RMU Horizon League Tournament Thread

[Sean Miller Fan]

I'd have given RMU a puncher's chance against any of the other 2s, but Bama is just too fast. What's frustrating is that the other 2/15 matchup in Cleveland features a worse 2 and a worse 15 (according to the committee seeding). RMU should be playing Michigan St and Bryant should be playing Bama.

I say this every year that the committee isn't smart enough to understand how a bracketing works. The goal is to provide the best teams easier paths and the worst teams harder paths.

These are the rankings of the 2 and 15 seeds.

5. Tennessee
6. Alabama
7. MSU
8. SJU
59. RMU
60. Wofford
61. Omaha
62. Bryant

I mean its incredibly obvious that it should have been Ten vs Bryant, Bama vs Omaha, MSU vs Wofford, SJU vs RMU. They seemed to have adjusted the 15 seeds to keep fans closer to home but as a true fan, you want an easier game even if it means you can't attend. They let RMU stay close by in Cleveland instead of making them go to Providence to play the worst 2 seed. They let Bryant stay closer to Rhode Island by playing MSU in Cleveland rather than having them go to Lexington. They let Wofford go to Lexington instead of making them head to Cleveland to play MSU.

This, however, doesn't explain Bryant, who is lower rated than RMU getting the easier Cleveland game. It just comes down to stupidity.

This also applies to the First Four and I say this every year. They have the 2 worst at-large teams play for the right to advance to the Round of 64. This year it's UNC and SDSU. UNC, as the lowest-rated at large team, should play the highest rated at-large team in that round, Texas. When Pitt made it, we were the #2 team in the First Four and had to play #1 Miss St while #3 and #4 got easier games in theory.

 

[FireballZ]

I agree with you. That's why I said UCSD is a great team. I haven't looked at the brackets that closely yet, but I'm standing by my statement about not expecting the Big Ten to perform well.

Aren't there a lot more casual betters for the NCAAT? Does Vegas not try to entice novice bets to a big brand like Michigan, especially after everyone just saw them win their conference tournament (what a dreadful game from both teams)? Or does that not happen anymore in the world of easily available team analytics? I would think 15 years ago that Michigan might have opened around 5-6 in order to get the casual money since I'm sure almost no one outside of diehard college hoopies have even seen UCSD play or know how good they are.

Any thoughts on Georgia Tech against Jax State in the NIT? I haven't been able to find any news of opt-outs for GT. It opened at GT -3.5 and is already down to -2.5, the opposite of what I expected. Early smart money going on Jax State? I haven't seen them, but was surprised at how they kept games relatively close in the non-conference against some solid teams. I realize the NIT is hard to predict, but I've been impressed by how hard GT plays and how they generally don't quit.

Missed my chance since it's up to -5.5 now.

 

[Upg bobcat]

I say this every year that the committee isn't smart enough to understand how a bracketing works. The goal is to provide the best teams easier paths and the worst teams harder paths.

These are the rankings of the 2 and 15 seeds.

5. Tennessee
6. Alabama
7. MSU
8. SJU
59. RMU
60. Wofford
61. Omaha
62. Bryant

I mean its incredibly obvious that it should have been Ten vs Bryant, Bama vs Omaha, MSU vs Wofford, SJU vs RMU. They seemed to have adjusted the 15 seeds to keep fans closer to home but as a true fan, you want an easier game even if it means you can't attend. They let RMU stay close by in Cleveland instead of making them go to Providence to play the worst 2 seed. They let Bryant stay closer to Rhode Island by playing MSU in Cleveland rather than having them go to Lexington. They let Wofford go to Lexington instead of making them head to Cleveland to play MSU.

This, however, doesn't explain Bryant, who is lower rated than RMU getting the easier Cleveland game. It just comes down to stupidity.

This also applies to the First Four and I say this every year. They have the 2 worst at-large teams play for the right to advance to the Round of 64. This year it's UNC and SDSU. UNC, as the lowest-rated at large team, should play the highest rated at-large team in that round, Texas. When Pitt made it, we were the #2 team in the First Four and had to play #1 Miss St while #3 and #4 got easier games in theory.

Maybe they think playing MSU in Cleveland is harder than playing Bama in Cleveland, because Cleveland is a relatively easy drive from the state if Michigan so lots of MSU fans should be in attendance? I don't agree with that, but it could be their thinking.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Maybe they think playing MSU in Cleveland is harder than playing Bama in Cleveland, because Cleveland is a relatively easy drive from the state if Michigan so lots of MSU fans should be in attendance? I don't agree with that, but it could be their thinking.

No way. They just aren't smart people and don't understand that higher ranked teams are supposed to play lower ranked teams. This is evident from their insistence that in the First Four, the best 2 teams play and then the worst 2 teams play. So in theory, the 2nd best First Four team has the toughest draw as they have to play the best First Four team. The 3rd rated First Four team has the easiest draw as they get to play the lowest rated First Four team.

 

[BFo8]

You are way off base on this. It has nothing to do with Michigan or the BIG and everything to do with this UC San Diego team. They are the only team I ever remember seeing in the top 5 nationally in both least amount of turnovers committed and number of turnovers forced. They are extremely well coached and have a real shot at winning this game.

All season I’ve watched them and waited for today thinking I was ahead of the curve and would get them to win their opener at a great price. I should’ve known the bookmakers would notice as well. Circa opened this number at Michigan -3 and it has already been bet down to 2.5 throughout Las Vegas. So as it turns out everyone knew.

I had been hoping for something in the 5.5 to 6 range, so there’s no way I can play them at this number unfortunately.

By the way the books got absolutely freaking crushed on this game. Number opened at -3 to -3.5 and every sharp guy in the world started betting UC San Diego. Number ended up moving down to -2 at most places in town and the public unloaded on Michigan at that number. Obviously books want to be on the same side as the wise guys so they kept the number at -2 as the squares continued to pound Michigan. When the final landed on 3 pretty much everybody won and it ended up being a debacle. Buddy that works at the Aria told me this game was the worst he ever remembers seeing on an opening day matchup.

 

[Pitt2009]

This game is super physical. Refs letting them play. Feels like an old school Big East game.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

This game is super physical. Refs letting them play. Feels like an old school Big East game.

Reminds me of a Pitt game. RMU guards cant keep Sears and Bama in front so Folgueieras has to help and its a dunk fest. The difference is Sears is one of the best guards in the nation and Bama might win it all.