Selection Show(s) Open Thread

Sunday, March 16, 2008


The other thread was getting a bit long so I'm throwing up another one for the ESPN and CBS coverage of the bracket "reveal". I'll probably be on CBS most of the time so if Bobby Knight looks like he's going to lose it, lemme know in the comments.

Amazing win by Georgia and that video should be up shortly right below this post. Just 5 minutes to go! John Calipari seems much calmer going into the Selection Show this year doesn't he?

ESPN says they're releasing the brackets at 5:59 PM. Didn't they learn their lesson from the MLB All-Star game? (Via Paco The Storytelling Mule)

Well it's past that time and Linda Cohn is still yammering about the SEC Title Game....

#1 overall is UNC in the East, Memphis goes to the South, West is UCLA and Midwest is Kansas....no surprises there. UNC would play Kansas and Memphis would go up against UCLA.

Jim Nantz: a comb-over unlike any other. (Via Mal)

We've got Amercian, Tenn, Baylor, Xavier, ND, USC, Temple, Mason, and WVU as our live look-ins on CBS.

Bobby Knight does not like Conference Championships AT ALL!

East Highlights: UNC gets the play-in game, Arkansas is in against Indiana, Notre Dame gets Mason (Upest!), Washington State takes on Winthrop (Upset!), Vols are the #2 Seed in the East, BUTLER IS A SEVEN SEED!!!!!!!!!, South Alabama gets in, Louisville is the three seed, St. Joes is in and will face Oklahoma.

Well that just about takes care of every bubble team and Butler got seriously screwed by having to go up against South Alabama in Birmingham.

Midwest Highlights: Kansas gets Portland State, UNLV-Kent State will be a great game, Clemson is a #5 seed and will meet Nova (amazing game), Vandy is a #4, Georgetown is a #2?!?!, Gonzaga meets Davidson (another great game), Wisconsin is a #3 (hosed), USC-Kansas State (Beasley vs Mayo).

No way GTown should be a two seed over Wisconsin. Sorry. Weak bracket but very good first round matchups.

"Siena very dangerous. I like them to beat Vandy."- Seth Davis

Knight's nose resembles Coughlin's during the Green Bay game. He's either been out in the freezing cold or slugging down the Jack Daniel's in order to put up with these guys. (Via Mal)

Committee leakage!!!! Lunardi TOTALLY got a tip. Villanova my butt. (Via Ed)

Washington State at a 4 is patently ridiculous. It seems like they're ALWAYS overseeded. (Steve B.)

South Highlights: Oregon gets in against Miss State, MSU gets a five seed and Temple, Pitt gets the four and Oral Roberts, Texas is the two seed, Miami is in as a #7 and will take on Saint Mary's (Upset!), Stanford is a three, Marquette the #6 and will take on the Kentucky Wildcats (bulls**t).

Sorry VCU, Arizona, Baylor, Arizona State....there's only one spot left and I think it's going to Virginia Tech.

Georgia video is up below this post.

West Highlights: UCLA is the one, BYU gets A&M in the 8/9, Drake is a five seed?!? and will take on WKU, UConn is the four and gets SD (VT is out), Duke is the two and they get Belmont, WVU is in as a #7 and get #10 Arizona (Bulls**t), Xavier is the three and gets the unlucky matchup against Georgia, Baylor is in (bulls**t) and they'll play Purdue.

Okay....I'm sorry but Baylor, Oregon, Arizona especially as a 10 seed, and Kentucky all in over Virginia Tech is just nonsense. I feel bad for Hokie fans.

Last Teams In: Nova, K-State, Baylor, Kentucky, and St. Joes
Teams Out: VT, Arizona State, Dayton, UMass, Miss, UAB, Ohio State

It's weird-looking that Duke is going to DC and Georgetown is going to Raleigh.... (Steve B.)

Agreed.

When UGA won, that was it for VA Tech. I can't wait to hear Seth Greenberg bitch and moan now. (Via Bruce)

Yeah he's gonna be pissed.

ASU and Va. Tech got seriously screwed. (Via SS Reporters)

Agreed. Butler got seriously hosed being a #7 seed, Drake should NOT be a #5, and Texas getting a Sweet 16 game in Houston is pretty sketchy.

"The ACC gets fewer teams when they don't have someone on the committee."- Jay Bilas

Tom O'Connor says that they don't pay attention to conference ranks and everything is done by individual teams. Billy Packer doesn't seem to buy it.

I guess if you've got a CBS camera on you during the Selection Show, you're making the Tournament. I'm looking at you, Baylor. (Via RJBO)

Hahaha. Clark is picking all #1 Seeds (that ALWAYS works) and Seth is going with Tenn, Kansas, Texas, and UCLA. My one rule is that you never ever pick Kansas....ever.

Clark's Sleepers: ND, Clem, MSU, WVU
Seth's Sleepers: St. Joes, USC, Temple, Arizona

Clark obviously doesn't know what a "sleeper" is.

Okay everyone....thanks for commenting and I'll keep updating as the night goes on. Look for the AA Bracket Challenge tomorrow and the unveiling of a very special March Madness t-shirt for you to pick up.

68 Comments:

Another great sports weekend. Tiger just won it on 18, Rockets about to win 22 straight and now the Selection Show. Does not get any better!

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 5:55:00 PM  

ESPN has all these "bubble team" coaches (i.e., Villanova, Arizona State)pimping their team to try to get them in the tourney. Do they think the committee is watching this?

Mal said...
Mar 16, 2008, 5:56:00 PM  

Patrick and Vitale, slangin the ACC's D since '83

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 5:58:00 PM  

ESPN says they're releasing the brackets at 5:59 PM. Didn't they learn their lesson from the MLB All-Star game?

/sxfgb

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 5:59:00 PM  

As Rece Davis starts to pitch it to Sports Center, the "regulars" are grinning and yukking it up. Knight is sitting there in his ugly sweater flipping through papers paying no attention to any of them.

Mal said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:01:00 PM  

Jim Nantz: a comb-over unlike any other.

Mal said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:05:00 PM  

I would have liked to see more bubble teams, Baylor is the only team there who might get left out

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:09:00 PM  

GMU over ND- my upset special.

UnHoly Diver said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:11:00 PM  

So. Alabama gets a game in Birmingham.

Mal said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:12:00 PM  

How many times will these CBS suck-ups "congratulate" the committee?

Mal said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:14:00 PM  

St. Joe's an 11? They were really 59th or 60th team?

Unknown said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:15:00 PM  

Rece, Hubert and Bilas think the east is a "stacked" bracket.

Mal said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:16:00 PM  

A lot of people were picking St. Joe's as high as 11th. Of course, they often mess around with seeds to get the geography and meet the "nobody can play a conference member until the Elite Eight" rule, which is tougher than you think.

Steve B. said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:17:00 PM  

Washington State at a 4 is patently ridiculous. It seems like they're ALWAYS overseeded.

Steve B. said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:18:00 PM  

Committee leakage!!!!

Lunardi TOTALLY got a tip. Villanova my butt.

Unknown said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:19:00 PM  

Knight's nose resembles Coughlin's during the Green Bay game. He's either been out in the freezing cold or slugging down the Jack Daniel's in order to put up with these guys.

Mal said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:19:00 PM  

What is upest AA?


And Wazzu should be at best a 6 seed.

TJX said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:23:00 PM  

K State v. USC - that will be fun. Winner of that has a good chance to get to sweet 16.

Mal said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:24:00 PM  

THANK GOD they didn't send Duke to Raleigh; Georgetown is there (just like last year!). When Duke has to play in the same arena as UNC in rounds 1-2 it's like a road game for Duke, and probably unfair to a high-seeded team.

I have tickets there, obv.

Steve B. said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:24:00 PM  

Oregon made it? What nonsense.

TJX said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:28:00 PM  

Upsets! are games I'm marking as upsets....thought that was obvious. And Oregon in is such Bullshit.

Mar 16, 2008, 6:31:00 PM  

Texas got a sweet draw. Is Rick Barnes' cousin on the "committee"?

Mal said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:33:00 PM  

Oregon is WAY better than Arizona State at least. My guess is it was their 4-2 against 51-100.

I think the last spot isn't Va Tech but Baylor, by the way.

Steve B. said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:34:00 PM  

I'm shocked- Duke got a 2 seed. They don't deserve it.

UnHoly Diver said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:36:00 PM  

ASU and Va. Tech got seriously screwed.

TJX said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:37:00 PM  

OH SNAP on my Baylor guess.

Anyway.

It's weird-looking that Duke is going to DC and Georgetown is going to Raleigh....

Steve B. said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:38:00 PM  

When UGA won, that was it for VA Tech. I can't wait to hear Seth Greenberg bitch and moan now.

UnHoly Diver said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:39:00 PM  

Alright, I was rooting for VA Tech against UNC, and if they won that game they would have deserved to get in. But, they didn't win, and they didn't beat ANYONE.

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:41:00 PM  

Why is the Anaheim site hosting a West and a South sub-Regional?

Has this been done before - multiple regionals at a single site?

Unknown said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:44:00 PM  

Knight's been hating on the conference tournaments all day. And that it should be the "best 64 teams" (he didn't get the memo either that it is 65). Digger asks Knight how he can get his proposal implemented and Knight says "my influence with the NCAA is not too high".

Mal said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:45:00 PM  

It's official...Hubert Davis is retarded.

Hanrahan said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:45:00 PM  

If the 2-seed 3-seed argument is between Wisconsin and Duke, it's pretty hard to forget that these two teams did play each other, and Duke absolutely crushed their faces back in December. Duke as a 2 makes sense; their RPI is very good.

Again, the reason Duke got sent to DC and Georgetown got sent to Raleigh is because a Duke game at the same site as UNC, if it's local, is essentially a road game. This happened in 2005 and it was hell on wheels.

There are Duke fans all over the country, but around NC they're definitely outnumbered. It's not fair to send a 2-seed to a road game in front of screaming Tar Heels.

Steve B. said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:47:00 PM  

Bilas just NAILED it. If you aren't represented on that committee, you are shafted.

Unknown said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:48:00 PM  

I think MD losing screwed VT big time. If you're 9-7 in the top RPI conference you deserve to be in. They took Butler to OT in the beginning of the year too. Basically 5 points kept them out of the tourney.

Mar 16, 2008, 6:48:00 PM  

You're right, Drake should be a #4.

A-town Cy said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:51:00 PM  

I guess if you've got a CBS camera on you during the Selection Show, you're making the Tournament. I'm looking at you, Baylor.

Mar 16, 2008, 6:52:00 PM  

I don't really see all the hype for Virginia Tech. RPI 53, Non-conference SOS 138, 1-7 vs. RPI Top 50. 4 losses versus 101+, too! That's worse than UMass' and Dayton's resumes, way worse than Villanova's. If the committee likes RPI for evaluating power-conference teams, it's really hard to see how VT being out is "wrong."

Steve B. said...
Mar 16, 2008, 6:56:00 PM  

We should get a contest going here for $$$.

Brett said...
Mar 16, 2008, 7:00:00 PM  

Someone tell Bob Knight that the show has started. Bob sit up in your chair and plug in your mic.

A-town Cy said...
Mar 16, 2008, 7:01:00 PM  

It's coming tomorrow Brett. I'm looking where to host it and I think I'm going to throw up some cash money for the winner.

I guess I can kind of understand VT not being in, but comparing them to Dayton isn't where I'm going. I think Dayton should be in too. If they win either the Carolina or Butler game then they're in.

5 points and you're out is hard to swallow.

Mar 16, 2008, 7:02:00 PM  

Hahaha you hit the nail on the head a-town. He just does not want to be on TV.

Mar 16, 2008, 7:03:00 PM  

AA, please don't tell me that you actually believe that VT deserves a bid over Baylor. The Hokies did finish 9-7 in the ACC, but they went 1-5 against the other teams in the top 5 in the ACC. Additionally, they lost to Penn State, Richmond and Old Dominion in the non-conference slate and NC State in the conference schedule.

Baylor, on the other hand, had no bad losses at all until they lost to Colorado in the Big 12 tournament. Their nonconference losses were to Wazzou and Arkanas by a total of 10 points, and went 9-7 in the #3 RPI conference with wins against Kansas State and Texas A&M and no losses against the bottom feeders until the Big 12 Tournament.

I just don't see how you can justify Va Tech getting in over anyone in this field, save for maybe Villanova.

Willmott said...
Mar 16, 2008, 7:22:00 PM  

-Va Tech didn't deserve to be in, and Arizona State deserved to be in over Arizona

-Everyone bitching that Duke shouldn't get a 2 seed over Wisconsin needs to check the box score from that game in December

-Butler a 7 seed? Really?

-The Gonzaga/Davidson and Butler/So. Alabama games are designed to keep mid majors out of the Sweet 16

Just my 2 cents

Sam said...
Mar 16, 2008, 7:28:00 PM  

Oh, and AA - something tells me that finishing 8-8 in the Atlantic 14, including losses to Richmond, La Salle, Duquesne and George Washington (who didn't even make the A-10 tournament) might have had more to do with Dayton not making the field. Even when they had to make a big statement to get in, they lost to Xavier following an overtime close-call to Saint Louis, of all teams.

Willmott said...
Mar 16, 2008, 7:33:00 PM  

I had to run out for a minute and caught some of ESPN radio. Scott Van Pelt was part of a team interviewing Dan Dakich, IU Coach. During the discussion Dakich comments to Van Pelt that he likes him on SportsCenter. Van Pelt replies "it helps if you're drunk, which I usually am". Hilarious. Van Pelt is so counter to so many at the WWL.

Mal said...
Mar 16, 2008, 7:38:00 PM  

coach knight doesn't drink. he also happens to be an outstanding analyst.

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 7:54:00 PM  

@ed:
Lozo's been making that case over at his blog all day, too. I'm not sure what to think, it'd kind of be like someone cheating to win a pickup basketball game

Sam said...
Mar 16, 2008, 7:57:00 PM  

By the way, Bilas apparently doesn't know the RPI formula - he said it's 50% winning pct. and 25% opponent's winning pct. (it's the other way around).

Willmott said...
Mar 16, 2008, 7:57:00 PM  

@ed:

Ohio State's AD is on that committee, y'know.

Willmott said...
Mar 16, 2008, 7:58:00 PM  

Bob Knight's reaction to Vitale was classic. Best broadcasting moment all weekend!

Brett said...
Mar 16, 2008, 8:32:00 PM  

Dick Vitale needs to go away already!!!

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 8:37:00 PM  

Dear lord....Bob Knight might have walked off the set...he showed tremendous restraint

Matt said...
Mar 16, 2008, 8:40:00 PM  

Patrick and Vitale, slangin the ACC's D since '83.

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 9:16:00 PM  

Maryland...a #5 Seed? Man, they got shafted! Oh, wait. That was the NIT bracket I was looking at. Sorry.

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 9:34:00 PM  

I am watching ESPN2 Bracketology...can someone explain to me why Ben Hoagland Coach of a public university UCLA has, at ESPN's insistence, shilled for Direct TV TWICE in the last hour.

So under the auspice of speaking about his tourney appearance...ESPN has allowed IN SHOW advertising as Hoagland is sitting in front of a Direct TV banner and shilling their tourney package ...

What in the f'n hell is going on....a coach...shilling for a privately held company...in the middle of a segment regarding COLLEGE basketball..

does anyone else find this to be as absurd as I do..... seriously...

Players get a $50 handout and they are vilified ...yet a coach can do what the hell he wants for a buck ....university integrity be damned...

ESPN and Hoagland should be ashamed....


-nihole

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 10:05:00 PM  

I really want a screencap of Knight's face during that bizarre Vitale rant.

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 10:22:00 PM  

Washington State at a 4 is patently ridiculous. It seems like they're ALWAYS overseeded. (Steve B.)

Steve B. must be high

and Oregon is not WAY better than ASU. ASU has a more exciting style and one of the top 10 players in the game in Harden.

Steve said...
Mar 16, 2008, 10:50:00 PM  

@nihole:

"Hoagland" is Ben Howland and that's a recent phenomenon since DirecTV got the rights to show the March Madness package. Many coaches have been appearing on radio (Fox & ESPN) doing the same thing, so it's not anything that ESPN is doing solely. Blame the NCAA.

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 11:13:00 PM  

Thx Anon.....
I should have figured that nothing like this would happen without the blessing of the almighty NCAA

-nihole

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 11:27:00 PM  

Thursday, March 20
12:20 PM [14] Georgia at [3] Xavier
12:25 PM [16] Portland State at [1] Kansas
12:30 PM [12] Temple at [5] Michigan State
2:30 PM [11] Kentucky at [6] Marquette
2:50 PM [11] Baylor at [6] Purdue
2:55 PM [9] Kent State at [8] UNLV
3:00 PM [13] Oral Roberts at [4] Pittsburgh
4:00 PM [14] Cornell at [3] Stanford
7:10 PM [15] Belmont at [2] Duke
7:10 PM [11] Kansas State at [6] USC
7:20 PM [13] Winthrop at [4] Washington State
7:25 PM [9] Texas A&M at [8] Brigham Young
9:40 PM [10] Arizona at [7] West Virginia
9:40 PM [14] Cal State Fullerton at [3] Wisconsin
9:50 PM [12] George Mason at [5] Notre Dame
9:55 PM [16] Mississippi Valley State at [1] UCLA
Friday March 21
12:15 PM [15] American University at [2] Tennessee
12:25 PM [10] Davidson at [7] Gonzaga
12:30 PM [12] Western Kentucky at [5] Drake
12:30 PM [10] Saint Mary's at [7] Miami (FL)
2:00 PM [15] Austin Peay at [2] Texas
2:45 PM [10] South Alabama at [7] Butler
2:55 PM [15] Maryland-Baltimore County at [2] Georgetown
3:00 PM [13] San Diego at [4] Connecticut
7:10 PM [11] St. Joseph's (PA) at [6] Oklahoma
7:10 PM [16] Coppin St. / Mount St. Mary's at [1] North Carolina
7:20 PM [13] Siena at [4] Vanderbilt
7:25 PM [9] Oregon at [8] Mississippi State
9:40 PM [9] Arkansas at [8] Indiana
9:40 PM [14] Boise State at [3] Louisville
9:50 PM [12] Villanova at [5]Clemson
9:55 PM [16] Texas-Arlington at [1] Memphis

anyone know the announcing assignments for each location?

Anonymous said...
Mar 16, 2008, 11:42:00 PM  

I love it when Bilas complains about Mid-Majors getting a free pass (or whatever) from the committee. That's right.

Clearly, all SIX mid-major at larges are the benefit of unfair favoritism.

rwmonty said...
Mar 16, 2008, 11:51:00 PM  

Jay Bilas and Digger Phelps turned in a pair of all-time Wuss Brackets. I didn't catch all of it, but both had a single 3 as their lowest Elite Eight team and all four 1s in the Final Four.

(Of course, my standards for a non-wussy bracket are insanely high; I felt like a wuss last year for not picking a 14-over-3.)

Anonymous said...
Mar 17, 2008, 1:25:00 AM  

Hey AA, you said there was only one spot left before the last bracket but two of the teams you thought were out found spots. So what was the other team, other than V-Tech, that you thought was in that really wasn't?

Morgan Wick said...
Mar 17, 2008, 2:08:00 AM  

Vitale's comments to Knight about going back to Indiana should be on ESPN Classic as an "Instant Classic." Had they been on the same set I think Knight would have gone all Neil Reed on Vitale.

Anonymous said...
Mar 17, 2008, 3:48:00 AM  

sorry, Neil Reid*

Anonymous said...
Mar 17, 2008, 3:49:00 AM  

My issues with this years bracket are as follows....

Arizona getting the nod....They should make a rule that you need to have a winning record in the conference to qualify for an at-large bid. Arizona couldn't even do that.

I'm also not a big fan of teams from the "BCS" conference getting 11 seeds or lower. Although Georgia is an exception this year but still, a 14 seed?!! They should have been a 12 and Villanova probably shouldn't have gotten in if the best you could give them was a 12.

Anonymous said...
Mar 17, 2008, 9:59:00 AM  

Explain to me how V-tech got screwed? They sucked this year. They were 1-7 against the RPI top 50. Is it because they played well against UNC? Cuse played well again G'town, Marquette, and Pitt. Is there some sympathy vote for them?

Anonymous said...
Mar 17, 2008, 11:55:00 AM  

Really Steve, Wazzu is always overseeded? What, in their 3 tourney bids in the last 20 years? Give the Cougs a little love!

Anonymous said...
Mar 17, 2008, 7:48:00 PM  

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