NCAA Bracket Thoughts

So...brackets are out!  You can find one at any respectable sports website.  The NCAA committee did a very good job with their selections.  They did a spacemonkey job with the seedings, but I'll tackle that a bit later on here.  In the meantime, I do feel a little bad for Virginia Tech and Mississippi State but when you're a marginal team that's what happens, some make it, some don't.  Other teams deserve it as well, there are only so many spots, that's just the way it goes.  If you want to be in the "big dance" for sure, then play "big boy ball" all season long and don't be a bubble team. 

This tournament will be great (as always) and there are 3 really good teams in which the winner should come from: Kansas, Kentucky, and Duke.  They all have multiple scorers, solid defenses, good transitional games, good rebounding, and experienced coaching.  But right below them are another group of good teams in which you shouldn't be surprised if the winner comes from: West Virginia, Ohio State, Villanova, and maybe Syracuse and Kansas State.  Your tournament winner will come from one of these 8 teams.  They are all good teams and a step above everyone else.  However don't be surprised if one of these 5 gets bounced in the 2nd round! 

A beautiful thing about NCAA Basketball is the parity of most of the tournament teams.  When a big upset happens, most of us say "well, there is parity now in NCAA Basketball".  But if I was to pick a double-digit seed to make the Final Four I would be scoffed at: "That team won't make it, there's no parity!" or something along those lines, you know what I mean.  Funny how that happens.  Well, which one is it?  I believe there IS parity and will not be surprised if/when a double-digit team makes the Final Four.  I'm not saying it's GOING to happen this year, but don't be surprised if a #5 or lower seed makes the Final Four. 

Almost everyone would have no beef if I said a #3 seed would make the Final Four (say Georgetown or Pittsburgh or Baylor for example) but would look at me a bit weird if I said a #5 or #6 seed easily could.  Or better yet, a #7, #8, #9, and yes, even a #12 seed!  Then, you would think I'm out to lunch about them making the Final Four.  However, please look again, say, at the rankings we use all season long.  In fact, let's use TODAY's brand new rankings:

Georgetown is 15th in the nation.  Pittsburgh is 17th, and Baylor is #21st.  All #3 seeds.  See where I'm going with this?   Yet #5 seed Butler is 8th in the nation, #5 Temple is 13th in the nation, #6 Tennessee is 14th in the nation.  How does a team ranked higher than Georgetown, Pittsburgh, and Baylor get a #6 seed where Gtown, Pitt, and Baylor all get #3 seeds?? 

Weird...and the craziness continues:  #7 seed BYU is 16th in the nation, #8 Gonzaga is 18th in the nation, #12 seed UTEP is a top 25 team!  Yet I would be a "crazy person" if I said a 12 seed is going to make the Final Four, but if I picked Baylor, who is only ranked 4 spots higher in the rankings, to make the Final Four, somehow that is normal and fine.  Do you see what the wacky NCAA committee seedings do?!  They make you think differently than reality is.  And the reality is there are a lot of quality teams out there (parity) and a lot of them could quite easily make the Final Four!  Just because the NCAA has a beef against non-BCS schools doesn't mean the NCAA should be allowed to warp our thinking and recognition of good teams!

All that being said, it will be a great tournament and if you see a "low" seed making a deep run, I'll just say "I told ya so!".  Enjoy the tournament!