2023 NCAA Tournament thread

[Da Coach]

Here are the current members of the NCAA Selection Committee, chaired by Bradley's Dr. Chris Reynolds-

• Greg Byrne (Athletic director, Alabama)
• Barry Collier (Athletic director, Butler)
• Mark Coyle (Athletic director, Minnesota)
• Bubba Cunningham (Athletic director, North Carolina)
• Keith Gill (Commissioner, Sun Belt Conference)
• Dave Heeke (Athletic director, Arizona)
• Charles McClelland (Commissioner, SWAC)
• Bernadette McGlade (Commissioner, Atlantic 10 Conference)
• Martin Newton (Athletic director, Samford)
• Jamie Pollard (Athletic director, Iowa State)
• Chris Reynolds (VP for intercollegiate athletics, Bradley)*
• Tom Wistrcill (Commissioner, Big Sky Conference)

* Chairman of the committee for 2022-2023

Here are the procedures involved in selecting the 68 teams for the 2023 NCAA Tournament-

https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2022-11-07/how-field-68-di-mens-teams-picked-march-madness-each-season

The announcement of the teams and the brackets for the men's NCAA Tournament will be made on CBS's NCAA Selection Show at 5:00 pm Central Time.
The announcement for the women's tournament will be at 7:00pm on ESPN.

https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2023-03-06/2023-selection-sunday-date-schedule-tv-times

[PhiAlphaBoy]

I think it's great that Chris Reynolds sits on this committee, but does it put Bradley at a disadvantage in negotiating a contract extension with Wardle when competing schools may already be talking to his agent? And what if Bradley were to lose their first round game and Wardle announcers that he's leaving? Would Reynolds be able to dedicate the time needed to finding a new coach if the NCAAT is still ongoing?

[Fetz86]

Isn't his job done Sunday?

[Da Coach]

Isn't his job done Sunday?

This is the final year of Dr. Reynolds' 5-year term on the NCAA Division I Basketball Committee, and the end of his one season as Chair of the committee. I don't know what duties, if any, the committee members have after the selections are completed on Sunday. But I don't think it would interfere with anything related to Coach Wardle's contract or Reynolds' job at Bradley.

[️ Fanatic]

Would Reynolds be able to dedicate the time needed to finding a new coach if the NCAAT is still ongoing?

Reynolds is pretty sharp... I am sure he has "Plan A", "Plan B" & "Plan C" in process already... plus having a strong network within NCAA basketball community , he probably has a pulse of potential changes with other programs coming around the corner.

[Da Coach]

27 automatic qualifiers already determined-
The remaining 5 will be decided Sunday.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_N...tic_qualifiers

[Da Coach]

Drake (27-7, NET 54) is a #12 seed, and is matched against #5 seed Miami (25-7, NET 35) of the ACC in the Midwest Region. Their game is in Albany, NY, on Friday, March 3/17. If they win, they'll play the winner of the #4 Indiana vs. #13 Kent State game on Sunday, March 19.

It'll be tough, but this is a game they can win, IMO.

[houstonbrave]

Go Bulldogs-Do the Valley proud.

[Da Coach]

Illinois (NET 34) gets a #9 seed against #8 Arkansas, while Northwestern (NET 41) gets a #7 seed against #10 seed Boise State. Northwestern did finish 1 game ahead of Illinois in the Big Ten. They split their 2 games in the regular season. However, Illinois played a much tougher non-conference schedule. Illinois' non-conference SOS was 158, Northwestern's was 253. So much for playing tougher non-conference opponents.

[Da Coach]

I think the mid-majors in the tournament were treated a lot more fairly with seedings and matchups than they have been in the last couple years. Maybe that is an effect from Chris Reynolds, and the majority of mid-major members of the selection committee.
But the locations that the mid-majors were sent to were mostly not so favorable. Drake, for example, is in the Midwest Region, but despite there being a pod in Des Moines, they were sent to Albany, NY. There are several other locations that seem like a bit punitive for mid-majors, like St. Mary's from Moraga, California, being sent to Albany, NY, and San Diego State to Orlando.

Borderline questionable, but not surprising, Pitt in the tournament as an at-large despite an NET 67, and Arizona State in as an at-large with an NET of 66.

Complete bracket-

[Da Coach]

Chris Reynolds currently being interviewed by the CBS panel.

[BUBraves2006]

Not even a mention that he is the Bradley athletic director. Wow. They always mention the school where the commissioner is from. Ouch.

[bradleyfan124]

Not even a mention that he is the Bradley athletic director. Wow. They always mention the school where the commissioner is from. Ouch.

They did show where he was from twice on the monitor

[Mikovio]

It was on the screen

[BUBraves2006]

I must have missed it, it definitely wasn't on screen when they first showed him.

Happy to be wrong. Thanks for keeping me honest!