Joe Lunardi's "Elimination Games" This Week

[PittPanther84]

Joe Lunardi tweeted out that the PITT vs. CUSE game and the CINCY vs. UCONN game will be "elimination games" for NCAAT contention

All I can say is this adds to the excitement for the game against CUSE and hopefully we can beat them for a third time this year! H2P!

 

[BFo8]

Depending on other results I would not be surprised to see all 4 of those teams make it

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Syracuse has 5 Top 50 wins and was 4-5 without Boeheim. They are in the best shape of any bubble team. Thats a lot of Top 50 wins to leave out.

Plus, lets say UConn wins and Syracuse loses. Syr beat UConn, how would you take UConn over them.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

Joe Lunardi tweeted out that the PITT vs. CUSE game and the CINCY vs. UCONN game will be "elimination games" for NCAAT contention

All I can say is this adds to the excitement for the game against CUSE and hopefully we can beat them for a third time this year! H2P!

We're all ready for the game!
The big question is the team ready???
We hope so but we'll see.
Jamie should be sure to remind them that this is an important game!

 

[PittPoker]

We're all ready for the game!
The big question is the team ready???
We hope so but we'll see.
Jamie should be sure to remind them that this is an important game!

He should have reminded them that the last 2 were important games.

 

[Pitt79]

You hate to have to beat the same team 3 times in one year, hard to do.

 

[PittGuy00]

Joe Lunardi tweeted out that the PITT vs. CUSE game and the CINCY vs. UCONN game will be "elimination games" for NCAAT contention

All I can say is this adds to the excitement for the game against CUSE and hopefully we can beat them for a third time this year! H2P!

How do you go from a 9 seed(where he currently has Pitt slotted) to out with 1 loss to a team with an RPI of 60?

 

[levance2]

How do you go from a 9 seed(where he currently has Pitt slotted) to out with 1 loss to a team with an RPI of 60?

Yeah I don't get it, unless there's a feeling of increasing magnitude of the losing streak. It's amazing how much that loss at VT could come back to bite us.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

How do you go from a 9 seed(where he currently has Pitt slotted) to out with 1 loss to a team with an RPI of 60?

Easy. Because the 16 through 12 seeds are made up of lower tier and mid majors. So that really only leaves 11-10 seed lines with at large bids. So there is only a few teams behind Pitt at this point.

 

[PittGuy00]

Easy. Because the 16 through 12 seeds are made up of lower tier and mid majors. So that really only leaves 11-10 seed lines with at large bids. So there is only a few teams behind Pitt at this point.

I get that but what about the first 4? Aren't there really 2 extra 11 seeds? Lets say we are the worst 9 seed right now. to complete drop out we would have to drop 10 spots( 4 10 seeds, and 6 11 seeds).

 

[Harve74]

Yeah I don't get it, unless there's a feeling of increasing magnitude of the losing streak. It's amazing how much that loss at VT could come back to bite us.

Well, VT finished above us in the ACC and just knocked off Miami, too. I don't think it is so much the VT game as losing 6 of 9 down the stretch. Winning at Miami instead of losing on the last second tip in woud have helped the RPI and given us another Top 25 win. That and the Duke win would probably have punched our ticket.

The Bubble is so soft that we might still slip in, pending some upsets in auto-bid conference tournaments. But, it's tough for even die-hard fans to say we deserve a bid, even with a 3rd win over Cuse.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I get that but what about the first 4? Aren't there really 2 extra 11 seeds? Lets say we are the worst 9 seed right now. to complete drop out we would have to drop 10 spots( 4 10 seeds, and 6 11 seeds).

Because it is amazing how similar the resumes are of all the bubble teams. Most have 2 Top 50 wins. Roughly the same number of Top 100 wins. The resumes of all those American and A10 teams are the same as ours. So, yea, we look like a 9 seed now but we could easily be the last team in.....NOW, simply because the resumes are so similar, its hard to differentiate. Everyone has Pitt higher than St. Bonaventure and Cincy for example, but can anyone CLEARLY say we will go in over them? Its just guess work.

 

[JAM05Pitt]

How do you go from a 9 seed(where he currently has Pitt slotted) to out with 1 loss to a team with an RPI of 60?

Yea, I don't get this and was going to post the same thing. He has us as a 9 seed, which is obviously nowhere near the "Last 4 Byes" and "Last 4 In" in his latest bracket. It seems hard to believe that we would drop from a 9 seed to the NIT...

 

[noelr]

weird that today he doesn't have us in the last eight in but yesterday he did and now its an elimination game?

 

[noelr]

cincy has to be in

 

[NCanton Panther]

Joe Lunardi tweeted out that the PITT vs. CUSE game and the CINCY vs. UCONN game will be "elimination games" for NCAAT contention

All I can say is this adds to the excitement for the game against CUSE and hopefully we can beat them for a third time this year! H2P!

Kind of funny. Have a good friend that's a big UConn fan and we go out to Vegas for the 1st week of the tourney every year. We've been joking for weeks now that we'll be watching a Pitt-UConn play-in game from Dayton while we're out there.

 

[JAM05Pitt]

Tough to beat a team 3 times in a row, let alone in the same year. We'll see if they come to play on Wednesday.

 

[DT_PITT]

Yea, I don't get this and was going to post the same thing. He has us as a 9 seed, which is obviously nowhere near the "Last 4 Byes" and "Last 4 In" in his latest bracket. It seems hard to believe that we would drop from a 9 seed to the NIT...

I thought the same thing.

Regardless, we just need to win this game.

 

[noelr]

Kind of funny. Have a good friend that's a big UConn fan and we go out to Vegas for the 1st week of the tourney every year. We've been joking for weeks now that we'll be watching a Pitt-UConn play-in game from Dayton while we're out there.

I would take that, but don't think this team deserves it at this pt and I am on board with the 3x rule

 

[JAM05Pitt]

I'm certainly taking nothing for granted but IF we were able to get past Cuse on Wednesday, man it would be nice to face anyone other than UNC the next day!

Obviously, the ACC tourney is at the Verizon Center and not the Pete so there is reason for concern that Jamel's struggles will continue. Does he get 30+ minutes again moving forward if his play doesn't improve?

 

[PittGuy00]

Yea, I don't get this and was going to post the same thing. He has us as a 9 seed, which is obviously nowhere near the "Last 4 Byes" and "Last 4 In" in his latest bracket. It seems hard to believe that we would drop from a 9 seed to the NIT...

Maybe he is being told to mark this as an elimination game to add extra intrigue to the game as an attempt to draw more viewers on ESPN.

 

[PittPanther84]

I could honestly definitely see Pitt playing UCONN in Dayton if both teams end up losing their as Joe Lunardi says "elimination games"

 

[levance2]

Well, VT finished above us in the ACC and just knocked off Miami, too. I don't think it is so much the VT game as losing 6 of 9 down the stretch. Winning at Miami instead of losing on the last second tip in woud have helped the RPI and given us another Top 25 win. That and the Duke win would probably have punched our ticket.

What you are saying is not wrong, but come on. VT is the worst of those teams, and we'd already beaten them by 19 this year. Losing at GT on senior day is not nearly as unforgivable as losing to VT after upsetting Duke.

 

[Pantherman43]

Maybe he is being told to mark this as an elimination game to add extra intrigue to the game as an attempt to draw more viewers on ESPN.

Funny you bring this up. I was looking at his latest bracket and watched a preview clip of the ACC tournament with Andy Katz. Katz thinks both teams will be in and thinks the game is bigger for Syracuse.

He also mentioned with a few wins that Georgia Tech could be on the bubble and have a chance.

 

[levance2]

Funny you bring this up. I was looking at his latest bracket and watched a preview clip of the ACC tournament with Andy Katz. Katz thinks both teams will be in and thinks the game is bigger for Syracuse.

As bad as we are right now, Cuse has lost 4 of 5 (home win over bad NCSt). Even if they win, they are 1-1 vs Pitt in that stretch. If they lose, that's a tough spot.

 

[33pitt99]

Funny you bring this up. I was looking at his latest bracket and watched a preview clip of the ACC tournament with Andy Katz. Katz thinks both teams will be in and thinks the game is bigger for Syracuse.

He also mentioned with a few wins that Georgia Tech could be on the bubble and have a chance.

This was in reply to a question about Pitt-SU being a play in game. In the past, Seth has seemed to have an inside track on a lot of these decisions. I've always figured the committee fed him info leading up to selection Sunday.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

What you are saying is not wrong, but come on. VT is the worst of those teams, and we'd already beaten them by 19 this year. Losing at GT on senior day is not nearly as unforgivable as losing to VT after upsetting Duke.

Why is losing to VT such a bad thing? They have better players than we do. Not sure how but they do.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Funny you bring this up. I was looking at his latest bracket and watched a preview clip of the ACC tournament with Andy Katz. Katz thinks both teams will be in and thinks the game is bigger for Syracuse.

He also mentioned with a few wins that Georgia Tech could be on the bubble and have a chance.

I don't think GT or VT have to win the ACC Tournament to get in.

If GT or VT make it to Saturday, they are locks, win or lose. If they make it to Friday, both are right there with a chance.

They remind me of that NC State team of a couple years ago, went on a late run, beat Syracuse to make it to the ACC semis and wound up in Dayton. I had them in but nobody else did. If you look at GT or VT's resumes.....if they make it to Friday, they are right there.

 

[buckage]

Syracuse has 5 Top 50 wins and was 4-5 without Boeheim. They are in the best shape of any bubble team. Thats a lot of Top 50 wins to leave out.

Plus, lets say UConn wins and Syracuse loses. Syr beat UConn, how would you take UConn over them.

The same argument you use for Cuse beating UConn can be used for Pitt over Cuse.

 

[wbrpanther]

He should have reminded them that the last 2 were important games.

I'm sure he forgot to mention it.