First of all, let me say that I am so happy it is not my responsibility to pick the 64 teams. As a college professor, I have been around enough college athletes to know the heartbreak of not making the cut. The selection committee does not have an enviable job, and this time, they came really close to getting it right.
Mistake #1: Florida.
O.K., I am an SEC girl, so I’m happy that the conference got in more than just Kentucky, considering how “down” the SEC is this year. That said, it SO should have been Mississippi State instead of Florida taking that spot. Mississippi State had a better record (23-10 against Florida’s 21-12). Both had bad losses early. State lost to Rider (!) and Western Kentucky, and Florida lost to South Carolina and South Alabama. Both teams lost to Vandy, Kentucky, and Tennessee. When it is that close, I guess it’s a coin flip, but the fact that Mississippi State beat Florida two days ago in the SEC tournament would get them in on my bracket.
Mistake #2: Minnesota.
Tubby Smith is an outstanding coach, and has proven it by winning in the Big Ten, after being run out at Kentucky. However, Minnesota should never have been a 10-seed. For the last couple of weeks, experts had them sitting squarely on the bubble. The selection committee must not have agreed, because a 10-seed doesn’t seem bubblicious to me. Instead, UAB should have gotten that 10-seed. Their record was 28-8, which is much better than the Gophers’ 21-13. Understandably, Conference USA is not the Big Ten, but come on.
Mistake #3: Duke as the #3 one-seed.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am a Syracuse grad, so anything that keeps them from being the overall #1 seed and does not allow them to play all 6 games in the tournament at the Carrier Dome, I am going to find distasteful. At any rate, Duke should not have been a higher overall seed than the Orange. Clearly, Syracuse did not help themselves with the early out in the Big East tourney, and the quad injury to Arinze Onuaku makes all the fans nervous, Duke has not done anything special that should put them ahead of Syracuse. What – a few wins over North Carolina? The Big East is stronger than the ACC this year, and S.U. should have been ahead of Duke. And Kentucky. And Kansas. Just kidding.
Like everyone else, looking forward to a great 4-day weekend next week. Enjoy, y’all.
