NCAA Tournament and Bracket

[London 'Cat]

UCLA could not score enough points (58) to win becoming the first B1G 10 team to lose.

Wisconsin was technically the first loss by a B1G team. To a BigXII team (BYU) as well.

[bearcatbret]

UConn nearly pulled off the upset of #1 Floriday. Now all Big East teams are eliminated.

[swilsonsp4]

Duke showed what they're capable of in pulling away from Baylor, 89-66. Just too much depth of quality talent.

[sedz]

Alabama's offense is a thing of beauty. They attack the rim immediately, every play.

[sedz]

What a finish in the Maryland v Colorado St game. Both teams fighting hard on the glass and hitting big shots.

[bearcatbret]

Dang! Maryland won on a buzzer beater.

[London 'Cat]

Dang! Maryland won on a buzzer beater.

Maryland was due a win on a buzzer beater. They have lost so many games on the last possession.

[sedz]

So it turns out the SEC did deserve their reputation. They get 7 teams into the sweet sixteen. Texas A&M was the only one of 6 protected seeds to fall, but Ole Miss and Arkansas advanced from the 6 and 10 lines.

The BigTen and Big12 had identical performances, each advancing 3 of 4 protected seeds plus one team on the 5-6 lines.

Duke got in as the only protected seed from the ACC.

And that's it. Only four conferences are represented. If there is a loser it's the BigEast, whose lone protected seed St Johns failed to advance. But in general this tournament has gone close to chalk, which means conference pedigrees based on the regular season have held up.

[swilsonsp4]

So it turns out the SEC did deserve their reputation. They get 7 teams into the sweet sixteen. Texas A&M was the only one of 6 protected seeds to fall, but Ole Miss and Arkansas advanced from the 6 and 10 lines.

The BigTen and Big12 had identical performances, each advancing 3 of 4 protected seeds plus one team on the 5-6 lines.

Duke got in as the only protected seed from the ACC.

And that's it. Only four conferences are represented. If there is a loser it's the BigEast, whose lone protected seed St Johns failed to advance. But in general this tournament has gone close to chalk, which means conference pedigrees based on the regular season have held up.

This may be the future of the tourney going forward. These four conferences consolidated, taking quality programs from the non-power conferences, while driving the PAC out of competitive existence. With this consolidation comes even greater consolidation of funding. SEC schools (who are not operating alone in this endeavor) are pouring great gobs of cash into transfers, with lesser conferences and, to some degree, lesser divisions operating as farm systems (even more so than previously).

Prior to last night, the only non-P4 leagues with teams still playing were the MWC and WCC. Now, there are none. The Sweet 16 are all P4 teams.

[bearcatbret]

Summary of the Big 12 from the Saturday games. https://www.heartlandcollegesports.c...mO-oAyqQ105akA

[sedz]

This may be the future of the tourney going forward. These four conferences consolidated, taking quality programs from the non-power conferences, while driving the PAC out of competitive existence. With this consolidation comes even greater consolidation of funding. SEC schools (who are not operating alone in this endeavor) are pouring great gobs of cash into transfers, with lesser conferences and, to some degree, lesser divisions operating as farm systems (even more so than previously).

Prior to last night, the only non-P4 leagues with teams still playing were the MWC and WCC. Now, there are none. The Sweet 16 are all P4 teams.

This is affecting lower profile sports too. I watch gymnastics with my daughter, and the SEC has the top 3 and 9 of the top 16 teams. They are buying top athletes in the portal. Arkansas is #16 in the country and they didn't even qualify for the SEC tournament. The Pac12 used to be second best but top 6 teams Utah, UCLA, and Cal have been absorbed by other major conferences. There are only 3 non-P4 teams in the top 25.

[sedz]

One common theme is that you can't rely on forcing turnovers to carry you in the tournament. St Johns, Iowa St, Marquette, and UCLA force turnovers as their main identity (all top 20). They generally didn't have a great time. Good, disciplined offenses aren't going to turn the ball over no matter how much pressure you apply. You have to be able to score too.

Cronin has run into this problem almost every year. The one time he made a final four run was when his team was below average at forcing turnovers. UCLA was #254 in 2021.

[leeraymond]

So it turns out the SEC did deserve their reputation. They get 7 teams into the sweet sixteen. Texas A&M was the only one of 6 protected seeds to fall, but Ole Miss and Arkansas advanced from the 6 and 10 lines.

The BigTen and Big12 had identical performances, each advancing 3 of 4 protected seeds plus one team on the 5-6 lines.

Duke got in as the only protected seed from the ACC.

And that's it. Only four conferences are represented. If there is a loser it's the BigEast, whose lone protected seed St Johns failed to advance. But in general this tournament has gone close to chalk, which means conference pedigrees based on the regular season have held up.

There is another way of measuring the strength of the so-called "Power Conferences" based on the percentage of the conference's NCAA Tournament teams that made it to the Sweet 16. If we look at the Sweet 16 in terms of the percentages of the Power Conference's NCAA teams that made it, here are the numbers: BIG XII: 57%; SEC: 50%; BIG 10: 50%; ACC: 25%; and the BIG EAST: 0%.

In other words, 4 of the 7 teams from the BIG XII are still alive; 7 of the 14 SEC teams are still alive; 4 of the 8 BIG 10 teams are still alive; 1 of the 4 ACC teams is still alive, and there are 0 teams from the BIG EAST remaining. I would say the BIG XII may have been slightly better than expected.

Here is the funny part. The BIG XII was looked at as the best conference in college basketball last year. However, only two BIG XII teams made it past the first weekend last year: Iowa State and Houston. This year, the BIG XII was looked at as only the third best basketball conference and 4 teams made it past the first weekend. It is funny how sports sometime produce weird results.

[sedz]

There is another way of measuring the strength of the so-called "Power Conferences" based on the percentage of the conference's NCAA Tournament teams that made it to the Sweet 16. If we look at the Sweet 16 in terms of the percentages of the Power Conference's NCAA teams that made it, here are the numbers: BIG XII: 57%; SEC: 50%; BIG 10: 50%; ACC: 25%; and the BIG EAST: 0%.

In other words, 4 of the 7 teams from the BIG XII are still alive; 7 of the 14 SEC teams are still alive; 4 of the 8 BIG 10 teams are still alive; 1 of the 4 ACC teams is still alive, and there are 0 teams from the BIG EAST remaining. I would say the BIG XII may have been slightly better than expected.

Here is the funny part. The BIG XII was looked at as the best conference in college basketball last year. However, only two BIG XII teams made it past the first weekend last year: Iowa State and Houston. This year, the BIG XII was looked at as only the third best basketball conference and 4 teams made it past the first weekend. It is funny how sports sometime produce weird results.

So the Big 12 should be glad that West Virginia was left out? Makes the conference look better?

[leeraymond]

So the Big 12 should be glad that West Virginia was left out? Makes the conference look better?

No. That is not the thinking here. However, had WV made it past the first weekend, the BIG XII would have a 62.5% team survival rate going into the Sweet 16. That is well above any other conference.

Do not get me wrong, the SEC, by far, has the better teams still left in the NCAAs. On the other hand, I think that there so many very good teams still left. There is no one team that is a clear-cut favorite to win it all. Duke has a very good chance, Alabama could win it (with some luck), Auburn, Michigan, Florida, Purdue, Tennessee (with luck), and Houston (with luck) also could all win it.

Back to WV for a second. WV had 6 Q1 wins and did not even make the NIT (as far as I know). How could that have happened?