2018 March Madness

by Guest Thu Mar 08, 2018 1:46 pm

Most conferences are conducting their championships this week. Lots of questions. Will only 9 ACC teams get in? How about the Big12, will 80% of their teams get in? Notre Dame plays Duke today; can they both lose? How is Arizona St, with a losing conference record (8-10), and a first round loser as the #9 seed in the PAC-12 tourney, still considered a bubble team? How many mid-majors with 25 or more wins will be left out?

by Sound Voltex Sun Mar 11, 2018 3:50 pm

Zags are #4 seed in West Region. SMC just missed out, first four out.

Full bracket: https://sports.cbsimg.net/images/collegebasketball/ncaa-tournament/brackets/printable/cbs-sports-2018.pdf

by Guest Sun Mar 11, 2018 3:59 pm

ASU got a play-in game, despite finishing terrible. Same with Oklahoma. In the PAC-12, USC was the #2 finisher, and played Arizona in the conf. tournament final. They did not get in. UCLA got a play-in game.

by ExpatPilot Sun Mar 11, 2018 4:24 pm

Major school bias still exists.

It's unfortunate that NC Central and Texas Southern have to play each other in a play-in game. That will mean that only one HBCU conference gets the Tournament revenue from reaching the Round of 64.

by Guest Sun Mar 11, 2018 4:38 pm

Here's some thoughts predicting SMC's snub:

I’m going to cover the Blue Raiders and Gaels together because they share a common problem — namely, the number of at-large bids awarded to teams from outside of the power conferences has been steadily shrinking, particularly in the past two years. In the early seasons of the First Four era, which started in 2011, mid-majors managed to combine for double-digit at-large bid totals twice, in 2012 and 2013. That number has plunged in the intervening years, largely due to conference realignment (with the Atlantic 10 and CAA hit particularly hard). In 2015, six at-large bids went to mid-majors, but the 2016 and 2017 tournaments saw that many mid-major at-large selections total.

https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2018/3/10/17103720/bracketology-2018-college-basketball-bubble-davidson-texas-oklahoma-arizona-st-syracuse-st-mary-s

by Sound Voltex Sun Mar 11, 2018 6:20 pm

St. Mary's Plan to Winning the Tournament (from reddit)

2018 March Madness DTNG0UG

by DoubleDipper Sun Mar 11, 2018 7:36 pm

Mrs. DD says the "snub" of SMC was well deserved after the WCC referees gave them the game in Portland and the one against PU in Las Vegas....and who am I to argue with that logic!

by Guest Sun Mar 11, 2018 8:39 pm

In the nobody's watching dept., SMC is a #1 seed in the NIT, and BYU is a #6 seed. Other #1 seeds are USD, Baylor, and Notre Dame.

by DoubleDipper Sun Mar 11, 2018 9:01 pm

up7587 wrote:In the nobody's watching dept., SMC is a #1 seed in the NIT, and BYU is a #6 seed. Other #1 seeds are ~~USD~~ USC, Baylor, and Notre Dame.

FYP!

I'll watch some games, but too many good games in the first round are being streamed instead of going to the DVR. Evil or Very Mad

by Geezaldinho Mon Mar 12, 2018 9:36 am

DoubleDipper wrote:Mrs. DD says the "snub" of SMC was well deserved after the WCC referees gave them the game in Portland and the one against PU in Las Vegas....and who am I to argue with that logic!

Or maybe the Creighton AD and committee chair is signaling an end to Creightons hope of WCC involvement by lumping SMC with Other scandal ridden bubble teams Louisville, Oklahoma, and USC.

by Guest Mon Mar 12, 2018 10:11 pm

USD opens the CIT at home vs. Hartford, the team we played in December. They won, 88-72. All 5 starters and 6 total players in double figures.

by NoPoNeighbor Tue Mar 13, 2018 12:47 am

Division II Madness: Cal Baptist, featuring Jasón Todd and Gabe Taylor, defeats Western Oregon in the DII playoffs.

https://twitter.com/nickdaschel/status/973385404505182208

by blacksheep Tue Mar 13, 2018 9:43 am

up7587 wrote:USD opens the CIT at home vs. Hartford, the team we played in December. They won, 88-72. All 5 starters and 6 total players in double figures.

... and will face Portland State in the Slim Gym on Saturday.

by DoubleDipper Tue Mar 13, 2018 10:48 am

NoPoNeighbor wrote:Division II Madness: Cal Baptist, featuring Jasón Todd and Gabe Taylor, defeats Western Oregon in the DII playoffs.

Sorry to see former UP assistant Jim Shaw's WOU team knocked out, but at the same time great to see Jason and Gabe extending their college basketball careers.

Gabe started, but only played 13 minutes while grabbing 5 rebounds and scoring 7 points....just have to assume he was hurt, but I couldn't verify that.

Jason came off the bench to play 28 minutes with 5 rebounds and 3 assists, but zero points.

WOU was ranked #3 in the nation and was on a 24 game winning streak. #23 Cal Baptist, DII West Region Champs by virtue of their victory over WOU, now heads to the DII Elite Eight in Sioux Falls.

by DoubleDipper Tue Mar 13, 2018 12:29 pm

blacksheep wrote:... and will face Portland State in the Slim Gym on Saturday.

I'm told this would have been a home game for PSU, but they won't have a home for another month.

I really hope the USD fans get behind their team that is without a head coach and get a WCC win over the Big Sky....the students don't go on spring break for another 10 days.

by Guest Wed Mar 14, 2018 2:42 pm

Bit of a rocky start for the local P5 conference. UCLA lost their play-in game to St. Bonny. Oregon trailed Rider at home for three quarters, before pulling away with a big 4th quarter (why does the NIT use quarters?). USC required 2 OTs at home to beat UNC Asheville. They scored 31 points in the 2nd half, and 33 points in the OTs.

by DoubleDipper Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:08 pm

up7587 wrote: USC required 2 OTs at home to beat UNC Asheville. They scored 31 points in the 2nd half, and 33 points in the OTs.

That was a GREAT game to watch, but you had to have the sound muted, Bill Walton was so out of control the play-by-play guy was quoted as saying, "I hope we don't go a third overtime, I don't know how much more of you I can take."

Worst game to watch yesterday, St. Mary's blowout of SE Louisiana, 89-45, and it wasn't as close as the score might indicate!

by **PilotNut** Wed Mar 14, 2018 3:49 pm

Is the NIT using quarters as part of a test/experiment with rule changes? They do that occasionally...

Off hand, I think NCAA Men's basketball is the only level still using halves? NBA, NCAA Women and high schools all use quarters.

by Guest Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:12 pm

Great guess, Nut! https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2018/02/27/ncaa-experimental-rules-nit-quarters-longer-three-point-line

They are using quarters, moving the 3P line out 20" to the FIBA standard, a 4' wider FT lane to match the NBA, and resetting the shot clock to 20 seconds ilo 30 seconds after offensive rebounds.

by DoubleDipper Wed Mar 14, 2018 4:22 pm

PilotNut wrote:Is the NIT using quarters as part of a test/experiment with rule changes? They do that occasionally... .

When attempting to explain the experiments, Walton began a lengthy "history lesson" that conjured up players and rules from the past, while often saying, "just let them play!"

I muted him without learning the experiments....

Thanks for the explanation, 7587.

by Guest Wed Mar 14, 2018 8:21 pm

up7587 wrote:Bit of a rocky start for the local P5 conference. UCLA lost their play-in game to St. Bonny. Oregon trailed Rider at home for three quarters, before pulling away with a big 4th quarter (why does the NIT use quarters?). USC required 2 OTs at home to beat UNC Asheville. They scored 31 points in the 2nd half, and 33 points in the OTs.

And it continues, as in the play-in game between the two least deserving P5 teams, Syracuse and Arizona St, the Orange won an ugly game 60-56. They combined to make 16 of 33 FTs, so of course it was a couple clutch FTs at the end that won it for Syracuse.

by Guest Wed Mar 14, 2018 9:14 pm

In the NIT, BYU lost at Stanford 86-83. BYU missed a lot of easy shots, and was down double digits late. A furious last minute rally made it close, but the last second shots missed.

by DoubleDipper Thu Mar 15, 2018 10:20 am

BYU is gone from the postseason, but there are still four WCC teams in action.

GU plays UNC-Greenville this morning in the NCAA Tournament.

USD hosts PSU on Saturday in the CIT.

USF beat Colgate last evening, 72-68, and will face Utah Valley in the quarterfinals of the CBI.

SMC gives the WCC another chance to defend its honor against the Pac-12 by hosting UW, a winner last night over Boise St., 77-74, on Monday at 8pm on ESPNU.

by Guest Thu Mar 15, 2018 11:40 am

Trae Young is not Steph Curry. OK loses to Rhode Island.

by Guest Thu Mar 15, 2018 9:04 pm

And the Pac-12 says, "you think that UCLA and ASU was bad, hold my beer." #4 seed Arizona, with the #1 player for the NBA, gets blown out by Buffalo. Oh for three for the conference of champions. Where was Bill Walton when we needed him?

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