ESPN Chat on the seedings

[mred]

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=14973

I'm guessing this becomes Insider-only when the chat is done (like most ESPN chats), so I'm copying the interesting ones.

Here are the Big 12-specific questions/answers:

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Nancy Lieberman

Jill (Edmond, Oklahoma): OU a #3 seed?? - the Big 12 regular season and conference champ that low? Any opinion why the Big 12 doesn't seem to have much respect from either the men's or women's tournament committees this year?

SportsNation Nancy Lieberman: (9:07 PM ET ) I'm very very surprised to be quite honest that they didn't get a number two seed. I thought they would be a two seed in the Dallas bracket. I didn't think that Purdue would end up with a two, I thought they would be a three and OU a two especially when you consider the Big XII's RPI strength.

John (Lubbock, TX): Hate to be mean but I think it was the right decision for the committee to keep Texas out of the tournament! Did you agree with that?

SportsNation Nancy Lieberman: (9:18 PM ET ) It is not being mean, I think it was a tough road for Texas with the injuries and all. I think Erica Arriaran's injury really hurt them, without her they had no outside presence.

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Charlie Creme

Vickie (Norman, OK): For OU to win the championship, they would have to beat Maryland, TN, Duke & UCONN if seeds held. Why do I feel like we would be playing final 4's back to back?

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (9:38 PM ET ) Lots of questions on OK and I did think they would be a two, but I don't quibble too much. OK or Purdue was the decsion for me and maybe it was for the committe too. Remember, someone had to be the #3 in that region. It appears they went with geography more than the actual s-curve rankings. I went the other way which is why I had Stanford outside of Fresno and Maryland there instead.

Nancy (Norman, OK): Charlie, why is OU getting the toughest draw? It's so overladed in that bracket...and they should have been a #2. Why did they get stuck as opposed to someone else?

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (9:44 PM ET ) It's no conspiracy. Sometimes it just happens. I do think OK got a tough draw, but I'd be getting the same complaints from Arizona State fans if those teams were somehow able to be switched.

Vickie (Norman, OK): Charlie, I'd much rather be 3 seed in Dallas. I don't care about OU being a 2 or 3, not much difference. At Dallas, OU would have 6 to 8 thousand fans. Airfare to Dayton is currently about $500 p/p.

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (9:49 PM ET ) Trust me if you could look at this on a more global scale you would see how difficult it is to seed and place these teams. If OK was the 3 in Dallas then A&M couldn't be the four and then a domino effect starts to take place that is hard to control and get everything matched up following all the rules.

sean(lincoln, ne): How far do you think nebraska will go

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (9:56 PM ET ) I don't think they will beat Duke if they get past Temple.

Charlie (Texas): Big 12 team that might make it to the Elite 8 or Final 4?

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (10:01 PM ET ) A&M maybe

Steve (Dallas): I saw your respond about OK being a 3 seed in the Dallas region and the cascading effects. Shouldn't a team that won their CC and tied for the league get the opportunity to play within their region based on the overall effort regardless of cascading effects?

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (10:04 PM ET ) I'm sure that attempt was made. I know I made the same attempt, but I also had OK in Dayton just ast the 2 instead of the three. It's sometimes really difficult with all the other rules. In my mind it wouldn't have been fair to the balance of the bracket just to put OK in Dallas. There are just so many other considerations.

Harrison (Tulsa, OK): I think OU would be happier in being the 4 in Dallas than A&M would be being a 3 in Dayton.

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (10:06 PM ET ) Maybe, but its not the committee's job to make teams happy. They are trying to make the fairest, best tournament they can.

Victor-Seattle, WA: I think the WASHINGTON-IOWA STATE match-up is going to be a good one. Can I feel good about putting the HUSKIES in for the upset?

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (10:08 PM ET ) I like that game too. I wouldn't be at all shocked if Washington won that.

matt (tx): Charlie, any early round upsets that may stir in the early going? Which teams?

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (10:10 PM ET ) Maybe Washington as we already mentioned. West Virginia over Xavier. TCU over Miss if that is really an upset.

jane, texas: why wasnt texas in the ncaa tournament?

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (10:17 PM ET ) I had them in because Texas had more wins about tournament or tournament discussed teams than any of the other at-large candidates at the bottom, but 6-10 in the league and a bad finish were hard to overcome. They were in the discussion late from what we were told though.

Josh (Belleville, WI): Why do you think Washington is a good candidate to upset Iowa State? ISU has been one of the hottest teams in the country in the past month and is playing 3 1/2 hours up I-35 from Ames.

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (10:18 PM ET ) That isn't too slam Iowa State. Relax. I just saw that as a possible upset like a few others. Iowa State had a great finish to the year. I also could see a scenario where Iowa State won that game and gave Georgia a tough one in round two.

Moss(Lake Charles, LA): All this talk about OU, but what are Ok states chances at an upset?

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (10:20 PM ET ) OK State and BG is an intriguing game. I'm really looking forward to that one.

Steve==Dallas: How about some love for the '05 National Champs, Baylor, third straight year in the West. Not one game in Texas. what are their chances?

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (10:22 PM ET ) Baylor really struggled against most of the really good teams it played this year except for the LSU win. I don't see them getting further than the Sweet 16 if that.

Jill (St. Louis MO): How do you think Courtney Paris of Oklahoma (number 2 overall in rebounds) will match up against Southeast Missouri State's Lachelle Lyles who sits atop at number 1?

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (10:25 PM ET ) Courtney Paris matches up just fine with anyone and that includes someone named Parker.

Jeff (texas): Do you have anything to say on the jody Conradts retirement do you think Texas not making the field had anything to do with it?

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (10:29 PM ET ) I doubt it. I would be speculating about anything further though.

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Tournament Selection Chairwoman Judy Southard

Matt (Tulsa): question for Judy Southard: Oklahoma as a three, how was that decision reached?

SportsNation Judy Southard : (10:43 PM ET ) Well it is very important to understand that when we got down to these two lines we saw seven teams with a legitimate claim. So we had a lot of teams in the mix, and that pushed teams down. Now Oklahoma had a tremendous year but they had some loses to Texas, Ohio St., and Texas A and M twice, and that may have had an impact on where they ended up on the third line.

[swok34]

Thanks for doing this, mred.

I was just going to come over and say it was going on, but beware:

the OU Fans are out in force and feel they've been ripped off :eek: :D

I went to a bracket watch party with the Fastbreak Club, though the team was over at Sherri's house (as they usually are). Tara Deguisti, the color radio person, was at Sherri's until OU's place and opponent was announced and she came over to the Lloyd Noble Center to talk to us. She made the comment that 2 has to play 3 and 3 has to play 2, so does it really matter if you are a 2 or a 3? And she also said there are no hotel rooms available in downtown Austin either.

I will say this about OU. I don't think anyone knows about that little freshmen PG we got :D sshhhhhhhhh.

[mred]

Josh (Belleville, WI): Why do you think Washington is a good candidate to upset Iowa State? ISU has been one of the hottest teams in the country in the past month and is playing 3 1/2 hours up I-35 from Ames.

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (10:18 PM ET ) That isn't too slam Iowa State. Relax. I just saw that as a possible upset like a few others. Iowa State had a great finish to the year. I also could see a scenario where Iowa State won that game and gave Georgia a tough one in round two.


Gee, I wonder who posted that question? ;)

[YCN]

I'm actually thrilled that we get Tennessee, Maryland, OU, Ohio State, MTSU in Dayton.

It's almost all the birds with one stone. And finally Creme got one exactly right...Courtney Paris matches up just fine with anyone and that includes someone named Parker.
He ain't wrong there. I'm just tremendously excited to get this thing going on Saturday.

We are so ready. And please note my current sig line. Maryland thinks it will pump them up for OU, but they have to get there first. I'm thinking that it was right all along. We deserved the #2 instead of Maryland, but who cares? This is what it's ALL about.

[HoopScoop]

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=14973


Vickie (Norman, OK): Charlie, I'd much rather be 3 seed in Dallas. I don't care about OU being a 2 or 3, not much difference. At Dallas, OU would have 6 to 8 thousand fans. Airfare to Dayton is currently about $500 p/p.

SportsNation Charlie Creme: (9:49 PM ET ) Trust me if you could look at this on a more global scale you would see how difficult it is to seed and place these teams. If OK was the 3 in Dallas then A&M couldn't be the four and then a domino effect starts to take place that is hard to control and get everything matched up following all the rules.



But isn't Charlie wrong on that point? The two teams from the same conference are not supposed to play one another until the regional final. A 2 or 3 would not play a 4 until the regional final. OU could be put in the same bracket as TAMU and it wouldn't violate these other rules. Obviously I would have much rather had OU in Dallas so I could go watch in person. The selection committee really cost the NCAA a lot of money with that move as OU fans have obviously shown they will travel to up to 8 hours away. Unfortunately Dayton is much further than that.

[mred]

I'll give Charlie one thing: he knows how to answer a LOT of questions quickly. Not sure how much thought he puts behind them, but at least it doesn't take him 5 minutes per question.

[mred]

The chat's over, so anyone who wants to see all the questions/answers needs to click on the link ASAP

Edit: Too late. It's already Insider-only. I did see that the chat was over, so all the Big 12 questions are in my first post.

[Soonercuda]

I went to a bracket watch party with the Fastbreak Club, though the team was over at Sherri's house (as they usually are). Tara Deguisti, the color radio person, was at Sherri's until OU's place and opponent was announced and she came over to the Lloyd Noble Center to talk to us. She made the comment that 2 has to play 3 and 3 has to play 2, so does it really matter if you are a 2 or a 3?
Last year Pat Summitt made a point to essentially say that Tenn was screwed by the committee and I am sure she used the we were dissed card to try and motivate her team...it didn't work as UNC won the elite 8 matchup. Based on the above it looks to me like Sherri is going to make no big deal of our seeding and just tell the team that you have to win 6 games in a row and it doesn't matter who you play.

[swok34]

Soonercuda, she said something to that effect Saturday or Sunday:

Can't find the quote though, but it was pretty much the "we will play anyone, anywhere, anytime."

[YCN]

Last year Pat Summitt made a point to essentially say that Tenn was screwed by the committee and I am sure she used the we were dissed card to try and motivate her team...it didn't work as UNC won the elite 8 matchup. Based on the above it looks to me like Sherri is going to make no big deal of our seeding and just tell the team that you have to win 6 games in a row and it doesn't matter who you play.

The Tennessee fans have decided that they've been screwed again this year.

Works for me.

[vickie1ok]

Well, as I said to Charlie, I don't care whether we are 2 or 3. I said it yesterday. There is virtually no difference between 2 and 3, a 4 and 5 and an 8 and 9; except if you play an underseeded team before those matchups.

I'm hacked because the committee chairwoman from LSU said they try to put teams at their appropriate seed in close geographic proximity to there home. Clearly, they did not do this for Oklahoma. The top 4 seeds have Oh St in their home state, and TN and MD within decent driving or airline distance. As I said, I checked some basic airfares on expedia, and you are talking about $500 p/p. And that will only go up, especially if you wait until your team makes it to Dayton. Tickets may be $700 by then.

Hell, I'd rather get a #4 like A&M in Dallas than where we are. Not only did we get a regional that looks like a final four in the sweet sixteen, our fans have been financially put at the greatest disadvantage to support our team should the seeds hold up. And seeds in the women's tourney usually hold up for the first two rounds.

I hope the NCAA is happy when they look at those small crowds and gate receipts in Dallas.

[swok34]

Well, Mechelle Voepel said it best:

UConn fans are studying maps to find out where this mysterious outpost called "Frenso" is located (um, you'll have to look past the Mississippi River … and the Rocky Mountains).

[vickie1ok]

Indeed, UCONN fans will have to pony up about as much money as OU fans for the regional. At least they can save hundreds of dollars on the subregional to pay for their airfare!

[BearLady]

Well, Mechelle Voepel said it best:

Quote:
UConn fans are studying maps to find out where this mysterious outpost called "Frenso" is located (um, you'll have to look past the Mississippi River … and the Rocky Mountains).



:D :D :D

[swok34]

Now, I absolutely definitely would not want to be a #4 seed.

And have to play the #1 seed to advance to the elite 8? And there's just no way to justify OU dropping to a 4 seed when in they probably are closer to a 2 seed.

Tell me, bracket guru's (in laymen's terms): what give Stanford a 2 over OU?
I can pretty well see the justification for the other 2's.

[labcoatguy]

I have no idea why Stanford would get the nod over OU. The only two stats that Stanford has the advantage over OU are conference record (only one loss, to a pretty good Cal team) and polls. The PAC-10 is nowhere near the powerhouse that the Big XII is, so at the very least OU's 3 conference losses to a top 25 and a top 50 team should equal Stanford's lone loss over a top 50 team. And polls shouldn't factor into the decisions, but sometimes they do.

And also, sometimes fear of griping from Connecticut fans works too.

[CyRox98]

I can totally understand OU fans being upset with not being put in the Dallas region - it happens to someone undeserving (meaning, getting a bad location) every year. I guess it just goes to show that the committee isn't always concerned about just money - like someone saying Texas would get in simply because they were hosting and it would put people in the stands. But these people DO make dumb decisions. Sometimes a lot of 'em. Personally, I'm shocked that they put ISU in Minneapolis. I figured that would be the LAST place we'd end up this year, but we caught a break somehow.

Plus if the NCAA was all about making money and "growing the game," they never would have put a regional in Fresno after the way that city ignored their first and second round games two years ago. No one in the city knew they were hosting. The result was a couple thousand Stanford fans, a smattering of Santa Barbara fans, and the ISU faithful that made the trek (including myself). I can't see how Fresno will care much more this time around. They may as well have given the site to Rohnert Park and let Sonoma State host the event for all the people that will show for it.

[labcoatguy]

I think Iowa State lucked out to be in Minneapolis because the Big 10 was only good enough to get three teams in, and none of those were from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa or Illinois. In the tournament this year, there are really only about 5 teams that aren't too far from Minneapolis, and two of them (Iowa State and DePaul) are going there. Sorry, UW-Green Bay, Drake and Marquette.

[wwi_flying_ace_17]

Plus if the NCAA was all about making money and "growing the game," they never would have put a regional in Fresno after the way that city ignored their first and second round games two years ago. No one in the city knew they were hosting. The result was a couple thousand Stanford fans, a smattering of Santa Barbara fans, and the ISU faithful that made the trek (including myself). I can't see how Fresno will care much more this time around. They may as well have given the site to Rohner Park and let Sonoma State host the event for all the people that will show for it.

I don't remember much about the games, but I remember how pathetic the crowds were at those. I can agree with something out west, but why Fresno? Are you telling me there aren't other cities in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, etc. that would do a better job?

[CyRox98]

Exactly! :p

[Scamp]

I don't remember much about the games, but I remember how pathetic the crowds were at those. I can agree with something out west, but why Fresno? Are you telling me there aren't other cities in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, etc. that would do a better job?Universities have to want to host these events, bid for them, and have the on-site facilities that the NCAA requires (including sufficient hotel rooms.)

[swok34]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaatourney07/columns/story?id=2796452

The major question at the top half of the draw revolves around regional placement of teams weighed against that team's placement on the S-curve. A balanced bracket is supposed to be the top priority, but it appears to me as though geography took precedence in a couple of cases.

We never know the committee's S-curve, and the order of the 2-seeds is really just guesswork here. But the order of the No. 1 seeds should be detectable by the regions in which each was placed. UConn going to Fresno indicates the Huskies were the fourth No. 1. In reverse order, North Carolina was the third, traveling the next furthest to Dallas, then Tennessee and Duke.

That means Stanford as the No. 2 seed in Fresno would be the fifth team overall if the seeds are matched properly. I could see it that way, but I don't agree with Stanford as the fifth overall team. If the Cardinal are not truly the top 2-seed on the S-curve, then geography was, in fact, given larger consideration.

An even larger question would be whether the committee truly felt Tennessee was the No. 2 team overall (and the Lady Vols getting Dayton certainly would indicate that). Then Maryland should be the seventh overall team in the field -- again, unless geography was given a higher regard than S-curve. Neither the Stanford nor Maryland case is nearly as unsightly as placing Tennessee as a 2-seed with North Carolina in Cleveland the way the committee did last year. That was just wrong. But nothing that happened tonight could be defined that way.

Unfortunately, these are the type of questions we rarely get answers to, so we in bracketology land simply must keep making educated guesses. But that's most of the fun anyway.

Overall, there's not much to really question in the bracket. But Oklahoma and coach Sherri Coale falling to a 3-seed raised some eyebrows.

[CyRox98]

Universities have to want to host these events, bid for them, and have the on-site facilities that the NCAA requires (including sufficient hotel rooms.)


I think the point Flying Ace is trying to make is that there almost HAD to be some other west coast city that put in a bid to host this event this year besides Fresno. I was surprised that Fresno didn't act like it mattered when they hosted two years ago. Fresno has Fresno State University and that's about it. It's not like they're a major league city with so short an attention span that they can't take the time to notice college sports (let alone women's sports).

I can see why events like these get lost in larger places like Dallas where there is too much else going on. Fresno has no excuses for not pulling out all the stops and at least attempting to look like it even cares about its hosting responsibilities. It's Fresno - if you've ever been there, you know what I mean.

[Soonercuda]

Mechelle is chatting now on espn...I will post her Big 12 related questions and answers:

David (Sydney, NSW): Any comment on Conradt's retirement at Texas? Seems like a huge loss for the game.

Mechelle: (1:07 PM ET ) Coach Conradt has done so much for her program and her university. But she's 65 and has been leading the Longhorns for 31 years. I'm sure she felt in her heart it was time to step aside, and she did that because she wants what's best for Texas. I still think she has a "role" in women's basketball, though.


Marc (Atlanta): Is there any way you see Bowling Green making a run into the elite eight for a rematch with Duke? Or would Vanderbilt be too much for them?

Mechelle: (1:22 PM ET ) I saw Bowling Green in person back in 2005 give Kansas State a big scare in the first round. I thought, "This is a program that is probably going to make a big breakthrough in the tourney one of these years." Maybe it's this year. Like all the mid-major powers, it's just tougher to gauge their progress once conference season starts because they are usually so dominant in league play. And I also think Oklahoma State, BG's first-round game, is pretty good - the Cowgirls' B12 first-round loss aside.


Bill (philly): if temple can get by nebraska, is there any chance they can hang with duke?

Mechelle: (1:24 PM ET ) With Dawn Staley coaching, yes, there's always a chance. I think she and Temple have shown a lot of grit, and they won't be overwhelmed by the situation. That first-round game with the Huskers should be really good.


Barry (Baltimore, MD): Who get out of severely top heavy Dayton? (Any of top five seeds could move on)

Mechelle: (1:30 PM ET ) Lots and lots of questions today about the Dayton Regional. I don't think the committee explained this one very well - it is WAY loaded. As for who gets out - I picked Oklahoma - because I "have" to pick somebody and the Sooners have been really playing well lately. But obviously it could be any of those top four. What a region to be No. 5 MTSU. Sheesh. If somone would have said at the beginning of the season those four teams could end up in the same region, I don't think I would have believed it.

Anthony (greensboro nc): What is your feeling on Lindsay Harding chances of getting National Player of the Year. Compare her to Candace Parker and what each of them bring to their teams.

Mechelle: (1:49 PM ET ) I don't know how everyone will vote, and this is part of the media's "job" I don't like. It's like picking between Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren and Kate Winslet for an Oscar. They're all awesome. How could you go wrong? That's what it's like picking between Lindsey, Candace and Courtney Paris this year.


Tara (Houston, TX): How do you think Baylor is going to do this year (can they make it past NC State)? Also, what are the odds Coach Mulkey leaves for LSU to UT?

Mechelle: (1:51 PM ET ) Again, lots of Kim Mulkey questions. Baylor desperately wants to keep her. I would think lots of programs would be interested, looking at what she's done in Waco. Lots of huge jobs open, that's for sure. Baylor is a very athletic and dynamic team, but still with youngsters who are inconsistent. If Baylor plays N.C. State in the second round, that could be one of the best games of the tournament.

Chris (Ames): Do you think iowa state could make a big run in the tourn?

Mechelle: The Cyclones put on the show of the Big 12 tournament by making it all the way to the title game. Iowa State is always a difficult matchup for the league teams that see the Cyclones regularly. It's got to be really TOUGH when you aren't used to them. Foes have to figure out ISU's defensive adjustments (which is hard) and fully realize that EVERY Cyclone can shoot the 3. Those are some of the reasons ISU is capable of pulling upsets.


Jason (Swansea, IL): Which team in the field was the least expected at the start of the year? My pick - Okla St. They were 6-22 last year, and 0-16 in Big XII play. For them to go 20-10, 8-8 is pretty remarkable to me. Your thoughts?

Mechelle: I agree - it's a pretty amazingly quick climb from where the program was. Kurt Budke brought in a lot of new players -10 - and they played his style. The thing is Oklahoma State pretty easily could have won at least three or four other Big 12 games, too ... they lost those on buzzerbeaters.

[Scamp]

I agree with you about Fresno, raisin capitol of the world, being an odd site. (I wasn't sure if Flying Ace's question was literal or rhetorical.)

I looked at the on-line Fresno Bee and found no local coverage of the women's tournament, just AP. Not good. Then, when Baylor played the first two rounds in Seattle in 2005, the University of Washington did next to nothing to promote the games. Why do they bid if they don't make more effort? :confused:

[CyRox98]

Kind of surprises me to see that Seattle and U-Dub didn't do much to promote the games in '05. Would have thought someone there would have seen it as a great opportunity. Guess we in fly-over country are a little spoiled with the attention we get for our women's programs locally. Plus when you add that places like Kansas City really do bend over backwards to put on a good show for events like this, you realize it's not just our college towns that get excited about the games.

[sejstad]

I agree that Fresno didn't do much to warrant another chance. I remember it being difficult to actually find a way to purchase tickets in Fresno, and nobody seemed to know there was a tournament in town. The turnout from Fresno State was mostly older staff members who had fond memories of working with Bill Fennelly. The Stanford fans came out for their games but didn't arrive early for the ISU game.

On the other hand, CyRox, I think you and the team flew home almost immediately after the Cyclones lost? ;) You missed a SHOW by Candice Wiggins!

[dem]

I wasn't here in early '05 so I don't really know how things went then. I would have expected pretty good coverage in the press, but it is very hard to draw much of a crowd here. Even with UW playing against Stanford during the conference season, 3,000 is a solid turnout. Even with the defending national champion volleyball team playing their way into the Final Four, on their home court, the "record-setting" attendance was, I think, below 10,000. It is just a different world out here regarding popular support for women's college sports. A bit strange, because the fan support for the Storm is pretty decent.

[sejstad]

Shawn (Denver, CO): There's always talk this time of year about the relative strength of conferences. In your expert opinion, which conference can claim the title as strongest in 2006-07?

Mechelle: (2:01 PM ET ) The easy answer is the ACC at the top - that's indisputable. Nobody has beaten them out of their conference. But the Big East, of course, got the most bids and was really competitive this season. Lots of good matchups in that league all season. I've been watching the Big 12 since it started, and this was the most unpredictable year in terms of picking games.


Chris (Ames): Do you think iowa state could make a big run in the tourn?

Mechelle: (2:14 PM ET ) The Cyclones put on the show of the Big 12 tournament by making it all the way to the title game. Iowa State is always a difficult matchup for the league teams that see the Cyclones regularly. It's got to be really TOUGH when you aren't used to them. Foes have to figure out ISU's defensive adjustments (which is hard) and fully realize that EVERY Cyclone can shoot the 3. Those are some of the reasons ISU is capable of pulling upsets.


(There was also a late question about Oklahoma State that I didn't get copied.)

[wwi_flying_ace_17]

All I think of with Fresno is Ryan Stiles from Whose Line Is it Anyway. I know next to nothing about it, but he has insinuated at least twice that it wasn't a nice town.

[dem]

Tell me, bracket guru's (in laymen's terms): what give Stanford a 2 over OU?
I can pretty well see the justification for the other 2's.

I think it's one of two reasons (or a combination):

1) some geographical factor, which can push a seed up or down by one;

and/or:

2) the simple fact that Oklahoma had three losses in the past 20 games, and Stanford only had one. When two teams are very close, they seem to weigh negative factors more heavily than trying to split hairs about who has more "positives" in their favor.

To put it another way, a loss to a good team can wound you more than win over the same team can help you. It's one of the reasons that coaches tend to favor lower-risk strategies.

[CyRox98]

CyRox, I think you and the team flew home almost immediately after the Cyclones lost? ;) You missed a SHOW by Candice Wiggins!

We didn't leave by choice - we were literally shown the door within minutes after we lost that game to Utah. We rushed back to our hotel, grabbed our stuff and headed back to the airport to wait for the charter plane to show up. But they wanted us out of there asap so they could get the plane to the next city and the next group of people who were being sent home. I'm not kidding at all when I say I was in my own bed in Ames 8 hours after our game ended in Fresno.

I would have LOVED to stay for the whole event. The worst thing about that situation is that many of the parents had just flown in the night before or that morning to see their kids play - and didn't even get to spend anytime with them other than to say "goodbye" after the game before we got on the bus to leave. That totally sucked! :mad:

[swok34]

Thanks guys, for the Mechelle chat:

I would have cut and pasted her entire chat because she's like E. F. Hutton.

This is the second ESPN chat that I've only found a reference to on a message board and NOT at ESPN.

[sejstad]

The link for Mechelle's chat was on the ESPN front page--top right corner. But there was no link from the Women's BB page. ?? She answered questions for 1:15 or so and commented on the volume of questions that came in.

Great information, as always!

[sejstad]

CyRox, that is a bummer about having to leave the Fresno games that way. I know the team will enjoy the relative flexibility of travel to/from Minneapolis, and hope you can be there to cheer them on. Are you traveling up the interstate?

As dem mentioned, there aren't a lot of obvious locales in the west for hosting these tourneys. Albuquerque and Tempe might draw crowds but have aging facilities. Vegas would be a joke. Tucson has hosted and done alright, I think. San Jose was a great WBB town a few years ago, but I haven't been there to know if it's still a viable option.

I find myself defending Fresno, though. They didn't represent themselves very well with the tourney coverage, but they've got a good facility and at least a handful of people who are trying to make it work. It's easy to take shots at a place like Fresno. Just as it's also easy to take shots at a place like Ames...or Waco, or Stillwater, or any number of communities not listed in the Michelin travel guide.

[wwi_flying_ace_17]

I'm looking at a copy of the bracket. Purdue is a 2 in the Dallas region. OU is a 3 in the Dayton region. Why couldn't you have flipped the two and geographically it would have made sense? I've enjoyed watching Purdue over the last couple of years, but I don't see how they are a 2 over OU. The only thing I can think of is that OU and ISU could have met up in the Sweet Sixteen, but still.

[labcoatguy]

In the 5 different bracket predictions made that I compared with each other in an <a href="http://hoopscoop.net/forums/showthread.php?t=9132">earlier thread</a>, there were a total of 6 teams predicted for the four 2 seed positions. If one can take that as an indication that 6 teams are about evenly qualified, then two teams have to get the proverbial shaft regardless of performance. The two teams this year were Oklahoma and Ohio State. These things happen, it ain't no big whoop. The silver lining to this is that at least we didn't fall all the way down to a 4 seed.

[Bball Girl]

Beats me...I've seen Stanford play a bunch since we get a lot of Pac 10 games. They are a very good team but I don't think they are better than OU. Isn't OU's RPI slightly higher than Stanford's and I think Stanford's SOS is much lower than OU.

[Bball Girl]

So Voepel is picking for her final 4

OU
Stanford
Duke
Carolina

and she picks Duke over Oklahoma

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaatourney07/news/story?id=2796211

[YCN]

So Voepel is picking for her final 4

OU
Stanford
Duke
Carolina

and she picks Duke over Oklahoma

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaatourney07/news/story?id=2796211

If OU isn't good enough to beat Duke they won't be national champions this year anyway, so I'd rather everyone pick Duke than OU, although I don't think that's going to be a problem. :)

I don't know what OU will do. I do know that this team has learned in the last month to play like there is no tomorrow, which should be a tremendous asset in this tournament. I'm trying to imagine the excitement if OU was to get on a roll beginning Saturday. That's an imposing lineup of teams between OU and the title, but I don't think that all of them are going to be in the way.

But whoever is there, I figure OU will show up anyway.