March Madness 2017

[pianocello]

The real winners of the conference tournaments: Kansas State and Vanderbilt. Without their late runs into their semifinals, they probably wouldn't be in the tournament. Too bad that came at the expense of mid-majors like Illinois State. This kind of thing happens every year, though

As for the tournament, I'm going to have a tough time picking the Big Ten to go very far. Of the seven teams, four would face a 1- or 2-seed in the second round should they make it, and two are facing some of the best mid-major teams in the field. I wouldn't be surprised of only one team (I'd pick Purdue) makes the sweet 16.

The Northwestern-Vanderbilt game is going to be tough to pick for me: I'd like to see Northwestern win a game or two in their first tournament, but Vanderbilt is coached by Valpo's star player-turned-coach Bryce Drew. Like I said, though, it was stretch for Vanderbilt to be in the field in the first place, IMO.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Golden 1 is a credit union.

Thanks for the heads up. From now, I'll know that as "New Kings Center".

[kurumi]

Regarding Duke:

First time someone won four games in four days to win the championship.

UConn did win the 2011 Big East Championship by 5 wins in 5 straight days. Does seem like a long time ago, though.

[SP Cook]

UNK vs UK is a matchup where there is likely a huge percentage of one school's alumni that are primarily fans of the school they are playing.

You could say that about every public school in Kentucky versus Big Blue, with the exception of that hopefully not-a-public-school-for-much-longer one in Louisville, although the Cincy suburbs are the least Kentucky-like part of Kentucky, lots of people from the other side of the river and lots of young famlies from elsewhere, also generally north.

You can say the same thing about fandom in Alabama, save for Auburn,; Arkansas, Indiana, save for Purdue; Louisiana; Michigan, save for Michigan State; Nebraska; North Carolina save for NC State; Ohio, possibably save for Ohio (whose fans have the world's worst case of "little brother'), and Tennessee.  Don't know that much about Florida, but I never have met a fan of any of the "directional Floridas", so probably.

[epzik8]

I chose Cincinnati at random.

I don't know if my Maryland Terps made it, but I just wanted to mention that I have very fond memories of their 2002 national championship. Both of my parents spent part of their college years at College Park. I am a proud Marylander and I stick with my Terps even if they're the absolute worst NCAA basketball school.

[hbelkins]

All I know is that anytime my alma mater has gone up against UK, I've just hoped for them to keep it respectable.

And as usual, the selection committee hosed UK again. Late game on Friday night, and the possibility of two regular-season rematches (UCLA and North Carolina). I disagree with the determination that UK was the overall #5 seed (the top of the four #2's) but other than getting to play in Indianapolis, the committee did Calipari no favors. It's a rite of spring, like people crying over DST.

[NWI_Irish96]

All I know is that anytime my alma mater has gone up against UK, I've just hoped for them to keep it respectable.

And as usual, the selection committee hosed UK again. Late game on Friday night, and the possibility of two regular-season rematches (UCLA and North Carolina). I disagree with the determination that UK was the overall #5 seed (the top of the four #2's) but other than getting to play in Indianapolis, the committee did Calipari no favors. It's a rite of spring, like people crying over DST.

Playing late on Friday is hosing the fans, not the team.  Every coach will tell you they'd rather get the extra day to prepare and play Friday instead of Thursday, especially given that Kentucky is one of the teams who played Sunday, and most players are used to evening games. 

[1995hoo]

Regarding Duke:

First time someone won four games in four days to win the championship.

UConn did win the 2011 Big East Championship by 5 wins in 5 straight days. Does seem like a long time ago, though.

Right, but I was referring to the ACC (otherwise I would have said "a championship" instead of "the"). First time it's happened in the ACC.

[amroad17]

It's NKU (Northern Kentucky University), not UNK.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Okay, the big dance starts today. I finished my bracket just in time, and like US 41 I post my winners in each rounds.

First 4
New Orleans
Kansas State
North Carolina Central
USC

First Round (Round of 64)
Villanova
Wisconsin
UNC Wilmington
Florida
SMU
Baylor
Marquette
Duke

Gonzaga
Vanderbilt
Notre Dame
West Virginia
Xavier
Florida State
VCU
Arizona

Kansas
Miami (FL)
Nevada
Purdue
Creighton
Oregon
Michigan
Louisville

North Carolina
Arkansas
Middle Tennessee
Butler
Kansas State
UCLA
Wichita State
Kentucky

Second Round (Round of 32)
Villanova
Florida
SMU
Duke

Gonzaga
Notre Dame
Florida State
VCU

Kansas
Nevada
Creighton
Michigan

North Carolina
Butler
UCLA
Kentucky

Sweet 16 (Round of 16)
Villanova
SMU

Gonzaga
Florida State

Kansas
Michigan

North Carolina
Kentucky

Elite 8 (Quarter finals)
Villanova
Florida State
Kansas
Kentucky

Final 4 (Semifinals)
Villanova
Kansas

National Championship (Final)
Kansas

I've included some upsets, like a good bracket should include.

Here's the schedule for today at the UD Arena in Dayton OH. Times are Eastern, which is one hour ahead of my current "forum time" (I haven't switched to DST yet):
6:40 p.m.: No. 16E Mount Saint Mary's vs No. 16E New Orleans
9:10 p.m.: No. 11S Kansas State vs No. 11S Wake Forest

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Okay, my bracket (and US 41's) already went bust in the first match. Both predicted a New Orleans win, and Mount St. Mary's won. Luckily the first four is not taken into account in the online brackets (And Mount St. Mary's is going to be out in the First Round anyway), and as such I've also copied my bracket into ESPN and joined a Spanish group they have set up there.

Today's matches are the following. The other two of the First Four at the UD Arena in Dayton OH. Tomorrow is when March Madness really starts.
6:40 p.m.: No. 16MW North Carolina Central vs No. 16MW UC Davis
9:10 p.m.: No. 11E Providence vs No. 11E USC

E2A: I've added another two brackets with North Carolina and Duke becoming champions in these. Bracket number 1 is the one I have on paper and published here.

[hm insulators]

^^ For Greenville, Bi-Lo is a grocery chain that sponsered the arena.

So where the hell is Greenville?

[hm insulators]

So I got my bracket up just now. My other bracket on my astronomy webpage has Villanova, UCLA, Arizona and Louisville in the Final Four with UCLA winning the whole ball of snakes over Arizona, simply because that's how it shook out. I pointed out that I could just as easily had Kentucky, Duke, Arizona and Kansas to the Final Four, so I did that here. And if my championship game picks are correct, it's guaranteed the Wildcats will win the NCAA Tournament!

And does anybody really care about those silly "play-in" games in which two Number 16 seeds play a game to see who gets blown out of the water by Kentucky to the score of 83-39? And two Number 11 teams playing each other? You're either Number 11 or you're not. Come on, NCAA, pick one team and stick 'em in! That's your job!

Oh, I know. Those "play-in" games are primarily for the sponsors to sell one more six-pack of beer, one more pick-up truck and one more prescription for those funny blue pills for a certain part of the male anatomy.

[hbelkins]

^^ For Greenville, Bi-Lo is a grocery chain that sponsered the arena.

So where the hell is Greenville?

Not far from Spartanburg.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

^^ For Greenville, Bi-Lo is a grocery chain that sponsered the arena.

I didn't notice this until now. So Greenville Arena it is, for a lack of unsponsored name. I used the planning name in some cases, in the Salt Lake City case I used the olympic name.

[Big John]

^^ For Greenville, Bi-Lo is a grocery chain that sponsered the arena.

So where the hell is Greenville?

Not far from Spartanburg.

And Greenville is the control city for I-85 in Atlanta.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

With the first four teams already out (I correctly predicted the no. 11 seeds but failed the no. 16 ones), the madness really takes off today as the bunch of teams get in the action. Honestly all the brackets could be busted today or tomorrow like it happened last year when Middle Tennessee upset Michigan State. Anyway, here are today's matches, ordered from East to West (yes, I checked and Buffalo is East of Orlando), and using unsponsored names for the arenas. Notice all eight matches of the West region are played today, so none will be played tomorrow.

Noon: Online brackets close.

Crossroads Arena, Buffalo NY
12:15 p.m.: No. 5W Notre Dame vs No. 12W Princeton
2:45 p.m.: No. 4W West Virginia vs No. 13W Bucknell
7:10 p.m.: No. 1E Villanova vs No. 16E Mount St. Mary's
9:40 p.m.: No. 8E Wisconsin vs No. 9E Virginia Tech

Orlando Events Center, Orlando FL
12:40 p.m.: No. 5E Virginia vs No. 12E UNC Wilmington
3:10 p.m.: No. 4E Florida vs No. 13E East Tennessee State
6:50 p.m.: No. 6W Maryland vs No. 11W Xavier
9:20 p.m.: No. 3W Florida State vs No. 14W Florida Gulf Coast

Bradley Center, Milwaukee WI (Some weird schedules here...)
1:30 p.m.: No. 4S Butler vs No. 13S Winthrop
4:00 p.m.: No. 5S Minnesota vs No. 12S Middle Tennessee
7:27:30 p.m.: No. 4MW Purdue vs No. 13MW Vermont
9:57:30 p.m.: No. 5MW Iowa State vs No. 12MW Nevada

Salt Lake Ice Center, Salt Lake City UT
2:00 p.m.: No. 1W Gonzaga vs No. 16W South Dakota State
4:30 p.m.: No. 8W Northwestern vs No. 9W Vanderbilt
7:20 p.m.: No. 7W St. Mary's vs No. 10W VCU
9:50 p.m.: No. 2W Arizona vs No. 15W North Dakota

[hm insulators]

Middle Tennessee just upset Minnesota, and if I remember correctly, weren't they the team that blew a lot of brackets out of the water last year by beating Michigan State?

[hm insulators]

So I got my bracket up just now. My other bracket on my astronomy webpage has Villanova, UCLA, Arizona and Louisville in the Final Four with UCLA winning the whole ball of snakes over Arizona, simply because that's how it shook out. I pointed out that I could just as easily had Kentucky, Duke, Arizona and Kansas to the Final Four, so I did that here. And if my championship game picks are correct, it's guaranteed the Wildcats will win the NCAA Tournament!

And does anybody really care about those silly "play-in" games in which two Number 16 seeds play a game to see who gets blown out of the water by Kentucky to the score of 83-39? And two Number 11 teams playing each other? You're either Number 11 or you're not. Come on, NCAA, pick one team and stick 'em in! That's your job!

Oh, I know. Those "play-in" games are primarily for the sponsors to sell one more six-pack of beer, one more pick-up truck and one more prescription for those funny blue pills for a certain part of the male anatomy.

For some reason, my bracket is not filled out, even though I filled it out and now it's locked. What the heck happened?

[1995hoo]

Middle Tennessee just upset Minnesota, and if I remember correctly, weren't they the team that blew a lot of brackets out of the water last year by beating Michigan State?

Correct.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

Middle Tennessee just upset Minnesota, and if I remember correctly, weren't they the team that blew a lot of brackets out of the water last year by beating Michigan State?

The one. That's why I predicted they would win agaisnt Minnesota, and it came out right.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

I also correctly predicted Xavier would win against Maryland . However I have two Round of 16 (Sweet Sixteen) fails, as both Nevada and VCU are out. Anyway, here is the schedule for today. Notice no West region matches are played today, as all of the were decided yesterday.

Greenville Arena, Greenville SC (originally scheduled to be in Greensboro NC, but f*ck those LGTB-fobics)
1:30 p.m.: No. 8S Arkansas vs No. 9S Seton Hall
4:00 p.m.: No. 1S North Carolina vs No. 16S Texas Southern
7:20 p.m.: No. 2E Duke vs No. 15E Troy
9:50 p.m.: No. 7E South Carolina vs No. 10E Marquette

Pacers Fieldhouse, Indianapolis IN
12:15 p.m.: No. 7MW Michigan vs No. 10MW Oklahoma State
2:45 p.m.: No. 2MW Louisville vs No. 15MW Jacksonville State
7:10 p.m.: No. 7S Dayton vs No. 10S Wichita State
9:50 p.m.: No. 2S Kentucky vs No. 15S Northern Kentucky

Tulsa Center, Tulsa OK
12:40 p.m.: No. 3E Baylor vs No. 14E New Mexico State
3:10 p.m.: No. 6E SMU vs No. 11E USC
6:50 p.m.: No. 1MW Kansas vs No. 16MW UC Davis
9:20 p.m.: No. 8MW Miami (FL) vs No. 9MW Michigan State

New Kings Center, Sacramento CA (Again, weird schedules...)
2:00 p.m.: No. 3MW Oregon vs No. 14MW Iona
4:30 p.m.: No. 6MW Creighton vs No. 11MW Rhode Island
7:27:30 p.m.: No. 6S Cincinnati vs No. 11S Kansas State
9:57:30 p.m.: No. 3S UCLA vs No. 14S Kent State

[74/171FAN]

I am unsure how I feel about Virginia Tech losing.  I really wanted them to win a tournament game, but I also did not want them to get creamed by Villanova in the second round.

[Rothman]

I waffled back and forth with Xavier...and chose poorly.

[hbelkins]

Middle Tennessee just upset Minnesota, and if I remember correctly, weren't they the team that blew a lot of brackets out of the water last year by beating Michigan State?

One Pitino down, another to go!

I actually saw Richard Pitino play high school basketball, as a JV player for Lexington Catholic back in the 1990s.