FINALIZED 2017 Bracketology (11/26)

[trojansc]

I'm just holding out hope since NOBODY was a believer in UNLV last year except me -- (and trust me, I DIDN'T want UNLV to get in the tournamaent, but my job is to predict what the committee will do, so that's why I have what I have now).

North Texas beating Oregon State and Western Kentucky should hold more weight than LSU beating High Point. I just can't get past that.

[BeachbytheBay]

Nov 26, 2017 13:32:59 GMT -5 trojansc said:

Nov 26, 2017 13:29:03 GMT -5 BeachbytheBay said:

I actually think BYU over Kansas might be the last change (or Wisky)

although have to admit the Utah-BYU & Kansas-Wichita pairings make the bracket more interesting than if BYU got a\it's own seed/host

there's always one bracket with 3 top 25 teams - and usually in California

UCLA threw a big wrench in the equation - and I think it ended up getting Cal Poly shipped to USC. USC is likely to be slightly better than UCLA in seed and RPI - so I think they get whoever finishes higher in RPI (San Diego or Cal Poly) and Stanford gets a less tough #2 seed in their subregional.

Hawaii could be literally sent anywhere - USC, Stanford, UCLA, Washington... even Baylor or Texas!

if Cal POly AND San Diego go to USC, that's brutal

[n00b]

Nov 26, 2017 12:44:35 GMT -5 scottysocc said:

Curious... does this committee consider geographical convenience when doing the bracket? I would assume they would be encouraged to minimize flight expenses and travel if possible. How much of a factor is that?

The sixteen best teams are seeded without geographic consideration. After those top 16 teams are seeded, THEN the remaining bracket is put together to minimize flights in the opening round.

[n00b]

Nov 26, 2017 13:37:04 GMT -5 BeachbytheBay said:

Nov 26, 2017 13:32:59 GMT -5 trojansc said:

UCLA threw a big wrench in the equation - and I think it ended up getting Cal Poly shipped to USC. USC is likely to be slightly better than UCLA in seed and RPI - so I think they get whoever finishes higher in RPI (San Diego or Cal Poly) and Stanford gets a less tough #2 seed in their subregional.

Hawaii could be literally sent anywhere - USC, Stanford, UCLA, Washington... even Baylor or Texas!

if Cal POly AND San Diego go to USC, that's brutal

I can't imagine that happens (unless somehow UCLA isn't picked to host). You have two top 25 teams in SoCal, there's absolutely no reason to not split them between USC and UCLA. It IS possible that Hawaii goes into San Diego's bracket though. It's not unreasonable for Hawaii to be a "3 seed" (ranked somewhere between 33 and 48).

[c4ndlelight]

Maryland m’s final RPI is a bit high. I think they deserve it but will the Committee reach down to 52?

[trojansc]

Nov 26, 2017 14:03:15 GMT -5 c4ndlelight said:

Maryland m’s final RPI is a bit high. I think they deserve it but will the Committee reach down to 52?

It's an easy argument (Maryland over Iowa) 52 vs. 50.

The cut-off line is at #47 North Texas. So it's not tooo far of a reach.

I can't see the committee leaving BOTH Maryland and Iowa out.

[trojansc]

So far in the Blind Resume challenge, VolleyTalk is going with Maryland, College of Charleston, and LSU IN - with Iowa, North Texas, High Point OUT

[akbar]

Nov 26, 2017 14:03:15 GMT -5 c4ndlelight said:

Maryland m’s final RPI is a bit high. I think they deserve it but will the Committee reach down to 52?

Terps deserve it.

[Thrill of the 'ville]

A potential Minnesota at Florida regional match brings back nightmares of 2006 for me. If that’s on the actual bracket, I’m not sleeping tonight...although we’d have to actually make the regional final before I should start fretting about it.

[trojansc]

I know it was a long-shot, but I wondered if the commitee might give Purdue a shot for a seed. They beat Minnesota, Creighton, Wisconsin, and Michigan state h2h.

[bruinsgold]

Nov 26, 2017 16:45:41 GMT -5 trojansc said:

I know it was a long-short, but I wondered if the commitee might give Purdue a shot for a seed. They beat Minnesota, Creighton, Wisconsin, and Michigan state h2h.

I'd welcome and fully support this discussion amongst the members.

[gopherguy]

Nov 26, 2017 16:45:41 GMT -5 trojansc said:

I know it was a long-shot, but I wondered if the commitee might give Purdue a shot for a seed. They beat Minnesota, Creighton, Wisconsin, and Michigan state h2h.

Seems unlikely that the committee would pull out specific matches to evaluate seeding, but ignore losses to Kansas, Ohio State, Maryland and especially Michigan twice in the last three matches.

[southie]

Since we're all just guessing, I'll provide my Top 16 seeds where I place an emphasis on RPI and Top 25 RPI W/L records (since that helps my agenda). And, I will throw a bone out to the #16 seed:

1- Penn State
8- Washington
9- Utah
16- Wichita State

2- Stanford
7- Minnesota
10- USC
15- Wisconsin

3- Nebraska
6- Kentucky
11- Baylor
14- UCLA

4- Texas
5- Florida
12- Creighton
13- Iowa State

[brybast]

I know others have said this, but I really wish that the committee had enough flexibility in seeding to avoid intraconference matchups in the regional rounds.

In basketball they instituted a guideline a few years back that the top 4 teams from any conference must be placed in different regions as long as they're on the top 4 seed lines (the equivalent of being a seeded team in volleyball).

I'd really like something like this in the volleyball tournament. I don't want to see Washington-Utah in the 3rd round, or Florida-Kentucky in the regional final. Give those teams a shot at someone else.

[redbeard2008]

Nov 26, 2017 13:32:59 GMT -5 trojansc said:

Hawaii could be literally sent anywhere - USC, Stanford, UCLA, Washington... even Baylor or Texas!

Hawaii was sent to: Minnesota (2016), Texas A&M (2015), Washington (2014), Hawaii (2013), Washington (2012), Hawaii (2011), Washington (2010). In other words, when not seeded, Hawaii has been sent to Washington three out of the last five times. They were sent to USC in both 2009 and 2008.