March Madness team of the decade bracket
- Thread starter Cyclonepride
- Start date
SC has no chance in this one against the ISU Internet Army.
It would seem so, but Katz based seeding largely on tournament results.
"I seeded the bracket with an emphasis on teams that won a title, reached one or multiple Final Fours and other NCAA tournament success."
Results so far
Monday, Aug. 5
No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 16 UMBC | Villanova advances
No. 8 Kansas State vs. No. 9 Tennessee | Tennessee advances
No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Saint Mary's | Ohio State advances
No. 4 Florida vs. No. 13 BYU | Florida advances
Tuesday, Aug. 6
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 14 Creighton | Michigan advances
No. 6 Loyola Chicago vs. No. 11 Arkansas | Loyola Chicago advances
No. 7 VCU vs. No. 10 Indiana | Indiana advances
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 UCF |Michigan State advances
Wednesday, Aug. 7
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 16 New Mexico State | Kentucky advances
No. 8 Florida State vs. No. 9 Texas | Texas Advances
No. 5 Oklahoma vs. No. 12 Dayton | Oklahoma advances
No. 4 Syracuse vs. No. 13 Seton Hall |Syracuse advances
**** Among seeding/selection quibbles, Loyola should NOT be a 6 seed, probably shouldn't even be in the field. One cinderella Final Four run, but the rest of the decade -- a CBI title (woo-hoo!) and NIT appearance.
Monday, Aug. 5
No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 16 UMBC | Villanova advances
No. 8 Kansas State vs. No. 9 Tennessee | Tennessee advances
No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Saint Mary's | Ohio State advances
No. 4 Florida vs. No. 13 BYU | Florida advances
Tuesday, Aug. 6
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 14 Creighton | Michigan advances
No. 6 Loyola Chicago vs. No. 11 Arkansas | Loyola Chicago advances
No. 7 VCU vs. No. 10 Indiana | Indiana advances
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 15 UCF |Michigan State advances
Wednesday, Aug. 7
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 16 New Mexico State | Kentucky advances
No. 8 Florida State vs. No. 9 Texas | Texas Advances
No. 5 Oklahoma vs. No. 12 Dayton | Oklahoma advances
No. 4 Syracuse vs. No. 13 Seton Hall |Syracuse advances
**** Among seeding/selection quibbles, Loyola should NOT be a 6 seed, probably shouldn't even be in the field. One cinderella Final Four run, but the rest of the decade -- a CBI title (woo-hoo!) and NIT appearance.
Based on Loyola and South Carolina, if you made 1 Final Four, you are at least a 6 seed no matter how much you sucked the other 9 years. He obviously put a lot more weight on a single deep run rather than sustained success.
Good observation. That could explain Oregon and Wichita State, the other two 6 seeds.
Tech got a 4 seed, obviously boosted by Final Four and title appearance. Did little else the rest of the decade, though.
Morris
Kane
Shayok
Niang
Ejim
I love me some Royce White, but I think Georges as a 3 is a little ambitious.
Kane
Shayok
Niang
Ejim
I love me some Royce White, but I think Georges as a 3 is a little ambitious.
I understand our starting 5, but if you were to actually play these games, I'd have to put either Matty Ice or Tyrus McGee on there somewhere only because we'd severely lack outside shooting with that starting lineup. I'd probably have to take off either Kane or Ejim and replace with Matt or Tyrus.
Beat me to it...
Kane shot 39.8% from three his one season in Ames -- he is fine there.
Yeah, I love Royce and would definitely have him on the roster, but trying to have three big men out there... would not fly given the way college basketball works nowadays.
I like Ejim mostly because he does not need the ball in his hands to be productive. He is out there to rebound for you, pick up garbage points, and play defense. The lineup would need a big man like that and guards who can space the floor for Niang, Morris, and Kane.
Intellectual exercises like this to produce all-star teams too often lead to teams of high usage, ball-dominant guys who would not actually work all that well in practice. You need the stars, yes, but you need the utility guys, too -- rebounding big men and shooters.
Let Royce come in to play point-forward and bully some second units in stretches, but you need one of our many 3&D guard-wing guys for that other starting spot.
And we have plenty of choices...
Christopherson
Babb
McGee
Clyburn
Mitrou-Long
Thomas
Nader
Burton
Weiler-Babb
Shayok
Some of these guys did different things better, but they can all space the floor for you.
I agree that starting 5 is big-man heavy, flies especially counter to Hoiberg-Prohm approach. I suppose I could (regrettably) use Ejim as 6th man, and insert a wing shooter-scorer in the top 5.
Of the line up it would be:
PG Morris
SG Kane
SF White
PF Niang
C Ejim
I also don’t think they would shoot that bad. Morris and Kane were both pretty good shooters. Niang and Ejim can both step out. Royce would be the only one who can’t shoot a three and he could still bully people on drives. I’d maybe switch one out for a shooter but they wouldn’t be bad.
Which is a better line-up...
Royce on the block surrounded by four shooters?
Or Royce on the block with the above around him?
Especially if one of Melvin or Georges has to try to guard a three-man?
Something like this...
Morris
Mitrou-Long
Thomas
Kane
Niang/White
= size on the perimeter and either you are giving the big man 1-on-1 on the block or you are letting 40%+ shooters from three take open shots on you.
Neither is an attractive possibility.
I didn’t say it would be my optimal lineup just that it wouldn’t be as bad as people are acting. I don’t get why you keep trying to put White at the 5. He would play the three as a slasher who could post up. Niang would guard the opponents 5 and Ejim would guard the 4. I’d probably take another shooter into that original lineup but they would be good as is.
Monte plays so well off of Jokic that I think that Monte and Royce would be incredible. Shayok would be very efficient if he just had to shoot 3s and attack close outs rather than create offense. I think Kane would be fine doing that as well, and both Kane and Shayok bring good size and rebounding on the wings.
Niang/Ejim for the last spot, and I’d probably go
with Niang, just because of his incredible performance against that tough UVA defense.
Essentially what they have but swapping in Shayok for Ejim just to balance things a little more.
Niang/Ejim for the last spot, and I’d probably go
with Niang, just because of his incredible performance against that tough UVA defense.
Essentially what they have but swapping in Shayok for Ejim just to balance things a little more.