NCAAT discussion thread..Upsets? Seeding? Teams to watch?

[Dr. FLK]

Why doesn't anyone like Syracuse anymore? Before they lost in the Big East tourney, I think a lot more people would have picked Cuse over Kansas into the NC game (not the majority of people...but certainly more than now). They lose one game, and now they seem to have fallen off a lot of people's radar.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Why doesn't anyone like Syracuse anymore? Before they lost in the Big East tourney, I think a lot more people would have picked Cuse over Kansas into the NC game (not the majority of people...but certainly more than now). They lose one game, and now they seem to have fallen off a lot of people's radar.

The injury to Onuaku somewhat concerns me. However, I personally have them in my Final 4 losing to Kansas in the National Semis.

I don't think they've fallen off the radar -- I think most people believe they have a fairly easy walk to the Final 4 -- there isn't much to discuss there.

I also think most people believe they are a cut under Kansas (like every other top team).

PS -- they lost their last two games, the Big East tourney and @LVille.

[Dr. FLK]

The injury to Onuaku somewhat concerns me. However, I personally have them in my Final 4 losing to Kansas in the National Semis.

I don't think they've fallen off the radar -- I think most people believe they have a fairly easy walk to the Final 4 and I think most people believe they are not as good as Kansas.

PS -- they lost their last two games, the Big East tourney and @LVille.

Forgot about that other L...thanks.

[beaner]

I'm not familiar with diabetes. Is it painful? Is there some medicine they are giving him now that makes him 100% in the matter of a week?

I'm not familiar with it either, but all through the Big East tourney they mentioned how it's being "treated", and he feels fine. They monitor his blood sugar a few times per day and are able to keep it in check.

I do know that early sypmtoms involve flu like symptoms and fatigue, which I'm sure led them to this diagnosis.

[Sports Guy]

Why doesn't anyone like Syracuse anymore? Before they lost in the Big East tourney, I think a lot more people would have picked Cuse over Kansas into the NC game (not the majority of people...but certainly more than now). They lose one game, and now they seem to have fallen off a lot of people's radar.

I have Cuse in my final 4 but apparently, Onuaku isn't guaranteed to play the first weekend...if he isn't in there, that zone isn't as good and either Gonzaga or FSU(likely the Zags) can expose that zone and beat them.

With or without the injury, Cuse has a tough second round game but the injury makes it even harder.

[Dr. FLK]

I'm not familiar with diabetes. Is it painful? Is there some medicine they are giving him now that makes him 100% in the matter of a week?

I think that he has made a lot of changes to his diet to maintain appropriate blood sugar levels. As long as he eats what he's supposed to eat, they made it sound like he'd be fine during the tourney broadcasts.

Coach John Thompson III conceded Thursday that the past 10 days had been "trying" for the player and his family. But as long as his blood-sugar levels are in range, he added, Freeman will be fine.

"We're fortunate because we have specialists with us sitting right behind the bench at every practice, every game," Thompson said. "Even with the time-outs, they are always monitoring him. And as long as we keep, and he keeps, his levels fine, he'll be able to perform."

SOURCE

[Mackus]

I have been thinking about this and I am no longer feeling sorry for Kansas.

As I said, for the all the talk of who is in their bracket, who exactly do they have to play?

They have a cakewalk to the sweet 16...by far the easiest road of any of the #1 seeds.

Then, they are likely to play the MSU/MD winner...Ok, that's a good team but that is the type of matchup you would expect in the sweet 16...A very solid team that can beat you.

Then, they are LIKELY to play OSU or GTown...Again, that is the level of competition you would expect to play to go into a final 4. Now, should they be playing the Nova/Baylor winner instead? yea, I would agree with that.

To me, the team that got the raw deal is Ohio St. This is a team that was the #1 or #2 #2 seed....So, they should be in the Cuse bracket, with WVU in the Duke bracket.

OSU has to go through either GT or OSU, 2 very solid teams with some really good players...Then, they likely have to go through GTown and then Kansas to get to the final 4..That is a tough road for a team that is supposedly one of the top 2 #2 seeds.

But overall, I think the hand wringing over Kansas(which i was doing) is wrong.

I think the difference is the depth. In other brackets, the 2 or 3 seed or the 4 or 5 seed that a team might play could be tough matchups, but its usually not all of them. If someone is upset, then that gives the favorite a pretty easy game some where (relatively). But for Kansas, pretty much matter what happens in the other parts of their draw, they are going to have as tough of a game as anyone else could possibly have. There isn't any real margin for them to get by against a slightly lesser level opponent. Pretty much the 2-6 seeds are all legit Final 4 contenders, I don't think any other bracket has that much depth, virtually guaranteeing a tough road for Kansas.

While I don't think the chalk is partcularly harder for Kansas than other teams (although it obviously is over Duke's, who's chalk is a laughingstock, Cal, Purdue, Villanova) the "break" a top seed would get from an upset or three on the other side of their bracket isn't nearly as big for Kansas as it is or would be for every other top seed (although again maybe the exception is Duke, if I'm them I'd much rather face 8, 4, 2 than 9, 5, 3).

[Sports Guy]

I think the difference is the depth. In other brackets, the 2 or 3 seed or the 4 or 5 seed that a team might play could be tough matchups, but its usually not all of them. If someone is upset, then that gives the favorite a pretty easy game some where (relatively). But for Kansas, pretty much matter what happens in the other parts of their draw, they are going to have as tough of a game as anyone else could possibly have. There isn't any real margin for them to get by against a slightly lesser level opponent. Pretty much the 2-6 seeds are all legit Final 4 contenders, I don't think any other bracket has that much depth, virtually guaranteeing a tough road for Kansas.

While I don't think the chalk is partcularly harder for Kansas than other teams (although it obviously is over Duke's, who's chalk is a laughingstock, Cal, Purdue, Villanova) the "break" a top seed would get from an upset or three on the other side of their bracket isn't nearly as big for Kansas as it is or would be for every other top seed (although again maybe the exception is Duke, if I'm them I'd much rather face 8, 4, 2 than 9, 5, 3).

Well, if Houston or NM St get to the sweet 16, that isn't exactly a hard game for Kansas to advance to the elite 8.

Yes, the bottom half is deep but again, Kansas only has to play one of those teams...You should have to play a very good team to advance to the final 4.

BTW, Duke is better off not facing Nova.

[Mackus]

Well, if Houston or NM St get to the sweet 16, that isn't exactly a hard game for Kansas to advance to the elite 8.

Yes, the bottom half is deep but again, Kansas only has to play one of those teams...You should have to play a very good team to advance to the final 4.

BTW, Duke is better off not facing Nova.

If Nova was playing as well as they can I'd agree, but they've been really struggling lately. Maybe by their 4th game of the tournament they'll be back in that groove, but I think Baylor is the better team right now. They are a tricky matchup for Duke, though, as they have a ton of great guards.

[Sports Guy]

If Nova was playing as well as they can I'd agree, but they've been really struggling lately. Maybe by their 4th game of the tournament they'll be back in that groove, but I think Baylor is the better team right now. They are a tricky matchup for Duke, though, as they have a ton of great guards.

Both Baylor and Nova could give Duke a lot of matchup issues.

You hit the nail on the head about Nova though...if they make it to that elite 8 level, they are likely going to be back to where they were because they are going to have to beat some pretty good teams in all likelihood.

So, even though they look like a weak 2 seed right now(and I agree that they are..i was surprised to see them get a 2), I would still rather see Duke play some other teams other than Nova and they could turn it on and be really good quickly.

[Mackus]

Well, if Houston or NM St get to the sweet 16, that isn't exactly a hard game for Kansas to advance to the elite 8.

Yes, the bottom half is deep but again, Kansas only has to play one of those teams...You should have to play a very good team to advance to the final 4.

And you're missing my point to a degree. No matter who comes out of the bottom half of that bracket, it will be an elite team. Georgetown and Ohio State are the best #2 and the best #3. G'Town is better than a couple of the #2's, IMO. Even the #6 there is a real tough team, although not as good as other bracket's 2's and 3's.

Compare that to if the #3 or #6 come out of another bracket. Pitt or Xavier aren't very scary, certainly nothing compared to the "breaks" in the Midwest. Baylor and Notre Dame is probably the next best one, I'd rather face Villanova than either of those schools right now. New Mexico and Marquette are the weakest combo, although WV is probably the 2nd best 2-seed.

Kansas has a legit gripe, IMO. Despite being the overall #1 they are guaranteed to have a harder road to the Final 4 than any of the other teams, IMO. And I don't know who on the committee K has been blowing, but he must have some significant talent in that area.

[Sports Guy]

And you're missing my point to a degree. No matter who comes out of the bottom half of that bracket, it will be an elite team. Georgetown and Ohio State are the best #2 and the best #3. G'Town is better than a couple of the #2's, IMO. Even the #6 there is a real tough team, although not as good as other bracket's 2's and 3's.

Compare that to if the #3 or #6 come out of another bracket. Pitt or Xavier aren't very scary, certainly nothing compared to the "breaks" in the Midwest. Baylor and Notre Dame is probably the next best one, I'd rather face Villanova than either of those schools right now. New Mexico and Marquette are the weakest combo, although WV is probably the 2nd best 2-seed.

Kansas has a legit gripe, IMO. Despite being the overall #1 they are guaranteed to have a harder road to the Final 4 than any of the other teams, IMO. And I don't know who on the committee K has been blowing, but he must have some significant talent in that area.

GT, Ok St and Tennessee aren't elite teams. They are good teams capable of beating anyone.

So really, your gripe is if seeds play out and Kansas has to play either GTown or OSU. I will agree that they one of those 2 teams should be in another bracket but again, its not some outrage that they have to play a really good team to get to the final 4.

[HititHere04]

GT, Ok St and Tennessee aren't elite teams. They are good teams capable of beating anyone.

So really, your gripe is if seeds play out and Kansas has to play either GTown or OSU. I will agree that they one of those 2 teams should be in another bracket but again, its not some outrage that they have to play a really good team to get to the final 4.

It's not an outrage, it just flat out doesn't make sense.

If there is chalk to the Final 4, Kansas is guaranteed to have to play a tougher game than any other #1 seed in the tournament.

These matchups came out, AFTER they opened the show proclaiming Kansas the overall #1 seed.

There is no logic there..makes no sense.

[Mackus]

It's not an outrage, it just flat out doesn't make sense.

If there is chalk to the Final 4, Kansas is guaranteed to have to play a tougher game than any other #1 seed in the tournament.

These matchups came out, AFTER they opened the show proclaiming Kansas the overall #1 seed.

There is no logic there..makes no sens.e

Absolutely. The chalk is the hardest, which makes zero sense and is an obvious failure by the committee. And on top of that, if chalk doesn't hold, then Kansas will still have a harder route to the Final 4 than any of the other teams. Hell, the non-chalk in this bracket is gonna be harder than chalk in some of the other ones.

[Sports Guy]

It's not an outrage, it just flat out doesn't make sense.

If there is chalk to the Final 4, Kansas is guaranteed to have to play a tougher game than any other #1 seed in the tournament.

These matchups came out, AFTER they opened the show proclaiming Kansas the overall #1 seed.

There is no logic there..makes no sens.e

Well, that is debateable.

Entering the tourney, you can make the argument that WV is better than OSU...To me, the easiest #2 seed is Kansas St.

If it plays out that it is 1 vs 2 across the board, Syracuse plays the easiest #2 because by then, Nova should be playing well and they are a top 5 team when they are.

However, I agree that OSU shouldn't be in that bracket with Kansas...But that's why I think OSU is the one getting screwed here, not Kansas.

I do think they made that mistake and I believe it should have been set up like this:

Duke vs WV

Cuse vs OSU

Kent vs KSU

Kansas vs Nova

I actually think KSU should be with Kansas but the committee doesn't want to put a 1 and 2 from the same conference in the same bracket.

That is how it should have played out but if it plays out to chalk, by then all those 2 seeds are relatively equal teams.