Thoughts on Selection Sunday 2008

[Raider1one]

from espn.com

You thought Sunday was all about the selection shows? Think again. There are some huge storylines in place that could significantly impact the bracket.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Did Tyler Hansbrough's game-winning shot lock up the No. 1 seed for UNC?


A No. 1 seed now up for grabs?
Tennessee's loss potentially gives the Kansas-Texas winner a chance at a No. 1 seed. UCLA and Memphis are locked in. North Carolina would be, too, with a win over Clemson in the ACC final or maybe now without it, too. What's clear is that two of the regions will have two No. 1 seed-type teams in it and the other two won't, meaning the fight for the top two overall seeds is very important.

Bracket busters
Illinois and Georgia continued their miraculous runs through the Big Ten and SEC tournaments, and now each stands 40 minutes away from crashing the field of 65 and breaking the heart of a bubble team (or two). In the Big Ten, the 10-seed Illini held off Minnesota in the semifinals and now draw top-seeded Wisconsin, which swept Illinois in the regular season. The Badgers won by 10 at home and by 14 at Illinois. In the SEC, E6-seed Georgia, one of the two bottom seeds since the 12-team SEC is broken up into divisions, did twice as much work on Saturday. First the Bulldogs beat Kentucky in the tornado-suspended quarterfinal, and then they dumped Mississippi State in the semis. For their troubles, they now get a shot at Arkansas, which took out Tennessee. Georgia had only won four SEC games in the regular season, but one of them was over the Razorbacks by 13 points.

Committee conundrums
The Illini and Bulldogs are creating potential headaches not only for the bubble teams but also for the selection committee. What happens if one or both of the 3:30 ET finals goes overtime and doesn't end before the 6 ET selection show? Does the committee now have to draw up four different brackets, accounting for the possibilities of neither, either or both teams making it? Also, what would either team be seeded? Both would be under .500 entering the event, but if we're looking at a plug-and-replace scenario where either team would take the place of the final at-large (which makes the most sense, given all the bracketing rules that need to be followed), you have to imagine they'd be a 13-seed, at worst.

The most unlikely and dramatic title run ever?
The nation's attention was focused on the big boys on Saturday, but it's worth mentioning what Coppin State pulled off in the MEAC. The Eagles started the season 2-19 in Division I play and then managed to win 12 of their last 13 games to grab the auto bid and what will likely be a spot in the opening-round game. What's more, the Eagles won four games in four nights to do it -- by a total of six points. They beat Howard by one, then knocked off 2-seed Hampton by one in overtime, beat 3-seed Norfolk State by two and beat top-seeded Morgan State by a deuce on a bucket with two seconds left. Simply incredible. Congratulations to Fang Mitchell, whose program is making its first NCAA appearance since 1997, when the Eagles came within a point of becoming the first 15-seed to make the Sweet 16.

One more one-bid league to settle
If Northwestern State wins the Southland title over Texas-Arlington, Coppin State might have its opening-round game opponent. The Demons are 15-17 entering Sunday's title game, but weirdly finished two games ahead of UTA (20-11 with four non-DI wins) in the Southland standings. The Demons beat UTA by four at home in the teams' only meeting of the regular season. If Arlington takes the auto bid, it would be a close call between it and Mount St. Mary's from the NEC for the second opening-round game spot.

[Crono139]

I can't wait for the Texas/Kansas game @ 3PM.


And I love the fact that they are showing the 2007 Championship Game with Florida/Ohio State right now.

[nwdave]

what a great fucking weekend for sports.

TX/KS on right now. exciting Clemson Duke game yesterday. PGA golf. live spring training on in 45 mins. amazing Melbourne Grand Prix last night. awesome.

[Jerome]

i'm looking to see what yesterday's stanford v. ucla game does to stanford in the seeding process. what a great game yesterday.

i'm still bummed my current school did not qualify for the big west tournament: it looked good for our chances of making the tournament early on before injuries doomed the aggies season. i'll be pulling for cal state fullerton, the conference champ, to at least make the second round of the tourney this season.

[Uncle Ben]

My thoughts? Wisconsin got snubbed out of a second seed, period. Nothing you can say can explain why.

[Crono139]

Arizona State got snubbed out of a bid.