Should Tennessee be a 1 seed?

#51
#51
Thunder Good-Oil said:
A 30 seed isn’t even an NIT bid. There aren’t 120 teams in the NCAAT field.

A #1 seed creates a much easier path to a Final Four than a #2. And a win over a #4 seed (13th-16th ranking) creates a good path to an Elite 8.
Click to expand...

I know. I was being obviously facetious. I know how it works. Been watching for more than 40 years. And, in my opinion, none of that matters if you can’t beat the team in front of you. I don’t care what seed they are. High seeds obviously haven’t helped our team in the show lo these many years.
 
#53
#53
DenmarkVol said:
I know. I was being obviously facetious. I know how it works. Been watching for more than 40 years. And, in my opinion, none of that matters if you can’t beat the team in front of you. I don’t care what seed they are. High seeds obviously haven’t helped our team in the show lo these many years.
Click to expand...

It’s also dependent on matchups. TN was a higher seed than Loyola-Chicago, but with their style and Kyle Alexander out with an injury it was the matchup that was the problem.

There aren’t very many elite teams this year. A #1 seed would be a huge advantage. Especially the #1 of #2 overall seed (rank).
 
#57
#57
Hulavol said:
This is impressive work- I had no idea the number one seeds won that often. This proves that the seeding helps, but it’s also a testament to the idea that number one seeds are usually the elite - and thus winning the whole thing.
Click to expand...

Of course it’s not considering #1 overall as opposed to #8 overall. I’d like to see results for the #1 through 64/68 rankings. But the #1 seeds should be playing closer to home and at game times that allow more rest between games. Unless TV takes the tip time advantage away to put better matchups in better time slots for ratings.
 
#58
#58
I would guess that if the SEC has 2 teams in the top 8, they’ll be in the same regional to eliminate the chance of the conference having half of the Final Four.
 
#61
#61
Lankykong said:
Good point. I was messing anyway
Click to expand...

The other expectation is a good one. 30 wins. It’s only happened twice in 113 seasons.

Not pointing at DenmarkVol, but there are a lot of uninformed TN BB followers hung up on Elite 8s and Final Fours. There are a lot of other things missing from TN’s basketball history. Like about 42 years without an SECT championship. Having a winning head-to-head record versus Alabama (maybe Arkansas as well - there aren’t many outside of KY).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volfan1000
#62
#62
xavierbballfan said:
What a great performance! SC is arguably the worst team in the SEC. But paired with the game against MSST it’s impressive.

Am I remembering correctly that the selection committee is supposed to refer to the NET rankings when determining seeding?

Tennessee is number 2 overall in those rankings yet everything I’ve read seems to suggest the ceiling for Tennessee is a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Meanwhile: The number one overall seed (In Lunardi’s Bracketology), Kansas, has one loss on the season (TN). Alabama, ranked 8th in NET, is a projected 1 seed.

More egregious to me is AZ being a 1 seed in the same region as Houston with Houston being a 2 seed. Houston is ranked 1st overall in efficiency and has been most of the year. Houston would be a 10 point? favorite on a neutral floor against Arizona.

I know it’s petty and much can be worked out on the court with games coming up, but I just don’t understand the justifications. I also used to dismiss these projections until last year when I saw Duke get a number 2 seed over Tennessee in the tournament. I’m a TN fan so I don’t mind flying under the radar…until it makes a difference for seeding. I’d love to see at least one final four run in my lifetime, and this team has a shot! A number one seed doesn’t hurt their chances to get there…
Click to expand...


Too early in the season to talk about seeding for the NCAA Tournament and a 2 game season each week is the appropriate mind set to have.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cardvolfan
#63
#63
Volfan1000 said:
Too early in the season to talk about seeding for the NCAA Tournament and a 2 game season each week is the appropriate mind set to have.
Click to expand...

Seeding. Ranking. I think that the point is to stay well into the top 10, preferably the top 5. It would be great to have a #2 wrapped up without needing a deep run in the SECT.

The handful of teams ranked higher than TN won’t lose a lot, so TN needs to keep on winning and not slipping up versus any middle of the pack teams. Colorado is about the only mulligan we will be allowed this year in order to get the very high seeding.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Volfan1000
#64
#64
xavierbballfan said:
What a great performance! SC is arguably the worst team in the SEC. But paired with the game against MSST it’s impressive.

Am I remembering correctly that the selection committee is supposed to refer to the NET rankings when determining seeding?

Tennessee is number 2 overall in those rankings yet everything I’ve read seems to suggest the ceiling for Tennessee is a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Meanwhile: The number one overall seed (In Lunardi’s Bracketology), Kansas, has one loss on the season (TN). Alabama, ranked 8th in NET, is a projected 1 seed.

More egregious to me is AZ being a 1 seed in the same region as Houston with Houston being a 2 seed. Houston is ranked 1st overall in efficiency and has been most of the year. Houston would be a 10 point? favorite on a neutral floor against Arizona.

I know it’s petty and much can be worked out on the court with games coming up, but I just don’t understand the justifications. I also used to dismiss these projections until last year when I saw Duke get a number 2 seed over Tennessee in the tournament. I’m a TN fan so I don’t mind flying under the radar…until it makes a difference for seeding. I’d love to see at least one final four run in my lifetime, and this team has a shot! A number one seed doesn’t hurt their chances to get there…
Click to expand...
It’s January 8.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cardvolfan and Volfan1000
#65
#65
It’s January 9th now. So…it’s probably more reasonable now.

This is a really balanced team and there’s a ton of time left to get better, worse, or stay the same. My crystal ball is still broken so I don’t know what will happen.

I think typically Tennessee basketball has had some talented teams over the years but the most memorable teams have worked their tails off to overachieve. This team clearly works hard but also has a lot of talent. Maybe the best combination of the two we have seen in awhile.

Nothing on paper matters compared to what happens on the court. However, this teams’s efficiency ratings are better than even the best Tennessee teams in the past 2 decades. (Granted it’s a partial season and time will tell the real story).

That being said…I think this team has more potential than they’re given credit for. Their efficiency ratings are better than any Tennessee squad in modern memory.

The 2019 Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, Kyle Alexander, Yves Pons, Jordan Bone squad? +26 Ken Pom to finish 10th

The 2010 team that made a magical run in spite of a controversial year? Ken Pom +18 to finish 30th

The 2006 squad that earned a 2 seed in Pearl’s surprising first year of Lofton magic? Ken Pom +19.44 to finish 17th.

2008? +22, 13th

These were all awesome teams with great memories for those that watched. But the current team for 2023?

+31, 2nd nationally (currently)

That’s a higher mark than any team finished in the NCAA in 2022, 2020. It’s not on the level of some of the truly dominant teams in recent memory like 2019 Gonzaga (+36) or 2015 Kentucky (+36), but they are playing really well right now.

But I think we have enough information to say this team is really good. The schedule is also favorable to achieve good results in the regular season. Better yet, there are few teams crowding into the top of the sport this year.

Other than Houston and Tennessee, the next most efficient team is Connecticut, 3rd at +27.55. By no means does that mean that UConn can’t top Houston or Tennessee in a matchup, but the gap is larger than say, the crowded 2019 field (Virginia nonetheless prevailed).

It’s currently on track (I’m not saying we will undoubtedly end there), to set up more like the 2012 NCAA tournament Kentucky won (Kentucky, +32 1st, 3rd best efficiency Michigan St. +27). In this run for the wildcats, they basically “sleep walked” all the way to the championship. Nobody they played had better than a 16% chance to be beat them until they played Kansas in the championship.

So I personally believe we’re at a point where Tennessee may emerge as a contender in NCAA basketball. Potentially for the first time. Other TN teams have had a chance, but this current team has the best chance in awhile. Nobody knows what will happen. But trying to project suggests that Tennessee basketball is really good this year, and this is probably the first team in 20 years where they could be in the conversation for a number 1 seed. I’m also arguing that we should really appreciate the regular season and how good this team is right now because this level of play has rarely (if ever) been seen on Rocky top.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RavinDave, Lukusw, spyfish007 and 1 other person
#68
#68
It’s pretty laughable that we’ve murdered two conference opponents in a row, one of which was ranked, and we’re still number 8. The remainder of the schedule is very favorable. I see us having a game or two where the shooting cools down a little. Can’t see us staying this hot for EVERY game. But even then, I think we win. It’s early to call it but I could see us being a 1 seed.
 
#69
#69
rocketskates said:
It’s pretty laughable that we’ve murdered two conference opponents in a row, one of which was ranked, and we’re still number 8. The remainder of the schedule is very favorable. I see us having a game or two where the shooting cools down a little. Can’t see us staying this hot for EVERY game. But even then, I think we win. It’s early to call it but I could see us being a 1 seed.
Click to expand...
If you're talking about AP ranking, none of our first 3 conference opponents were ranked, and this week's rankings haven't been released yet.
 
#70
#70
rocketskates said:
It’s pretty laughable that we’ve murdered two conference opponents in a row, one of which was ranked, and we’re still number 8. The remainder of the schedule is very favorable. I see us having a game or two where the shooting cools down a little. Can’t see us staying this hot for EVERY game. But even then, I think we win. It’s early to call it but I could see us being a 1 seed.
Click to expand...

MSU wasn't ranked when we played them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: walkenvol
#73
#73
I’m happy to lurk around 5-10. Maybe surge into to top 5 as the regular season winds down. Other than Barnes staying #1 for a month, our #1 rankings seem to end quickly. At least for Fulmer, Heupel, and Pearl. Maybe Vitello reached #1 as well - I can’t remember. We don’t do so well with such a huge target on our back. I’d like to be a bit under the radar and disrespected (but still with a high seed) heading into the NCAAT.
 
#74
#74
bleedingTNorange said:
We learned last year the SECT doesn’t mean anything
Click to expand...
Well, the SECT actually does mean something.....winning it may not enhance your seed, but losing it - almost anywhere along the way - can be used to move you down the board. Its all about those that decide having enough data points to pick and choose which ones they claim to use in any given year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: WillisWG
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top