Sweet 16 Breakdown by Conference.....Assessment / Final 4 Predictions

[BigEastPhil]

So Conference Breakdown for Sweet 16 is as follows:

SEC - 2
Big 12 - 4
Big 10 - 2
ACC - 4
Big East - 1
Mid Majors - 3
Pac 12 - 0

Assessment:

SEC : With 2 teams in, probably met expectations and very good shot that Kentucky makes it to Final 4. Don't sleep on Texas A&M as they are a very talented team.

Big 12 : With 4 teams in, met expectations as most analysts said this was the baddest conference. I disagreed with that assessment (I thought ACC was best conference) but its 2 best squads - Kansas and WVU - made it in and both have good shots to make it to Final 4 - though Kansas always finds a way to under-achieve and under perform. I think WVU has a real good chance of defeating Villanova.

Big 10: With 2 teams in, the Conference did not meet expectations. Purdue; Michigan and Michigan State were expected to make Sweet 16 and Michigan State fell flat and Michigan was lucky though Houston is a good squad. Michigan has a good chance to make it to Final 4 but I don't expect Purdue to make it due to Haas' injury.

ACC: With 4 teams in, met expectations however 3 of the 4 teams in are surprises. I expect Duke to make the Final 4 and FSU to have a slugger's chance.

Big East: With 1 team in, collasal disappointment. Conference was overrated as with exception of Nova and possibly Xavier - conference is full of 8-11 seeds. Nova has a terrific shot to make it to Final 4 but I expect WVU to pull the upset.

Pac 12: A disgrace.

Mid Majors - 3. Good for them as I am including Gonzaga as a mid major. Love when mid majors make the dance and the party and I am still pissed that Monmouth did not make Dance 2 years ago when all they did was defeat Notre Dame; USC; UCLA and Georgetown either at a neutral court or at their court.

Anyways Final 4 Predictions:

Kentucky - easiest path and team is peaking at the right moment as Calipari is a master of pulling the strings at the right time

Michigan - team of destiny after Poole's buzzer beater

West Virginia - matchup well with Nova and have the Physicality / Athleticism to beat them down.

Duke - I'll take Coach K over Bill Self anyday.

 

[G- RUnit]

More proof that the mid majors teams deserve to be rewarded. We saw how well UMBC played. For most of the year they were the 2nd best team in that league. Vermont should have been in. Can’t tell me that WKU, ODU and MTSU didn’t deserve a shot. St. Mary’s gets hosed every other year.

 

[RepeatedCrown6]

More proof that the mid majors teams deserve to be rewarded. We saw how well UMBC played. For most of the year they were the 2nd best team in that league. Vermont should have been in. Can’t tell me that WKU, ODU and MTSU didn’t deserve a shot. St. Mary’s gets hosed every other year.

You can't say that, maybe UMBC was mis-seeded and should of been a 15/14, but if Vermont is a 16, they probably get blown out.

 

[G- RUnit]

Or maybe like Penn they shouldn’t be a 16. Marshall, Nevada, San Diego State, UMBC, Chicago Loyola, have shown pretty darn worthy. WKU and St. Mary’s have shown same in the NIT. Mid majors get hosed. When the schools get a fair chance, pretty pretty pretty good.

 

[shields]

Michigan has their hands full with A'M".

 

[BIGRUBIGDBIGredmachine]

I have WVU over 'Nova in pool fwiw--

so expect 'Cats to win in a rout :flushed:

 

[RUMBA-JK]

maybe the mid majors that do not have football - or only on a lesser level - need to be viewed just a little differently - because for them, Basketball is the one and only path to the top of the national major sports recognition mountain.

 

[bac2therac]

You can't say that, maybe UMBC was mis-seeded and should of been a 15/14, but if Vermont is a 16, they probably get blown out.

UMBC was misseeded...Virginia as the top seed should have got the worst team in the league which would be one of those play in teams. Its absurd that they didnt. Schools like Buffalo were wrongly misseeded as well..they were an 11/12 based on rpi and record.

 

[RUChow]

So Conference Breakdown for Sweet 16 is as follows:

SEC - 2
Big 12 - 4
Big 10 - 2
ACC - 4
Big East - 1
Mid Majors - 3
Pac 12 - 0

Assessment:

SEC : With 2 teams in, probably met expectations and very good shot that Kentucky makes it to Final 4. Don't sleep on Texas A&M as they are a very talented team.

Big 12 : With 4 teams in, met expectations as most analysts said this was the baddest conference. I disagreed with that assessment (I thought ACC was best conference) but its 2 best squads - Kansas and WVU - made it in and both have good shots to make it to Final 4 - though Kansas always finds a way to under-achieve and under perform. I think WVU has a real good chance of defeating Villanova.

Big 10: With 2 teams in, the Conference did not meet expectations. Purdue; Michigan and Michigan State were expected to make Sweet 16 and Michigan State fell flat and Michigan was lucky though Houston is a good squad. Michigan has a good chance to make it to Final 4 but I don't expect Purdue to make it due to Haas' injury.

ACC: With 4 teams in, met expectations however 3 of the 4 teams in are surprises. I expect Duke to make the Final 4 and FSU to have a slugger's chance.

Big East: With 1 team in, collasal disappointment. Conference was overrated as with exception of Nova and possibly Xavier - conference is full of 8-11 seeds. Nova has a terrific shot to make it to Final 4 but I expect WVU to pull the upset.

Pac 12: A disgrace.

Mid Majors - 3. Good for them as I am including Gonzaga as a mid major. Love when mid majors make the dance and the party and I am still pissed that Monmouth did not make Dance 2 years ago when all they did was defeat Notre Dame; USC; UCLA and Georgetown either at a neutral court or at their court.

Anyways Final 4 Predictions:

Kentucky - easiest path and team is peaking at the right moment as Calipari is a master of pulling the strings at the right time

Michigan - team of destiny after Poole's buzzer beater

West Virginia - matchup well with Nova and have the Physicality / Athleticism to beat them down.

Duke - I'll take Coach K over Bill Self anyday.

I think the combination of talent, discipline at both ends of the court and outstanding coaching wins it - Gonzaga. Don't think there is a better coach in the country than MF.

 

[G- RUnit]

Three mid majors in Sweet 16. It is time to allow deserving non tourney winners in for mid majors.

I think the combination of talent, discipline at both ends of the court and outstanding coaching wins it - Gonzaga. Don't think there is a better coach in the country than MF.

I'd go with John Beilein but Few is up there.