- 26,911
- Houston, Texas, USA
- JMarine25
A season begins, and several different universities nad colleges prep for the biggest tests of their lives. Everyone is undefeated in November or December. Teams win. Teams lose. This accounts to about 320+ Division 1 teams all playing for a moment like this, when the NCAA committee looks at teams who didn't win and automatic bid and gives them their just rewards. Bubble teams learn their fate to see if they can still have an outside chance at a National Chammpionship. Thing is, only 65 can enter the tournament. The ones who did good, but not good enough, still can compete in the NIT. I'll do the NIT in another thread, but this is all about championship aspirations and the teams trying to cash in on the oppurtunity. And with that, we begin the men's championship for 2006 in America's fastest city, Indianapolis, IN. Who will play in the RCA Dome for all the marbles? It's time to begin...
THE ROAD TO INDIANAPOLIS!
MEN'S BRACKETS (Source: CBS)
! = #1 Seed
ATLANTA REGION: Greensboro, NC; Jakconsville, FL; Auburn Hills, MI; and Dallas, TX
Greensboro, NC - Thu/Sat
#1 Duke! vs. #16 Southern
#8 George Washington at #9 North Carolina-Wlimington
-Jacksonville, FL - Thu/Sat
#5 Syracuse vs. #15 Texas A&M
#4 Louisiana State vs. #13 Iona
-Dallas, TX - Fri/Sun
#2 Texas vs. #15 Pennsylvania
#7 California vs. #10 North Carolina State
-
Auburn Hills, MI - Fri/Sun
#3 Iowa vs. #14 Northwestern State
#6 West Virginia vs. #11 Southern Illinois
OAKLAND REGION: Dallas, TX; Auburn Hills, MI; San Diego, CA; and Salt Lake City, UT
--- Dallas, TX Fri/Sun ---
#1 Memphis! vs. #16 Oral Roberts
#8 Arkansas vs. #9 Bucknell
---Auburn Hills, MI Fri/Sun ---
#5 Pittsburgh vs. #12 Kent State
#4 Kansas vs. #13 Bradley
--- San Diego, CA Thu/Sat ---
#2 UCLA vs. #15 Belmont
#7 Marquette vs. #10 Alabama
---Salt Lake City, UT Thu/Sat---
#3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Xavier
#6 Indiana vs. #11 San Diego State
WASHINGTON D.C. REGION: Philadelphia, PA; San Diego, CA; Greensboro, NC; and Dayton, OH
--- Philadelphia, PA Fri/Sun ---
#1 Connecticut! vs. #16 Albany
#8 Kentucky vs. #9 Alabama-Birmingham
--- San Diego, CA Thu/Sat ---
#5 Washington vs. #12 Utah State
#4 Illinois vs. #13 Air Force
--- Greensboro, NC Thu/Sat ---
#2 Tennessee vs. #15 Winthrop
#7 Wichita State vs. #10 Seton Hall
--- Dayton, OH Fri/Sun ---
#3 North Carolina vs. #14 Murray State
#6 Michigan State vs. #11 George Mason
MINNEAPOLIS REGION:
--- Philadelphia, PA
OPENING DAY MATCH:
Monmouth vs. Hampton
#1 Villanova! vs. #16 (Monmouth/Hampton)
#8 Arizona vs. #9 Wisconsin
--- Salt Lake City, UT
#5 Nevada vs. #12 Montana
#4 Boston College vs. #13 Pacific
--- Dayton, OH Fri/Sun
#2 Ohio State vs. #15 Davidson
#7 Georgetown vs. #10 Northern Iowa
--- Jacksonville, FL
#3 Florida vs. #14 South Alabama
#6 Oklahoma vs. #11 Wisconsin-Milwaukee
+
NOT IN:
Cincinatti {Big East Conference}
Hofstra {Colonial Athletic Association}
Missouri State {Missouri Valley Conference}
Creighton {Missouri Valley Conference}
Florida State {Atlantic Coast Conference}
Michigan {Big Ten}
+
Well, the brackets are set. The fun will begin on Thursday. Now, my commentary about these results.
* I bet my buddy "FoolKiller" was probably partying when he heard the good news. That good news? Kentucky will be one of the 65 teams with a chance to win the National Championship. I'll tell you this. The Wildcats are looking at a good UAB team. UAB is perhaps the underdog in this deal. I can say this. If Kentucky struggled a lot as much as Syracause did, then Kentucky will have to stage quite a comeback like Syracuse. If you ask me, Kentucky will likely put behind losses to teams like Kansas, Alabama, Florida, and even Vanderbilt.
* Locally, I felt quite shocked as Houston didn't make the dance despite their good run. They haven't made the NCAA Tourney since 1992, and so the NIT may be their next best bet. Good luck, Cougars. You did good despite once being ranked, beating Arizona and LSU, and that sort of thing.
* The surprising element was Air Force being added. But then, they got a 24-6 record. Underrated as hell. It probably would have been nice to see Old Dominion or Virginia Commonwealth get in.
* The most bids were given by the Big East. The best Big East newcomer is Marquette. At best, I see them as Sweet Sixteen. At worst, 2 and Done. Syracuse needs a big boost if they want to advance their position in the tournament.
* The Bubble Team who had the most wins was Hofstra. And guess what. They didn't make it. The Homestead, NY boys picked up a 24-6 record, but still didn't get in. It's much like how Houston got 20 wins, but taking losses to teams like
Memphis, Virginia Commonwealth, UTEP, and stuff. Washington and UAB got a 24-6 record and made it. Perhaps Hofstra got shafted.
* The Missouri Valley Conference was rumored and talked about as having as many as 6 teams to make the tourney. If you thought about 6, they got 4 bids.
* One of the CBS analysts said that this may be the first Final Four whereas the top seeds in all four regions may be our Final Four for 2006.
* North Carolina-Wilmington did a beautiful job in the CAA. Now, they have a chance to make some noise against [whom some feel are completely overrated,] George Washington.
GTPlanet, I'm done coming up with scores and stuff. So let's speculate up until Thursday's action. I'd want to be able to make this thread the true March Madness thread, so I'd appreciate many of your comments to be in this thread where you can see the scores and talk about how the tournament is shaping up. I will modify my signature when I can. But if I don't modify it, assume that scores are in progress or hasn't been posted yet. Here is the way I will do games:
--- LEGEND ---
"Game A" AAA vs. BBB -or- AAA vs. BBB
<story or result> (winning score-losing score; <team> - Advances to <round>)
Keep in mind, I will spell out teams. So instead of acronyms like UAB or UCSB, I'll refer to them as California-Los Angeles or California-Santa Barbara for these examples. Only #1 seeds will have their names in CAPITAL LETTERS and an exclamation point (!). I will include results in stories by mentioning both teams' respective nicknames. So, here are sample scores to be used in the tournament (DO NOT ASSUME THIS WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN!):
- Regular Game Sample -
"Title" Kentucky vs. UAB (First Round; Philadelphia, PA)
It's time for March Madness action from the City of Brotherly Love! But if you want to advance in the tournament, you must show no love (show good sportsmanship, of course) to advance in the tournament. The Wildcats of Kentucky are looking to roar its way into the second round... then the Sweet Sixteen... then the Final Four... and perhaps the NCAA Championship game. It isn't a given because they got to face their opposition, and they are no pushovers. Those no-pushovers were UAB. The Alabama-Birmingham Blazers want to burn up Kentucky's chances of getting ANYWHERE past Round One. But as the game went along, Kentucky won a close fight against UAB. Win or go home. So far, Kentucky's looking good. (81-80, 2OT; Kentucky - Advances to Second Round)
- Regular Game Sample with #1 Seed Involved -
"Title" Memphis! vs. Oral Roberts (First Round; Dallas, TX)
Let's kick things off from my home state of Texas, shall we? One travelled kind of far to Texas, and the other not too far. Memphis is just too damn good. They are intimidating at home, but have a big chance to advance very far. That's something Tiger fans can bank on. Memphis will have to jump high enough to pounce on Oral Roberts. Oral Roberts is no doubt the best team in the Mid-Continent Conference. They are so good because they are golden and can soar high in the sky. Hmm... reminds me of eagles. In fact, they are the Golden Eagles. But who was golden in Dallas? Who is good enough to battle their Second Round date? It looks like Memphis won hands down saying, "bring 'em on! We'll battle ANYONE for Sweet Sixteen b*tching rights! Memphis advances without fail. (74-50; MEMPHIS! - Advances to Second Round)
- (Two) Regular Game Upsets in Two Different Situations -
* Florida vs. South Alabama
...as this game played out, Florida had broken hearts as they fell to a hard-charging South Alabama unit. The Jaguars put the Gators' hopes of NCAA Title admiration into distinction. (56-55; South Alabama) *upset!*
* Duke! vs. Southern
...Redick and company fell pretty damn hard, and pretty damn bad to Southern. What's that expression? Oh, yeah... "the bigger they are, the harder they fall." Who says earthquakes don't happen in Greensboro, NC? (66-65, OT; Southern) *#1 Seed Upset!*
Well, begin speculation. Instead of creating seperate posts, I'll put ALL Round action in one post, and continually update posts. So, let's do March Madness!
THE ROAD TO INDIANAPOLIS!
MEN'S BRACKETS (Source: CBS)
! = #1 Seed
ATLANTA REGION: Greensboro, NC; Jakconsville, FL; Auburn Hills, MI; and Dallas, TX
Greensboro, NC - Thu/Sat
#1 Duke! vs. #16 Southern
#8 George Washington at #9 North Carolina-Wlimington
-Jacksonville, FL - Thu/Sat
#5 Syracuse vs. #15 Texas A&M
#4 Louisiana State vs. #13 Iona
-Dallas, TX - Fri/Sun
#2 Texas vs. #15 Pennsylvania
#7 California vs. #10 North Carolina State
-
Auburn Hills, MI - Fri/Sun
#3 Iowa vs. #14 Northwestern State
#6 West Virginia vs. #11 Southern Illinois
OAKLAND REGION: Dallas, TX; Auburn Hills, MI; San Diego, CA; and Salt Lake City, UT
--- Dallas, TX Fri/Sun ---
#1 Memphis! vs. #16 Oral Roberts
#8 Arkansas vs. #9 Bucknell
---Auburn Hills, MI Fri/Sun ---
#5 Pittsburgh vs. #12 Kent State
#4 Kansas vs. #13 Bradley
--- San Diego, CA Thu/Sat ---
#2 UCLA vs. #15 Belmont
#7 Marquette vs. #10 Alabama
---Salt Lake City, UT Thu/Sat---
#3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Xavier
#6 Indiana vs. #11 San Diego State
WASHINGTON D.C. REGION: Philadelphia, PA; San Diego, CA; Greensboro, NC; and Dayton, OH
--- Philadelphia, PA Fri/Sun ---
#1 Connecticut! vs. #16 Albany
#8 Kentucky vs. #9 Alabama-Birmingham
--- San Diego, CA Thu/Sat ---
#5 Washington vs. #12 Utah State
#4 Illinois vs. #13 Air Force
--- Greensboro, NC Thu/Sat ---
#2 Tennessee vs. #15 Winthrop
#7 Wichita State vs. #10 Seton Hall
--- Dayton, OH Fri/Sun ---
#3 North Carolina vs. #14 Murray State
#6 Michigan State vs. #11 George Mason
MINNEAPOLIS REGION:
--- Philadelphia, PA
OPENING DAY MATCH:
Monmouth vs. Hampton
#1 Villanova! vs. #16 (Monmouth/Hampton)
#8 Arizona vs. #9 Wisconsin
--- Salt Lake City, UT
#5 Nevada vs. #12 Montana
#4 Boston College vs. #13 Pacific
--- Dayton, OH Fri/Sun
#2 Ohio State vs. #15 Davidson
#7 Georgetown vs. #10 Northern Iowa
--- Jacksonville, FL
#3 Florida vs. #14 South Alabama
#6 Oklahoma vs. #11 Wisconsin-Milwaukee
+
NOT IN:
Cincinatti {Big East Conference}
Hofstra {Colonial Athletic Association}
Missouri State {Missouri Valley Conference}
Creighton {Missouri Valley Conference}
Florida State {Atlantic Coast Conference}
Michigan {Big Ten}
+
Well, the brackets are set. The fun will begin on Thursday. Now, my commentary about these results.
* I bet my buddy "FoolKiller" was probably partying when he heard the good news. That good news? Kentucky will be one of the 65 teams with a chance to win the National Championship. I'll tell you this. The Wildcats are looking at a good UAB team. UAB is perhaps the underdog in this deal. I can say this. If Kentucky struggled a lot as much as Syracause did, then Kentucky will have to stage quite a comeback like Syracuse. If you ask me, Kentucky will likely put behind losses to teams like Kansas, Alabama, Florida, and even Vanderbilt.
* Locally, I felt quite shocked as Houston didn't make the dance despite their good run. They haven't made the NCAA Tourney since 1992, and so the NIT may be their next best bet. Good luck, Cougars. You did good despite once being ranked, beating Arizona and LSU, and that sort of thing.
* The surprising element was Air Force being added. But then, they got a 24-6 record. Underrated as hell. It probably would have been nice to see Old Dominion or Virginia Commonwealth get in.
* The most bids were given by the Big East. The best Big East newcomer is Marquette. At best, I see them as Sweet Sixteen. At worst, 2 and Done. Syracuse needs a big boost if they want to advance their position in the tournament.
* The Bubble Team who had the most wins was Hofstra. And guess what. They didn't make it. The Homestead, NY boys picked up a 24-6 record, but still didn't get in. It's much like how Houston got 20 wins, but taking losses to teams like
Memphis, Virginia Commonwealth, UTEP, and stuff. Washington and UAB got a 24-6 record and made it. Perhaps Hofstra got shafted.
* The Missouri Valley Conference was rumored and talked about as having as many as 6 teams to make the tourney. If you thought about 6, they got 4 bids.
* One of the CBS analysts said that this may be the first Final Four whereas the top seeds in all four regions may be our Final Four for 2006.
* North Carolina-Wilmington did a beautiful job in the CAA. Now, they have a chance to make some noise against [whom some feel are completely overrated,] George Washington.
GTPlanet, I'm done coming up with scores and stuff. So let's speculate up until Thursday's action. I'd want to be able to make this thread the true March Madness thread, so I'd appreciate many of your comments to be in this thread where you can see the scores and talk about how the tournament is shaping up. I will modify my signature when I can. But if I don't modify it, assume that scores are in progress or hasn't been posted yet. Here is the way I will do games:
--- LEGEND ---
"Game A" AAA vs. BBB -or- AAA vs. BBB
<story or result> (winning score-losing score; <team> - Advances to <round>)
Keep in mind, I will spell out teams. So instead of acronyms like UAB or UCSB, I'll refer to them as California-Los Angeles or California-Santa Barbara for these examples. Only #1 seeds will have their names in CAPITAL LETTERS and an exclamation point (!). I will include results in stories by mentioning both teams' respective nicknames. So, here are sample scores to be used in the tournament (DO NOT ASSUME THIS WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN!):
- Regular Game Sample -
"Title" Kentucky vs. UAB (First Round; Philadelphia, PA)
It's time for March Madness action from the City of Brotherly Love! But if you want to advance in the tournament, you must show no love (show good sportsmanship, of course) to advance in the tournament. The Wildcats of Kentucky are looking to roar its way into the second round... then the Sweet Sixteen... then the Final Four... and perhaps the NCAA Championship game. It isn't a given because they got to face their opposition, and they are no pushovers. Those no-pushovers were UAB. The Alabama-Birmingham Blazers want to burn up Kentucky's chances of getting ANYWHERE past Round One. But as the game went along, Kentucky won a close fight against UAB. Win or go home. So far, Kentucky's looking good. (81-80, 2OT; Kentucky - Advances to Second Round)
- Regular Game Sample with #1 Seed Involved -
"Title" Memphis! vs. Oral Roberts (First Round; Dallas, TX)
Let's kick things off from my home state of Texas, shall we? One travelled kind of far to Texas, and the other not too far. Memphis is just too damn good. They are intimidating at home, but have a big chance to advance very far. That's something Tiger fans can bank on. Memphis will have to jump high enough to pounce on Oral Roberts. Oral Roberts is no doubt the best team in the Mid-Continent Conference. They are so good because they are golden and can soar high in the sky. Hmm... reminds me of eagles. In fact, they are the Golden Eagles. But who was golden in Dallas? Who is good enough to battle their Second Round date? It looks like Memphis won hands down saying, "bring 'em on! We'll battle ANYONE for Sweet Sixteen b*tching rights! Memphis advances without fail. (74-50; MEMPHIS! - Advances to Second Round)
- (Two) Regular Game Upsets in Two Different Situations -
* Florida vs. South Alabama
...as this game played out, Florida had broken hearts as they fell to a hard-charging South Alabama unit. The Jaguars put the Gators' hopes of NCAA Title admiration into distinction. (56-55; South Alabama) *upset!*
* Duke! vs. Southern
...Redick and company fell pretty damn hard, and pretty damn bad to Southern. What's that expression? Oh, yeah... "the bigger they are, the harder they fall." Who says earthquakes don't happen in Greensboro, NC? (66-65, OT; Southern) *#1 Seed Upset!*
Well, begin speculation. Instead of creating seperate posts, I'll put ALL Round action in one post, and continually update posts. So, let's do March Madness!