Joe Lunardi First Bracketology
He has us as 7 seed? Nebrasaka is a 6 seed, what is this? I don't think I'm being too optimistic here when I say I realistically see us at 2-4 max in the B1G, with a much better non-conf. schedule than Nebraska..
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology
November 13th, 2014 at 4:52 PM ^
The 7-10 slots make it really difficult to get to the next week because you face a #1 or #2 seed in the second game. Luckily, Michigan will look like a higher seed by the end of the season. I would guess a #4 or #5 right now due to a few early losses, but I think most of us have learned not to place limitations on a John Beilein team.
I am guessing basketball is going to be another wild ride. Hopefully, it lasts all three weeks of the NCAA Tournament.
November 13th, 2014 at 5:02 PM ^
We said the same thing last year about being decimated. We will be a 5 seed at worst. Our guards are some of the best in the country.
November 13th, 2014 at 6:13 PM ^
Bracketology is worthless this time of year. And fwiw this team is very unproven. Let's see where we are in a month or two. Expect us to have some growing pains along the way...
November 13th, 2014 at 6:27 PM ^
Many of us, especially myself have been screaming that right now...we're a 7 seed. I set the over/under at 7.5 in a thread months ago.
That's OKAY. It's pretty realistic if you stop and think about it.
I know, In Beilein We Trust...but we're not going into this year with the same talent or hype we've had the past 2 where we've been preseason top 10. We're a bottom of the top 25 type team right now.
The "IN BEILEIN WE TRUST" meme should apply that you, like me, think we're going to develop and get better throughout the year. Which by all accounts, we will.
But we could very easily finish 3-5 in the B1G which puts us right around a 7-seed depending on the year as a whole. Personally, I think it's Wisconsin and then 4-5 teams on the next tier and 3-4 more on the next tier. I think the B1G gets 8 teams in this year and has a lot on the bubble come March.
Anyway, stop with the disrespect card. This is a fair assessment.
I keep saying, we're going to be that 6, 7 or 8 seed that NO ONE wants to play come March. Which is fine. Anyone remember who won the national championship last year? Remember what seed that team was?
RELAX.
I'm sticking to my prediction of 7-seed, win our first game and upset the 2-seed on our way to the Sweet 16. Lose in the Sweet 16 to the #3 seed.
That's still a VERY good year.
In '15-'16, assuming everyone returns but LeVert. I think we've got a Final Four team again.
You all have to realize that the best programs and best coaches have all had down years...UNC, Duke, UK, MSU, UCLA...all of them. It's really OKAY if Michigan is a 7-seed for one year before jumping back up to the top quad of the bracket.
November 13th, 2014 at 7:11 PM ^
How often is Lunardi ever accurate when it comes these absurdly early bracket predictions? Seriously
November 14th, 2014 at 1:20 PM ^
He leaves previous brackers posted all season...he's actually been very close on Michigan the past 2 years.
A 7 seed is nothing to cry about, it's actually very realistic from an unbiased point of view.
This is going to be the most frustrating season of Michigan basketball in quite some time...and not because of the team. But because of the fans. We've created this ridiculous expectation that just because of the past 2 years, we are now a lock to be at the very top of the league and you hear stuff like "we'll be no worse than a 4-seed."
Drives me nuts. Trey Burke's team was a 4-seed for goodness sake.
This is a different year and a different team. It's not a slap in the face that we don't get an automatic pass to the Sweet 16.
But back to my statement about this being a frustrating year. Some of you all have to scale it back, because it's you all that are going to freak out when we lose a game we shouldn't. Or when the team isn't playing as well as it should.
At some point some idiot is going to suggest that Beilein should retire and Jordan should be the coach, guarantee it.
Cal, Izzo, Williams, Coach K, Pitino...they've all had down years, and reletively recently. Calhoun, Boeheim, same thing. There's even been recent NITs in that group.
We have to chill and just be realistic about this. This team is going to have some growing pains. Bank on us just getting better every week, bank on us playing our basketball in March...that's what's going to be important this year. There's nothing wrong with us having a year like MSU or UConn did last year. Turned out pretty good for the Huskies. A team that was 2-3 and 5-4 at one point in the AAC last year.