Discussion thread: Southwest (San Antonio) bracket

[JasonEvans]

Please put all comments on the Southwest/San Antonio bracket in this thread. A poll will be posted asking who you think will win the West after the brackets are announced.

-Jason

[Chris Randolph]

Cakewalk for Kansas. Wow. And I live in KS, this is going to be brutal

[pfrduke]

Why exactly is VCU in the field?

[MarkD83]

Why exactly is VCU in the field?

So that VT isn't.

[1 24 90]

So that VT isn't.

Looks like only 4 bids for the ACC. The Big Ten teams are very highly seeded.

[pfrduke]

So that VT isn't.

It almost looks like a typo - they meant to write Virginia Tech, but wrote Virginia Commonwealth.

But seriously - VCU is a really, really odd pick.

[Chris Randolph]

Notre Dame too one dimensional, not a championship team.

Purdue not playing its best ball right now.

Georgetown getting back its point guard, but struggling.

How does KU not make the final 4 with this draw? Wow, just wow

[Chitowndevil]

Wow, Kansas's draw is like ours last season. Sorry Mike Brey, but I don't think there's a team in this region that can play with them. Paging Ali Farokhmanesh...

[TNDukeFan]

Paging Ali Farokhmanesh...

lol - nice reference!

[ChrisP]

I disagree that this is a cakewalk (unlike Pitt's potential road to Houston). ND, Purdue and L'ville are all really good teams. Could be harder than a lot of people around here seem to think.

[SMO]

A 10 champ Richmond as a 12! Vandy can't be happy with that.

[JasonEvans]

A poll has been added to this thread.

As an aside, I think this is a reasonably tough bracket. It is hard not to think that some of these BEast teams aren't worthwhile. In ND, GTown, and 'Ville this bracket has three of the BEast teams I fear the most.

-Jason "Purdue is all about being tough... and teams like that are not easy to play" Evans

[COYS]

A 10 champ Richmond as a 12! Vandy can't be happy with that.

It's tradition for Vandy to lose in the first round . . . painfully. I guess the selection committee likes their traditions (leaving VaTech out, ensuring Vandy is one of the obvious 4-13, 5-12, 6-11 upset choices). Personally, I like Vandy, as they are the local team here in Nashville and I have some ties to the school and wouldn't mind seeing them put together some magic in the tourney, but I just don't see it happening this year . . . yet again.

[Duke: A Dynasty]

I voted Kansas! And I agree with the other poster who said this brackett is tougher than every body is saying. IMO this is by far the toughest brackett

[AZLA]

I have no sound argument for Kansas not advancing to the Final Four, other than, whenever I need and pick a Number 1 seed to lose in a major upset -- Jayhawks always comes through.

That and they got some serious Big East hurdles in their way.

[ice-9]

I agree that this is the toughest bracket. I have Notre Dame advancing to the Final Four -- they have a lot of experienced talent, and as we all know from last year, experienced talent wins in a tournament of unfamiliar foes.

[superdave]

I agree that this is the toughest bracket. I have Notre Dame advancing to the Final Four -- they have a lot of experienced talent, and as we all know from last year, experienced talent wins in a tournament of unfamiliar foes.

Notre Dame starts 5 seniors and Ben Hansborough is 23 years old. They wont fold in a big game and they wont choke in a big moment. That's not to say they wont shoot their way into an early exit, but I think ND deserves a loooong look. Their offensive efficiency is good but they are not very athletic (duh!).

[MChambers]

Notre Dame starts 5 seniors and Ben Hansborough is 23 years old. They wont fold in a big game and they wont choke in a big moment. That's not to say they wont shoot their way into an early exit, but I think ND deserves a loooong look. Their offensive efficiency is good but they are not very athletic (duh!).

Didn't know Ben was 10 years younger than Tyler.

[gw67]

Notre Dame starts 5 seniors and Ben Hansborough is 23 years old. They wont fold in a big game and they wont choke in a big moment. That's not to say they wont shoot their way into an early exit, but I think ND deserves a loooong look. Their offensive efficiency is good but they are not very athletic (duh!).

I like Kansas and the Irish and your point is a good one IMO. FYI, the Devils have the same advantage. Singler is 22 and will be 23 in May; Smith is 22 and will be 23 in July; Miles Plumlee is 22 and will be 23 in September; Mason Plumlee is 20 and will be 21 in May; and Curry is 20 and will be 21 in August. I suspect that all five are old for their class at Duke. Years ago when I coached youth baseball, I always loved having the youngsters whose birthdays were late in the summer on the league all star teams.

gw67

[superdave]

I like Kansas and the Irish and your point is a good one IMO. FYI, the Devils have the same advantage. Singler is 22 and will be 23 in May; Smith is 22 and will be 23 in July; Miles Plumlee is 22 and will be 23 in September; Mason Plumlee is 20 and will be 21 in May; and Curry is 20 and will be 21 in August. I suspect that all five are old for their class at Duke. Years ago when I coached youth baseball, I always loved having the youngsters whose birthdays were late in the summer on the league all star teams.

gw67

At the end of the day, I had to pick Purdue over ND. I felt like the athleticism gap was large and was a little worried that ND could not win the Big East after Pitt lost. Old age be darned...