Rowand44

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Feb 28, 2007 -> 02:12 PM) Care to elaborate? I agree, a lot of it will depend on what teams they run into. The only team I really have any faith in right now is UCLA (quite a difference from last year, huh? ), I have some questions about everyone else. Another one of your favorite teams, Texas A&M. I love everything about that team, and have been beyond impressed when I've seen them play. I know they're resume overall isn't that impressive but they're the best team I've seen play this year(I know this is going to cause quite the stir here). As for UCLA, I'm still a fan, but I think their lack of an inside presence is going to catch up to them in the tournament. They're going to miss Ryan Hollins a bunch come March imo.

I have one sure fire Final Four team and after that it's going to completely depend on matchups between about the other 4-6 teams that I think could get there.

QUOTE(MSHAWKS @ Feb 28, 2007 -> 10:15 AM) Since a lot of people disagree with you, maybe you're crazy and the rest of us are sane. QUOTE(rangercal @ Feb 28, 2007 -> 12:11 PM) Yup, cheering for an individual over the White Sox, w000000000000000000t. I'll never understand it, and trust me, there are plenty more who don't, it doesn't make any sense.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan99 @ Feb 28, 2007 -> 12:49 AM) I can't take any complaint that Jim Boeheim makes seriously until he actually schedules a game outside the state of New York in their non conference schedule. Ding! That's the reason some of the major conference coaches really dislike the rpi, because it favors teams who win on the road.

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Feb 28, 2007 -> 12:31 AM) I gotta admit, I'm not a big fan of the RPI either. IMO it factors in scheduling too much and skews the rankings. I just think anything that spits out Kentucky or Duke as a top-10 team or Arizona anywhere near the top can't be THAT useful. You can rack up a pretty impressive RPI by playing a lot of decent but not stellar mid-majors and one or two strong teams, espcially if you play in a decent conference (cough* Duke cough cough*). Plus, as Boeheim said just before that, a team gains about as much by losing to a good team as the do winning against a mediocre to poor team, and it doesn't account for teams that get better or worse as time goes on like Louisville or Oklahoma State. I don't mind using it as one of the criteria for judgement, but it seems to be a gigantic factor, which I don't think is right. There are always going to be flaws when you try to attach numbers to the quality of teams, there are just too many things that can't be measured. I agree with all of that, and I certainly don't use numbers when I judge teams who I'm picking to go further in my bracket, that's for sure. That being said, it's completely wrong imo for someone to just say "Well Florida State is better than Winthrop, so they belong in the tournament,"(just using those two teams cause that was the example on gamenight). Now if Florida State has more quality wins, has played a better schedule, etc then ya, they deserve to be in there over the Eagles. It's just completely unfair to pick FSU over Winthrop because someone thinks they're better, jmo. As far as the rpi, it has it's flaws, no doubt. I like it as a tool and that's it, nothing more. I don't think it's the main tool someone should use, but I do like it to group together teams if that makes sense.

QUOTE(dasox24 @ Feb 28, 2007 -> 12:22 AM) I gotcha. Well, even though every year there are teams that are "snubbed" and very upset about being left out, for the most part the Committee gets it right. I really don't see a need for too much change. If anything, add more teams. But don't take away from the Mid-majors just b/c they play in a weak conference. Hell, if they didn't give mid-majors credit, would we have had George Mason in last year? Seriously, I don't know b/c I don't know if they won their conference tourney. lol... But, if they were an at-large, then I guarantee they don't make it in if they use Bilas' selection process (or at least how his process sounds from what you wrote). Mason didn't win their conference tourny(UNC Wilmington did), so there you go, that's one example. To be honest, the committtee probably did their worst job as a whole last year but for the most part they do a solid job. Like you said, you're always going to get snubs no matter what and using a persons opinion over actual numbers to put teams into a field just doesn't make sense to be honest as teams should have to earn their way in.

QUOTE(dasox24 @ Feb 28, 2007 -> 12:07 AM) Eh, I was doing my homework so I turned it off. What did he say exactly? That's what you get for doing homework. Anywho, basically he just went on and on about the selection committtee "throw out the rpi, get different committee members, pick the best 34 at large teams(forget numbers)" and other crap as well. Basically sounded like he wanted to change the whole selection process. The thing is when he says you should just get the 34 best teams, there is no actual way to do that. I'm not a big fan of numbers when it comes to sports as a whole BUT for selecting teams you have to go by numbers, the thing is all the major conference teams are on tv much more than the so called mid majors, so you're not going to get a fair subjective view as you're not going to see the small conference teams as much as some of the bigger conference teams. So basically, nothing major and something that is pretty pointless overall that I brought up for no reason, but there you go.

QUOTE(dasox24 @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 11:55 PM) Actually, I agree, lol... Bilas is definitely my favorite analyst on ESPN, and I think he's extremely fair and unbiased, which is rare, especially considering he played at Duke. Most analysts tend to show their true colors, but Bilas never (or very rarely) does. I usually like Bilas, but I wasn't a fan of his rant he gave on gamenight.

Had the game in my hands today at Best Buy, just couldn't pull the trigger yet as I need some money for this weekend. Ugh.

After watching College Gamenight, I'm convinced that Jay Bilas should just pick the at large teams from now on.

Drexel AND ODU belong in the tournament if they don't win the CAA. QUOTE(Jimbo @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 11:07 PM) Florida keeps falling, KU to the 1 seed maybe now?? Hell we did beat Florida. You guys are probably ahead of Florida in the pecking order at the moment, but still 5th overall on the S Curve imo. Behind UCLA, OSU, Wiscy and UNC. Now, with Wiscy who knows how the committee is going to look at the Butch situation so that could definitely be a factor and obviously a lot depends on how everyone finishes. At the moment, I'd say KU is the first 2 seed.

QUOTE(Brian @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 07:12 PM) ID: 7824 password: rowand44 (last years winner) Soxtalk Bragging Rights! Sign up now! LOL, you rock. Nobody is going to want to play now if the password is after me.

QUOTE(Jimbo @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 03:41 PM) agreed at this piont nbadraft.net has us taking budinger.. him and hinrich are an ugly starting 5, and im not talking talent. I don't think Skiles and Chase would get along very well.

QUOTE(Palehosefan @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 02:57 PM) Not being sarcastic, but don't the Illini have 21 wins already? If so, has a BCS team with atleast 21 wins ever been left out of the tournament? I don't think you guys have anything to worry about tourney wise. I'm too lazy to do the research, but I'm sure there have been a few. Anyways, if Illinois wins @ Iowa, they're in imo.

My favorite conference tournament and one bubble teams need to at least keep an eye on. If someone outside the top 3 wins it, then that probably takes a bubble spot away(Bradley needs to win it to get in, imo). So here you go: Thursday, March 1 -- Session I [No Television] Game 1 -- #8 Evansville (14-16, 6-12) vs. #9 Drake (16-14, 6-12), 6 p.m. [sirius Satellite Radio Channel 122] Game 2 -- #7 Illinois State (15-15, 6-12) vs. #10 Indiana State (12-17, 5-13), 8:30 p.m. [sirius Satellite Channel 122] Friday, March 2 -- Session II Game 3 -- #1 Southern Illinois (25-5, 15-3) vs. Winner Game 1, noon [FSN Midwest, Comcast SportsNet, Sirius 122] Game 4 -- #4 Bradley (20-11, 10-8) vs. #5 UNI (18-12, 9-9), 2:30 p.m. [FSN Midwest, Comcast SportsNet, Sirius 122] Friday, March 2 -- Session III Game 5 -- #2 Creighton (19-10, 13-5) vs. Winner of Game 2, 6 p.m. [FSN Midwest, Comcast SportsNet, Sirius 122] Game 6 -- #3 Missouri St. (21-9, 12-6) vs. #6 Wichita St. (17-13, 8-10), 8:30 p.m. [FSN Midwest, Comcast, Sirius 122] Saturday, March 3 -- Session IV Game 7 -- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1:30 p.m. [FSN Midwest, Comcast SportsNet, Sirius 125] Game 8 -- Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 4 p.m. [FSN Midwest, Comcast SportsNet, Sirius 125] Sunday, March 4 -- Session V Championship -- Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 1 p.m. [CBS Sports, Sirius Satellite 181] Anyone got any predictions? Illini fans, you guys paying attention to this one a little bit? Tournament should be a lot of fun as even though SIU is clearly the best team in this league, there are a bunch of teams who can win this thing.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 02:25 PM) Hmm...Reggie might be returning? http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives..._covets_reggie/ Uh oh, has Pippen started an old guy trend?

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 02:17 PM) In my opinion this whitesox team is going to either be really good where 1 game wont matter or just not good enough where it really doesnt matter. I expect better than a wildcard team. That's what you think, but you don't know that for sure, none of us do. I personally couldn't care less about Frank Thomas right now, that being said I know a lot of people still care a lot about Frank and want him to succeed, that I certainly understand. But for someone to cheer for him to beat the White Sox in a game, that makes absolutely zero sense to me.

Jamaal Tatum is the MVC player of the year, Falker wins the defensive player of the year. http://siusalukis.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl.../022707aac.html

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 09:34 AM) A baseball season is 162 games, im not worried about 1 game when it comes to a Frank Thomas. And with how are minors look and current roster, im not 2 worried about a situation like it to come again anytime soon. One game could be the difference between the playoffs and golfing in October. I don't care who the hell the player is, I find it absolutely ridiculous that someone would cheer for an individual over the White Sox.

QUOTE(Jimbo @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 12:20 PM) Memphis would lose to the winner of MSU/Quack Floorburn U can work in so many levels. Doubt it, but I see no way how they should be a 2 seed, their resume has way too many holes in it.

QUOTE(rowandrules83 @ Feb 26, 2007 -> 10:30 PM) espnews just showed a highlight of shaun livingston (LAC) dislocating his kneecap. it was possibly the most gruesome thing i've ever seen I just saw it. My god, ouch.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Feb 26, 2007 -> 10:48 PM) So Championship Week begins tommorrow including the Horizon League getting under way. I'm going with a Loyola-Wright State final. Wright State is a virtual lock to get to the finals. I'll still take Butler over Loyola, though I certainly wont be surprised if Loyola pulls it out. I'm so excited that conference tourny's are here.

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Feb 27, 2007 -> 02:51 AM) Georgetown looks like they're going to lose to Syracuse, the Hoyas can't crack the zone, and Andy Routins has hit 4 3's off the bench... Routins hasn't missed in like a month, he's on a crazy hot streak right now. You'll never guess what the fans did after the game.

QUOTE(rangercal @ Feb 26, 2007 -> 05:01 PM) I'd have to agree. You guys are insane.