Bracketology

[TweederGMU]

Ahh, Bracketology. Our long lost friend, now a Sigh and almost teardrop when I see this word. I haven't had this word be meaningful to me in 4 years. I remember checking all of the articles religiously back in the good ol' days, Pre-2012, to see what seed we would be or if we were still on the bubble. Our season is over after the A-10 Tournament so it is interesting to sit back and analyze the dogs in the fight to see what the schedulers are thinking for this year's NCAA tourney.

With the A-10 being vastly down this year on competition levels I see only 2 teams, possibly 3, coming from the A-10 this year.

vcu is definitely in the dance even if they lose in the first round of the A-10 Tourney. Them still being ranked in the nation for so long well get them an at-large.

Dayton (19-5) is in as well, as long as the wheels don't completely fall off with the rest of their schedule. As long as they win 1 game at the A-10 Tourney they are still in. Their last game is at vcu which should be an amazing game. If they win at vcu, look for them to be ranked and they will be the #1 seed in the A-10 Tourney.

Rhode Island is the 3rd team that Could make it in the Tourney. However, at 17-6, they would need to win out their schedule and have a very strong showing in the A-10 Tourney, meaning making it to the Semifinals. This will get the voters attention since it seems URI gets no respect this year since the A-10 is having a down year. They have Davidson and UMASS at home and play a dangerous La Salle team on the road along with visiting the PatDome. If they lose one of those games I don't think it will be a definite deal breaker, however, I think they have to definitely make it to the A-10 Championship game to be back on the Bubble. Should be an interesting ride for them in the next few weeks, something to keep an eye on.

Here is the most recent Bracketology from ESPN, as of 2/16/15:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology


Only 2 A-10 teams as of now. Dayton is a #9 seed playing in the East bracket potentially facing UVA. vcu is a #5 seed playing in the West bracket against a potential Gonzaga #1 seed. Interesting match-ups for both.

One thing I don't agree with concerning ESPN and college bball analysts is all this SEC love this year. They have 6 SEC teams going to the dance this year and I think 4 of those teams shouldn't even be relevant and not even close to going to the tournament. The SEC is awful this year as a conference and who do they play!? 8 teams in the SEC have double digit losses. Georgia (16-9) and Ole Miss (17-8) as 8th seeds is a JOKE. Also, how does Texas A&M (18-7) get an 11th seed when they are listed as 3rd in the SEC with Georgia and Ole Miss behind them in the standings!!?? LSU as an 11th seed is funny too. Kentucky and Arkansas are the only deserving teams from the SEC to get in to the dance IMO. If A&M win out and make a deep run in their conference tournament THEN they should make the tournament. LSU, Georgia, and Ole Miss have no business in the Tourney.

Also, Duke has a pretty easy road based on this week's outlook. Wisconsin is the only real threat to beating them in their bracket.

As the weeks pass and the new bracketology's get released we can add them here.

 

[Bricker]

I would hope Dayton would get a better draw than that... I'd rather be an 11-12 than an 8-9...

 

[gmujim92]

I would hope Dayton would get a better draw than that... I'd rather be an 11-12 than an 8-9...

You're right, 8-9 line is the worst unless you luck out and get a perennial postseason choker like Gonzaga or Kansas as the 1 seed in your region.

Most of the time, it's the kiss of death.

If God has a sense of humor, he'll make sure vcu gets a 5 seed again and loses again in the first round ... if possible, in even more excrutiating fashion than falling in OT after giving up a 4-point play in the closing seconds of regulation.

Until baseball gets geared up, Hewitt's firing and vcu fans' suffering is all I have to live for in sports.

 

[Five Two]

The A10 needs vcu and Dayton to lose in the tourney semis; URI to lose in the finals. If Tweeder's logic is confirmed, that gets 3 in. The random team (GW? Davidson) to beat URI in the finals to give us a 4th bid.

 

[G M U]

If we win the A10 tourney and beat St. Louis, Davidson, Umass, vcu, Dayton we would still probably be a 15/16 seed. lol

 

[TweederGMU]

As of 2/23.... Not much change, Lunardi still only has Dayton (9 seed) and vcu (5 seed) as the only 2 teams in the tourney.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

 

[TweederGMU]

Davidson is one of the last 4 In according to Lunardi. They overtook URI for the 3rd team in the tourney from the A-10.

URI has a lot of work to do to get in to the tourney

 

[KAOriginal]

Davidson is one of the last 4 In according to Lunardi. They overtook URI for the 3rd team in the tourney from the A-10.

URI has a lot of work to do to get in to the tourney

Guess Davisdson makes Hewitt's exclamations about how hard the A-10 transition is/was look a little dumb.

I mean McKillop is getting it done with "SoCon" recruits.....

 

[wijg]

Guess Davisdson makes Hewitt's exclamations about how hard the A-10 transition is/was look a little dumb.

I mean McKillop is getting it done with "SoCon" recruits.....

Careful there KA, comments like that about Davidson can get you a tongue lashing around here...

 

[Walter]

Bracketology thread. Are we on the bubble? What if the first 200 teams get Ebola? Do we get in?

 

[TweederGMU]

Bracketology thread. Are we on the bubble? What if the first 200 teams get Ebola? Do we get in?

Jollay has been working hard all year to see 150 teams get Ebola. However, St. Louis will probably knock us out of the tourney.

 

[GMUgemini]

Davidson is one of the last 4 In according to Lunardi. They overtook URI for the 3rd team in the tourney from the A-10.

URI has a lot of work to do to get in to the tourney

URI will win the tourney, thus continuing the fine A10 tradition of getting an extra team into the tourney.

 

[mason2k1]

how is vcu still ranked?

 

[liem.le.3388]

how is vcu still ranked?

They won't be on Monday

 

[Washingtonian]

http://q.usatoday.com/2015/03/01/ncaa-tournament-bracketology-march-madness-bubble-2/

 

[TweederGMU]

As of today, Lunardi only has 2 A-10 teams in the tourney. Davidson has some work to do apparently.

vcu slips to a 7 seed, Dayton is a 9 seed

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

 

[Washingtonian]

vcu won't get out of the first round of the NCAA tourney.

 

[psyclone]

Excellent data oriented article on the bubble:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...224b4c-c121-11e4-9271-610273846239_story.html

 

[psyclone]

Excellent data oriented article on the bubble:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...224b4c-c121-11e4-9271-610273846239_story.html

Very nice graphics in the print edition:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/tablet/v1.1/20150303/D01_M2_EZ_DAILY_20150303.pdf_300.jpg

 

[psyclone]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bubblewatch

Atlantic 10 ConferenceWork left to do: Davidson, Richmond

The Atlantic-10 remains as fluid and fascinating as any league in the country. Six weeks ago, vcu looked like a monolith. Since Briante Weber's career-ending injury on Jan. 31, the Rams have lost six of their past 10 -- including being swept by metro rival Richmond -- and have fallen to 11-6 in conference play, behind not only Dayton and Davidson, but Rhode Island. All while making us sweat about our already-conservative lock decision at least twice. Speaking of Richmond, the Spiders have wrested their way back into the bubble picture after weeks on the sidelines. Rhode Island, despite falling off the bubble this week, is still in third place at 12-5 and still gleefully overachieving. And finally, how about those Flyers? Somehow, Archie Miller turned a literally short-handed roster -- Dayton has no rotation player taller than 6-foot-6 -- into the league's most reliable inside-the-arc scorers. Winners of six of their past seven, including a Feb. 28 win at vcu and Tuesday's victory versus Rhode Island, the Flyers have now done enough to seal their lock. They may not have the most impressive résumé you'll see, and that Feb. 21 loss at Duquesne still stings. But they'll get in, A-10 tourney title or not.

Davidson [22-6 (13-4), RPI: 30, SOS: 121] On Jan. 31, Davidson lost at 9-11 St. Joe's. On Feb. 4, it fell at home on a last-second shot to 12-8 St. Bonaventure. The Bubble Watch was just getting started, and the Wildcats looked miles away from mattering. Look what they've done since: eight straight wins. Big efficiency margins. Vastly improved defense. Borderline unguardable offense. On Thursday night came the punctuation mark, an 82-55 thrashing of vcu that put Bob McKillop's team into a first-place, 13-4 tie with Dayton. Anyone who watched Davidson do more than hang with Virginia in Charlottesville back in late December knew this team had a special offensive group. But few could have seen this run coming. Don't get it twisted: The Wildcats are still hampered by a weak nonconference schedule and a lack of quality wins therein. This is still a full-fledged bubble team, and it may well be until Selection Sunday. But how many bubble teams would you argue for in place of Davidson? Maybe a couple? It's on the right track, and that's a massive understatement.

Richmond [18-12 (11-6), RPI: 54, SOS: 30] Richmond is a long shot. Let's make that clear. Richmond is not so much of a long shot, however, that it can be discounted from this space entirely. Indeed, in five straight wins -- highlighted by last week's second win over vcu -- the Spiders have salvaged their long-lost at-large hopes to the point that a Saturday win over Saint Louis and a strong showing in the A-10 tourney might well put them in the picture. OK, make that a "very strong" showing. Like a "lose in the final to a good team on a buzzer-beater" kind of strong showing. Still, Chris Mooney's team isn't out of it yet.