Schmolik's Comments on the NCAA

Hello, college basketball fans!

Just went to the Bracket Matrix (http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm). I actually did better than average and better than the last 2 years. Then again, these scores assume the committee was "right" which I don't always believe is true.

My thought was the same as most other bracketologists and Dick Vitale (is agreeing with Vitale a good thing)? Arizona was a highly questionable pick. Out of 61 brackets, only 8 (EIGHT!) had Arizona in their final bracket. I think the committee choked on that one. The team chosen on the 2nd fewest brackets was Maryland at 50 out of 61. Clearly there was some feeling they didn't belong but most (including me) thought they did. Surprisingly Wisconsin was left off of 5 brackets. I thought they were a lock. Minnesota was left off 4 and Boston College 3. Dayton and Michigan were left off just one each. So the consensus was 64 of 65 picks were legit. But who was the one who got screwed? Personally I feel anyone who says "this team belongs" or "doesn't belong" should pick their own bracket. It's not that I don't think St. Mary's doesn't belong, I just don't think they were one of the top 34 at large teams. According to the Matrix, the team that got screwed by the Committee was San Diego State. Still, they were chosen by less than half (28 of 61). Creighton was chosen by 20 and St. Mary's by just 17. Penn State was chosen by 10, still more than Arizona. No other team was picked more than once. But there was no clear cut consensus on who the last team was. If we formed a committee of 61, we would spend half of the field discussion on the last team alone. Maybe they should just go to 64.

I thought maybe Memphis and UConn could go either way. It looks like more of us picked UConn (I had Memphis). I do like them in the same bracket. I thought BC at 7 was a reach. Their RPI is in the 57's. They should be happy to just be in the field. I may have gone overboard with Tennessee, making them a 5. But I was shocked to see them as a 9 seed. Remember three years ago no one but the NCAA's had Tennessee anywhere near a 2 seed and they got it. Now I didn't figure out who was on the committee (Arizona's AD maybe?) but I do know Mike Slive of the SEC was the head. Considering the SEC got just 3, I can't see any favoritism there. Tennessee were approx. a 7 seed by the bracketologists and I did see plenty of 6's.

I think it is weird that Florida State and Xavier are sent to Boise when Miami would make more sense. Utah and Arizona are sent to Miami instead. They should just switch those pods. If Arizona is the last team in, they should have to go to Boise. Honestly, it's a joke Boise even gets to host the NCAA's at all and I think they host them a lot. I always have to watch out who I send to Boise in my bracket. I personally put the last two teams to make my field there as well as Mississippi State, a party crasher. Purdue was stuck there after winning the Big 10 tournament. Had Purdue lost, I would've had to stick Illinois there!

Otherwise, pretty good job by the committee except for Arizona.

Schmolik