NCAA Basketball 2007-2008

[Paul Wozniak]

If anybody starts a bracket pool, I'm in.

 

[jwfgeol]

Well, it looks like Tennessee may have to toughest road to the final four. If the seed lines hold and they get out of the first round, they will have to play 7th seed Butler (ranked #10 in the nation), 3rd seed Louisville (ranked #13 in the nation) and 1st seed UNC (ranked #1 in the nation).

 

[jake14mw]

Anybody have a link to a listing of the games organized by date and time? Thanks.

 

[jwfgeol]

Anybody have a link to a listing of the games organized by date and time? Thanks.

MARCH MADNESS - 1st ROUND GAMES

THURSDAY
12:20 Xavier vs. Georgia
12:25 Kansas vs. Portland State
12:30 Michigan State vs. Temple
2:30 Marquette vs. Kentucky
2:50 Purdue vs. Baylor
2:55 UNLV vs. Kent State
3:00 Pitt vs. Oral Roberts
5:00 Stanford vs. Cornell
7:10 Duke vs. Belmont
7:10 USC vs. Kansas State
7:20 Washington State vs. Winthrop
7:25 BYU vs. Texas A&M
9:40 West Virginia vs. Arizona
9:40 Wisconsin vs. CS Fullerton
9:50 Notre Dame vs. Geroge Mason
9:55 UCLA vs. Miss Valley State

FRIDAY
12:15 Tennessee vs. American
12:25 Gonzaga vs. Davidson
12:30 Miami vs. St. Mary's
12:30 Drake vs. Western Kentucky
2:45 Butler vs. South Alabama
2:55 Georgetown vs. UMBC
3:00 Texas vs. Auston Peay
3:00 UCONN vs. San Diego
7:10 North Carolina vs. Play-in Team
7:10 Oklahoma vs. St. Joseph's
7:20 Vanderbilt vs. Siena
7:25 Miss. State vs. Oregon
9:40 Indiana vs. Arkansas
9:40 Louisville vs. Boise State
9:50 Clemson vs. Villanova
9:55 Memphis vs. UT-Arlington

 

[Paul Wozniak]

How did Arizona get in and Dayton gets left out? Or for that matter, how about Arizona St.? Didn't they sweep Arizona this season?

 

[jwfgeol]

How did Arizona get in and Dayton gets left out? Or for that matter, how about Arizona St.? Didn't they sweep Arizona this season?

From what has been said, Arizona State's non-conference strength of schedule kept them out. Arizona has an RPI of 38 and a SOS of 2 while ASU has an RPI of 83 and an SOS of 77 and a non-conference SOS of 296. It's probably fairer to compare ASU to the last at-large teams in (Villanova, Kentucky, Kansas State, Baylor, etc.). As for Dayton, they started the season on fire but only went 7-9 over their last 16 with some very bad losses. I think you can make some arguments here and there, but for the most part, it's a good field.

 

[jwfgeol]

According to Jay Bilas, Tennessee was the real team that got robbed.

Major beef: The team that really got robbed by the committee was not Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Illinois State or Dayton. The real victim of this year's committee was Tennessee. The Vols played by the committee's rules. Tennessee finished No. 1 in the RPI, which the committee has relied upon for years. The Vols played a brutal nonconference schedule that included wins at Xavier, at Memphis, at Western Kentucky, Gonzaga, West Virginia, Temple, Texas and Ohio State. The Vols were 12-4 against the NCAA tournament field, by far the best among NCAA teams, and Tennessee's numbers were far better than those of Kansas. Now, if you struggle with putting Tennessee as a No. 1 seed over Kansas, fine. But don't put the Vols in the same region with the overall No. 1 team, and do it in that team's backyard! Bruce Pearl has done a magnificent job with this team, played all comers and beat more top-quality teams than anyone, and, most important, played by the committee's rules … and the committee robbed him. That was ridiculous. The committee sends a lot of messages, and they are mixed messages. What should Tennessee take from the message sent this year? Play and beat everyone, and then get jobbed? Nice.

 

[Derwin0]

According to Jay Bilas, Tennessee was the real team that got robbed.

Personally, I'd rather be #2 in my geographic region, than a #1 in one of the other 3 regions. This guarantees they'll have lots of fans at the games.

Anyway, Tennessee would have to play UNC at some point. They'll just have it one game earlier. And there's really not that much of a difference between being #1 & #2 in a regional.

 

[jwfgeol]

Personally, I'd rather be #2 in my geographic region, than a #1 in one of the other 3 regions. This guarantees they'll have lots of fans at the games.

Anyway, Tennessee would have to play UNC at some point. They'll just have it one game earlier. And there's really not that much of a difference between being #1 & #2 in a regional.

I have UNC beating Tennessee in my pool. What really scares me for the Vols, though, is the possible 2nd round game with Butler. Butler beat UT last year and is currently ranked 10th in the polls. I'll worry about the Tarheels if Tennessee can make it that far.

 

[Derwin0]

I have UNC beating Tennessee in my pool. What really scares me for the Vols, though, is the possible 2nd round game with Butler. Butler beat UT last year and is currently ranked 10th in the polls. I'll worry about the Tarheels if Tennessee can make it that far.

After what happened to Tennessee in the SEC tournament, I don't see them making it to UNC (I put Louisville beating them in my bracket).
Not even making it the the finale in the SEC tournament kept them from getting a #1 see.

 

[jwfgeol]

After what happened to Tennessee in the SEC tournament, I don't see them making it to UNC (I put Louisville beating them in my bracket).
Not even making it the the finale in the SEC tournament kept them from getting a #1 see.

Yeah, I don't think they deserved a #1. Last year they had a really good tournament though after not winning a game in the SEC tourney. As a 5 seed, they destroyed LBSU, beat 4 seed Virginia, and came within Greg Oden's giant paw of beating 1 seed Ohio State. Louisville could definitely beat them, though. It's smart to go with Pitino in March.

 

[HD MM]

I'm having trouble picking between (6) USC and (11) Kansas St. in the Midwest Bracket. 2 best Frosh in the league in Mayo and Beasley. Should be a great matchup. Who are you guys picking and why?

 

[jwfgeol]

I'm having trouble picking between (6) USC and (11) Kansas St. in the Midwest Bracket. 2 best Frosh in the league in Mayo and Beasley. Should be a great matchup. Who are you guys picking and why?

That's a tough one. I went with USC. Tougher strength of schedule plus more wins against top teams.

 

[Ramy]

Louisville let a lot of people down last year though.

 

[markh]

I can agree that Tennessee probably shouldn't have been in the overall #1's bracket. I also think that North Carolina got a little too favorable treatment. They won't have to leave the state until the Final Four. And they could walk to the first round game. It does hurt a little to agree with Bilas, though.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Personally, I'd rather be #2 in my geographic region, than a #1 in one of the other 3 regions. This guarantees they'll have lots of fans at the games.

Anyway, Tennessee would have to play UNC at some point. They'll just have it one game earlier. And there's really not that much of a difference between being #1 & #2 in a regional.

The only difference in this case will be the 20,000 UNC fans. If you want to win the tournament, you have to beat at least one #1 along the way.

 

[Derwin0]

Thursday's Tournament Schedule

All times in EST.

12:20pm - Xavier vs. Georgia
12:25pm - Kansas vs. Portland St.
12:30pm - Michigan St. vs. Temple

2:30pm - Margquette vs. Kentucky
2:40pm - Purdue vs. Baylor
2:45pm - UNLV vs. Kent St.
2:50pm - Pittsburgh vs. Oral Roberts

4:40pm - Stanford vs. Cornell

7:10pm - USC vs. Kansas St.
7:10pm - Duke vs. Belmont
7:20pm - Washington St. vs. Winthrop
7:25pm - BYU vs. Texas A&M

9:30pm - Wisconsin vs. C-S Fullerton
9:30pm - West Virginia vs. Arizona
9:40pm - Notre Dame vs. George Mason
9:40pm - UCLA vs. Miss. Valley St.

 

[Derwin0]

Friday's Tournament Schedule

All Time in EST.

12:15pm – Tennessee vs. American
12:30pm – Gonzaga vs. Davidson
12:30pm – Miami vs. St. Mary’s
12:30pm – Drake vs. Western Kentucky

2:35pm – Butler vs. South Alabama
2:50pm – Georgetown vs. UMBC
2:50pm – Texas vs. Austin Peay
2:50pm – Connecticut vs. San Diego

7:00pm – North Carolina vs. Mt. St. Mary’s
7:10pm – Oklahoma vs. St. Joseph’s
7:20pm – Vanderbilt vs. Siena
7:25pm – Mississippi St. vs. Oregon

9:30pm – Indiana vs. Arkansas
9:30pm – Louisville vs. Boise St.
9:30pm – Clemson vs. Villanova
9:45pm – Memphis vs. Texas Arlington

 

[mccoyrj]

Well, the Xavier fans in the bars around here are partying and the Kentucky fans have thrown their beer bottles and gone home.

 

[gkrueger5@cox.net]

why aren't these games being broadcasted in HD on Direct TV?