Bracket Watch: February 21st, 2020

2 Likes

I can not roll my eyes enough at this.

I get that it’s super hard to factor Livers into Michigan’s resume. The dumb part is that that criteria is very selectively used. It should just never be a factor at all.

14 Likes

Personally, I think that rule or guideline or whatever should just be removed. Seed teams based on what they accomplished.

How do you decide this injury is worth that or that injury is worth this? It is a dumb policy IMO.

I believe Palm wrote somewhere that it is only supposed to be used to +/- a seed line. In that case, it is tough to really ever know what impact it had because you move teams around seed lines for bracketing reasons too.

7 Likes

I’d like to avoid that Cleveland regional, I am very confident Xavier and Dayton would badly outdraw Michigan. That’d be two away games pretty much.

2 Likes

Yeah, either make it a factor or don’t. But the proof is in the pudding here. All you need to do is look at Michigan’s record and efficiency numbers with and without Livers to quantifiably reach a conclusion about his impact on the team. And the sample size is plenty large enough.

It shouldn’t be based around whether you’re a household name like Zion or not. Anyone with two eyes and a brain can see Livers impact on the team. If they aren’t going to factor in Livers impact then they shouldn’t factor in any injured player’s impact.

3 Likes

The problem with this is that it is hard to look at all of these team sheets and easily account for every injury and then figure out how much it should be weighted. It is easy in one case but how do you make it a universal rule?

1 Like

I’d really like our chances of making the sweet 16 if we can get a 6 seed or especially a 5. Looking at bracket matrix, the teams around the 3/4 seed lines aren’t particularly scary.

Dayton draw in Cleveland will be significant. I suspect they will sell the place out. If you add Xavier to the mix, it will be a mad house.

2 Likes

Yeah Dayton has an amazing local basketball fan base, maybe the best in the Midwest. I think x and o wise Dayton is a pretty good matchup for Michigan but woo boy that’d be a tough atmosphere to win in.

1 Like

Getting off the 7 line is key because playing Duke in Greensboro or Dayton in Cleveland is bad news. Not to mention I’d put those 2 teams on a separate tier than the teams I’m seeing on the 3 line. Or even the other teams on the 2 line. Seton Hall a 2 seed?? FSU? If end we up with a 7 against Dayton or Duke I will be so pissed.

2 Likes

I think Xavier in a 7/10 game in Cleveland would be a worse draw than Dayton. If you are a 7 seed, you are going to be playing a 2 seed in a packed gym somewhere. That’s basically what you get. I’d rather play Dayton than DUke.

2 Likes

Dreaming of an Auburn 3-6 matchup where Michigan is 4-5 point favorite

12 Likes

Bracket Matrix is slipping, haven’t updated since Wednesday morning/afternoon! :wink:

One of my favorite things about March Madness is the lead-up to Selection Sunday where the Matrix is updated like four times a day.

1 Like

Bracketville is, in my opinion, the best bracketology.

Currently Dave has us as a 6-seed.

The other factor with the Livers injury isn’t just whether Michigan should be bumped up for their play with him, you also don’t want to punish high seeds. They earned the higher seed and now you face a Michigan team that is quite different with him and underseeded. It’s certainly a balancing act.

7 Likes

Michigan-Auburn in Greensboro is my dream. I’m going to the Greensboro regional regardless and I’m hoping UM gets put there.

2 Likes

That would be a tremendous draw, UM would likely be favored vs seton hall then would get pretty much two home games at crisler east(MSG).

Cleveland would be great, as I could go to that one. My only fear with Cleveland is that Kentucky might end up there; Lunardi has them there in his bracket. I don’t care if we play them. I just don’t want to have to battle all those crazy people for tickets.

The nice thing about these regionals is we should have a strong presence at all of them except Houston. Probably NYC > LA > Indy

I’d almost prefer Houston to Indy, historically UM has drawn super poor in indy.