NCAA selection show- Wichita State gets a #5 seed, Creighton a #9 seed

[TheAsianSensation]

Committee just released their last 4 out list:

Oral Bob
Miami
Nevada
Drexel

[lefty]

Here are the matchups-
NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET

SOUTH (Atlanta)

Louisville
Thursday, March 15
No.1 Kentucky vs. No. 16 Mississippi Valley State/Western Kentucky winner
No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 0 Connecticut

Portland
Thursday, March 15
No. 5 Wichita State vs. No. 12 Virginia Commonwealth
No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 13 New Mexico State

Albuquerque
Thursday, March 15
No. 6 UNLV vs. No. 11 Colorado
No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 South Dakota State

Greensboro
Friday, March 16
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Xavier
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh

WEST (Phoenix)

Columbus
Friday, March 16
No. 1 Michigan State vs. No. 16 Long Island University
No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 9 St. Louis

Portland
Thursday, March 15
No. 5 New Mexico vs. No. 12 Long Beach State
No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 13 Davidson

Louisville
Thursday, March 15
No. 6 Murray State vs. No. 11 Colorado State
No. 3 Marquette vs. No. 14 BYU/Iona winner

Omaha
Friday, March 16
No. 7 Florida vs. No. 10 Virginia
No. 2 Missouri vs. No. 15 Norfolk State

EAST (Boston)

Pittsburgh
Thursday, March 15
No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 16 UNC-Asheville
No. 8 Kansas State vs. No. 9 Southern Miss

Albuquerque
Thursday, March 15
No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 Harvard
No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 13 Montana

Nashville
Friday, March 16
No. 6 Cincinnati vs. No. 11 Texas
No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 14 St. Bonaventure

Pittsburgh
Thursday, March 15
No. 7 Gonzaga vs. No. 10 West Virginia
No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Loyola (MD)

something new this year..only 3 brackets

[Da Coach]

something new this year..only 3 brackets

Oops. Missed one. It's fixed now.

ESPN has this list of 5 "snubs"

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/52997/the-case-for-and-against-five-ncaa-snubs

Drexel
Mississippi State
Washington
Seton Hall
Northwestern

[lefty]

Oops. Missed one. It's fixed now.

ESPN has this list of 5 "snubs"

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/52997/the-case-for-and-against-five-ncaa-snubs

Drexel
Mississippi State
Washington
Seton Hall
Northwestern

Really only Drexel got snubbed IMO....possibly Washington

[saluki762]

I have less beef with this years selection than I have had in a long time. I think they did pretty good this year.

[tornado]

The CBS guys just pointed out that there are 11 non-BCS at-large teams in the tournament, the most since 2006 (I think). So maybe we should be happy for that.

First - this WAS a great year for midmajors - there is NO denying it -- many BCS teams lost to midmajors and a lot of good mid-majors had a decent claim for an at-large bid...


My beefs -

-Iowa State a #8 seed - seriously - they had 10 losses and were never anywhere near the Top 25...and did not finish strong

-Creighton - deserve better than an 8-seed - they WERE a legit Top 25 team, had a way better record than Iowa State, won 14 games away from home including 10 true road games, and were 3-1 against Top 50 teams.

-UConn at the same level (9 seed)?? they lost 13 games, were 3-8 against the Top 50 RPI, and LOST 10 of their final 16 games -- OMG -- they really should have been left for the NIT!!

-Indiana gets beat in the Big Ten Tourney game and still maintains their #4 seed, even tho they were just 3-6 on the road in the Big Ten and had a losing road record overall.
I think they should have had a 6-7 seed.

-Colorado wins the Pac-12 and gets an 11 seed -- come on - reward the teams that finish strong and win the major tourneys!!!

-Xavier -- what's this all about -- 12 losses, 5-7 road record, basically were a .500 team of thugs after mid-January, 4-6 against Top 50, losses to Oral Roberts, Hawaii, LBSU, LaSalle, & UMass!!!!
Again -- they deserve the NIT way more than Barry did in 2006.

-Long Island - classic anti-mid-major bias...they did everything they were supposed to do...
they were 25-8, and came on very strong once they were at full strength - winning 20 of their last 22 games - most by double digits...
and yet they get a REALLY CRAPPY #16 seed!!

-Another mid-major that gets reamed - Long Beach State...
RPI 34, 23-8, went 21-3 over their final 24 games!!!
They beat Xavier, Pitt, and almost won at Creighton...
..and are rewarded with a lousy #12 seed!!

-Colorado State - a #29 RPI - but get an 11-seed!

-Vandy finishes strong - wins the SEC and beats Kentucky but gets a 5-seed while UK keeps their overall #1

-Drexel & ORU both got robbed with West Virginia (19-13, 57 RPI) and the one hardest to swallow - in Big East's South Florida getting in..
USF is 19-13, just 2-9 against Top 50 teams, and only 6-6 against a weak non-conference slate.

[Old Coach]

Really only Drexel got snubbed IMO....possibly Washington

I agree. After watching VCU and Drexel in the Colonial championship, I thought they both deserved to be in.

[Bravesfan]

The chairman of the committee was interviewed by CBS, and he emphasized that SOS was now the most important thing in making their decisions. Of course, when the midmajors figured out how to boost their RPIs, the big boys had to change the rules. Even the "eye test" that the last couple committees claimed was so important, was never mentioned this time. Now it's all about SOS, which is like the trump card they were looking for, since the midmajors can never get their SOS quite as high as the power conference guys, mainly because the big boys refuse to play the mids.

I just now got finished watching the selection show as I was out at a family function earlier today. Listening to the Jeff Hathaway interview, he basically said that Iona got in ahead of Drexel based on their non-conference SOS. Iona had a top 100 non-conference SOS with several good top 100 wins (though no top 50 wins), while Drexel had a 200+ non conference SOS. Also he said that Iona is a great offensive team, which leads me to believe that the "eye test" was a big factor in Iona's selection, even though the term was never mentioned outright. I personally think both Iona and Drexel would pass the eye test easily, and that SOS was the ultimate deciding factor, though many pundits prior to today were hoping Iona would make the tournament with their roster of several NBA bound seniors. I do think Iona could be a dangerous team to reckon with in the tournament, but I still believe they could have made room for Drexel (and kept Iona in at the same time) over a team like West Virginia, a team with a terrible top 50 record. But I guess the Big East SOS sealed it for them!

[Bravesfan]

First - this WAS a great year for midmajors - there is NO denying it -- many BCS teams lost to midmajors and a lot of good mid-majors had a decent claim for an at-large bid...


My beefs -

-Iowa State a #8 seed - seriously - they had 10 losses and were never anywhere near the Top 25...and did not finish strong

-Creighton - deserve better than an 8-seed - they WERE a legit Top 25 team, had a way better record than Iowa State, won 14 games away from home including 10 true road games, and were 3-1 against Top 50 teams.

-UConn at the same level (9 seed)?? they lost 13 games, were 3-8 against the Top 50 RPI, and LOST 10 of their final 16 games -- OMG -- they really should have been left for the NIT!!

-Indiana gets beat in the Big Ten Tourney game and still maintains their #4 seed, even tho they were just 3-6 on the road in the Big Ten and had a losing road record overall.
I think they should have had a 6-7 seed.

-Colorado wins the Pac-12 and gets an 11 seed -- come on - reward the teams that finish strong and win the major tourneys!!!

-Xavier -- what's this all about -- 12 losses, 5-7 road record, basically were a .500 team of thugs after mid-January, 4-6 against Top 50, losses to Oral Roberts, Hawaii, LBSU, LaSalle, & UMass!!!!
Again -- they deserve the NIT way more than Barry did in 2006.

-Long Island - classic anti-mid-major bias...they did everything they were supposed to do...
they were 25-8, and came on very strong once they were at full strength - winning 20 of their last 22 games - most by double digits...
and yet they get a REALLY CRAPPY #16 seed!!

-Another mid-major that gets reamed - Long Beach State...
RPI 34, 23-8, went 21-3 over their final 24 games!!!
They beat Xavier, Pitt, and almost won at Creighton...
..and are rewarded with a lousy #12 seed!!

-Colorado State - a #29 RPI - but get an 11-seed!

-Vandy finishes strong - wins the SEC and beats Kentucky but gets a 5-seed while UK keeps their overall #1

-Drexel & ORU both got robbed with West Virginia (19-13, 57 RPI) and the one hardest to swallow - in Big East's South Florida getting in..
USF is 19-13, just 2-9 against Top 50 teams, and only 6-6 against a weak non-conference slate.

That was an absolute garbage seeding for Creighton! They should have been a 6 seed at the absolute worst. I will also defend Memphis as well, another team that got hosed with an 8 seed. And the #12 seed for Long Beach State did not at all match the praise that even the BCS pundits gave them this year. But chalk up being in a bad conference for that, at least partially. That said, Long Beach State is a VERY dangerous 12 seed that will play well above it and could very well make the Sweet 16 beating New Mexico and Louisville.

Wichita State gets a good #5 seed, but has to beat a very dangerous 12 seed in VCU, a Final Four team from last year. VCU can easily steal this game, but I do think the Shockers will get by and beat an Indiana team that looked average at times in conference play.

Completely agreed that West Virginia had no business in the tournament with hardly any quality wins. At least S. Florida had a good conference record, but it was a very soft one at that. No surprise that Seton Hall did not get in as they had a similar profile to Northwestern. I thought they would either be both in or both out, which was the case. All that said though, at least the selection committee did a great job in giving out 11 at-large bids to non-BCS schools, though we knew most of them would get in quite awhile back based on their seasons.

And "congrats" to Washington for becoming the first ever BCS regular season champion to not make the NCAA Tournament. And if Iona took their spot, even as controverial as that pick was, I will be more than happy to accept that!

[Tulsa Brave]

First - this WAS a great year for midmajors - there is NO denying it -- many BCS teams lost to midmajors and a lot of good mid-majors had a decent claim for an at-large bid...


My beefs -

-Iowa State a #8 seed - seriously - they had 10 losses and were never anywhere near the Top 25...and did not finish strong

-Creighton - deserve better than an 8-seed - they WERE a legit Top 25 team, had a way better record than Iowa State, won 14 games away from home including 10 true road games, and were 3-1 against Top 50 teams.

-UConn at the same level (9 seed)?? they lost 13 games, were 3-8 against the Top 50 RPI, and LOST 10 of their final 16 games -- OMG -- they really should have been left for the NIT!!

-Indiana gets beat in the Big Ten Tourney game and still maintains their #4 seed, even tho they were just 3-6 on the road in the Big Ten and had a losing road record overall.
I think they should have had a 6-7 seed.

-Colorado wins the Pac-12 and gets an 11 seed -- come on - reward the teams that finish strong and win the major tourneys!!!

-Xavier -- what's this all about -- 12 losses, 5-7 road record, basically were a .500 team of thugs after mid-January, 4-6 against Top 50, losses to Oral Roberts, Hawaii, LBSU, LaSalle, & UMass!!!!
Again -- they deserve the NIT way more than Barry did in 2006.

-Long Island - classic anti-mid-major bias...they did everything they were supposed to do...
they were 25-8, and came on very strong once they were at full strength - winning 20 of their last 22 games - most by double digits...
and yet they get a REALLY CRAPPY #16 seed!!

-Another mid-major that gets reamed - Long Beach State...
RPI 34, 23-8, went 21-3 over their final 24 games!!!
They beat Xavier, Pitt, and almost won at Creighton...
..and are rewarded with a lousy #12 seed!!

-Colorado State - a #29 RPI - but get an 11-seed!

-Vandy finishes strong - wins the SEC and beats Kentucky but gets a 5-seed while UK keeps their overall #1

-Drexel & ORU both got robbed with West Virginia (19-13, 57 RPI) and the one hardest to swallow - in Big East's South Florida getting in..
USF is 19-13, just 2-9 against Top 50 teams, and only 6-6 against a weak non-conference slate.

Iowa State got exactly the seed they deserved. Their Big 12 season alone would have argued for a much higher seed, but their non-conference play dropped them to an 8. They tied Baylor for 3rd in the league (and Baylor is a 3 seed!), and won the tiebreaker. They were 2 games ahead of Kansas State (who they swept), who also got an 8 seed. They didn't finish strong???? Their last 3 games were at Kansas State, at Missouri, and against Baylor at home, and they won 2 of those 3. The only loss was at Missouri where they led for 35 minutes. So I'm not really sure how much stronger you expected them to finish??? They did lose to Texas in the tourney, where Texas played like a team that needed to win to get in...Texas was one of the few bubble teams who actually looked like they wanted to make the field.

I agree on Creighton...probably should have been a 6.

Can't argue much with UConn given their schedule...they played the toughest schedule in the Big East (unbalanced scheduling). 9 or 10 was just right for them.

Indiana's seed was about right on.

Colorado's seed was way too generous...13 at best is what they should have been.

No qualms with Xavier...they did a lot more than what most of the rest of the bubble did.

11 or 12 is just right for Long Beach State. They are dangerous though.


Long Island is right where they belong. They beat exactly nobody this season, and have ugly double-digit losses to Hofstra and Columbia, and a 28 point drubbing to lowly Monmouth.

Colorado State has no business being in the tourney unless the games will be played in Fort Collins. Their best win away from there was UTEP, who was not very good this season.

Vandy is right where they belong, as is UK.

Drexel was close, but it's hard to ignore that non-conference disaster, but ORU has absolutely no beef at all, and I'm an ORU fan. Their best win was South Dakota State, unless you count beating a depleted Xavier team.

West Virginia deserved to be a 10 or 11 seed. Like UConn, they had a tougher Big Est schedule than most. Like Colorado State, South Florida has no business in the tourney though. How is 2-9 against the top 50, plus some bad non-conference losses better than Northwestern's horrid top 50 record with zero bad losses? Their 12-6 Big East record came against the weakest Big East schedule.

[Tulsa Brave]

That was an absolute garbage seeding for Creighton! They should have been a 6 seed at the absolute worst. I will also defend Memphis as well, another team that got hosed with an 8 seed. And the #12 seed for Long Beach State did not at all match the praise that even the BCS pundits gave them this year. But chalk up being in a bad conference for that, at least partially. That said, Long Beach State is a VERY dangerous 12 seed that will play well above it and could very well make the Sweet 16 beating New Mexico and Louisville.

Wichita State gets a good #5 seed, but has to beat a very dangerous 12 seed in VCU, a Final Four team from last year. VCU can easily steal this game, but I do think the Shockers will get by and beat an Indiana team that looked average at times in conference play.

Completely agreed that West Virginia had no business in the tournament with hardly any quality wins. At least S. Florida had a good conference record, but it was a very soft one at that. No surprise that Seton Hall did not get in as they had a similar profile to Northwestern. I thought they would either be both in or both out, which was the case. All that said though, at least the selection committee did a great job in giving out 11 at-large bids to non-BCS schools, though we knew most of them would get in quite awhile back based on their seasons.

And "congrats" to Washington for becoming the first ever BCS regular season champion to not make the NCAA Tournament. And if Iona took their spot, even as controverial as that pick was, I will be more than happy to accept that!

Memphis is the best 8 seed the tourney has seen in a long time. They have risen to another level during their past 7 games, and could send Michigan State packing the first weekend. But first they must not overlook another badly underseeded team in St. Louis...that's an 8/9 matchup that probably should be more like a 3/6 round of 32 game. I don't think Memphis will be looking ahead though...they have awakened big-time since the shocking home loss to UTEP 8 games back...I think that one got their attention.

[TheAsianSensation]

The selection committee said if Xavier won today, they would've held a 6-for-1 vote for the final at-large spot between: Oral Bob, Seton Hall, Miss. St, Drexel, Nevada, and Miami.

lol Washington's not even on the list. Conference champs from the #11 conference, #15 conference, and #19 conference on that list, but not the one from #10. hahahaha

[tornado]

Greg McDermott is unhappy with the #8 seed

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/17741362

Seton Hall coach realizes it was his lousy non-conference schedule that killed them...

http://www.zagsblog.com/2012/03/11/willard-says-he-will-revamp-scheduling-in-wake-of-ncaa-slight/

[LittleBrave]

Creighton plays in the Midwest Regional and gets a lousy #8 seed and plays #9 seed Alabama in Greensboro, NC on Friday. Ouch! What a tough seed/matchup.

Tough break for a supposed Top 25 team who won the Valley tourney. They had a bad stretch of 3 games which cost them. Win 2 of those and you're looking at a 5 seed easily along-side the Shox.
I really thought Wichita was a lock for a 6 seed after losing in the semis of the Valley tourney. At least they got some respect - but maybe it was more about matching them up with VCU to determine which of these mids could make a Sweet 16 run.

[Da Coach]

Tough break for a supposed Top 25 team who won the Valley tourney. They had a bad stretch of 3 games which cost them. Win 2 of those and you're looking at a 5 seed easily along-side the Shox.

Reminds me of a certain Missouri Valley team from 1986 that went undefeated in the league but lost in the tournament final and was given an 8 seed despite having the best record in the country (31-2).