*** Official Selection Sunday Thread 2023 ***

[Cyforce]

The thing with Drake and ORU is that they each have a player that can get hot and take over a game.

My perfect choice would be VCU. They get really frustrated when they can't run and the Iowa State transition defense would really bother them.

Drake has two.

 

[cyclones500]

Would the committee put Kansas West Virginia in a 2nd round game?

By bracket principle, no. Teams that have met twice can't face each other until Sweet 16.

I think there's a caveat "unless unavoidable" due to other bracketing situations, but I doubt that would come into play this season.

 

[cyclones500]

I was at that game, and it sucked balls!

Bummer!

Hope at least it was enjoyable experience outside of the game itself.

 

[exCYtable]

I took a look at KenPom and T-Rank and found the data on the exact game to get a better feel for how it transpired. As it turns out our double-digit first half lead was exactly 10 points for maybe a possession or two, and we were actually down by 3 at halftime. So MadGuy is right in that the last 30+ minutes were just a struggle, and we never quite got over the hump.

Still one of the most perplexing and frustrating losses in ISU history across all sports IMO. Looking back to '01 in hindsight you can see the Hampton loss coming with how poorly we played towards the end of the season and in the Big 12 tournament. In '15 however we came back against Kansas to win the Big 12 and were one of the hottest teams in the whole country. I remember all of the metrics sites gave us a 90+% chance to win that game. Still inexcusable even 8 years later, and it's a damn shame that ended up being Fred's last game as head coach.

Agreed. The frosted tips still give me PTSD. That team had 7 freaking NBA players on it. That loss was inexcusable and p***Ed me off for the whole rest of the tournament.

 

[AlaCyclone]

Bummer!

Hope at least it was enjoyable experience outside of the game itself.

Oh, it was. It was a day trip for me from Cincinnati to Louisville. Stayed and watched the SMU-UCLA game with friends of mine who flew in for the games. Then, I hightailed it home, sold my tickets to the next round and had a beer.

 

[mjhavlo76]

I would trade ALMOST any matchup to stay out of the first session of games on Thursday.

Agreed. Friday would be great!!

 

[Cyburbbalz]

Do you know how much things can change in 3 weeks with college basketball? A ton!

I started to analyze that particular bracket more and they had Florida Atlantic as an 8 seed playing Iowa, and then the whole damn thing lost credibility…

Clones will not be a 6 seed with the wins we have.

 

[cyclones500]

With all the talk of facing Drake/not wanting to face Drake in first round, of course my brain makes up even weirder theories.

(A) ISU somehow gets to 4 seed, Drake is 12 in the same pod. ISU advances, Drake pulls the 12-5 upset, so we have to play Drake in R32.
(B) Similarly, Drake drops to a 13, ISU is 5, Drake upsets the 4.

As much a bummer as it'd be to bounce in R64 to Drake, imagine having Sweet 16 on the line.

(OK, I'll stop thinking so much. At least for a lil' bit.)

 

[CoachHines3]

The NCAA March Madness social media page has Iowa State as a 6 seed to face an 11 seed play-in winner of Pittsburgh/Arizona State.

To be honest, some of the fanatics projections of a 5 seed as a “for sure fire bet” may be off, and those saying 4 seed ridiculous.

We would mop the floor with either Pittsburgh or Arizona State. I tend to favor matchups from the 6-11 range. Others are too risky of upsets more time than not to exclude the 1-16; 2-15 games.

that’s just Andy katz projected bracket, I believe

 

[Gunnerclone]

With all the talk of facing Drake/not wanting to face Drake in first round, of course my brain makes up even weirder theories.

(A) ISU somehow gets to 4 seed, Drake is 12 in the same pod. ISU advances, Drake pulls the 12-5 upset, so we have to play Drake in R32.
(B) Similarly, Drake drops to a 13, ISU is 5, Drake upsets the 4.

As much a bummer as it'd be to bounce in R64 to Drake, imagine having Sweet 16 on the line.

(OK, I'll stop thinking so much. At least for a lil' bit.)

I’d much prefer the scenario where we play DU in the 2nd round.

 

[NoCreativity]

I just don't think Pollard would allow them to match us up with Drake. It's not really fair to fans in the state of Iowa. I cant think of one person in Iowa that wants to see that.

They put Loyola against Illinois a couple years ago but that was a 2nd round matchup.

 

[1UNI2ISU]

Drake has two.

Agreed. When Penn is hitting jumpers, he's an elite point guard.

 

[SolterraCyclone]

Yep. No idea why people are scared of Drake.

I saw our best football and best basketball teams almost lose and actually lose, respectively, to Drake. We all should be worried about that matchup.

 

[CloneIce]

So Drake could possibly beat us and has some of you shaking in your boots. Which other projected 12 seed has no chance to beat us and clearly won’t be motivated to win like Drake? There are plenty of other possible matchups with teams who are equal or better than this supposed Drake juggernaut.

 

[amishclone]

Feel free to post the leaked graphic with all the teams and stuff

 

[exCYtable]

It would be such bull crap if Iowa got placed in DM with that crappy resume

 

[WastedTalent]

Ok... hear me out.

I would MUCH rather play a mid-major conference champ than a middle of the pack power conference team. Reasons as follows.

1. P5 teams will have competed many times against athletes at our level. No "shock and awe" if you will.
2, We have already lost multiple times to P5 teams seeded lower than us already this year.
3. We have more playable, capable, depth than pretty much all mid-major "hot" teams.
4. To cap it off. No mid-major has seen our intensity and defense.

Not trying to knock our guys, but this year's team is much closer in "talent" to a mid major, than most power 6 teams. There's no draftable players on this roster right now.

 

[Klubber]

Am I alone in thinking that Ok State gets in? Their resume seems so much better than other bubble team. Maybe just my Big 12 goggles

They deserve to get in IMO.

I've been having a hard time with Lunardi having them miss the cut and putting them in the same category as other bubble teams like Wisconsin.

If the Big XII is the best conference this season, (it is) then OSU should get the nod over other bubble teams.

I think they'll get in.

 

[Cyballzz]

I have a colleague that's Insecure Bucky Fan that I can see being weird if WI isn't selected, and saying something about ISU getting in at a decent seed and my only response will be 'metrics'.

50/50 chance they say a team should need 20 wins to get in (never true, ever) when WI's Final Four team was at 18 entering the tourney because they won two B1G tourney games.

If it would make the "20 wins" people feel better we can reschedule the Omaha game for Monday to get 20.

 

[bradcyclone]

Iowa State vs VCU, we all know the Selection Committee likes to have intriguing games and with Iowa State having 3 former A-10 players including one from VCU, it all makes sense. Then you can have Drake vs Virginia in the other game as 4 vs 13.