Time to talk about Dancing. I held my breath all season long, hoping the my Cougs would gel, mature to the point that they are contenders. Now we talk turkey:
BYU sits 6 or 7 depending on the Bracket, facing Xavier or Louisville (ESPN)
We have 2 very good teams to play, SF on Thursday, then SMC on Sat. I really reeeeeally want pay back on SMC. both games at the Marriott. Then I am guessing a WCC. Tourney, I am not on board with just because of the closeness with the NCAAs and Covid risk.
The plan for the big dance to for all 68 teams to play in 6 courts around the Indianapolis area and the final in Lucas oil stadium. There will be covid + teams so there should be fill in teams (bubble) etc.
BYU can jump a seed by winning out, they are a 6 and could be a 5 if others lose (Last night Tx Tech lost to OSU) those kind of games. BYS could even be ranked by the start of next week.
This bracket prediction from NIET Poll I have a hard time believing what they think sorry about that. Those big boys leagues and Big East too many timesthey get too many teams in the tournament every year. WCC is a joke along with those referees and yes both BYU and GU more likely going to the tournament and opt out in this WCC tournament. BYU
must beat SF and Saint Mary this weekend if not yes they should play in this WCC tournament for at large (or I could be wrong)
BYU should have no problem with at home games. SF as been sinking fast and SMC is a shell of it’s last 10 years. I looked at the games played last night and 5 ranked teams lost…in one night. Teams on the bubble are playing their hearts out and ranked teams are trying to hold onto or gain a seed. Then we have the tournaments the following week. Add Covid=teams could just opt out and throw a wrench in the entire deal. What a crazy 2 weeks.
Might as well call march madness the CPF “eye test” . I jumped the gun on the 6 seed prediction… we are still a weak 7 to 8 seed today.
Jerry Palm moved BYU up from a 9 to a 8 this week. ESPN has them as a 7
Everyone else has them as a 6-9 out there.
What we need is for USU to win out its last 4 games and get “IN”. The are favored in all 4.
SDSU needs to win out as well. Two tough games with BSU at home and a road, UNLV.
St Johns is no help, lost their last 2, could win out or lose all 3.
Pepperdine was our only bad loss, but on the road and tight game, BYU really has no glaring losses to bag on…so win out and climb up a seed and get ranked in the top 25. That is the plan.
They absolutely do not swear by them. Though they do think that they are much better than the previous RPI calculations. What they are is an organizational tool for their deliberations. And as all organizational tools go the NET ratings do skew the final product…but for any organizational tool the committee might use the key to all of them is win the games in front of you. long term for coaches and programs of course schedule teams that the committee will like…but to a certain extent, and Gonzaga proves the point, winning the games you have on your current schedule will over time allow you to improve your long term schedule…
It is sports after all so winning is the name of the game.
Win this week.
Win the WCC tournament
Win in the NCAA tournament…in that order per the calendar.
BYU beats SF but allows SF to make 12 of 36 threes. Bad % really but it was at the end of the game that SF hit 3 in a row and made 7-7 FTs to tighten up a yawner.
BYU’s will struggle in the big dance against teams with big physical guards who can shoot through and over Averette. Teams with Good centers also cause us problems. BYU has it’s secret weapon…an endless bench that can Aleve foul troubles and overmatched starters. BYU is built to be a final 16 team if we get the right match ups.
Except for Baylor and our Bulldogs that is pretty much true of every team in the nation this year.
Hunter Dickinson at Michigan though is one player I would like to see in person…though not against Haarms. Hunter is offense and Haarms is defence and in bball offense wins.
So I am a bit more sanguine than the numbers tell me I should be. BYU has the matchups for most any game and Pope is doing a good job of learning to play his ten keys…though more like 9.5 now that he is giving Lee only garbage time…
Whew, hate SMC games. glad that is over and SMC gets chucked into the 4-5 seeding of the WCC. I don’t know if everyone is following but the WCC had SMC as the 3rd seed even if they were way behind in the WCC W-L…@ 4-5, SMC was seeded ahead of Pepperdine (7-6) and LMU (7-5).
Now they should be in the Gonzaga bracket, not BYU’s. BTW, Will Gonzaga and BYU even play in the WCC tourny? Makes no sense with the chance of either team catching Covid before the Dance.
correction, BYU has had 7 different top scorers in the past 8 games…nothing in basketball quite like it.
The Trib reports that both Gonzaga and BYU will be headed to vegas for the WCC tourny… All good from the standpoint that they need to play to keep the rust off…
Just pray that BYU does not get stuck with a 8 seed.
BYU most likely to play
Pepperdine
Pacific
Santa Clara
to have the pleasure of meeting the Bulldogs for the championship assuming chalk holds of course.
playing and beating Pepperdine would be interesting on a neutral floor with Pope’s boys improvements.
Haarms has never not gone to the Sweet 16…hopefully this team can make it so far.
Something has to be said about Blood bloods that where they will land in the Seeding. Case in point; BYU is now matched up with N Carolina in Lunardi’s Bracket.
Teams like Mich St, Duke, U Conn and Louisville all have coaches that have won it all and to sit at a 10 seed and run into them if you are BYU or a good MWC team, I would think that the blue bloods would be heavily favored.
The 8-9 seed is death because you play a 1 seed in the second round. 7-10 seed is much better but still not enough separation from elite ball clubs as I just mentioned. Hoping BYU can somehow get to a 6 seed. thoughts?
Big games this week.
OSU plays Ill
Duke plays NC (this is a whale, winner dances)
OU plays Texas
Wisc plays Iowa
Baylor plays OSU
MSU plays Michigan
And here we sit playing no one and hoping to not get moved back on the Seeding
Although losing a tournament game won’t knock BYU out of the tournament, it would be helpful the win the semi-final for seeding purposes. Of course Gonzaga is a big favorite to enter the tournament undefeated, but winning their semi-final game isn’t automatic. They have looked a little bit more vulnerable the last 5 games. I’m predicting an 8 seed if they win their semifinal and a 6 seed if they win the tourney and a 9 or 10 if they lose both. No matter, just getting in is a great accomplishment with the turnover from last year. I’m hoping Duke is out along with MSU. However with the clout they have, they will probably be in, keeping someone more deserving out
Watched the Pepper-SCU game last night. SC was firmly in control but started jacking up 3s, they went 3-20 on the night and lost. BYU as got to dog Ross all night, I would put George on him at times just to make him give up the ball. Do not let Zidek or Edwards have open 3s and we win going away. Theya are a 3 headed team with little depth. BYU’s starters are better with exception to Ross and Edwards, and our bench is the deepest of any in D1. Let’s make them an after thought and get ready for a Gonzaga show down.
Yeh sorry to see Pepperdine beat SCU, but I’d rather play Pepperdine, than take the air out of the ball-St Mary’s. Hopefully the rust won’t show, but I think it’s an advantage for PU, having a game under their belt
