Top seed rewards: Who goes where?

[DiehardClone]

Now that bracketology is practically a new field of academic study, I wish the top bracketologists would predict an additional wrinkle: Which teams will be rewarded with a regional site in their backyard?

I've given this a try, taking the top 16 teams currently ranked in The Bracket Matrix (http://www.bracketmatrix.com/) and then assigning them to the closest regional site. Some are kind of obvious, but many are not.

Here's what I've come up with as of today:

Providence
nobody for now

Brooklyn

1. Villanova
2. Maryland
3. West Virginia

Des Moines

1. Iowa
2. Kansas

St. Louis

1. Xavier
2. Michigan State
3. Iowa State
4. Dayton
5. Purdue

Raleigh

1. Virginia
2. North Carolina
3. Miami

Oklahoma City

1. Oklahoma
2. Texas A&M

Denver
nobody for now

Spokane

1. Oregon

IIRC, you have to be at least a 3 seed to get this status. That's why I've italicized the current 4 seeds (including ISU), they have work to do in order to get this.

Just like bracketology, this is just a best guess snapshot. A lot can change over the next month.

But a few things stand out. There's a potential logjam for St. Louis, but Denver could be wide open, and Oklahoma City isn't too crowded either.

If ISU finishes strong, could we be looking at Denver or OKC for the first weekend of regional action?

 

[CyFan61]

IIRC, you have to be at least a 3 seed to get this status. That's why I've italicized the current 4 seeds (including ISU), they have work to do in order to get this.

Top 4 seeds are placed geographically, starting from the top and filling in below. It's seed 5-16 that aren't placed with an eye toward geography. I suppose the worst 4 seed (team #16 on the S-curve) is also placed with no geographical considerations because by the time they get to them, there is only one spot left open. But basically top 4 seeds get some consideration, even if it's just between 2 or 3 open spots like some of the 4-seeds will have.

There are 8 sites, and each hosts two separate pods; that allows for 16 teams to be "placed," which equals the top 4 seeds.

I think you've nailed it as far as Iowa State is concerned. St. Louis is the closest option for a lot of these Midwestern schools, and only two of them can get it. Just another reason to root against Michigan State.

 

[DiehardClone]

St. Louis is the closest option for a lot of these Midwestern schools, and only two of them can get it. Just another reason to root against Michigan State.

Agreed. And Creighton upsetting Xavier last night was also helpful.

 

[acgclone]

Denver or OKC wouldn't be the worst. It all depends on who we play though.

 

[Beyerball]

I'd bet anything Iowa won't be a 1 seed. They lose another couple games and they won't be.

 

[Colorado]

Another thing to take into consideration is that top 4 seeds aren't split equally for all regions. For example, Des Moines will get a 1-seed and 2-seed in the region. Denver's highest seed will be two 4-seeds. Brooklyn gets a 1-seed and a 3-seed. Providence gets two 3-seeds. It's all over the board.

This is all based on brackets that I've seen on places like ESPN. I could be entirely wrong and the seeds haven't been placed in the regions yet.

 

[peteypie]

I'd bet anything Iowa won't be a 1 seed. They lose another couple games and they won't be.

To agree with your point, even with the great year they are having, only a couple experts out of the 20 or so listed in the link below still think Iowa will get a 1 seed

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...ising-our-preseason-college-hoops-predictions

 

[CyFan61]

Another thing to take into consideration is that top 4 seeds aren't split equally for all regions. For example, Des Moines will get a 1-seed and 2-seed in the region. Denver's highest seed will be two 4-seeds. Brooklyn gets a 1-seed and a 3-seed. Providence gets two 3-seeds. It's all over the board.

I am not sure if you are claiming this, but they aren't predetermined. They also aren't split equally. They just work their way down the S-curve assigning teams to the closest available region.

A lot of people don't get how this works so I'll use Bracket Matrix as an example, if the order it has was what the committee used, these are where the teams would likely end up.

1-seeds
Oklahoma: Oklahoma City
Villanova: Brooklyn
Iowa: Des Moines
Xavier: St. Louis

2-seeds
Virginia: Raleigh
Kansas: Des Moines
North Carolina: Raleigh
Oregon: Spokane

3-seeds
Maryland: Brooklyn
West Virginia: Providence (Brooklyn and Raleigh are full)
Michigan State: St. Louis
Miami: Providence (Raleigh, St. Louis, and Brooklyn are full)

4- seeds
Iowa State: Oklahoma City (St. Louis is full)
Texas A&M: Denver (Oklahoma City is full)
Dayton: Denver (either this or Spokane)
Purdue: Spokane (last available spot)


(Edited to adjust Iowa State and Texas A&M)

 

[Colorado]

I am not sure if you are claiming this, but they aren't predetermined. They also aren't split equally. They just work their way down the S-curve assigning teams to the closest available region.

A lot of people don't get how this works so I'll use Bracket Matrix as an example, if the order it has was what the committee used, these are where the teams would likely end up.

1-seeds
Oklahoma: Oklahoma City
Villanova: Brooklyn
Iowa: Des Moines
Xavier: St. Louis

2-seeds
Virginia: Raleigh
Kansas: Des Moines
North Carolina: Raleigh
Oregon: Spokane

3-seeds
Maryland: Brooklyn
West Virginia: Providence (Brooklyn and Raleigh are full)
Michigan State: St. Louis
Miami: Providence (Raleigh, St. Louis, and Brooklyn are full)

4- seeds
Iowa State: Denver (St. Louis is full)
Texas A&M: Oklahoma City
Dayton: Denver (either this or Spokane)
Purdue: Spokane (last available spot)

It's really a stroke of luck that, for example, Texas A&M would end up with their most preferable spot being #14 on the S-curve while Miami ends up in their 4th choice location as a 3-seed.

I was claiming that they are predetermined but I'm wrong. I should have known when comparing two brackets (CBS and ESPN) and the seedings in each region were different.

I'd love ISU as a 4-seed in Denver.

 

[CyFan61]

I was claiming that they are predetermined but I'm wrong. I should have known when comparing two brackets (CBS and ESPN) and the seedings in each region were different.

I'd love ISU as a 4-seed in Denver.

I just edited that to fix my error since Ames is closer to OKC than Denver. But if the committee had it just like Bracket Matrix but with A&M ahead of ISU, the Cyclones would be in Denver.

If Iowa State does end up as a top 4 seed, it seems likely they'd be in St. Louis, Oklahoma City, or Denver. But things can change and there is a lot of basketball left.

 

[cyfanatic13]

I'm going with a group of buddies wherever ISU plays in the first round and hoping to make a week out of it so I'm pulling for Denver or OKC

 

[erikbj]

I could involve work trips into Denver or St. Louis - so i game either spot.

 

[mj4cy]

Denver is a bit tougher to have a first/second round. Less teams nearby that would make sense geographically. I suppose you have Creighton/Colorado/Utah/New Mexico/BYU/Gonzaga ect.....Des Moines actually is closer to a lot of potential teams year in and year out with Wisconsin, Kansas, Iowa, Iowa State, Creighton, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas State, Wichita State.

 

[Shawker]

To agree with your point, even with the great year they are having, only a couple experts out of the 20 or so listed in the link below still think Iowa will get a 1 seed

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...ising-our-preseason-college-hoops-predictions

That link is predicting final four teams not the teams that ultimately end up as one seeds. Right now Iowa is widely projected to be a 1 seed. SI, ESPN, CBS, etc. all predict them as a 1 seed *at this time*. My argument isn't that they will end up a 1 seed just that they are viewed as one right now.

 

[1100011CS]

I'm going with:

1. Monsanto - They give out cool shirts
2. Dupont/Pioneer - I've seen some very cool Pioneer ISU hats
3. Syngenta - A dealer bought me a beer once.