Initial bracket thoughts

[GarySJ]

Not a bad bracket. The ACC was overseeded and got one more bid than it deserved as usual, but other than that it is pretty well set it up.

My biggest gripe: Louisville as a #4 seed. They're more like a #2 or at least a #3.

UAB got in over DePaul. A bit of a surprise, but not a huge one.

Looks like Northern Iowa was the last at-large team in. Was a little surprised to see them get in and not Buffalo or Miami of Ohio. Guess the selection committee downplayed the importance of the "new RPI".

The new Big East teams got 7 bids: Syracuse, UConn, Louisville, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Villanova, Pittsburgh. DePaul and Notre Dame missed the cut. Georgetown and Marquette are likely NIT teams. That's 11 of 16 in the postseason.

Teams I like: Louisville is the best team in its region. They can handle any of the three higher seeds (Washington, Wake, Gonzaga).

This will offend some of you, but I like Florida's draw. If they continue to play well they can win their region. I think North Carolina lacks toughness, and UF has enough talent to beat Kansas or UConn on a good day.

Possible upsets... I really don't see any in the 4-13 games. All the #4 seeds are underseeded, and the #13s are teams that ought to be lower in the pecking order. Nobody jumps out at me in the 5-12 games either.

My Final Four: Illinois vs Louisville, Florida/UConn winner vs Duke.

[ChiTownBull]

i think l'ville got robbed

i think washington as a #1 is BS

i think uconn is seeded to high

i think uab should have been in over depaul

i think nd should be left out

sine unc plays the winner of the play-in game does that mean they are the true #1 over illinois?

[GarySJ]

i think l'ville got robbed

Yeah, but you can toss a blanket over the teams in the 4-15 range overall. Washington, Wake, Kentucky, Okla St, UConn, OKlahoma, Kansas, Gonzaga, Arizona, Louisville, Syracuse, and Boston College.

You could pick one #1, four #2s, four #3s, and three #4s out of that group in a wide variety of combinations.

i think washington as a #1 is BS

i think uconn is seeded to high

See above. Someone had to fill these spots.

i think uab should have been in over depaul

i think nd should be left out

Agreed. DePaul's resume was pretty iffy near the end, especially considering Notre Dame was supposed to be a big win for them. Give UAB credit for beating DePaul twice late in the season and taking the berth away.

sine unc plays the winner of the play-in game does that mean they are the true #1 over illinois?

No -- the selection committee has made the point that the #1 seed overall does not necessarily play the winner of the playin game.

[TyBull]

My "undergrad" Bulls did not make it!  :-[

My "postgrad" Yellow jackets" Did!  8)

Is my galss half Full or half Empty?   :

[USFCollin]

Louisville got hosed no question.  A quality big man can give them problems (like Williams at Wake when he's on), but other than that they have no holes and can score in bunches.  I love Gonzaga, but they just can't match up even with Turiaf... I haven't seen Washington.

If Villanova is making 3's, they can't be stopped.  They flat blew Kansas off the floor, and KU actually played well.  Lots of experienced talent on that team, and this recent group of UF teams has shown to be soft in the clutch.  Good draw for the Gators, but I don't think they can take advantage.

Depaul is out and UAB in because of a missed charging call... that really sucks.  But I'm glad to see UAB in, they play hard and are fun to watch.

Vermont and Niagra were my sleepers, having seen them play and been  impressed... but then they drew Syracuse and Oklahoma.  Niagra might have enough, but Vermont will just be outclassed even with a great player in Coppenrath.  Don't think we'll see as many upsets this year as in seasons past.  I reserve the right to change my mind by Thursday:)

[Velcro]

Vermont is strong, but they were beat down by Nevada one game this year... so i don't think they are going to be making any cinderella runs.

[FreaKnight]

I have seen Washington play, and they have a 5'7" inch guard (listed as 5'9" but that is way overstated) who can dunk.  His name is Nate Robinson and he is fun to watch.  I believe he had 29 points in the conference championship game.

Robinson used to play football for the Huskies and made plays as a punt returner...amazing athlete.

[bigbull]

I dont know about Florida....I watched Ohio play the other night and they look very good and could pull off the upset

[Markeymark]

Thoughts:

Washington is good, but not that good. They are probably a top-10 team but top-5 is questionable. I guess all the upsets this weekend really shook things out. Louisville did not get screwed at all, because they will probably get a chance to face Wake Forest in the Elite Eight if they can get past Ga. Tech. I don't think Gonzaga deserves a #3 seed, only because of the conference they play in. They could lose to Bobby Knight & Texas Tech in the second round.

BC really got jobbed with a 4 seed, but they did go 4-4 in their last 8 games...BC-Illinois is not a game that should happen in the Sweet 16 but it will. I personally don't think Illinois will go all the way, but geography favors them. They have a tough bracket with Arizona and Oklahoma St.

UConn-Kansas will be a good matchup (I pick UConn because they're peaking at the right time of the year) and UConn-UNC should be fun to watch.

Another Duke-Kentucky regional final? It sure looks like it, I don't see any big upsets in that region. I was hoping Vermont would get a better draw, but I don't think they have much of a chance vs Syracuse. They played well against Kansas though, so anything could happen. The game's in Worcester, Mass so there's sure to be plenty of Vermont fans at the game.

[The Sheriff]

UNC wins it all over Arizona. Wake comes out of the Louisville bracket. Dial in Arizona as another final four team. Syracuse rounds it up.

Take that to Vegas.