NCAA Tourney Thread (UPDATE: UK Opens Against Abilene Christian Thursday at 7:00)

[Joneslab]

And Gonzaga was awful in that game against St. Mary's.

St. Mary's is...well, not good. Gonzaga not only was beaten in that game, they mustered 47 points and looked like a high school team. I was shocked watching it.

You can't just dismiss them based on one game but that was something.

[J.Jennings]

I think we can get a number 1 seed especially if the NCAA shows a little pity to Kentucky with Reid being out. With that being said, been watching Cal and Kentucky all access on SEC network and as Cal told his team, be prepared to play at 12 midday especially if the NCAA thinks that Kentucky has problems with early games lol lol lol.

Let's just be clear, NCAA isn't going to do us any favors at all

[Los Gatos]

I don't think Gonzaga should get a 1 either. They've done spectacularly little when you compare them to the other candidates. The only card they can play is one that will probably carry a lot of weight on Selection Sunday: they beat Duke with Zion.

Don't think the ACC gets three but it's possible; Carolina and Duke being on the same side helps us IMO. I believe our #1 will come down to whoever wins the Tennessee/Kentucky game Saturday, assuming that both make it to that game.

With both UK & UT looking forward to a match up, I'll not be surprised if one or both lose prior to meeting in the SEC tournament.

[Joneslab]

With both UK & UT looking forward to a match up, I'll not be surprised if one or both lose prior to meeting in the SEC tournament.

I could see it. Ole Miss is pretty tough and Kentucky will have to play well to get past them. Tennessee should have to go through Mississippi St., which won't be easy.

It would be really disappointing for UK to lose on opening night. Hasn't happened since Team Disaster in 2013 and unless I'm mistaken it's only happened a couple of times in the last two decades if you throw out the Gillispie era.

[Jeff ROCKober]

Kentucky is playing well right now and it will be interesting to see how Travis Reid plays in his first game. I think Kentucky will play great and are fighting to play in Louisville. Cal will put a chip on these kid's shoulders and I think Kentucky plays better when they need to prove something.

I saw where Palm had Zags still as over all number 2 seed. And their record vs quad 1 teams is 4-3. I would say they would be 4th number one seed over all based on those numbers. It's amazing how Duke seems to control the NCAA universe. The Zags lost to Tennessee and UNC. Two very good teams and barely edged Washington. They beat one ranked team and get a #1 seed? It just doesn't make sense.

[Joneslab]

I think Duke controls people's imaginations because...well, because it's Duke. But also they're in the very rare situation of having the best player in the game and his status is up in the air. The committee will have to take into account their record with him vs. without him, and what they do this week will likely be super-important.

I personally don't think Gonzaga should be a 1, as I said above. I could almost be persuaded of that before last night and after last night there's no way I'd put them up there. Just not enough on their resume.

If they are a 1, I certainly wouldn't give them the 1 in the West and let them play in Anaheim. I'd give them a 1 in Louisville with Kentucky as their 2, or a 1 in Kansas City with Carolina as their 2.

[Uncle Dave]

I'd love to get a hold of Gonzaga in Louisville!!

[Lighthouse]

I agree with Will. Gonzaga should not even be considered for a #1 seed, and should be a #2 by the skin of their teeth. A win over Duke carries a lot of weight, but their SOS and last nights loss does also. I hope we play in Louisville because the YUM will be a sea of Blue, and as I've said before, it makes no difference to me whether we get a #1 or #2.

[Catsrock]

Latest Lunardi/ESPN bracket has Gonzaga still a #1 in a region followed by a damaged LSU team, Purdue then Florida St. They also have us as a #1 with #2 Duke with presumably a healthy Zion. They may be wrong but they're usually pretty accurate by this close to selection Sunday. Wouldn't that be shockingly imbalanced regions?!

At some point doesn't the committee have to care about at least the appearance of impropriety?

That would be placing WAAAY more weight on a November win over Duke than a mid-March embarrassment to St. Mary's.

[Joneslab]

Latest Lunardi/ESPN bracket has Gonzaga still a #1 in a region followed by a damaged LSU team, Purdue then Florida St. They also have us as a #1 with #2 Duke with presumably a healthy Zion. They may be wrong but they're usually pretty accurate by this close to selection Sunday. Wouldn't that be shockingly imbalanced regions?!

At some point doesn't the committee have to care about at least the appearance of impropriety?

That would be placing WAAAY more weight on a November win over Duke than a mid-March embarrassment to St. Mary's.

I think there's still too much to figure out about Duke. They're one of the teams that has to show something this week.

You know the committee would love squaring up that rematch in the Elite 8 between us and Duke though so I'm inclined to think that if they can get that done they will. But if Duke gets Zion back and wins the ACC Tournament you have to give them that 1-seed and I think North Carolina probably falls to our 2.

If we're the 2 and Duke is a 2 and Carolina is a 2 then it gets interesting. I think we'd have to go to D.C. with Virginia as our 1. If Tennessee got the 1 they would get Louisville and the Big 10 winner would claim the final 1 in Kansas City.

[lilproUK98]

This has been one of the most interesting lead ups to selection Sunday I can remember. Lots of storylines and possibilities out there.

I think the committee might take the lazy route and keep Gonzaga a one seed as long as Duke loses in ACC tourney...

[lilproUK98]

However, it looks like the Cats will be in Louisville regardless...if UT isn't the 1 of course....

[JFCats22]

I believe it's now down to the winner of UK/UT gets the 1 seed in Louisville. The loser is a 2 seed (either with Duke or UNC as the 1).

That game (assuming it happens) has HUGE tourney implications. Get a 1 seed, play in Louisville, likely avoid Duke & UNC...absolutely massive game coming this weekend.

[Joneslab]

I'm not sure we'll necessarily avoid Duke and UNC if we beat Tennessee. Could still see either as our 2 (assuming we lock into a 1 by winning the UT game).

Neither will go to D.C. with Virginia. (Actually, Virginia could theoretically be the #1 in Louisville with Carolina or Duke as the 1 in Washington.) Obviously neither is going to Anaheim. The only other option is Kansas City, but one of the Big 10 teams is going to be there as either the 2 or the 1.

There's still a decent chance we get one of those teams regardless of what happens this weekend.

I'm not sure about Carolina. On one hand you hate the rematch games because they give the other team something to play for in March. But I maintain that Carolina might not make it out to the Elite 8. They play nutty, at times brainless basketball.

Duke is obviously a juggernaut if things go the right way but my feeling is if they're good enough to win it you're going to get them somewhere late in the tourney. Might as well be in Louisville.

[Jeff ROCKober]

I can see LSU losing early in the SEC Tourney. I think they will lose first round and it will be interesting to see where they land with the controversy. It does not make sense that they are #2 seed in West unless they won or lost in the finals of the SEC Tourney. Somebody needs to go out West that is also highly ranked. I will be interested to see if Zion plays tomorrow and if he doesn't and Duke loses, how will the committee seed them?