NCAAT West/Anaheim region discussion (Zona/Sdsu, Baylor/Wis)

[hurleyfor3]

Discuss the 2014 NCAA Tournament West region here. Arizona is #1. Regionals will be held in Anaheim.

Champion plays the Midwest champ.

[mgtr]

I don't understand which teams are in the poll. Is Bucky supposed to be Bucknell? I doubt it.

[FerryFor50]

I don't understand which teams are in the poll. Is Bucky supposed to be Bucknell? I doubt it.

Ohio state maybe? Hard to understand how they get a 2 seed though...

[gurufrisbee]

Arizona's overrated as a 1. Since they lost Ashley they've lost several times in a pretty mediocre conference. I'm not real excited about Creighton or Wisconsin, but in a generally very weak region it looks like one of them to me.

[DWINS]

I think that most people on the East coast don't watch much PAC-12 basketball because there is this perception that it's a mediocre conference. While it only has one super team, the rest of the conference is extremely balanced. Sagarin rates it as the 4th best conference ahead of the ACC. They have six teams in the NCAAT (50%) while California was one of the first four teams out. In contrast, the ACC is more top heavy, but not as well balanced as evidenced by having only 40% of their teams (6 of 15) make the Dance.

[gurufrisbee]

I think that most people on the East coast don't watch much PAC-12 basketball because there is this perception that it's a mediocre conference. While it only has one super team, the rest of the conference is extremely balanced. Sagarin rates it as the 4th best conference ahead of the ACC. They have six teams in the NCAAT (50%) while California was one of the first four teams out. In contrast, the ACC is more top heavy, but not as well balanced as evidenced by having only 40% of their teams (6 of 15) make the Dance.

Well that might be true, but I live near Seattle and watch more Pac 12 basketball than any other conference and it's very mediocre. UCLA is on par with NC State - and they finished second in the regular season and won the conference tournament. And the last ten teams in the Pac 12 would all struggle to beat anyone in the ACC. If Arizona was a truly super team that was a real national title contender, they would have cruised through it as easily as FLorida and Wichita state did through theirs.

[tommy]

Well that might be true, but I live near Seattle and watch more Pac 12 basketball than any other conference and it's very mediocre. UCLA is on par with NC State - and they finished second in the regular season and won the conference tournament. And the last ten teams in the Pac 12 would all struggle to beat anyone in the ACC. If Arizona was a truly super team that was a real national title contender, they would have cruised through it as easily as FLorida and Wichita state did through theirs.

Which is exactly what they were doing before the Ashley injury. They were 8-0 in the league, with an average margin of victory of about 15 points, which included wins at UCLA, at home over ASU by 23, at home over Colorado, and at Stanford, NCAA Tournament teams all. They lost the game in which Ashley got hurt on a buzzer beater, on the road at Cal, which was a bubble team. The other games they lost were on the road at ASU, major rivalry game, in double overtime; at Oregon, which is a solid tournament team, and in the Pac-12 Finals to a hot UCLA team. They beat everybody else. To me, that's a very, very strong conference performance on top of their pre-conference wins over San Diego State, Duke, and Michigan -- all of which were top-4 seeds. They have adjusted quite well to the loss of a major player like Ashley, and I think they gave as good a shot as anybody, maybe better, of getting to Dallas.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Wow... American U up 6 on Wisco nearing the end of the first half. Would break a lot of brackets if it holds.

[wallyman]

Wow... American U up 6 on Wisco nearing the end of the first half. Would break a lot of brackets if it holds.

Well, there goes that upset.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Well, there goes that upset.

Sure, I may have jinxed it, but I also saved myself one billion dollars!

[wavedukefan70s]

I have zona ,Pitt ,duke and Virginia in the final four.on my espn bracket.


Its under
Dukej29420

[wallyman]

Sure, I may have jinxed it, but I also saved myself one billion dollars!

32-22 Wisc at the half. They can't possibly lose. At the risk of costing you a billion dollars, will see if the reverse jinx has any chance.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

32-22 Wisc at the half. They can't possibly lose. At the risk of costing you a billion dollars, will see if the reverse jinx has any chance.

Alright, but if it works you owe me some big money.

Seems Wisco has worked out the kinks and my money is safe at the moment.

[devildeac]

American has scored 4 points (no typo) in about 12 minutes of the second half. That's quite the non-slaught. :o

[weezie]

the non-slaught. :o

non-slaught, I love that term.

[Acymetric]

Wow, ND State guy gets kicked in the face and the announcers/refs call it incidental contact?

[pfrduke]

Wow, ND State guy gets kicked in the face and the announcers/refs call it incidental contact?

Looked like incidental to me - the OU guy's legs got tangled up with his and the kick happened just because he tried to pull his legs free. It didn't look like an intentional kick to the face (or even an intentional kick generally).

[BlueDevilBrowns]

Wow, ND State guy gets kicked in the face and the announcers/refs call it incidental contact?

I wish someone would make incidental contact with Gottlieb's microphone so I don't have to hear his whiney, insecticon-like voice another second.

[sagegrouse]

American has scored 4 points (no typo) in about 12 minutes of the second half. That's quite the non-slaught. :o

AU leads Wisconsin 19-13 and then gets outscored 62-16. Double ouch!!

[_Gary]

I'm not sure who's going to win this region, but Wisconsin just played a home game tonight. Must be nice. :)

[Bluedog]

I'm not sure who's going to win this region, but Wisconsin just played a home game tonight. Must be nice. :)

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. We play 15 minutes from campus and it feels like an away game based on the crowd. I guess that's the disadvantage of being a small private school with students scattered around the country...I don't think we'll see any pro-Duke crowds in the NCAA anytime soon....Wisconsin fans packed that 20,000 seat stadium.

[dukelifer]

Creighton getting hammered so far

[devildeac]

Rough year for #3 seeds. Except for those Cyclones;).

[Troublemaker]

Creighton getting hammered so far

Thanks to Baylor's blowout of Creighton, Duke is currently the #1 offensive team in Kenpom's rankings with a pretty good chance to finish there by the time the tournament is over. (If Michigan lights it up from here on out, they could pass us.)