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From: kaufman@uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU
Newsgroups: net.sport.hoops
Subject: On the pairings:  Mostly complaints
Message-ID: <41700021@uiucdcs>
Date: Mon, 10-Mar-86 17:39:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.41700021
Posted: Mon Mar 10 17:39:00 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 13-Mar-86 06:44:49 EST
Lines: 34
Nf-ID: #N:uiucdcs:41700021:000:1785
Nf-From: uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU!kaufman    Mar 10 16:39:00 1986


I don't know what anyone else thinks, but I was really disappointed with
this year's NCAA pairings.  The committee tended to pair good teams against
good teams, and bad teams against bad teams.  Maryland, one of the hottest
teams in the country, draws Pepperdine, who was in a lot of people's top
20s at the end of the year, while a UAB, who's done squat since January
draws Missouri, who shouldn't even be in the tourney.  Bradley and
Navy, with a combined 6 losses, get screwed if they reach the second
round - that's not a sure thing for the Braves, who drew a tough UTEP.
Navy would have to play Syracuse in Syracuse, and Bradley will have
the unenviable task of playing Louisville (speaking of hot) in the second
round.

And what's St. John's doing with a #1 seed?  Does anyone here believe they
are one of the four best teams in the country?  Georgia Tech or Michigan
would easily beat them, in my opinion.

Speaking of number 1 seeds, the biggest travesty is that the two teams
most people consider best in the nation, Duke and Kansas, are paired,
to my understanding, to play each other in the semis, should they get
so far.  Was the committee that afraid of the NCAA being shown up by
the preseason NIT, since that was its final?

A final flame:  LSU shouldn't even be in the tourney, let alone their
own arena.  I don't deny that they would have been worthy had the
chicken pox not struck at mid-season, but they haven't been the same
team since then.  You want sympathy entries?  Invite Berkeley!

On a more mellow note, who's taking the tournament predictions?  I've
got mine all set, and am not predicting too many upsets this year,
partially for the reasons given above.  I guess I agree with the NCAA's
seedings locally, but not globally.

Ken Kaufman (uiucdcs!kaufman)