2 seed in the chicago

[Zero]

bracket fun (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology)


2 seed- stable

washington a 4 seed playing in tucson and dropping

[F Duke]

I want no part of Illinois in Chicago. The Illini just don't lose in the windy city.

[TopCat]

I would think if we were a 2 seed they'd put us in the Albuquerque Region. Not that it would be doing us any favors to play in Albuquerque among those adoring New Mexico fans...

[aicrag]

DO NOT do us any favors and make us a 2 seed in the midwest. That is basically saying we are the worst of the 2 seeds available. Which by records would be correct, but I seriously doubt we end up as a 2 seed. More likely a 3 seed and staying out west I hope!

[Josh Gershon]

It looks like on paper, Washington's loss to Oregon State (112 RPI) was much worse than Arizona's loss to Washington State (77). WSU still has to play Arizona and UW, so it's RPI will go up. OSU only has a game with Arizona left, so it probably won't go up much, if at all.

[SCCat]

I actually love that bracket.

Look, when you get to the EE you are going to play someone very good, be it Illinois, UNC, Kansas, etc. But I like the bracket quite a bit going up to the EE, so I would definetly take it.

[Mustache Man]

I would think if we were a 2 seed they'd put us in the Albuquerque Region. Not that it would be doing us any favors to play in Albuquerque among those adoring New Mexico fans...

I agree. Whoever is tops in the Pac-10 will get to stay out west, whether they're a 1, 2, or 3 seed. I have tickets for the Albuquerque games but may have to go to a family reunion instead. :angry: What kind of people schedule a family reunion during the NCAA tournament?

And I still think Arizona has a very legit shot at a #1 seed. If we are able to win out for the regular season and get another big road win (@ UW), a #1 is very realistic, regardless of what happens in the Pac-10 tourney. I think the committee has shown that they value the regular season much more than Pac-10 tourney results since it's been reinstated (see: 2001-02 team, which only got a 3 seed after winning the tourney, and 2002-03 team, which still got a 1 seed despite losing to an awful UCLA team in OT in the first round).

[CatFromKC]

I agree. Whoever is tops in the Pac-10 will get to stay out west, whether they're a 1, 2, or 3 seed. I have tickets for the Albuquerque games but may have to go to a family reunion instead. :angry: What kind of people schedule a family reunion during the NCAA tournament?

And I still think Arizona has a very legit shot at a #1 seed. If we are able to win out for the regular season and get another big road win (@ UW), a #1 is very realistic, regardless of what happens in the Pac-10 tourney. I think the committee has shown that they value the regular season much more than Pac-10 tourney results since it's been reinstated (see: 2001-02 team, which only got a 3 seed after winning the tourney, and 2002-03 team, which still got a 1 seed despite losing to an awful UCLA team in OT in the first round).

Mmmm...I'm not so sure about a 1 seed. I think we'll have to win out just to get a 2 seed.

[DC Cat]

SC Cat...that is how I look at every tourney, by rounds 3 & 4, it's going to be tough.

We should breeze in round 1, pull away for a double digit win in round 2, be favored in round three but be challenged...then break out the gloves from then on. I rarely care who the top seed in our bracket is, but prefer to focus on who we face to get there. (Obviously, this is the path I see for a #2 seed....it rarely seems to work out this way)

DC Cat

[UofAcat23]

Penn v. UConn is not a good math-up at all :(

[TopCat]

Mustache Man,

We're a real long shot for a #1. We need to win out and sweep the Pac-10 tourney and go in on a major roll.

Problem is, we'd need one or two of the current projected #1's to drop, and some of the #2's as well.

Illinois is a lock
Either Wake or UNC will be a #1 and the other likely. If one falters though, they could drop out.
Kansas has a tough road of it to close out. If a team were to drop, it might be Kansas. But they are still 20-1 right now. They aren't going to drop far.

But then you've got BC sitting there at 20-1 also. They have tough games against 'Cuse, at Villanova and Pitt. They would probably need to drop a couple of those.

Duke will drop some more. They've likely got three more losses waiting them.

Kentucky is the other projected #2 seed, we need them to drop a couple.

And then there is Syracuse hanging around, who have a number of tough games ahead. Depending on how they do, they could move up a lot, or drop.


Arizona is in a decent position to rack up a number of wins to close the season, but we only have Washington as a signature game. If you look at all the other teams we're talking about, they have multiple games against top 25 teams, so they have much greater opportunities to generate wins that the committee is going to look at. We would need at lest 5 teams to really start slumping for us to sneak ahead.

At the end of the day, the #2 is about as good as a #1. I think a #2 would be a perfect result, letting us go into the tourney without the pressure of the #1 hanging on us. If we went in as a #1, people would be all over our schedule saying we didn't deserve it, and I'd rather not have to deal with that crap.

[catgrad97]

I agree. Whoever is tops in the Pac-10 will get to stay out west, whether they're a 1, 2, or 3 seed. I have tickets for the Albuquerque games but may have to go to a family reunion instead. :angry: What kind of people schedule a family reunion during the NCAA tournament?

And I still think Arizona has a very legit shot at a #1 seed. If we are able to win out for the regular season and get another big road win (@ UW), a #1 is very realistic, regardless of what happens in the Pac-10 tourney. I think the committee has shown that they value the regular season much more than Pac-10 tourney results since it's been reinstated (see: 2001-02 team, which only got a 3 seed after winning the tourney, and 2002-03 team, which still got a 1 seed despite losing to an awful UCLA team in OT in the first round).

It could happen, MM, yes. The trouble comes in the conference tournaments, where Arizona will typically lose before the championship game if the team has not had a loss just previous.

The two current #1 seeds, Carolina and Wake, will cancel each other out in their conference tourneys--if not the remainder of their schedule--but to ask Arizona to win out through the Pac-10 tournament championship is asking too much, IMHO. There are still too many challenging games and too much chance involved.

Better to get the loss in Seattle or Tempe out of the way than to sit through the conference or NCAA tournament waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[catfaninabq]

If Arizona wins a majority of their remaining games and are rewarded with a two seed, it would certainly deserve to stay out west. They are by far the best team this side of the country and their fan base would travel to Boise and Albuquerque in droves. I live here, and I remember them at the Pit in 2003 when they defeated UCSB and Wyoming. It was an incredible atmosphere, and the crowd here HATES Lute. All the more reason to have them play in Albuquerque as it would feel like a true road game, and we've seen how this team lately is thriving on the road.

Also, for purely selfish reasons, I'm going to the Pit for the games and since I have tickets, the committee MUST bring the Cats here. Just rotten luck if Arizona were to advance to the Sweet 16 but not play at the Pit. I don't get many chances to see Lute and company play live, so my fingers and toes are all crossed for a 2 seed in the west and victories in rounds 1 and 2 in Boise.

[SCCat]

If Arizona wins a majority of their remaining games and are rewarded with a two seed, it would certainly deserve to stay out west. They are by far the best team this side of the country and their fan base would travel to Boise and Albuquerque in droves. I live here, and I remember them at the Pit in 2003 when they defeated UCSB and Wyoming. It was an incredible atmosphere, and the crowd here HATES Lute. All the more reason to have them play in Albuquerque as it would feel like a true road game, and we've seen how this team lately is thriving on the road.


I hear your enthusiasm, but you have to be kidding me about this right? Not only would I rather be in Boise, I would rather be in Tehran than Albuquerque.

The teams we would be playing early might not be the best teams in the country, but they are still good teams and if they had 90% of the crowd noisly cheering them on, they could beat us.

[catgrad97]

I'm with Boise, to tell the truth. Arizona has a good history there, with no losses at Boise State and two impressive wins over Robert Morris and Clemson in 1989.

What sucks about the pod system, of course, is that it can give a virtual home game to Duke, but the closest it can send Arizona to Tucson is Albuquerque. Ideally, the Cats would be in McKale for the first two rounds before heading on to Austin or Syracuse for the regionals.

No offense to catfaninabq, but The Pit in Albuquerque has a venomous atmosphere for the Wildcats. Arizona just CANNOT win easily in that building, and the pinheaded Lute-hating fans booing different players (like Luke Walton against UCSB in '02) every time they get the ball would give Arizona the most dubious regional fan base a 1 or 2 seed has probably ever received.

[Iningo_Montoya]

Barring an unforseen colapse, it looks like I will be seeing the Cats live here in Boise. Does anyone plan on traveling here for the games if that happens?

If so, I am sensing many drinks in your near future....... :smokin:

[catfaninabq]

As I said, it's for purely selfish reasons I want them here. Bottom line, and I'm sure I'm speaking for the majority, is I want Arizona to play wherever so it can play and win in St. Louis. That's all that really matters.

Yes, the idiots at the Pit do not like Lute. I find it rather humorous primarily because it is largely based on jealousy. The Lobos simply cannot and may not ever field teams capable of making a run for a national title. Their problem. I'm a Wildcat forever, and just happen to make my home here.

[CAT-5]

"Barring an unforseen colapse, it looks like I will be seeing the Cats live here in Boise. Does anyone plan on traveling here for the games if that happens?"

My brother and I were just talking about this. A pretty good chance we'll go if the Cats do.

I'll want more info from you when we know more... Hotels, bars.. how's the skiing in the middle of March?

[Mustache Man]

Mustache Man,

We're a real long shot for a #1. We need to win out and sweep the Pac-10 tourney and go in on a major roll.

Problem is, we'd need one or two of the current projected #1's to drop, and some of the #2's as well.

Illinois is a lock
Either Wake or UNC will be a #1 and the other likely. If one falters though, they could drop out.
Kansas has a tough road of it to close out. If a team were to drop, it might be Kansas. But they are still 20-1 right now. They aren't going to drop far.

But then you've got BC sitting there at 20-1 also. They have tough games against 'Cuse, at Villanova and Pitt. They would probably need to drop a couple of those.

Duke will drop some more. They've likely got three more losses waiting them.

Kentucky is the other projected #2 seed, we need them to drop a couple.

And then there is Syracuse hanging around, who have a number of tough games ahead. Depending on how they do, they could move up a lot, or drop.


Arizona is in a decent position to rack up a number of wins to close the season, but we only have Washington as a signature game. If you look at all the other teams we're talking about, they have multiple games against top 25 teams, so they have much greater opportunities to generate wins that the committee is going to look at. We would need at lest 5 teams to really start slumping for us to sneak ahead.

At the end of the day, the #2 is about as good as a #1. I think a #2 would be a perfect result, letting us go into the tourney without the pressure of the #1 hanging on us. If we went in as a #1, people would be all over our schedule saying we didn't deserve it, and I'd rather not have to deal with that crap.

TopCat,

I agree with most of your reasoning, except that I just don't think we have a worse tourney profile than any of the teams you mentioned save Kansas and Illinois.

If, hypothetically, Arizona finishes out the regular season at 26-4, no matter what happens in the Pac-10 tournament, I think it will be tough to not justify giving Arizona the #1 seed in the West (or the Albuquerque, or whatever the hell it's called these days). The real question is, how much does the committee weight conference strength? I'd say BC, Wake, Duke, UNC, and Oklahoma State would be our main competition for the last 2 #1 seeds. I think you have to eliminate BC based on their weak conference and weak SOS (comparatively). For whatever reason, Oklahoma State is not projecting out as a #1 seed (#3 in the latest Bracketology, for whatever that's worth).

We're left with the 3 ACC teams: Duke, Wake, and UNC. I agree that Duke is due for a fall with their backloaded road schedule. Wake and UNC are our toughest competition, but are they really that much better, profile-wise, than Arizona? Arizona's played a much tougher non-conference schedule than UNC has, and a bit better than Wake in that area.

Let's say, hypothetically, Arizona wins vs. the Oregon schools, at the Washington schools, and at ASU (not a huge stretch, with UW playing worse lately). They draw an Oregon State or ASU in the first round of the Pac-10 tourney. With at least 1 more win the tourney, they're 27-5, 28-5, or 29-4. At any of those points, I say they're very much in the running for a #1 seed.

But I do agree with you that the seed itself is pretty meaningless. I just found it interesting this morning that Arizona could even be in contention for a #1 seed this year; never saw this team like that. As long as we're out west, I don't care whether it's 1, 2, or 3.

- MM

[TopCat]

Why does Albuquerque always seem to be a destination. Shouldn't they hold the semifinals in places that fans might actually like to go for vacation purposes?

Shouldn't a west regional final be someplace like San Diego maybe?

[catgrad97]

Naturally, TC...but does the Cox Pavilion have the necessary facilities? Obviously, the selection committee says "no."

[the goat]

I'd take that bracket in a heartbeat. We won't face a tough game until the sweet sixteen against Oaklahoma State who somewhat scares me but they are looking like they are still looking for go to leaders. While Illinois has to go through Georgia Tech and Connecticut just to get to the elite eight.

[SCCat]

I was starting to think about Georgia Tech last night. I was wondering that, if their record generally stayed about the same, if the committee might try to put a trap game in for one of the #1 seeds by putting Tech in at a 8 or 9 seed...

Something to possibly look for when the real brackets come out.