Bracketology 2012

[Da Coach]

Here are a few other bracket projections-

Bracketville- they have been perhaps the most accurate in projecting the correct field and seeds over the previous 3 years-

http://bracketville.wordpress.com/bracketology/

Wichita State is a 5 seed, and Creighton is a 6 seed.
They have Northwestern far out of consideration. They are not among the first 5 out, and they are 6th among those "Also considered" which would mean there are 10 teams ahead of them who are out..

CollegeHoopsNet.com-

http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/bracketology-nc-state-in-miami-out-duke-a-1-169937

They have WSU a 4 seed, and CU a 5 seed (seems a little too high, IMO). They still have Northwestern in.

The Bracket Project-

http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

WSU is a 5 seed, CU is a 6 seed. Northwestern is the 7th team out.

Links to dozens more bracket projections-

http://bracketproject.50webs.com/rankings.html

[Bravesfan]

Yeah, who knows? The NCAA committees the past few years have stressed the use of the "eye test" which they invented to make the choices more subjective, and ignore their own objective modes of measurement like RPI and SOS. That way it was easier to excluded non-BCS schools.
But with their extremely subjective criteria, maybe there will be a small pity-factor that will drag Northwestern up enough to get in. If they do get in, watch them get rewarded by jumping over at least a dozen other schools and get a 12 seed. I wouldn't be surprised if they invoke an excuse like "they played in the #1 conference in RPI", which previously they have said doesn't matter.

If Northwestern doesn't make it, then it would mean the Big Ten, despite being #1, will only have 6 teams, fewer than usual, while the Big East has maybe 10.
That's why I think they'll get in.

DC, you couldn't be more correct! If Northwestern gets a bid then that would blow the "teams get bids, not conferences" theory right out of the water! If Northwestern gets in, I hope to never have to hear Jay Bilas and others use that term fifteen times a day again like they do now.

[TheAsianSensation]

The "eye test" got VCU and UAB in last year (rather ridiculously so, I might add), so this thing goes both ways.

[Bravesfan]

The "eye test" got VCU and UAB in last year (rather ridiculously so, I might add), so this thing goes both ways.

I agree, but for once I'm not talking about mid-majors versus BCS schools. I was just isolating on Northwestern alone. I'm sure there will be a couple of Pac-12 schools that make it in the tournament that have no business being there either.

[MacabreMob]

Something to consider... there is NOT one person on the Selection Committee from the B10. And the Committee Chairman is an ex-AD at UConn and currently a "consultant" to the Big East... some bullcrap position created to keep him "employed" by the Big East AND to keep him on in the Selection Committee (as he sits atop as the Chairman).

This from Jerry Palm's site at CollegeRPI.com...

The selection committee (year term expires):
Jeff Hathaway - Big East (12) - Chair
Joe Alleva - LSU AD (16)
Scott Barnes - Utah St AD (15)
Mike Bobinski - Xavier AD (13)
Joe Castiglione - Oklahoma AD (13)
Doug Fullerton - Big Sky Commissioner (14)
Lynn Hickey - TX-San Antonio AD (12)
Steve Orsini - SMU AD (15)
Ron Wellman - Wake Forest AD (14)
Jamie Zaninovich - West Coast Commissioner (16)

[Da Coach]

Here are the latest bracket updates-
Joe Lunardi/ESPN-

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

Joe Lunardi of ESPN (updated March 10, at 2:30 PM to include the St. Bonaventure upset)-
He has Wichita State as a 5-seed, and has dropped Creighton to a 7-seed. Note that has Northwestern out, and does not even include them in his first 7 teams out.

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

Last four in: BYU, South Florida, NC State, Seton Hall
First four out: Drexel, Washington, Mississippi State, Iona
Next four out: Miami, Mississippi, Arizona

CBS's Jerry Palm's updated bracket (updated March 10, at 2:30 PM to include the St. Bonaventure upset)-

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

Palm amazingly, still has Northwestern in!
Wichita State is now a #5 seed, and Creighton is also a #5 seed.
Last four in: Colorado State, California, Northwestern, Seton Hall
Teams falling out: North Carolina State, Mississippi, Miami (FL), Iona

Note- Joe Lunardi was just on ESPN talking about what the St. Bonaventure win means. He said it means one of his "Last 4 in" will be bumped out, and since he had Seton Hall as the "Last one in", logic dictates Seton Hall should be bumped.
However, what Joe Lunardi said next was revealing- he said that since Seton Hall was a member of a BCS conference, he believes the school that will be bumped out will instead be Drexel, because they are a midmajor!

[TheAsianSensation]

Here are the latest bracket updates-
Joe Lunardi/ESPN-
Lunardi has Nothwestern out, and does not even include them in his first 6 out

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

Jerry Palm/CBS-
Palm amazingly still has Northwestern in-

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

Note- Joe Lunardi was just on ESPN talking about what the St. Bonaventure win means. He said it means one of his "Last 4 in" will be bumped out, and since he had Seton Hall as the "Last one in", logic dictates Seton Hall should be bumped.
However, what Joe Lunardi said next was revealing- he said that since Seton Hall was a member of a BCS conference, he believes the school that will be bumped out will instead be Drexel, because they are a midmajor!

No, he had Seton Hall ahead of Drexel the entire time and said it was St Bonaventure taking Drexel's spot. This morning he had Drexel in the field.

[TheAsianSensation]

My final verdict:

Next 4 in
BYU
Colorado St
Southern Miss
South Florida

Last 4 in
Xavier
Miami
California
Iona

Last 4 out
North Carolina St
Mississippi St
Washington
Drexel

Next 4 out
Seton Hall
Middle Tennessee
Northwestern
Marshall

The bolded teams are my official bubble - the teams that I'm borderline on. Everyone else I feel confident about my in/out call.

The 1 line:
Kentucky
Syracuse
North Carolina
Michigan St/Ohio St

I have Wichita St at 16 on the S-curve (4 seed!) and Creighton at 24 (6 seed!)

Break it down by conference
BEast 9
Big 10 6
Big 12 6
ACC 5
SEC 4
A-10 4
MWC 4
WCC 3
CUSA 2
Valley 2
Pac-12 2
MAAC 2

[TheAsianSensation]

Did you see him interviewed?

Yes, just now. He said Drexel was out as they were his last team in this morning, and that he would prefer the committee take out Seton Hall in that scenario, but he predicted otherwise.

[Da Coach]

OK, I just ran it back and listened again, and you are right. However, he did say his choice would be to drop Drexel, and not Seton Hall.

[TheAsianSensation]

Interesting also because Lunardi's annual Sunday surprise this year was Drexel - he bumped them in from 2 teams out overnight.

[Da Coach]

Here is what Lunardi said. I only caught the second part of what he said, and thought he said Seton Hall was out-

http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k150/bradleyfans/?action=view&current=MOV02775.mp4

[Da Coach]

Here is a bit of trivia I just heard on ESPN- now that South Dakota State is in the NCAA tournament (they are the first team from that state), there are just 2 states that have never been represented in the tournament. One is Alaska, which doesn't have any D1 schools.

What lower 48 state has never been represented in the NCAA tournament?

[TheAsianSensation]

I know the answer so I'll let someone else has it.

I'm working on a bracket, and something to watch: the first four games. The NCAA wants to feed the winners into a Friday/Sunday site. But when I did regionals, the 12 and 13 seeds are all slotted to play in Pittsburgh, Portland, and Albuquerque - all 3 are Thursday/Saturday sites. This means we will probably see a play-in game funnel to an 11 seed while other at-large teams go straight in as a 12 seed.

This is going to be a mess, just wait.

[TheAsianSensation]

Oh my god.

Because of the various problems with the first four and the schedule, I just had to create the following sub-regional. Tell me, if this showed up in the bracket for real, what you'd think about it.

@Albuquerque
4) Wichita St (26-5) vs. 13) Xavier (21-12)/Iona (25-7)
5) Murray St (27-1) vs. 12) VCU (28-6)