Vegas Knows: We Got Screwed

[Tenspro2002]

The Committee claims Auburn is the 15th best team. The metrics say otherwise. I trust the people who have money on the line.

Auburn is actually the 7th most likely to win the championship, and the only reason they're not higher is because they have to go through us.

We are +105 (just shy of even money) to reach the Final Four. Auburn, our #4 seed, has the second best odds in our region at +380. Other 4-seeds are +900, +1300 (though the 5 seed is +800), and +550, even though their 1-seeds are weaker.

We actually have lower odds of making the Elite 8 (-160) than Purdue does (-170) despite being a considerably higher favorite to make the Final Four or win the championship.

Yes, I know, "they have to make it there first," but the odds tell us that our projected Sweet 16 matchup is the hardest of any 1-seed and likely an Elite 8 or Final Four caliber game.

We should have gotten Alabama and Auburn should have been considered the best 4 seed and gone West.

 

[fatlucy]

The Committee claims Auburn is the 15th best team. The metrics say otherwise. I trust the people who have money on the line.

Auburn is actually the 7th most likely to win the championship, and the only reason they're not higher is because they have to go through us.

We are +105 (just shy of even money) to reach the Final Four. Auburn, our #4 seed, has the second best odds in our region at +380. Other 4-seeds are +900, +1300 (though the 5 seed is +800), and +550, even though their 1-seeds are weaker.

We actually have lower odds of making the Elite 8 (-160) than Purdue does (-170) despite being a considerably higher favorite to make the Final Four or win the championship.

Yes, I know, "they have to make it there first," but the odds tell us that our projected Sweet 16 matchup is the hardest of any 1-seed and likely an Elite 8 or Final Four caliber game.

We should have gotten Alabama and Auburn should have been considered the best 4 seed and gone West.

Line em up and knock em down. We have this. This gives us a chance to prove ourselves even more. We’re too damned good to be whining about our bracket.

 

[uconn_jack]

I have always thought Vegas should choose the brackets.

 

[TheHorde]

Duke should have been the 4 seed in the East, not Auburn. The committee I think did not want us spanking them in front of the nation. How many other times has Duke not been in the East?

 

[kobebeanbryant]

Best thing we can do is pack the East Regional in Boston with UConn fans for those two games.

I was at MSG in 2014 for both games and we had such a huge homecourt advantage.

Need to do that again in Boston. It can really make the difference in a close matchup.

 

[B1GEast]

The Committee claims Auburn is the 15th best team. The metrics say otherwise. I trust the people who have money on the line.

Auburn is actually the 7th most likely to win the championship, and the only reason they're not higher is because they have to go through us.

We are +105 (just shy of even money) to reach the Final Four. Auburn, our #4 seed, has the second best odds in our region at +380. Other 4-seeds are +900, +1300 (though the 5 seed is +800), and +550, even though their 1-seeds are weaker.

We actually have lower odds of making the Elite 8 (-160) than Purdue does (-170) despite being a considerably higher favorite to make the Final Four or win the championship.

Yes, I know, "they have to make it there first," but the odds tell us that our projected Sweet 16 matchup is the hardest of any 1-seed and likely an Elite 8 or Final Four caliber game.

We should have gotten Alabama and Auburn should have been considered the best 4 seed and gone West.

Good analysis. I thought that Auburn deserved a higher seed as well.

I'm a conspiracy theorist, so I always believe that they don't like UConn, but that's just me.

At the end of the day, you have to play the teams in front of you.

Fortunately, this UConn team is mote than capable of holding its own against any team in the bracket.

Bazz said it best. This is what happens.... In other words, there's a price to pay when you mess with us.

We will forever be the "Hungry Huskies"

Bring it on

 

[Incursio007]

I think there is actually a solid chance Yale beats Auburn. It's madness for a reason! Let's go Huskies!

 

[Seamus84]

Best thing we can do is pack the East Regional in Boston with UConn fans for those two games.

I was at MSG in 2014 for both games and we had such a huge homecourt advantage.

Need to do that again in Boston. It can really make the difference in a close matchup.

100%. Like '98 vs UNC fans in Greensboro or '03 vs TX fans in San Antonio, Husky Nation needs to take advantage of the S16/E8 game(s) being in our backyard and make this a home game. Let's go!

 

[warbler1055]

The bracket was set and done, so we will play whatever is in front of us. But that did not changed the fact that that the Selection Committee royally screwed UConn. Earning the overall seed should be rewarded with the easiest bracket not the hardest bracket. It's as simple as that. Why?

 

[tzznandrew]

I have always thought Vegas should choose the brackets.

No. I know people like gambling on sports, but it's obnoxious now how much it's talked about in sports shows. And we already have a point shaving scandal brewing with Temple.

Less Vegas in sports, please. Let it be legal, but let it not be something that factors into anything.

 

[businesslawyer]

I have always thought Vegas should choose the brackets.

The problem with using Vegas metrics, which are overwhelmingly based on KenPom based analysis, is that it doesn't pay enough attention to wins and losses, and far more to positive or negative margins. Teams should be rewarded for winning close games, not have a computer say that a blowout win and a close loss makes you "better" than a team with two close wins.

 

[SugarHillGang]

Annoyed that we got screwed. But still confident.

 

[uconn_jack]

No. I know people like gambling on sports, but it's obnoxious now how much it's talked about in sports shows. And we already have a point shaving scandal brewing with Temple.

Less Vegas in sports, please. Let it be legal, but let it not be something that factors into anything.

I agree with you, and I don't trust Vegas not to corrupt the whole thing, I should have rephrased it as I think Vegas would do the best job picking the brackets (not that they necessarily should.)

 

[Brochacho]

I don’t get why people keep saying they’d rather have Alabama. Sure they have more losses but they probably played the toughest schedule in the NCAA and are in my opinion the best offensive team in the country. They also play lightning fast (we don’t) and score a ton from 3. Matchups over metrics.

 

[RC111]

I think there is actually a solid chance Yale beats Auburn. It's madness for a reason! Let's go Huskies!

That's my pick in my bracket. UConn/ Yale to follow. I always pull for the CT teams

 

[superjohn]

I don’t get why people keep saying they’d rather have Alabama. Sure they have more losses but they probably played the toughest schedule in the NCAA and are in my opinion the best offensive team in the country. They also play lightning fast (we don’t) and score a ton from 3. Matchups over metrics.

They also have maybe the worst defensive team I've ever seen. Bama is bad.

 

[NH Husky]

Disagree in the thought that we got screwed.
All these tough matchups guarantee the East region will have the largest viewership. Playing in NYC and Boston will mean we will have a huge presence and make a ton of noise. And we have the team that can win it all.
If ever there’s an opportunity to show a strong fan base warranting P4 consideration this is it.

 

[Palatine]

For as much praise as the Big East receives on the Boneyard. They really got taken as suckers by the other conferences in the selection committee.

 

[mike012]

I am surprised we didn’t get Duke as our 4. UConn Duke in the sweet sixteen is ratings

 

[Shamon30]

It'll make it all the sweeter when we win it all

 

[B1GEast]

I mean you all remember last year with the hotel issue, then Hawkins gets food poisoning.

It's all there....

Watch out for the refs

Conspiracy

 

[aburks41]

If the committee actually did their job properly, they would have given us Arizona as our #2 and Kansas as our #4. Instead they lied through their teeth by gaslighting everyone into thinking that Iowa State and Auburn are "the worst" #2 and #4 seeds. Being placed in the East with us was not fair to those teams either.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Good analysis. I thought that Auburn deserved a higher seed as well.

I'm a conspiracy theorist, so I always believe that they don't like UConn, but that's just me.

At the end of the day, you have to play the teams in front of you.

Fortunately, this UConn team is mote than capable of holding its own against any team in the bracket.

Bazz said it best. This is what happens.... In other words, there's a price to pay when you mess with us.

We will forever be the "Hungry Huskies"

Bring it on

I don't think it was a conspiracy necessarily, but I think the Committee was extremely lazy to the point of negligence, ignoring the last two days of action, and the way it worked out was that all of the teams that were under-ranked are in our region.

 

[UofCT]

Auburn got hosed, not us.

 

[RedStickHusky]

100%. Like '98 vs UNC fans in Greensboro or '03 vs TX fans in San Antonio, Husky Nation needs to take advantage of the S16/E8 game(s) being in our backyard and make this a home game. Let's go!

'09 nat'l semi in the pontiac dome vs. mich st.