Joe Lunardi Bracketology

[TheAsianSensation]

Now is about the time of year Lunardi becomes useful only for his inside connections. As I stated before, his real value is in January and February. Pretty much anyone can do his job now. Of course, I can do it a little better than anyone

[Bravesfan]

Joe Lunardi is a fraud. I talked to Scot Van Pelt of ESPN last year in Vegas during the Sweet 16, and he said Lunardi was a joke and that people from the selection committee call Lunardi during and immediately after the pairings are done. It was actually quite entertaining hearing Van Pelt slam people who are employed (well, semi-employed) by his network. He also added that the Big 10 sucks (he's a Maryland grad).

FYI, ESPN this morning mentioned that he "picked" all 65 teams perfectly last year. Not quite! As you said BradleyBrave, he gets a phone call about 11 in the morning (give or take an hour or two) with the final pairings. That's why ISU "disappeared" from his bracket last year after he had them in all week. And yet he gets credit for "correctly" guessing that ISU would be one of the four last teams out.

Perhaps he heard something about Creighton already from the committee since he slid them back in his bracket without them even having played a game for almost a week now! Good for us, but many of us could have guessed Creighton may be in based on the relatively few upsets involving bubble teams we have seen this week.

Well right or wrong, cheat or not, I hope Lunardi is right, but we'll know in about 50 and a half hours from now!

[TheAsianSensation]

Creighton slipped back in because they spent the last couple of days as 2nd team out, and 2 teams ahead of them (Arizona, UNLV) lost the last couple days.

His shifts don't happen until Sunday morning


That being said, his job IS to predict what the committee will do, so if he has inside info to use, he might as well use it.

[BradleyBrave]

What about Lunardi is a joke according to Van Pelt?

Im not doubting your story but Van Pelt is basically a fan like the rest of us.

Sure he's a fan, but Van Pelt works at the network. I am not sure anyone on this board does (but I might be wrong). He thinks it's BS that this Philadelphia businessman gets credit for being this bracket 'genius', when all he is doing is speculating for weeks like all of us, and then 'magically' gets everything right the day of the event. The guy called him a joke, I am just repeating what he said. I happen to agree with him.

[leebiddlecome]

Sure he's a fan, but Van Pelt works at the network. I am not sure anyone on this board does (but I might be wrong). He thinks it's BS that this Philadelphia businessman gets credit for being this bracket 'genius', when all he is doing is speculating for weeks like all of us, and then 'magically' gets everything right the day of the event. The guy called him a joke, I am just repeating what he said. I happen to agree with him.

I realize I came off sounding confrontational, I didn't mean too. I just didn't know if Van Pelt had any "inside" knowledge as to what made him a fraud.

I didn't realize he got calls right before the selection show. I actually like Jerry Palm's predictions better.

Lunardi works at St. Joseph's College doesn't he?

I actually like Van Pelt more than a lot of the ESPN guys. He's basically a sports nerd and doesn't claim to be anything more than that.

[BradleyBrave]

I realize I came off sounding confrontational, I didn't mean too. I just didn't know if Van Pelt had any "inside" knowledge as to what made him a fraud.

I didn't realize he got calls right before the selection show. I actually like Jerry Palm's predictions better.

Lunardi works at St. Joseph's College doesn't he?

I actually like Van Pelt more than a lot of the ESPN guys. He's basically a sports nerd and doesn't claim to be anything more than that.

No worries, I didn't take it as a challenge or confrontational or anything.

I had formed my opinion, as several others had long ago, that Lunardi was a joke and that he had people telling him 'the answers', kind of like cheating on a test. Van Pelt just validated what a lot of us already thought.

[Tulsa Brave]

The real big clue that Lunardi had inside info came when he took out what was then SMS (now MSU) and their 22 RPI at the last minute in '06. He did the same with ISU last year. I'm not even looking at his final bracket this year because I prefer to wait for the official word before knowing the field...

[Bravesfan]

The real big clue that Lunardi had inside info came when he took out what was then SMS (now MSU) and their 22 RPI at the last minute in '06. He did the same with ISU last year. I'm not even looking at his final bracket this year because I prefer to wait for the official word before knowing the field...

I plan on doing the same thing. I will not look at his final bracket so as not to ruin the suspense of seeing the actual teams being picked live. I will probably not even visit this board on Sunday until at least during if not after the picks are completed.

[pfunk880]

Well, with Xavier and Dayton both going down in the A-10, someone is going to steal a bid there. Baylor could also steal a bid in the Big 12, and Maryland seems to have moved to the right side of the bubble. Looks like Creighton is once again in serious bubble trouble. It's going to be an interesting Selection Sunday.

[lightsout]

Lunardi has moved Creighton up to an 11 seed today in the updated bracket. I think if Creighton plays up to their potential they can make it sweet 16.

[Bravesfan]

Lunardi has moved Creighton up to an 11 seed today in the updated bracket. I think if Creighton plays up to their potential they can make it sweet 16.

Wow! He must have some inside info already if he moved them up in the seedings!

[BradleyBrave]

I think Creighton is safe, especially if Utah St hangs on to a double-digit lead in the 2nd half against Nevada. Jerry Palm (a real bracketologist) has Creighton in as an 11 as well, and has 3 teams below them as far as teams 'on the fence'. It sure will be great to see 2 MVC teams dancing in a pretty down year for the league overall.

However, it doesn't make me feel real good to know that BU went 0-5 against our league's tournament teams. Injuries or not, 0-5 is unacceptable in my book.

[Bravesfan]

I think Creighton is safe, especially if Utah St hangs on to a double-digit lead in the 2nd half against Nevada. Jerry Palm (a real bracketologist) has Creighton in as an 11 as well, and has 3 teams below them as far as teams 'on the fence'. It sure will be great to see 2 MVC teams dancing in a pretty down year for the league overall.

However, it doesn't make me feel real good to know that BU went 0-5 against our league's tournament teams. Injuries or not, 0-5 is unacceptable in my book.

Well that's why we're not going to the NCAA Tournament but Creighton most likely is.

As far as the Valley earning multiple bids to the tournament, I think this has to be the goal every year, and I hope we never see a single bid again. I know that probably will not always be the case, but we have to shoot for multiple bids every year to keep up our status as one of the premiere non-BCS conferences. With the A-10, MWC, and sometimes others earning multiple bids each year, there is a lot of competition amongst the mid-majors, never mind the BCS! So if we do get two in this year, I'm hoping that's the start of another long streak of multiple bid seasons.

[BradleyBrave]

Well that's why we're not going to the NCAA Tournament but Creighton most likely is.

As far as the Valley earning multiple bids to the tournament, I think this has to be the goal every year, and I hope we never see a single bid again. I know that probably will not always be the case, but we have to shoot for multiple bids every year to keep up our status as one of the premiere non-BCS conferences. With the A-10, MWC, and sometimes others earning multiple bids each year, there is a lot of competition amongst the mid-majors, never mind the BCS! So if we do get two in this year, I'm hoping that's the start of another long streak of multiple bid seasons.

MVC will get 2 or 3 bids next year, book it. We should be one of them. That's the standard I am holding us to, and I think everyone else should too.

[TheAsianSensation]

We're mere hours away from the annual tradition! The mystery change in Lunardi's S-curve? Who will it be this year?