Joe Lunardi's Bracketology - Iowa State #4 Seed

[TyCy1]

Iowa State is #4 in Lunardi's latest bracketology, updated 1/2/14:

Bracketology - NCAA College Basketball Brackets and Predictions - ESPN


Kind of great to see us on the same level as Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina.

 

[cycloneG]

Wichita St. as a #2 seed? The only reason they might is because they aren't going to lose in their weak *** conference.

 

[peteypie]

I honestly think we'll be better than that. I'm thinking 2 or 3 seed.

 

[cycloneG]

Also, Wichita St.'s SOS is going to take a serious hit during conference play. It's currently #66 but is most likely going to be somewhere in the 80s after conference play. Ours is going to go up.

 

[peteypie]

This has always been a pretty good predictor, especially more as the season progresses. Has us as a 2 seed.

NCAA Basketball Bracketology Projections

 

[erikbj]

nothing to get our panties in a bunch about today. The next 3 months will dictate where ISU is seeded. #1 seed (conference champ) or #12 seed......finish 5th in the league.

 

[peteypie]

nothing to get our panties in a bunch about today. The next 3 months will dictate where ISU is seeded. #1 seed (conference champ) or #12 seed......finish 5th in the league.

I said this in another thread, but even if we went 10-8 in league play (which would be worst case senerio IMO), that would still put us at 22-8 with an RPI and SOS in the 20s. There is just no possible way we are below a 6 seed.

 

[kyle22kjs]

If someone told me we'd even be mentioned as a potential "#2 Seed", I would've told them to lay-off the kool-aid

 

[sheepplucker]

I honestly think we'll be better than that. I'm thinking 2 or 3 seed.

im thinking conference play is going to be pretty tough on this team. the unblemished record is awesome. but its been frustrating watching mid-majors big men score at will against us could be pulling our hair out during some of these games. including the tech game. I would be surprised with 4-6 seed

 

[CYUL8R]

If we come out of the best conference in the country with 3-4 losses we'll be a #2 seed for sure, possibly #1 seed. But that would probably also mean we win the conference. Gonna be a challenge, but our guys can do it. Go Cyclones!

 

[Cydkar]

Wichita St. as a #2 seed? The only reason they might is because they aren't going to lose in their weak *** conference.

Not to mention that they are very good and were in the final 4 last year. details.

 

[Cyclonestate78]

im thinking conference play is going to be pretty tough on this team. the unblemished record is awesome. but its been frustrating watching mid-majors big men score at will against us could be pulling our hair out during some of these games. including the tech game. I would be surprised with 4-6 seed

Have some faith here... ISU is currently 36th in the country in FG% defense (39%) compared to 175th last season. Scoring defense currently ranks 120th compared to 276th last season. Assist to turnover ratio is currently ranked 3rd compared to 40th last season. If ISU is allowing mid-major big men to "score at will" then they must be shutting everyone else down because their stats indicate that their defensive play has dramatically improved.

FYI... defensive efficiency rankings show ISU at #23 compared to #158 last season.

 

[CoKane]

We only get a #2 seed if we win the conference with a max of 5 losses. A #1 seed would require a sweep of conference tourney and regular season, and no more then 3 losses. Doable, but extremely unlikely and probably not going to happen. I'm thinking a 4 seed at this point.

 

[peteypie]

My problem with Lunardi's bracket at this point, is he says time and time again, that this isn't a predictor, but a where would they be if the tourney was today.

There is no effing way that if the tourney was today, that an undefeated team with a #5 RPI, #3 BPI, top 30 SOS would be a number 4 seed. 2 or 3 would be where they would be if the season ended today.

 

[isuno1fan]

I'm thinking 11-7 in conf and a 5 or 6 seed.

 

[Wesley]

This has always been a pretty good predictor, especially more as the season progresses. Has us as a 2 seed.

NCAA Basketball Bracketology Projections

If we were able to win the next four, it would move us up into fairly solid ground for the rest of conference games to maintain a good seed.

 

[Wesley]

Have some faith here... ISU is currently 36th in the country in FG% defense (39%) compared to 175th last season. Scoring defense currently ranks 120th compared to 276th last season. Assist to turnover ratio is currently ranked 3rd compared to 40th last season. If ISU is allowing mid-major big men to "score at will" then they must be shutting everyone else down because their stats indicate that their defensive play has dramatically improved.

FYI... defensive efficiency rankings show ISU at #23 compared to #158 last season.

Credit goes to Georges moving his feet much better this year to shut down the drives or maneuvering around the bucket.

 

[Amesboy]

We have 18 games left with the post season tournament. Way ahead of the game and seeding projections are fun to look at. Same with the ratings, it's all meaningless right now but SOS is important and obviously winning. We just need to be playing our best basketball at the end of the season going into the tournament and not have any major hiccups. What we see every year going into the dance are teams that didn't finish with the greatest regular season records and catch fire in the NCAA's. Look how many #1 and #2 seeds got taken out early last year. Only one #1 seeds even made it to the Elite 8 and only two #2's. And look what Florida Gulf Coast did. Finished 2nd in regular season with a 13-5 record but won the post season tournament. Getting a #15 seed they advanced all the way to the Sweet 16 before getting beat. There are lots of ways to look at the big picture, and we can bask in the glory now of national rankings and attention but we just have to continue to improve and play well and stop focusing so much on seeding and rankings at this point. We have half the season left to play.

 

[CycloneErik]

We have 18 games left with the post season tournament. Way ahead of the game and seeding projections are fun to look at. Same with the ratings, it's all meaningless right now but SOS is important and obviously winning. We just need to be playing our best basketball at the end of the season going into the tournament and not have any major hiccups. What we see every year going into the dance are teams that didn't finish with the greatest regular season records and catch fire in the NCAA's. Look how many #1 and #2 seeds got taken out early last year. Only one #1 seeds even made it to the Elite 8 and only two #2's. And look what Florida Gulf Coast did. Finished 2nd in regular season with a 13-5 record but won the post season tournament. Getting a #15 seed they advanced all the way to the Sweet 16 before getting beat. There are lots of ways to look at the big picture, and we can bask in the glory now of national rankings and attention but we just have to continue to improve and play well and stop focusing so much on seeding and rankings at this point. We have half the season left to play.

We're fans. We don't have to do any of that.

 

[Cy$]

Michigan as an 8 seed with an RPI of 75? Makes sense.

Need Kansas to drop out to the 5 seed so ISU can get the St. Louis spot. that place would be rocking.