March Madness Bracket Drama: Calipari vs. the Committee? St. John’s Underseeded?

All right, Selection Sunday, we got brackets, gentlemen.

Others receiving votes podcast.

We're back.

It's Pat 40 joined by Brian Fisher and Kevin Sweeney, my Sports Illustrated colleagues.

And we do have a bracket.

We've already got a controversy.

I've figured out the first conspiracy, guys.

They're scared of UMBC doing it again, so they put the retrievers in the first four against Howard to give a little bit of breathing room for Michigan, who they would end up playing.

They're a 16 seed again.

UMBC 8 years ago beat Virginia, first time a 16 had beaten the number 1.

They're scared of the retrievers, so they gave them Howard first to soften them up just in case they win.

They don't want him taking out Michigan.

That's what I'm going with, guys.

What do you think?

For real?

I mean, I will say, I, I, I had a thought this morning that both Howard and UMBC were about as good as you get on a 16 line this time of year, especially a potential play in 16 line.

Uh, I think the number 1s are so strong that there's, there's no threat, but yes, it would not surprise me if there was maybe a backroom deal that let's make, let's make the retrievers earn their way in.

Let's, let's not make it an easy road to go knock out, uh, a potential champion like they did the last time they were in this thing.

Well, if we're into conspiracy theories, I mean, isn't it always, we, we got to go with the TV ratings, you know, we got to juice up those 1st 4 ratings, you know, this is the way to do that.

And I, I mean, it's kind of like that, that was the state of the bracket almost this year, you know, just the, the lack of like, yes, there was maybe Auburn getting in or, you know, one of, certainly Cinderella in terms of Miami, Ohio, what, what that might be if if they're going to get left out.

But you kind of went away from the bracket and saying, I'm almost like inclined to say good job committee, which is not something you ever, ever are saying on Selection Sunday.

But I, I'm kind of walking away and saying, all right, if, if we're going to nitpick about UNBC and where they're at on, on the seed line, I, I think, I think I'm pretty happy coming out of Selection Sunday.

Yeah, generally speaking, there, there's not a lot of outrage fodder here, I don't think.

Um, we'll get to a couple of things, but you, you have to gin it up, and I know, look, in the, in, in the outrage-oriented world of podcasting and or commenting on the bracket, you know, we're probably failing at our jobs by not having enough ginned up, uh, anger here, but, I pretty much agree with you.

I do think if, if Howard's gonna play UMBC though, can they just meet somewhere like on in the Beltway?

I mean, how far apart are those schools, like 45 minutes or something, maybe less, I don't know.

The traffic's bad, it might take longer.

But, uh, they're shipping them off to Dayton, and let's start there because who else is in Dayton?

Miami, Ohio, which did get in the tournament.

So that's, that negates one level of outrage.

Putting them in Dayton, uh.

I, I, I think that's fine, given the first round, uh, quarterfinal quarterfinal loss in the MAC tournament.

Um, you know, I'm not, I, I can't say that they were horribly done to there, but the, the, the, the thing that caused quite a, Momentary fury, at least, uh, as the brackets were coming out, was CBS Seth Davis saying Miami was the last team in the field, which if you look at the seed lines , or the actual, yes, the seed list, you would say that, but it's not actually the case.

And so that became this momentary, I guess, at least confusion slash anger, like, wait a minute, are you saying that if Dayton had won the A-10, that Miami would have been out?

No, that wasn't the case.

I asked Keith Gill, the tournament chairman, on, uh, the teleconference right before we started taping this Sunday night, uh, about Miami, and he said they were not the last team in the field.

He reiterated what he said eventually on, on CBS.

They were in before North Carolina State, Texas, and SMU.

But then they get down to this scrubbing process, uh, where, wherein you, you've decided who's in the field, and then you kind of decide what order they are in the field, and they bump them down based somewhat on predictive metrics, which hate Miami.

Uh, Ken Palm's got them like 900th, I think, out of 365, so that didn't help them.

Uh, and again, this, this is, I, I get it, I understand it, but this is also the NCAA making things complicated, as they so often do.

You know, if you just had a more simple way, first of all, to explain it, and secondly, just to present it, so that we didn't have this situation, it would be a lot better.

But, Miami's in the field, Miami's playing SMU in the 1st 4 on Wednesday night in Dayton.

Uh, SMU is favored by 7.5, I saw.

Uh, how do we feel about Miami's situation here, guys?

I, I, I think the committee got it right.

Um, look, I, I think at the end of the day, the message was sent that if you win all the games, you get to be in the NCAA tournament.

But also, if you play the schedule Miami played and um win by the skin of your teeth as much as Miami did, you're probably gonna have to earn, earn your way in.

And they get a, a manageable test in SMU and SMU team, you know, I think, has a fascinating sort of, Uh, case to be selected or not.

Uh, a lot of it really surrounded around an injury, uh, in BJ Edwards , who's their star guard, um, not their best player, but certainly one of them, uh, a very important guy to their team.

Uh, their team fell apart as soon as he got hurt.

Uh, they put out a sort of panicked press release, uh, in the lead up to Selection Sunday saying, don't worry, he will be available for the NCAA tournament, um.

That has been done before.

I do remember, um, San Francisco with Todd Golden, uh, the year they made it, them, them kind of, uh, pump faking about an injury to Yan Malsky, who was a key player to make sure that they didn't get left out.

I, I have been told, and again, I, I, I, I'm not reporting anything on this, but I have been told there is some question still whether BJ Edwards.

Just truly healthy, whether he is truly ready to play.

The timeline of speeding this up and not having to play Wednesday does not help, uh, in that regard.

Um, I don't think SME is particularly good without BJ Edwards.

The evidence of the last, you know, 3 weeks or so certainly would indicate that they're not.

So, Miami's got an opportunity here, and, you know, we'll, we'll see what happens with Edwards' status, but, um, certainly, you know, SMU is a more talented team, but certainly not a, not a team that Miami can't beat, and uh they'll certainly have a home crowd advantage in, in Dayton for that one as well.

You know, if we're, if we're going to go the conspiracy route, you know, maybe this, this plane shortage, the NCAA has been warning us about, you know, for the last couple of weeks, maybe that's played into the factor of sending Miami, Ohio, uh, down there to Dayton.

And, and look, yeah, I, I think from a seating perspective, certainly, that's kind of where they ended up and just, you know , look at all the metrics and all those, those metrics are right there on the screen, right, for the committee to, to pore over every time Miami of Ohio comes up.

And, and I, I don't think that probably did them any help, you know, in terms of where that cut line would have been, if they could actually gotten into the, the field proper.

But, um, look at this, the, the murderous row of SMU opponents that they've gotten wins over this since February.

Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Louisville.

OK, I'll give you that one.

Boston College, Syracuse.

So, I, I think with that combined with just the amount of lineups that SMU has played this year.

year.

Honestly, that that's probably pretty good, you know, for, for the two bid Mac at this point because you can earn some tournament units in that 1st 4.

It's a winnable game for them.

You get in the main draw, and this is also a way for them to become kind of that Cinderella team that everybody wants to see this time of year.

All right, getting in the 1st 4, winning a game there, getting the momentum behind you, I, I think that could be a good, uh, way for the Red Hawks to, uh, to start their tournament.

Yeah, this, uh, you know, I mean, aside from having like North Carolina in the first four last year, this is, this is ratings, I don't know if it's gold, but it's at least gold-plated ratings for, for, uh, CBS, TNT, True, whoever's televising this to, uh, to have a Miami team that people have been arguing about and wanna see.

Um, and then it's gonna be a virtual home game for them.

I believe their fans will show up in big numbers for it.

I believe Miami can win the game.

The bad thing for Miami is if they do win the game, they play Tennessee in the next round.

That is not a good matchup.

Tennessee brutalizes people, and Miami is not a particularly large team.

They're not soft by any means, but they're not big, and I, I, I like, I fear for how that 1 may turn out if they get there, and I do think they can get there.

Uh, so we'll see.

That's, that's kind of our, our first element of intrigue also, I think, final or first four intrigue.

NC State in there.

Whoa, Wolfpack, you were sliding.

I didn't know you were sliding that far.

I thought they would be in the main bracket, but they end up in the other play-in game against Texas.

Uh, Kevin, were you surprised the Wolfpack ended up there?

I mean, I was surprised you didn't just call it the wiretap bowl, but you know, here we, here we are, um, uh, yeah, yeah, Sean Miller versus Will Wade.

We have your playbook, FBI invitational.

I, I would, I would say I, I was not, I was surprised, not shocked.

I had Missouri in the, um, in the 1st 4 over NCC.

I thought NC State would be one of the last teams in the main draw, but as you said, I mean, the, the, the track record down the stretch was brutal, and I mean, it lends credence to the idea that had they lost their first game in the ACC tournament, which, you know, was not pretty at points against Pittsburgh, Pitt Pitt hung around in that game, they lose that game, they would have been left home and probably deservingly so, having lost 6 of 7 ending the regular season.

And so, uh, I do think this is an NC State team that's talented.

Uh, obviously, Wade has proven himself to be a pretty good tournament coach.

So last year, the game plan they had against Clemson when he was at McNee, but yeah, that they are not coming in hot and They get a Texas team that is also kind of stumbling to the finish after losing 5 or 6.

Yeah, I mean, truthfully, they did play Virginia, you know, pretty well.

And I think, you know, that might be encouraging if you're Will Wade in terms of, all right, against a good team, a team that you're going to kind of play that style in the tournament, um, in, in Sean Miller's Texas, maybe you can say, all right, maybe that, maybe that could actually be a good thing.

You get the extra rest, uh, before going to the first four, but, um, you know, limping in, you know, certainly, and, you know, He's just been so frustrated with this, this team, I think these last two months, you know, and and he's, he's kind of said that publicly, which is, um, not rare for him, but, you know, rare for, for coaches nowadays.

But, um, you do wonder if, if maybe there is, maybe something did kind of come together there, uh, in, in that game against Virginia because, um, there is the talent.

You, you can definitely see the talent and he is an.

coach where you can kind of pencil things in in the bracket.

Uh, certainly if they get in against another Texas team that, let's face it, they have also just completely limped in.

I think certainly saved by, uh, you know, the strength of the SEC this year, or else, uh, Texas should, should have probably been, been sitting on the outside looking in.

But I think definitely beneficiaries of not many bid thieves, uh, on Sunday and Saturday in conference tournaments.

Couple of quotes from the Christian Dawkins documentary and elsewhere in that investigation, of course, the famous strong ass offer quote from Will Wade.

Sean Miller saying Will Wade was ruining the market.

Didn't say exactly what he meant by that, but that he was ruining the market.

So those two can get together and reminisce.

Uh, at, uh, in Dayton about fun times past, and one of them will advance then to play in the field of 64.

Kevin, you mentioned, uh, that you had Missouri in the first four, that's where I figured Missouri would end up as well.

Missouri got taken care of, I thought, by the committee .

Not only are they not an 11 seed, they're a 10 seed, and they're playing in Saint Louis.

I was shocked at that.

So they've got basically a potential home court advantage against Miami, the, the other Miami, the Miami Hurricanes, uh, there, and that fascinates me.

If I were, like , if I were Miami, I'd be ticked about that situation, but Uh, you know, the, the, it, it, it is hard, uh, Jenga work, Rubik's Cube work, whatever you want to use the analogy to, to put together a bracket and have everything work out just perfectly.

Uh, and again, I think we think that the, the, the teams included were right.

Some of the seatings are obviously open to debate, but then the locations, that one jumped out at me.

Is Missouri being unfairly rewarded, Brian Fisher?

Absolutely.

And, you know, I, I think they, they have every right to, uh, to be mad about that.

But look, that's just kind of the, the draw of the tournament.

I think matchup wise, you know, you probably would take a a Missouri team at this point, you know, if, if you are in Miami, um, you know, in terms of what you can look at, I, I think the bigger concern probably is, is definitely Purdue sitting out there, uh , to potentially get you, uh, over the hump.

You know, that that that would, that would be the game that would concern me, the way that the boilermakers have been playing.

Kevin, I know you saw them quite, quite, uh, quite closely at the, at the Big 10 tournament, obviously winning that over Michigan, but, um, that, that would scare me even more than, than having to play Missouri, uh, in Saint Louis.

Uh, we, we all know those, those, depending on what session you're going to get, uh, in, in that first or 2nd round game, it can be a little bit of the draw, uh, you know, draw the luck, but, um, I, I, I think if you're Miami, you're , you're probably more confident going in that first one, but you're really worried about that second-round matchup.

I, I just, I view it from the perspective of like, big picture, like Purdue just played 4 games in 4 days in Chicago.

Uh, and I was gonna go back home, reset, and has to go back and, and play essentially a road game in, in, in round two, and probably what will function, I mean, I'm sure there'll be a lot of Purdue fans that they, they find their way just about everywhere, but, like, I, I'm not pleased with that.

I think there was a bunch of location stuff that was just, again, I probably just tough luck with the way that things broke down for a lot of teams.

You look, think about Saint John's having to go across the country to San Diego, that's a That's a bear.

Uh, Arkansas, another team that had to play a bunch and play through Sunday, and now they have to not only get to Portland, but turn around and play Thursday.

Like, those are the things that coaches get frustrated by, I think a lot more so than, oh, you know, like, we didn't really want to see Hawaii, you know, Hawaii is obviously good, like, all the mid-majors in that region, 12 to 13, like, they're dangerous in, in their own ways.

I think if you're, if you're Cali, you're Pitino, you're, you're some of these coaches that are in that spot.

You're, you're more unhappy with, with the itinerary you were just handed, especially given, you know, this sort of uh very uncertain travel situation that, that a lot of these schools are facing, right?

And, you know, the NCAA coordinates all this travel, the schools don't do it on their own.

Um, and so, yeah, like, waiting around is, I can't, I can't imagine being the ops guy that's waiting around right now.

In uh in in in Fayetteville, um, with, with Cal breathing down his neck.

When are we leaving?

When are we getting there?

Where are we practicing?

How in the world are we turning this thing around tight?

Uh, it will be an impressive feat for Arkansas if they get out of the first weekend, given the, the, the, the travel that they're gonna deal with and the, the tight turnaround from the SEC tournament.

Uh, excellent point.

They played Sunday afternoon.

Uh, in a, you know, well-contested, um, championship after playing overtime on Saturday against Ole Miss in Nashville.

They, and then, yes, to turn and play on Thursday against Hawaii, which is the, the, the easiest travel Hawaii could have had.

Probably with San Diego, the second easiest is Portland.

And so, Hawaii, I guarantee came out of this feeling like, hey, that's pretty good.

We don't care who we play, but we like the setup of getting there and without question, look, John Calipari has never once believed that the selection committee didn't have it out for him .

So this is his, there's, I, I can't wait to see the quotes from Cal Theater tonight, tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday when he gets to Portland, the whole thing.

It's just going to be, oh, this is how they screwed us this year, making us go out here.

And then, yeah, Pitino, he'll, he'll have some persecution complex going as well, going out to San Diego, and I think playing a pretty dangerous game, um, yeah, dangerous game against Northern Iowa.

Not so much, I don't think Northern Iowa is great, but style of play, Kevin, you know, I mean, they're just hard to play against.

Ben Jacobson hasn't been in the NCAA tournament in a decade , but in the 4 trips he's been, he's won at least 1 game 3 times.

And that's not by advantage of seeding, that's by just being good.

Uh, and of course, they had the Sweet 16 run in 2010, Ali Fromanesh making the famous shot to beat Kansas.

So, uh, one of, one of the, uh , second-round games Northern Iowa played was against Rick Pitino and Louisville in I think 2015.

And that game was a visit to the dental chair for about 30 minutes or 32 minutes before Louisville pulled away.

So, I, I, I, I am sure Pitino, as you said, is looking at that and saying, I hate that.

I hate to go across the country, and I hate to face them.

And then, oh, in the 2nd round, guess what, you may get to play Bill Self in Kansas.

Uh, question for you, Saint Saint John's wins the Big East regular season, wins the Big East Tournament, and gets a 5 seed.

I haven't had a chance to look it up, but I'm guessing a team that won both of those things in the Big East has never been as low as 5.

Did did Saint John's get a bad seed here?

Is that what they deserve by not having beaten anybody for a long time?

Yeah, I mean, I, I think I will defer, I'll defer to Kevin, but I, I think Saint John's and Vanderbilt might be the two that really stick out as, as being underseeded and, and really the, the losers of the weekend.

Yeah, no, I mean, Vanderbilt is top 10 in the resume metrics, top 12 in the predictives, uh, has just beaten the number 1 seed.

Someone's gonna have to explain to me how the Van Vanderbilt's a 5.

I mean, I understood a 4.

I did, I, I thought maybe a 3, certainly not a 5.

and, and yeah, Saint John's, look, obviously, The non-conference wasn't what they hoped.

It's also notable, like a couple of their non-conference wins that at the time, they thought, oh, that might have been a nice victory.

We beat Baylor in, in Vegas, we beat Ole Miss at home.

Those wins did not age well at all.

And so, yeah, the resume is essentially, we beat Connecticut twice at Madison Square Garden, and the committee didn't buy that.

Uh, I personally would be buying a team that's lost once since January 4th, that has 28 wins, uh, that just won a high major conference and conference tournament, that dominated UConn, but, it would be one thing if that was a competitive game, like, it was never close, what, what, what, what Saint John's did to the Huskies on Saturday.

I, I, I think they're certainly a dangerous 5 seed and playing like a much better team over the last month, certainly than they were this seed.

Yeah, I, I, that, that, I, I, I think so too.

And I just, when Pitino's teams get a, a full head of steam and momentum, last year, not included when they just had that Calipari choke complex, uh, in the 2nd round, but they're usually very difficult at this time of year.

And I, you've seen that.

I mean, they stormed through Madison Square Garden, they're storming in here.

Uh, you know, if you're Duke, let's, all right, well, let's talk about the #1 seeds.

I know I'm kind of around, moving around here, but, You know, what the heck, it's Selection Sunday, we're all hyper and excited about this, so that's just what we're gonna do.

Uh.

Duke, the overall #1 seed, John Shire, yet to win a national championship.

Here's who is in your path.

Potentially, well, almost assuredly, not, not for sure, but likely either Rick Pitino or Bill Self, both who have won 2 championships in the Sweet 16.

In the Elite Eight, you could face Tom Izzo, 1 title in like 9 Final Fours.

You could face Dan Hurley, 2 national championships, could face Mick Cronin , who's been to a Final Four.

there's a lot of quality, qualified coaches in Duke's way to Indianapolis.

What do you think about the overall draw for the Blue Devils, Kevin?

Yeah, I mean, not fun, right?

You mentioned the coaches, but also just like, the brands.

I mean, you, you, you think about the talent on the floor, like, UCLA is playing well above a 7 seed right now.

I saw them this week in Chicago.

Donovan Dent's been phenomenal.

It sounds like he will be OK.

Tyler Billide the same, like, once Dent turned the corner, watch out.

Um, UConn has stumbled late, but is certainly talented and has NBA.

players on all over its roster.

Louisville with Mike Brown is the top 15 team analytically that has never kind of gotten off the ground in the big ones.

We'll see if they can do that here.

Obviously, not just Bill Self, but Darren Peterson, uh, and this Kansas group, um, you know, Darren's had some, some better moments lately.

He's been available, certainly the most important thing.

So, yeah, I, I would not be thrilled and, uh, as a, as a native of, uh, of, of the Capital Region in New York, I, I would not want Duke to sleep on the Sienna Saints, you know, they, they should not overlook, uh, the, the boys in green and gold.

They, they, they will be hungry for a trip to March Madness after the first time in, uh, in 16 years.

We'll see if, uh, Jerry McNamara will have the boys fired up.

I, I do think, you know, for, for a certain, a certain fan of the sport, watching John Shire and Jerry McNamara coach in the first round is gonna be something special.

I just don't know if the, the Saints quite have the, the horses to hang.

That's a way to stick up for the 518 there though.

Uh, I, I, I, I wonder if we've had, I'm sure it's happened, but I can't think of it off the top of my head, two national championship-winning, like standout players, really good players on championship teams going head to head against each other as coaches in the tournament.

I'll, uh, I'll put that on the, the 22 research lists, but it's an interesting thought.

Go ahead, Brian.

I cut you off there.

No, no, well, I mean, that, that's the thing is like it, it's gray hair inducing to know that.

It's, you know, the 2003 tournament winner and the 2010 tournament winner.

Like that seems like that was yesterday, uh, in my mind, and certainly does add to, to the intrigue there, uh, in, in terms of their first-round matchup in Greenville.

And, uh, I, I almost wonder if, if team-wise, though, Ohio State might not be a, a more difficult possible opponent in that second round for Duke, um, just given the way they can score, uh, certainly it seems like they found something there in Chicago, uh, a little bit and, and, and are kind of rolling in with the momentum.

Team-wise, though, you know, you look Yes, yes , the names on the front of the jerseys for sure.

But, you know, actual team-wise, obviously, Kansas, Darren Peterson, we'll see health-wise, I, I think they, the Duke has the, the length to really give him some trouble and really give that Kansas team some trouble.

Uh, you, you look at Louisville, that's a flawed team, certainly.

Um, Saint John's, we, we saw what UConn did to them in that one matchup.

If we, certainly they've been playing well, but, you know, you can clamp down on them defensively and make it a rock fight.

And I think that's, you know, something that Duke is equipped to win.

Um, yes, the guards at UCLA are playing well.

You got UConn out there, certainly, but, um, if I am looking at Duke and, and kind of taking away the, the names on the jerseys and, and the coaches out there, if you actually look at a lot of those teams in that region, I actually think you're probably pretty happy if you're John Shire matchup-wise, how, how things will play out, especially after what they did in the ACC tournament, how they kind of found their rotation a little bit.

We'll see with Patrick, uh, Ngaba coming back, how healthy he will be in.

Um, but I think certainly in those , to get into the second weekend, uh, and to get into DC, a place that they've already played at, uh, unlike a lot of these teams, I, I think they'll be pretty happy with that draw, uh, to get to Indianapolis.

And we'll see.

I, I think it's gonna be a pretty tough road, but, uh, you know what, you're the number one seed, you, you gotta earn it, and, uh, that's why we'll play them.

Uh, I'm gonna go down the, uh, the bracket if, if anybody's actually following along visually here.

Down to Florida's the South, South region.

Uh, we've got Florida's the #1 seed, Houston #2, and oh boy.

Let's just stop there for a second and think about a rematch of the championship game from last year.

And I, I just, I, I will never forget the way that game ended with Emmanuel Sharp rising to shoot for the potential, I think it was a tie, right?

They were down 3, and, uh, goes, goes up from 3 and then does not shoot the ball and drops it, and he dropped it because he didn't want to get to travel and just sitting there courtside, watching that ball bouncing.

And for a couple of seconds, nobody getting it.

It's like, oh my God, this is how the championship game's gonna end.

Uh, Emmanuel Sharp's still there.

He's got a shot at, uh, potential redemption.

He's a very good player.

Uh, Florida's a very good team.

Houston's a very good team.

So we've got that sitting out there potentially in the regional title.

But before that, uh, some other interesting matchups there.

Vanderbilt, who we noted, I think got, uh, a little bit disrespected as a 5 seed going up against McNee.

I say watch out, Nebraska for Troy.

Could be a difficult one.

I say watch out, North Carolina for VCU.

I want to see Keaton Wagler and TJ Power have a shooting contest.

TJ Power with one of the great performances in Ivy League history Sunday for Penn.

44 points, 14 rebounds, 2 3s in the last 7.5 seconds to get that game into overtime.

Uh, Saint Mary's, Texas A&M, a just a total stylistically stylistic clash in terms of tempo.

And then I'm ready for the, the Idaho Vandals to take down Houston.

No, not really, but it's fun to just see Idaho in the tournament.

Uh, guys, what stands out to you in that region?

Well, how about if A&M and and Buckyball, some, you know, gets out of the first round, and then it somehow pulls that upset against Houston.

You know, everybody's talking about Houston and this being their region and and playing at home.

A&M in in Houston would, would be also a, a pretty big home game.

I think that the style in terms of going back to back, uh, preparing for that style could be, could give a lot of teams, maybe not Houston, just, uh, given stylistically how, how they're set, um, you know, in, in the bottom half of that bracket.

But, uh, you know, you look at this and, Man, there, I, I, I just don't know what to make sense out of it.

You know, like, it seems like every team is either not playing well or, or they have some inherent flaws.

You know, Clemson, obviously, you know, they lost one of their players in the, in the ACC tournament.

They're going to be a bit banged up for that 989 game against Iowa.

Uh, Florida, we'll see if they're, they're, it seems like they were pretty motivated coming out of Nashville.

Um, you know, certainly Todd Golden had, had some choice words after that Vanderbilt game.

I think he's going to get them fired up in this one.

And it would be fun to see them against Houston, but, um, you know, I could see quite a few upsets, uh, taking place in the South.

Just the, the way these teams are kind of matched, how even they are.

Uh, I, I wouldn't, I would wouldn't put it past Illinois though.

Um, I, I think that was another team.

I, I just expected a little bit more this last month of the season, but, um, you know, in terms of their draw, you, you could definitely see them making a run to Indianapolis, uh, with what was put in front of them.

Yeah, you, you like the matchups if you're Illinois, certainly, um, you know, the rematch with Fran, uh, it's funny, I was at the Big 10 tournament last year and Illinois beat Iowa.

It was a game that Fran got ejected.

It was his final game, and Brad and Fran are very close, and there was a long, really, it was, it was quite the way to go out, and there was a long embrace and You know, you , everyone knew it was the end, but so, for those guys to meet again, it's, it's pretty cool, um, but, no, I mean, I think Penn is certainly gettable for the Ilia, you would expect them to, to roll there, um.

You know, you don't like having to go to Greenville to play against North Carolina, but North Carolina doesn't scare me if I'm Illinois.

Uh, and then , you know, you, you try your hand potentially with Houston in the Sweet 16.

Um, Illinois and Florida did play each other in, uh, a secret scrimmage, the rare ones that still exist these days.

Uh, I was told that that game was maybe the The most physical basketball game any of them had ever been a part of.

So, uh, it was an absolute war and a half.

Both teams are very different now than they were then, so, uh, I would love a little secret scrimmage rematch for a spot in the Final Four, although the, uh, the narrative is certainly great for a, for a Houston, Florida, uh, showdown in, in, in, in the city of Houston, certainly.

Yeah, I'll take that for sure.

I, I, I, I, like I was super bullish on Florida until they got to Nashville, and I thought they were pretty darn bad.

Even when they beat Kentucky, they shot horribly.

And I thought, well, that's just bad shooting day, they'll come back and they'll be fine.

And then Vanderbilt just ran them out of the gym.

They gave up 91 points to Vandy.

Uh, Kevin, is there a reason to be concerned about Florida based on SEC tournament, or is that just a blip and they move on?

I think some, you know, look, the, the thing I would say with Florida is, you know, they were running hot from 3 all of a sudden after being really, really, really cold, right?

Like, not to say they weren't, they hadn't improved, they certainly had as a team, they're playing better, but, you know, down the stretch in February, they're throwing in 40% from 3, like, nobody's beating them when they do that, but they're not that good at shooting team, and So, it certainly came back to, back to earth a little bit.

Bigger concern was that they turned the ball over in both of those games, and that's been the big difference for them.

When they've turned the corner, it's been because they've stopped turning the basketball over.

Every shot for Florida is a great shot because you put it on the rim and Ruben Chinelo and Condon, they're gonna go get it.

They're one of the best rebounding teams ever.

So, because of that, as long as Boogie Flann and Xavion Lee can, can put the ball on the rim.

You feel pretty good if you're the Gators.

They did not put the ball in the rim enough against Vandy.

Vandy's a great team at turning you over, they took advantage.

Uh, you know, that doesn't scare me necessarily with Clemson or Iowa.

It does scare me with, with a potential Vanderbilt rematch, though, certainly, if the Commodores can get that far, it won't be an easy road, having been underseeded a little bit here.

Yeah, uh, I, I, putting the ball on the rim and going and getting it with monsters is a great recipe to advance in tournaments.

Uh, until you run into Houston.

Uh, now, you know, they, they had that strongman fight last year, but if, if Florida's gonna shoot as badly as they did in Nashville all the way through to a potential regional final in Houston against Houston, I don't like it.

Um, you know, that, again, there's a lot of games you would have to get through to get to that point.

And there are some intriguing other teams in that region, namely, uh, Vandy and, um, and Illinois.

But, uh, that's gonna be a good region for sure.

Uh, let's go back up, upper right.

Take a look at the West region.

Arizona, top seed there.

Uh, they get the Long Island Sharks and Rod Strickland in the first round, no problems there in San Diego, friendly San Diego.

Uh, the other matchups in the region, we got 8-9, Villanova, Utah State, 5-12, Wisconsin High Point, 4:13, the aforementioned put upon Arkansas Razorbacks against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

BYU gets play-in winner.

Which play-in winner do they get?

NC State, Texas.

OK, yep, yep.

Uh, Gonzaga, Kennesaw State, Miami, Missouri, we talked about that a little bit.

Purdue and Queens.

Do we, where do we see potential difficulty for the Wildcats here?

I, I, I kind of wonder about Utah State, you know, the, the way they have the momentum from the Mountain West at this point, you know, it kind of seemed like at the end of the year, they were kind of, uh, you know, hitting some speed bumps, kind of coasting a little bit, but, uh, I think they may have, may have found something there in the Mountain West tournament.

And I think that could end up being, Maybe the, the, the trickiest game, you, you keep in mind too, just the advantage from travel, from a travel standpoint that they're going to have in San Jose, there in the, in the, in the West Regional.

Uh, whether it's Arkansas, whether it's Wisconsin, I, I kind of wonder if either of those two teams are gonna say if they end up advancing, say, hey, let's just stay out west, you know, like, let's, let's not even deal with going back and forth at this point.

Yeah, it's, it's, it's.

It's a pretty big gap, but, um, that, that's tough to, especially for, for a team like Arkansas to go all the way out to Portland and then back and then go out to San Jose.

Um, that, that's a lot of travel for anybody, especially these kids.

I know they, they say they're worth it.

What about the schoolwork, Brian?

What about class?

They're all on, they're all online, Pat.

We all know that, especially this time of year.

We all know that.

Um, you know, and, and truthfully, I mean, it really sets up, I think, well for Arizona.

You know, I, I think of, of all the regions that they could add, yes, they're always going to get the West, but in terms of the matchups, uh, you know, I just think that the length and, and really the, the variances that you're, you're not going to get there with, with Arizona, you know, versus some of the opponents that they are going to face, um, with Wisconsin.

Yes, they have some great cards, but maybe that's something that the, the size of Arizona, the, the bodies that they can throw in that on, Uh, that backcourt, uh, you know, can match up well.

You, you throw out Arkansas there as well.

I mean, like, I, I, I think matchup-wise and especially drawing Purdue as the other number 2 in, in this region, I, I think you're pretty happy if you're Tommy Lloyd, and it's certainly setting up well, not just to kind of get away from some of those, those march issues that they've had for the Wildcats these last couple of years, but, but to, to truly make that Final Four run, uh, that, that I think they have the team capable of.

This is where I think there may actually be some chaos, and I came in believing sort of that we would have, I, I, I believe fully before the bracket that I would have Arizona in my Final Four, and then I stared at like, whoever wins Arkansas, Wisconsin, like.

I think those games are super, that game is super scary for Arizona.

I think Wisconsin has proven that they can play up to the top tier teams in the sport because of their guards, because, again, like, they're, they're gonna play a super high variance style.

Um, they're gonna shoot as many threes as just about anyone in the country.

Arizona is not gonna shoot them.

And we, we saw them against Michigan, just throw in a bunch of threes early in, in, in that January game against them and put some game.

Pressure on and, and found a way to win on the road.

They beat Illinois, they beat Michigan State, they beat Purdue, they beat Illinois again.

Like, I, I'm scared of this Badgers team and I'm certainly scared of Darius Acuff right now, if I'm Arizona, right?

I'm not gonna say Arizona can't beat them, obviously, they can, they're physical, they're tough.

It's a different level of test, but I think with both of those teams, my concern all year has been, you know, how do they handle.

Their business against teams they're supposed to beat, not what can they do against the best of the best.

And so, I think, assuming they get there, whoever does, right?

And look, if you told me High Point beats Wisconsin, I won't be floored, but I also won't be floored if Wisconsin's in the Elite Eight.

So, I, I, I, I'm not gonna tell you Arkansas is gonna beat, they're gonna lose to Hawaii, but I wouldn't be shocked if it's close.

We talked about the, the travel and the difficulty there.

Hawaii plays a very unique defense, but If one of those teams gets to the Sweet 16, I, I think Arizona loses that game, and that, that to me is probably, I think that is my earliest number 1 seed exit.

Yes, it is, so.

Yeah, I mean, like, I, I, I watched Arizona in person, um, in Kansas City and was completely dazzled, but I agree with you, there is a trap waiting potentially in the Sweet 16, and I, I really want the Wisconsin-Arkansas matchup because that is a backcourt baller supreme game.

Uh, I mean, Boyd and Blackwell versus Acuff and Malik Thomas, wow, those are players, uh, and completely fearless playmakers, shooters, trash talkers, maybe not so much Arkansas, but the Wisconsin guys, my gosh, they run their mouths.

Uh, so that I think could be.

Like the best potential second-round game or one of them, and then, yes, the winner takes on Arizona.

The thing that, uh, here's what super impressed me about Arizona is they're playing Iowa State and Iowa State's very good, and Iowa State played really well and had them on the ropes with about, 2/3 of the arena being Iowa State fans going crazy, and Braden Burry's doing nothing, playing very poorly.

And Arizona still found a way to win.

It took 26 points from Anthony Delorso off the bench, but, but that's what they can do, you know, it took Tobe Awaka coming in and just cleaning up on the glass.

Uh, they've got the guys to do it.

They've got the size, they've got the talent, they've got the athletes.

I, I, I can't pick them to lose, but, but I agree with you that that Sweet 16 potential matchup is a doozy.

Uh, bottom half of the bracket, looking there, like Purdue, all right, so help me out with Purdue.

Here was my take on Purdue today, watching them win the Big 10 championship and pretty well handle, uh, Michigan.

First of all, if Oscar Cleft's gonna do that, it's time to change my appraisal.

Uh, the way he played throughout the time in Chicago, and I know you were there, Kevin, that was incredibly much better than he had been playing.

And then I'm also wondering if you've got, Fletcher Lawyer and Braden Smith, and Trey Kaufman Wren, these guys that are 4th-year guys that have like started every game forever and played together forever, and they're just like, OK, let's just get through February and get to games that matter, you know, if they're just a little bit over it in their last year of college and like, let's, let's just play some tournament basketball, and maybe that's why they staggered a bit there.

But is the team that we saw in Chicago, the real Purdue, or is there a different version that's not that good?

My, my feeling is still, still one of skepticism, uh, and that's not even a criticism of, of this Purdue group.

I, I, I think.

At the end of the day, what Purdue is , is unbelievably difficult to beat if you're not one of the elite talented teams in the sport, but very, very gettable for the best of the best because of the lack of athleticism, because of the lack of versatility on the wings, the, the, the defensive edge that they, they lack, like, I don't know, I've just, I've just been to too many of the games.

I was at the Iowa State game where they got punked.

I was at the Michigan game where there was never really a fight.

I was at the Illinois game where they got shredded by Keaton Wagler and had no answers, like, at some point, like they had all these opportunities, they didn't take them.

It strikes me that maybe more, more so, they, they got A friendly draw in the Big 10 tournament.

They got a lower seeded Northwestern team that had upset Indiana, and they played a Nebraska team that's sort of limping to the finish, um, you know, UCLA, which was very, very good and playing great, but Donovan Dent did not play the second half, Tyler Billide did not play at all.

I'm not gonna say Michigan didn't want to be here today.

I think they, you know, obviously competed, but There was a, a, a gap in, like, who cared more today, and it was obviously Purdue did.

I don't think you'll get that same edge in, in this tournament, um, you know, I think Smith's phenomenal, he's just an incredible player, Kaufman Wren was great against Michigan.

Um, Clough, as you said, was, was phenomenal.

It changes the, the, the, the narrative about this group when their front court's playing as well as it is.

Uh, and I do think the draw is, is favorable, but you look at that potentially Elite Eight game and you're playing against either a Wisconsin team that's already beat them, uh, an Arkansas team that has all the speed and size and athleticism that you could ever ask for, or Arizona that's a bunch of walking, you know, diesel trucks flying up and down the floor, like, I don't know, man, like, I, I, I have a hard time seeing them get to that home Final Four in Indianapolis.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm underselling them, they were great this week, but I worry about them in those elite games.

Yeah, that's kind of why I'm wondering too, you circled Gonzaga, you know, out of the same bottom half of the draw.

And look, they're 30 and 3, and we all know that the issues at times in the WCC, it did seem like, you know, to, to Pat's credit about Purdue, it seemed like sometimes going through some of those WCC games, they're just kind of going through the motions, you know, at times.

I think that's kind of why they got tripped up, you know, against Portland and Saint Mary's at the end, maybe a little bit overwhelmed by the moment, uh, as well.

But, uh, man, I, I, I do kind of think maybe, maybe this is Gonzaga's, you know, chance.

Out of that bottom half of the bracket because I think Purdue is gettable, like you were saying.

Um, obviously, you know, the pressure would be on Arizona in any, any kind of Elite Eight game.

They would be playing pressure-free if, if they were able to make it that far, plus it'd be, uh, out west.

They got some favorable travel pattern patterns.

So I do kind of think, um, if it's not Purdue coming out of the bottom half, I, I would kind of circle Gonzaga at this point, especially given the way they could kind of battle Arizona down low.

Um, I think that could be pretty interesting as well, uh, should they make it there to San Jose.

Gonzaga also ancient.

Um, I , I wrote about this in the 40 minutes, big dance edition, uh, 6th oldest team in the country, and I believe the oldest team in the NCAA tournament.

Um, and that's like, Tyon Foster, Grant is, Graham Foster is, is 26 years old.

He just turned 26.

Graham EK has played 9 million games.

Uh, you can go on down the list, uh, Adam Miller, ancient, you know, so, they've got very experienced players.

Uh, and this is a good time of year to be experienced.

So, we'll see how much that helps, uh, Gonzaga there.

Of course, Purdue also ancient.

So, you know, if, if they end up, it's, it could be an AARP Sweet 16 game between those two.

last region, Midwest.

Michigan's the number one seed.

Again , waiting, we're just waiting to be taken down by UMBC, uh, 8-9, Georgia, Saint Louis, 5-12, Texas Tech, Akron, 4-13, Alabama, Hofstra, Tennessee, awaiting the Miami Red Hawks or SMU Mustangs.

Uh, Virginia Wright State, Kentucky, Santa Clara.

Look out, Kentucky.

And Iowa State, Tennessee State, um, what jumps out to you guys there, Brian?

Uh, probably Michigan just kind of coming back to the pack.

You know, I, I think they, they have not been able to figure out, I, I think their flow in their rotation, you know, since LJ Cason, uh, went down with that ACL injury.

And it just seems like that that extra spark they would get off the bench has just not been there when, when they needed it.

I mean, I, I think that, you know, truthfully, going back to that, that Duke game, I mean, he, he, he kind of helped keep them in that game, uh, you know, late, late in the second half, and then, um, really that, that, that's been their key to a lot of their runs, you know, they're, they're able to throw in some fresh guys and throw in some new looks and, and they just haven't been the same.

Uh, down the stretch since, and maybe there's the, the question mark of just wanting to get over the hump and, and maybe they can flip the switch come, come March.

But I think of, of the number 1 seeds, you know, and just in terms of how they're playing right now, that you might want to say they're, they're one of the more vulnerable ones and certainly more vulnerable than we thought they were a week or two ago, you know, right?

And so I think, Uh, that, that is going to be interesting.

And I think Saint Louis, you know, if they were to, to get past Georgia, I, I think that could be a very interesting matchup with Michigan, and the way they shoot the 3.

Robbie Avila out there, he, he, he will get the crowd going on his side.

Uh, that could be a pretty difficult matchup, uh, certainly for Michigan on top of all the things they could meet, uh, down the road just with the length, uh.

Somebody like Tennessee could throw at them with Virginia with their shot blockers and the way that they compress them.

So I think in terms of the path that Michigan has, um, you know, as, as nice as it is to go back to Chicago for this, they, they got some potential landmines, uh, certainly on, on their trip to go back to Indianapolis.

I will say if, if Robbie Avila, um, He of, you know, you know, fat guy with goggles can handle Ada Mara, Yael Lieborg, and Marez Johnson.

The , the legend that already exists will quintuple.

I'm not sure he can pull it off, but if he can.

It would be, it would be quite entertaining.

I, I sort of take a different slant to it, Brian.

I thought Michigan was vulnerable coming into the week.

I thought the matchups are all right for them, you know, I think their Sweet 16 game.

I, I, I , I, the, the biggest upset I have in my bracket, and we submitted all, we all submitted brackets to, to SI.

I know that we have a bracket challenge going, you guys can all check that out.

Um.

I picked Hofstra to beat Alabama.

Uh, I, I think these two little guards, Cruz Davis and Preston Edmead, are incredible players, uh, so much fun to watch, and I think this Bama team has never defended all year, like, they've, they've had their moments, and obviously, you know, they, they can certainly score, but I, I think Hofstra puts a real charge into him and Hofstra has some real size and rim protection at the basket to, to make it life a little bit more difficult for Alabama.

I won't be surprised if there's an upset there, even if not, I don't think Alabama is the scariest 4 seed.

I don't think Texas Tech in their current form with the injuries is the scariest 5, you know, I think Iowa State's good.

I'm not quite sure they're sort of like a tier 1 title contender that you would have as a scariest 2 for Michigan.

I would say the same thing about Virginia.

I think they're really good, as, as you said, Brian, the shot blocking with Onienso and Grunlow, uh, De Ritter, like, they at least have the size.

I think Virginia could give them a real push in the Elite Eight game, but I don't feel great about it.

Like, I, I, I, I was looking for a reason to pick against Michigan in a lot of ways.

I just couldn't get there.

Yeah, uh, the, uh, the, I, I, I have to say a couple of words about Robbie Avila.

I, I feel like I was, I was a first-generation Robbie Avila fan when he was really just coming on the scene, his second year at Saint Louis or at Indiana State.

Uh, the, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Steph Blurry, all the great nicknames that, uh, that went along with him.

And I, when they showed on CBS Saint Louis's team reacting to seeing their name in the dance, he was really happy, and it made me think that they got screwed two years ago when they're at Indiana State and didn't get in, and this guy's a senior, and he's finally gonna go to the dance.

And that's what's awesome about this tournament.

And, you know, hopefully they win, if they don't, I don't care, Georgia wins, it's fine, but.

I'm just glad that they get the chance to go.

He and Josh Shirtz, uh, that were on that Indiana State team, and didn't get their opportunity.

So, uh, good for them for at least just being in the bracket.

Uh, the rest of it, I, yeah, I don't know.

I mean, I, I probably caught Iowa State at a good time , but holy crap, they were good.

Now, I'm not sure, uh, Milan Momsillovich really might be the best shooter in the country, but I'm still not sure he's gonna just go dropping bombs like he did, uh, against Arizona.

That was incredible.

Uh, and then, you know, I'd have a couple of other guys step up and, and throw in shots as well, but I, I like Iowa State a whole bunch to, Get to what could be a great Sweet 16 game against Virginia and get past that and then, boy, there's gonna be some battling inside if they end up playing, uh, Michigan, if it comes down to that.

But obviously, a million things to look forward to .

Uh, real quick here, guys, before we go, give me a Final Four.

Give me a national champion.

Brian Fisher, why don't you go first?

I was just gonna say, Pat, uh, what, what would the conversation be like there in the Commonwealth, uh, if, if Kentucky goes out to Santa Clara?

It would not be good, but you know what, they've had the conversation after they've gone out against Oakland, after they've gone out against Saint Peter's, after they've gone out twice against Kansas State, uh, it's not a new conversation.

Different coach would be losing early, but same conversation, they're already, they're already, look, there's enough people that are not happy with, with Mark Pope.

He loses in the first round, that quintuple, and that really puts the pressure on for next year, but there will be a next year for Mark Pope.

So, we can at least say that much.

Well, don't trust my bracket either way.

Uh, I, I, I , I overindexed way too, too, too much on last year's bracket and, and did too well.

So I know this one's, this one's not, uh, not gonna live up to those expectations, but, uh, I, I, I am taking Virginia out of the Midwest.

Uh, I, I, I do like that.

I was gonna go with Michigan to win it all, uh, probably this time a week ago, but, uh, I think just the, the way they've, they've looked these last couple of weeks, um, seeing Virginia up close in person and And, uh, Oo with the shot blocking in, in person.

I was like right underneath the basket .

Um, he, he, he's special.

I think he's going to cause a lot of trouble for a lot of teams.

So, uh, give me Virginia and Rhino room to, to make a run to Indianapolis there.

Uh, I've got Arizona winning it all.

Uh, just something about, uh, the Wildcats this year, uh, coming out of the West, and, and I'm sure I'll be repaid by, uh, another 1st, 1st week in exit, but, Uh, give, give me the Wildcats, the way they've looked.

I, I think they, they have the complete team and really the, the least variances out of a lot of them just because they don't shoot the 3, as much as some of these others.

So I think they are, uh, certainly more capable in terms of that, that, that cadence that you're going to need, uh, to get to Indianapolis.

And, uh, I, I've got Duke out of the east.

And, uh, let's see, uh, give me, uh, give me Illinois out of the South.

I think that's the one where I, I, I, I, Maybe 6 months ago, I, I, I was on the Illinois he train with Kevin, and, uh, then I got off of it, and then I got back on it.

And then just looking at some of the matchups, um, knowing that that Houston can, can have that shot desert them, Knowing that Florida has some issues with the turnovers and all that, uh, give me Illinois to sneak out of the South.

I went, uh, Duke in the east over a, uh, Cinderella run UCLA.

Uh, I had picked, uh, Houston in the, uh, bottom left quadrant, the South, uh, over Florida in the Elite Eight, and then up on the top right with the West region, I went Arkansas over Purdue in the Elite Eight, and then in the, uh, Midwest, Michigan over Virginia.

Uh, Michigan beating Arkansas, Duke beating Houston, we got Michigan, Duke 2.0, same result.

Duke wins it all, Jon Shire, uh, gets the very early monkey off his back.

There we go.

You know what, 38 years old, but he's had some, when, when he's gone out, it's been ugly.

So that's the thing he needs to try to fix.

Him and Tommy Lloyd, both have been phenomenally successful head coaches whose seasons end badly.

Can they get them to end a little bit better?

I've got both of them going to the Final Four.

I have Duke going to the Final Four, I have Arizona going to the Final Four.

I have Houston going to the Final Four.

I think I have Michigan.

Now, I might, I think I have Iowa State.

So I've got an Iowa State, Arizona rematch of the Big 12 semifinal.

Maybe this again, prisoner of the moment having been there and seen that battle, but I'm gonna say Arizona wins again.

And then I have Houston against Duke.

I don't remember who.

I think I picked Houston out of that.

And so I've got a Houston, Arizona final , and I'm gonna take Arizona.

Boy, do I really have 3 Big 12 schools in the Final Four?

I'm not sure that's right.

I might have Michigan in there.

Where's, where's the, uh, where's the, uh, card from Brett Yourmark from this past week headed your way.

OK.

Yeah.

Either way, I've got, uh, I've got Arizona winning the thing, which is something I have never, I don't believe, ever picked in 100 years of picking brackets, so.

Uh, we'll see how it all works out.

Yes, as Kevin, Kevin, good corporate soldier, uh, pointed out, we've got the bracket challenge going.

It should not be difficult to find on social media, uh, on our website, SI.

com, very clever and complicated.

Uh, look for the bracket challenge, get in it.

You'll get a chance to look at our brackets, mock them, beat them, whatever.

We will be back.

Uh, after the first weekend, I think is our next show, and we will, uh, have way too much to even talk about then, but thanks for joining us today.

Uh, Enjoy the madness, and we'll talk to you later.