***2026-27 Mens College Basketball Thread***

[danvillecyclone]

Iowa 25 NET vs TCU 40 NET is laughable

 

[JP4CY]

I like this Uelmen from ND.

 

[kentkel]

You know you are in a media-favored conference when you can lose 6 of your last 8 games and still be considered solidly in the Big Dance. ESPN's MBB page was speaking about the Hoks. Look, they have played good teams tough - but their resume is not really supporting that narrative. Other than their win against Nebby (at home), they haven't had an impressive season. They played mostly a bunch of patsies in the non-con (wins over Ole Miss and Xavier have proven to be of little value) and they ended the regular season on a Fran-level slide. But, because they are in the B1G, and avoided getting trounced by UM and Nebby, the media thinks that should be counted as wins. Stupid.

 

[hawksuck75]

I understand that

But I look at what they did to Tennessee and Bama last year

Tennessee got Lexington and Bama did not. They got to Cleveland

Wisconsin as a 3 got shipped to Denver last year did not get to play Milwaukee. ISU and Kentucky did. I believe ISU had highest metrics of the 3's, they certainly were higher than Wisconsin.

Point being if you are the lowest 2 or 3 for that matter there is a higher probability of not getting close to home IF there is another 2 rated higher that wants same location.

Of the possible 2's UConn will get Buffalo or Philly, not sure where they would send MSU, St Louis? Illinois and ISU both want St Louis.
Houston would get OKC

Now there are other factors like number of teams by conference etc #1 seed. That factored in last year with all those SEC teams.


My point is as a 3 ISU will have higher probability of playing in St Louis as a 3 vs a 2 if they are the lowest of the 2's.

Does not mean they can't play in St Louis as a 2. They certainly could.

But this is why if they are a 3 at the moment I am okay with it. Especially with Florida being a 1.

The locations of 1st and 2nd rounds are determined by miles away from campuses and the 1-68 seed list. The regions do have bracket rules around conferences but that is different than 1/2nd round locations. Last year, ISU was ranked higher on the seed list ahead of UK and Wisky which is why ISU went to Milwaukee. The committee could tweak with the seedlist for better bracket principals but if ISU is a 2 it will be in STL full stop.

Here are the top teams and their closest locations. IMO ISU/Illinois/Purdue are battling for STL.

Duke - Greenville
Michigan and Michigan State - Buffalo
Florida - Tampa
Houston - OKC
UCONN - Philly
Arizona - San Diego
Illinois - STL
ISU - STL
Purdue - STL
Nebraska and Texas Tech - OKC
Gonzaga - Portland

If Iowa State doesn't go to STL it would go to either OKC or Greenville, SC next. Will be dependent on where ISU falls on the 1-68 list between Illinois, ISU, Purdue, Nebraska and Texas Tech.

 

[every_yard]

Didn’t realize Charlie Henry was coaching at Georgia Southern (and has been for a few years). In a battle with Marshall to make the Sun Belt title game.

 

[Cyinthenorth]

Kind of pulling for this Santa Clara team out of the WCC. I don't know much about Herb Sendek but the name was familiar and I googled him, he's been coaching basketball since around the time I was born. 10 years at Santa Clara with 0 tournament bids. They are squarely on the bubble this year, so need to probably at least make the WCC title game to feel optimistic.

 

[GP4ISU]

Stirtz passing it off a lot. Iowa needed him to take over down the stretch.

They need to take an open jumper with 15 seconds left rather than have Stirtz chuck up an airball as the shot clock expires. F*** the Hawks

 

[GP4ISU]

ANOTHER Q1 loss for the suckeyes!!!
If they weren’t in the tiny 10 and that suck conference didn’t have an ass kissin deal with ncaa …. No way they should be in the ncaa tournament.
They played a jr high schedule in non conference … except their losses

The bottom 9 are just sooo bad. If you can’t finish above .500 in that conference, you should be forced to give up the sport.

 

[GP4ISU]

I mean, I hate Iowa, but Oregon and Maryland are really bad. And I know Maryland already beat them once.

Maryland has a guard that can take Iowa off the dribble. That’s a big part of beating the Hawks. Hopefully his coach tells him to go to the hole on every possession.

 

[MeanDean]

Kind of pulling for this Santa Clara team out of the WCC. I don't know much about Herb Sendek but the name was familiar and I googled him, he's been coaching basketball since around the time I was born. 10 years at Santa Clara with 0 tournament bids. They are squarely on the bubble this year, so need to probably at least make the WCC title game to feel optimistic.

I know they're the Broncos, but they missed the boat. Should have been the Santa Clara Nets.

Like the Seton Hall Pirates should be the Seton Hall Monitors.

 

[GP4ISU]

Assuming they make it to the second round.

Assuming they get in…

 

[Cyinthenorth]

WCC teams are so finesse. 4 combined fouls in over 15 minutes in the 1st half between Santa Clara and Pacific. Alot of wide open 3's with minimal contest or close out. Probably a big reason none of these teams ever have much tournament success after Gonzaga.

 

[egunzy]

You know you are in a media-favored conference when you can lose 6 of your last 8 games and still be considered solidly in the Big Dance. ESPN's MBB page was speaking about the Hoks. Look, they have played good teams tough - but their resume is not really supporting that narrative. Other than their win against Nebby (at home), they haven't had an impressive season. They played mostly a bunch of patsies in the non-con (wins over Ole Miss and Xavier have proven to be of little value) and they ended the regular season on a Fran-level slide. But, because they are in the B1G, and avoided getting trounced by UM and Nebby, the media thinks that should be counted as wins. Stupid.

It's a carbon copy of their FB season. Little to no good wins yet play great teams close and somehow they get rewarded. Iowa has mastered the art of failing upwards.

 

[swiacy]

Other than pace of play, there is almost nothing different about them compared to a Fran coached variation. They are perhaps slightly less douchey. Guard a little better. But there are systemic things holding over if you look closely.

I don’t recall Fran’s team understanding the concept of guarding someone.

 

[exCYtable]

You know you are in a media-favored conference when you can lose 6 of your last 8 games and still be considered solidly in the Big Dance. ESPN's MBB page was speaking about the Hoks. Look, they have played good teams tough - but their resume is not really supporting that narrative. Other than their win against Nebby (at home), they haven't had an impressive season. They played mostly a bunch of patsies in the non-con (wins over Ole Miss and Xavier have proven to be of little value) and they ended the regular season on a Fran-level slide. But, because they are in the B1G, and avoided getting trounced by UM and Nebby, the media thinks that should be counted as wins. Stupid.

I would love to see one of those blind taste test resume comparisons against a bubble team or Auburn.

 

[BigJCy]

The bottom 9 are just sooo bad. If you can’t finish above .500 in that conference, you should be forced to give up the sport.

Of the Top 8 seeds they also only played 6 of them just once. Only Purdue and Nebraska they played twice.

 

[jcf817]

Of the Top 8 seeds they also only played 6 of them just once. Only Purdue and Nebraska they played twice.

We played Arizona, Houston, and TTech once each.

 

[BigJCy]

We played Arizona, Houston, and TTech once each.

Which leads me to believe that if we played them each twice we probably would have another 2 losses on our record.

 

[qwerty]

Arizona State moved up 6 in NET after their loss. Must be because of the first half . . . . .

 

[BigJCy]