The Annual NCAA Tournament Seeding Thread

[Joneslab]

We're talking about Kentucky's possible seed in a few threads so I thought we could combine those discussions here.

And generally I don't think this year seed is a huge deal, but just for general principle it'd be nice if Kentucky's actual seed matched their resume, but it could be a year like 2011 where we get hosed.

There are some good and bad prognostications out there for UK as we sit here on March 2nd.

The good: Andy Katz has us as #4 in the country in his latest power index.

The other good: we have 7 Quad 1 wins, which is two more than Florida St., two more than Gonzaga, three more than Dayton, three more than San Diego St., three more than Louisville, and the same as Maryland.

The bad: Pomeroy has us at #26 in the country, which is one spot below 15-14 Purdue. (Whether the committee uses Pomeroy is a mystery, but I do tend to think they factor in some semblance of the computer data.)

The okay: Joey Brackets has us at a #3 seed going out West. I think our resume is still as good as a couple of his twos, but we at least moved up after the Auburn win.

The other okay: we are #14 in the NET. That's not 2 seed territory necessarily, but it's in the discussion.

[DA#23]

If we were to win the next ~4 games I think we slide in as a 2 seed, so finish out the season and two SECT wins. Getting to Sunday of the tourney likely means a 2 seed imo, but I doubt an SECT title helps any more than simply making to Sunday.

An SECT title would be pretty nice for this team.

[Lighthouse]

I always want our seed to match what we deserve but we all know that doesn't happen often. This year I'm not worried so much about our seed simply because this team seems to play so much better with their backs to the wall, hence our recent road wins. Barring injury, I expect them to make a great showing in the tournament and nothing would surprise me. A final 4 showing is not out of the possibility. It will be a fun March.

[40bill]

I think the Cats MIGHT make a two if they close the season out with wins, but with this team I wouldn't want to bet on anything.
I've given up on the SEC tourney title benefitting anyone other than the champ getting a bid. I really believe most of the top 16 are set in the most part by The SEC Friday game.
Heard one prediction as a three in the west, with FSU and the Zags. Interesting note on that is that it had a setup of UK/Ohio State in round two...and both these teams were number one for a short time this year.

[Joneslab]

I always want our seed to match what we deserve but we all know that doesn't happen often. This year I'm not worried so much about our seed simply because this team seems to play so much better with their backs to the wall, hence our recent road wins. Barring injury, I expect them to make a great showing in the tournament and nothing would surprise me. A final 4 showing is not out of the possibility. It will be a fun March.

There's an argument to be made that maybe it's better if Kentucky gets hosed on their seed because that gives Cal more ammunition to use coming out of the SEC Tournament.

I feel comfortable saying that if Kentucky wins the next two, they probably will do no worse than a 3. Lose to Florida and then lose before Sunday of the SEC Tourney and things might get sticky. I firmly believe they love to put UK in the 4 slot to set up that big TV game on the weekend with a 1 seed.

More than seed you'd like to simply see Kentucky iron out some things they still do poorly here in the last week. One is obviously outside shooting, but I don't think that will be fixed. All you can hope for is maybe for guys to just get really hot, sort of like Villanova did the year they won their first title with Jay Wright.

Another thing is obviously for Hagans to start playing better offensively.

[Lighthouse]

There's an argument to be made that maybe it's better if Kentucky gets hosed on their seed because that gives Cal more ammunition to use coming out of the SEC Tournament.

I feel comfortable saying that if Kentucky wins the next two, they probably will do no worse than a 3. Lose to Florida and then lose before Sunday of the SEC Tourney and things might get sticky. I firmly believe they love to put UK in the 4 slot to set up that big TV game on the weekend with a 1 seed.

More than seed you'd like to simply see Kentucky iron out some things they still do poorly here in the last week. One is obviously outside shooting, but I don't think that will be fixed. All you can hope for is maybe for guys to just get really hot, sort of like Villanova did the year they won their first title with Jay Wright.

Another thing is obviously for Hagans to start playing better offensively.

Being around this great game all my life has shown me about the only thing we can hope for our CATS to fix at this point, is for Hagans to start playing better offensively. Shooters can get better by practicing, but not created. Scorers is what we need, and that can come from just hustling with the will to put the ball in the basket. Louie Dampier, Mike Casey, IQ are shooters. Dan Issel, Mashbutn, were scorers. We need both.

[JFCats22]

I think UK will be a 3 seed. I don't see us getting a two because of the Net and computer metrics unless we win the next 5 in a row.

I think the NCAA would LOVE to make UK a 4 if they can justify it at all and put us in the bracket with KU. But I don't see us losing 3 more (I hope not) to drop us to a 4.

If we win tomorrow and lost at UF and then win 2 in the SECT that would put us at 27-7 going into the NCAAT. I would think we can be no worse than a 3 seed in that scenario.

[Joneslab]

I'd probably put Quickley in the "scorer" category at this point. Gets to the line consistently, has one of the best floaters I've ever seen a UK player have, and is one of the best free throw shooters we've ever had here. I think he and Maxey are both scorers.

[Lighthouse]

^ I can agree with that. The reason I put IQ in the shooter category is because when he shoots, we expect it to go in.

[KCKUKFan]

Win the next two and make it to Sunday in the SEC tournament and I'm not sure how they justify making us anything but a 2.

[Dwight Schrute]

It's hard to believe we still have two more games to play this week before the regular season ends. Even with the SEC regular season title in the bag, there's still work to do. That's kind of a new feeling.

[Joneslab]

It's hard to believe we still have two more games to play this week before the regular season ends. Even with the SEC regular season title in the bag, there's still work to do. That's kind of a new feeling.

Exactly what makes these last two games dangerous.

That game Saturday will be especially tough. If they can go in there and win that will be one of the more impressive regular season SEC achievements of the Calipari era, IMO. To wrap up an SEC title, be on the brink of the SEC Tournament, on a long winning streak, and then walk into arguably the toughest non-Rupp place to play in the league on senior day and win? That would be incredible and if they do it I'll be ready to say this team might be able to put a special run together in the tournament.

(If they lose, though, all hope is not lost.)

[Dwight Schrute]

Exactly what makes these last two games dangerous.

That game Saturday will be especially tough. If they can go in there and win that will be one of the more impressive regular season SEC achievements of the Calipari era, IMO. To wrap up an SEC title, be on the brink of the SEC Tournament, on a long winning streak, and then walk into arguably the toughest non-Rupp place to play in the league on senior day and win? That would be incredible and if they do it I'll be ready to say this team might be able to put a special run together in the tournament.

(If they lose, though, all hope is not lost.)

I am not worried about that game - we may lose but I don't think we will sleepwalk into the O'Connell Center or whatever they're calling it now.

I am worried about the game on Tuesday against Tennessee. Tennessee isn't a good team and I worry we may suffer a let down.

[Joneslab]

The bad: Pomeroy has us at #26 in the country, which is one spot below 15-14 Purdue.

Minnesota is ranked just five spots below Kentucky in the Pomeroy rankings.

Minnesota is 13-15.

[Blue Heaven]

It'll be curious to hear the spin if dUKe loses to NC State tonight. It's going to be hard to give dUKe the annual cakewalk through the bracket considering the ACC is so bad.

IF we win out we will be a 2 seed. I hate to say we are playing as well as anybody because we are not. We are, however, winning. We are on a nice streak right now but we can be so much better. We had spurts against Auburn, which is a really good defensive team btw, where it looked like we could neat anybody. Kansas, imo, is the best team by a longshot. What really sucks is that like Zona, when the hammer falls there will be a lot of grumbling. And rightly so.