Grantland: Notes on Mock Selection

Some interesting notes in there about the committes stance on travel/location sites. Titus makes some good points about how brackets are set and then re-done to accommodate what I think are some outdated travel concerns.
 
That does sound like a cool exercise. There's a business opportunity in there. Since we the fans take all of this way too seriously, they could advertise it as a chance to go to Indy for the weekend and do a Mock Selection Sunday exercise, along with other college basketball junkies. You might scoff, but weather nuts pay good money to go storm chasing, this isn't much different.
 
From his #10 UNI Power Ranking, regarding the 9 over 1 upset of KU.
Let’s all watch Ali Farokhmanesh put his enormous stones on display, and then let’s pretend the refs didn’t make an awful charge call on Tyrel Reed in the ensuing Kansas possession.
Am I missing something on how that's not a charge every day of the week and twice on Sundays? (25 seconds in)
[video=youtube;TDWYx3LVrPg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDWYx3LVrPg[/video]
 
From his #10 UNI Power Ranking, regarding the 9 over 1 upset of KU.

Am I missing something on how that's not a charge every day of the week and twice on Sundays? (25 seconds in)
[video=youtube;TDWYx3LVrPg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDWYx3LVrPg[/video]

That is exactly a charge, text book.
 
Stopped reading when I saw number ten. Just another writer looking for Cinderella.
 
Some interesting notes in there about the committes stance on travel/location sites. Titus makes some good points about how brackets are set and then re-done to accommodate what I think are some outdated travel concerns.

Are the travel concerns just for the teams or for the fans as well? I would imagine that Providence would be able to get more fans to a game in Philly then a game in San Jose. I know I would much rather see ISU play in Omaha, KC or Minneapolis :biggrin: then have to try to find a way to make it to Portland or Atlanta.
 
Reed was so out of control that every official is calling that a charge.

As far as the travel, the NCAA has gone to reducing travel as much as they can in every championship. It costs them more money when they're hauling teams across the country. That's why we're going to see a ridiculously loaded midwest bracket this year, the majority of quality teams are going to feed into Cleveland because of geography.
 
Are the travel concerns just for the teams or for the fans as well? I would imagine that Providence would be able to get more fans to a game in Philly then a game in San Jose. I know I would much rather see ISU play in Omaha, KC or Minneapolis :biggrin: then have to try to find a way to make it to Portland or Atlanta.


I think it's a valid enough concern...to a point. I don't think the committee should be forced to follow strict snake seeding either, but he pointed out a couple situations where they were being told a top 2 or 3 seed would get handed a unfavorable match-up by the committee almost solely due to geography. That is pretty stupid. 100% of all coaches and fanbases would rather travel further for their regional if it meant avoiding Kentucky until the Final Four.
 
From his #10 UNI Power Ranking, regarding the 9 over 1 upset of KU.

Am I missing something on how that's not a charge every day of the week and twice on Sundays? (25 seconds in)
[video=youtube;TDWYx3LVrPg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDWYx3LVrPg[/video]

Wow, I'd forgotten how close KU was to getting that steal during the full court pressure right before the dagger from Ali.
 
I also thought it was interesting how high that group apparently was on OU. Based on Titus's article I would assume they probably had us at more a 4/5 seed level then?
 
Some interesting notes in there about the committes stance on travel/location sites. Titus makes some good points about how brackets are set and then re-done to accommodate what I think are some outdated travel concerns.

I wonder if some of the travel concern is based on fan travel, as opposed to being limited to team travel. Possibly not, just throwing it out there.

EDIT: VeloClone beat me to this Q by about a half hour.

Having the travel guideline not just limited to high seeds explains how sometimes 1's, 2's and 3's will be paired with nearby or in-state schools, when it seems like 14 to 16 would be placed at a geographic disadvantage. Can't think of too many specific examples off the top of my head (Kansas played N.D. State in a 3-14 a few years ago in Minneapolis, is one case).
 
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Stopped reading when I saw number ten. Just another writer looking for Cinderella.

I think #10 is high, but they've shown that their style can do damage in March.

I'm glad to hear they were down on Notre Dame who seems very impressive.

I still think the Cyclones should be in this list over Oklahoma.
 
Get me in the room with the selection committee and I’d see to it that Indiana, Davidson, Notre Dame, Iowa State, BYU, Northwestern State, Ole Miss, Pitt, Murray State, and every other team that scores a ton and plays no defense ends up in the same region. I don’t even care that half of those teams shouldn’t make the tournament. Excitement is all that matters, and that region would blow America’s socks off.
 
Get me in the room with the selection committee and I’d see to it that Indiana, Davidson, Notre Dame, Iowa State, BYU, Northwestern State, Ole Miss, Pitt, Murray State, and every other team that scores a ton and plays no defense ends up in the same region.


true.
 

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