So for the first round..

[CuseTroop]

I thought it was just 16 seeds that had the play in games.. why are 13, and 11 seeds playing? "You're better then the 13,14,15,and 16 seends in your region, but you still need to win the play in game to make it" how does that work? Is this new?

Thanks

 

[jekelish]

It's not new. I don't know exactly when this started, but it's been at least a year or two, I think. I guess it's because the bubble teams are never 16 seeds, and most 16 seeds are automatic bids from tiny conferences, so naturally it'll be for an 11 seed or so.

 

[sufandu]

I honestly think it's because the committee doesn't want people calling it a "play in game" even though that's exactly what it is. They're trying to get people to think of it as the first round.

 

[Knicks411]

started 2011 i think. the last 4 at larges play in for 2 spots and the last 4 AQ's play in for 2 spots

 

[Marsh01]

I thought it was just 16 seeds that had the play in games.. why are 13, and 11 seeds playing? "You're better then the 13,14,15,and 16 seends in your region, but you still need to win the play in game to make it" how does that work? Is this new?

Thanks

They always have 2 games with the 16 seeds playing for 2 of the spots and then 4 bubble-ish teams playing for the other spots. some years its 12 seeds, sometimes its 11 or 13 seeds. VCU the year they went to the FF was in one of these games.

 

[Scotiacuse]

This is exactly why it is a 'play-in' and not the first round. You would never give byes in a tournament to teams seeded lower than teams having to play in the first round. They are letting the last 4 bubble teams play for 2 spots. (Same thing with the worst 4 teams). I'm still not sure why 11 seeds are playing today when 12 seed Cal doesn't have to. I guess Cal could have been moved down a line due to matchup considerations.

 

[RichmondCuse]

This is the thing I don't understand - if indeed these are the "Last 4" at-large teams, how can they be playing for an 11-seed when Cal is an at-large team as a 12-seed? That makes no sense - you can't tell Cal that they were ahead of St. Mary's and MTSU but then seed them lower. This is where the selection committee has gone totally overboard with the geographical stuff. The committee chair was spouting some type of nonsense about how Oregon was NOT a 12 seed, but got pushed down to that line to make geographical things work. That seems totally unfair. It was one thing when they used to try and give the top few seeds a geographical advantage, but they've gone way too far now.

 

[Knicks411]

This is the thing I don't understand - if indeed these are the "Last 4" at-large teams, how can they be playing for an 11-seed when Cal is an at-large team as a 12-seed? That makes no sense - you can't tell Cal that they were ahead of St. Mary's and MTSU but then seed them lower. This is where the selection committee has gone totally overboard with the geographical stuff. The committee chair was spouting some type of nonsense about how Oregon was NOT a 12 seed, but got pushed down to that line to make geographical things work. That seems totally unfair. It was one thing when they used to try and give the top few seeds a geographical advantage, but they've gone way too far now.

I think they've always done that. They can move seeds one line up or down to accommodate bracketing principles

 

[RichmondCuse]

I think they've always done that. They can move seeds one line up or down to accommodate bracketing principles

But it's not like Oregon got moved down 1 line. This was a team that Lunardi had as an 8-9 seed in his final projections, and I don't think the Committee chair indicated that they were only moved down one line. I think they were moved down significantly.

And why do they not use the S-curve anymore? This selection process is whacked, it doesn't even seem like they are trying to seed teams appropriately anymore.

 

[Knicks411]

But it's not like Oregon got moved down 1 line. This was a team that Lunardi had as an 8-9 seed in his final projections, and I don't think the Committee chair indicated that they were only moved down one line. I think they were moved down significantly.

And why do they not use the S-curve anymore? This selection process is whacked, it doesn't even seem like they are trying to seed teams appropriately anymore.

The chair, or someone on the committee, said they were an 11 moved down to a 12. Don't agree with the seeding, fwiw.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...sketball/21899662/official-ncaa-168-seed-list

Here's the official 1-68 list, which had Oregon as a 43, or an 11.