Bracketology / Bubble Watch Thread (2016-17)

General question: are all of these brackets simply current snapshot standings, or are some of the brackets end-of-season projections?

From the brackets I read, all of them are current snapshot standings. (I believe Lunardi is the only one who stated his earlier brackets had some built in projections.) All of the brackets out now should be current snapshot standings.

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They are snapshots of how things stand today.

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Looking at Lunardiā€™s updated bracket today andā€¦oh, huhā€¦

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Clemson has a decent chance to go 5-1 over their last six games. If this happens Iā€™ll be extremely interested to see if an 8-10 ACC team gets into the tourney. Both Virginia Tech and Clemson could wind up being in that situation, with the head to head matchup potentially deciding which one has 8 wins. Clemson doesnā€™t have any bad losses and they have some decent but not special wins, so their game vs. Florida State probably makes or breaks their season. If they win that they can afford to lose another and still probably get in at 8-10 with one ACC tourney win. Just shows how weak the bubble is this year.

Yeah I donā€™t disagree with what Clemsonā€™s resume could be. Just hard to believe theyā€™re in the discussion before going on that hypothetical stretch run.

I know, I just find it to be an interesting scenario.

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Update from 538 on committeeā€™s dialogue around RPI:

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http://mgoblog.com/content/basketbullets-bubble-viewing-guide-defending-happ-transition-rebounds

The Bubble Watch Rooting Guide is cool, because now Im suddenly especially interested in the Arkansas-SC game (2pt game with 2 minutes remaining)

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Think Sunday is absolutely huge. Minnesota is a good team and they do some things that can give U-M problems (block shots), but thatā€™s a win that would really cement Michiganā€™s resume.

Win these next two and I think you are mostly playing for seeding at that point (not completely, but in a very good spot).

Is Minny relying on TOs again this year? Another reason to think we may do quite well there. These last three games have really changed the conversation. Basically that close now to start focusing at least as much on seeding and letting ourselves get legitimately excited about tourney prospects.

Great shot blockers and great length at multiple positions ā€“ lead the league in block %. Teams donā€™t shoot many threes against them and donā€™t make them (three-point regression?). But the defense is 4th in the Big Ten while the offenese is 11thā€¦A lot of perimeter quickness (Mason, Coffey) but not a great shooting team overall.

Interested to see the Zak/DJ vs Coffey/Murphy matchups. Think the pick-and-pop should be there for Mo and DJ, with Murphy and Lynch patrolling the paint for blocks

Hmmm, thanks, sounds like a bit of a different animal than in years past. Havenā€™t watched them much this year. What I worry about with shot blocking teams is not the blocked shots themselves but all those shots and interior action that never even happen. Might be a good test of our attitude. Still, I tend to like our chances against a team that is pretty mediocre on offense and not a truly elite defensive team. Looking forward already to the preview - no pressure though.

If they play with the same tourney life on the line mentality/ defensive effort, they will win that game.

Palm has U-M up to a 9 seed

https://t.co/NLrRTviJBM

Definitely looks like if the team finishes this out and makes it, itā€™ll be anywhere from the 7-11 seed range.

Still a long way off from clinching a seat to the dance, but Selection Sunday is not too far away any more. With that being said, any 1-3 seed projected teams they match up well/okay with versus want to completely avoid?

If they stay 8-9, Iā€™d be okay seeing Gonzaga, Kansas or Baylor as that 1 seed. Also would be okay with Arizona or Kentucky in that 3 seed range.

No. I donā€™t see why youā€™d want to play the zags. Iā€™m higher than most but if any team is going to hurt us out of the top seeds itā€™s the zags. They work the low post and paint relentlessly, yes karnowski would struggle guarding moe but they also have Collins, Williams, and the frosh euro whoā€™s name escapes me now. Plus the zags donā€™t make mistakes. Normally I like that matchup but not this year.

Now Baylor Iā€™m more interested in. Again nice bigs/ tough in paint ( from two halves Iā€™ve seen) but for some reason they donā€™t impress me. Which is odd cause they have a great resume and beat everyone. Iā€™m gonna have to watch them again.

Also looking into the future I could see us playing our way up to a very high seed. If we win out on road games which I think we will if we keep up this style of play on d/ game to game intensity, and lose to only Purdue ( I canā€™t see us winning unless they clean up the offense big time/ stay out of foul trouble) weā€™d be 20-10. In that scenario were a 5 seed I think in the tourney. We could go very far if we avoid Purdue.

There isnā€™t a team in this conference that I donā€™t think we can beat at the top of our game. What if we end up 22 or 23-11? I could see us being a 6 seed in that scenario.