As we are leaving the sweet 16 and moving on to the next round, and before this becomes irrelevant, I thought I'd post this.
This year's opening weekend of the tournament was what I might consider a very boring tournament. Sure, Ohio State had a thriller against Xavier and Pittsburgh and VCU went to overtime, but in both these games the upper seed won. Regardless of the play, if you look at the tournament on paper, the bottom line is that among the teams that advanced none were double-digit seeds and no one was lower than 7. The last time we had a tournament without a double-digit seed advancing to the Sweet 16 was 1995 and every tournament from 1997 on had at least two.
Then I was thinking, if you just look at the schools themselves who had advanced you'll see there's a Missourri Valley Conference school in Southern Illinois and a Horizon league school in Butler. The two teams to have made the sweet 16 from the Horizon League, Butler in 2003 and Wisc-Milwaulkee in 2005, were seeded 12th and the last time a Horizon league team was seeded in the single digits it was 1996 (Wisc-Green Bay was seeded 8th). Similarly, the Missourri Valley Conference has done a little better on seeding but they've generally been home to the biggest giant killers in the tournament. SW Missourri State and Bradley were the lowest seeds to advance to the sweet 16 of their respective tournaments in 1999 and 2006. Creighton has upset as a double digit team 3 times and Southern Illinois made the sweet 16 before as a double digit seed. The highest a MVC team has been seeded was 7th (if I'm not mistaken) in the specified time span.
In each of those cases, we considered those victories major upsets and cheered those underdogs on. The only thing that's really changed is the numbers in front of the team names on our brackets. 12th-seeded Butler making the Sweet 16 is exciting while 5-seeded Butler making the Sweet 16 is a yawn.
The reason for this higher seeding, I believe, is that after GMU made the tournament last year, pollsters started having their eyes out for the next George Mason and after Butler did so well in the Pre-Season NIT, the pollsters annointed them the next GMU and stuck them in the top 25. Similarly, Southern Illinois started winning games and their win-loss record looked impressive enough for the pollsters to group them in that category as well. Once you get into the AP Top 25, you are virtually guaranteed to advance higher and higher up on that list every week you don't lose a game because others will. The problem there is that Southern Illinois and Butler play against far inferior competition to that of the power conferences, so winning was far easier for them. I'm not entirely sure how much the RPI computerized system plays into the final selection of seeds, and if it's computerized and the seeds are actually based on the level of competition than I am completely wrong, but my theory would be that the constant presence of Butler and Southern Illinois on the AP Top 25 polls this season gave the selection committe added weight to want to give them high seeds.
Another way of looking at it, however, is that the Seeding Committe finally got it right. They successfully picked the two non-major conference schools who would be able to upset the majors en route to the Sweet 16, and thanks to George Mason's run, that really is a significant milestone. The only problem is that when the selection committee is that exact, the tournament is far more boring.
Showing posts with label GMU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GMU. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Top 10 Athletes of 2006
I love to make those top 10 lists that I see everywhere where the year ends. It usually starts out when i see in some magazine, the top 10 in sports or something, and just for fun I try to predict what will be on the list, and often it usually ends up being me making my own. Here are a couple left over I found on my a drive
10. Billy Donovan-The unconventional coach and former Pitino protege, who’s known for going the extra mile on recruiting trips, finally won a title for the University of Florida which happens to be the state’s first with a talented quartet of sophomores.
9. Amilie Mauresmo-A perennial threat to any Grand Slam semifinal over the last 5 years, Mauresmo finally jilted cold nerves to break through the hegemony at the top of the game usually occupied by the Williams sisters or the Belgian duo of Henin-Hardene and Clijsters. Mauresmo not only made a final for the second time in her career after more than five years and countless semifinal appearances, but she might long-standing nemesis Henin-Hardene in both the French and Australian Opens.
8. Ohio State-Michigan Game-One of the most anticipated regular season football games in years. The Wolverines fought for a shot at the title game and a chance to honor a late coach and the Buckeyes fought off their biggest threat to their undefeated season. Neither side dissapointed in a 3-oint win that went down to the last play.
7. Chris Paul and Reggie Bush-Two newcomers to the NFL and NBA, respectively, helped enhance the prospects of their teams to help uplift the spirits of a city in need of something to look forward to. Rookie Chris Paul was passed over for fellow point guard Deron Williams in the draft, but in his first season he became runaway choice for rookie-of-the-year and led his team from the lottery doldrums to a very close race for a playoff spot in a more competitive Western Conference. On top of that he was selected as the starting point guard for the USA Basketball team in the 2006 World Basketball Championships. Reggie Bush, similarly has been a major catalyst for the New Orleans Saints and has relished his role as the city’s savior. He is playing a big part in the Saints winning season.
6. U.S. Speedskating Team-The Winter Olympics outside of woman’s figure skating, are a hard sell to the U.S. public and nothing helps the publicity machine like controvoursey. Some sports pundits said that the Shani Davis-Chad Hedrick spat was bad for the sport, but their conflict was relatively minor since both men dominated their races and picked up a brevy of other medals in a sport traditionally dominated by the Dutch and Germans. Another big winner, Joey Cheek who took a gold in the 500 and a silver in the 1000, donated his cash bonus to charity and prompted another of other sponsors to match his donation.
5. France-Remembered for Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt more than anything else, the merits of the French in reaching the World Cup final shouldn’t be discounted. This was practically the same French squad that with its diversity and upset over Brazil in the 1998 World Cup, gave the French people great cause for celebration and hope in a racially harmonious country, and after bombing out of the last World Cup and Olympic competitions, upsetting much younger squads on a tough road that included Brazil, Spain and Portugal was no small feat.
4. St. Louis Cardinals-
In a battle between two Midwestern blue-collar towns who hadn’t won a World Series since the 1980s, the power-hitting core of Scott Rolen, series MVP David Eckstein, Albert Pujols, and Jim Edmonds made the difference for a Cardinals squad that had close calls in 2004 and 2005. Tony La Russa became the first manager to win a championship with the American and National league, also of note Chris Carpenter started the all-star game, and the city treated the team and its fans to a shiny new stadium to enjoy their victory in.
3. Italy-The jolly Opera-loving Italians, who had been in danger of falling out of the league of super powers and marred by scandal, emerged from a competitive field in the ultimate global contest to win a world cup for the first time since 1982. The Azzuri had a well-balanced attack with 11 different players scoring goals in competition, a formidable line of defenders, and a little bit of luck on their side. Four months earlier, the Italians hosted the Turin Winter Olympics successfully with hometown hero Enrico Fabris garnering 3 medals including a team relay medal and an upset of both Chad Hedrix and Shani Davis in the 1500 (see #6)
2. George Mason-Cited by countless sportsradio talk show hosts within the following weeks as the biggest upset in college basketball history, the George Mason Patriots disproved the notion that Cinderellas only go so far. Defeating four of the last seven national championships in Michigan State, Maryland and UConn, the Patriots made the final four in a triumphant show of resilience in a final four appearance.
1. Dwayne Wade/The Miami Heat-The big question was when the coveted Class of ’03 would make the playoffs or the final, but to lead the team to the championship that soon was entirely unexpected. The Heat started out with what seemed like an unbalanced roster full of egos and a washed-out coach, but behind the 3rd Year from Marquette, the Heat unseated King LeBron in the conference semifinals, followed it up with a defeat of the nearly impenetrable 80-win (?) Pistons, and with a clutch win in Game 2 of the finals, it all was smooth sailing from there. As the league crowned its new superstar in Wade, it was also a sweet day as veterans Alonzo Mourning and Gary Payton were able to finally take rings home after storied careers.
10. Billy Donovan-The unconventional coach and former Pitino protege, who’s known for going the extra mile on recruiting trips, finally won a title for the University of Florida which happens to be the state’s first with a talented quartet of sophomores.
9. Amilie Mauresmo-A perennial threat to any Grand Slam semifinal over the last 5 years, Mauresmo finally jilted cold nerves to break through the hegemony at the top of the game usually occupied by the Williams sisters or the Belgian duo of Henin-Hardene and Clijsters. Mauresmo not only made a final for the second time in her career after more than five years and countless semifinal appearances, but she might long-standing nemesis Henin-Hardene in both the French and Australian Opens.
8. Ohio State-Michigan Game-One of the most anticipated regular season football games in years. The Wolverines fought for a shot at the title game and a chance to honor a late coach and the Buckeyes fought off their biggest threat to their undefeated season. Neither side dissapointed in a 3-oint win that went down to the last play.
7. Chris Paul and Reggie Bush-Two newcomers to the NFL and NBA, respectively, helped enhance the prospects of their teams to help uplift the spirits of a city in need of something to look forward to. Rookie Chris Paul was passed over for fellow point guard Deron Williams in the draft, but in his first season he became runaway choice for rookie-of-the-year and led his team from the lottery doldrums to a very close race for a playoff spot in a more competitive Western Conference. On top of that he was selected as the starting point guard for the USA Basketball team in the 2006 World Basketball Championships. Reggie Bush, similarly has been a major catalyst for the New Orleans Saints and has relished his role as the city’s savior. He is playing a big part in the Saints winning season.
6. U.S. Speedskating Team-The Winter Olympics outside of woman’s figure skating, are a hard sell to the U.S. public and nothing helps the publicity machine like controvoursey. Some sports pundits said that the Shani Davis-Chad Hedrick spat was bad for the sport, but their conflict was relatively minor since both men dominated their races and picked up a brevy of other medals in a sport traditionally dominated by the Dutch and Germans. Another big winner, Joey Cheek who took a gold in the 500 and a silver in the 1000, donated his cash bonus to charity and prompted another of other sponsors to match his donation.
5. France-Remembered for Zinedine Zidane’s headbutt more than anything else, the merits of the French in reaching the World Cup final shouldn’t be discounted. This was practically the same French squad that with its diversity and upset over Brazil in the 1998 World Cup, gave the French people great cause for celebration and hope in a racially harmonious country, and after bombing out of the last World Cup and Olympic competitions, upsetting much younger squads on a tough road that included Brazil, Spain and Portugal was no small feat.
4. St. Louis Cardinals-
In a battle between two Midwestern blue-collar towns who hadn’t won a World Series since the 1980s, the power-hitting core of Scott Rolen, series MVP David Eckstein, Albert Pujols, and Jim Edmonds made the difference for a Cardinals squad that had close calls in 2004 and 2005. Tony La Russa became the first manager to win a championship with the American and National league, also of note Chris Carpenter started the all-star game, and the city treated the team and its fans to a shiny new stadium to enjoy their victory in.
3. Italy-The jolly Opera-loving Italians, who had been in danger of falling out of the league of super powers and marred by scandal, emerged from a competitive field in the ultimate global contest to win a world cup for the first time since 1982. The Azzuri had a well-balanced attack with 11 different players scoring goals in competition, a formidable line of defenders, and a little bit of luck on their side. Four months earlier, the Italians hosted the Turin Winter Olympics successfully with hometown hero Enrico Fabris garnering 3 medals including a team relay medal and an upset of both Chad Hedrix and Shani Davis in the 1500 (see #6)
2. George Mason-Cited by countless sportsradio talk show hosts within the following weeks as the biggest upset in college basketball history, the George Mason Patriots disproved the notion that Cinderellas only go so far. Defeating four of the last seven national championships in Michigan State, Maryland and UConn, the Patriots made the final four in a triumphant show of resilience in a final four appearance.
1. Dwayne Wade/The Miami Heat-The big question was when the coveted Class of ’03 would make the playoffs or the final, but to lead the team to the championship that soon was entirely unexpected. The Heat started out with what seemed like an unbalanced roster full of egos and a washed-out coach, but behind the 3rd Year from Marquette, the Heat unseated King LeBron in the conference semifinals, followed it up with a defeat of the nearly impenetrable 80-win (?) Pistons, and with a clutch win in Game 2 of the finals, it all was smooth sailing from there. As the league crowned its new superstar in Wade, it was also a sweet day as veterans Alonzo Mourning and Gary Payton were able to finally take rings home after storied careers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)