Brackets vs. Titles
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Just saw the latest Joe Lunardi prediction of the NCAA brackets. It has us as a #3 seed in the Midwest region, with KU playing first/second round games in Des Moines. Obviously a good place to be, what with that regional being at Sprint Center.
Realizing that we’re still six weeks out (and that yes, even the sainted Lunardi can’t totally predict what the committee will do) and that a #1 seed is just about out of the question, I want to pose this question to everyone:
Are we better off hoping for a high 3 seed instead of a low 2, which might get us sent out of the KC regional? This would probably mean we’d lose 2 or 3 more games down the road, and likely break our string of Big XII titles.
Your thoughts please.
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It all depends on who would be in our bracket as the 3 seed and who would be in it if we got bumped up a line. This team wants no part of Duke, UVA, Gonzaga, or Michigan for sure. To be really honest this team which is now ranked 15th in KenPom isn’t really any threat to make a deep run, but I would think playing at Sprint Center would help a little. I know KU has struggled there before, but I don’t think it would hurt.
Lunardi’s bracket you are talking about would be about as good of a setup as KU could ask for. UNC as the 2 seed. We know how Self owns Roy. I know it hasn’t always worked out, but anytime you can play tournament games close to home you take them.
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2 or 3 is preferable to a 4 obviously because you avoid the 1 seed until the regional final. That matters more to me than having either a 2 or 3.
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@wissox Unless Silvio gets cleared, I don’t really see this team going past the Sweet 16 this year anyway regardless of who the 1 or 2 seeds are. The combination of bad shooting and bad rebounding is going to be too much to overcome against better teams.
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Sweet 16 AT BEST is the realistic finish for this team.
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After watching the fiasco tonight I would say we may be a 5 seed, and could very easily get sent home by a 12 seed. To avoid that scenario something drastic will have to happen. Every team now knows we can not shoot, so all they need to do is bottle up DLawson. Also can not rebound, do not value our possessions, and are pitiful defenders… Makes for a long season and I am so sad.
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BigBad said:
Sweet 16 AT BEST is the realistic finish for this team.
After today thats not even realistic imo
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Magical things can happen in March. No one saw KState in the elite 8 last year against Loyola, remember? Obviously I don’t see a deep run like the rest of you now either, but it can happen.
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@wissox KSU played great defense last year. If you can guard, you have a chance any day. Our post defense is almost non existent, on a side note I gave no expectations going forward so that may help lol.
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I think this team is going to end up in the 3-5 seed range. They have road games against KSU, TCU, Tech, Okie St, and OU. Right now I think they go 1-4 in those games. Then they have home games against Tech, Okie St, WVU, KSU, and Baylor. I think they will lose one of Tech or KSU. So that puts them at 5-5 the rest of the way.
That puts their record at 24-10. That completely takes KC and the Sprint Center out of the equation and probably puts them on the 4/5 line.
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Last year the Elite 8 included two 9 seeds and an 11 seed. I think we should calm down on the we can’t win more than one game stuff. March is madness.
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March is madness. And the best teams don’t always win. But I think largely the stats will show that the better teams win more often. Of course we can hope for miracles or to get hot. But I’d prefer to just be better. This team should be able to get better.
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@cragarhawk Right. Obviously if we face a bunch of double digit seeds this team and Self can manufacture some wins. However, if they have to play legit seeds / teams it is going to end early.
Just watch some of the top teams this year. Duke, UVA, Zags, Michigan, Tennessee, Sparty, etc… Hell you could add another 5 teams if you wanted. KU is just not elite this year. It sucks but it happens…
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I will say that at this time last year, nobody was really expecting much from KU either. They were 18-4 and 7-2 in league play and were getting ready to drop 2 of 3 to bad OSU and Baylor teams.
It’s possible this team turns it around like last year did, but that was a different group of kids that were much more mature, experienced, and higher IQ’s than this group.
I still think Sweet 16 is the ceiling for this team because there’s just too many weaknesses on this team this year. Nkw we’re fatigue and the inability to score become issues as well as rebounding, passing, and shooting.
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@Texas-Hawk-10 Other than rebounding, passing, and shooting, we’re pretty good.
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Yea, this team couldn’t even stay in the same gym as last years team. They would rain triples all day long.
UNLESS Silvio gets cleared ( which I do not think will happen) this team just doesn’t have a chance. He is not some savior, but we know he can rebound and protect the rim at a pretty elite level which this team severely needs. He can also be trusted to not throw up 17 foot jumpers that clank off the backboard like Dave.
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Well, I think we all agree something crazy can always happen in March. Understanding that, assessments of our future are just based on probabilities. And the probability right now on a FF run seems a touch low.
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I wonder when the last time was that we lost 4 of 5? I think it happens and it isn’t close with us already losing 2 of 3 and the likes of Tech, @KSU coming our way next. I personally don’t think this team has a very high ceiling whatsoever. Last year our main issues were defense and rebounding. We could score with the best of them just couldn’t always get the stops. This team not only struggles in those categories but can’t score or even run the dang offense half the time and thats just the tip of the iceberg IMO. We have always seen us have a bad game and drop a few to teams we shouldn’t have. I agree with what Self has always said, you play 5 games below average, 5 above average and the rest of the games are who you are as a team. The trouble is I’m not sure I see any improvement overall, very minimal if so and we are half way thru the season.
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@kjayhawks I think 1988-89 actually. We lost 8 in row then. I was at a loss at Allen to OU during that bad stretch. I don’t recall any four of five stretch since. Anyone else?
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Who knows, but I will guess we end up at 12-6 in the conference. I think we have a decent chance of improving enough to win a couple of road games. That means we have to win all the games at AFH…tough chore given what we saw last night, though.
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KUSTEVE said:
@Texas-Hawk-10 Other than rebounding, passing, and shooting, we’re pretty good.
You forgot defense. Lol
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dylans said:
KUSTEVE said:
@Texas-Hawk-10 Other than rebounding, passing, and shooting, we’re pretty good.
You forgot defense. Lol
That pretty much covers it now.
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@Woodrow Any team with size and muscle, real men in the post, are going to back us down and abuse us in the paint.
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@KUSTEVE And interior defense, post passing, and energy.
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@HighEliteMajor Vick could got lava hot again like at the beginning of the season, drop 36 points and carry us for a couple games. Totally could happen. But not likely to happen.
