Is Joe Lunardi the Drew Sharp of NCAA Basketball Coverage?
I did not compile these myself, but these are transcripts from ESPN chats with "Bracketologist" Joe Lunardi. He has gone on record saying that he believes Illinois, Michigan State, Minnesota and possibly Penn State are going to make the tournament; however, for some reason Lunardi thinks Michigan isn't even on the bubble. After reading these chats, it's apparent that he is unprofessionally rude to Michigan fans and Michigan basketball sympathizers. Of course no MSM guy is as bad as Drew Sharp, and there's no credible evidence that Lunardi wants to see Michigan basketball program destroyed, but the way Lunardi downplays and disrespects our basketball program reminds me of the way Sharp downplays and disrespects our football program.
Mgoboard, is Joe Lunardi the Drew Sharp of NCAA Basketball coverage?
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Brian (Raleigh, NC) I understand that the Wisconsin game will determine a lot on Wednesday, but not having in Michigan even in consideration right now given the teams you currently have on the bubble makes me question if you can see beyond your Big East blinders. If they beat the Badgers, would Michigan have a shot at least cracking your second four out?
Joe Lunardi (4:15 PM) Michigan's best win is....Harvard, right?
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Bob (Ann Arbor) How many wins does Michigan State need to make the NCAA tourney? 17-18? Or More?
Joe Lunardi (4:25 PM) We're going to be talking an awful lot about Michigan State, I suspect, Bob. Their ultimate fate will depend more on the "quality" of their wins than their "quantity," which is why I still like their chances.
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One week ago:
Mike (Louisiana) Where is Michigan Joe??...16-10 overall and #20 SOS with key road wins..what do they have to do Joe 9-9 in conference and a win in the BTT or 10-8 in conference and a win in the BTT what do they need to do please help me understand??
Joe Lunardi (4:39 PM) Does everyone lobbying for Michigan realize they are 6-7 in the Big Ten and 0-6 against the RPI Top 25? Not happening, people.
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Two weeks ago:
Mike (Louisiana) You guys need to put Michigan on the bubble watch right now because they just got a huge victory at Penn St. and they just swept them....do they have a chance of getting in or is it just NIT bound let me know please
Joe Lunardi (4:20 PM) The same Michigan team that sits at 4-7 in the Big Ten and lost to UTEP? That's an N.I.T. resume if I ever saw one.
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Josh (Midwest) How many teams do you have in front of Michigan?
Joe Lunardi (4:31 PM) What's with the Michigan obsession today? UofM isn't even on the board, to be honest. Methinks some are getting a little carried away with a sweep of wounded Penn State.
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A quick google reveals that the Freep is now publishing stories about Lunardi's predictioins
For those who are interested or bored, Lunardi will be holding another chat at 4 PM next Monday on ESPN.com.
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:42 PM ^
I don't think he's Drew Sharp because Sharp is a hack who is contrarian for no reason other than he lacks the creativity to produce legitimate, thought-provoking material. I honestly don't blame Lunardi for dismissing UM - that Harvard win + Clemson do look like the biggest wins on the resume as of now, and while I love the Wolverines, I can get why others would dismiss them. To not have them on the bubble shows a lack of foresight by Lunardi, but whatever - his brackets have always lagged behind others. At this point, let UM beat Wiscy tomorrow, then Minny, then MSU. If all that happens, UM will be in regardless of what Joe Lunardi feels about their resume two weeks ago.
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:47 PM ^
I can't blame him either because he looks strictly at numbers when he does his job. His bracketology is also set up if the tournament began today. As of today, we don't have the numbers. If we actually beat a combination of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and MSU like most of us think we can do, then his job gets harder. I bet his tune is different on Thursday if we can indeed pull off the Wisconsin victory.
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:47 PM ^
unprofessionally rude to Michigan fans.
Who cares? If the team wins, we'll make the postseason.
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:47 PM ^
just to pick and choose some individual games and try to base an entire resume on that. What an idiot.
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:49 PM ^
Not every prediction experts make come true you know.....
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:08 PM ^
I'm from Dewey's home town, so every time I see that it hurts a little bit more...
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:28 PM ^
This one should make you feel a bit better......
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:37 PM ^
Unless that paper is from his hometown as well.
February 22nd, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^
Right he is drew sharp. I think Lunardi has missed a grand total of 5 teams in the last 3 years.
Get a grip people.
Michigan is an team NIT, RIGHT NOW. If they come up with their best win of the season vs Wisconsin or @Minnesota, then maybe they will get in. But right now, they are obviously out.
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:04 PM ^
No, Lunardi's comments indicate that he thinks we're out regardless of what we do in these last 3 games.
"Joe Lunardi (4:39 PM) Does everyone lobbying for Michigan realize they are 6-7 in the Big Ten and 0-6 against the RPI Top 25? Not happening, people."
Q: Brian (Raleigh, NC) If they beat the Badgers, would Michigan have a shot at least cracking your second four out?
Joe Lunardi (4:15 PM) Michigan's best win is....Harvard, right?
February 23rd, 2011 at 3:35 AM ^
He said we need a signature win and a win against a top 25 rpi team.... beating Wisconsin does both of those. He might have been a little snide with his responses but he did answer the questions
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:32 PM ^
My point I'd like to argue - only missing 5 teams in 3 years sounds impressive if you look at 64-65 teams each year, but the top 50-55 spots every year are either auto-bids that he knows before his final bracket is up (and I'm guessing that is how you judge his success rate) or top teams that everyone knows is in. So what we are actually talking about is being right 25 out of 30 times over the past 3 years, which is very good but shows some weaknesses.
But yeah, I don't care what Lunardi thinks - right now this team doesn't deserve to be in the tournament, but win 3 of the next 4 games and watch out.
February 23rd, 2011 at 11:36 AM ^
Exactly. If anyone spent the same amount of time as Lunardi, they'd replicate his results. There is no great secret of how the selection committee works, it's just a lot of information to comprehend and it takes time to master the prediction.
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:04 PM ^
is the way Sparty got shellacked by Iowa and Wisconsin.....they weren't even in those games and I always thought it wasn't how you started the season but how you finished it?....well Sparty sure has a lot more wins in the front part of the schedule rather than the latter
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:09 PM ^
Agreed this team is probably NIT bound but some of Lunardis facts are asinine. 0-6 against the top 25 for example. Show me a bubble team that would have beaten OSU (twice) or Kansas. Half of our top 25 losses are to the teams that have sat at #1 this year. We lost to GOOD teams save UTEP (final day of the tourney the day after a gut wrenching loss)
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:12 PM ^
NW and Indiana as well. Not saying I agree with Lunardi, just pointing out we have more than 1 bad loss.
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:16 PM ^
UTEP's RPI is 61, only 3 spots lower than Michigan. Our worst loss is Indiana, but that's Michigan's only loss outside of the RPI Top 100.
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:18 PM ^
UTEP is 20-7 with 4 games remaining, and are guaranteed an automatic birth to the tournament if they win out their 4 last games.
Here's the top of the C-USA standings:
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Miss | 9-4 | -- | 21-6 |
| UAB | 9-4 | -- | 19-7 |
| UTEP | 8-4 | .5 | 20-7 |
Road losses in the Big Ten are our worst losses...
February 23rd, 2011 at 12:37 AM ^
UTEP would likely have to do some work in the C-USA tournament to make it. Winning their last four and not winning, or making it to the finals, of their tournament would likely put them as questionable for an at-large bid.
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:11 PM ^
At least CBS has given some stock in Michigan's resume compared to the other bubble teams. They moved Michigan to IN as of today, playing the play in game in the West Region. Getting closer to happening. Tommorow night will be a huge factor, but with the BTT we still have some wiggle room.
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:21 PM ^
Regardless of Lunardi's motivation, we have to be happy that this team has put themselves in a position where one can justify calling Joe Lunardi Drew Sharp.
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:35 PM ^
Winning takes care of everything regardless of what Joe Lunardi or anyone else says.
February 22nd, 2011 at 11:49 PM ^
The problem with Lunardi is he discounts Michigan due to their supposedly inadequate resume, while he touts teams like Clemson and Memphis. He is usually pretty good, but his disregarding of Michigan as even on the bubble is stupid.
But it doesn't matter, what will happen, will happen. Beat Wisconsin.
February 23rd, 2011 at 1:17 AM ^
February 23rd, 2011 at 8:14 AM ^
Michigan will get a play-in game in Dayton OH.... I can guaran-damn-tee you the Dayton Alumni Assoc will have a hosted bar night the day of the game.
February 23rd, 2011 at 8:16 AM ^
Double post
February 23rd, 2011 at 8:39 AM ^
Bracketology 101 is much better and proven over the the recent 3-4 years as more accurate than Lunardi.
And, they've been discussing Michigan quite a lot. They've been in their final 4 OUT for the last two brackets. They've been waiting for Michigan to deliver a win like they have a chance to tonight. No disrespect to Lunardi, but he's not the best out there......and I find his mock brackets during the middle of the season to be borderline ridiculous and, at times, seems to cater to the big bubble games on his network each week. In fact, B101 regularly shreds him for some of his selections and seedings. It's quite funny.
February 23rd, 2011 at 8:44 AM ^
Brian (Raleigh, NC) I understand that the Wisconsin game will determine a lot on Wednesday, but not having in Michigan even in consideration right now given the teams you currently have on the bubble makes me question if you can see beyond your Big East blinders. If they beat the Badgers, would Michigan have a shot at least cracking your second four out?Joe Lunardi (4:15 PM) Michigan's best win is....Harvard, right?
I've often found that the best way to get "professional courtesy" out of a guy is to accuse him of being a shill to the Big East.
February 23rd, 2011 at 12:16 PM ^
Lunardi's "bracketology" is a farce.
By the end of the conference tournaments, you have 30-something auto-bids, and 30-something at-large bids that are "locks". It usually comes down to 2 or 3 spots that are in contention with about 5 or 6 teams.
Even if you miss all of them, you've had 62 out of 65 in the past. Nail any of them and you're between 63 and 65.
Given the "locks", a rabbit could score over 62.