03-12-2019, 05:21 PM
(03-12-2019, 04:47 PM)FarmDad.01 Wrote: Come Monday, the NCAA announces the WBB brackets.
#1 seeds will go to Baylor, ND and UConn. Vying for the remaining top slot: MS State, Louisville, Stanford & Oregon.
> MS State, #4 AP & Coaches: 30-2, NCAA RPI #8, Massey SOS #22. SEC regular season and tourney champs. Vs. probable Big Dance teams: 10-2. Last 10 games: 9-1.
> Louisville, #5 AP & Coaches: 29-3, NCAA RPI #3, Massey SOS #6. ACC regular season co-champs. Vs. probable Big Dance teams: 9-3. Last 10 games: 8-2.
> Stanford, #6 AP & Coaches: 28-4, NCAA RPI #4, Massey SOS #2. PAC-12 tourney champs. Vs. probable Big Dance teams: 10-3. Last 10 games: 9-1.
> Oregon, #7 AP & Coaches: 29-4, NCAA RPI #5, Massey SOS #3. PAC-12 regular season champs. Vs. probable Big Dance teams: 7-4. Last 10 games: 7-3.
Seems to me MS State's noticeably less difficult schedule (a down year for the SEC, with only 3 teams hosting the opening rounds -- same as PAC 12) drops them from the mix. So does Oregon's title game loss. Remember that peaking at season's end is supposed to matter. So who deserves the final #1 berth: Louisville, skunked in the ACC finals, or Stanford, which in the championship game avenged a 40-pt home court wipe-out a month earlier?
btw, should the Cardinal win the nod, the Regionals in Portland means staying in the same time zone...
if i remember correctly, the highest ranked #2 seed gets to play in the closest venue, then closest for then next ranked #2 seed. neither louisville nor mississippi state is likely to go to portland as the top 2 seed. which leaves portland for either oregon or stanford as the next 2-seed. but they could easily violate their own rule and give it to oregon because they crowd would likely be better.