ESPN's Final Four Picks

[dethwing]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22738692/espn-experts-make-final-four-national-champion-predictions-2018-ncaa-tournament

Summary:

Nova 21
Purdue 4
West V 2

Michigan State 19
Duke 7
Kansas 1

Virginia 16
Arizona 10
Kentucky 1

Gonzaga 12
Michigan 6
North Carolina 5
Xavier 4

I really thought we'd be the least popular 1 seed, but Kansas got only one pick. They do realize they only have to play one of Duke/MSU right? The other has to play 2 tough games....

[GoMuskies]

Kansas just isn't very good. They were a major beneficiary of this dumb ass quad system that basically ignored the fact that they lost a bunch of games at home (and some on the road) to marginal teams.

[dethwing]

Don't know if it was directly the Quad system. If they were still using the old Top 50 / Top 100, they'd still be killing it. 11 top 50, 23 top 100.

Yeah, they played 30 games against the top 100 and went 23-7. They won as many games against the top 100 as we played.

[THRILLHOUSE]

Kansas just isn't very good. They were a major beneficiary of this dumb ass quad system that basically ignored the fact that they lost a bunch of games at home (and some on the road) to marginal teams.

Yeah. Even though we are the last 1 seed, I think Kansas is more vulnerable to an early exit than X. Even Penn could give them a challenge Round 1. I don't think Kansas is going to lose, especially since it's in Wichita, but Penn is really good for a 16 seed. Probably should've been a 15.

[GoMuskies]

Top 100 is a stupid metric for a #1 seed. They should beat everyone from 51-100 about 95% of the time (and 99% of the time at home). And yet, KU didn't.

[dethwing]

Top 100 is a stupid metric for a #1 seed. They should beat everyone from 51-100 about 95% of the time (and 99% of the time at home). And yet, KU didn't.

*Cough* Neither did Xavier *Cough*

[GoMuskies]

*Cough* Neither did Xavier *Cough*

True, we beat such opponents 100% of the time at home. And lost once at a neutral site to #66. Our other four losses came to the top 33.

[dethwing]

Xavier's Record vs 51-100 at Home: 7-0. Opponents were Rider, Marshall, Colorado, East Tenn St., Marquette, St. John, Baylor.
Really only one, maybe two (Baylor for sure, Marquette maybe) of those was a threat to get an at-large bid. Yeah Marshall is in as an Auto, but that's not the same thing.

Kansas Record vs 51-100 at Home: 4-3. Wins vs Texas, K-State, Baylor, Toledo (2 of those are At Larges, with Baylor again being close). Losses vs Arizona State, Washington, Oklahoma State. Arizona state is in, Ok State was at least in the conversation. Closer than Marquette, but probably not as close as Baylor. I don't know, just my opinion.

So X played 2 bubble teams, Kansas played 3 At Larges and 2 Bubble. Not exactly the same thing. Which just underlines the absurdity of these artificial dividers.

[GoMuskies]

Three losses at home to those teams, only one of which is in the NCAA Tournament.

[D-West & PO-Z]

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/22738692/espn-experts-make-final-four-national-champion-predictions-2018-ncaa-tournament

Summary:

Nova 21
Purdue 4
West V 2

Michigan State 19
Duke 7
Kansas 1

Virginia 16
Arizona 10
Kentucky 1

Gonzaga 12
Michigan 6
North Carolina 5
Xavier 4

I really thought we'd be the least popular 1 seed, but Kansas got only one pick. They do realize they only have to play one of Duke/MSU right? The other has to play 2 tough games....

Love Fran Fraschilla!

And my boy Finklestein! (no idea who he is)

[kellernr]

I have seton hall knocking off Kansas.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[GoMuskies]

I have seton hall knocking off Kansas.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Hope so. I'll be at that game. Would be fun to watch.

[muskiefan82]

Dream Elite Eight:

Creighton vs. Georgia St

Xavier vs. Providence

Villanova vs. Butler

Seton Hall vs. Iona

Georgia St. and Iona just because.

[SemajParlor]

I have seton hall knocking off Kansas.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

My Big East Bias seems to be coming out, but I believe SHU, Creighton, and Butler can all give Kansas, Virginia, Purdue some match up trouble.

[X-band '01]

Hopefully Seton Hall finally gets at least one NCAA Tournament win with their senior class. It may be slim pickings for a year or two there if they miss this window.

[THRILLHOUSE]

It's hard for me to trust Kevin Willard. I'm not even confident they'll get past NC State. Though the Wolfpack faded at the end losing 2 of their last 3, to the likes of Georgia Tech and Boston College.

[GIMMFD]

I'd love for the Big East to do some damage, we need them to play well and get us some more money, but at the end of the day, I'm just hoping we come out and take care of business. Hopefully us and Nova are in the Final 4 together.

[TUclutch]

I'd love for the Big East to do some damage, we need them to play well and get us some more money, but at the end of the day, I'm just hoping we come out and take care of business. Hopefully us and Nova are in the Final 4 together.

Heck. I wanna play them in the championship. No bigger or better stage to cap off the revenge tour

[D-West & PO-Z]

I saw at least two ESPN personalities who have X vs Nova in the Finals and one who has X winning it all. That was where they release all their different personalities brackets on ESPN.

[IM4X]

I saw at least two ESPN personalities who have X vs Nova in the Finals and one who has X winning it all. That was where they release all their different personalities brackets on ESPN.

Any chance the person who picked X to win it all was Scott Van Pelt's producer? I believe he's an X grad. Or are you referring to ESPN reporters and on-air talent?

[X-band '01]

You might be thinking of Tom DeCorte - he was the sports editor for the Newswire when I was at Xavier.

[xukeith]

Dream Elite Eight:

Creighton vs. Georgia St

Xavier vs. Providence

Villanova vs. Butler

Seton Hall vs. Iona

Georgia St. and Iona just because.

I don't want to play Providence again this year. Those senior guards are amazing.

[TUclutch]

You might be thinking of Tom DeCorte - he was the sports editor for the Newswire when I was at Xavier.

No, he was thinking of Stanford Steve who is SVPs producer

https://twitter.com/StanfordSteve82/status/973359621464383488

[D-West & PO-Z]

No, he was thinking of Stanford Steve who is SVPs producer

https://twitter.com/StanfordSteve82/status/973359621464383488

DeCorte is the X grad though, I think thats who IM4X was asking about. Te one I saw who had XU was neither guy, so there must be more than one. I have to go back and look at who I saw though.

[Xavier]

I don't want to play Providence again this year. Those senior guards are amazing.

I’d sign up for that in a second. We were up 17 then saw the worst b-ball we’ve seen almost all year and still should’ve won. Obviously it would be a battle but I’d take them (or anyone in West) over UNC