Duke loses to 11-15 Wake. REMAINS at 6 in the NET. All these rankings are frauds
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The committee has said in the past they don't really look at margin of victory, but I'm sure they do.
Kentucky is winning by an average of 9.2 points a game, which is 22nd in the nation. They get double digit leads in most every game but don't extend those leads well. I blame some of this on Calipari, who is I think trying to slow the game down more than he usually does because he's convinced this team (a) turns the ball over too much and is thus dangerous with leads, and (b) shoots free throws at a historic clip, so it's really hard to beat them in close games.
For the sake of reference, last year's team won by an average of 11 points a game, 17th in the nation.
The last six champions:
Virginia '19: 15 points a game
Villanova '18: 16 points a game
North Carolina '17: 13 points a game
Villanova '16: 14 points a game
Duke '15: 15 points a game
Connecticut '14: 9 points a game
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The computers really hammered us for what we did early. Awful schedule, lost to two bad teams, played atrocious in late November and through December.
We have never really dug ourselves out of that hole. But we win this game on Saturday and I think we're positioned as well as anybody for a 2 seed. I never in a million years thought I'd say that about this team. Outside the great NCAA run with the twins, this is the most surprising season of the Cal era.Comment
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As I do EVERY year, I tried to talk about the positives, and the fact that it was November, and yadda yadda yadda, but everyone was so doom and gloom I pretty much stopped posting for December and January, but here we are, playing solid basketball and all those pieces I knew were there and potential I knew was there is coming to the surface. I wanted Cal so badly to start the three guards as soon as I saw this team on the floor, but he was determined to make Whitney or Brooks work at the three. I'm elated that IQ made it impossible for him to not make that change. I believe if we start the year like that we have 2 less losses and are primed for a 1 seed.
But, regardless, I like my team. As I always have.Comment
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Quickley has definitely changed the team. His emergence has really made all the difference, because you now have a failsafe for when Maxey is off.
For Kentucky to beat really good teams you probably need them all going--Hagans, Maxey, Quickley, Richards, and one of the PF's--at the same time, but we haven't seen that a lot this season. Or really at all.
But they know how to win, they hit free throws which is huge, and now they have a legitimate star at shooting guard. We're positioned as well for March as anybody not named Kansas.Comment
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I was a big fan of the NET when it was introduced. However, it continues to show this year that is is severely flawed (if not completely broken). It is making no sense at all.
The biggest problem is that the NCAA won't release the formula behind it which makes it very suspect.Comment
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This season has shown the inherent flaws with the computer rankings. In a year with this much upheaval and (ugh) parity, the computers dont know what to do.
This is a year for the eye test and I feel like the committee will end up relying on that more so than the NET or KenPom or whatever.
Kentucky is in good shape for a 2 at the moment and you cant tell me otherwise.Comment
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Duke also only dropped one spot in kenpom. And their defensive efficiency was barely affected after giving up 113 points to an 11-15 team. Lol flawedComment
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Yeah, I agree.
This is why you worry about Evansville. It was a game that settled in a lot of people's minds.
Not that I think it'll matter much. Nobody should worry about seed too much this season. The only thing that would be outrageous is if we're clearly a 2/3 but they put us in that 4 slot to set up a marquee game with Kansas in the second round.Comment
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