NCAA Tourney Quick Takes: A Double-Digit Day 1

If Day 1 of the 2021 NCAA tournament was any indication, we are in for a Madness-filled ride.  Three overtimes.  Five double-digit seeds advanced.  You’re next, Saturday.

(15) Oral Roberts knocks out (2) Ohio State
Most importantly, let’s give ORU credit; they played with confidence and never let OSU find its rhythm.  There are also these statistical markers: Ohio State failed to check Max Ambas (29 points) or Kevin Obanor (30 points), the Buckeyes turned it over 16 times, and they made just 9 of 18 free throws, including several late-game misses.

(13) North Texas takes down (4) Purdue
While Trevion Williams and Jaden Ivey played well for the Boilermakers, several key pieces struggled.  Purdue made just 36 percent of its FG’s, while allowing North Texas to connect on over 47 percent of its shots.  Missed free-throws down the stretch were costly, too.

Quick Takes: Tennessee trimming its resume tree

In a bygone era it was common for folks to trim the tree – which involved actual trimming, and decorating, of the family Christmas tree.  Here at Bracketville, Tennessee is trimming a different kind of tree, a resume tree. Careful to remove any untidy branches, the Volunteers marched into Memphis on Saturday and snipped off any thoughts of a letdown after beating Gonzaga.  Given the fever pitch at the arena, it was a better-than-you-think road victory against a rival.  Teams with high seeds in March are routinely good at winning away from home.  Without a significant stumble, Tennessee should be 10-1 when it opens SEC play against Georgia on January 5.

Quick Takes: Duke dominates, Buckeyes happy in ‘Nati

With the 2018-19 college basketball season underway, it’s time to bring back Quick Takes.  So let’s get to it …

Duke dominated Kentucky in Indianapolis on opening night, sending a few shockwaves though the college hoops world along the way.  That said, let’s reign in the talk of an undefeated season.  The Blue Devils still have a host of worthy non-conference opponents in front of them, not to mention some tricky road trips through the Atlantic Coast Conference.  Does Duke look like a title contender? Absolutely.  Are they unbeatable?  That’s a question better reserved for February or March.

Kansas looked pretty good, too, mind you.  As did Michigan State – particularly in the second half.  KU get’s the benefit of an early resume boost, but nothing else changed.  Both teams looked the part of being high seeds come Selection Sunday.

Preseason: Kansas, Kentucky lead opening bracket

A new college basketball season is upon us, which means another journey toward Selection Sunday and March Madness.  With that in mind, we offer up our annual preseason bracket projection, an exercise that is most certainly more art than science.

Preseason Bracket   |   Seed List

What we think we know is that Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, and Gonzaga are among a handful of teams that figure to be in the conversation for No. 1 seeds.  Another strong group includes such names as North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and, yes, even Villanova. And then there’s Nevada, a hungry and hearty Wolfpack with their own Final Four aspirations.

One thing’s for certain, the bracket will look a lot different come March.  That’s the beauty of college hoops.  Enjoy the ride!

Bracketology: Tar Heels trek to top line

If today were Selection Sunday, and North Carolina was the ACC champion, the Selection Committee would likely be inclined to reward the Tar Heels with a No. 1 seed over a very good Baylor team whose profile is equally impressive but lacks a conference title. In the world of splitting hairs, we just did.  On that note, two interesting twists await.  First, UNC hosts Louisville on Wednesday, and the Cardinals are No. 6 on the Seed List.  If Louisville wins in Chapel Hill, the Cards could make a strong case for the top line on Thursday.  Second, the Tar Heels close with an incredibly tough slate, going to Pittsburgh and Virginia before finishing at home with Duke.  Baylor can easily play its way back up.

Bracketology   |   Seed List

In the race for No. 1 seeds, Villanova and Kansas are sitting in strong positions as the regular season comes to a close. Should Gonzaga finish unbeaten, it would hard to drop the Zags from their No. 1 perch in the West.  Which leaves, at least for now, one top seed up for grabs, and it could go any number of ways.

Another meh and blah weekend along the cutline.  Should we lose solid mid-major programs like Middle Tennessee State, UNC Wilmington, and say, Monmouth or Illinois State during their conference championships, the Committee will have to heavily weigh a bunch of mediocre power teams versus some solid programs who have fewer chances for marquee wins.