Bracketology 101 Bubble Comments

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On a side note .. I've got really good seats for the game tonight and will be personally offended if the Gophers are not victorious.

Most bracketologists took the easy way out this week and put St. Mary's and San Diego State in their fields. A case could be made for the Gaels, but the best argument for including them has nothing to do with what they've done wins-wise - instead it's the overall weakness of the bubble. Their win at Utah State is nice, but they lost twice to Gonzaga, lost at Portland, and we don't see them upsetting the 'Zags in the WCC tourney. Their RPI isn't that impressive (47), and their win over the Aggies is the only victory they have over a tournament team. The Aztecs are an even more puzzling inclusion for brackets done as if the season ended today. They are in third place in the Mountain West, but their best two wins (New Mexico and UNLV) came at home. SDSU plays at BYU on Thursday, which means everyone who has them in this week will have them out next week. That's a little short-sighted, no? Instead of SDSU and St. Mary's, we have UConn and Minnesota (teams who have actually beaten people) in the field. Not only are they more attractive right now, they have the potential to be much more attractive down the road.
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Joe Lunardi (ESPN) - Feb. 22 Bracket
Do you know that you have a potential Purdue-Wisconsin Sweet 16 match-up in your bracket this week? Because we know, reader MattLion knows, and fellow bracketologist Shelby Mast from Bracket WAG knows (she even sent us the screen grab in case you changed it). Did you not even bother changing it because you knew we would call you out anyway? Do you want Matt Reeves' e-mail? You can enroll in his Bracketing Principles 101 class.

We know you're in bed with the A-10, but how is Dayton still in after losing at Duquesne?

How do you still have two Colonial teams in? If you like ODU as an at-large so much, then why don't you ignore the fact that they are tied in conference with Northeastern (who lost at home to La Tach last week) in just put the Monarchs in by themselves?

How does Temple win two games and go down to a 5 seed? How does Tennessee win two games and go down to a 6?

How does Vandy lose at home (to Kentucky, but still...) and go up to a 3 seed?

Minnesota's not even worthy of a spot on the Last Eight Out list? Mississippi, Arizona State, and Memphis are in better shape right now than the Gophers? How exactly? Who have the Sun Devils beaten?
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http://bracketology101.blogspot.com/
 

Certainly some valid points. St. Mary's, Mississippi State and Arizona State are examples of teams I have the Gophers trailing in the bubble pecking order, but those teams have nowhere near the quality wins the Gophers have. The bubble is a strange, complicated deal. A lot of variables.
 



After what we've gone through the last couple of months to even be talking about being on or off the bubble is a blessing.
 





Just one other comment from another comment about the Gophers from B101-

The comment was-

How about a question for B101. Why is Minnesota in your field? They lost to non tourney teams Miami and Portland in OOC along with the bad losses to Michigan, Indiana, and Northwestern. The Gophers will be lucky to finish 2-2 with that remaining schedule. B101 was wrong to put the Gophers in the bracket. Minnesota will not make the tournament.
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B101 says-

We admit that Minnesota is a risky inclusion, but we like the Gophers' chances to get themselves at-large worthy down the stretch. We think they have a good shot to knock off Purdue at home tonight given the way they played at home against Wisconsin last Thursday, and a case could even be made that Minnesota belongs in with a loss to Purdue and a win at Illinois this weekend. If the Boilers win tonight, they'll almost certainly get to 10-8 in conference and they'll be in everyone's field next week.
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It's always so nice when you see things that you are agreeable with.

Lol. Who knows. Like I said before a few weeks ago we were talking NIT and CBI. I'm running with it as long as I can. :)
 



Our "bad losses", if we want to get technical here, are Indiana and Michigan. Both those teams are well outside of the top 100, Indiana #213 & Michigan #151. No doubt combined they are the single thing most likely to keep the Gophers out of the tournament.

However, though they are games the Gophers coulda' or shoulda' won (coulda' shoulda' only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades), Portland, Miami and Northwestern are not "quote-unquote" bad losses so long as they remain in the top 100 of the RPI. Certainly win(s) that could have helped us avoid the predicament we're in, but not the horrible losses they're being made out to be. Ditto for other bubble teams like the Gophers that have several quality wins and a couple smelly losses. That's why they're all bubble teams.

There is one thing FOT and I agree on at this point. ... the Gophers aren't truly a bubble team unless they win tonight. They're simply on the fringe just trying to get into the conversation.
 

So....

SelectionSunday said:
Our "bad losses", if we want to get technical here, are Indiana and Michigan. Both those teams are well outside of the top 100, Indiana #213 & Michigan #151. No doubt combined they are the single thing most likely to keep the Gophers out of the tournament.

However, though they are games the Gophers coulda' or shoulda' won (coulda' shoulda' only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades), Portland, Miami and Northwestern are not "quote-unquote" bad losses so long as they remain in the top 100 of the RPI. Certainly win(s) that could have helped us avoid the predicament we're in, but not the horrible losses they're being made out to be. Ditto for other bubble teams like the Gophers that have several quality wins and a couple smelly losses. That's why they're all bubble teams.

There is one thing FOT and I agree on at this point. ... the Gophers aren't truly a bubble team unless they win tonight. They're simply on the fringe just trying to get into the conversation.
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They are on the bubble of the bubble?
 

This website has us on its first 4 out http://www.bracketschool.com/ we have to stop Purdue's big 3 tonight is our night at the Barn! Go Gophers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 




the Gophers aren't truly a bubble team unless they win tonight. They're simply on the fringe just trying to get into the conversation.
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I'm beyond being realistic at this point SS. I've so convinced myself that we're going to win tonight that God Himself would have a difficult time of talking me out of it.

Gophers in a rout tonight!

:clap::clap::clap:
 

Quote from "A Season on the Brink"

Old John Feinstein book, about Indiana's 85-86 season. I think it was a Chapter Title. Quoting Bobby Knight "If we could only get into positon to get into position!". Lamenting that every time that team played well enough to get into the conversation about the NCAA, they lost the next game.

I think this year's Gopher team deserves a lot of credit in that they have responded enough to give themeselves this opportunity tonite. Now, in the immortal words of another ESPN commentator, one more annoying than Bobby K., "JUST WIN BABY!" Sure would be fun.

Wouldn't mind drafting Bobby Jackson tonite for his considerable crunch time skills. My favorite quote from that whole year for one of the commentatorariate was "Someone forgot to tell Bobby Jackson that Minnesota always loses on the road....":)
 

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