Conference performance in the tourney so far
Every year I like to track how the conferences perfom overall in the tourney. I think it gives some indication of which conferences are the strongest. Seeding plays a big role, but I also believe this time of year you have to simply play the games and let the results speak for themselves.
For some reason (cough, cough ESPN) the SEC was getting a lot of love prior to the start of the tournament.
Weeeeeeelllllllll, why don't we take a look at how the conferences are performing so far in the tourney, shall we?
| Conference: | SEC | ACC | Big12 | B1G |
| # of teams in: | 8 | 9 | 7 | 4 |
| Seeds: | 3,4,5,6,7,7,8,9 | 1,2,2,5,6,8,9,9,11 | 1,5,6,6,9,10,10 | 2,3,3,5 |
| Round 1: | 6-2 | 5-4 | 4-3 | 4-0 |
| Round:2: | 2-4 | 4-1 | 4-0 | 2-2 |
|
Sweet16: |
0-2 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Elite 8: | Sorry, no more teams | 3 teams pending* | 3 teams pending | 1 team pending |
| Total record: | 8-8 | 10-5 | 9-3 | 7-2 |
* two of the ACC teams face each other for the Elite 8 today. Only one ACC team can make the Final Four due to bracket canabalization. (Yay!!! - good seeding and placement NCAA committee - my goodness you got something right!)
- Note: I do not count play-in games.
The Pac12 was 0-1 so they are not charted.
THE MVC IS 3-0!!!
The Big East had six teams. A collective record of 5-5. Only Villanova remains (although they are very good). This is the conference with two #1 seeds.
I could have waited to do this after today's games, but as the results show, there would still be nothing to talk about for the SEC.
The Big12 is doing quite well for itself given it's seeding disadvantage, but there are tough tests ahead for them to claim truly elite performance.
The ACC took a couple big hits and now finds itself in a weird position. Three teams left, but only one path to the Final Four and that path may have to go through Kansas playing basically a home game.
Sor those of you keeping score at home, with roughly half the number of teams in the tourney, if Purdue wins today, the B1G will be performing equal or better than the other major conferences (with a chance for more!!!)
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:55 PM ^
about the B1G but you should give up this whole "seeding" argument.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:56 PM ^
Nebraska did nothing to desrve a spot in the tourney. Their 13-5 conference record was an illusion based upon a weak Big Ten and an extremely favorable conference scheduke. Did you think MSU deserved a #1 seed becaues of their 16-2 conference record and only 4 losses on the season?
There's just not enough interconference play to determine that one conference is that much weaker or stronger than another. And what interconference play exists is mainly at the beginning of the year, usually not too relevant to March. Seriously, do you really think that Michigan at the beginning of the year is the same as Michigan at the end of the year?
Bottom line, it is ridiculous to leave out a Nebraska with a 13-5 B1G record and give the B1G only 4 bids while giving an average of TWICE that number to other major conferences. Oklahoma is just one example of an undeserving team from one of these other conferences.
Perhaps MSU as the regular season B1G champ did deserve a higher seed. I don't think so due to the lopsided B1G schedule but it seems that it was more deserving than the ACC regular season and tourney champ, Virginia.
but in no way shape or form did Nebraska get robbed. Records don't mean anything by themselves
Idaho went 14-4 in conference!! and 22-9 and overall which are prettier looking numbers than Nebraska. Weren't they robbed of a bid even more so than Nebraska?
No. Of course not. It's because it matters who you played and you beat. Nebraska didn't do enough
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:12 PM ^
The Big 12 certainly looks like it's for real. The B1G is fine, about what we expected--top-heavy and perhaps just a bit soft in East Lansing. I expect Purdue to have trouble without a fully-functional Haas, but that may be made up by Michigan advancing through the smoldering crater of the left side of the bracket.
May. Don't write off Florida State. They absolutely can win this game.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:13 PM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:25 PM ^
By what metric was the sec overrated? By seed their expected first round record would have been 7-1 and they went 6-2. Expected second round record would have been 2-4 and they went, wait for it, 2-3.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:54 PM ^
related to this analysis is that every single SEC player is sitting at home on their Barcaloungers eating Bonbons and watching the Lifetime Channel; while we're prepping for a game against the Seminoles.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:58 PM ^
By seed, they seem to be doing as expected, but the expectation is that they would lose to UVA, not Kansas St; Cincinnati, not Loyola Chicago; and beat FSU, Butler and Clemson as better seeds. aTm out-performed by beating UNC, and Florida lost to a better seeded team, but you cannot say that the other performed as expected by match up.
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:59 PM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:27 PM ^
I need help!
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:28 PM ^
They are bringing the conference down....
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:30 PM ^
March 23rd, 2018 at 12:39 PM ^
Seems like the B1G and ACC are about right so far.
I actually like that term - "bracket cannibalization".
I mean, if last week you had told me that 9 would be playing 11 for the South Regional matchup in the Elite Eight, I would have probably questioned whether or not we were watching the same sport, but here we are and I'll shut up about that now.
I looked at expected wins, SEC comes in at 8.5 (so a little under their expectation), ACC is 12.3, Big XII is 8.4 and B1G at 6.7 (both already over achieved)
Florida State is ACC.
Big 12 is strong. No denying that. K-State is bruising.
Just seems like the nominating committee wasted a perfectly good opportunity to create more chaos by letting 4 more small conference teams (UMBC or Loyola types) in instead of 8 mediocre SEC teams. I mean, Auburn got curb stomped, as well as TAMU and wasn’t the 5th seeded KY the winner of their league?
Sheesh, what a waste of seed...and I never like to waste seed. ;)
The SEC looked decent before the tourney. I expected KU and Florida to both make decent runs. In hindsight, it was a mediocre conference at best. Both 'Bama and A&M went further than expected, however (I was shocked that Alabama made it out of the first round).
The B1G was really top-heavy, and MSU was overrated even as a three seed that they were bitching about . PSU looks pretty strong right now and may have done some damage though. Nebraska failed to take care of any business and they were probably rightfully left out of the tourney.
Aren't there four ACC teams left?
Yep though Clemson is about to go down, leaving Duke, Fl. St., and Cuse. The initial post is also incorrect that only 1 ACC team can make the Final Four.