament does count for something. It’s more games in the season and they probably count for more than games back in January. You really shouldn’t complain about the tournament, If Iowa had lost its first or second game, then they would playing in the NIT right now.
Hawaii, UNCC and Indiana St. are just three teams that think conference tournaments is more than shits and giggles.
Gotta agree with you on that one…they were definately a bubble team before the big ten tourney…
[hijack]
beagledave, what’s up with Recker? Is he expected to play at all or not?
[/hijack]
He had his MRI today…the word is that he is listed as “day to day”…my guess is that he won’t start at all(Brody Boyd has matured a bit into quite an outside threat anyway)…but might get some sub time…especially if they can make the Sweet 16.
Ryan Hogan (off guard who transferred from UK) OTOH will not play at all the remainder of this season.
Screw Michigan and Kentucky.
I call Princeton for the championship! GO TIGERS!!!
(oh well… never hurts to dream… and you thought you had it bad with a 7th seed!)
Dude, never move to “Tobacco Road”, aka North Carolina . . . we take our fanaticism very seriously here. The ACC Tourney is practically a state holiday.
Oh and BTW my grand alma mater UNC-Greensboro will be shooting the lights out in San Diego whoo-hoo ! (Stanford smamford.)
Go Spartans !
- NM
You got that half right. Michigan had one of their worst years ever and just fired their coach.
If you’ll reread my post, you’ll see that I DIDN’T use RPI to argue that Alabama should’ve gotten in. But forget that. Look at who Georgia beat, and then when they beat them. Yes, they beat Florida, but they did it when Florida was missing three (or four, I forget exactly) starters due to injury. They beat Tennessee at the end of the season, when Tennessee was on the skids. Alabama lost to both those teams, but they played Tennessee when the Vols were ranked in the top 10 and Florida when the Gators were #7, I think.
I know Alabama had some creampuffs on its schedule. But those were still Division I teams, and Alabama beat them. Alabama also swept the same team (LSU) that beat Georgia in the SEC tournament. Alabama beat five tourney teams. Those aren’t quality wins?
Here’s the scenario: You’ve got two teams from the same conference. One finished 8-8 in their conference, the other 9-7. The first is 21-10, the second is 16-14. The first beat the second in the only head-to-head matchup. Who do you select to be in the tourney field?
Regardless, it does my heart good to note that Georgia (who was a freakin’ EIGHT seed, for pete’s sake; how does THAT happen?) lost to Missouri. Finishing this season one win over .500. So justice was served, after a fashion. Alabama continues to amass wins this year (albeit in the NIT), and Georgia finishes the year STILL with only 16 wins.
Okay, here’s my take on Indiana. I’d like some input. The NCAA is allowed to readjust their seedings only within 1 of their true S-Curve seed. The NCAA likes TV ratings, and upsets=ratings. Traditionally in the 64 team field, the 5/12 game has produced some shockers. What would be more exciting than a 5/12 upset? A 4/13 upset. So the committee takes the weakest 5 seed, bumps them to a 4, in the hopes that excitement commences.
Did that make any sense whatsoever?
Sauron,
Ok, I should have said that you mentioned RPI, not used it as an argument. I thought you would like to know where Ga. and Ala. rated.
However, you can’t just compare their records (21-10 and 16-14) and say that Alabama is better. Their opponents are markedly different. If they switched schedules their records would probably switch also. They selected the team that at least played difficult games.
I’m glad you’re feeling better, though.
Conner,
What would the selection committee have against Indiana? How about a 2/15 upset and the 14s almost winning. I think that upsets happen anyway.
I think you missed the point of my post. The committee has nothing against Indiana at all, and I don’t think I implied that. What I’m saying is that the NCAA wants to make it as exciting as possible (the whole upsets=excitement thing). Because there has been a history of #5 seeds being upset, they specifically take a natural #5 seed (Indiana), make them a #4 seed (they are allowed to reseed a team within 1 of their natural S-Curve seed), and hope they get upset.
A 15 over a 2, or a 14 over a 3 would certainly be very exciting (see Iowa St.). However, moving a #5 seed to a #2 or #3 is not allowed. Moving them to a #4 seed is allowed.
I got your point. You are suggesting that the committee intentionally overseeds teams in hopes that there will be more upsets, pushing ratings higher. I doubt it. It’s difficult enough to put the teams in brackets by the rules to worry about trying to create an upset.
Besides, wouldn’t moving Indiana to a 6-seed increase the chance for an upset as they will play a better team in the 11-seed.
Also, I’m not sure that Indiana was a natural #5 anyway. The only teams looking suspiciously out of place are Texas and Cincinnati.
I think its 6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other. Either Kent St. plays a weaker #4, or Indiana plays a stronger team in a #11.
I think a lot of the major conference teams were overranked, especially in the Big XII. But, as you say, putting this thing can’t be the easiest thing in the world. But part of me prefers to think of things as the world against Connor, all for me to figure out.
I think I need to replace my tinfoil hat.
I think that recent events have vindicated my OP 
Wisconsin: Lost
Ohio State: Lost
Indiana: Lost
Iowa: won by 13 
I’m feeling a little queasy about the Iowa-UK game though…the word is that Brody Boyd (Recker’s replacement who has been lighting up from 3 point range) is listed as “questionable” for Saturday
DoctorJ → be kind
Don’t feel bad, beagledave, Iowa played a good game. Unfortunately, Kentucky played a really good game, after some rough going at first. I hope we’ve still got a good one left in us by the time we get to Duke next Saturday. (USC? We scoff at USC.)
Those of you who have been around Lexington know the mayhem that will erupt if (when) we beat Duke next weekend. And where is the Dr. J Domicile situated, you ask? Woodland Avenue, about three houses up from Euclid. Right on Celebration Corner. I will be moving the car to safety, but after that, I think I’m going to post reinforcements around the perimeter, pull the TV out onto the front porch, and get a keg.
And a big Bite My Ass to the folks at my local CBS affiliate, who switched back to the feed of the long since overwith UK-Iowa game even though the network feed had switched to the end of the tied Stanford game. Sure, it didn’t turn out to be an upset, but I would like to have seen it if it had been.
The person you don’t want to be today is Kenny Harley, of Boston College, who inexplicably went down the lane for a 2 when they were down by 3 with only seconds to go. He should probably take a vacation somewhere for a while.
Dr. J
Better bring your game faces. What exactly will happen when KY loses? Riots? Crying? Burning Shane Battier in effigy? Wailing and pulling of hair? Mass suicides?
Cousins marrying? Oh wait…we’re talking about Kentucky, not a unique event
…never mind 