It gets more confusing when you see who is on the selection committee. Composed of a variety of conference commissioners and college ad's.
Here is the list
Here is the list
Hey Tennessee Fans:
- Thread starter CUJO_1970
- Start date
Joe drives me batty. He gives you word salad and no knowledge. He specifically stated that they were not about to put Tennessee ahead of Duke when Tennessee's resume is superior. He never addresses.
He started out stating he knew it ahead of time, but never gives the reasons.
He started out stating he knew it ahead of time, but never gives the reasons.
You can see the built in bias. The big conferences have 5 reps and the little guys get 7.
Southland Conference Commissioner
Toledo Athletic Director
Atlantic 10 Commissioner
Bradley Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics (Vice-Chairman)
SWAC Commissioner
Iowa State Athletic Director Big12
North Carolina Athletic Director ACC
Minnesota Athletic Director B1G
UCLA Athletic Director Pac12
Alabama Athletic Director SEC
Sun Belt Commissioner
Butler Athletic Director
The NCAA has become a socialist outfit. The have-nots get more representation that the guys paying the bills.
I certainly don't have a problem with people saying that Tennessee should be a 2 seed ahead of Duke. I agree. But it is funny people are zeroed in on Duke when it could easily be argued that they should be ahead of Kentucky and even Auburn as well. Auburn has fewer loses than the other three. But no real, great win. And they have been regressing through the end of the season. Kentucky has 7 losses, including to Duke. Duke has 2 more wins, including vs Kentucky and 1 fewer loss. Now Kentucky obviously had a tougher conference than the YMCA league that Duke plays in. But really only two other legitimate candidates for a FF run. I would even say just one other. (Tenn). Tennessee beat Kentucky twice as well, playing in the same conference, same record and they have a great resume with no bad losses. So it’s cute for Kentucky fans to focus on Duke getting an undeserved two, when it can easily be flipped back on them.
At least most Duke fans will acknowledge that they should be behind Tennessee.
At least most Duke fans will acknowledge that they should be behind Tennessee.
Joe should consider a career in politics. Dance around the question and give a vague, non-descript "answer" that doesn't actually address the question at all. 😆
I wouldn't have been surprised if UT took our #2 seed on Saturday. Obviously wouldn't have like it, but would have understood why.
This ain't a dig @ Duke it's a dig @ the committee. If they are going to say the resumes decide the seedings and teams that get in they should be applying the criteria across the board.
It was a horrible "answer." And isn't ESPN paying him over a million dollars a year? Does he not really know - or does he not want to explain whatever convoluted answer he might have? Really strange response.
Lunardi will now tout for the next 8 months how he correctly picked 67 of the 68 teams in the tournament. Never mind the fact that 32 of those schools are already automatic qualifiers. And 30 of those 36 at-large bids are wildly obvious.
Duke has 3 Quad 2 losses and a Quad 3 loss. All of Auburn and UK's losses are Quad 1. Just one metric as an example, but it's a pretty significant one, imo. Also concerning Auburn's regression, the committee says they no longer give more weight to the last 10 or so games of the season. It's about the entire body of work. So, in their eyes, it doesn't matter if you lost games in November or March.
Remove Duke from the equation. Why should Tennessee not feel like their resume trumps UK's and even Auburn's? I have already acknowledged that they should be ahead of Duke.
Totally agree with your post GhostOf301. I struggle to understand how Tennessee is a 3 and Baylor is a 1. But the assumption has been made by the selection committee that the B1G and Big 12 are the best. So they should get the benefit of the doubt.
I actually believed after Saturday's loss to Tennessee that Kentucky would be a 3.
Duke has a better record than Kentucky and Tennessee and Villanova, but one has to try to judge if it was against weaker competition. I will bet you that Duke's ACC competition was better than Villanova's. I am not smart enough to gauge it. I probably watch too much basketball.
I have seen Duke and Kentucky be world beaters and then turn around and lose to inferior teams. For their followers it drives you batty.
I just wish that the committee would stop making unsuported assumptions, just use a data base blind to bias. We could loan them our stats expert @dukedevilz for a week and let him seed the NCAA. He would do a bang up job and I will accept it face value. But they are too dumb to do any such thing.
Yeah, he's kind of a fraud. Do they really pay him that much? That is insane. His only job is to try and predict who makes the tournament for a few months out of the year and they pay him that much money? lol...insane. And the only time it really matters anyway is at the end of the year. He could be so far off base in his early predictions it doesn't even matter because it's all constantly changing anyway. I would like to see his final bracket projection compared to the actual bracket. Not just teams that made it in, but also what seed lines they are on.
Man it take a really big deal to get a bunch of Kentucky and Tennessee fans to start agreeing and then we add in Louisville fans who also agree with Kentucky and Tennessee fans. Then Duke fans agree also. Holy moly.
I thought that I would have to go to heaven to see such agreement.
They could certainly make a case over Kentucky and Auburn, but most people consider Duke to be the most undeserving 2-seed of the group (and the metrics seem to reflect that), so obviously that's why they are in the crosshairs.
They really should make the committee decide based on blind resumes since obviously there is no longer an "eye test" in the decision-making process. Of course you could easily figure out who some of the teams are if you really wanted to, but it would take a lot of the bias out of it. Let's not kid ourselves though, the names on the front of the jerseys matter. In the end, this event is the NCAA's cash cow and they want to set up those marquee match-ups and have their big earners go as deep as possible (with a cinderella here and there to drive viewership even higher).
This site says he's earning more than 2 million a year from his bracketology. Maybe he has other revenue streams outside of ESPN? 7-figures seems like an awful lot for the product he's providing.
But yeah, the early season projections are mostly worthless. It's kind of like the crystal ball projections in the early stages of recruiting. Eventually a good chunk of the recruiting analysts are tipped on who someone is signing with - they then change their pick within 24 hours of the announcement and say, "See! I've correctly picked where 75% of these kids are going."
Exactly! Good comparison on the recruiting "experts". 😆 They all follow the lead of 1 guy (usually was Evan Daniels until he became an agent) and change their picks just so they can claim some ridiculous accuracy prediction rating. So stupid.
College basketball is really down the totem pole in this country in terms of interest. ESPN has a lot of time they try to fill between MLB and the NFL. I think they've just decided to try to generate interest by either hiring voices that are legacies to top programs or just kind of creating a character like Joe Lunardi to increase viewership.
I think the "Bracketology" concept is put together needing some sorta guru and they just landed on this clown. No turning back now for ESPN.
I think the "Bracketology" concept is put together needing some sorta guru and they just landed on this clown. No turning back now for ESPN.
Lunardi basically said it was because of the color of the jerseys and said something idiotic about not divulging his secret formula.
Yeah, I think he ended up making the argument that a difference between a 2 and 3 doesn’t matter, which is sort of a crummy one to make. At least that’s what I thought he said based on the little bit I saw last night.
Hell, even Rupp Rafters has a thread stating the Vols deserved a higher seed than us. Now that is saying something. That place is hilariously slanted towards UK. You know Ewe Tee got hosed when even RR can admit it. That being said, in spite of their seed, they may have a more favorable bracket than does Duke.
As for Lundardi's response to the question. I'm not sure what ya'll expected him to say. To tell the truth would be to openly admit that the committee is hopelessly incompetent and/or biased. Difficult spot for him to explain their bs.
As for Lundardi's response to the question. I'm not sure what ya'll expected him to say. To tell the truth would be to openly admit that the committee is hopelessly incompetent and/or biased. Difficult spot for him to explain their bs.
Last edited:
I definitely think Tennessee got a favorable bracket. Even if they got robbed of the two seed.
It wouldn't have bothered me at all if we were a 3 and moved UT to a 2. UK hasn't been the same since the injuries. Grady, Mintz are in a slump, you never know what you're going to get with Wheeler, TyTy turning it over too much, Brooks same as Wheeler, Big O needs to cut out the fouls.
I'm hoping they can get back to their best.
I might be alone but i think nova (and every team in the big east) is overrated.
One more time for the ppl in the back. Duke hasn't played a ranked team since November.
That the ncaa is trash in everything they do? Thats a universal religion brother, everyone’s with it except borden.
Also ridiculous all the pitential rematches in that region, geeze, i know its impossible to dodge them all but man thats wayyyy to many imo,
Swear to God! State law. Providence is even worse. Would be salivating over potentially playing them as the freakin' 4 seed in my region but I don't see them surviving the first weekend anyway. If the jackrabbits don't knock them off, Iowa will.
You really need to start your own site, bracketology, stats site.
I'm guessing he would if someone offered him $2 million a year. 😆
I live having him as our owns statistician.
He could make money though....not from us gentiles.
There are so many trivial/interesting stats I could string together if only someone were willing to offer me 2 million a year. For example, did you all know that Christian Braun's favorite food was soda?
Auburn learned this in 2019 when we were still a 5 seed after winning the sec tourney. Still made final 4 though
I don't know how overrated the Big East is considering it doesn't seem to garner a lot of respect compared to other basketball conferences, which is fair b/c outside of Villanova, Xavier making a nice elite eight run a few years back, Creighton making I believe a Sweet 16 we haven't done much in the tournament (Seton Hall fan here). OOC early season we typically hold our own very well.
We had a top 25 team before our PG, Bryce Aiken went down for the year. 8 seed is a totally fair seeding for us.
Villanova you watch play and they don't really have a "guy" but always play fundamentally sound, limit turnovers etc. Not as good this year as other years though.
UConn can make some noise for sure. Play hellacious defense. Sanogo could give Gonzaga problems.
Providence? No argument from me - they gamed the Covid rules and did not reschedule 3 games (including at Seton Hall) that easily could have been losses. They are not final four or really even elite eight good but again, not sure how "overrated" they are since most agree on this. With that said seeding is still fair.
Creighton was a fantastic coaching job by McDermott, played a bunch of freshmen and still had a strong season. IMO one of the most underrated coaches in the country.
Marquette caught fire for a second but they've really cooled off.
So IMO not overrated but fairly rated.
The Big Ten is the most overrated conference (Big East went 6-2 in the Gavitt Games this year). Lets see how they perform in the tourney b/c if its anything like last year, they solidify the overrated crown.
Well, it is nice to know that most of y'all agree, but now it's time to move on.
They deserved it over Kentucky as well. Duke would be in better position with Tennessee's 3 seed than they are with their 2 seed. Then people would be whining about that.
Hehehe their second SEC Tourney win and only final four appearance.
You make it sound like they do it all the time.
This year Auburn won or tied the regular season for the 4th time (playing a very favorable schedule) and turn around and lose the first day in the SEC Tourney.
Tennessee is a better team today than Auburn.
And Kentucky didn’t win either the SEC tourney or sec regular season this year. Hehehe
Similar threads
