Bracketology - Now FSU in UConn's Bracket

[Wbbfan1]

http://espn.go.com/ncw/bracketology

Article: http://espn.go.com/womens-college-b...keting-tougher-seeding-decisions-bracketology

Wonder how often Charlie will change this before Selection Monday

 

[JoePgh]

The article is very instructive regarding Creme's thinking and possibly the Committee's. Basically he says:

1. If South Carolina is the #1 seed in Greensboro, then Tennessee will go to Albany -- Spokane would be too distant geographically to fit the established rules. However, that would involve the top #1 seed facing the top #2 seed in the Elite 8.
2. If the committee wants to avoid that situation (despite no rule saying it can't happen), then it will move the Gamecocks out of Greensboro (to Oklahoma City) so that Tennessee can go to Greensboro as the #2 seed behind Notre Dame. That means no "traditional ACC team" (i.e., not a recent upstart like ND) will be in the heart of ACC-land in Greensboro, however, and the committee may not like that.

If in fact ND is the #2 overall seed and South Carolina is #3, then the second alternative above actually complies with the rules (assuming that Greensboro is closer in mileage to South Bend than Oklahoma City, which I don't know about). ND as the #2 overall seed would go the closest regional site to its own campus, which may indeed be Greensboro, and Tennessee as the #5 overall seed (i.e., top #2 seed) would get the "closest" regional where the #1 was not in its own conference. With ND in Greensboro, Greensboro would be that site. If USC were in Greensboro, Tennessee could not go there -- apparently there is now a hard rule against having two teams from the same conference as Top-4 seeds in the same region.

I wonder why he did not consider the option of having Tennessee go to Oklahoma City as the #2 in ND's region there, allowing the Gamecocks to stay in Greensboro. Maybe because Baylor fans would be disappointed with the extra travel?

I'm sure Vols fans will want Tennessee to go to Spokane (travel expenses be darned) to face Maryland rather than either UConn or ND. I suspect that they will NOT get their wish.

I wonder if the Committee will risk diminishing fan interest in the Greensboro regional by having the two teams playing there with no real local roots. If they could have either South Carolina or Florida State there (or both, as #1 and #2 seeds in that region), that would help attendance in Greensboro, and a UConn-Tennessee matchup in Albany would certainly juice up that region's fan interest.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Greensboro is 200 miles closer to South Bend, then OK City is. Some of the South Carolina beat writers are hoping that it makes more sense to have South Carolina in Greensboro then ND.

 

[jcoton56]

ND's underwhelming victory over Duke could drop them to #3 - I thought SC was more convincing over Tenn

 

[SportsPageMike]

I know that I am not up to par with this. So the committee doesn't seed the teams as they finish in ranking anymore? Meaning that the top overall #1 seed would play the lowest of the #2 seed?

 

[DobbsRover2]

Creme certainly has had UTenn hopping all over the country the last few days, and the Vols must be exhausted. Lot of factors that could be used to set up the top 2 seeds in each region. Good to see Tulane is at least penciled back in, but there are still some possible mid major upsets that could affect the bubble. Maryland if paired with Louisville out in Spokane could be getting an extra break since because Louisville cannot host the first two games, there would be an extra chance of an upset for the Cards.

And yes SPM, the committee does set up an S-curve for the teams based on perceived strength, but they can then move them around on the same seed line or even bump them up or down one seed line.

 

[meyers7]

http://espn.go.com/ncw/bracketology

Article: http://espn.go.com/womens-college-b...keting-tougher-seeding-decisions-bracketology

Wonder how often Charlie will change this before Selection Monday

That would be a nice bracket.

 

[EricLA]

Of all the 3 seeds, I think Duke has the best shot at knocking off Tennessee, but they are such a mess offensively that their size could be negated by a complete offensive meltdown. Can't complain about our bracket. Minnesota or Seton Hall in the 2nd round - be nice to see how we'd stop Minny's center if they win. Cal or Mississippi State in the 3rd round. FSU or Iowa in the next round (if most of the top seeds go through)... And then potentially Maryland or Louisville in the final 4.

 

[VFLfan]

Creme certainly has had UTenn hopping all over the country the last few days, and the Vols must be exhausted.

I think our exhaustion is more due to the whipping we took yesterday since we decided to get back on the bus after the 4:00 mark of the first half. :-/

 

[triaddukefan]

If Carolina Jr would just have taken care of Kentucky in the regular season finale, there would be no debate on who the #1 seed in Greensboro would be. I know TN would bring alot of fans here, but nothing like Carolina Jr would. Plus that Orange is hard on the eyes..... even more so in person than on TV.

 

[EricLA]

If Carolina Jr would just have taken care of Kentucky in the regular season finale, there would be no debate on who the #1 seed in Greensboro would be. I know TN would bring alot of fans here, but nothing like Carolina Jr would. Plus that Orange is hard on the eyes..... even more so in person than on TV.

He talks a bit about the lovely color of Tennessee's uni's etc. ("it's that throw up in a pumpkin kind of orange"...)

 

[triaddukefan]

Of all the 3 seeds, I think Duke has the best shot at knocking off Tennessee, but they are such a mess offensively that their size could be negated by a complete offensive meltdown. Can't complain about our bracket. Minnesota or Seton Hall in the 2nd round - be nice to see how we'd stop Minny's center if they win. Cal or Mississippi State in the 3rd round. FSU or Iowa in the next round (if most of the top seeds go through)... And then potentially Maryland or Louisville in the final 4.

If Louisville ends up the #2 seed in Spokane.... their will be a lot of howling from critics in terms of "competitive balance" in brackets. FSU would make more sense in Spokane. I agree that Duke and TN would be a tough matchup and quite possibly the ugliest sweet 16 game in recent memory (in terms of on the court..... not physical beauty)

 

[Hope]

If Notre Dame is placed in Greensboro and UCONN is in Albany, does that mean we could possibly play them in the semifinals? Obviously we are the overall #1 seed and Notre Dame the second #1. Shouldn't we be paired to meet the lowest ranking #1 seed in the semifinals?

Maybe I don't understand how this works. Does the winning team on the right side brackets play the winning team on the left side brackets in the Finals?

 

[CBus13]

I hope this doesn't stay. I'd prefer Ohio State in UConn's bracket. It would require a few wins but I think it would be great for the young team to play UConn in the tournament this year so they can see how far they've come and how much further they need to go. One can only hope.

 

[connboy77]

I hope this doesn't stay. I'd prefer Ohio State in UConn's bracket. It would require a few wins but I think it would be great for the young team to play UConn in the tournament this year so they can see how far they've come and how much further they need to go. One can only hope.

Does it really matter? UCONN will pound anyone in their region!

 

[DobbsRover2]

If Notre Dame is placed in Greensboro and UCONN is in Albany, does that mean we could possibly play them in the semifinals? Obviously we are the overall #1 seed and Notre Dame the second #1. Shouldn't we be paired to meet the lowest ranking #1 seed in the semifinals?

Maybe I don't understand how this works. Does the winning team on the right side brackets play the winning team on the left side brackets in the Finals?

UConn would play the winner of the regional that hosts whoever is the 4th rated #1 seed, presumably Maryland. The set up of Creme's chart has no bearing on which regions match up in the semifinal, since he didn't want to change the regional locations on the page after he set it up months ago.

 

[JoePgh]

If Notre Dame is placed in Greensboro and UCONN is in Albany, does that mean we could possibly play them in the semifinals? Obviously we are the overall #1 seed and Notre Dame the second #1. Shouldn't we be paired to meet the lowest ranking #1 seed in the semifinals?

Maybe I don't understand how this works. Does the winning team on the right side brackets play the winning team on the left side brackets in the Finals?

You have to read the fine print at the top of the ESPN bracket: " Regions not reflective of Final Four pairings". In other words, Charlie Creme is taking the 5th amendment on how the Final Four bracket itself will look. I'm not sure why he can't mind-read and guess about that also, but that's what he says.

 

[hussybulldog]

wonder why G Washington gets a 4 seeds while Princeton does not.

 

[mhshuskies]

It would be great to put a beat down on another team (Florida St) from the All Chump Conference!

 

[triaddukefan]

It would be great to put a beat down on another team (Florida St) from the All Chump Conference!

So you would rather be in the AAC than a conference full of chumps ?

 

[DobbsRover2]

If Baylor has a convincing win over Texas tonight, they might be the #5 overall team ahead of UTenn with the conference regular and tournament championships, higher ranking in at least one poll, and almost as high or higher rating in Sagarin. With Baylor probably definitely set than for nearest venue in Oklahoma City, that would then indeed require ND to also be placed in Greensboro if UTenn is to avoid UConn. So yeah, Creme's current arrangement does look the most likely.

 

[Bgillon]

So you would rather be in the AAC than a conference full of chumps ?

Good reply. I think some posters don't think before typing. Jealousy sometimes blinds people.

 

[chrissaran]

Maryland would have a tough bracket: Louisville, Oregon State and Kentucky.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Creme's Spokane regional would be as wide open as any in recent years.

A really fun regional.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Greensboro is 200 miles closer to South Bend, then OK City is. Some of the South Carolina beat writers are hoping that it makes more sense to have South Carolina in Greensboro then ND.

If the NCAA cares about big crowds then they'll have the Gamecocks in Greensboro. I could see as many as 10,000 USC fans at that regional final on a Sunday afternoon. It's only 3 hours from Columbia to Greensboro. If we get shipped off to OKC, I'll be one sad rooster, though I might still go out there.