CLICK HERE for Monday’s News, Notes, Highlighted Games, and UTR Game of the Day
It is once again Chad’s turn to put together the weekly HoopsHD Staff Bracket Projection. Below is the bracket as he sees it through all games of Sunday, January 26. Under the bracket is Chad’s notes on the projection as well as comments from several other staff members. Please note that this is not an attempt to guess where the actual bracket will be on Selection Sunday, but rather Chad’s personal view of how the teams should match up if the season ended today.
CHAD’S NOTES
– The biggest mover on the top couple of lines is Seton Hall, a team that I am now placing all the way up on the 2 line — and at #6 overall nationally! This team now has a whopping SEVEN Tier 1 victories with FIVE of those coming in true road games. They have no bad losses at all on their profile to go with that, and two of the wins (at Butler and home vs Maryland) are against teams that I have as protected seeds. I just love this profile right now — and this is coming from a Rutgers alum who loves to find any excuse to hate on the Hall.
– I may get some grief for LSU being on the 5 line, but the Tigers are undefeated in SEC play and have four wins away from home against the top two tiers. They have done all of that against the #10 SOS in the nation, too.
– I know David and John are not high on Auburn, but I am still putting them on the 6 line because of their 17-2 overall record. They don’t have much, if anything, in terms of marquee wins, but they have a TON of solid NIT-caliber victories and that has to count for something.
– Arizona is a 9 seed. I know that most people have them rated way higher than this, but I just don’t see much I like at all in their profile. They have one Tier 1 win, and it was at home. They have 6 losses. Yes, the #4 SOS in the nation counts, but I need to see one or two more notches in the top two tiers and something — anything — on the road. In other words completely blowing the game this weekend at Arizona State did the Wildcats no favors whatsoever.
– Syracuse is in. 5 wins in a row has them there, deservedly so. Arizona State is in, but one of the last few teams in my field. I may not like the Arizona Wildcats profile as much as others, but it is still a huge scalp that boosts ASU’s profile from “barely on the board” to “solidly on the bubble”.
– Texas Tech and DePaul were my last two teams in and I hated putting both teams in the field — the Red Raiders because they have done nothing but beat Louisville on a neutral court and the Blue Demons because there was no excuse for Saturday’s loss to the Johnnies.
– My top four teams out, in order, were Minnesota, Tennessee, Utah and Rhode Island. Beyond those were Georgetown, Virginia, St John’s and Xavier. I also took a look at Richmond, Memphis, VCU, TCU, Alabama, Utah State and Pitt.
– Among the Under the Radar leagues, I do have East Tennessee State ranked above two of my First Four teams, and think this team can get some serious at-large consideration if they need it (and keep winning). Liberty, a team I did not think would lose at all in A-Sun play, went 0-2 on their trip to North Florida and Stetson, has now fallen to the 13 line, and will have to win the automatic bid to be in the Big Dance.
STAFF COMMENTS
COMMENTS FROM DAVID
-Since losing to Rutgers, Seton Hall has won nine straight games. Three of those were at Xavier, Butler, and Saint John’s. Those teams are a combined 30-6 at home. Three of those six losses came to Seton Hall. This is a team that’s rolling and may be playing as well as anyone other than Baylor right now.
-I think Dayton’s team is better than their profile. They’ve yet to lose a game in regulation, and one of the two games they lost was against a full strength Kansas team, which you can hardly fault them for. The road wins at Saint Louis and Richmond may not scream protected seed, but those two teams have lost just four total home games, and two of those were to Dayton. They’ve also pretty much blown through their schedule like you would expect a top ten team to. I have them at the top of my #3 line, and think they’re closer to a 2 seed than a 4 seed.
-I don’t understand why beating a bunch of NIT teams impresses Chad as much as it does, but low and behold, he’s got Auburn on his #6 line. That’s the only thing that he did that was particularly outrageous, so I guess you have to give him some credit for doing an average job instead of a terrible job.
COMMENTS FROM JOHN
– I have no complaints about Chad’s choice of protected seeds – Maryland really helped themselves by finally getting a notable road win at Indiana yesterday.
– I look at a potential Marquette-Stanford in an 8-9 matchup (although not paired in Chad’s bracket) and feel like this ought to be a 6-11 matchup instead. Marquette is underseeded with the toughest part of their schedule behind them and Stanford is looking flimsier by the day thanks to a last-second loss at Cal last night. The Cardinal really couldn’t afford any bad loss on a resume that only has Oklahoma as a real notable win thus far.
– I think Virginia is getting closer to getting back into the field, and I’d rather put them in the field right now as opposed to a team like DePaul who has now let 2 of their easier opportunities for league wins slip away after getting swept by St. John’s. Using my Joe Lunardi logic, losses against NC State and Syracuse aren’t as offensive now, but losing at BC – don’t tell me the Eagles will be the one to keep Tony Bennett on the #HotSeat.
– Frankly, I think Chad could even be justified in swapping out Liberty and Wright State for now. Liberty flamed out (pun intended) after losing back-to-back road games to fall into a 3-way tie for first place in the A-Sun while Wright State did things to Northern Kentucky that would be illegal in most parts of the country.
Staff Bracket – January 26, 2020
CLICK HERE for Monday’s News, Notes, Highlighted Games, and UTR Game of the Day
It is once again Chad’s turn to put together the weekly HoopsHD Staff Bracket Projection. Below is the bracket as he sees it through all games of Sunday, January 26. Under the bracket is Chad’s notes on the projection as well as comments from several other staff members. Please note that this is not an attempt to guess where the actual bracket will be on Selection Sunday, but rather Chad’s personal view of how the teams should match up if the season ended today.
CHAD’S NOTES
– The biggest mover on the top couple of lines is Seton Hall, a team that I am now placing all the way up on the 2 line — and at #6 overall nationally! This team now has a whopping SEVEN Tier 1 victories with FIVE of those coming in true road games. They have no bad losses at all on their profile to go with that, and two of the wins (at Butler and home vs Maryland) are against teams that I have as protected seeds. I just love this profile right now — and this is coming from a Rutgers alum who loves to find any excuse to hate on the Hall.
– I may get some grief for LSU being on the 5 line, but the Tigers are undefeated in SEC play and have four wins away from home against the top two tiers. They have done all of that against the #10 SOS in the nation, too.
– I know David and John are not high on Auburn, but I am still putting them on the 6 line because of their 17-2 overall record. They don’t have much, if anything, in terms of marquee wins, but they have a TON of solid NIT-caliber victories and that has to count for something.
– Arizona is a 9 seed. I know that most people have them rated way higher than this, but I just don’t see much I like at all in their profile. They have one Tier 1 win, and it was at home. They have 6 losses. Yes, the #4 SOS in the nation counts, but I need to see one or two more notches in the top two tiers and something — anything — on the road. In other words completely blowing the game this weekend at Arizona State did the Wildcats no favors whatsoever.
– Syracuse is in. 5 wins in a row has them there, deservedly so. Arizona State is in, but one of the last few teams in my field. I may not like the Arizona Wildcats profile as much as others, but it is still a huge scalp that boosts ASU’s profile from “barely on the board” to “solidly on the bubble”.
– Texas Tech and DePaul were my last two teams in and I hated putting both teams in the field — the Red Raiders because they have done nothing but beat Louisville on a neutral court and the Blue Demons because there was no excuse for Saturday’s loss to the Johnnies.
– My top four teams out, in order, were Minnesota, Tennessee, Utah and Rhode Island. Beyond those were Georgetown, Virginia, St John’s and Xavier. I also took a look at Richmond, Memphis, VCU, TCU, Alabama, Utah State and Pitt.
– Among the Under the Radar leagues, I do have East Tennessee State ranked above two of my First Four teams, and think this team can get some serious at-large consideration if they need it (and keep winning). Liberty, a team I did not think would lose at all in A-Sun play, went 0-2 on their trip to North Florida and Stetson, has now fallen to the 13 line, and will have to win the automatic bid to be in the Big Dance.
STAFF COMMENTS
COMMENTS FROM DAVID
-Since losing to Rutgers, Seton Hall has won nine straight games. Three of those were at Xavier, Butler, and Saint John’s. Those teams are a combined 30-6 at home. Three of those six losses came to Seton Hall. This is a team that’s rolling and may be playing as well as anyone other than Baylor right now.
-I think Dayton’s team is better than their profile. They’ve yet to lose a game in regulation, and one of the two games they lost was against a full strength Kansas team, which you can hardly fault them for. The road wins at Saint Louis and Richmond may not scream protected seed, but those two teams have lost just four total home games, and two of those were to Dayton. They’ve also pretty much blown through their schedule like you would expect a top ten team to. I have them at the top of my #3 line, and think they’re closer to a 2 seed than a 4 seed.
-I don’t understand why beating a bunch of NIT teams impresses Chad as much as it does, but low and behold, he’s got Auburn on his #6 line. That’s the only thing that he did that was particularly outrageous, so I guess you have to give him some credit for doing an average job instead of a terrible job.
COMMENTS FROM JOHN
– I have no complaints about Chad’s choice of protected seeds – Maryland really helped themselves by finally getting a notable road win at Indiana yesterday.
– I look at a potential Marquette-Stanford in an 8-9 matchup (although not paired in Chad’s bracket) and feel like this ought to be a 6-11 matchup instead. Marquette is underseeded with the toughest part of their schedule behind them and Stanford is looking flimsier by the day thanks to a last-second loss at Cal last night. The Cardinal really couldn’t afford any bad loss on a resume that only has Oklahoma as a real notable win thus far.
– I think Virginia is getting closer to getting back into the field, and I’d rather put them in the field right now as opposed to a team like DePaul who has now let 2 of their easier opportunities for league wins slip away after getting swept by St. John’s. Using my Joe Lunardi logic, losses against NC State and Syracuse aren’t as offensive now, but losing at BC – don’t tell me the Eagles will be the one to keep Tony Bennett on the #HotSeat.
– Frankly, I think Chad could even be justified in swapping out Liberty and Wright State for now. Liberty flamed out (pun intended) after losing back-to-back road games to fall into a 3-way tie for first place in the A-Sun while Wright State did things to Northern Kentucky that would be illegal in most parts of the country.