2011 Bracketology

[rotogod00]

Duke is the #1 seed in the East (and the top overall seed). And as fate would have it, Carolina is the last team in the field.


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

[Welcome2DaSlopes]

Unc is ranked 12, that's cool.

[OldPhiKap]

Let me go ahead and say it:

Duke is the weakest of the #1 seeds, and our bracket is clearly the easiest. Yet another cakewalk dreamed up by CBS/NCAA/Illuminati/whomever.

[uh_no]

ugh....lets argue about potential matchups which won't happen anyway! yay

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

I count 64 teams, I hope that part pans out.

[jimsumner]

Maryland as a 5 seed! Bit of a reach, methinks.

[SoCalDukeFan]

has way too much time on their hands.


SoCal

[MChambers]

I can't see Clemson getting past Northern Iowa.

[OldPhiKap]

UNC v. KY in the second round? Nah, they both get upended in the first.

[tbyers11]

This (especially the matchups) has as about as much validity as if it were picked by a monkey throwing darts at a board with team names.

At least Joe Lunardi realizes it, per his Twitter:
"Against my best judgment, we'll post a 65-team bracket for 2011 on Tuesday."

Still it is fun to talk about the seeds. Agreed that MD at 5 is way high and that UNC at 12 is probably way low. I'd guess a 9/10 for MD and about a 4/5 for UNC

[Kdogg]

35-5? We are playing 40 games before the tournament? Is that even possible?

[DukieTiger]

35-5? We are playing 40 games before the tournament? Is that even possible?

I think that's this year's record.

[CDu]

This (especially the matchups) has as about as much validity as if it were picked by a monkey throwing darts at a board with team names.

At least Joe Lunardi realizes it, per his Twitter:
"Against my best judgment, we'll post a 65-team bracket for 2011 on Tuesday."

Still it is fun to talk about the seeds. Agreed that MD at 5 is way high and that UNC at 12 is probably way low. I'd guess a 9/10 for MD and about a 4/5 for UNC

Yeah, Lunardi used to only do his bracketology right before the selection, when he had all the relevant information. He used to always make the point that the rankings are based on the body of work. Waiting until Selection week to do the Bracketology took the projecting of talent out of the equation a bit more.

I suspect that he chafed at the idea of doing this before March in the first place, but was pushed by ESPN to prepare Bracketology more often and earlier. This just muddied the clarity of what he was doing (i.e., is it a projection of what is going to happen or a reflection of what has happened?).

This is just purely projection, as there is literally no body of work for the 2010-2011 season. It's basically completely counter to his entire concept of Bracketology.

[brevity]

The geography is interesting next year. Baylor will be competing with the rest of the Big 12 for one of two pods in Tulsa, and then could spend the rest of its tournament in state: regionals in San Antonio and the Final Four in Houston. And there's another regional in New Orleans just in case. Team of destiny? Wonder if something like that could influence Ekpe Udoh's ultimate decision.

Lunardi points out that the much maligned South Regional of 2010 stacks up well in 2011: 1 seeds Duke, Purdue, and Baylor; 4 seed Villanova; 5 seed Texas A&M; 6 seed Notre Dame; 7 seed California; 8 seed Utah State; 9 seed Old Dominion; 11 seed Richmond; 12 seed Louisville; 13 seed Siena; 14 seed Sam Houston State. (Only St. Mary's, Robert Morris, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff miss the cut.)

[LSanders]

Let me go ahead and say it:

Duke is the weakest of the #1 seeds, and our bracket is clearly the easiest. Yet another cakewalk dreamed up by CBS/NCAA/Illuminati/whomever.

Yes ... I, too, have long been suspicious of the Illuminati's role in March madness. Glad to see another enlightened point of view!!

[yancem]

First off, I find this exercise absurd at best. There are still 5-7 McD aa's that haven't even chosen a school yet. Not to mention we don't have an accurate list of who is leaving via the nba route.

Secondly, since he has embarked on this flight of fancy, I have to ask, how in the world is KY supposed to earn a 4 seed when as of right now they only have 4-5 scholarship players for next season? I'm sure that they will pick up a couple of the aforementioned McD's but unless they pick up Knight/Selby, Leslie Jones and Lamb, I would think that a 4 seed next to impossible.

Lastly, Duke, Georgetown, Kansas, Syracuse as the top 4 seeds in one region Add Wisconsin, Tennessee, Gonzaga and Cornell to the mix and I don't want to hear anything about weak bracket!

[LSanders]

I'd guess a 9/10 for MD and about a 4/5 for UNC

You're really harshin' my mellow, Dude! If the Holes escape the CBI next year, I'm hopin' they earn a spot in the play-in game!!

[cptnflash]

You're really harshin' my mellow, Dude! If the Holes escape the CBI next year, I'm hopin' they earn a spot in the play-in game!!

No way the Heels are anywhere near as bad next year as they were this year. I agree with Doug Gottlieb, they could be a national title contender. I'm not sure what Lunardi is smoking but apparently it's pretty good stuff if he thinks they're a 12 seed.

[tele]

Let me go ahead and say it:

Duke is the weakest of the #1 seeds, and our bracket is clearly the easiest. Yet another cakewalk dreamed up by CBS/NCAA/Illuminati/whomever.

and don't forget that shadowy cabal of dubious referees!

[El_Diablo]

In 2011 we will all have flying cars and eat our meals in pill form.