Official Bracketology Thread

[EVCat]

Bubblicious.

[Irish27]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... acketology" target="_blank

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology" target="_blank

[catgrad97]

Jesus, BeachCat. This team is no worse than a protected seed right now.

I feel like you're anticipating either an off night or, worse, one more major injury to one of our players. Just so you can turn around and say, "See? Not all that! Told ya so!"

If so, you're disgusting. You should be happy and in full enjoyment of how this team is playing right now. Stop being the Greg Hansen of the board. Nobody thinks you're edgy, just droopy.

[Beachcat97]

Jesus, BeachCat. This team is no worse than a protected seed right now.

I feel like you're anticipating either an off night or, worse, one more major injury to one of our players. Just so you can turn around and say, "See? Not all that! Told ya so!"

If so, you're disgusting. You should be happy and in full enjoyment of how this team is playing right now. Stop being the Greg Hansen of the board. Nobody thinks you're edgy, just droopy.

Impossible to know our tourney status yet. Too many reg season games left to play. It's great that PJC is back and playing well, but we've got a brutal stretch coming up. How many of these will be wins?

Colo
ASU
@USC
@UCLA
WSU
UW
@OSU
@ORE

I agree: we'd have to really, really unravel to land on the bubble. It's unlikely.

[CalStateTempe]

Jesus, BeachCat. This team is no worse than a protected seed right now.

I feel like you're anticipating either an off night or, worse, one more major injury to one of our players. Just so you can turn around and say, "See? Not all that! Told ya so!"

If so, you're disgusting. You should be happy and in full enjoyment of how this team is playing right now. Stop being the Greg Hansen of the board. Nobody thinks you're edgy, just droopy.

Impossible to know our tourney status yet. Too many reg season games left to play. It's great that PJC is back and playing well, but we've got a brutal stretch coming up. How many of these will be wins?

Colo
ASU
@USC
@UCLA
WSU
UW
@OSU
@ORE

I agree: we'd have to really, really unravel to land on the bubble. It's unlikely.

I'll play...7.

We'll win one btw @Ucla vs @Oregon.

We're winning the Pac-12 this season.

[Beachcat97]

We'll win one btw @Ucla vs @Oregon.

We're winning the Pac-12 this season.

Really doubt it, but if AT returns soon, maybe.

[TucsonClip]

Lot of games left, hope Kentucky and Villanova dont blow it and miss the tournament.

[CalStateTempe]

We'll win one btw @Ucla vs @Oregon.

We're winning the Pac-12 this season.

Really doubt it, but if AT returns soon, maybe.

Do you watch the games?

Honest question. PJC is a game changer.

For me, Cal was the barometer. Cal is not a slouch team and we passed that test. We're gonna be fine.

Jump on in Beachcat the waters fine.

[Jwsisliving]

Debbie downer derails another thread

[Jefe]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... acketology

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology" target="_blank

Just to document it now, ESPN has us as a 5 in the South and CBS has us as a 4 in the South

North Carolina, Baylor and Kentucky in the South as well. Oh lawd!

[CalStateTempe]

Please...
I wanna protected seed in the west, opening round is in sac town.

[Beachcat97]

We're in competition with OR for a 4 or 3 seed. Anyone think we'll finish better than OR?

[CalStateTempe]

Yes.

[Spaceman Spiff]

4 feels like where we should be right now. I expect the MSU win will get better as time goes along, and Butler/Zaga are good losses. In the mid teens, that's about a 4 seed.

I like our potential more than our current rank.

[ASUHATER!]

4 or 5 seems right. We'll be anywhere from a 2 to an 8, depending on how we fare in our 5 games vsn UCLA, USC and Oregon.

[prh]

Please...
I wanna protected seed in the west, opening round is in sac town.

Same here but SLC instead of Sac. Cats came here last time we hosted games.

[dcZONAfan]

4 or 5 seems right. We'll be anywhere from a 2 to an 8, depending on how we fare in our 5 games vsn UCLA, USC and Oregon.

USC sucks. Even without Trier I don't think we lose to them on the road.

[Beachcat97]

4 feels like where we should be right now. I expect the MSU win will get better as time goes along, and Butler/Zaga are good losses. In the mid teens, that's about a 4 seed.

I like our potential more than our current rank.

We've got at least 3 more losses coming before Selection Sunday, probably 4 because I don't think we'll win the Pac tourney.

[ASUHATER!]

4 or 5 seems right. We'll be anywhere from a 2 to an 8, depending on how we fare in our 5 games vsn UCLA, USC and Oregon.

USC sucks. Even without Trier I don't think we lose to them on the road.

Eh they aren't bad. But yeah, their best wins are over Texas A&M, BYU and Stanford. To be fair..we don't really have any better wins.

[rgdeuce]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... acketology

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology" target="_blank

God. How bad would you want to replace Wisconsin as the number 5 seed in ESPN's West bracket right now. Vermont -> Creighton -> Gonzaga -> UCLA/Virginia to the final four

[rgdeuce]

Jesus, BeachCat. This team is no worse than a protected seed right now.

I feel like you're anticipating either an off night or, worse, one more major injury to one of our players. Just so you can turn around and say, "See? Not all that! Told ya so!"

If so, you're disgusting. You should be happy and in full enjoyment of how this team is playing right now. Stop being the Greg Hansen of the board. Nobody thinks you're edgy, just droopy.

Impossible to know our tourney status yet. Too many reg season games left to play. It's great that PJC is back and playing well, but we've got a brutal stretch coming up. How many of these will be wins?

Colo
ASU
@USC
@UCLA
WSU
UW
@OSU
@ORE

I agree: we'd have to really, really unravel to land on the bubble. It's unlikely.

6-2

[Beachcat97]

6-2

If we don't beat OR or UCLA, at least once, we won't be higher than a 4 seed, and that assumes we don't lose any other games.

[EVCat]

6-2

If we don't beat OR or UCLA, at least once, we won't be higher than a 4 seed, and that assumes we don't lose any other games.

We only play Oregon once

If we went 15-3 and didn't beat UCLA or Oregon, both of which will, then, likely be 1 or 2 seeds, we would be a 3 or 4.

[EVCat]

we've got a brutal stretch coming up.
Colo
ASU
@USC
@UCLA
WSU
UW
@OSU
@ORE

I am trying to see the brutal stretch here...

Colorado...done. ASU? Only reason we don't score 90 is thin bench, but not brutal. At USC? A test. But not brutal. At UCLA? Yes, this is a huge game. The Washingtons at home? You can never overlook a weekend but this is as close as you can come to overlooking a weekend. Then at OSU? Let's see if they have won a game by then. And at Oregon will be brutal.

Having two top 3 conference tests, which happens to everyone, and a potentially tough game at USC in a 5 WEEK stretch is not brutal. It's the soft part of our schedule. 3 games of concern in 5 weeks. Now, we could lose a game to WSU if we aren't ready...it is conference play.

But there is nothing brutal about playing 2 games we will be underdogs in and a third that will have us as a near pick-em over 5 weeks and 8 games. It's normal conference play for every team in the nation, except we can actually win them all, unlike, say, Mizzou or Northwestern, or ASU...

[Beachcat97]

We only play Oregon once

If we went 15-3 and didn't beat UCLA or Oregon, both of which will, then, likely be 1 or 2 seeds, we would be a 3 or 4.

The Pac tourney. You don't know how many times we'll play Oregon.

No way we're a 3 seed with zero wins over the 2 best teams in our league, unless Michigan St somehow becomes a top 10 team by Selection Sunday.

[EVCat]

We only play Oregon once

If we went 15-3 and didn't beat UCLA or Oregon, both of which will, then, likely be 1 or 2 seeds, we would be a 3 or 4.

The Pac tourney. You don't know how many times we'll play Oregon.

No way we're a 3 seed with zero wins over the 2 best teams in our league, unless Michigan St somehow becomes a top 10 team by Selection Sunday.

Disingenuous.

We were talking regular season. The tournament is a toss up

and, yeah...15-3, 26-5 in regular season, 30ish SOS...is a 3 seed unless we burn out early in Vegas

[Beachcat97]

Not necessarily. Pac is weak this year, and the ACC is stronger than usual. It's more competitive this year for protected seeds. It'd be nice to just freaking beat UCLA next week and make a much stronger case for being a top seed.

[Bear Down Vegas]

Why are you constantly negative man?


Bubble team. OK...not a bubble team. Can't win. OK....nailed the jinx! If we don't do X then we can't be X.



I feel like I have so much in common with so many differently odd fans and I cannot for the life of me imagine being a fan like you.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Why are you constantly negative man?

Bubble team. OK...not a bubble team. Can't win. OK....nailed the jinx! If we don't do X then we can't be X.

I feel like I have so much in common with so many differently odd fans and I cannot for the life of me imagine being a fan like you.

Why does the dingo steal your baby? Because it's a dingo, and that's what dingoes do.

[Harvey Specter]

Not necessarily. Pac is weak this year, and the ACC is stronger than usual. It's more competitive this year for protected seeds. It'd be nice to just freaking beat UCLA next week and make a much stronger case for being a top seed.

There are 4 ranked teams from the PAC-12, including 3 in the top 16. When was the last time we could say better than that at this point in the season?

And the ACC is not stronger than usual. They have plenty of good teams, with 6 out of 15 ranked - but none in the top 6. Looks pretty normal to me, except for the lack of 1-2 elite level teams.

Other than that, you are dead on.

Our losses were to #5 and #12. Oregon got shelled by #1 and lost to an unranked team. But that means we are doomed to get shut out by both UCLA and UO this year? Otay.

Like a 9 year old watching his first conference season, you assume everything is going chalk. It won't, but if it did - Oregon and UCLA will each finish 17-1 in Conference, and we'll be 15-3 - with 5 losses, 4 of which are to 1 or 2 seeds. We'd likely be a 3 or a 4.

But don't let facts get in your way... you are on a roll!

[Harvey Specter]

Baylor just got shelled by 19 at WVU.

That has to mean Oregon will drop out of the Top 10, right BeachCat?

[rgdeuce]

Beach, that's just conference basketball, it's tough enough when there are only 1 or 2 good teams in the conference. Next Monday, there will be three top 15 teams from the conference. Oregon has two losses and I guarantee you they dont have both if there was no Brooks injury and I guarantee we don't have two losses with Trier suited up all year. So in a perfect world, that is three top 10 teams. USC is a top 25 team, albeit maybe a little overrated, we will see. California is an elite defense team with a lottery pick 4, a big scoring freshman, and Jabari Bird - that's a team you dont want to face on the wrong night. Utah isn't the same team they have been the last couple years, but they still have two outstanding big men and some nice complimentary players and are well coached. Look at their losses: Butler by 9 (without Collette), USF (Kuzma played 1 minute), and on the road they made Xavier (without Collette) and us sweat. That's six teams right there who are a tough task at home and on the road. You could also run into the projected #1 pick and UW on the wrong night in Seattle, Colorado and Johnson and White on the wrong night in Boulder, and rivalry games in Tempe are always tough. The only 3 gimmes are WSU, Oregon State and Stanford and even then, you never know.

[EVCat]

Not necessarily. Pac is weak this year, and the ACC is stronger than usual. It's more competitive this year for protected seeds. It'd be nice to just freaking beat UCLA next week and make a much stronger case for being a top seed.

The PAC is weak?

I mean, I know others have gone into greater detail above, but this is just...silly.

No other conference has the depth through the middle and lower ranges, and our travel situation in this conference makes even the easiest seeming games difficult, like getting to Pullman in a snow storm. Those things really do impact teams.

But outside of WSU and OSU, there are no easy outs. Not even Colorado. Stanford and ASU are next on the list of seemingly easy wins, but both have capable players. Our "just outside ranked" group of Cal and USC is pretty damn significant. UW has not lived up to hype, but they have a lottery pick level player that can hurt you, especially in the old Hec Ed.

Meanwhile, what is the ACC? One team beats another by 50 who turns and beats the team that beat the team that beat them by 50 by 50, etc, etc. ACC is ranked, because preseason rankings matter. But Duke looks incredibly vulnerable, FSU is good but not great, UNC seems to have issues maintaining excellence, and Huggy Bear's WVU team can beat #1 by 26 but lose to a conference foe by a million? The ACC is better than the PAC...I am not saying otherwise. But the PAC is not weak, and the ACC is not dominant. No conference is. No team is. This is wide open.

The PAC has Oregon, who has been every bit the Final Four contender, top 5 team they were expected to be with Brooks. Players matter...especially in basketball where only 5 are on the floor. Your best player being out matters. UCLA has clearly been a top 10 team. USC and Cal will flirt with the top 25 all season. We are a top 10 team if we get sorted out, a top 15 team otherwise. Conferences with 3 elite teams and half the conference either ranked or flirting with it, and half or more in the tournament are not weak.

[CalStateTempe]

Ok let me amend an earlier question, if Altman get to the FF before Miller what does that tell us about both coaches/programs?

I am expecting that Miller is the first/next coach to do this. I am being unreasonable?

[EVCat]

Ok let me amend an earlier question, if Altman get to the FF before Miller what does that tell us about both coaches/programs?

I am expecting that Miller is the first/next coach to do this. I am being unreasonable?

I don't think it says anything profound unless it becomes a yearly reachable goal for Oregon.

Getting one class that takes you to heights does not a program make. Miller walking into a mess and generating 3 Elite Eights in four years, over three classes with one-and-dones is a much different thing, especially if we wind up in a Sweet 16 or better this year. Now you have elite finishes through multiple classes.

The hangup on a marketing term, one game in a tournament that makes THE FINAL FOUR vs the Elite Eight, is one I understand, but it is also kind of silly in reality. Now, if Oregon cycles through Dorsey and Brooks and comes back to the Elite Eight or higher on top of a similar finish this year, and one of those is a Final Four?

Then you have to say Altman is out-performing Miller. Consistency is the key.

[CalStateTempe]

Thanks for your take EV, I largely agree that consistency is key.

I probably hate the term " the best young coach not it make a FF" almost as much as Miller.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Ok let me amend an earlier question, if Altman get to the FF before Miller what does that tell us about both coaches/programs?

I am expecting that Miller is the first/next coach to do this. I am being unreasonable?

I would say Miller deserves it more than Altman or Alford. He has produced a more consistent level of success and talent. The NCAA tourney isn't about consistent success or talent, though.

If they make it first means this, IMO:

Our program is better, their team is better...this year.

[dirtbags]

yeah, better to take a more gestalt view when evaluating programs.

as lute has said, you have to be really good and really lucky to make it to the FF...

[Chicat]

Ok let me amend an earlier question, if Altman get to the FF before Miller what does that tell us about both coaches/programs?

I am expecting that Miller is the first/next coach to do this. I am being unreasonable?

I would say Miller deserves it more than Altman or Alford. He has produced a more consistent level of success and talent. The NCAA tourney isn't about consistent success or talent, though.

If they make it first means this, IMO:

Our program is better, their team is better...this year.

Or the field wasn't as good as in past years, or their path was easier, or they got hot at the right time.

[prh]

Here's something that has always bothered me-- we really only measure postseason success by making it to the final "site" of games for the sports. Basketball is the FF. Baseball is the CWS. Football is strange in that it's the RB, but still, everyone talks about getting there, not winning it.

If we translated Miller's record here to baseball, that would be a stretch considered equal to any of the other top programs in the country (CWS 3 of 4, Supers in every postseason except last year).

All that to say, happy with Miller, and I don't care what Altman or Alford do in the meantime.

[Irish27]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... acketology" target="_blank

[Irish27]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology" target="_blank

[CalStateTempe]

Imma gonna be kinda upset if the CATS aren't seeded in Sacramento.

[jajoyce]

Imma gonna be kinda upset if the CATS aren't seeded in Sacramento.

Same here! Already got my tickets!

[CalStateTempe]

I'm holding off for now, because that weekend coincides with the birth of my second daughter, but wife gave me a hall pass for the games if the cats get seeded here. The only disqualifier is if she is in active labor, but I'm sure me soon to be born baby daughter lovers her dad.

[Spaceman Spiff]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

Vs NMSU? What is this, our premier home OOC game?

[qwertyus]

I'm holding off for now, because that weekend coincides with the birth of my second daughter, but wife gave me a hall pass for the games if the cats get seeded here. The only disqualifier is if she is in active labor, but I'm sure me soon to be born baby daughter lovers her dad.

Congrats! You're going to be way outnumbered now, eh?

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'm holding off for now, because that weekend coincides with the birth of my second daughter, but wife gave me a hall pass for the games if the cats get seeded here. The only disqualifier is if she is in active labor, but I'm sure me soon to be born baby daughter lovers her dad.

If she would let you yell "Push! The game starts in 2 hours!" she's definitely a keeper.

[Irish27]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... acketology" target="_blank

[Irish27]

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology" target="_blank