TAS Bracketology 2014-15

[rlh04d]

UNI and WSU are getting a bit disrespected in most brackets I have seen. UNI shouldn't be worse than a #4 seed in any bracket right now, but I've seen them as a #6 in several. WSU should be a #5 in my eyes and it seems like they are anywhere between 5-8.

I would personally prefer a six seed over a 4-5 seed right now. Especially if it lets both teams avoid Kentucky for one game longer.

[TheAsianSensation]

The problem is that both UNI and WSU are going to have to rely on the eye test for their seeds. Because of the conference, they just don't have the same number of quality wins as others. Looking at the competition, just for starters, you're going to have a handful of Big 12 teams who spent all season beating each other up, having signature wins against each other. Throw in hot SMU and hot Arkansas, whoever finishes in the top 3 in the Big 10, and whoever finishes behind Villanova in the Big East...and the space is crowded around the 4-5 line.

I would rather be the 3rd 6 seed than the 1st 6 seed. Right now as it stands, the midwest regional is going to be LOADED, and I wouldn't want to be the 1st 6 seed and have the NCAA do you a favor by geographically placing you in the same region as every other 1st ranked team on each seed line.

[IndyTreeFan]

UNI and WSU are getting a bit disrespected in most brackets I have seen. UNI shouldn't be worse than a #4 seed in any bracket right now, but I've seen them as a #6 in several. WSU should be a #5 in my eyes and it seems like they are anywhere between 5-8. If they play a close game on the 28th and meet up again in the finals in St.Louis, I think they both could get a 4 seed or better. I think Illinois State has shot themselves in the foot for an NIT bid unless they get to the semi's with no more than 1 more loss. Indiana State has no chance of an NIT bid. Even if they beat WSU in the Hulman Center and get to the finals (which would include beating UNI or WSU), they would be 18-14 with an RPI of roughly 105 and an SOS of 93. They would then have a couple top 25 wins but probably only good enough for a CIT bid. Evansville is still rather interesting though. Although they haven't been playing that well recently, they still actually have a chance to build a resume the committee will have to at least look at. They have Drake, @WSU, @ UNI and IlSt. It would certainly take a miracle, but if they somehow ran the table (not likely, I know) and made it to the MVC finals, they would finish 23-9 an RPI of 58 and 4 or 5 top 50 wins. I personally think UNI takes care of business and reaches the finals easily and WSU dominates the Sycamores in Terre Haute, but get caught looking ahead in St. Louis. It sounds crazy and I really don't want to see it happen, but I'm kinda starting to like the way ISUb is playing now and I think they will play spoiler in the MVC tourney.

Final Predictions:
UNI- NCAA at-large #5 seed
WSU- NCAA at-large #5 seed
ISUb- NCAA auto bid #14 seed
Eville- CIT/CBI bid
ISUr- CIT/CBI bid
Loyola- CIT/CBI bid

I could live with this...

[COUTEAU]

This is rather interesting.
A matrix, that includes many "crystal ballers", of the NCAA tournament.
Has UNI & SHOX every where from as high as 3 (both) to as low as 11 (shox).

http://www.bracketmatrix.com/

[Rollbird5]

Joe Lunardi's latest bracket has WSU and UNI as 4 seeds.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

[TheAsianSensation]

As I'm working on my bracket, I've still got UNI on the 4 line and Wichita on the 5.

My S-curve, from 15th to 25th:

15 UNI
16 Baylor
17 Wichita St
18 Louisville
19 VCU
20 Providence
21 Georgetown
22 Arkansas
23 SMU
24 Butler
25 West Virginia

To me, this is a tier within the S-Curve, and I think you can make good arguments to order these teams in almost any order. I think the eye test is going to leave UNI and Wichita near the top of this year, but below the next tier. (the next tier up is from 9 to 14: Iowa St, Notre Dame, Utah, Oklahoma, Maryland, North Carolina)

This is a really tight tier. The difference between these 11 teams are pretty razor-thin right now.

I would not be surprised if the committee pulled some shady stuff and moved the loser of Saturday's game (and the conference title game, presumably) to the 7 line.

[BCPanther]

Watch.

We'll split the last two and both end up on the 7 line.

[Cdizzle]

Watch.

We'll split the last two and both end up on the 7 line.

Oh well. Two 7 seeds in the Elite 8 would be a nice story. I think I'd rather be a 7 than a 5. 4's get some often-weak 1st-rd matchup, but are still in line with the 1 seeds. This year I really think there are the 1 seeds (UK, UVA, Zagz, Duke) and then about 20 teams that are on pretty even footing, including UNI and WSU.

[TheAsianSensation]

The 6 line might be the sweet spot.

The 2 line has the likes of Gonzaga and Villanova, the 3 line is clearly worse IMO.

[Cdizzle]

The 6 line might be the sweet spot.

The 2 line has the likes of Gonzaga and Villanova, the 3 line is clearly worse IMO.

I can see that. I also think WSU and UNI are lined up to get a 3 and a 6, assuming no losses to other teams, and a split of remaining games. The 3 line has weakened in the last week, with Lville and KU sustaining losses.