right now joe lunardi shows A&M as 3 seed in Denver… the 2 is Tech in Wichita… the question is, will Denver have the 3 seed no matter who the team is?… will Wichita have the 2 seed for sure? are the seeds already set for the locations?
question about tourney location
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Last: 1 yr ago by Charlie Moran
Every location has two pods (a group of 4 teams in which the winner of two games advances). Each pod has as its highest a seed #1, #2, #3, or #4 seed. The top ranked team in the country gets placed in whatever location is geographically closest to them, then the second best team, then the third, then the fourth, then the first #2 seed, and so on. Once two teams are picked for one location, its no longer available for others. So the location a team plays at is dependent upon not just their own seed, but the seed order of every other team ahead of them. No pod has a pre-scheduled seed set to play there, any location can have two #1's or two #4's or any combination in between.
In the case of your Lunardi example, Texas A&M goes to Denver because Wichita has already been filled by higher seeded Houston and Texas Tech. So, lets say you flipped Tech and A&M's seeds. That would indeed have #2 seed A&M in Wichita and #3 Tech in Denver, but not because the seeds were fixed, but only because now, A&M got their closest location before Texas Tech did.
do we feel fairly certain A&M will be at either Denver or Wichita?
Yes
The only way we won't be is if we're a lot further down the seed list than we think or Arizona is a lot higher on it.
I'm in favor of winning 2-3 games in the conference tourney. But the selection committee doesn't value those games very much at all…
Does that also mean we will almost certainly be in the San Francisco region? Or can Denver/Wichita still feed into another regional location?
Can feed into other regions
So first four resolve 68 to 64 in Dayton
Then there are eight pod locations with two pods each with each pod having four teams.
For example:
Midwest #1 pod would be 1/16 and 8/9. Assume 1 and 9 win then 1/9 play to move to S16 at Midwest regional site
West #4 pod would have 4/13 and 5/12. Assume 4 and 12 win then 4/12 play to move to S16 at West regional site.
I found this analysis on a couple of different sites, too, on win rate v. travel distances:
https://www.teamrankings.com/blog/ncaa-basketball/the-pod-system-for-once-the-ncaa-got-something-right-stat-geek-idol
Then there are eight pod locations with two pods each with each pod having four teams.
For example:
Midwest #1 pod would be 1/16 and 8/9. Assume 1 and 9 win then 1/9 play to move to S16 at Midwest regional site
West #4 pod would have 4/13 and 5/12. Assume 4 and 12 win then 4/12 play to move to S16 at West regional site.
I found this analysis on a couple of different sites, too, on win rate v. travel distances:
https://www.teamrankings.com/blog/ncaa-basketball/the-pod-system-for-once-the-ncaa-got-something-right-stat-geek-idol
I was told by someone who works with the NCAA that they think there is a chance that even if Tech is higher ranked, they would get Denver. It is essentially the same distance (480 vs 550 miles) and there are direct flights to Denver from Lubbock.
Lunardi now has us in Milwaukee
I've heard conflicting reports on this every year. Some people swear it's by pure distance and the school's preference doesn't matter.
I think it's extremely unlikely we end up in Milwaukee. Lunardi's locations probably haven't been updated, he has us in Milwaukee as a 3 but Wisconsin in Denver as a 4.
He forgot to update the label on the 3 seed pods when he switched UK and us. Kentucky would go to Milwaukee not Denver and for us vice versa.
Imagine having to play Illinois in Milwaukee by mistake.
There's a lot of potential for some teams to get hosed by the second game locations. Can't wait, like Lunardi has Bama playing Louisville in Lexington and Houston potentially playing Creighton in Wichita.
With so many sites near the Midwest we've got some real potential.
With so many sites near the Midwest we've got some real potential.
The NCAA needs to have a few georgraphy majors as interns, how they can look at this map for the first weekend and be satisfied is pretty crazy
Yeah like Atlanta is a regional and the final four is in San Antonio but it's kind of crazy there's not a first weekend site anywhere across the gulf coast when there's sites in Wichita, Lexington, Milwaukee and Cleveland.
Has New Mexico been blackballed for some reason, seems like Albuquerque should be in the rotatoin for the first weekend or even regional every couple of years.
I know TX usally gets a regional or final four almost every year, but it's wild that DFW & Austin rarely get the first weekend, even Lubbock or Corpus Christi could work every once in awhile.
I know TX usally gets a regional or final four almost every year, but it's wild that DFW & Austin rarely get the first weekend, even Lubbock or Corpus Christi could work every once in awhile.
UNM has submitted bids to host the last few rounds and have gotten rejected. About 3/4 of the seats in the arena are bench seats, which is my theory on why they have been passed over. Otherwise, it's a great spot for first round games.
bobinator said:
Yeah like Atlanta is a regional and the final four is in San Antonio but it's kind of crazy there's not a first weekend site anywhere across the gulf coast when there's sites in Wichita, Lexington, Milwaukee and Cleveland.
If we're the last 2 and draw a 7 seed Kansas in Wichita, I riot.
UH did draw a 9 seed Auburn in Birmingham 2 years ago.
They won't put KU in Wichita because they aren't a top 4 seed. Otherwise you are essentially giving them home court advantage, believe me they will have a ton of fans even if they are in Denver
"I didn't come here to lose!" Charley Moran
He was saying it wouldn't be the school preference that would sway it but more of an optimization system where for Tech, it is still essentially the same distance with good travel options while saving A&M and their fans a ton of travel.bobinator said:
I've heard conflicting reports on this every year. Some people swear it's by pure distance and the school's preference doesn't matter.
Our site and seed is not final until they see if tu makes it and then they try to make sure that we play each other as soon as possible.
I'm 99.99% certain they're not going to factor that in. They're not going to bump team A west because it's essentially the same but would make a big difference to team B.
I do think they should allow the schools under protected seed consideration to submit their preferences though. Like Iowa State is closer to Milwaukee but I'd think they'd rather play in Wichita.
I do think they should allow the schools under protected seed consideration to submit their preferences though. Like Iowa State is closer to Milwaukee but I'd think they'd rather play in Wichita.
Yeah they need to avoid those situations. It might be hard this year with all the midwest sites but a lower seed shouldn't get a home court advantage.
Charlie Moran said:
They won't put KU in Wichita because they aren't a top 4 seed. Otherwise you are essentially giving them home court advantage, believe me they will have a ton of fans even if they are in Denver
And that's why I referenced what happened to UH 2 years ago. Auburn in Birmingham is just as much of a home court advantage, and that was against a 1 seed Houston.
miller0926 said:Charlie Moran said:
They won't put KU in Wichita because they aren't a top 4 seed. Otherwise you are essentially giving them home court advantage, believe me they will have a ton of fans even if they are in Denver
And that's why I referenced what happened to UH 2 years ago. Auburn in Birmingham is just as much of a home court advantage, and that was against a 1 seed Houston.
Yep
It does happen sometimes
_lefraud_ said:
The NCAA needs to have a few georgraphy majors as interns, how they can look at this map for the first weekend and be satisfied is pretty crazy
Pretty sure this is intentional for TV reasons. If the goal is all day basketball, East Coast and CST sites help make that happen. They throw in Denver and Seattle to help cover the evening slots, but the goal is to minimize your TV footprint after 10:00 EST when 100 million potential viewers go to bed.
I do agree though that Houston and Dallas should have 1st round sites on a rotating basis. No issues with the time zone, and geographically logical for lots of teams from the Big 12 and SEC.
Charlie Moran said:
They won't put KU in Wichita because they aren't a top 4 seed. Otherwise you are essentially giving them home court advantage, believe me they will have a ton of fans even if they are in Denver
Given 3:1 odds I'd take the other side of that bet given it is KU- basketball blue blood
If there was a Houston region and the Ags were a 7 seed there is basically a 0% chance we would get that sort of friendly draw
One thing you have to keep in mind when thinking about Houston hosting first round games is that this will almost always conflict with the rodeo which typically runs through the 3rd weekend in March. Makes it near impossible to host at NRG so you would have to do it at Toyota Center and scheduling with the Rockets could be tricky. Final 4's are cool but it would be a lot of fun to host a 1st/2nd round pod here in Houston.
They wouldn't use NRG for a first weekend site. I don't think they have ever used a football stadium for the first weekend. They would only use NRG for a Regional (S16/E8) or a Final Four.
The Toyota Center is the only place they would use in Houston for the first weekend.
The Toyota Center is the only place they would use in Houston for the first weekend.
Most of the brackets lately had us heading to Denver or Wichita, which made sense with the seed and bracketing rules discussed here.
Saw yesterday that Lunardi had us as a 3 seed, 10th overall, but had switched us to Milwaukee with Wisconsin moving to Denver (as a lower seed). Looking at his seeds I can't figure out that would be unless Wisconsin is excluded from playing in Milwaukee because it's too close to home. I don't think that's the case but that all I could think of.
Colleyville or Bobinator……any thoughts/insight on that?
Saw yesterday that Lunardi had us as a 3 seed, 10th overall, but had switched us to Milwaukee with Wisconsin moving to Denver (as a lower seed). Looking at his seeds I can't figure out that would be unless Wisconsin is excluded from playing in Milwaukee because it's too close to home. I don't think that's the case but that all I could think of.
Colleyville or Bobinator……any thoughts/insight on that?
Yeah, although the San Antonio rodeo actually is a concern because it's in the basketball arena and the Spurs already have to go on a long road trip because of it every year so that's why San Antonio isn't a first weekend site.
Austin hosted not all that long ago, 2013 or so.
Austin hosted not all that long ago, 2013 or so.
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