Today's Rooting Guide
Well, shitting the bed sure wasn't fun yesterday. It does seem it was the perfect microcosm of the season. Nothing we can do about that now.
Let's talk rooting interests for today and there are some HUGE ones! Let's look at our info first:
- First with us, Bracket Matrix did an update last night and we were in 130 of 133 brackets. I would expect that number to drop a bit with today's update.
- Interestingly enough, we didn't move at all on Torvik. We came in at 25 and are still at 25. He has us as the 9th team above the cut line and the second to last 10 seed.
- Our NET ranking took a small dip. We were 31, we're now 34.
- Lunardi at ESPN still has us as the 6th last team in the tournament. That Notre Dame lost helped A TON! As predicted, Palm with CBS has us as the 2nd team out.
So, what helps us today (in order of importance):
- I actually like Rutgers. I think their team is really fun to watch but we need Iowa to beat them today and big if possible. Rutgers has a gaudy 6 Q-1 wins (we have 5) but their NET ranking is still a problem at 77 as they have 2 Q-3 losses and a dreaded Q-4 loss. Lunardi has Rutgers one slot above us. Not counting conference champions, Bracket Matrix has Rutgers 6 spots behind us. Gotta have an Iowa win here.
- Staying in the Big Ten, we need Illinois to beat Indiana today. With their win yesterday that will never be mentioned again, they are now 41 on the NET ranking. Lunardi has Indiana as his last team in, Bracket Matrix has them as their 2nd team out, and Torvik has them as his first team safe from Dayton. ILL-INI (barf)
- In the Mountain West (which by the way, is likely to get at least 3 teams in the tournament), we need Boise State to beat Wyoming. Wyoming is up to 44 on the NET ranking are their last second win over UNLV last night.Bracket Matrix, Lunardi, and Torvik all agree that Wyoming is one of the last 4 teams in. A loss for them tonight likely pushes them out.
- We need Miami to lose to Duke today. Miami is an interesting case. With their last-second win against BC yesterday, they actually dropped to spots on the NET rankings (to 63). Miami has 3 Quad-3 losses. Lunardi has them 2 spots above us. Torvik has them one spot above us and Bracket Matrix has them 3 spots below us. A Duke win can actually help a Michigan team, who knew?
- This one will be easy for me because I've always thought Richmond had one of the cooler mascots (plus Beilein coached there) but we need Richmond to beat VCU today. This should actually be, on paper, an awesome game. Torvik and Bracket Matrix are believers in that VCU is one of the last 1-2 teams left off the bracket. Lunardi thinks they're a little further back than that. Either way, we need one less team to worry about. Go Spiders!
- Another big one in the AAC. We need Tulsa to beat SMU. Tulsa is interesting. They were playing awful but have pulled off some decent wins over the last 2 weeks. General agreement here that SMU is right on the cut line. NET ranking of 48, Bracket Matrix has them as the last team in, Lunardi has them as the first team out, and Torvik has them as his 4th to last team safe. We're big Tulsa fans today.
- We'd love it if UMass beat Dayton. This one is probably a pretty tough pull as UMass hasn't been great this year. Dayton winning this game isn't going to help them much but losing would be bubble death. Dayton is 52 on the NET ranking. Little bit of disagreement here, as Torvik and Bracket Matrix have Dayton as the 7th and 5th team out of the field respectively but Lunardi has them as his 2nd team out. Go Minutemen!
- North Carolina did us a solid yesterday and we need them to do it again. We're rooting for NC against Virginia Tech. Speaking of a solid, VT beating Notre Dame was a huge gift but your run needs to be over Hokies. They are now 33 on the NET ranking (one above us). Torvik has them as his first team out, Lunardi thinks they're the 3rd team out. Bracket Matrix is a touch behind with the games from yesterday and says 6th team out. Go Heels!
- We need Oklahoma's run to end, they're moving up quickly. Their NET ranking is now 38. Bracket Matrix and Lunardi are in agreement that Oklahoma is the 4th team out, Torvik thinks they're the 6th to last team in the field. Either way, we're rooting for Texas Tech to beat the Sooners.
- One more case of the bid stealer, we need Auburn to beat Texas A&M today. A&M's net ranking is now 55 and climbing. But a loss today officially knocks them out. Some general agreement here with Torvik and Lunardi. They both have A&M about 6-7 spots off the cut line but a win over Auburn would change that drastically. We can't risk that. Go Tigers!
Wins by SDSU, Arizona, and UCF would also be helpful for our SOS but I won't be greedy ;)
There you have it! Let's move up that seed line! Go Blue!
March 11th, 2022 at 10:13 PM ^
We're in 120 of the 129 brackets on the Matrix, hovering just above having to go to Dayton for a First Four game.
The loss yesterday hurt our seeding, but most respectable predictions have us in, just barely.
It's still not a given and we need some teams to win tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday, but probably okay.
That said, if they get left out, it won't be the surprise of the century.
March 11th, 2022 at 10:27 PM ^
I got about 20 mins of solid awake time left.
Richmond up 8 right now.
Even though it's the first half, Boise and Texas Tech are cruising.
VA Tech looks like they have the answer for everything UNC is throwing at them.
Cannot complain if we get those 3/4 results to end the night.
March 11th, 2022 at 10:54 PM ^
Things are looking good outside of the UNC/VaTech game. I think we are solidly in. My only concern is if we drop to the play in game.
March 11th, 2022 at 10:56 PM ^
Honestly, I won't even be mad if they get into the play-in game. They had a chance to not be in it by taking care of Indiana.
We need Duke to do us a solid tomorrow. I'm not an expert, but I don't see Tech jumping us even with this dub- they need to beat Duke.
March 11th, 2022 at 11:06 PM ^
Colorado is all but done- deep breath with that, could have been a bid-stealer.
Tech is imploding a little against OU- only up 5 now. Edit- waking up finally, up 3 after being down a few.
They just showed Lunardi's updated bracket a second ago- he has us in the last 4 in. I have NO idea why he has OK so highly rated- yes, they have some great wins, but you can't be 7-11 in conference and get in lol- just my two cents.
March 11th, 2022 at 11:29 PM ^
I said it earlier, but the out of nowhere Lunardi change is almost always a leak from the committee. I think Michigan is 50/50 at best at this point.
March 11th, 2022 at 11:38 PM ^
I doubt that. The committee isn't leaking to Joe Lunardi, especially considering the reveal is on CBS.
March 11th, 2022 at 11:46 PM ^
I hope you're right, but I've seen it before.
March 12th, 2022 at 12:01 AM ^
We are 17-14 period, if you are using straight records as an indicator we aren't getting in
Fortunately the committee uses other metrics besides simple record.
"If you are using straight records as an indicator." I won't pretend to know which bubble teams are in and which are out, but I know that it won't be determined by "straight records."
March 11th, 2022 at 11:42 PM ^
TECH SURVIVES. Wow.
That was massively important for Michigan.
And there goes Wyoming.
Two more teams that won't steal a bid from M.
March 11th, 2022 at 11:44 PM ^
Thank you Duke (yuck) and Texas Tech. VA Tech seems to be playing themselves into the Madness, however.
March 11th, 2022 at 11:46 PM ^
Possibly- I still think they need to win tomorrow.
March 11th, 2022 at 11:50 PM ^
I think I agree. They're really turning it on though (a la Indiana).
March 11th, 2022 at 11:49 PM ^
Can add VT as a team going above Michigan now to Indiana. Thank god TT and Boise held on but its still on a knifes edge at this point.
March 11th, 2022 at 11:53 PM ^
Are you a manic depressive? For years I’ve thought you would win the title for most negative person here. Maybe the Cube could challenge you but I doubt it.
March 12th, 2022 at 12:03 AM ^
I consider myself a realist to be honest.
Also don't use depression as an insult. I am thankfully not someone that has that struggle, if I did its not like it would manifest in the way your implying, and if I did it would be extremely rude and hurtful to use that as a way to try to insult me and the way I communicate. Be better, or maybe just don't bother insulting people you don't know on the internet for no reason.
March 12th, 2022 at 12:09 AM ^
95 percent of what you post is negative. That’s not realism. That’s being the board Eeyore.
He is correct here though. It’s highly unlikely that Michigan is going to get in. There are other factors at play. We aren’t exactly the “darling” of college basketball right now. And we simply won’t be playing basketball close enough to the time of selection. Out of sight out of mind. I believe we needed the Indiana game to get in. I think there are a lot of people on the Board who don’t remember pre-Beilein and have trouble fathoming not being in the tournament. But it does happen, it sucks badly because March Madness is a great party but sometimes you just aren’t on the invite list for various reasons. Here I think it will be a catastrophic non-conference and the Melee in Madison.
March 12th, 2022 at 10:19 AM ^
Being negative and being realistic are not mutually exclusive. There is a lot going against us:
1. The Juwan brawl doesn’t exactly paint us as a team that the NCAA is looking to reward. A close decision between us and some smaller-school Cinderella story, or even a large school that is on par with us, may be decided on this basis.
2. We completely shit the bed in our last game. That collapse was epic. Again, feelingsball and all, but it could impact perception if the decision is a close one.
3. Our record is meh. We’ve lost so many games that, on paper, we should have won. 17-14 is not typically good enough.