2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

[Incandenza]

We need a thread. Here it is.

Go Bruins.

[Incandenza]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

I've also created a OTF bracket pool on Yahoo.

Link: https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/group/192716/invitation?key=6fc3663fe6da6f33&soc_trk=lnk
Password: trevmeath

[San Bernardhinault]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

This is pretty much the most baffling thing in the entirely baffling world of US college sports.

But, for once I have some skin in the games - a friend has set up a skill-free gamble. (Everyone buys in to one of 100 squares, which are in a 10x10 grid. Your x-axis is the final digit for the winning team; your y-axis for the losing team: grid squares chosen at random . Every game gives a payout).

Given that I suppose I have to care a little, and that no local teams are playing, I'll be "supporting" the Arizona Wildcats.

[Gerontophile]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

I'm in with "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi", because I picked random popular picks.

And it's a half-decent Kylie song.

[Gerontophile]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

I didn't have to use the password. Is that because of the baseball thing?

[Incandenza]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

Never seen a Super Bowl squares style thing for the NCAA tournament, interesting.

I think it's my favorite American sporting event. Going to games is also really fun, and Staples Center is going to be hosting the West regional finals next year, I have my calendar marked for the day that those tickets go on sale later this year.

[Incandenza]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

Gerontophile wrote: I didn't have to use the password. Is that because of the baseball thing?

Not sure, but good to hear!

[Incandenza]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

Bump. Join the bracket pool!

[ursus arctos]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

Clueless Bear is in.

[Incandenza]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

No upsets so far, but #12 Middle Tennessee State are up on #5 Minnesota at halftime. I picked MTSU to win this game.

[Kurt Bafokeng]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

Which team is the choice of the sensible baffled foreigner?

Just from looking at the names and logos, I like the Michigan State Trojans, the Oregon Ducks and most of all the Wichita State Shockers.

And slightly connected: Does the word "state" in a university's name mean it's a public institution whereas all the others aren't?

[Incandenza]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

Michigan State are the Spartans.

"State" generally indicates that it's a public school, but taking the Michigan example, the University of Michigan is a public university, and so is Michigan State. It differs for each state, in the Michigan example, U. of Michigan was a university before the state was even incorporated, while Michigan State was created by the act which created land-grant universities (the US government gave federally-owned land over to universities in exchange for them to teach agriculture, engineering, and sciences). Generally, the "State" schools are seen as less academically prestigious than other universities. In California, UC Berkeley is only really identified in sports as Cal. UCLA is also part of the University of California system, while the California State Universities are more affordable and are not as tough to be admitted into.

[Kurt Bafokeng]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

Spartans, yeah. Who would call their team after some sore losers?

Thanks for the answer though.
And let's go Shockers!

[Gerontophile]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

Kurt Bafokeng wrote: Spartans, yeah. Who would call their team after some sore losers?

And be totally blithe about the whole thing.

[San Bernardhinault]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

I described it as the most baffling thing in the baffling world of college sports. Well, I just looked at the set-up, and realised it was done by geography.

Except, somehow Florida State is in the Western bracket, UCLA is in the southern bracket, USC is in the Eastern bracket, and Oregon are playing Rhode Island in the Midwestern bracket...

It's just nonsense, isn't it? It was designed by monkeys throwing shit at the wall.

Anyway, good to see my Wildcats make it through the first round. Let's hope they can crush St Mary's (who I'd never heard of) later today.

[jason voorhees]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

This is the first time since the mid-80s that not only did I not see one minute, I had no idea the games were played until 2 days later.

I even have a short-term job in Princeton, and by the look of everyone I didn't even know they were playing or had played or had lost.

I hate when Princeton plays day games. They're a prime time team.

All I had the chance to watch was the 30 for 30 "Phi Slamma Jamma" doc this morning, which was brilliant as expected. The bit with Hakeem flying to JFK Airport, getting stood up by St. Johns, walking outside and promptly getting blasted by NYC winter air, which led him to show three plane tickets to a Nigerian baggage handler at JFK Airport to Providence, RI, Louisville, KY, and Houston, TX and asking "which has weather most like Lagos?" was brilliant.

[ursus arctos]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

Nova no longer have a Lox on the title

Badgers advance

[Southport Zeb]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

San Bernardhinault wrote: I described it as the most baffling thing in the baffling world of college sports. Well, I just looked at the set-up, and realised it was done by geography.

Except, somehow Florida State is in the Western bracket, UCLA is in the southern bracket, USC is in the Eastern bracket, and Oregon are playing Rhode Island in the Midwestern bracket...

It's just nonsense, isn't it? It was designed by monkeys throwing shit at the wall.

Anyway, good to see my Wildcats make it through the first round. Let's hope they can crush St Mary's (who I'd never heard of) later today.

Where possible they do try to do it by geography, but there are restrictions due to seeding and avoiding teams from the same conference playing in the early rounds. Basically if you're the overall number one side you are pretty much guaranteed the shortest trips at each stage. As you go further down the rankings it gets a bit messier.

Also the first and second round sites aren't tied to particular regions - each hosting site gets assigned four first round matches when the bracket is set - again the higher seeds have greater likelihood of being closer to home. Often a first round host might have matches from different regions - this week Buffalo has hosted two first round matches in the East and two in the West.

[Incandenza]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

That facet of the opening two rounds is a relatively new thing. Way back when, Buffalo would have only hosted East bracket games. I'm not sure why they decided to mix things up like that.

JV, that's a great story about Hakeem, I never knew that.

My bracket is pretty much busted by Nova losing, but that's great stuff. Wisconsin generally managed to pull off upsets like that.

[San Bernardhinault]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

Who'd have thought. I've already enjoyed 2 games today. Villanova against Wisconsin and now the horribly mispronounced Xavier (although not as offensive as Notre Dame) looking like they're crushing Florida State, who're the Team I Most Want To Lose in college sports.

[ursus arctos]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

Do Brits not pronounce the Navarro/Anglo spelling of Javier as if it begins with "Z"?

Doing so is bog standard here.

[Gerontophile]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

It's an "H" for Javier.

It's a 'Z" for Xavier.

[San Bernardhinault]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

We pronounce the "Z", but we rhyme it with Javier, rather than with Hay-veer.

[jason voorhees]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

"My bracket is pretty much busted by Nova losing, but that's great stuff. Wisconsin generally managed to pull off upsets like that."

....and Nova generally loses like that. For every Final Four or miracle National Title, there's about 10 first or second round upset exits. They're f'n annoying.

[jason voorhees]

2017 NCAA basketball tournament thread

Kind of like South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham kind of becoming a good guy against the Trump Dump, I've enjoyed the SC Gamecocks defeating the North Carolina discrimination law against Duke, then defeating Kenneth Starr's Rapeversity last night. Here's hoping they take out Mar-A-Lago in the next round.

It doesn't hurt that the coach is crazy on the sideline, likes suits designed by Al Capone and The Joker, is in a mixed marriage, and has a daughter named Amalia.