The never too early ESPN Bracketology
Well it's Tuesday, so that means ESPN came out with a new bracketology.
Duke, Kansas, Syracuse, and Michigan get the 1 seeds. It has Michigan playing the winner of Norfolk State and Southern U and then playing the winner of Baylor/Pitt.
Louirville is the #2, Butler #3, and Creighton #4. I'd love to have that 3 and 4 in my side of the bracket.
Big Ten
Indiana, 2 seed
Minnesota, 3 seed
Ohio, 4 seed
Michigan St, 4 seed
Wisconsin, 7 seed
Illinois, 11 seed
January 22nd, 2013 at 12:43 PM ^
January 22nd, 2013 at 12:49 PM ^
I'm starting to actually believe it. We haven't been a one seed since '93 I believe. But, every night, it's looking better and better.
January 22nd, 2013 at 12:56 PM ^
Happy MgoBirthday!
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:01 PM ^
Haha...Thank you! Been reading for a while--thought it was time to try to start getting involved.
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:24 PM ^
regular season champions, B1G Tourney champs, #1 seed, National Title....and then everyone comes back next year and they do it again, all of it.
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:18 PM ^
What about the NIT?
January 22nd, 2013 at 3:39 PM ^
already won it earlier this year in NYC!
January 22nd, 2013 at 12:50 PM ^
I would rather avoid Butler and Creighton completely until the Final Four. Those two teams make U of Ohio look like Bradley (yes, I know we're much better than last year, but Creighton is legit and Butler is good too).
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:11 PM ^
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:17 PM ^
It doesnt matter if they would be .500 in the B1G over the course of the season, in the tourny all you have to do is win your next game and recent history suggests that these mid majors can make serious noise in the post season.
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:20 PM ^
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:59 PM ^
I don't want to have to go up against any team coached by Brad Stevens.
January 22nd, 2013 at 3:45 PM ^
Butler has beaten 3 teams who were ranked in the top ten. Stevens may be the best coach in the country. I want to avoid them.
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:18 PM ^
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:45 PM ^
we beat in the regular season (revenge/over-confidence factor) for as long as possible.
January 22nd, 2013 at 12:50 PM ^
Robby you must be swamped at work today!
January 22nd, 2013 at 12:57 PM ^
Is it that obvious?
The worst part is that I've already read all of the Michigan related articles on ESPN, thewolverine.com, and wolverinenation. WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!?!?!?!?
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:01 PM ^
You just described my day in it's entirety. Need Moar Michigan Reads
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:05 PM ^
I used to read Michigantremendous, but that's no more :(
I suppose I could read touchthebanner, but I can't scroll down too far, because then you'll have girls in barely nothing. For some reason, looking at pictures like that is frowned upon at my work. Thanks Bin Laden!
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:06 PM ^
I've started reading this guys blog www.themblock.com. Seems to have pretty good content. Agree about Tremendous.
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:17 PM ^
Well I'll have to check it out. Thanks!
January 22nd, 2013 at 12:53 PM ^
They are the perfect 3 if Louisville is the 2, because even though they're terrifying, they might because of said terrifyingness knock off louisville, who is even more terrifying. Terror.
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:08 PM ^
if we truly have a shot at that one seed.
The looming gauntlet of at IU, Ohio, at Wisky, at Sparty will determine if we are one seed material. I would think a team deserving of a one seed would go 3-1, at worst maybe 2-2 in that stretch. Anythying less and I think our chances drop significantly. 1-3 wouldn't mean we'd have no chance, but it would make it tough to get back up there.
Either way, Go Blue!!!!
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:43 PM ^
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:10 PM ^
Here we come!!!
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:12 PM ^
I would never want to face Butler in the tournament. I feel like the lower the seed they are, the more dangerous they are.
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:16 PM ^
Lousville would be an epic regional final. In the West, that would be a very fortunate draw for Staee. I think Syracuse is overrated (really a one person show) and I think I actually might have Sparty coming out of that region believe it or not.
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:18 PM ^
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:29 PM ^
How many more embarrassing losses until they drop Illinois?
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:38 PM ^
They'll drop when we beat them by 50 on Sunday.
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:38 PM ^
Kansas St knocking off Kansas tonight will give us a little seed insurance.
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:35 PM ^
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:41 PM ^
Don't they try to avoid potential rematches until the Sweet 16, meaning Pitt being on the line below Michigan is not feasible? Or is it just conference opponents where this applies?
Yes, I realize it's just a rough prognostication.
January 22nd, 2013 at 6:09 PM ^
that is only for conference foes and the elite eight is the soonest they can play.
BTW, I could easily see an all B1G Final Four of Mich, Ind, Minn, MSU, but in that bracket I will actually go with Mich, KU, Fla, MSU
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:46 PM ^
Really hard to take these things serious, when they give MSU the Auto Bid for the Big Ten and have them at a 4 seed. I know, I seen the part about current confrence leader and they are up a half game. But, if your going to put out some way to early brackets at least make some way to early predictions.
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:58 PM ^
January 22nd, 2013 at 3:12 PM ^
Sorry to be the grammar police, but "I seen" is one of my pet peeves, along with putting an apostrophe in a plural word...before the "s."
As for the topic, the B1G teams seem fairly seeded, based on their current records/results.
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:34 PM ^
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:44 PM ^
The top 4 seeds in the south is killer. Kansas, IU, NC state and Ohio. I dont want any part of that.
January 22nd, 2013 at 3:28 PM ^
North Carolina, VCU, Cincinnati, UCLA, and Georgetown all in that region as well. BRUTAL!
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:47 PM ^
Not sure you could ask for a better bracket. Maybe switch Louisville for Florida and it would be one of the "easier" roads. But once you get to the 1v2 matchup it's going to be tough no matter who you play.
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:51 PM ^
January 22nd, 2013 at 3:00 PM ^
is a bit scary. Maybe they'll play themselves up to a higher seed.
January 22nd, 2013 at 3:01 PM ^
It would be huge to be in Auburn Hill/Indy -- perhaps even bigger than getting the 1. There are also a lot of us alumni here in DC, so that could be a nice home-court if Indiana bumps us out of the Midwest 1 seed. Also it's January, I can't believe I just engaged in speculating about our bracket.
January 22nd, 2013 at 3:09 PM ^
If i'm reading that correctly, he's predicting MSU to be the B1G autobid? I would not want to face Louisville or Butler before the Final Four.
You can pencil in Florida for a #1 seed too. There's not a team that's going to challenge them on their schedule the rest of the way. Florida will knock Duke or Michigan off the top line depending on who stumbles more in conference play. Unless Kansas loses at KState they also will likely not lose more than twice the rest of the way.
January 22nd, 2013 at 3:43 PM ^
The SEC is so down, though, Florida's resume's not going to look very good. Right now, they have 3 RPI top 50 wins, with one in the top 25. They'll likely pick up another when Wisconsin moves up from #51, but they only play two more top 50 teams, and those are middling (Mizzou @ 26 and Ole Miss @ 33). They also have 4 games against SEC teams that are 200+ in the RPI.
Compare to Michigan, which also has 3 top 50 wins, but two of those are top 15 (with one on the road). More importantly, they have 7 games left against the top 50 (plus Wisconsin) and no games against teams ranked lower than 188.
If Florida sweeps the league, they'll probably get a one, but anything else, and they're likely a 2 seed, even though they'd only have 3 losses. Just not enough good wins.
January 22nd, 2013 at 3:47 PM ^
Kansas has a far better case if they win the Big 12. Already have 6 top 50 wins (including a win @ OSU), with 8 top 50 games left (only one of them top 25 but still a far stronger schedule than Florida).
January 22nd, 2013 at 3:21 PM ^
I wasn't 100% sold on Michigan going into the season with the amount of freshman that were going to be getting key minutes, but the more I have seen of them this season, I have changed my mind.
The NCAA Tournament always comes down to matchups, but you have to like the fact that you have two guys (Burke and Hardaway) that can create their own offense at anytime in a game along with a having some knock down shooters. I can't imagine anything less than an Elite 8 appearance for Michigan right now.
As for the Buckeyes, I wouldn't mind their seeding falling somewhere in the 3-5 range. They just struggle way to much on the offensive end of the floor (except for Thomas) to make a real deep run this year, but again, you never know come tourney time.