Pulling BIG-TIME for Oregon to roll, then Sparty to win...

Oregon is pummeling Utah in the Pac-12 final right now. If that continues, and Sparty wins tomorrow, it could set up the bracket very nicely for KU, in terms of the 1 seeds and when they would feasibly play if chalk were to hold. (Not that it will for all 1 seeds, but still)

Here's what I mean. If the above scenario plays out and Oregon plays its way into the final 1 seed (by dint of UVA's loss and Villanova's upset loss to Seton Hall), then the top 4 seeds and regions would look like this:

Midwest: KU
West: Oregon
East or South: UNC
South or East: Michigan State

Here's what would be GREAT about that: The Midwest 1 would be slated to play the West 1, while the East would play the South. So that would put arguably the two toughest foes in KU's path--Michigan State and UNC--in each other's way, on the other side of the bracket, rather than in a FF matchup with the Hawks.

For these reasons, I'm rooting BIG-TIME for Oregon to curb-stomp Utah (further solidifying their profile) and Sparty to win the Big 10 tourney over Purdue tomorrow.

Thoughts?

I like the way you think, K, and now have the game on. Looks as if it's out of reach for Utah at 65-35 with just 9:35 to go

Even if Virginia or Villanova somehow got the final 1 seed, it would be out west (if Sparty wins tomorrow), one would think. So just as long as Michigan State and UNC are on that other side of the bracket, that's a good thing for us--just to postpone that potential game until the end.

The other thing I'm hoping is that UK isn't put in our region. I know we beat them before, but it was an overtime nail-biter in our very friendly venue, and they're coming on right now. They tend to play their best in the post-season under the Squid, so I say keep them the heck out of our region and let us not face them until we absolutely have to. I think we can and should beat them, but why tempt fate any earlier than we have to--if you know what I mean?

Senex68 wrote: All we have to do in win 6 in a row. The first two should be fairly easy, the next 2 fairly hard, and the last two will be like today. In reality, we're the best team right now, and barring injury, we have every right to expect a Final 4. At that point it's a crap-shoot, and the dice are in the hands of the refs, sadly. Let's hope for a good series of rolls.

Without any loaded dice, please!
Thank you!

That would be our side if his prediction holds up. (Midwest 1 would face West 1 in FF game if chalk held) The reason why is he has UVA getting a 1 (in the South) over Oregon, which then bumps Sparty out West.

But Lunardi is not highly ranked among bracketologists, so if you go with the guy purportedly ranked the highest (Andy Bottoms), he has Oregon eking out the 1 (in the West) over UVA, with Sparty then getting the 1 in the South:

assemblycall.com/bracketology/

Jerry Palm of CBS also has it that way:

www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

I hope Bottoms and Palm are right on this score.

konza63 wrote: That would be our side if his prediction holds up. (Midwest 1 would face West 1 in FF game if chalk held) The reason why is he has UVA getting a 1 (in the South) over Oregon, which then bumps Sparty out West.

But Lunardi is not highly ranked among bracketologists, so if you go with the guy purportedly ranked the highest (Andy Bottoms), he has Oregon eking out the 1 (in the West) over UVA, with Sparty then getting the 1 in the South:

assemblycall.com/bracketology/

Jerry Palm of CBS also has it that way:

www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

I hope Bottoms and Palm are right on this score.

ME, TOO!

Yeah, year in and out Lunardi ranks in the 30s among bracketologists. Sure hope he's got that one wrong!