March Madness 2016

[deadsolid...shank]

The seeding process has become less of a proper distribution of teams, and one that does two things: a)set up "cool" matchups for the weekend for the TV networks, and b)pave the way for a cinderella or two to make the sweet sixteen. It's been happening for a few years now, and this year is just completely obvious.

 

MSU and UVa in the same region for the third straight year. Looking for a "storyline" regional final.

Duke a #4 seed. Really. That must have been some trip the committee was on. And not only that, the region is quite weak, except for Oklahoma.

 

I also believe that no auto-bid team should have to play in Dayton. I don't care what they try to say, you do not feel like part of the tournament if you're not playing Thursday/Friday. I don't care if they will simply be cannon fodder for somebody, if you give a conference an auto-bid, the team that gets it should be in the arena with 4 games that day. It's right that Michigan has to play that game on Wednesday. It's not right that the auto-bid teams have to.

 

Yep, like the Indiana-Kentucky second round game, or a potential Villanova-Temple game.

 

Yes, automatic bid should mean you're in, not In a bunny bracket game just to get in.

 

I know that MSU is probably in a good spot, and the #1 seed really doesn't mean much, but to me it's still a farce that they didn't get a #1.

[Fellaheen51]

LOL...Bunny Bracket! What teams are in the "bunny bracket"? Wasn't paying any attention.

 

Will be in the pool once I ascertain the correct winning selections. Or stop changing my mind.

[deadsolid...shank]

LOL...Bunny Bracket! What teams are in the "bunny bracket"? Wasn't paying any attention.

 

Will be in the pool once I ascertain the correct winning selections. Or stop changing my mind.

 

Michigan-Tulsa is one game, winner plays Notre Dame. Other one is Vandy-Whichita State against Arizona.

 

I don't know where "bunny bracket" came from (for me), most likely softball or wrestling, but that's the term we've always used.

 

I stopped running my pool a couple of years ago and don't even fill out a bracket any more. Just want to enjoy the games.

[Fellaheen51]

Was aware of the four teams that were playing in the "bunny brackets". Was just being somewhat facetious relative to one of them.

[deadsolid...shank]

Was aware of the four teams that were playing in the "bunny brackets". Was just being somewhat facetious relative to one of them.

 

Gotcha. Sorry, I missed it. Not uncommon for me.

[highergr0und]

 

 

I stopped running my pool a couple of years ago and don't even fill out a bracket any more. Just want to enjoy the games.

 

How can you enjoy the games without a bracket?

[golfortennis]

I stopped running my pool a couple of years ago and don't even fill out a bracket any more. Just want to enjoy the games.

 

How can you enjoy the games without a bracket?

 

Unless it's a team you would normally root for, always root for the underdog. There are always upsets, those are always fun.

 

Bracket has almost become cliche. I get it in one sense, but especially the ones where later games are "worth more"..... meh. The skill is in knowing which early round games will go a different way.

[Fellaheen51]

I stopped running my pool a couple of years ago and don't even fill out a bracket any more. Just want to enjoy the games.

 

How can you enjoy the games without a bracket?

 

Unless it's a team you would normally root for, always root for the underdog. There are always upsets, those are always fun.

 

Bracket has almost become cliche. I get it in one sense, but especially the ones where later games are "worth more"..... meh. The skill is in knowing which early round games will go a different way.

 

The reason for bracket participation is to be in on the action for a chance to win $$$. And when your bracket picks include a few upsets, all the better. Makes one appear knowledgeable about college BB. Otherwise, an exercise in S & G.

[golfortennis]

I stopped running my pool a couple of years ago and don't even fill out a bracket any more. Just want to enjoy the games.

 

How can you enjoy the games without a bracket?

 

Unless it's a team you would normally root for, always root for the underdog. There are always upsets, those are always fun.

 

Bracket has almost become cliche. I get it in one sense, but especially the ones where later games are "worth more"..... meh. The skill is in knowing which early round games will go a different way.

 

The reason for bracket participation is to be in on the action for a chance to win $$$. And when your bracket picks include a few upsets, all the better. Makes one appear knowledgeable about college BB. Otherwise, an exercise in S & G.

 

Like I said, I get it. But if you've shown yourself to be any good at it, you get bombarded by everyone and their mother to join their pool.

 

And "chance to be in on the money" leads to people submitting multiple brackets. So it becomes just a dart throwing contest.... Did that guy win because he can pick them, or because one his 12 different brackets happened to find some combination?

[Fellaheen51]

Easy solution for preventing "multiple bracket guy". The primary pool that I participate in (+/- 75 people) is limited to two entries only. After an issue with one "multiple" person winning a number of years ago. Keeps the whole process 'kosher'.

[golfortennis]

Easy solution for preventing "multiple bracket guy". The primary pool that I participate in (+/- 75 people) is limited to two entries only. After an issue with one "multiple" person winning a number of years ago. Keeps the whole process 'kosher'.

 

Yeah, if only all pools did that. But especially the ones where someone takes a cut, you pay, you in a lot times...

[deadsolid...shank]

 

 

I stopped running my pool a couple of years ago and don't even fill out a bracket any more. Just want to enjoy the games.

 

How can you enjoy the games without a bracket?

 

Because now I have no personal,,vested interest in the outcome. I can just cheer for the team I want to win as opposed to the one I picked to win. Now I can root for South Dakota State to knock off Maryland rather than having to cheer on the Terrapins because I have them advancing a few games.

[knock it close]

Purdue v Little Rock is interesting, Purdue is 3rd in rebound margin whereas UALR is 190th. On the flip slide UALR is 11th in turnovers whereas Purdue is 317th.

[Bob Cat]

How bad does Hammons want it? How timid is Mathias going to be from behind the arc? Is Swanigan going to continue playing like a freshman or is he going to grow up in the tournament?

 

MI State did a tremendous job of keeping our bigs out of the paint. Little Rock can learn from that. Regardless, we need a higher shooting percentage to move on than we had in the MI State game.

 

C'mon AJ, Boiler Up!

[Yanki01]

How's everyone doing? 3-0 in my bracket so far.

[knock it close]

How's everyone doing? 3-0 in my bracket so far.

I suck

[chickenpotpie]

No brackets for me this year. Too frustrating. In a "squares" competition like the super bowl, where you have the last digit of the scores for each team. You have the same numbers throughout the tourney, and they scale up as you advance through the rounds. Costs more, but the potential payout is higher, and it's less frustrating if a 13 seed goes to the elite 8 (blowing your bracket in the process)

[knock it close]

I'm 2-0 betting but looking dead in the eye at 1-5 start for the bracket.

 

Baylor lossing hurt my bracket but Yale covering helped my account so it's a wash.

[Fellaheen51]

Purdue &%$!!. Really? Up 15 against Arky LR and lose. Matt Painter coaches them to another first round exit. Did they even have a point guard in during OT? Way to represent.

 

Because Baylor. Simple. That school can't dance. Congrats to the Yale'ies. First tourney win ever.

[1puttTUT]

My 5 yr old's bracket is doing way better than mine

[davechen]

I picked Arkansas-Little Rock :)

 

Looks like I'm the only one that picked UNC to win it all. So I got this thing in the bag.

[golfortennis]

Purdue &%$!!. Really? Up 15 against Arky LR and lose. Matt Painter coaches them to another first round exit. Did they even have a point guard in during OT? Way to represent.

 

Because Baylor. Simple. That school can't dance. Congrats to the Yale'ies. First tourney win ever.

 

Purdue doesn't have a PG period. The guys that can handle the ball are no threat offensively, so Little Rock was able to lay right off and double and triple Hammons. Painter had to bring in a guy that was a threat in order to keep them off Hammons. I don't know how old you are, but the last time I saw someone get significant minutes for a major squad and have defenders lay 15 feet off was Mike Griffin at Michigan in the late 80s. So good defensively you had to start him(and with Mills, Robinson, Rice and Vaught, you could do it) but he would have oceans of space because teams didn't think he could hit a shot.

 

But Purdue's biggest problem was they did not use Hammons. I forget if he finally got something in the second OT, but his last FG was 3 1/2 mins into the second half. He needed to touch the ball every possession and they wouldn't do it. I think the LR strategy of collapsing and allowing Purdue to shoot, which yielded benefits to Purdue early, gave them a false sense of security, and so when LR started playing tighter on the perimeter, the shooters completely forgot where their bread and butter was. The guards did not want to use the huge size advantage they had.

 

Plus LR hit some crazy shots that 98 times out of 100 don't go in. Those guys can play a little as well....

[RookieBlue7]

Went 15-1 yesterday... Thank goodness I had Baylor losing next round.

[altess27]

14-2 here. The only ones I missed were Baylor vs Yale and Texas Tech vs Butler

[Yanki01]

ended up 12-4 on one and 15-1 on another. BTW, FU Purdue. I had Yale winning in the 15-1 bracket, Purdue winning in both brackets.

[Yanki01]

 

.

[Fellaheen51]

[Smash Factors]

Went 15-1 yesterday... Thank goodness I had Baylor losing next round.

 

I went 15-1 yesterday also. Only one I missed was Iona.

 

Lost Dayton and Michigan St today. So now I'm at 18-3

[TapIn4Dbl]

15-1 yesterday. Sitting at 18-3. Yale, Cal, and Mich St all got me. Msu got me good. Had them in the finals. Luckily a lot if people in my pool had msu going deep so it won't hurt too bad.

[Yanki01]

has MSU winning it all......i'm done.