NCAA basketball "sleepers"

[King Glorious]

USC is my biggest sleeper team to make it to the Elite 8. My other one would have been Kansas State but they play each other in the first round. In today's watered down game, one superstar can take a team a long way.

[jwkniska]

Originally Posted by King Glorious

USC is my biggest sleeper team to make it to the Elite 8. My other one would have been Kansas State but they play each other in the first round. In today's watered down game, one superstar can take a team a long way.

I'd like USC a whole lot more if they basically didn't have to play a road game against K-State

[miraja2]

I want to warn anybody right now that likes Baylor in the first round to change their picks ASAP. As a Mizzou alum, I follow the Big 12 very closely and I assure you that Baylor made this tournament based solely on their early-season accomplishments.
When they beat Texas A&M in that ridiculous 5 OT game near the end of January they improved their overall record to 16-2. Since then they have been 5-8 which includes a loss to a pretty pathetic Colorado team in the Big 12 tournament.
In addition, Jerrells simply hasn't looked like himself in the last five game.

I know the Big 10 isn't particularly strong this year, but Purdue seems to be significantly better now than they were at the begining of the year, while the opposite holds true for the Bears.

[GBBob]

Originally Posted by miraja2

I want to warn anybody right now that likes Baylor in the first round to change their picks ASAP. As a Mizzou alum, I follow the Big 12 very closely and I assure you that Baylor made this tournament based solely on their early-season accomplishments.
When they beat Texas A&M in that ridiculous 5 OT game near the end of January they improved their overall record to 16-2. Since then they have been 5-8 which includes a loss to a pretty pathetic Colorado team in the Big 12 tournament.
In addition, Jerrells simply hasn't looked like himself in the last five game.

I know the Big 10 isn't particularly strong this year, but Purdue seems to be significantly better now than they were at the begining of the year, while the opposite holds true for the Bears.

I'm not a Big Ten guy and have no allegiances to any school there, but I think they get dumped on in the tournament unfairly. They may have qualified too many schools a few years, but if you look at the Final 4's (and I'm guessing), I think they have been represented quite well.

[SniperSB23]

Originally Posted by miraja2

I want to warn anybody right now that likes Baylor in the first round to change their picks ASAP. As a Mizzou alum, I follow the Big 12 very closely and I assure you that Baylor made this tournament based solely on their early-season accomplishments.
When they beat Texas A&M in that ridiculous 5 OT game near the end of January they improved their overall record to 16-2. Since then they have been 5-8 which includes a loss to a pretty pathetic Colorado team in the Big 12 tournament.
In addition, Jerrells simply hasn't looked like himself in the last five game.

I know the Big 10 isn't particularly strong this year, but Purdue seems to be significantly better now than they were at the begining of the year, while the opposite holds true for the Bears.

I have a tough time backing any six seed that lost at home to Wofford. Losing to Illinois first round in their tourney doesn't exactly inspire confidence that they improved a ton. It is just too bad they drew Baylor. Neither of them belong in the round of 32. Why couldn't we have got USC-Baylor and Purdue-KState? Georgia may have the easiest path to the Sweet 16 of any 14 seed ever.

[skippy3481]

Purdue's freshman hit the wall in the conference tournament, first time being there, excitement. Baylor relies heavily on the outside game and that is where purdue excels. Chris Kramer may be the best on the ball defensive player in the country, which makes up for his lack of offense. Purdue was getting better as the year went on and baylor was riding the coattails of its early season victories. I think purdue wins this by 8. Beyond that didn't baylor get bounced by colorado in its conference opening round....

[SniperSB23]

Why does the Selection Committee make rules for structuring the bracket and then blatantly disregard them when putting it together? They are never supposed to give a lower seed homefield advantage in the first round yet they have 10 seed South Alabama playing in Birmingham against Butler and 10 seed Davidson playing in NC against Gonzaga. That should never happen. The most ridiculous part of it is that they could have simply switched South Alabama and Davidson and eliminated the issue. It isn't like moving them would have violated other rules and forced them to shuffle around the entire bracket. And it isn't like the games aren't selling out where they need regional teams to draw interest.

[SniperSB23]

Can sometimes be of slight value when filling out your brackets, not a ton to get here this year but a few things worth noting.

Combined record between NIT and CBI:

MVC 4-0
SEC 3-0
ACC 2-0
CUSA 3-1
P10 2-1
MAC 2-1
A10 2-2
B10 1-1
B12 1-1
BEast 1-1
MWC 1-2

[horseofcourse]

Originally Posted by SniperSB23

Why does the Selection Committee make rules for structuring the bracket and then blatantly disregard them when putting it together? They are never supposed to give a lower seed homefield advantage in the first round yet they have 10 seed South Alabama playing in Birmingham against Butler and 10 seed Davidson playing in NC against Gonzaga. That should never happen. The most ridiculous part of it is that they could have simply switched South Alabama and Davidson and eliminated the issue. It isn't like moving them would have violated other rules and forced them to shuffle around the entire bracket. And it isn't like the games aren't selling out where they need regional teams to draw interest.

The Butler seeding is bizarre beyond belief. I was looking back at last year and they were 27-6...didn't win the Horizon LEague tourney...I'm not sure even if they won the regular season outright?? But they were a 5 seed. This year they go 29-3...win the regular season outright...conference tourney and are a 7 seed playing an Alabama team in Alabama...after making the sweet 16 last year giving Florida their toughest game. And no bad losses either...lost by 1 point and 4 points on the road to the two other 20 win teams in their conference (clev state and wright state) and to Drake.

Their situation is quite odd to say the least. How they were seeded two slots higher last year than this year makes no sense. I thought they and Drake were 4 or 5 seeds at the lowest this year both of them. Butler by far got the biggest shaft in the NCAA tourney this year.

Originally Posted by miraja2

I want to warn anybody right now that likes Baylor in the first round to change their picks ASAP. As a Mizzou alum, I follow the Big 12 very closely and I assure you that Baylor made this tournament based solely on their early-season accomplishments.
When they beat Texas A&M in that ridiculous 5 OT game near the end of January they improved their overall record to 16-2. Since then they have been 5-8 which includes a loss to a pretty pathetic Colorado team in the Big 12 tournament.
In addition, Jerrells simply hasn't looked like himself in the last five game.

I know the Big 10 isn't particularly strong this year, but Purdue seems to be significantly better now than they were at the begining of the year, while the opposite holds true for the Bears.

This is right on.

I know this is a redboard, sorry(been gone), but Baylor had
absolutely no business in this tourney. I really was
shocked they put Baylor in. ATM will go down as soon
as they play a team that puts pressure on their guards...
they have none. BYU did not do a good job at this.

Purdue and Wisconsin are extraordinarily well coached,
patient teams without huge talent. They can beat
anyone, but just dont have the talent needed to win
6 games.

Kansas is clearly the best team in the Big 12. Year
after year they disappoint, but they are the most
talented. Texas has one of the best PG'sin the nation,
but they play so helter-skelter and lack an enforcing
big man... Cant see them winning 6 either. A team
that can (and has beat) any team in the nation, but not 6
games in this tourney.
Kansas State just manhandled USC under the boards.
What is obvious is the Big 12 is a very physical conf.
Kansas State has the ATM problem, lack of discipline
and playmaking at guard.

If Blake Griffin can go full strength for Oklahoma,
the Big12 will be 4-1 after the 1st round. Considering
Baylor should not have been... not bad.

[whodey17]

Miss Valley State 29 pts. that is unreal. this is whats bad about the tourney.

[horseofcourse]

But Belmont nearly putting Duke out of it's misery is what is so good about it.

[horseofcourse]

Now today is fun so far. When you look up the word "pure" in the dictionary if there isn't a picture of Stephen Curry there something is wrong. Gonzaga/Davidon launch 48 threes and Drake/W Ky currently have launched 57 threes. Now that is what I call "madness"!! Even American made Tennessee work a bit.