• Week 2
Does anybody want to be a No. 2 seed? Duke keeps losing, Michigan State got clubbed at Purdue and Villanova lost at West Virginia. Only Memphis, winners of 17 straight, is kicking it into tournament gear, although that might have something to do with its league.
Pitt flips sites with UConn, moving to the No. 1 seed in the East, after beating the Huskies in Hartford. Both Big East teams figure to be starting the tournament at the same site (Philadelphia).
Duke's still a No. 2 seed because it's 7-3 against the top 50 in the RPI, and the Blue Devils own wins over Xavier and Purdue.
New blood enters the top 16 this week in Washington, Kansas and LSU. In the case of Washington and LSU, you can use "Pac-10 champ" or "SEC champ" interchangeably in those spots.
Remember two important rules:
• Conference teams can’t meet until the regional final, unless a ninth team makes the tournament.
• You can't play on your homecourt (Memphis can't be in the South).
On with this week's report:
East Regional
@ Boston, TD Banknorth Garden
March 26 and 28
1. Pitt (24-2)
2. Memphis (23-3)
3. Michigan State (20-5)
4. Wake Forest (20-4)
Comment: The bandwagon is overflowing on ACC Now's preseason national champion pick after the Panthers' big win over UConn. The question is can Pitt, an ultra strong defensive team, score enough points to beat up-tempo teams like Memphis, Wake Forest and perhaps later, UNC?
South Regional
@ Memphis, FedEx Forum
March 27 and 29
1. UNC (24-2)
2. Villanova (20-5)
3. Kansas (21-5)
4. LSU (22-4)
Comment: Villanova was a peculiar traveling call away from knocking off UNC in 2005 in the Sweet 16 in Syracuse. The Heels don't want to see high-scoring guard Scottie Reynolds or Nova's halfcourt trap in Memphis. Look who else decided to join Ol' Roy in the South? Maybe he still has the sticker.
Midwest Regional
@ Indianapolis, Lucas Oil Stadium
March 27 and 29
1. UConn (24-2)
2. Xavier (21-4)
3. Missouri (22-4)
4. Clemson (21-4)
Comment: Jim Calhoun would do cartwheels over these pairings because none of the teams are strong enough defensively to oust the Huskies. The loss of wing Jerome Dyson (UConn's Danny Green) will definitely takes its toll but the Huskies could just out-defend these offense-first teams.
West Regional
@ Glendale, Ariz., University of Phoenix Stadium
March 26 and 28
1. Oklahoma (25-1)
2. Duke (20-5)
3. Louisville (20-5)
4. Washington (19-6)
Comment: Washington leads the Pac-10 by a game over Arizona State and gets into the mix with half of the 1986 Final Four (Duke and Louisville) and half of the 1988 Final Four (Duke and Oklahoma). The Huskies best player is freshman guard Isaiah Thomas, so named because his father, a Lakers fan, lost a bet.
Comments
Snapshot
Sat, 02/21/2009 - 12:34 — rbl1944The only snapshot that matters takes place in March. Prior to that, it's all conjecture. Carolina, Clemson, Duke, and Wake Forest are all going to be high seeds, barring the unforeseen. My guess is that Carolina will be a #1, and the others will range from #2 to #4, but how it all shakes out will be determined by the remaining games.
Regarding out of conference wins, the best one appears to be Carolina over Michigan State, but even that is tarnished by the fact that the Spartans' starting center didn't play. Duke's victories over Purdue, Xavier, and Georgetown have lost some luster, and Wake Forest and Clemson have very little to their credit.
The Deacons and Tigers need significant road victories, not just emotionally charged home wins over Carolina and Duke. Wake Forest has a chance to achieve that on Sunday, and, if they do, may be in the running for a #2, possibly even a #1 with an ACC tournament championship. Furthermore, both teams need to get it done in the NCAA tournament, rather than quietly folding their tents, if they want to be considered among the basketball elite. Clemson and Wake Forest have one Final Four appearance between them, and that was in 1962.
Seeding Locations
Fri, 02/20/2009 - 09:44 — mjaredc50How could you throw UNC in Memphis if they are either the overall #1 seed or right behind Oklahoma. Geographically they should be in Indianapolis because it is 100 miles closer than either Memphis or Boston. And Oklahoma should be in Memphis because that is the closest regional to them and I really don't see them getting beat the rest of the year.
Your logic just doesn't make much sense, you swapped UCONN and Pitt but Indianapolis is like 200 miles closer to Pitt than is Boston.
Only reason your seedings frustrate me is because I have tickets in Indy and I want to see UNC.
Geography?
Fri, 02/20/2009 - 10:41 — jpg (author)Will take these thoughts into consideration (Indy vs Memphis) but, in general, the committee will go by the nominal region rather than the mileage.
That puts the ACC champ in the South, Big East in the East, Pac-10 out West, etc.
Oklahoma (Big 12) is trickier because the NCAA ignored the middle of the country with the regional sites.
Good points, tho.
— JPG
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Fri, 02/20/2009 - 09:07 — Worz4UNCIn school, I think they called this BUSYWORK !!!!!!!
I can hear it now from the N&O heads, "JP and Tudor, go find something to do to keep yourselves busy and out of my hair !!!!!!!"
seeds
Thu, 02/19/2009 - 21:13 — wfu_ram??? these seedings are as kooky as the blog about unc losing its first two acc games to throw off the scent...are you really serious? just curious
Frightening
Thu, 02/19/2009 - 22:18 — jpg (author)That there are people who take every word I write literally.
— JPG
i didn't take it literally,
Fri, 02/20/2009 - 15:33 — wfu_rami didn't take it literally, just asking if you are really serious! but then again you are the one that claims to be a sports writer, not me
Duke, Wake seedings
Thu, 02/19/2009 - 14:25 — helpme1If the Deacs complete the sweep of Duke on Sunday, I think the Blue Devils should move to a No. 1 seed and Wake drop another notch.
Yeah, that's the ticket...
Watts U. Thinkin
Agreed ...
Thu, 02/19/2009 - 17:11 — wsphutch... and while I can still stomach Duke getting a No. 2 seed today, and MAYBE still a No. 2 when Wake beats them Sunday, I DO NOT see how Wake drops to a No. 4 now, nor how we could be lower than a No. 3 even if we split with Dook.
Come on JPG, do we need to revisit those "Deacs get no local love" talks of last month????
not follwing your philosphy jpg ...
Thu, 02/19/2009 - 14:20 — gvillegatrClemPson is a 4
DUIke is a 2
ClemPson beat DUIke by a million.
did you file your old philosphy in the trashcan?? enquiring minds want to know!
Hey look, a troll.
Thu, 02/19/2009 - 15:57 — tjfooseDid you file your philosophy in a vacuum? Duke has more quality wins, Duke has a higher RPI, Duke didn't lose to Virginia.
What don't you understand?... Lots, apparently
hey look, a tool.
Thu, 02/19/2009 - 21:04 — gvillegatrRPI ACC Top 50
ClemPson beat the piss out of DUIke. lets reverse the seeds if you must keep one acc team at #2 and one at #4.
Clemson, etc.
Thu, 02/19/2009 - 22:09 — jpg (author)Clemson lost to Virginia. Bad loss.
Clemson's best wins out of the league (South Carolina, Temple) aren't good enough to jump the Big East or Big 12 teams into a No. 3. They basically have Duke and that's it (losing to Wake, FSU and UNC).
Remember, Duke was a No. 2 last year with similar nonconference numbers and RPI.
Wake is a team with good wins but bad losses — Georgia Tech, N.C. State — jump to mind. Their best nonconference work is at BYU. Again, combine the RPI with the nonconference work and you have a No. 4.
That can all change. This is just a snapshot, not a prediction.
— JPG
Add one more to life's certainties?...
Fri, 02/20/2009 - 19:22 — tjfoosegville doesn't care about the purpose of the article, the facts, or reality... He never lets the facts get in the way of an opportunity to hate and insult.
He's is the walking, talking, breathing stereotype. The ugly stereotype of a the "stereotypical" UNC fan.
UNC is obviously the best, and most talented team in the ACC, but gville still has to hate and degrade the other teams and their fans.
There are lots of classy, knowledgable, respectful, and intelligent UNC fans out there. gville is not one of them.
He's not interested that your article only reflects a snapshot of time, ie, where things are at the time your wrote the article. That your weekly updates only consider how the teams have performed, to date (similar to the weekly BCS football rankings). He ignored this when it was inherently implied, he ignored it when you explicity stated it.
He doesn't care that Duke has more quality wins than Clemson, he doesn't care that Duke doesn't have an ugly loss like Clemson's to UVA. He really doesn't even care that Clemson beat Duke head to head. He's simply using it as an excuse to hate, insult, and degrade.
Using his logic, I guess we should put my Wolfpack in the NCAA ahead of Wake Forest, or Texas Tech in a BCS bowl ahead of Texas... Obviously, moronic, childish thoughts... wait, perhaps gville does indeed believe...
All you really need to know about gville can be inferred from how he refers to the two teams in question. ClemPson and DUIke.
gville will continue to hate, continue to degrade, and continue to share with us all his 6th grade maturity. Guess we can all add that to death and taxes.
you got me pegged
Fri, 02/20/2009 - 23:48 — gvillegatrwhat do you ever bring to the table?? pro ncsu stuff and unc/gvillegatr hate.
first things first. you say all you really need to know about me is how I spell teams out. hhhmmm. I guess it is ok for ncsu fans to spell out tarholes, cryolina, crapolina ... etc. if what you say is fact and shared by all, lets just tear down the site b/c everyone is chilidsh and in the 6th grade.
secondly,
DUIke is not a 2 seed right now. maybe in two weeks they will be. maybe in three weeks they will be. right now, they are not. ClemPson might not be either, but DUIke hasnt beaten anyone worth a hoot OOC either. DUIke, right now, is not 2 seeds better than ClemPson. thats my opinion ... not hate. proof is in the games I watch. DUIke has no PG, nobody down low and not a bench worth talking about. a 2 seed. I dont think so.
heres DUIke's OOC wins that came to my mind. if there are more, post them.
Purdue?? middle of the road ncaa team. they benefit from playing in a weak conference. DUIke beat them when they were playing their best and it showed.
Xavier?? UNCC just beat them and I think Dayton beat them a week or so ago. they play in an arguably worse conference than the Big 11.
GTown?? are they even going to make the tourney??
thats just the games off the top of my head. bring it son, dont sing it. this #5 rpi for DUIke is a joke. ask anyone thats not loving up on the Devils.
the only time you ever pipe up is to try to pipe me down. it will never happen. bring something beneficial to the table or take up knitting. I will run circles around you if you want to talk hoops.
this site is meant to have a little fun too. you seemed to have a real fun time when UNC lost to ncsu 41-10. just b/c you cant have fun now, doesnt mean someone else cant. it cuts both ways.
Bring It?... Ok: gville's credibility
Sat, 02/21/2009 - 12:42 — tjfooseYour comments:
The truth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqtbMgyU8Ws&eurl=http://www.statefansnation.com/index.php/archives/2006/09/&feature=player_embedded
You were caught, and only admitted so when another reader provided a youtube video proving you wrong... read all your lies, retorts, and 'arguments' before such proof was presented.
Oh, and by the way, I'm still waiting on your apology for calling me a liar.
Yes, I am an NC State fan. That I am... A fan, not a hater. I cheer for, and against teams... guilty. I just don't spew the venom with which you so proudly litter this site.
And yes, I do criticize you when I feel it is warranted. Unfortunately, that is often. I admit it, one of my pet peeves are trolls like you.
I have never used the terms you referenced, and I never mentioned, or even referenced "41-10", except , perhaps, sometime last fall commenting on an article about the game or NC State football, where such a comment was relevant. I'm not even trying to 'pipe you down'. As I noted, your comments are expected; almost a certainty.
As noted by JP, and repeated by me, the article was only JP's seeding at the time the article was written. Not now, not a prediction of future. And yes, I would agree, since the date of the article, Duke's performance and standing has slipped. But given that, ALL THINGS considered, they would PROBABLY still be seeded ahead of Clemson if it were done today. Its just the way it is...
At the very least, the seeding is debatable, certainly not befitting of your "did you file your old philosphy in the trashcan??" comment... And before you once again twist my words, I will explicity state for the reading impaired, that my similar comment was directly towards your ridicule of the seeding, not the seeding itself.
In general, your problem seems to be with the English language. Either with words, their meanings, or their intent when strung together to make sentences. Words have meanings, try to read them accurately. JP's, mine, those in other articles and comments. You pick and choose, selectively interpret, or simply misunderstand.
footloose
Sun, 02/22/2009 - 00:26 — gvillegatryou are psycho. you need to take a step back and ask yourself, "should I be the loser I am and go back months to find something Gvillegtr admitted he was wrong to?"
I dont know what your point is there b/c thats what people do. If they make a wrong assessment of a particular situation and they are proven wrong ... they apologize. thats what I did. i'd like to shake the mans hand who can prove they have never been wrong before. amazing dude. are you the page at 30 Rockefella Plaza!?
I wouldnt be surprised if you sit around and think about me!! LOL!!
as far as JPG's blog and the seeding. I dont understand what you are saying about the article being dated. DUIke's losses are the same right now as they were when the blog was written. so I was talking about DUIke at the appropriate time of the article being written. you are the one who needs to "understand" the engilsh language or you simply "misunderstood" it!
Great retort...
Sun, 02/22/2009 - 20:19 — tjfooseGreat counter argument. Forgive me, for I have forgotten... whom is it again that you base you debating game on?... was it Beavis, Butt Head, or Bill Clinton?
One doesn't 'assess' a loud and rock'n stadium as "darn near empty".
One doesn't call someone else who merely disagrees with an assessment a "Darn liar".
You were not making an assessment. You were claiming an obvious untruth as fact, and stating it quite LOUDLY.
Well, it was an obvious untruth to anyone half informed anyway, or half attentive, or not making assumptions and looking through their own pre-conceived cookie cutter template of thoughts, ideas, and perceptions.
Perhaps you honestly 'misremembered'? Or maybe it was your cousin that led you astray while you were in the D.R., or maybe you were just rubbing your arms and didn't know...
I only provided that particular example since it was one where you where PROVEN wrong via a youtube video. You could not refute it, name call, or otherwise attack to distract. You were caught 'red handed', as they say. It was then, and only then, that you admitted you were wrong, ala post 'blue dress'.
It was provided as commentary to your credibility. You spouse off your opinions, which of course, we all have the right to do. But the facts you use, and the claims you make, are often selectively chosen, skewed, stretched, distorted, or fabricated.
And although you keep claiming otherwise, an apology was never given, and still has not. Though I must admit, I now see you are using such apologetic terms as "pyscho" and "loser".
But anyway, my point has been made.
Thanks g'
PS: See, not even a lewd remark about your 'Heels losing to the Terps. Carolina is still the most talented team in the ACC, will probably still win the regular season ACC Title, and are still the odds on favorite for the tourney. In the long run, that loss probably means nothing and changes nothing, other than perhaps to sharpen the focus of the 'Heels as they close out the season.
FYI: The above paragraph is an example of an assessment. An assessment of what yesterday's loss means to the 'Heels with respect to the 2008-2009 basketball season.
are you serious??
Sun, 02/22/2009 - 22:37 — gvillegatrYou wrote all that mess on something I said I was wrong about?? why are you so worried about it to begin with. every single person, that blogs here, has made a statement that was untrue.
you have serious problems my man. and i'll try to spell better in the future. I'm, clearly, the only one here with this problem!
you're boring me AND you had no response as to how you WERE WRONG about how I went about breaking DUIke down as not a #2 seed at the moment.
so, in conclusion, I do not need to go back months to find where you LIED in here! I can just go a few posts up! :)
You can count on
Thu, 02/19/2009 - 13:24 — festerThe NCAA putting Kansas in UNC's bracket from now until Roy retires.