2015 Bracketology Thread

[Morris Code 11]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

6 seed in Omaha vs. Miami/Oregon then Iowa St.

Would love to play Iowa St. Our transition defense is really good because our bigs can run. I think we would match up well against them.

I was kind of thinking the opposite. We would be forced to play a much quicker tempo than we are used to. Iowa St. offense is no joke, I have caught a couple of games this year. I think they are the best #3 seed of that pool (Notre Dame, UNC, Maryland, Utah). They are extremely experienced and well coached, something that we have on our side (zero freshman starters and Larry). I'd rather go up against a bunch that look down on us (UNC) that have no idea what to expect (Maryland) etc. We'll see. I think ISU can win it all.

[Pony_Law]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

6 seed in Omaha vs. Miami/Oregon then Iowa St.

Would love to play Iowa St. Our transition defense is really good because our bigs can run. I think we would match up well against them.

I was kind of thinking the opposite. We would be forced to play a much quicker tempo than we are used to. Iowa St. offense is no joke, I have caught a couple of games this year. I think they are the best #3 seed of that pool (Notre Dame, UNC, Maryland, Utah). They are extremely experienced and well coached, something that we have on our side (zero freshman starters and Larry). I'd rather go up against a bunch that look down on us (UNC) that have no idea what to expect (Maryland) etc. We'll see. I think ISU can win it all.

Teams that live and die on fast breaks and making threes can't win it all because over the course of 6 games you will ahve a bad shooting night and/or play a team that doesn't turn the ball over/ let you run on them. There is a reason they have lost to some bad teams like Tech and SC.

[mr. pony]

Omaha, then to Houston v. Kentucky in Sweet 16.

[Harry0569]

Omaha, then to Houston v. Kentucky in Sweet 16.

you mean "Blue"ston right?

[Morris Code 11]

Teams that live and die on fast breaks and making threes can't win it all because over the course of 6 games you will ahve a bad shooting night and/or play a team that doesn't turn the ball over/ let you run on them. There is a reason they have lost to some bad teams like Tech and SC.

Very true. Which of the top tier do you like the most as far as a 2nd round matchup for us. Let's leave out potential #1 seeders. I prefer smaller teams up front, as physical squads like Cincy this year, Louisville last year seem to give us the most trouble.

[Pony_Law]

Omaha, then to Houston v. Kentucky in Sweet 16.

Gross, I don't think Kentucky is as good as their record but they would be a nightmare match up for us. They can match our length and size inside and Nic is to small to guard any of their guards.

[Terry Webster]

Kentucky is a nightmare matchup for pretty much everyone.

[Pony_Law]

Teams that live and die on fast breaks and making threes can't win it all because over the course of 6 games you will ahve a bad shooting night and/or play a team that doesn't turn the ball over/ let you run on them. There is a reason they have lost to some bad teams like Tech and SC.

Very true. Which of the top tier do you like the most as far as a 2nd round match up for us. Let's leave out potential #1 seeders. I prefer smaller teams up front, as physical squads like Cincy this year, Louisville last year seem to give us the most trouble.

So of the top tier teams, I like our chances the most against Duke. We have the size and depth to throw bodies at Oakafor, and Duke is shallow inside. Their PG is a freshman and not that good. I guess they are a possible one seed. maryland or UNC or OU could be a high seed 2nd round match up I would be fine with.

[Morris Code 11]

UK would be a matchup nightmare for the 76ers.

[Pony_Law]

Kentucky is a nightmare matchup for pretty much everyone.

I don't think Kentucky is actually that good. There is a reason they have almost lost to mediocre teams with above average point guards. I think Kentucky is an elite 8 team but not a national champion unless they get some help from the tournament draw.

the 76 would kill Kentucky because their length wouldn't bother them. If you can not get blown away with their size and you have smart PG play Kentucky is vulnerable.

[Morris Code 11]

Teams that live and die on fast breaks and making threes can't win it all because over the course of 6 games you will ahve a bad shooting night and/or play a team that doesn't turn the ball over/ let you run on them. There is a reason they have lost to some bad teams like Tech and SC.

Very true. Which of the top tier do you like the most as far as a 2nd round match up for us. Let's leave out potential #1 seeders. I prefer smaller teams up front, as physical squads like Cincy this year, Louisville last year seem to give us the most trouble.

So of the top tier teams, I like our chances the most against Duke. We have the size and depth to throw bodies at Oakafor, and Duke is shallow inside. Their PG is a freshman and not that good. I guess they are a possible one seed. maryland or UNC or OU could be a high seed 2nd round match up I would be fine with.

Agreed, I think we have the length to bother Okafor. I'm confident putting Manuel up against their best guard and at that point anything can happen. UNC doesn't scare me either. They really struggle against really good defensive teams, which we are.

[Morris Code 11]

Kentucky is a nightmare matchup for pretty much everyone.

I don't think Kentucky is actually that good. There is a reason they have almost lost to mediocre teams with above average point guards. I think Kentucky is an elite 8 team but not a national champion unless they get some help from the tournament draw.

the 76 would kill Kentucky because their length wouldn't bother them. If you can not get blown away with their size and you have smart PG play Kentucky is vulnerable.

I know, just hyperbole. I don't put any merit in any college vs. professional discussion.

[Harry0569]

2/17
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bubblewatch
Teams that should be in: SMU
Work left to do: Temple, Cincinnati, Tulsa

Welp, so much for Connecticut. If you were searching for positive signs that the disappointing defending national champion was about to embark on the mother of all late runs, you got a few last week, when Kevin Ollie's smaller lineup pounded Tulsa 70-45. It was UConn's third win in a row. A high-profile, prime-time win at SMU on Saturday would have gotten the Huskies to 15-9 with a big boost to their RPI, making them an outfit worth watching the rest of the way. Instead, Ryan Boatright & Co. were blown out. It's looking like auto-bid or bust for the reigning champs.

SMU [21-5 (12-2), RPI: 21, SOS: 65] On paper, the Mustangs' plastering of Connecticut on Saturday night doesn't do a whole lot to buttress their resume. The Huskies are, after all, a ways off from a top-50 RPI, and margin of victory doesn't matter. In reality, SMU should be in the tournament at this point, and its position in this edition of Bubble Watch has changed accordingly. We're close to a lock, too. Were SMU to lose out (including the first round of the American tournament, with current RPI numbers considered) it would end up 21-10 overall with maybe one sub-100 loss, just two top-50 wins (at Temple, at Tulsa) and a 7-9 record against the top 100. That's pretty decent shape for a bubble team, but hardly a guarantee, so no lock just yet. SMU may not be a high seed, but where selection is concerned, it's in great shape.

Temple [19-7 (10-3), RPI: 33, SOS: 61] The Owls followed up a nice win over Cincinnati last week with a businesslike performance at home versus East Carolina, their seventh win in a row. As ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi noted on Twitter late last week, Fran Dunphy's team is undefeated with its full lineup intact. The injuries have come in fits and spurts, but they have coincided with most of Temple's losses, and that in itself constitutes a major opportunity: If the Owls can spend the next three weeks showing off how good they are at full strength, the committee will have to evaluate them on that basis, and less on how they looked when banged up. They're off to a good start already.

Cincinnati [17-8 (8-5), RPI: 39, SOS: 46] There was good news and bad news for the Bearcats on Saturday. NC State's win at Louisville helped to make Cincinnati's profile look marginally better, which is good. The Bearcats lost at home to Tulane and its 150s-ish RPI, which is, as you know, bad. The latter outweighs the former by a lot, tossing another questionable defeat on the page not far from an ugly loss at East Carolina on Feb. 1. Even so, Cincinnati still looks better than your run-of-the-mill bubble team, what with its sweep of SMU, its top-25 nonconference schedule and (for now) its 5-3 top-50 record. This week, Cincy resumes its crosstown rivalry with Xavier -- a chance to pick up a quality nonconference win -- before Saturday's bad-loss risk of a trip to Houston.

Tulsa [17-7 (10-2), RPI: 49, SOS: 123] Last week, we mentioned that the current state of the American Conference is such that Tulsa could begin conference play 10-1 without notching any win better than a road victory at Temple, or creating the kind of resume you might typically associate with any team that starts the season 10-1 in its own league. Now, after back-to-back losses to SMU and UConn, and with a 3-5 record against top-100 teams, you couldn't blame the committee for wondering just how good the Golden Hurricane really are. Tulsa was already closer to the First Four/cut line mix than either SMU or Cincy. Any more slips and it will only get closer.

[Harry0569]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

still a 6 (vs. LSU) in L'ville. Then the MAYOR

[hoopmanx]

I kinda think Gonzaga is better than Kentucky. UK is huge up front, but so are the Zags. They are also alot tougher/meaner up front, less finesse