My Bracket Dilemma

[feldspar]

So I'm having a really hard time picking a national champion. The reason? You have to go all the way back to 1998 to find a coach that won the national championship on his first trip to the Final Four. It's really really hard to do.

So, that leaves us with the following teams that, according to that logic, have a shot at winning the whole thing:

Florida - too arrogant...this year's UConn 06
Arizona - They don't play defense
Maryland - Could happen, but very very unlikely
Georgia Tech - Nope
Wisconsin - Injuries and an overall aversion keep me from picking them
Kentucky - Uh...no
Illinois - They shouldn't even be in
Duke - They'll make a run, but FF is still not likely
Indiana - Who knows? But still not willing to bank on it
UCLA - My gut tells me not to pick them.
UNC - Duh again
Michigan State - They're weak.
Marquette - I don't really know much about them other than they beat us.
Texas - Great lineup, but I doubt it.
Texas Tech - They'll upset some people, but not enough to get very that far
Louisville - Same as above.


Problem is, my Final Four is: Oregon, Kansas, G-Town and Texas A&M. None of which are coached by guys who have been to the Final Four.

Should I go with my gut or go with the stats and change my FF?

[Clipsfan]

Go with the team that made it to the finals last year and came up short, but returns almost everyone. Unlike FLA, they aren't as ****y due to having lost it and will have more desire. You just have to replace KU in your final 4 and you're set.

[Clipsfan]

That's funny...I use a very commonly accepted synonym for arrogant and it gets starred out. Sometimes the language filters go a little far?

[feldspar]

That's funny...I use a very commonly accepted synonym for arrogant and it gets starred out. Sometimes the language filters go a little far?

Same thing happened to me, which is why I chose arrogant. I personally like ****y better, though. :)

[wiscodevil]

Problem is, my Final Four is: Oregon, Kansas, G-Town and Texas A&M. None of which are coached by guys who have been to the Final Four.

Should I go with my gut or go with the stats and change my FF?

i have the same four.

[Troublemaker]

Testing....Shuttle****. Poppy****. ****amamie.

I would go with your gut, feldspar. Less regret that way. When Calhoun won his first championship, he did it after previously suffering several losses in the Elite 8 and never making the FF. I could see Self doing the same this year.

Oh, I have the same Final Four, except swap out Georgetown for UNC.

[CMS2478]

Hey Feldspar,

You should definetly go with Kansas, Texas, Oregon, and Ohio State.


Why you ask................bc that is who I have in MY BRACKET and I know everything. :D

Just Kidding.........your guess is as good as anybody's.

[Clipsfan]

I think it's interesting that a lot of people have Oregon in their final 4. From what I've read/heard, most people don't have a lot of respect for them (despite the fact they were one of the last 3 teams to lose a game). They're an interesting pick, in my opinion, because they can probably beat anyone, but will depend on the outside shot quite a bit.

[feldspar]

Something else that bodes very well for UCLA in my bracket:

Since 1998, the team to knock off Duke in the tournament has always gone on to either the Final Four, or the championship game, or has won it all.

[CMS2478]

Something else that bodes very well for UCLA in my bracket:

Since 1998, the team to knock off Duke in the tournament has always gone on to either the Final Four, or the championship game, or has won it all.


We would see UCLA in the 3rd round and we have to get through the first 2 rounds first.

GOSH FELDSPAR WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO JINX US!!! ;)

[feldspar]

We would see UCLA in the 3rd round and we have to get through the first 2 rounds first.

GOSH FELDSPAR WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO JINX US!!! ;)

This is my "head" bracket. I of course have Duke going all the way in my "heart" bracket.

[oso diablo]

How about Memphis? Calipari is their coach, right? And he has been to the FF with UMass.

BTW, the Wisconsin coach has not been to the final four.

[CMS2478]

How about Memphis? Calipari is their coach, right? And he has been to the FF with UMass.

BTW, the Wisconsin coach has not been to the final four.

I think Memphis is the most overrated team in this tournament. They have played absolutely NODODY.

Oh my bad they did play East Carolina University twice...............and ECU played with them in the second game.

I predict Memphis doesn't go any further than the 16 and if they do I will eat humble pie, it has been known to be one of my favorite deserts in the past.:D

[feldspar]

How about Memphis? Calipari is their coach, right? And he has been to the FF with UMass.

BTW, the Wisconsin coach has not been to the final four.

Really? Bo Ryan has never been to the FF? Whoops, I thought he had been with the Badgers longer than he had. You're right, it was Dick Bennett that led them to the FF in 2000.

And, yep, forgot about Calipari too, although '96 was a looooong time ago.

[feldspar]

I think Memphis is the most overrated team in this tournament. They have played absolutely NODODY.



I hear University of NODODY actually has a good squad this year. ;)

[CMS2478]

I hear University of NODODY actually has a good squad this year. ;)

I think did Memphis did pull out a close one against U of N (Universtiy of Nobody). ;)

And sadly that probably would be considered their biggest win on their tournament resume. :confused:

[oso diablo]

I think Memphis is the most overrated team in this tournament. They have played absolutely NODODY.
my post wasn't really a comment that Memphis should be his pick to win it all, although i see how it looks that way. It was to point out, given the criterion (a coach that's been to the FF before), Memphis was a team that had been overlooked.

I've been going through the same thought process, and was stuck with Memphis (because i won't pick Carolina). Couldn't pick UCLA because of a stronger axiom: no team that loses in its first conference tourney game (or was it just in the literal first round?) has ever won the whole thing. That removes UCLA from the equation. (and another team we're all familiar with, i'm afraid)

I do multiple brackets, and will pick Memphis in one of them, mostly because i doubt anyone else will. Everyone around here will pick Carolina. But they're not my top choice, by any means.

[duketaylor]

South Carolina Game****s love *****cats.

Regarding the brackets, I'm doing mine this afternoon as I enjoy the day, a beautiful 82 degrees. I've listened to some of the talking heads and have a few thoughts. Once I've actually filled em out I'll post some stuff here this evening. Only 23 hours to go;)

[Exiled_Devil]

I know I am. Stats are no predictor of future performance in a situation like this. They are just an aggregation of trends involving different people in similar situations. Statistically, George Mason should have never made it to the FF last year. Statistically, the Cardiac Pack should have never happened. Stats are just a tool to prove your hunches right (and get your dissertation)

By the way, my FF is Florida, UCLA, Georgetown and Ohio State. I find it interesting that noone is giving Ohio state enough credit to get to the FF - they do have the fewest losses on the year, all to quality opponents.

Exiled

[CMS2478]

By the way, my FF is Florida, UCLA, Georgetown and Ohio State. I find it interesting that noone is giving Ohio state enough credit to get to the FF - they do have the fewest losses on the year, all to quality opponents.

Exiled



and I have Ohio State in my FF, bc they have the easiest bracket. :D

[Exiled_Devil]

Nice!

I have them falling to Georgetown, for hard-to-qualify reasons. (i.e. a hunch). I just really want to see G'town and OSU play - I think it would be agreat game.

Given injuies that popped up in other threads, I am reconsidering my FF. UCLA may not have the personell to make it with an injured Collison. however, for some reason I can't articulate, I really dislike Kansas and can't seem to consider them legitimate FF material.

Exiled

[Clipsfan]

Nice!

I have them falling to Georgetown, for hard-to-qualify reasons. (i.e. a hunch). I just really want to see G'town and OSU play - I think it would be agreat game.

Given injuies that popped up in other threads, I am reconsidering my FF. UCLA may not have the personell to make it with an injured Collison. however, for some reason I can't articulate, I really dislike Kansas and can't seem to consider them legitimate FF material.

Exiled

I'm hoping that the injury to Collison is minor. The article states that he is probable for tomorrow's game (which hopefully they could win even without him, as Westbrook is also going to be a stud). If they make it through this weekend, I'd assume that he'll be alright for the Sweet 16.

[hurleyfor3]

Hey Feldspar,

You should definetly go with Kansas, Texas, Oregon, and Ohio State.


Why you ask................bc that is who I have in MY BRACKET and I know everything. :D


So you must know you ripped that Final Four off of me.

Plagarist. Copyright infringment, 1 point.

[ghost]

how about caulky?

[duketaylor]

I think unc got the hardest seeding of the 1's. I think if Duke can get their act together, our braket's easy. But, that's a tall order. OSU has an easy bracket as well, IMO.
Can't remember brackets this tough, ever. Gonna be a wild dance. GO DUKE!!!

[Clipsfan]

I think unc got the hardest seeding of the 1's. I think if Duke can get their act together, our braket's easy. But, that's a tall order. OSU has an easy bracket as well, IMO.
Can't remember brackets this tough, ever. Gonna be a wild dance. GO DUKE!!!

I'm not quite sure what makes you say that the path to the final 4 is easy for Duke? Assuming that the likely teams win, Duke would have to beat VCU (not anywhere near a given), Pitt (5th RPI), UCLA (2nd RPI) and most likely Kansas (11th RPI but really hot). I don't view that as easy...

[socaldukie]

Feldspar & hurleyfor3---

I matched your final 4 as well. I really like Texas A&M. But for some reason I can't envisionthem as NC of basketball! My toughest decision came in the MW where I obviously ended up with Oregon. G'town scares me a little only because of guard play and wondering if they have peaked just a bit too soon. I ended up taking KS over G'town in the finals. But, as we all know KS doesn't have the greatest track record of late in the NCAA's. There is so much deliberation, chaos, and secong guessing in trying to pick your bracket. That though, is what I love so much about the tournament. All the anxious moments and build up. The anticipation is killing me. Tip the ball, please.


GO DUKE!!

[Lavabe]

how about caulky?

Reminds me of the sketch where an Eric Idle character couldn't pronounce the letter "C," so he replaces "C" with "B" (a result of having been attacked by a bat).

Have you thought of replacing the letter "C" with the letter "K"?:D

This is the first year in forever that I have not completed a bracket. Just can't get into it. I'll root for Duke, but against UNC, MD, BC, VT, UVA, and GT. I'll root against FLA, UCLA, KS, UK, MichSt, and any team that the ESPN & AJC sports hacks pick. A pox on all their houses!:p

The one match-up I am interested in is Ohio St vs. the other Blue Devils (Cent. Conn. St.). Oden goes up against a 6'2" center!!

GO EASTERN KENTUCKY!!!
Cheers,
Lavabe

[phaedrus]

yeah i think duke got probably the hardest bracket as far as reaching the final four. kansas is being picked by many experts to win it (i'd say the second most popular choice behind florida - maybe even more than florida), ucla is by far the best 2 seed, pitt the 2nd best 3 seed after a+m.

[mapei]

I have Georgetown over FL in my "heart" bracket, with Duke winning two games. My "head" bracket has Florida over UNC, with Duke only winning one game. I couldn't bring myself to go with the trendy pick of VCU in the first-round upset. Surely we can win that one. I just don't see this Duke team going farther than two wins, though obviously it *could* happen and I'll be delighted if it does.

Georgetown played both Oregon and Notre Dame (twice for ND) this year at Verizon, so I've seen both in person as well as on TV. Both have improved a lot, but ND especially. I think the trendy pickers for Winthrop are making a mistake.

[Methodistman]

I know it has got to be superstition, but every year when I fill out my brackets I say to myself, "This year I am going to pick who really think is going to win, regardless of who I want to win." But then something happens, just as I'm getting ready to pick someone that I may think will actually beat us, and I just can't do it. In my pie-in-the-sky devotion/obsession, I just simply cannot pick against our guys, whether I actually believe they will win or not. I guess I just think "What kind of guilt will I feel if we actually win when I have picked them to lose?"

[Fish80]

In my brackets I always pick Duke to win. And in another pool where we bid on the teams, I own Duke. It's how I roll.

[dukeisawesome]

Well I just pick Duke every year. Duke over Ohio State.... 72-65 :)

I have Duke, Wisconsin, Georgetown, Ohio State

I really didn't have time to do any research this year so all I have is this "heart" bracket. I went for the jugular and took Jackson State over Florida too! :)