2011 Basketball Tournament TOP LEFT BRACKET discussion board

nwhoops1903 · February 28, 2011, 02:35:16 PM

I am hoping this topic will keep the chat in one place for 2 weeks.

David Collinge · February 28, 2011, 03:01:23 PM

For what its worth, this quadrant of the bracket contains the top-ranked teams from four of the NCAA's eight regions, one per pod.

Although Whitworth is clearly the top seed, it looks to me like this bracket is set up for Wooster to host the sectional. Every team in the three non-West-Coast pods is within 500 miles of Wooster, and most if not all are within 500 miles of Marietta as well.

Whitworth fans will be rooting for Centre, Benedictine, and SUNY-Purchase in order to ensure that the sectional is in Spokane.

nwhoops1903 · February 28, 2011, 03:09:08 PM

Bracket rankings:

1. Whitworth (1 spot) HOST round 2
2. Wooster (2 spot) HOST
3. Marrietta (4 spot) HOST
4. Chapman (8 spot) HOST round 1
5. Manchester (7 spot)
6. La Roche (5 spot)
7. SUNY Purchase (6 spot)
8. Cabrini (3 spot) HOST

Top 2 seeds path:

Whitworth despite the bye has the hardest path to final 4 having to play (by ranking) the 3rd and 4th highest ranked teams in the bracket.

Wooster has to get by the 5th best team then against the winner of the weakest pod (7 or 8) in bracket.

nwhoops1903 · February 28, 2011, 03:11:02 PM

Quote from: David Collinge on February 28, 2011, 03:01:23 PM
For what its worth, this quadrant of the bracket contains the top-ranked teams from four of the NCAA's eight regions, one per pod.

Although Whitworth is clearly the top seed, it looks to me like this bracket is set up for Wooster to host the sectional. Every team in the three non-West-Coast pods is within 500 miles of Wooster, and most if not all are within 500 miles of Marietta as well.

Whitworth fans will be rooting for Centre, Benedictine, and SUNY-Purchase in order to ensure that the sectional is in Spokane.

Yes David, it is a golden paved highway for Wooster. If Wooster is upset, it becomes a coin flip with 4 sides and only 1 side is Spokane.

nwhoops1903 · February 28, 2011, 03:14:13 PM

Bringing this over

Quote from: David Collinge on February 28, 2011, 03:12:18 PM
Quote from: 89Pirate on February 28, 2011, 02:57:29 PM
So, now that they are out...am I reading the bracket right in that the commitee is rewarding Whitworth with what on paper looks like a slightly easier road to Salem rather than let them host round 3/4? Makes $$$ sense, but still does not seem fair...but I am biased.

Is there ANY way depending on who loses in rounds 1/2 that they could host???

It depends on how mercenary you think the NCAA is. I'm pretty sure that everyone in the Wooster pod is within 500 miles of everyone in the Marietta pod, so there will be a site available with two or fewer flights. Would the NCAA put a sectional at Centre or Bethany, just to avoid flying one team to Spokane? Sources hazy, ask again later.

As I pointed out on another board, every team in the Marietta, Wooster, and Cabrini pods is within 500 miles of Wooster. So if Wooster advances to the third round, they seem a good bet to host the sectional.

(509)Rat · February 28, 2011, 06:54:06 PM

I liked the d3hoops mock bracket better. I thought Whitworth could realistically host a sectional with the Midwest teams (and no UW-SP) in their corner of the bracket.

Oh well, you at least 7 of Whitworth's 8 main contributors experienced playing in Greensboro last year against a top #10 team only a couple hundred miles from home. Hopefully they can get by Chapman/Redlands and then take their act on the road...and win this time

nwhoops1903 · February 28, 2011, 07:29:16 PM

Quote from: (509)Rat on February 28, 2011, 06:54:06 PM
I liked the d3hoops mock bracket better. I thought Whitworth could realistically host a sectional with the Midwest teams (and no UW-SP) in their corner of the bracket.

Oh well, you at least 7 of Whitworth's 8 main contributors experienced playing in Greensboro last year against a top #10 team only a couple hundred miles from home. Hopefully they can get by Chapman/Redlands and then take their act on the road...and win this time

Whitworth doesn't have UW-SP in its path until the last game. Chances of hosting have always been low. I think there is only 1 flight on the books right now (SO CAL game). So the good news is they haven't blown the bank. Anything is possible.

(509)Rat · February 28, 2011, 08:04:17 PM

Sorry if I wasnt clear. I meant the projection didn't have SP, but did have basically the rest of the Midwest and Texas. That meant a real shot at hosting and no national champ standing in the way...didnt mean to imply that SP was now in their corner of the bracket.

nwhoops1903 · February 28, 2011, 11:56:40 PM

Quote from: (509)Rat on February 28, 2011, 08:04:17 PM
Sorry if I wasnt clear. I meant the projection didn't have SP, but did have basically the rest of the Midwest and Texas. That meant a real shot at hosting and no national champ standing in the way...didnt mean to imply that SP was now in their corner of the bracket.

I agree it would have been great to see the Texas pod in our (Whitworth) bracket but with no 4th team to complete pod, you can't have 2 byes in the same bracket.

(509)Rat · March 01, 2011, 10:56:05 AM

I misread the old bracket...gotta stop looking at stuff on my phone $:-\$

It would be nice to have a bracket where you got a sectional with Whitworth, a Texas team, St. Thomas, and someone like UW-RF...there might be enough teams in the midwest to make that happen. But no use in dreaming...

nwhoops1903 · March 04, 2011, 01:42:14 PM

As expected Chapman takes down Redlands at home convincingly. Unfortunately, scoring 62 points won't win in Spokane. Traveling to your execution can't be a fun trip.

Seriously and all fan yap aside, Chapman needs to be within 10 points THE WHOLE GAME or they get rolled. I am pretty sure this will be the last game of the day so it might have a sizeable online audience. Whitworth 85-61, our bench plays 4 minutes.

oldchap · March 04, 2011, 02:42:45 PM

Quote from: nwhoops1903 on March 04, 2011, 01:42:14 PM
As expected Chapman takes down Redlands at home convincingly. Unfortunately, scoring 62 points won't win in Spokane. Traveling to your execution can't be a fun trip.

Seriously and all fan yap aside, Chapman needs to be within 10 points THE WHOLE GAME or they get rolled. I am pretty sure this will be the last game of the day so it might have a sizeable online audience. Whitworth 85-61, our bench plays 4 minutes.

The Chapman coached asked the players to stop scoring at the end of the game. If you read the play-by-play, you will see no shots taken in the last 4 or 5 possessions, that was just because Chapman didn't want to embarrass the other team. These clock violations were their own doing.

Chapman is going to Spokane with the advantage of being the underdog (nothing to lose) and the experience from last year, where they were just happy to be there and got a little bit shellshocked. This year, they know what to expect and are going there to win. Period.

nwhoops1903 · March 04, 2011, 02:51:01 PM

Old Chap: I would expect nothing less and I do think as well that last year's experience helps. Do you think CU is a better team than last year? Why?

dahlby · March 04, 2011, 02:51:08 PM

nwhoops1903;
I don't think that "as expected" is that correct. I know the Chapman team (although they always expect and play to win, as all teams should) took this game lightly at all. Anyone who followed Redlands during the year that they were not the same team that Chapman played and beat twice back in December. They were much improved. But, I realize that on paper, based on the whole year statistics, that it would appear that way.

nwhoops1903 · March 04, 2011, 02:55:05 PM

"As Expected" = Favorite in my lexicon. Congrats to Redlands on what turned out to be, a fine 2nd half of a season.