I’m tired of seeing AZ as 1 seed .

[VolinMichigan]

I find this narrative illogical and tiring. Barring upsets, a one seed faces lower seeds than a two seed. Every game is a neutral court so any advantage has to be very minimal at best. This week someone did a statistical dive proving one seeds make more final fours than two seeds. Facts are facts.

I understand it in terms of ticket sales and tv audiences, which seem to be given heavier weight than, you know, which team is better. Stupid.

 

[Sudden Impact]

View attachment 624485


I know we take Lunardi with a grain of salt, but it seems he believes Arizona has to lose 1 for us to pass them, no matter if we win out or not.

I agree with you. I don't trust Lunardi I am not sure what his prediction stats are, but, I have seen several times where he has been wrong.

What is the most important thing to fans --- seeding, location or officials.
I would take a 2 seed in AZ's if it meant the officials are going to allow some physical play. The location may be a factor but only in the later Regional Round.

A 1 seed would land us out west more than likely with a 2 seed AZ. A 2 Seed could also potentially land us against UCONN, Houston and Purdue.

A 1 seed would be historical for the program but it is all about officiating at that point. Which group of officials and how balanced the brackets are. Location can be an issue as well. Tennessee can much up against any of these teams, the problem will be the officials and how they view physically.

Tennessee is showing for the first time that they can handle these type situations. Barnes has done a great coaching job this year.

 

[IBlvNTmWrk]

Lunardi has made it clear that there’s nothing Tennessee can do to get on that 1 line except have Arizona lose. What?

Lunardi's continued projections were clearly based on both teams remaining schedules (not who has the better team). It's not very likely that AZ would lose any of their final 4 games, and Lunardi was clearly expecting UT to lose at least 1 or 2 of their final four games, which would make his projections look solid.

He's now likely praying to the basketball gods that we lose 1 of the next 2 games, or that AZ somehow slips up and loses a game. If neither of those scenarios happen, then Lunardi has some 'splainin to do.

 

[CAVPUT]

They are 8-3 in Q1 games. Only Purdue and UCONN have a better record in Q1 games. That’s a big reason why they are viewed favorably by some.

I think there is a solid argument for either team right now. But if UT goes 2-0 to finish, I think it starts to heavily favor UT because Arizona has no more resume building games.

Yep. 3-1 might get it but probably not. 4-0 would make it really hard for the committee to shaft us.

 

[OrangeVolMan]

If a #1 seed sends us west, I would just as soon be a #2. Other than maybe a little prestige, being a #1 seed is not a great advantage over being #2.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

We sued the NCAA and won. Get ready for us being paired up against the best unknown in the country, followed by the most overlooked. The refs will be instructed to outright cheat to insure we exit early. Now, if we somehow reach the elite 8, it will be because we are so good that we overcame everything..

The selection committee isn’t made up of NCAA staffers and leadership. Most come from the individual schools, so there will be many TN friendly voices in that room.

 

[Sudden Impact]

Yep. 3-1 might get it but probably not. 4-0 would make it really hard for the committee to shaft us.

How much easier would a 1 seed in that region be than a 2 Seed. Not much.
Now if AZ gets the 1 seed then Tennessee will move to one of the other regions as a 2 seed. Much tougher.
If TN is the 1 seed out West then AZ is the 2 seed.
NC also becomes the crap in the fan.

My thought would be TN easily is a 1 Seed in the West and AZ the two. The committee needs to explain themselves better.

Don't expect a whole lot of help from the committee. As the SEC Rep is the AL AD. What's more, Several teams have their schools best interest. This is a flawed system as criteria that they use changes every year to meet the Committees selection so they will not be held accountable.

Members:

CHARLES MCCLELLAND (2024) – SWAC Commissioner (Chairperson)

JAMIE POLLARD (2024) – Iowa State Athletic Director

SCOTT BARNES (2024) – Oregon State Athletic Director

BUBBA CUNNINGHAM (2025) – North Carolina Athletic Director (Vice-Chairperson)

MARK COYLE (2026) – Minnesota Athletic Director

GREG BYRNE (2026) – Alabama Athletic Director

KEITH GILL (2026) – Sun Belt Commissioner

BARRY COLLIER (2026) – Butler Athletic Director

MARTIN NEWTON (2027) – Samford Athletic Director

TOM WISTRCILL (2027) – Big Sky Commissioner

ARTHUR JOHNSON (2028) – Temple Athletic Director

RENEE BAUMGARTNER (2028) – Santa Clara Athletic Director

 

[vegasvolfan]

It just proves my point that they want AZ in the west as a 1 seed.
How can TN not be considered after beating AU and AL back to back?

Joe L said that the reality is AZ will have to lose because the committee wants a team from the West to represent the West bracket. If that’s the case, they clearly don’t care about getting it right.

Still, Tennessee has to win out to make a case. So, I’m not going to get too upset about it until I see they are denying an SEC champ with the same overall record and better resume in a much tougher conference the one seed simply because of what the committee would like to see.

Sure they have early wins over Duke and Bama, but we beat Bama twice and once when they were much better and on the road, KY on the road, Auburn at home, destroyed Florida at home, beat Illinois on the road and will have beaten SC on the road and KY once again at home.

We have a couple of bad losses to Miss St and A&M, but they lost to PSU, Stanford and Oregon St. They also just lost to WSU a second time who just got beat by a 12-12 ASU team.

So, they will also be denying the team who is playing much better basketball over the second half of the season.

 

[Volnanza]

Lunardi is a joke. He compares beating Oregon to beating Alabama on the road? We line up 4 top 20 teams in a row to finish the season and he thinks Arizona's schedule is comparable? Please. His credibility is running really, really low.

 

[VolCalls]

I agree with you. I don't trust Lunardi I am not sure what his prediction stats are, but, I have seen several times where he has been wrong.

What is the most important thing to fans --- seeding, location or officials.
I would take a 2 seed in AZ's if it meant the officials are going to allow some physical play. The location may be a factor but only in the later Regional Round.

A 1 seed would land us out west more than likely with a 2 seed AZ. A 2 Seed could also potentially land us against UCONN, Houston and Purdue.

A 1 seed would be historical for the program but it is all about officiating at that point. Which group of officials and how balanced the brackets are. Location can be an issue as well. Tennessee can much up against any of these teams, the problem will be the officials and how they view physically.

Tennessee is showing for the first time that they can handle these type situations. Barnes has done a great coaching job this year.

I repeat - we will not be a #2 seed in Arizona’s bracket. If we get a #2 seed we will be placed in the Midwest or the South. Arizona will be in the West regardless. The only way we are in their region is if we get the #1 seed in the West.

 

[VolArmy74]

It's been discussed ad nauseum, but being a #1 seed is a distinct advantage vs a #2 seed.

#1s have a roughly 70 percent chance to make the elite 8. #2s drop all the way to 45% to reach it.

 

[Sudden Impact]

I repeat - we will not be a #2 seed in Arizona’s bracket. If we get a #2 seed we will be placed in the Midwest or the South. Arizona will be in the West regardless. The only way we are in their region is if we get the #1 seed in the West.

I would take a 2 seed in that region but like you as I stated it will not happen. Bottom line is that they should be a 1 seed.

 

[volbound1700]

Tennessee has 6 losses. That usually doesn't translate to a #1 seed. Just shows that this is a wide open year.

 

[Clad in Big Orange]

Lowest 1 or highest 2, what’s really the difference? Just win the SEC regular season championship since we are this close.

 

[Vfl2407]

Arizona finishes at UCLA and at USC.

 

[terrypedigo]

It just proves my point that they want AZ in the west as a 1 seed.
How can TN not be considered after beating AU and AL back to back?

The only way we get the 1 seed is to win out, but if we don't be a 2 seed in the west and kick AZ azz.

 

[volfanhill]

It's been discussed ad nauseum, but being a #1 seed is a distinct advantage vs a #2 seed.

#1s have a roughly 70 percent chance to make the elite 8. #2s drop all the way to 45% to reach it.

Faulty logic. You are saying that they make the elite 8 bc of their seeding. They make the elite 8 at a higher rate bc they are the better teams on average. You might quiblle over the overall tournament 4 vs 5 top teams. But the overall 1, 2, and 3 tourney seed are better then the 6, 7,8

 

[ThatVolGuy]

Faulty logic. You are saying that they make the elite 8 bc of their seeding. They make the elite 8 at a higher rate bc they are the better teams on average. You might quiblle over the overall tournament 4 vs 5 top teams. But the overall 1, 2, and 3 tourney seed are better then the 6, 7,8

Huh? That's not "faulty logic." Statistically, 1 seeds make the Elite Eight at a notably higher clip than 2 seeds. That's just the truth.

Yes, 1 seeds are supposed to be the best teams in any given year, but their road is also easier than the road of a 2 seed. That's the point.

 

[OrangeVolMan]

It's been discussed ad nauseum, but being a #1 seed is a distinct advantage vs a #2 seed.

#1s have a roughly 70 percent chance to make the elite 8. #2s drop all the way to 45% to reach it.

Could that be because #1 seeds are generally better than #2 seeds.

 

[TrumpedUpVol]

Arizona has defeated four NCAA tournament teams this year. Tennessee has played three of those (one in exhibition), for a total of four games, and beaten them all.

Q1 wins don't mean jack if those Q1 opponents aren't going to the tournament. The Pac-12 is an abysmal conference that will cease to exist come July and Arizona isn't even a lock to win that league, yet we're supposed to believe they deserve a one seed over the Vols?

 

[cncchris33]

Tennessee has 6 losses. That usually doesn't translate to a #1 seed. Just shows that this is a wide open year.

1-seed Kansas 2023 - 7 losses
1-seed Kansas 2022 - 6 losses
1-seed Baylor 2022 - 6 losses
1-seed Illinois 2021 - 6 losses
***2020 no NCAAT***
1-seed UNC 2019 - 6 losses
1-seed Kansas 2018 - 7 losses
1-seed UNC 2017 - 7 losses
1-seed Oregon 2016 - 6 losses
1-seed UNC 2016 - 6 losses
1-seed Virginia 2016 - 7 losses

10 1-seeds with at least 6 losses in 8 straight NCAA tournaments. It happens...a lot, actually.

 

[TennTom]

They’re trash look who’ve they’ve lost to. Arizona lost to 12-17 Oregon State, to a 12-16 Stanford, got swept by Washington State.

Holy crap, how in the world are they even considered for a 1 seed?

I get their Q1 record, but those losses should be disqualifying for a 1 seed.

Remember them losing to 15 seed Princeton last year as a 2?? Hello, Selection Committee??

 

[VolCalls]

The only way we get the 1 seed is to win out, but if we don't be a 2 seed in the west and kick AZ azz.

We won’t be a 2-seed in Arizona’s region.

 

[joevols89]

I’m sure it’s been discussed but wouldn’t our preference be Memphis instead of Charlotte? Yes, Charlotte is closer to Knoxville, but we will have a bigger presence in Memphis by far I think. And the team is going to fly anyway I assume. Everywhere I’ve seen has us in Charlotte.

 

[joevols89]

We won’t be a 2-seed in Arizona’s bracket. They will be in the West Region either way, and the only way we end up in the West is if we are the #1 seed.

Sucks the one year for our best shot at the 1 seed all that’s on the table is the west bracket.