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[mrcoaster]

Yeah, but they're a Big Ten team - how seriously can we take 'em?

I went 12 for 16 today. Not too bad, but not as good as I would have hoped. The Kent State game and Temple were two of my disasters. I drank the Temple Kool-Aid and thought they might pull the upset. Turns out they actually suck. Personally, I blame the Philly folks around here for hyping their first-round-losing team.

 

[tomalak301]

I didn't do too badly today. Only got three wrong even though I was hoping for the Duke upset. That would have changed the pickem on the first day by quite a bit.

 

[InklingStar]

12/16 here. The Arizona upset didn't happen like I wanted. Duke and WSU didn't let me down though. Haven't lost a Sweet Sixteen team yet.

 

[Adm. Bonz]

11 out of 16.

My worst showing on day one in a long while.

On to tomorrow!

 

[Dorian Thompson]

14 out of 16 in the ESPN tourney challenge bracket day one. I'm livid. After years and years of my conference, save for Oklahoma State's occasional good run, embarrassing me at the Big Dance, I accepted the inevitable and put down a first round loss for Texas A&M and Kansas State.

What did those losers do? Win.
Screwed up my perfect card. Now they win. Now they win.

$*&!!@#$&^%$@!!####*&^*@$%^%$$$!!!

 

[mrcoaster]

Don't worry, they'll falter soon enough. I think I'd read the Big 12 teams had combined for only one national title in the last 50 years. Don't think it will happen again this year either.

 

[Scout101]

13-3, not bad so far. None of my 3 losing teams were going to advance on my card anyway, so no real damage yet...

 

[mrcoaster]

Looks like six of us still have all our Sweet Sixteen teams still alive. Probably another eight or so are missing only one of their final 16 now (Boy - a bunch of you were really slurping up USC for some bizarre reason!).

Overall, only the bottom team is really in trouble total points-wise. Most everybody else's maximum points possible is separated by less than 10 points.

 

[RevDMV]

I don't follow college ball, so USC was a named team. Big bracket busta for me...

 

[Neroon]

Don't worry, they'll falter soon enough. I think I'd read the Big 12 teams had combined for only one national title in the last 50 years. Don't think it will happen again this year either.

I'm pretty sure you're right. If so, that'd be Kansas back in 1988. Ironically, they beat another Big 12 (or whatever the conference was called then) team in Oklahoma.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Yeah, but they're a Big Ten team - how seriously can we take 'em?

I went 12 for 16 today. Not too bad, but not as good as I would have hoped. The Kent State game and Temple were two of my disasters. I drank the Temple Kool-Aid and thought they might pull the upset. Turns out they actually suck. Personally, I blame the Philly folks around here for hyping their first-round-losing team.

Woot. If I'm going down, I'll drag you with me

 

[mrcoaster]

As long as you buy me a beer at the Bracket Loser Bar.

Miami and Tennessee both were faltering early, but rallied. UT leads, but Miami still trails. As I picked the Vols to lose next round and Miami to lose this round, I'm getting the vibe that I'm looking good pick-wise. Still, I'd like to see 'em both keep playing. Hope I'm wrong, but I know my teams.

 

[1001001]

12/16 here. The Arizona upset didn't happen like I wanted.

Same with me, on both counts.

 

[Neroon]

HOLY SMOKESSS!!!!

Who else saw the end of that Western Ky / Drake game?!?!?!?!?! SOmeobody... please tell me you saw that!!! That had to be at least 25-27 ft shot to win it by ONE FRELLING POINT!!!

This tournament is kicking it into gear, now!

I'm still up and down on the tournament. I got Davidson and Tennessee right, lost out on Drake. But that was such an awesome game ending I don't care!!

 

[Mallory]

I watched it. Great game, great overtime and definitely a great finish!

 

[Neroon]

Butler is taking So. Alabama to school, right now. Boxing out, not committing stupid fouls, running the floor, weaves, dishing to get the three.... this Pete Campbell has like 20 pts in the first half. He's like 6-8 on 3 pt shots, and I think he's hit his last 5 in a row.

Now the lead is up to 18. Much like Wisconsin, these guys are looking very well coached, too.

 

[mrcoaster]

Yeah, I watched the end of the game. Nice ending.

 

[Neroon]

It's still early in the second half, but I've got the first threat to a Sweet 16 pick. San Diego has a lead of 9 pts and is outplaying UConn. Long way to go in that one, still.

Butler is just schooling So. Alabama, who is one of those at large teams that now seems very questionable.

Georgetown, for all its success and lead today, isn't really looking as good as the score indicates.


BTW... file this under: "He really shouhdl think of changing his name... or at least the spelling". The center for San Diego is named Gyno (promounced "jeeno") Pomare

 

[mrcoaster]

I disagree that a first round loss makes a bid questionable. The bid itself might be questionable, but Syracuse lost to Vermont, Indiana lost to Cleveland State...it just might be that S. Alabama is having a bad game or that Butler is hot. They dropped Tennessee last year and are pretty good.

So S. Alabama isn't necessarily making a good showing, but I don't think it necessarily means they shouldn't have been invited. If Georgia had won today, they still wouldn't have deserved to be there as an at large either (they got in based on three days' worth of play).

 

[Neroon]

I disagree that a first round loss makes a bid questionable. The bid itself might be questionable, but Syracuse lost to Vermont, Indiana lost to Cleveland State...it just might be that S. Alabama is having a bad game or that Butler is hot. They dropped Tennessee last year and are pretty good.

So S. Alabama isn't necessarily making a good showing, but I don't think it necessarily means they shouldn't have been invited. If Georgia had won today, they still wouldn't have deserved to be there as an at large either (they got in based on three days' worth of play).

It's not just that it was a first round loss. It's that they were an at-large bid and they lost badly. The final margin was 20 pts but the game was nowhere near even that close. Make the game competitive, and I'd probably feel differently. So. Alabama probably did deserve their bid, but when schools like Dayton have to sit home, I tend to look more closely at the other at-large teams.

As for Georgia however, they earned their way in by winning their conference tournament. Ergo they did deserve their bid. If anything, it's an indication how the SEC is having a relatively down year in basketball. I can't see them warranting as many teams as they did get in.