Do any of the potential #1 seeds scare you?

[KHoyaNYC]

Not me. It's hard to say who really serves a #1 seed. Ohio State. Fine. UCLA? I guess but are they really one of the top 4 teams in the country? Then who's next? UNC? Florida? Both in big slumps. Wisconsin? Can't really take them at the moment. Kansas? I could see it. A&M? No.

This tourney will be wide open. A few weeks ago I thought the top 12 teams or so were a cut above the rest of the country. Now I'm not so sure. I could definitely see a mid-seeded team going to the Final Four or more.

[reggie]

Kansas, A&M, UCLA all scare me, I think we could match up well against Ohio State and they really haven't shown me anything

NO MATTER WHO WE PLAY, the other team will have to shoot very well to beat us in the tournament, with our style of play (slow and big and in the paint)

[Locker]

I want one of the Big Ten teams as the top seed in our region. I do want to avoid Kansas, who I'm not afraid to admit are a little scary. I don't buy that Bill Self's early flameouts have any effect on this Kansas team. They used to say the same thing about Billy Donovan at Florida.

[paranoya]

Yes UCLA is really one of the top 4 teams in the country. Do not sleep on that team.

[Elvado]

The only team that scares me in this tournament is Georgetown.

If we play our game at its highest level, we will be fine.

[YB]

Wisconsin scares me- similar style of play with experienced players. We'd beat OSU bc they are too young to be that good in a spotlight.

Ultimately, it matters more that we do- if the guys play well, they will do well. That is under their control. They can do it.

[hoya39]

The team that has impressed me the most this year is Texas A&M. They've been very clutch. It seems that Acie Law makes all the plays when needed. The loss to Texas makes me wonder if Durant can carry an improving Texas team? Very possible. Kansas and Memphis are terrible FT shooting team and will be brought down because of it. Wisconsin is done. They need Butch too much. Ohio State and UNC are too young. UCLA has a superior point guard in collison but not a superior front court. I wouldn't rule them out. He is the key to that team. Florida really hasn't had a game that meant anything to them in a while so it's a hard read. I wouldn't count them out. Lastly, GTown, I like our chances but our weakness lies in playing a team that will press us and play an effective zone. Fortunatley, there aren't many of the top ten teams that play a great zone. I like our chances and I hope we get the confidence going again on Saturday. Oh yeah, There's Pitt, I just don't think Jamie Dixon is capable. He reminds me of Roy Williams who can win with his predecessors players and has always choked with his own. he hasn't proved himself.

[TBird41]

hoya39 said:

The team that has impressed me the most this year is Texas A&M. They've been very clutch. It seems that Acie Law makes all the plays when needed. The loss to Texas makes me wonder if Durant can carry an improving Texas team? Very possible. Kansas and Memphis are terrible FT shooting team and will be brought down because of it. Wisconsin is done. They need Butch too much. Ohio State and UNC are too young. UCLA has a superior point guard in collison but not a superior front court. I wouldn't rule them out. He is the key to that team. Florida really hasn't had a game that meant anything to them in a while so it's a hard read. I wouldn't count them out. Lastly, GTown, I like our chances but our weakness lies in playing a team that will press us and play an effective zone. Fortunatley, there aren't many of the top ten teams that play a great zone. I like our chances and I hope we get the confidence going again on Saturday. Oh yeah, There's Pitt, I just don't think Jamie Dixon is capable. He reminds me of Roy Williams who can win with his predecessors players and has always choked with his own. he hasn't proved himself.

After Law hit those two shots, I thought I'd ask people if there was someone they would less want to see pulling up for a game winning shot as time expired against the Hoyas in the Elite 8. With McNamara sitting on a bench in Greece or the NBDL or wherever, I couldn't come up with anyone else.

[HealyHoya]

I'd seed the #1 line like this (admittedly way too early with conf tourney games to be played):

1. UCLA
2. Kansas or A&M (Big 12 tourney winner)
3. tOSU or Wisconsin (Big 10 tourney winner)
4. Florida (IF they win the SEC tourney); if UF falls short, I think the last #1 seed goes to one of the conf tourney losers above

UCLA will likely be the top overall seed in the tourament -- and deservedly so. They are tough. They can out-skill AND out-physical teams, play with a bit of an East Coast (Howland = BE) mentality, have a great coach and likely won't have to leave the state of CA in the early rounds. I fear them foremost.

[jhoyafan]

The only team that scares me is the team in black and white. Roy has been in foul trouble a lot recently and we seem to be a different team when he's not on the floor. And the thing that bothers me is that when Roy gets a quick first foul, JT3 leaves him out there until he gets his unevitable 2nd and then pulls him the rest of the half. Why not sit him for 5-7 mins after his first foul, and then see if you can get him in for the last 8 mins or so of the half?

But to answer your question - UNC, Oh St, UFl, Wisc and the rest do not scare me.

[hifigator]

I will recuse myself of discussion involving Florida.

As for the rest of the field, I may be totally wrong, but I think Wisconsin is joke as a #1.

Ohio St. is really talented and has the inside out game to cause problems against almost anyone if they are on.

Kansas and Texas A&M are both very good teams that no one should want to face. Kansas is probably a bit more athletic, but the Aggies are the more polished team for sure.

Like I have said many times, Texas is a very dangerous team as well, and can match up against anyone athletically. I am not sure if I like my "sleeper" team getting so much attention heading into the tourny.

UCLA is tough for me to comment on, as I don't see many of their games, but you have to give them credit. I honestly thought there would be more of a dropoff without Farmer and that forward they had last year. But you have to give Howland and the Bruins a lot of credit.

Lastly, someone mentioned that a couple of weeks ago there were a dozen or so teams that were head and shoulders above the rest. I agree. What I don't agree with is that that has changed. I still think that, in no particular order: UNC, Kansas, Ohio St., Fla, Georgetown, TxA&M and UCLA are in the top tier. I would put Wisconsin and Texas on the very short list a notch below the leaders. I really expect the Champion to come from that list, and most likely the team that has the "easiest" path (the one facing the fewest of those teams) should be the favorite to win it all.

[hoyalove4ever]

UCLA and Kansas scare me. Besides that, there are a lot of good teams but none that really strike fear in my heart.

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

Kansas scares the hell out of me - unless they - um - pull a Kansas they will be a very tough out in the torunament because they are physical and can put up a lot of points in very little time.

[hifigator]

stpetersburghoya said:

Kansas scares the hell out of me - unless they - um - pull a Kansas they will be a very tough out in the torunament because they are physical and can put up a lot of points in very little time.

I am not sure I know how to weight the factors. We played Kansas in late November and they beat us by four in overtime. It was a neutral site, (Las Vegas) but from what every single person I have talked to that was actually there said, it was a home game for the Jayhawks. In any case, we were essentially without Corey Brewer and Joakim Noah. They both played very sparingly with flu symptoms. As we later found out, Brewer had Mono and then sat out a week later. Noah just had the flu. I am not making any excuses in any way, but the point is that as an observer, it sure looked like Kansas gave us their best shot. They played very well, in essentially a home game and when we were severely handicapped and beat us by four in overtime.

I am not taking anything away from Kansas, but at least in our case, I think they are not a bad matchup for us.

[Big Dog]

I don't think there's any question now that if we win tomorrow and win through the Big East tourney, we've got a real chance at a no. 1 ourselves with all of the upsets that have happened this week.

I'd actually call UCLA and Ohio State locks for no. 1s. I could see two Big Ten teams getting it if Wisconsin were to play and beat OSU in the Big Ten tourney final (not guaranteed by any means that both will get there--that tournament gets crazy). Keep an eye on Wisconsin tomorrow at home against Michigan State. If they really struggle to win that game, or even lose it, you'd have to really downgrade the Badgers' chances to make a lot of noise in the NCAAs b/c the table is set for them to play their tails off: senior day, they never lose at home in conference play, a revenge game for losing to Mich St last week, the need to bounce back after two straight losses, etc.

I don't think there can be any question that Kansas is now a likely no. 1. I think they could lose tomorrow at Texas and win the Big 12 tourney and still get it. Not sure if they can lose twice more though.

After that its a complete crapshoot. Out of us, Wisconsin, Florida, UNC, and A&M I'm at a loss to guess. Maybe I'm crazy but I just can't see Memphis getting it with their 1-3 record against the RPI top 50. That's horrendously bad.

If Brian Butch were healthy I'd probably rate them this way right now:

1. Wisconsin
2. North Carolina
3. Texas A&M
4. Georgetown
5. Florida


Only we and Wisconsin have no losses outside the RPI Top 50. UNC has two, including one to NC State, RPI #113. Florida has one, to LSU. A&M has one, also to LSU. We are 7-6 vs. the top 50, Florida is 5-4, A&M is 4-4, UNC is 10-4, Wisconsin is 7-4.

But Gtown and A&M are the only teams on that list who haven't lost two straight games. How can you give a no. 1 seed to a team that loses back-to-back games near the end of the regular season?

I really have no idea what will happen.

[ExcitableBoy]

I completely agree Big Dog. Kansas, UCLA, & even tOSU all appear headed to a #1 seed barring disaster.

As for the last spot, UNC has a pretty darn good resume. Their only non-conf loss was to Gonzaga (before they wet the bed), and they have beaten tOSU and Arizona. Throw in their 10-4 record against top-50 rpi teams, their #6 sos, and their #3 overall RPI and, even with their recent losses, it's pretty hard to take us--for example--over them for a #1 seed.

One interesting thing to note though, is that Georgetown has almost has legit a claim to any of those teams listed as other potential #1s. Let's be honest, none of us here could honestly say that he or she was displeased if we received a #2 seed.

[Big Dog]

To make it more interesting, ask where Southern Illinois and Memphis fit. Despite its paucity of good wins, Memphis has no bad losses, and will probably go undefeated in CUSA play. If they don't lose again before the NCAAs, they have to get at least a no. 2, which means that somebody on that list of five above will drop down to a no. 3 seed. And can SIU lay claim to a 2 seed, pushing another of those top ten major conference teams to a 3 seed?

i guess the point is that there is a lot to still be decided in these last 8 days before the brackets come out.

but in one way you probably wouldn't mind sliding in as a 3 seed and looking at Memphis or the Salukis as the no. 2 in your region.

[StPetersburgHoya (Inactive)]

Memphis = 2007 GW

[Big Dog]

stpetersburghoya said:

Memphis = 2007 GW

I don't know, I kind of instinctively thought that too. But then I remembered that they got a no. 1 seed last year and took it all the way to the Elite Eight. The committee no doubt also remembers that.

[ExcitableBoy]

bigdog said:

stpetersburghoya said:

Memphis = 2007 GW

I don't know, I kind of instinctively thought that too. But then I remembered that they got a no. 1 seed last year and took it all the way to the Elite Eight. The committee no doubt also remembers that.

How much is that taken into consideration? I.e. will our taking a 7 seed to the sweet sixteen count last year for anything this year?