reclegend22;1394305 wrote:Louisville and Texas A&M (in Houston) were far from cakewalk matchups for Duke heading into the Tournament. Did Duke benefit from not having to play either of those teams, and instead getting Cal and an injury-depleted Purdue? Certainly. But that is no fault of Duke or the Selection Committee. That's just how it shook out.

Again, a potential matchup with Louisville in the second round that year was a much more daunting challenge on paper compared to Northern Iowa. The Selection Committee did Duke no favors in that regard. Give me a break and save the Gonzaga sob story. Duke was paired with two Top 12 RPI teams from Texas IN Houston in the 2010 regionals. It doesn't get any more difficult in terms of tournament travel than that.

How about 1 seeded Kansas in the elite 8 against ucla in California in 06-07 (I think those years are right) that was such horseshit haha

I'll play...........

SOUTH REGION

Contender
Duke (1st, 4th) - Let's get this out of the way: Duke isn't very good. At all. Sure, their statistical profile is that of an elite team, but the Dookies benefited from an overrated ACC (their best win was at home against Maryland) and don't boast any big non-conference wins. In any other region, Dick Vitale's favorite team would be a mortal lock to head home by the Sweet 16...but in the diluted South, the Blue Devils are the odds-on favorites to make it to Indianapolis. Thanks, NCAA selection committee.

http://www.sbnation.com/2010/3/16/1373702/ncaa-bracket-2010-prediction



The number two seed in Duke's region is Villanova, a team that's lost five of its final seven games, and almost certainly should have been a three seed. And then there's Purdue as the four seed a perfect foil for Duke—unathletic and reeling from the Robbie Hummel injury. On paper, the biggest challenger to the Blue Devils will likely be Baylor, but that won't happen until the Elite Eight, if at all. Giving any number one this easy a draw would be pretty shady, but giving it to Duke, the weakest number one seed in recent memory, just reeks of favoritism.

http://www.sbnation.com/2010/3/16/1373702/ncaa-bracket-2010-prediction

http://www.ohiochatter.com/forum/showthread.php?37142-Duke-Blue-Devils-Thread

SBnation bastions of credibile journalism there. Opinions provided by yardbarker and bleacher report I am sure.

By the same logic I've read Duke got a favorable seed in 2009 and yet they lost by 30 to Villanova in the sweet 16.

2010 was a wash year, unpredictable tournament in every way. Butler made back to back final fours and UConn won in 2011. Two years where the NCAA selection committee didn't play a favorite because there wasn't really a favorite to be had. To say they opened up the bracket for a Duke team a year removed from a sweet 16 loss by thirty and two years removed from a near opening round loss to Belmont and thrashing by WVU is comical.

swamisez;1394349 wrote:SBnation bastions of credibile journalism there. Opinions provided by yardbarker and bleacher report I am sure.

By the same logic I've read Duke got a favorable seed in 2009 and yet they lost by 30 to Villanova in the sweet 16.

2010 was a wash year, unpredictable tournament in every way. Butler made back to back final fours and UConn won in 2011. Two years where the NCAA selection committee didn't play a favorite because there wasn't really a favorite to be had. To say they opened up the bracket for a Duke team a year removed from a sweet 16 loss by thirty and two years removed from a near opening round loss to Belmont and thrashing by WVU is comical.

It is an opinion that was shared by many at the time the brackets were revealed.That article is one of many.

digging the little bit of Akron love. The ONLY way the MAC gets two teams to the dance, is if Akron wins out and loses to OU in the MAC-C. With that, I still think the odds are against them.

Zips will win their first NCAA tourney game this year, with potential to do more.

I think OSU goes out in the first round.

I think IU wins the championship.
Hard to make a lot of predictions with all the parity this season.

Not sure how the Sun Belt tourney is set up, but MTSU has 3 games left (puts them at 27 wins), and I would assume 2 in the tourney with a first round bye. So that would only put them at 29 as long as there is a bye.

Butler cuts down the nets, Buckeyes and tsun in Sweet 16, Miami gets knocked out in second round.

Post tournament, Shaka Smart goes to Minny.

Prescott;1394313 wrote:I'll play...........

SOUTH REGION

Contender
Duke (1st, 4th) - Let's get this out of the way: Duke isn't very good. At all. Sure, their statistical profile is that of an elite team, but the Dookies benefited from an overrated ACC (their best win was at home against Maryland) and don't boast any big non-conference wins. In any other region, **** Vitale's favorite team would be a mortal lock to head home by the Sweet 16...but in the diluted South, the Blue Devils are the odds-on favorites to make it to Indianapolis. Thanks, NCAA selection committee.

http://www.sbnation.com/2010/3/16/1373702/ncaa-bracket-2010-prediction



The number two seed in Duke's region is Villanova, a team that's lost five of its final seven games, and almost certainly should have been a three seed. And then there's Purdue as the four seed a perfect foil for Duke—unathletic and reeling from the Robbie Hummel injury. On paper, the biggest challenger to the Blue Devils will likely be Baylor, but that won't happen until the Elite Eight, if at all. Giving any number one this easy a draw would be pretty shady, but giving it to Duke, the weakest number one seed in recent memory, just reeks of favoritism.

http://www.sbnation.com/2010/3/16/1373702/ncaa-bracket-2010-prediction

You citing a blogger who hates Duke offers little insight.

The facts cited in the part of the second section aren't the opinion of a blogger. They are facts.Villanova had lost 5 of 7 games and Purdue was without Hummel.

vball10set;1394402 wrote:Butler cuts down the nets, Buckeyes and tsun in Sweet 16, Miami gets knocked out in second round.

Post tournament, Shaka Smart goes to Minny.

You think they pay to fire Tubby?

Total losses of teams seeded 2-4 in each region entering the 2010 NCAA tournament

Kentucky-18
Duke-19
Syracuse-23
Kansas-26

UK was overall top seed, Duke was the 2nd line number one seed. I think NCAA seeding was done to reflect overall records of teams in the bracket.

Nothing is intentional with the NCAA tournament selection committee. Nothing ever is. And I'm saying that with a straight face. But I'm also saying this with a straight face: The selection committee unintentionally gave Duke a free pass into the Elite Eight.


From there the Blue Devils are on their own -- but for the first three rounds, Duke was given a glorious road that will funnel the Blue Devils directly into the South Regional title game,....................Without Hummel, the Boilermakers beat two awful teams (Indiana, Penn State) and one average team (Northwestern) -- but they lost to Michigan State and then, in the Big Ten tournament, to Minnesota by 26 billion points.(Actual score: Minny 69 Purdue 42)

Azubuike24;1394685 wrote:You think they pay to fire Tubby?

Barring winning out and at least making the B1G tourney final, yes.

vball10set;1394705 wrote:Barring winning out and at least making the B1G tourney final, yes.

It would be a smart move. The guy has lost anything he ever had. With that said, it would be an awfully expensive mistake for the Gophers and I'm not sure who exactly they could hire unless they really threw out some dough. Interesting opinion...

Shaka Smarts old AD is now at Minny. Pending who else goes after him this offseason, I could definitely see him wind up in Minneapolis.

I don't doubt it, but my question would be why would Shaka Smart settle on Minnesota? No offense to the Gopher fans here, but I just think Smart has done enough this early in his career to warrant consideration from a basketball power. I think he could get a job at UCLA, for example, if Ben Howland were ever fired. (Howland appears to have signed the John R. Wooden lifetime contract, however, so that likely will never happen.)