ESPN bracketology

[valpo4life]

Love it. I'm a big fan of speeding up the game and the bigger restricted area will eliminate some of the charge calls where the defender gets over last second and everyone debates whether he was there in time for it to be a charge or a block. I'm happy about both proposals and it is a good move to experiment with them in a meaningful setting where there will be plenty of data to take to the NCAA's Rules Committee meeting in May.

[valporun]

I like this happening in the postseason NIT. It will not speed up the game that much, just adds some more possessions, but won't speed it up too much. Also, due to the NIT being on the off NCAA tournament nights, how many college basketball fans without a horse in the NIT will pay attention to it anyway? Also, use this format in the exhibition games next season. I mean it changes some aspects of those games more than it will in the NIT, I think. Plus, it allows for every D-I team to play under these rules, instead of a trial by teams that are just getting postseason exposure to help with recruiting.

[valpo4life]

Also, use this format in the exhibition games next season.

The ACC already did that this season to try and get a head start on the seemingly inevitable rule change. I believe if it goes over well in the NIT, we will see this rule change happen for next season. Mike Brey, who used to be the chair of the Rules Committee, thinks there will be "great momentum" for the shot clock being changed to 30 seconds. Many coaches have been in favor of the change, I expect to see it next season.

[a3uge]

I made this comment in another thread, but I'm all for a shorter shot clock. The pace might not improve much, but it'll make the end of games more bearable. In college, you have to start fouling with at least 40 seconds left if down. Games become free-throw fests earlier and the final minute takes about an hour. In the NBA, you don't have to start fouling before 27 or 28 seconds due to a shorter shot clock and the benefit of a timeout advancing the ball. The other night the Bucks were down 6 with 36 seconds left and came back to tie without any fouls - a 3 with 30 seconds left and then a buzzer beater at the end of regulation by OJ Mayo. But A 24 s clock would be too low for college - so many teams press and have a hard time bringing the ball up. 30 seems like a good compromise.

[wh]

I'm a big fan of a 30-sec. clock.  WSU's Donlon used a slowdown tactic that I absolutely despised, where their guards milked the clock in the back court for the first 10-15 seconds before they ran a play.  His purported premise was that they couldn't win a game in the 70's or 80's, so he would intentionally take the air out of the ball to reduce total possessions.  Maybe it was effective, maybe not.  I don't know and I don't care, any more than I cared if Dean Smith's 4-corner offense was effective.  As a fan I'm not interested in paying good money to watch gimmicky nonsense like that.

[historyman]

so he would intentionally take the air out of the ball

Interesting wording.

I imagine that Donlon calls this the "Patriot" offense?

[kerrywoodwins20]

We might get swept by Oakland for god's sake. A #14 might be generous.

[Kyle321n]

We might get swept by Oakland for god's sake. A #14 might be generous.

Oh good you found your way over to this thread too.

[SanityLost17]

Updated today: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

Not only do we need to keep winning, but we need some other teams to lose a few!  The HL needs GB or Valpo to win the conference tourney because we have the best chance at a solid seed and an upset.  Cleveland State/Oakland are playing VERY well, but I am afraid their ceiling is a 14 seed.  Beating Green Bay is a MUST win for us because it is possibly our last chance at a "signature" win.  As far as seeding goes, we actually need to hope we see GB again in the conference tourney, as the winner of that game will get a bigger boost.  All of the following teams are between 40-90 in the RPI and will be fighting for the 11-14 seed area depending on how conference tournaments play out.  Important to note that Yale/Harvard will not have a conference tournament.  Also, several of these schools are MAC schools and to quote the Highlander, "there can be only 1."     
Eastern Washington
Murray State
Stephen F. Austin
Bowling Green
Iona
Wofford
William and Mary
Harvard
Yale
Louisiana Tech
UC Davis
LB State
Buffalo
Georgia State
Toledo   

[classof2014]

I'd say we would be anywhere from an 11 to a 14. 11 is unlikely but if we win out, which includes 2 GB wins I say we get a 12 and if some other things fall our way possibly an 11. If lose 1 more game to either CSU or GB and beat GB in the tourney we get a 13. If we lose both games but win the tourney we get a 14. Don't win the tourney we're in the NIT or lower.

[Kyle321n]

Oh do I not want to play UNC. Meeks would have a field day with Vashil/Jubril and and Johnson is the exact type of player that shuts Alec down. Then you have a 6'6" and 6'8" guy for the Walkers to try match up against. The only match up against UNC I'd like is at PG and even then it's apples to oranges in terms of skill level. Can we go back to playing Notre Dame?

[justducky]

From Sagarin 13 thru 20 ranking (meaning possible 13 or 12 seed opponents) in descending order we have Baylor, ND, Ohio St, Iowa St, Wichita St, Butler (never heard of em), West Virginia, and Texas. There are some teams in that group that GB or Valpo could compete with. With our SOS and no signature wins I am not certain that we would get a 12 seed even if we win out. If we do win out then GB will fall much further than we will rise meaning our RPI will still be pretty marginal.

Hey I may be retired but unlike you folks I HAVE a very busy schedule and NEED to actually get some work done. So I'm out of here!!! I'll read all 200 of the new posts I missed after quitting time!      YES--- excitement is starting to build!

[LaPorteAveApostle]

if i've learned anything from naples it's that the retired are WAY busier than you and i

[vu84v2]

Thoughts on whether Valpo could compete with that group of teams:
UNC: probably not
Baylor : probably not (Scott has done a great job this year)
ND: don't know
Ohio State: don't know
Iowa State: probably. A fun team, but their style and players would make them capable of beating Kentucky or getting beat by a 13-15 seed.
Wichita State: yes
Butler: yes
West Virginia: maybe. A highly varable team from game to game. Very athletic and intense defense, but Valpo has the players to match up with that and score.
Texas: who knows? (huge talent level, but worst coached team in the Big 12 and probably the country)

[classof2014]

The Murray State win could prove big in terms of seeding, we didn't just beat them we destroyed them on  neutral court that was basically a home game for them. If we win out we should be a 12, beating both GB (possibly twice) and Murray State at the very worst a 13.

If they do happen to make it, I hope they're in Omaha that way I can make the short journey!

No matter how the season ends this has been a fantastic season. I expected us to be good but not this good. The coaches have done a terrific job recruiting bringing in not only talent but fine young men that mesh well together and are willing to do whatever it takes to get a W.

[a3uge]

No matter how the season ends this has been a fantastic season. I expected us to be good but not this good. The coaches have done a terrific job recruiting bringing in not only talent but fine young men that mesh well together and are willing to do whatever it takes to get a W.

Yeah, talking about seeding may just be setting everyone up for mass disappointment. It's important to keep things in perspective and realize we still have a very young team and have been starting our 3rd string PG for much of the conference season.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

mass disappointment

i thought that was when the Pope was supposed to show for the liturgy and didn't?

[a3uge]

mass disappointment

i thought that was when the Pope was supposed to show for the liturgy and didn't?

Losing to UMass in NIT. Should have clarified that

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[LaPorteAveApostle]

LOL

In more in the "too early" dept., I motion for the HL 2015 champ shirts to read
"I won this conference with my 3rd string PG and all i got was this lousy t-shirt".

[oklahomamick]

I'm tired of hearing about Tulsa around the office.  They currently are a 11 seed.  They haven't beaten anyone and they have two really bad loses.  One to a D2 school and another to a bad ORU team.  If you lose to a D2 school you should forfeit the right into the NCAA tournament. 

[a3uge]

I'm tired of hearing about Tulsa around the office.  They currently are a 11 seed.  They haven't beaten anyone and they have two really bad loses.  One to a D2 school and another to a bad ORU team.  If you lose to a D2 school you should forfeit the right into the NCAA tournament.

Fortunately for Tulsa, and unfortunately for Valpo, non-D1 games don't exist to the selection committee.

[Kyle321n]

I'm tired of hearing about Tulsa around the office.  They currently are a 11 seed.  They haven't beaten anyone and they have two really bad loses.  One to a D2 school and another to a bad ORU team.  If you lose to a D2 school you should forfeit the right into the NCAA tournament. 

I don't think Tulsa will make it. They need to win the AAC to make the dance right now with an RPI of 46 and a 2-5 record vs. top 50 teams. They have a minimum of 3 games left against top 50 opponents, so it'll be interesting, but their at large chances are low.

[talksalot]

I'm tired of hearing about Tulsa around the office.  They currently are a 11 seed.

who lost to ORU on opening night... and have since beaten a good Temple [36] team on the road, and UConn and Memphis...and only losses are to RPI 15, 16, 22 and 23... that's a pretty strong resume...and anyone who beats Bruce Pearl 53-35 deserves an extra rung up the ladder on sheer principle.

[historyman]

mass disappointment

i thought that was when the Pope was supposed to show for the liturgy and didn't?

Isn't that when the priest losses the key to the communion wine cabinet just before the organ starts to play?

[LaPorteAveApostle]

i don't know about you Lutherans, but we don't have a "communion wine cabinet".

Maybe a "communion wine cabernet", but, nope.