NCAA tournament selection committee to unveil brackets in February

[nuts4xu]

It feels like the media starts talking about the tournament earlier and earlier each year. Most of the projections come from Andy Katz, Jerry Palm, or Joe Blogger with their formulas and analytics. However, this season the selection committee is going to release their top 4 seeds in each region, as they would bracket them for the tournament.

This is going to give fans like us plenty more to talk about leading up to Selection Sunday. I like the idea, it will be interesting to see how this exercise will play out.

http://www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/ncaa-tournament-selection-show-pre-reveal-february-selection-sunday-012417

[GIMMFD]

I think it's a good idea. It keeps interest in the tournament earlier, and would help us kind of think about where we could get placed as the season progresses along, and what we would need to do to avoid a particular region. I think it helps teams like us, but doesn't really help mid-majors who win their tournament and just kind of get placed as a 13 seed somewhere you know?

[xubrew]

The women's committee started doing this last year. They actually do it every two weeks from February on.

In actuality, the committee does at least one full trial one in February, and they meet weekly from the first week in November on, so this doesn't really change what they do all that much. It's just that their releasing their top sixteen teams. In the past, they didn't.

And they should start talking about it earlier and earlier. They look at all the games a team plays, including the ones in November.

[GoMuskies]

The women's committee started doing this last year. They actually do it every two weeks from February on.

See, now this is REALLY stupid. Here's my idea for the women's tournament: UConn #1 seed. Randomly select 63 other teams to fill in the other spots on the bracket. Engrave UConn's name on the trophy.

[XU 87]

Chris Mack doesn't think this is such a good idea.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/college/xavier/2017/01/25/mack-early-ncaa-seeding-reveal-boring-dumb-stupid-ridiculous/97051510/

[GoMuskies]

Chris Mack is a man after my own heart.

[xu82]

Chris Mack is a man after my own heart.

Not that there's anything wrong with that....


It's actually very refreshing that he's so open and honest with his response. Oh, and I think he's right, but of course I'll also be paying attention.

[xubrew]

I don't see why it matters. They've always built a seed list during that part of the season as an exercise anyway. It's just that they've decided to show it to the public this year. They're not doing anything any differently than they ever have. The beloved recipe for cheese squares has not changed at all. People say the polls are dumb. People say bracketology is dumb. And I guess people are saying this is dumb. Well, no one is forcing you to watch it, or look at it, or take it into any sort of account. So with that in mind I don't see why it this would bother anyone.

[XU 23]

I just hope it doesn't last an hour and a half like last year's Selection Sunday.

[X-band '01]

Fortunately the demand to leak a 16-team list isn't as high as it was last March.

[Title_BU]

It is because no one cares about the first 16. Everyone knows those. Everyone cares about the last 10.

Villanova fans aren't going to care to watch someone project them as a 2-seed. If they actually care, they can see it on Twitter later.

Seton Hall fans would all be interested in seeing if they project to make it in as a 11 though.

[xubrew]

It is because no one cares about the first 16. Everyone knows those. Everyone cares about the last 10.

Villanova fans aren't going to care to watch someone project them as a 2-seed. If they actually care, they can see it on Twitter later.

Seton Hall fans would all be interested in seeing if they project to make it in as a 11 though.

You're only sort of right. The NCAA Tournament, at least to an extent, is like the Olympics in that you get people who love watching it and look forward to it, but don't really know anything about the teams or about college basketball outside of that event because they don't watch it or follow it at any other point. Most people who watch gymnastics during the Olympics and enjoy watching it couldn't tell you who the sixteen best gymnasts are outside of the two weeks every four years that the Olympics is going on.

People will definitely watch this. Most diehard fans (and anyone who posts on a message board probably falls into that category) don't understand that many people who watch the tournament probably couldn't tell you who the sixteen best teams are right now. I think CBS understands that non diehard fans still love the tournament, and they love the brackets, and they will watch a show that reveals the top sixteen teams from the committee and then has a bracket expert (Jerry Palm) fill out the rest of it. We're all diehard fans. It may not do a whole lot for us. But for casual fans, or for those who aren't even casual fans but still love the tournament, a lot of them will watch, and a lot of them will watch it without really knowing how good all the teams are before they watch it. It may not do anything or make any sense to the diehard fans, but diehards are not the only ones that watch the tournament.

[D-West & PO-Z]

Any thoughts in this today? Just saw it.

Tidbits:

-UC not one of top 16.
-Jerry Palm filled out the rest of bracket after top 4 seeds with his projections. Had X 6 seed, the 3 seed was Fl. I'd take that, they are by far weakest 3 seed.
-Nova overall #1 seed.

[xubrew]

It was pretty much exactly what I thought it would be. A bracket on TV.

[GoMuskies]

UC will get a nice bump with a win today. It's their last chance to make an impression until the conference tournament (SMU again), but it's a big one.