Monday Bracketology
ESPN's Joe Lundardi updated his bracket today:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology
He still has Michigan as a 4 seed. On Friday we were the #1 4 seed and today we're the #2 4 seed. Not much of a difference.
The braket matrix:
http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm
won't be updated again until Friday. At last update (Saturday 2/8), Michigan was included in all 60 brackets that the matrix tracks and was an average of a mid-5 seed. However, most of the brackets tracked haven't updated in a while, so Michigan can expect its rating to be better when it updates on Saturday (prior to our next game, which is Sat. night at 9 PM vs. OSU).
At this point, many experts consider Michigan to be a tourney lock. We can lose out and still would be .500 in B1G conference play. However, IMO we still need another win because we could lose in the first round of the B1G tournament, which would push us beneath .500 if we really lost out. Given the way the team is playing, however, this shouldn't be much of a concern.
February 13th, 2012 at 11:50 AM ^
All these years, I thought only the 1 and 2 seeds were ranked, and after that 3 seeds on down were assorted at random and to prevent conference matchups if possible.
I just hope his prediction of Michigan playing in Nashville is true. That's only about 2 hours from me.
February 13th, 2012 at 12:06 PM ^
BEAT OHIO
February 13th, 2012 at 12:08 PM ^
also, root for minnesota and purdue, except when they play illinois and us.
as it stands, we have 7 RPI top 50 wins, which is tied for the most with Baylor. Purdue is 53 and Minnesota is 57, and RPI top 50 wins are a big factor for the committee, so we want them to break into the top 50. but since illinois is close to falling out of the top 50, we don't want them beat the fighting illini.
February 13th, 2012 at 12:22 PM ^
We also want our non-conference foes to keep playing well.
Memphis is currently a #18 RPI and could easily run the table to end the season, which would put them at 24-7 and a top 15 RPI, probably.
UVA is curently #34 RPI, with 4 should-win games and 2 against UNC and FSU. Split those and UVA is looking really good. Tehy should finish around 23-7.
Iowa St is #39 RPI with 6 games left. Unfortunately, they have 2 against Baylor and 1 against Mizzou. Assuming they go 3-3, they'll still end up 21-10 with a likely 8-10 seed.
UCLA, unfortunately, is #124 RPI and 14-11 with 6 to go. They won't help us too much, but we do want them to keep wining and break into the top 100, which would help slightly and from an optics perspective.
It'd also be nice to get Iowa into the top 100, but that seems unlikely at this point.
February 13th, 2012 at 12:08 PM ^
Based on nothing, that revised bracket looks like a tougher draw, particularly in the 2nd round, compared to last week.
February 13th, 2012 at 12:11 PM ^
I'm so excited for March, but I can't look past the OSU game yet. I really hope we can pull out a win against them in Crisler.
On another note, this bracket has us taking on Oral Roberts. Anal Roberts won't make it into March, their team is to shitty.
February 13th, 2012 at 12:28 PM ^
Trash talking Oral Roberts? Seriously?
February 13th, 2012 at 12:37 PM ^
Man, I wasn't trash talking Oral Roberts. Anal Roberts was supposed to be a fictional different school, which now I realize wasn't clear in my comment. And this fictional school being shitty was a play on the word anal.
Rewording: Anal Roberts, their rival, won't make it into March, their team is too shitty.
February 13th, 2012 at 2:00 PM ^
At least you used "too" in your rebutal unlike the original.
February 13th, 2012 at 4:49 PM ^
I enjoy how you point out my incorrect usage of "to" and then spell "rebuttal" wrong.
February 13th, 2012 at 12:39 PM ^
Being in Kansas, I'd love to see Michigan in the same bracket. No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 1 Kansas? I love the sound of that. Go Blue.
February 13th, 2012 at 12:45 PM ^
Michigan has moved to #19 in the coaches poll. AP poll has yet to be released.
February 13th, 2012 at 1:28 PM ^
17 in the coaches:
February 13th, 2012 at 1:32 PM ^
You mean #17 in the AP. As I previously stated (and your link confirms), we are #19 in the coaches.
February 13th, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^
you're right. my mistake.
February 13th, 2012 at 12:55 PM ^
Crashing the Dance has us up to a 4 seed for the first time today (we've been down in 5 seed territory for a few weeks now). Their sparkline graphic is cool.
http://www.crashingthedance.com/seed.php
February 13th, 2012 at 2:16 PM ^
those sparklines are cool. Easy to see from doing a quick scan that there are very few teams without a home loss (major conference teams bolded).
1 Kentucky
2 Syracuse
4 Kansas
5 Mizzou
7 msu
13 UNLV
16 Michigan
28 St Marys
32 Southern Miss
43 Harvard
49 Long Beach
57 Oral Roberts
65 Long Island
68 Mississippi Valley St
February 13th, 2012 at 3:23 PM ^
Michigan and Michigan State football and basketball are a combined 44-0 at home this year.
February 13th, 2012 at 3:34 PM ^
One cannot mess with the mitten
February 13th, 2012 at 3:45 PM ^
Did you come up with that all by yourself?
February 13th, 2012 at 4:19 PM ^
I invented the Arabic counting system and the concept of zero. Before me, their combined records would have been XLIV - ???.
February 13th, 2012 at 4:33 PM ^
Doing math in ancient Rome must have sucked. The multiplication tables would have been brutal. ("Octavius, what's IX times XII?")
February 13th, 2012 at 4:34 PM ^
Carry the V?
February 13th, 2012 at 4:41 PM ^
"I've got XCIX problems, but a Carthagenian ain't one..."
February 13th, 2012 at 4:43 PM ^
The fact that this user even exists is hilarious. You're famous, Blue in South Bend!
February 13th, 2012 at 11:46 PM ^
Wow I live in Nashville if this holds true that would be awesome to see them here. There are plenty of Michigan fans here and we would fill Bridgestone Arena very well.
February 14th, 2012 at 3:23 AM ^
just keep taking care of business. This is fun to talk about, but means nothing, if they dont finish strong.