New Bracketology

[zagfan07]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology

GU remains as a 6 seed at-large bid with a first round matchup against Syracuse. If we can win the rest of our games, I see us ending up as high as a 4 seed. The teams around that ranking right now have been losing lately and I think we could sneak in there, especially with a win at St. Mary's. Here's to the Zags running the table the rest of the way!!!

[FuManShoes]

A 6 seed? I don't see it

Not to blast my favorite team, but where are the marquee wins? UConn seems to be about it, and that isn't saying a whole lot. I'm still not convinced the Zags are a tourney team unless they get to the WCC Final. Even with a sweep of St. Mary's (my god, now we're counting on a WCC foe to BOOST our RPI?), I foresee an 8 or 9 seed.

[D Hark 2003]

I hope we get a 10 seed. We have always done really well from that spot. I dont like where 8-9 seeds are placed, right by the #1

[CDC84]

Re:

You don't need marquee wins to be a 5 or 6 seed. You need them to be in the top seeds lines, though. What you need are quality wins. If Gonzaga can beat St. Mary's twice, they'll probably have at least 5 top 50 RPI wins on their resume, and possibly 10 top 100 wins.

2006, 3 seed: 3 top 50 wins
2005, 3 seed: 5 top 50 wins
2004, 2 seed: 2 top 50 wins
2002, 6 seed: 2 top 50 wins

History suggests that a 5 or 6 seed is not out of reach, even if Gonzaga drops one game to SMC. I don't know about a 4....that might require running the table.

The Memphis loss could end up being the best example of a "quality loss" that any tourney team has...especially if Tennessee ends up getting blasted when they play at Memphis later this season. Keep in mind that St. Joe's and Western KY are going to have a real chance to win their conferences as well. GU was minus 2 starters in two of their losses.....

The goal for Gonzaga is get a seed somewhere in the 5-6 range. Avoid the top two seed lines the first weekend.

[CarolinaZagFan]

If we were to be a six seed, I would hope that we would be in the West or Midwest bracket. I looked and there weren't really any 1st and 2nd round games in the Northwest. But the first and second rounds in the West and Midwest are played in Washington D.C., while in the South region (Where they hve us now) it's played in Little Rock. I'm pretty sure we have more fans on the East Coast than in Arkansas. I know I'd go. However, at this point, I just want to be in the Dance.

[MickMick]

The team you draw and how you match up with them is vastly more important than seeding. I would take a nine seed with a good match up over a 5 seed with a bad match up any day (Please don't give us Butler). Seeding is something nice to talk about on message boards. A brief day or two of prestige until the teams hit the court.


Yes...the Zags can match up better to some higher seeds than selected lower seeds.

[Reborn]

I like the #6 seed. I've wanted the #3-#6 seed all along. Was hoping at first for a #3, but really what's the difference? #6 is great. I love the bracket we're in now. The only problem is how many times that will change between now and March? I love the match ups we'd have if we won...Texas in 2nd round, and then WSU in the Sweet 16 and Memphis in Elite 8. Now that would be a perfect path to the Final 4, imo.

[ZagMania]

A 6 seed is definitely possible, but we can't afford to have a lapse and let a bad WCC team beat us. A loss to any team besides St. Mary's will destroy our RPI and drop us down quite a bit. The reason we would get around a 6 seed right now is that while we don't have any great wins we don't have any bad losses (besides maybe Texas Tech).

[Butler Guy]

Hmm, I don't know about that

Keep in mind that St. Joe's and Western KY are going to have a real chance to win their conferences as well.

Maybe WKU, but South Alabama has been clearly superior thus far. As for St Joes? They don't have much of a prayer. Xavier, Rhode Island, Duquense, and probably Dayton as well, will finish higher in the A10. Maybe UMASS too?

[CDC84]

St. Joe's has more than a prayer

As for St Joes? They don't have much of a prayer. Xavier, Rhode Island, Duquense, and probably Dayton as well, will finish higher in the A10. Maybe UMASS too?

I wouldn't agree that they don't have a prayer BG. St. Joe's has already beaten UMass twice, and Dayton is really struggling. Dayton has lost three in a row, and they got blasted by Richmond last week. The problem for St. Joe's is that Xavier is the only school among the supposed A-10 elite that they get to face at home. The Hawks have to travel to Rhode Island, Duquense and Dayton, and they also have to face Xavier on the road. The Hawks only A-10 loss was at Charlotte, and it was a nail biter. Xavier is probably the most talented, but they got blasted at Temple, who St. Joe's beat at Temple on Saturday. I saw that game, I think St. Joe's is a better team since Gonzaga played them. That being said, they do face an uphill battle with their A-10 sked compared to some of the other teams.

I still think that WKU is the most talented team in the Sun Belt (I have seen South Alabama play), but unfortunately, the Sun Belt is shaping up as a one bid league. It could go either way. The A-10 is a multi-bid league, and unless the Hawks collapse, I think they're on their way to a NCAA tourney bid. They'll probably need to win a couple of those key road games though.

[75Zag]

Western KY

I have it on very good authority that the WKY coach has been told by his AD that if he does not take his team to the NCAAs he is unemployed as of April 1. WKY has a good program, and I really hope they can do what needs to be done to get to the next level.