((((( Time To Dance )))))<<<<< Selection Sunday >>>>>.....(((((((((( In Game ))))))))))

[Greenbacks]

Wichita State

Gregg Marshall's Shockers have won their first-round game each of the past five years, but have been all over the place in terms of seeding. They were expected to win as a No. 1 seed in 2014, but they also won as 7-, 9-, 10- and 11-seeds. Winning in the first round as a double-digit seed in consecutive years, as the Shockers did in 2016 and 2017, is something that has been done only 19 times in tournament history. That's a streak Wichita State can't extend this year, though, as a more favorable 4-seed in the East Region with a date with Marshall in San Diego.

 

[Greenbacks]

Xavier

Last, but certainly not least, the Musketeers are a No. 1 seed for the first time, which puts them in prime position to put an end to the two trends below.

• Xavier has been to the NCAA tournament 27 times previously but never reached the Final Four. Only BYU (29) has made more trips to the tourney without a Final Four appearance.

• Xavier's 27 NCAA tournament wins are the most by any team without a Final Four appearance.

The Musketeers have made the Sweet 16 on eight occasions, seven of which have come as a 4-seed or worse. The past four instances have come as a 6-seedor worse. This is new territory for Chris Mack and his team, so how will they handle it? The next few weeks will tell the story.

 

[JustinCruise]

New years resolution still going strong

 

[Greenbacks]

As of 10 p.m. ET, there are 2.1 million entries for ESPN’s Tournament Challenge. Of that number, 1.1 million brackets have been filled out. Many more will be filled out by Thursday's tipoffs (last year had more than 18.9 million brackets completed), but the percentages regarding who the country is picking in each matchup will largely stay the same.

With that in mind, here are some interesting takeaways:

• The most popular team to win the national title is Virginia at 35.4 percent. Among the other No. 1 seeds, Villanova is at 8.5 percent, Kansas 5.8 percent and Xavier 2.1 percent.

• America believes the following teams have a better shot of winning the national title than No. 1 seed Xavier: No. 2 Duke (6.8 percent), No. 2 UNC (4.9 percent), No. 3 Michigan State (4.4 percent), No. 4 Arizona (2.7 percent) and No. 3 Michigan (2.4 percent).

• Only 5 percent of brackets have No. 1 seed Xavier reaching the championship game. In contrast: Virginia is there in 45.8 percent, Villanova in 39.4 percent and Kansas in 11.5 percent.

• No. 12 seeds are typically a popular upset pick to beat a No. 5 seed. This year, 15.3 percent have picked No. 12 New Mexico State over No. 5 Clemson, and 13.5 percent have No. 12 South Dakota State beating No. 5 Ohio State.

• 37.6 percent of entries have No. 9 Alabama beating No. 8 Virginia Tech. No. 9 NC State isn’t far behind, at 36.5 percent against No. 8 Seton Hall.

• The most popular national title game combination is No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 1 Villanova, with 30.7 percent of brackets having this matchup.

• A pair of No. 10 seeds are getting some early love. No. 10 Butler, picked to reach the Sweet 16 in 7.7 percent of brackets and the Elite 8 in 3.4 percent of brackets, and No. 10 Texas at 8.9 percent Sweet 16, 3.1 percent Elite 8

• Is this the year a No. 16 beats a No. 1? Just for fun … America thinks the best chance belongs to Penn against Kansas (1.99 percent believe it will happen).

 

[slapshot]

thanks GB always look forward to the info you post in these threads

 

[Greenbacks]

[h=1]<yt-formatted-string class="style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" style="--yt-endpoint-color:hsl(206.1, 79.3%, 52.7%);">John Calipari selection Sunday </yt-formatted-string>[/h]

 

[Greenbacks]

[h=1]<yt-formatted-string class="style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" style="--yt-endpoint-color:hsl(206.1, 79.3%, 52.7%);">Dick Vitale calls Oklahoma State's NCAA tournament snub a 'disgrace'</yt-formatted-string>[/h]

 

[Greenbacks]

[h=1]<yt-formatted-string class="style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" style="--yt-endpoint-color:hsl(206.1, 79.3%, 52.7%);">Tom Izzo Talks NCAA Tournament Selection</yt-formatted-string>[/h]

 

[Greenbacks]

[h=1]<yt-formatted-string class="style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" style="--yt-endpoint-color:hsl(206.1, 79.3%, 52.7%);">John Beilein Talks NCAA Tournament Selection</yt-formatted-string>[/h]

 

[Greenbacks]

[h=1]<yt-formatted-string class="style-scope ytd-video-primary-info-renderer" style="--yt-endpoint-color:hsl(206.1, 79.3%, 52.7%);">Matt Painter Talks NCAA Tournament Selection</yt-formatted-string>[/h]

 

[Greenbacks]

thanks GB always look forward to the info you post in these threads

Thank you ss....No i`ll have a thread in the college hoops forum.

Good luck!

 

[Greenbacks]

 

[indiana]

G.B. ...........appreciate all the info provided.......very helpful.........BOL in the tourney..........indy

 

[Greenbacks]

G.B. ...........appreciate all the info provided.......very helpful.........BOL in the tourney..........indy

You da man indy....Enjoy the tournament

 

[Mobdeeper7239]

Texas tech has an easy pass to the sweet 16. Could possibly upset nova if that is a matchup

 

[Greenbacks]

$10 billion estimated to be bet on March Madness, but only 3 percent of it legally.

Americans will bet more than $10 billion on the NCAA tournament, including office pools and traditional wagers with bookmakers, according to estimates released Monday by the American Gaming Association. Only 3 percent of the action is expected to take place in a legal environment.
Last year, 24 million Americans participated in NCAA tournament pools, submitting nearly 60 million entries and spending more than $2.6 billion on entry fees, according to survey results released Monday, along with the AGA's estimates.
The survey, conducted earlier this year by The Mellman Group, found that nearly one-quarter of American adults participated in some form of a paid-entry pool, including bracket pools, survivor pools, pick 'em pools, squares or grid pools, or cash-based fantasy sports pools. The group surveyed 1,501 adults, with 63 percent of respondents saying they participated in pools to "make it more fun to watch sports and follow the teams and players that you like."
The legality of such pools is in question in the majority of states. Sixty-two percent of survey respondents were unsure of whether bracket pools were legal. A legal analysis commissioned by the AGA, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group representing the casino industry, found that real-money sports pools, including NCAA tournament bracket pools, are "generally illegal" in 37 of 50 states.
In December, a large NFL survivor pool run out of New York was shut downafter federal agents seized documentation and money.
"Our current sports betting laws are so out of touch with reality that we're turning tens of millions of Americans into criminals for the simple act of enjoying college basketball," Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the AGA, said in a release.
The United States Supreme Court is reviewing the federal ban on state-sponsored sports betting and is expected to release a decision in the coming weeks that could allow for expanded legal sports betting outside of Nevada. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 restricts legal sports betting to only a handful of states, with only Nevada being allowed to take wagers on single events.
The NCAA opposes all forms of legal and illegal sports betting.
A record $429.4 million was bet on basketball -- both NBA and NCAA -- at Nevada sportsbooks last March. Nevada Gaming Control does not separate the amount wagered on professional and college basketball, so it's difficult to determine exactly how much is wagered on the NCAA tournament in the state. Last March, Nevada sportsbooks won $41.2 million off of basketball bets.
By 10 p.m. Sunday, a little over three hours after the NCAA tournament bracket was released, 1.1 million brackets had had been filled out in ESPN's Tournament Challenge. Last year, 18.9 million brackets were completed as part of the Tournament Challenge.

 

[Greenbacks]

Villanova, Virginia installed as Las Vegas favorites to win NCAA.

Virginia is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, but the Cavaliers are not the clear-cut betting favorites in Las Vegas.
At the Westgate SuperBook, Villanova is the favorite at 7-2 to win its second national championship in the past three seasons. Duke is next, at 5-1, followed by Virginia and Michigan State, which are each 6-1.
William Hill's Nevada sportsbook has Virginia and Villanova listed as co-favorites at 6-1.
No. 1 seeds Kansas and Xavier are 18-1 and 20-1, respectively, at the Westgate. Both have longer odds than No. 4 seed Arizona (15-1) and No. 3 seed Michigan (10-1).
William Hill's Nevada sportsbook on Feb. 24 took a $3,000 bet on the Wolverines to win the championship at 50-1 odds. The bettor would net $150,000 with a Michigan title.
Top-ranked Virginia began the season as a 100-1 long shot to win the national championship but went on to win the ACC regular-season and tournament titles. The Westgate took five bets on the Cavs when they were 100-1.
Five teams garnered more betting support than Virginia at William Hill U.S., Nevada's largest sportsbook by volume, including Michigan State.
The Spartans have seen the most betting support in Las Vegas throughout the season. Heading into tournament week, more money has been wagered on the Spartans to win the championship than has been bet on any other team at the Westgate and William Hill.
No. 2 seed Purdue is 12-1, and defending-champion North Carolina is 18-1. Kentucky, fresh off winning its fourth straight SEC tournament, is 25-1, along with Gonzaga, last year's runner-up.
NC-Greensboro, Penn and NC Central are 5,000-1, the longest long shots of any teams listed at the Westgate SuperBook.
Last March, $429.4 million was bet on basketball -- both the NBA and NCAA -- at Nevada sportsbooks. The books won $41.2 million on basketball in March 2017, making it the most costly basketball month ever for bettors.

 

[Greenbacks]

Missouri guard Jordan Barnett suspended 1 game after DWI arrest.

Missouri has suspended forward Jordan Barnett for the Tigers' opening game Friday of the NCAA tournament after the team's second-leading scorer was arrested for suspicion of DWI early Saturday morning.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said Barnett would be available for the Tigers if they advance past the first round.
"It'll be the next man [in] and we keep moving," Martin said Sunday, according to the Post-Dispatch. "It's what it is. We've managed to get to this point. You have Mike [Michael Porter Jr.] there in the fold. Jordan's out, Mike's in. I'm not sure how we'll start lineups. I don't know about that."
The eighth-seeded Tigers (20-12, 10-8 SEC) open the NCAA tournament against No. 9 seed Florida State (20-11) in Nashville, Tennessee.
Barnett, a senior from St. Louis, was pulled over by police officers in Columbia, Missouri, at 3 a.m. Saturday for a traffic violation. Major Brian Weimer of the University of Missouri Police confirmed to ESPN in an email that Barnett was charged with DWI and failure to drive within a single lane.
Barnett, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound wing player, is averaging 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this season. He struggled in Missouri's 62-60 loss to Georgia in the second round of the SEC tournament in St. Louis on Wednesday, scoring three points on 1-for-8 shooting.
Porter, a Missouri freshman and a potential NBA lottery pick, returned to play in the SEC tournament after a long layoff due to a back injury that required surgery. He hadn't played since the season opener against Iowa State in mid-November, took a game-high 17 shots against Georgia but made only five for a total of 12 points. He also tied for a team-high eight rebounds.

 

[Greenbacks]

Udoka Azubuike expected to return for Kansas' tournament opener Thursday.

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas coach Bill Self is optimistic that big man Udoka Azubuike will be available when the top-seeded Jayhawks open the NCAA Tournament against No. 16 seed Penn on Thursday.
The 7-foot sophomore hurt a ligament in his left knee on Tuesday, sidelining him for the ninth-ranked Jayhawks' run to the Big 12 Tournament title. He returned to the floor for a light workout on Sunday, and Self said he could practice with the rest of the team on Monday.
"His recovery he's made so far has been even more than what doctors and trainers had thought it would be," Self said. "We're very, very optimistic we'll have him this weekend. Whether we have him for Thursday -- 48 hours can make a big difference -- but we're hopeful he can play Thursday, and if we are fortunate enough to advance, we're even more optimistic he can play Saturday."
The Jayhawks begin their NCAA Tournament trek in Wichita, a couple hours' drive south of their campus in Lawrence. That means they should have a massive advantage for their first-round game against Penn and a potential second-round game against North Carolina State or Seton Hall.
Azubuike has been a dominant force in the paint this season, averaging 13.7 points and 7.1 boards while giving the Jayhawks their only consistent low-post presence.
"I don't know that he can be 100 percent," Self said after learning the Jayhawks' seed, "but there are a lot of guys who sprain an ankle and they're not 100 percent, and you still play because there's not a risk of hurting it more. But they still play because they're just a little sore."
Some of the pressure to get Azubuike back on the floor was assuaged with the emergence of Silvio De Sousa during the Big 12 Tournament. The 6-foot-9 forward, who joined the team after graduating from high school in December, had 16 points and 10 rebounds against West Virginia in the title game. De Sousa held his own against physical Mountaineers big man Sagaba Konate, giving the Jayhawks a certain toughness they might have lacked without Azubuike in the lineup.
"It could weigh into our decision" on how much Azubuike plays against Penn, Self said, "but we wouldn't put him out there before he's ready anyway."
As for the Jayhawks' draw in the Midwest Region, the affable Self stopped short of calling it a bloodbath. But he did point out that second-seeded Duke and No. 3 seed Michigan State join Kansas in the annual Champions Classic, and the trio was among the top four teams in the preseason Top 25.
"If Michigan State and Duke both play well," Self said, "they would be two of the heaviest favorites to win the national championship."
Kansas could be a strong contender, too, considering the road it would travel. If the Jayhawks get through the opening weekend in Wichita, they would head to Omaha for the Sweet 16, another short drive for the faithful and a site where the Jayhawks have been successful in the past.
"The advantage is your fans get an opportunity to come see you play," Self said. "We've never been to Wichita and look forward to doing that, but if we're fortunate to win two games, Omaha is kind of home-away-from-home during the NCAA Tournament.

 

[Greenbacks]

Texas tech has an easy pass to the sweet 16. Could possibly upset nova if that is a matchup

Tough road for Texas Tech.....Opening game will be tough.