The East - UNC#1

[bedir than average]

The Eastern Bracket is hosted by East Rutherford after the pods sort out. Here's the thread for general talk about the Bracket led by the UNC Tarheels.

1-UNC
16-E.KY

8-Marquette
9-Mich.St

5-USC
12-Arkansas

4-Texas
13-NM St.

6-Vandy
11-GW

3-WSU
14-Oral Roberts

7-BC
10-TexasTech

2-Georgetown
15-Belmont

[BMW]

1-UNC
16-E.KY

8-Marquette
9-Mich.St

5-USC
12-Arkansas

4-Texas
13-NM St.

6-Vandy
11-GW

3-WSU
14-Oral Roberts

7-BC
10-TexasTech

2-Georgetown
15-Belmont

1-UNC
8-Marquette

12-Arkansas
4-Texas

11-GW
3-WSU

10-Texas Tech
2-Georgetown

1-UNC
4-Texas

3-WSU
10-Texas Tech

1-UNC
10-Texas Tech

[dlb]

Ouch! I won't say we got the toughest bracket, 'cause I don't know. But we sure got a tough one, with Marquette, Texas and Georgetown all standing between us and the Final Four.

If we make it through, it will be a real accomplishment for this young team.

[dlb]

A quick look at the Sagarin ratings tells me that the 'Heels don't have it any tougher than the other 1-seeds. The 8/9 matchup between Marquette and MISt features a 9-seed that rates just a hair better than the 8, so we can expect that whoever wins will have had a tougher struggle.

Texas and USC are pretty evenly matched, and whoever gets out of that part of the bracket will be at least a time zone away from home. Georgetown is our biggest test, as the 2-seed should be, but by the slimmest of hairs, Sagarin rates the Hoyas as the weakest of the 2s.

If any of our seeded opponents (other than Marquette) goes down, we could get a cakewalk.

[aCutb]

This is hard for me, because I thought UNC, Georgetown, and Texas were final four teams if they were different brackets. I am really high on Georgetown, so I pick them to get out of the bracket, but it is hard for me to pick against UNC and UT.

[dlb]

I don't know how they're playing lately, but according to G'town's stats, their guards are pretty sloppy. Jessie Sapp's assists/turnover ratio is only about 1.84:1. Jonathan Wallace is even worse, at 1.2:1. I should think a good defensive team could create quite a disruption in their offense.

[aCutb]

Originally Posted by dlb

I don't know how they're playing lately, but according to G'town's stats, their guards are pretty sloppy. Jessie Sapp's assists/turnover ratio is only about 1.84:1. Jonathan Wallace is even worse, at 1.2:1. I should think a good defensive team could create quite a disruption in their offense.

They have been one of the hottest teams in the NCAA, and won the Big East tourney. Plus, Roy Hibbert is the best post man in the tourney not named Greg Oden. They are my pick to win the whole tourney, but whoever they face in the elite 8 will be a tough test. UNC and Texas are both great teams, and it will be hard for Georgetown to get past them. However, whoever wins out of the Texas vs UNC game will be so exhausted that it will be hard for the winner to beat Georgetown who will have a cupcake lineup to the elite 8. I think George Washington will make it to the sweet sixteen, but will be an easy opponent for Georgetown.

[dlb]

According to Sagarin, the Big East is only the 6th most powerful conference. The ACC is first.

Georgetown did finish well, but what was the level of their competition? The strongest team they've faced in the past month has been Pittsburgh, against whom they have two wins. Further, they lost to Syracuse, a team that probably should have made the Tourney, but didn't.

Hibbert's .693 shooting percentage (.712 in conference) is impressive, but he's only an average rebounder, with 6.3 per game. Compare him to Brandan Wright, with a .662 FG% and 6.1 RPG, and it starts to look like a wash. Throw in Tyler Hansbrough, with a .525 shooting percentage and 7.9 RPG, and Hibbert will have a steep hill to climb should the Hoyas and 'Heels meet.

Further, big men need guards to get them the ball. Lawson's assist/turnover ratio is a pretty gaudy 2.5:1 and backup Bobby Frasor is right with him at 2.4. The Hoyas will be a tough test, I've no doubt about that, but I wouldn't be confident of a Georgetown victory, were I a Georgetown fan.

[BravesRule22]

Marquette/ Mich St is going to beat UNC, mark it down....

I like Texas to come out of this bracket

[BMW]

Marquette is my second favorite team, being from Milwaukee, I've always been a loyal Badgers first, in football Notre Dame is my second team, but if they played I'd love to see Wisconsin win, and in Basketball Marquette has always been second...but man, what a tough road with UNC in the second round...personally UNC seems too deep all around to lose to anyone in this tournament, including Florida.

[dlb]

The Marquette MISt game should be the best of the first round. Sagarin has MISt as marginally better than Marquette, but apparently, the system used by the selection committe disagrees.

[LaxD]

I have a dream, that Michigan State will crush the competition!!!

[JoseA]

1-UNC
16-E.KY

8-Marquette
9-Mich.St

5-USC
12-Arkansas

4-Texas
13-NM St.

6-Vandy
11-GW

3-WSU
14-Oral Roberts

7-BC
10-TexasTech

2-Georgetown
15-Belmont


NC vs. Mich St.
Texas vs.USC
GW vs. WSU
GT vs. BC

BC vs. WSU
NC vs. Texas


WINNER NC BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CalSports1]

This is certainly the toughest region, despite what the Sagarin ratings might indicate.
Georgetown is my pick in the region, with Texas as the Runner up and George Washington as the Dark horse in this part of the country.
My sleepers for the tourney are listed separately in another posting and on my webby as well.

[dlb]

I picked Winthrop in my pool just because I was so favorably impressed with their game against Carolina back in November. I don't think they'll get past Oregon, but this is a good team.