A likely irrelevant tournament question

[Lulu]

So I was watching Lunardi's bracketology clip on espn.com (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3861634) and he commented that, as things stand now, Duke should get sent to Indy while UConn heads to Boston.

I know things will certainly change before then, but this sparked a couple questions anyway.

First question: It is possible for Duke to play in Greensboro on Thursday-Sat, and then play in Indy the next week on Fri-Sat? I know things are all screwy now the way they split up the regions, but do they keep the Thu-Sat groups together still or no??? Would UConn getting Boston preclude Duke from Greensboro the week before? (Obviously, Duke could get shipped to AZ while UConn gets Boston, but I'm using Lunardi's example of Duke in Indy.)

Second question: If Duke does keep a #1 seed when the season ends, where would everyone here like to see us go for the regional finals? The options are Boston, Indy, Memphis, and Glendale (Phoenix). Oddly, the distance between Durham and each of the first 3 is about the same.

Duke sure isn't liked very well in the state of IN, but Duke isn't liked in too many places to begin with...

Please don't respond with a hundred comments about how none of this matters yet and never will. I know this; it's just a conversation I figured was suited well enough for a message board - and we've really got nothing else on the plate now except Wake this week (yawn...).

[Edouble]

So I was watching Lunardi's bracketology clip on espn.com (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3861634) and he commented that, as things stand now, Duke should get sent to Indy while UConn heads to Boston.

I know things will certainly change before then, but this sparked a couple questions anyway.

First question: It is possible for Duke to play in Greensboro on Thursday-Sat, and then play in Indy the next week on Fri-Sat? I know things are all screwy now the way they split up the regions, but do they keep the Thu-Sat groups together still or no??? Would UConn getting Boston preclude Duke from Greensboro the week before? (Obviously, Duke could get shipped to AZ while UConn gets Boston, but I'm using Lunardi's example of Duke in Indy.)

Second question: If Duke does keep a #1 seed when the season ends, where would everyone here like to see us go for the regional finals? The options are Boston, Indy, Memphis, and Glendale. Oddly, the distance between Durham and each of the first 3 is about the same.

Duke sure isn't liked very well in the state of IN, but Duke isn't liked in too many places to begin with...

Please don't respond with a hundred comments about how none of this matters yet and never will. I know this; it's just a conversation I figured was suited well enough for a message board - and we've really got nothing else on the plate now except Wake this week (yawn...).

First Question: Yes. The pod system allows for the higher seeds to stay close to home, regardless of what bracket they may be in. The pods can move around the regions for the first weekend's games.

Second Question: I would think Boston, if that's the East Regional. But it also depends on the other top seeds. For example, if Duke, UConn, and Oklahoma were all top seeds, I could see Duke to Memphis, UConn to Boston, and Oklahoma to Indy. I have never heard of Glendale, so I won't include it in my example.

[blazindw]

I do not want UConn to only have to travel to Boston (less than 2 hours away) while we have to travel to Indy (10 hours) or Memphis (11 hours). If we're the number one overall seed, I'd like to see us travel less than anyone else if possible. Put UConn in the South, put us in the East or Midwest. Plus, Boston is a lot closer to our biggest alumni bases (NYC, DC) than Indy is, and it's easier to get to via train or bus.

[pfrduke]

First Question: Yes. The pod system allows for the higher seeds to stay close to home, regardless of what bracket they may be in. The pods can move around the regions for the first weekend's games.

Second Question: I would think Boston, if that's the East Regional. But it also depends on the other top seeds. For example, if Duke, UConn, and Oklahoma were all top seeds, I could see Duke to Memphis, UConn to Boston, and Oklahoma to Indy. I have never heard of Glendale, so I won't include it in my example.

Confirming the answer to the first: last year, for example, Stanford and Wisconsin played in Thurs/Sat pods and then played in Fri/Sun regionals.

I agree on the second as well. The Northeast strikes me as the friendliest place we're likely to encounter (assuming we're not in the same bracket as UCONN - playing as a 1 to UCONN's 2 or a 2 to UCONN's 1 in Boston would not really be ideal). Glendale is in Arizona. It's essentially Phoenix. There's also a Glendale, CA, that's a suburb of LA, but it tends not to host things like NCAA regionals.

[brevity]

Whether truthful or not, the perception remains that the Big East is the best conference this year.* If there's no clear #1 team by Selection Sunday, expect the Big East champion to be assigned to Boston's regional. Unless it's Louisville, who would go to Indianapolis.

Actually, with the way things are shaping up, you can expect Boston to have either Connecticut or Pittsburgh as a 1 or 2 seed. That's about as sure a thing as you can predict at this point in the season.

If I were to guess further, I would say that the only way to keep Connecticut out of Boston if they finished 3rd or lower in the Big East. Even if they finished 2nd behind Pittsburgh, the selection committee could arguably send Pitt to Indianapolis.

* For the record, I think they are. Look at it this way: in seeding the top 16 teams, it's almost impossible to have 5 from the ACC, but it's equally impossible NOT to include 5 from the Big East.

[geraldsneighbor]

I think borrowing some unforeseen events we will be in Greensboro days 1 and 2. Memphis and Indy are the same IMO. Duke fans will travel and this year there isn't a clear cut close region so as long as we don't go West I'm glad.

[DukieBoy]

It wouldn't be the best situation for Duke, but I would absolutely love for Duke to go to Indy. Living only an hour away from Indy, I would try to find some way to wrangle up some tickets. I saw the bracketology piece, and have considered buying tickets (although the cheapest ones are roughly 150-200 dollars). I would love to get a chance to enjoy an NCAA tourney once. Anyway, if we are thinking in the terms of what's best for Duke, I would say Boston because it seems to be the shortest distance.

[77devil]

I do not want UConn to only have to travel to Boston (less than 2 hours away) while we have to travel to Indy (10 hours) or Memphis (11 hours). If we're the number one overall seed, I'd like to see us travel less than anyone else if possible. Put UConn in the South, put us in the East or Midwest. Plus, Boston is a lot closer to our biggest alumni bases (NYC, DC) than Indy is, and it's easier to get to via train or bus.

You really don't think Duke is taking a bus to Memphis or Indy do you?

[Bulldog]

I think borrowing some unforeseen events we will be in Greensboro days 1 and 2. .

That's no guarantee. Only 2 out of us, Wake, and Carolina can go to Greensboro, and it's not unrealistic to think that it would be Carolina and Wake. Do I think it will happen? No. But it's definitely within the realm of possibility.

[devildownunder]

I do not want UConn to only have to travel to Boston (less than 2 hours away) while we have to travel to Indy (10 hours) or Memphis (11 hours). If we're the number one overall seed, I'd like to see us travel less than anyone else if possible. Put UConn in the South, put us in the East or Midwest. Plus, Boston is a lot closer to our biggest alumni bases (NYC, DC) than Indy is, and it's easier to get to via train or bus.

Yeah, the NCAA doesn't do things like that anymore. Merit comes a distant second to whether a team can put fannies in seats. 12-16 seeds are fully capable of securing games within their home states against teams from the other side of the country now, if it means better attendance. Makes you wonder why anyone even bothers to fight for a No.1 seed anymore.

No, I'm not bitter, why do you ask?

[devildownunder]

It wouldn't be the best situation for Duke, but I would absolutely love for Duke to go to Indy. Living only an hour away from Indy, I would try to find some way to wrangle up some tickets. I saw the bracketology piece, and have considered buying tickets (although the cheapest ones are roughly 150-200 dollars). I would love to get a chance to enjoy an NCAA tourney once. Anyway, if we are thinking in the terms of what's best for Duke, I would say Boston because it seems to be the shortest distance.

If UConn secures a no.1 seed, it seems unlikely that they will not be in the Boston bracket, especially since the damnable pod system allows them to play anywhere in the first two rounds, regardless of their regional. that means that if Uconn is a 1, the only way for duke to end up in the boston regional is for Duke not to be a 1.

Anyway, I don't fear playing in Indy. It's not like in 2002 when we went to Rupp and united Kentucky and Indiana fans, of all people, against us. Indy would be in a big dome, unless I'm mistaken, and so the anti-atmosphere would be fairly muted. The more I think about it, the more I like that site, actually.

[devildownunder]

You really don't think Duke is taking a bus to Memphis or Indy do you?

No but some fans might not be able to afford airfare, so a bus may be their only option, limiting our already limited support.

Still though, I like Indy for us.

[Lulu]

That's no guarantee. Only 2 out of us, Wake, and Carolina can go to Greensboro, and it's not unrealistic to think that it would be Carolina and Wake. Do I think it will happen? No. But it's definitely within the realm of possibility.

Yeah, this is beyond possible. Wake and UNC are done playing each other as far as the regular season is concerned, but we still have to face both twice. We might even have to play them both in the ACC tourney. This is not to mention the fact that we'll play UNC twice the last week of the season (or one of us will lose earlier in the ACC tournament), which looks good for Wake. Six potential games allows a lot of room for them to catch up.

Not to be pessimistic, because I of course hope we win out, but from a statistical standpoint it's so very far from over.

[arydolphin]

In terms of Greensboro, if Duke continues playing at their current pace, Duke will land there in the first 2 rounds. However, if the ACC becomes a 3-way race at the top between Duke, Carolina, and Wake Forest and all 3 teams stay in the top 10 all year, the interesting thing will be which one of those 3 teams don't get to play in Greensboro during the first 2 rounds.

In terms of the regionals, I'm very selfish in saying that I hope Duke would get placed in Boston since I live 20 minutes away from the Garden. In terms of putting fans in the seats, that shouldn't be the issue since the East Regional in Boston has been sold out for months. However, in reality, I can't see UConn not playing in Boston if they are a #1 seed. There isn't a huge difference in the distance from Durham to Memphis, Indy, or Boston, but I would think Duke would get placed in the South Regional, which is Memphis. Also, I doubt that the committee will take into account that Duke has large alumni bases in NYC and Boston when compared to UConn, but I'm hopeful that UConn will fall out of a #1 seed and Duke can get put in Boston. However, on that note, having UConn as a #2 seed in the same region as Duke is something that I do not want to see.

[jv001]

To be thinking about seeding and where we will play is fun. So my thoughts are there are several good teams that will be either #1 or #2 seeds. Some of those teams are: Duke, Wake, unc, U-Conn, Pitt, Louisville, Oklahoma and Marquette(maybe). That means we will be paired up with someone that is real good whether we're a 1 or 2 seed. We might(the team) get used to the idea more than likely we will not have very many fans for us. We are hated in most places(not NY area) and we will have to be tough. And so far this team looks awful tough to me. We really need to beat Wake this week to give us an edge in playing in Greensboro. If not Wake and unc probably will play there. Go Duke!

[bdh21]

You really don't think Duke is taking a bus to Memphis or Indy do you?

Hell, I'm not sure Duke is taking a bus to Winston-Salem tomorrow...