Ask Joe Lunardi: Bracketology, Mid-Majors & College Hoops

[Svoboda]

http://www.sju.edu/ucomm/images/lunardi.jpgIf you're a die hard college basketball fan, especially when it comes to the NCAA tournament, then you certainly know Joe Lunardi. Considered by many to be the Inventor of Bracketology, Lunardi has been covering college basketball for nearly 30 years while working for the likes of ESPN, the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, Saint Joseph's and so on.

A graduate of Saint Joseph's, Lunardi not only knows the NCAA tournament inside and out, but he also knows the Atlantic 10 Conference as well as anyone else out there following college basketball today. We recently reached out to Joe asking him if he'd be kind enough to answer some questions from the XavierHoops.com mob about Xavier, Bracketology, mid-majors and college basketball in general. Needless to say, Joe emphatically accepted and we're now opening the floor up to you!

If you have a question you'd like to ask Joe about Xavier, Bracketology, the Atlantic 10 or college basketball in general, please post your question in this thread. We'll collect all of the questions this weekend, select our favorite 10 or so and fire them off to Joe for his response.

In the meantime, be sure to check out Joe's current bracket projections over at ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology) -- he currently has Xavier as a #3 seed facing off against UNC-Asheville in the opening round of the West Regional. Nice! Go Musketeers!

[xufan22]

What's XU's chances of making the Final Four for what you've seen so far?

[Stonebreaker]

What does Xavier have to do in order to lose the mid-major tag?

[KC4X]

What is your "dream team", considering all D1 players?

How about from the A10?

[PM Thor]

Who would you consider the biggest surprise this year in the NCAA landscape?

Will the A10 get more bids than the ACC?

[BlueGuy]

Where do you see Xavier and Sean Miller 5 years from now?

[BlueGuy]

What chances are there that there will be a Big East break-up, and some sort of realignment involving Xavier in the future?

[X-band '01]

When Linda Bruno steps down, who would you like to see replace her as A-10 commissioner?

- John, Fairfield OH

[ATL Muskie]

What do most, if not all, A-10 programs have to do in order to demonstrate a true commitment to improving themselves and the league as a whole, and do you see it not happening at some programs?

[bringbackstaak]

What is your definition of mid-major?

[XtremeXfan]

With next year's tremendous recruiting class (and Tulsa transfer) and the possibility of Ari Stewart in 2009, will Xavier basketball begin to contend for national titles on a yearly basis?

[Drew's Crew]

Looking at the A10 next year, who do you think will finish near the top? (who do you think will improve and who do you think will take a step down?)

[beatuc]

Will Xavier be as much as a force next year with likes of Kenny Frease and others coming in plus the return of Raymond, Brown and Anderson?

[joebba]

Are we not getting ahead of ourselves? Oh wait. I forgot you are XtremeXfan!!! :cool:

[Chris Knight]

If you were named commissioner of the A-10, what changes, if any, would you implement?

[Muskie73]

So far this season the A-10 has done very well and there have been some opinions of 3-5 teams making the "Dance".Given the past history of the NCAA selection committee, do you believe that they would select more than three teams possibly at the expense of the Big 6?

[OX09]

If you were to leave your wife and kids in the care of an A-10 player for one night who would be and why?


...just to mix it up a bit

[waggy]

Is Drew Lavender the best point guard in college basketball?

[BlueGuy]

Is Drew Lavender the best point guard in college basketball?

If not, where would you rank him?

[Mark 3 Pointer]

Honestly... How much do you hate dayton? Follow-up: Do you like watermelons?

[xu drew]

how does being a bracketologist pay?

[Muskie91]

We've been told over the years that ranking doesn't effect seeding. Have you ever seen bias that inflated a seed 1 or 2 spots because of gaudy rankings?

[American X]

1) The RPI is a well-known and often criticized tool of the NCAA Selection Committee. Do they use other metrics such Pomeroy and Sagarin?

2) Does the committee consider conference affiliation when determining bids and seeds? Are blind comparisons used?

3) Final Four appearances by non-Big Six conference teams are extremely rare. What are the chances for one this year?

[waggy]

If not, where would you rank him?

Exactly where I would like to head with that. Drew Lavender should win the Cousy award, and he hasn't/doesn't receive enough attention nationally for being the great PG he is.

[ATL Muskie]

Did you pass the ball to Jerome Lane?

Were you there? Did you hear?

[cowbeller]

What changes does Xavier need to make in order to make a legitimate run to the Final Four? What teams would absolutely dominate Xavier if X were to play them today? Why?

[Snipe]

Have you ever had a beer with Phil Martelli? If so, what is Phil like with a buzz on?

[Snipe]

Have you ever seen a grown man naked?
Joey, did ya ever hang around a gymnasium?
Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?
Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?

[Mark 3 Pointer]

Xavier... great program? or greatest program?

[Fred Garvin]

Joe, do you think reps are gay?

[BBC 08]

How did you come up with the idea for Bracketology?

[waggy]

Joe, do you think reps are gay?


:D
......

[Xpectations]

Sounds cool. I'd love to get Joe's opinions as an expert outsider to our program.

1. Where would he XU rank as a program over the past 10 years?

2. Any thoughts on possible future conference shakeups that could positively impact XU?

3. Where would he rank our backcourt this season?

4. If he were the AD of a program and could choose any coach in the country, whom would he choose, and where would Miller rank? If he could start a team with any A-10 coach, whom would he choose?

5. Which program would he say most closely resembles XU's over say the past 10 years?...25 years?

[Xpectations]

6. Oh, and if XU does indeed play UNC-Asheville -- as he currently has slated -- would the height difference between opposing starters Drew Lavender and Kenny George be the greatest in NCAA Tournament history?

[JAPER]

Mr Lunardi--

What do you think is more important (on average) as far as advancing in the post-season?

1) solid guard play

2) dominant inside presence

3) average scoring margin

4) luck/match-ups

[lavenders legion]

As we have seen so far this season Stanely Burrell has played tremendous defense against some of the best players in the nation such as Michasel Beasley and Eric Gordon. What are the odds of Stan winning the A-10 defensive player of the year along with any national awards?

[Kahns Krazy]

Where do you see Xavier and Sean Miller 5 years from now?

"Celebrating the 5-year anniversary of you asking that question!"
http://www.mitchhedberg.net/images/hedberg/bw_mitch1.jpg

[BlueGuy]

Hey Svoboda, Did Lunardi stand you up w/ the answers to these questions?

[Muskie]

Hey Svoboda, Did Lunardi stand you up w/ the answers to these questions?


Not at all. We (the mods) are in the process of sorting through the ten we like most. We'll keep you posted! Keep em coming.