I Dislike Your Favorite Team

As soon as they are announced, Barnyard and I will be taking a look a them. The committee does great work every year, but there's always a couple of travesties. We'll also look to see who's got the road to the Final Four, and all sorts of good stuff like that.

Alright, we have our #1's. Florida #1 overall, sent to the Midwest. UNC #1 in the East, Ohio St in the South, and Kansas out West. UCLA lost a #1 seed today, when Kansas beat Texas in the Big 12 Championship. Hard to argue with these #1's, though. I did think Ohio St might be the #1 overall, though.

Midwest:How the hell is Arizona an 8 seed? Or Purdue a 9? There seems to be this thinking from the selection committee--you see year after year. A team that squeaks in from the a major conference almost always gets ranked better than they are. #5 Butler vs. #12 ODU should be a fun game to watch. #6 Notre Dame will have their hands full with #11 Winthrop (who deserved the 9 seed Purdue got. #7 UNLV vs. #10 GA Tech will determine who gets #2 Wisconsin, and that will be a hell of a second round game.Barnyard? Thoughts?

Barynard?

Butler seems appropriately placed as the fifth seed in the Midwest until you realize Notre Dame is the Six. Not a horrible injustice but Notre Dame had some quality wins, dominance at home and finally moved from its perch as a pesky, tough team to beat in the Big East to one of the conference's better teams.

As a Wisconsin fan I'm troubled to learn they become the functional equivalent of the worst number two seed since they are placed with the overall number one seed. However, the Midwest region looks to be the easiest overall path.

West:

8/9 Kentucky vs. Villanova is another odd pair-up. I didn't think Kentucky did nearly enough to warrant an #8 seed. The committee rewarded Southern Illiniois' season with a #4. I wasn't sure they'd get that kind of love, but I think the deserve it. If Duke's name was something besides Duke, I don't think they'd gotten a #6. They'll be tested early by a very good VCU team. If things play out the way they should, #3 Pitt vs #2 UCLA will be a great game later on.


BY?

Sidebets make the world go 'round, and the Kentucky/Villanova showdown would be even better if they agreed the winner earned the right to go forward as the "Wildcats" while the loser had to rename their mascot (and "Golden Eagles" is off the table).


East:

I think the committee just placed teams they didn't know what to do with at the 8/9. We're seeing a run of marginal Major Conference teams getting slotted into those positions. #5 USC vs #12 Arkansas should be interesting. Georgetown looks like a very dangerous team in this bracket.

BY?

Over in the East Region I've already circled the Michigan State/Marquette tilt as a probable barn burner. Texas is a helluva fourth seed and Georgetown as the two makes the East Region a real beast. USC is also pretty tough and Washinton State has to contend with God's Favorite team (I was going to call Oral Roberts as an upset but Seth Davis just beat me to the punch).

I concur on the Oral Roberts tilt.


South:

Hey, finally, a real #8 vs a real #9--BYU vs. Xavier. It's a shame these two have to play each other, because they could have caused real match-up problems for other teams. I'm a little surprised Texas A&M is only a #3, but at the same time, I don't know which #2 you could move down. This is just a very deep field this year. #7 Nevada vs. #10 Creighton is another tough, tough match-up. I thought Louisville's run late in the year might give them a little more than #6. You look what they did to get a #6 and compare it to Duke, and I think it highlights the fact that Duke got their seed in part because of their reputation.


BY?

Nevada probably has the most cause to feel slighted as a seventh seed strikes me as a bit low for that squad. Chris Lofton is scary good and Bruce Pearl has a track record as a solid tournament time coach. Pearl also gives Tennessee a psychological advantage as his shirtlessness looms as a silent threat.


And hey, no Syracuse after all! I called it! Yay me!