TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE
- NCAA Selection Committee places UofL WBB as a #3 seed
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| Cortnee and Sara are surprised at the #3 seed. Aren't we all... |
When I arrived, I roamed the concourse level and got a chance to speak with Asia Taylor and Tia Gibbs before they went to court level to sit behind tables to sign fan items.
Both expressed an excitement about the event and the upcoming tournament. Both were looking forward to finding out where they would be travelling to in the first two rounds and were hoping Tennessee would be placed in the Louisville Regional...so they could play them.
I reminded Asia to smile (from Sonja). She really does have such a pretty smile, you know...
The girls got want they wanted..in terms of a potential, down the roadmatchup. Tennessee is in the Louisville Regional. The kicker is that UT is the #1 seed, West Virginia the #2 seed and Louisville is the #3 seed. I couldn't see...but I'm pretty sure Asia wasn't smiling after the announcement.
Call the cops. The Cards got robbed.
The NCAA Selection Committee beatdown of Louisville basketball continues.
There are those that tell you that there really isn't much difference between a #2 and #3 seed. If you do your work in the first two games by beating the seeded teams beneath you...you get to the regional. Those seemed to be pretty hollow words last night, though...when the Louisville Regional information was revealed. First, seeing UT as the #1. There were some Cardinal fans holding out hope for a #1 seed. Then, when the bottom of the Louisville bracket was revealed and West Virginia was displayed next to the #2 slot.
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| People were already seated when I arrived shortly after 5:30 |
And, WVU could have an arduous path as they try to reserve a date in Louisville on March 30th. and April 1st. They start in Baton Rouge against Albany...a squad that went 28-4. They'll most likely defeat "New Albany" (as one attendee joked at the show) and then have to face either a dangerous LSU squad on their home court or a Georgia Tech team that held its own in the rough and tumble future home of the Cards...the ACC.
Louisville, by comparison, doesn't have it quite as bad as they try to get back home. Idaho awaits the Cards in Iowa City on Sunday. Louisville will advance over them to take on either Iowa, a #6 seed that is on their home court or Marist...a squad that seems to get in every year and has a great coach in Brian Giorgist. Be advised that Tennessee will have a couple of tests as well once they skate through their first game in Knoxville. Southern Cal could give them all they want. Maryland and Texas are also in the top part of that bracket.
Time to go out and show the NCAA Selection Committee just how wrong they were.
paulie
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Anyone who really thought a #1 seed was possible was delusional.
ReplyDeleteI'm not happy with a #3 -- Cardinals deserved a #2 -- but there is really not much difference between a #2 and a #3. I know nothing about Iowa -- just looked at their schedule and they do show three double-digit home court losses to Penn State, Michigan State and Nebraska. Would you rather play them on their home court or LSU on their home court?
Hopefully Cardinals can prove that they're better than WVU on the court in a couple weeks.
I had no delusions that we'd get a #1. I think our body of work shows that we deserved it, but I knew we wouldn't. A 3 is a slap in the face, though. Motivation to make a point...again.
DeleteI'm more upset about Tenn getting the #1 line when they suffered some pretty bad losses...the same logic that was used last year to knock us down a seed line or two and now all of a sudden that logic doesn't apply to them? Disgraceful.
Not so much. We had one common opponent with UT this year, LSU. We beat them on our home court, UT lost to them on UT's home court.
DeleteIf anything our loss to UK really came back to haunt us. Had we pulled that game out and ended the season with only three losses all to UConn then we'd be a 1 seed. We got hurt because the other ranked teams we beat didn't stand up well throughout the season and UK pretty much did. No wonder Walz was more than unhappy after that loss.
I agree that there isn't much difference between a 2 and a 3 seed. We're just going to have to win out. Based upon what I've seen from our ballers since the seeding they're ready to go and don't really care who they play. We chased UT out of the tourney last year and I'm sure we can do it again this year.
Going to have to get hot to do anything at all, but we can get there.
Plain and simple disrespect. It matters not. This has happened before. Where were Louisville seeded last year? Where did they finish? Go prove it Cards
ReplyDeletethe real Joe Hill
Agreed...on top of the same to the men.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSJ8FC2qqSs&app=desktop
I LOVE this clip and will add it to the Right Side of the Site for permanent viewing! Good find, Burn!
DeletePaulie
I am not sure this is simple disrespect. There is another subplot going on. There are a lot of people in WCB that do not want more than one male coach at the Final Four, and last year having two male coaches defeat two female coaches was not good for the image of female coaches. This is not discussed openly but it is whispered about. I have heard it before from coaches in years past, but it seems to be coming up again.
DeleteUWV got the 2 seed but got a tougher road to the final four than any other top four seeded team. UWV also has a male coach. If both Louisville and UWV survive their subregionals, then they will play each other and that will eliminate one. Then Tennessee is supposed to eliminate the other, but last year Baylor did not get the job done.
In the end seeding cannot produce a desired result, so it is still open competition and that is what makes the tournament great. You are going to have to beat good teams no matter where you are seeded, and teams that look too hard for an easy path generally do not make it very far.
Interesting comment about the male coach thing. I don't know if I agree that the teams landed where they did due to the gender of the coaches. That said you are 100% right that the subject of male coaches in WCBB is a big political issue.
DeleteThere is a significant subset of female coaches and athletic administrators that definitely feel male coaches are becoming "overrepresented" in WCBB. They are particularly irritated with the ongoing success of Auriemma & UConn and his unwillingness to maintain politically correct positions on how he views the sport. This same group of folks also had a big problem when USA Basketball recently asked him to coach our national team for another four years.
I was never much of a Geno fan but he's such a hellava coach and administrator that it's impossible not to admire what he has done. Before he retires he will be the all time greatest coach in the history of WCBB. I'll be surprised if he doesn't end up with a dozen or more national championships. I'll also betcha that as the elder statesman for USA Basketball he had something to do with Walz getting a chance to coach at the national team level.
If anyone is interested here is an interesting column / interview with Auriemma that discusses women coaches in WCBB. It's pretty interesting that in spite of his pedigree this didn't get any national sports media attention.
http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/hc-jacobs-column-1222-20131221,0,5477211.column
I believe that Pat Summit, Muffet McGraw and Tara V. have a few national championships on their resume. Not buying the subset philosophy...but it is good discussion matter.
DeletePaulie
Um... looking at the bracket we are in a very good position to make a legit run, I'm not upset at all at the seeding.--Umatilla23
ReplyDeleteYup, they can win this bracket.
DeleteGiving UofL WBB a #3 seed is like waving a bright red flag in front of an already enraged bull
ReplyDeleteLOL. this may just be the best comment of the day.
DeletePaulie
Maybe this is what the committee wants, put some more fight into an already enraged bull. And to be in a good bracket we could very well be in the ship!! I'm hoping for the best!!! I know Natives and they have HEART!!!! and they will bring the team with them!!!--Umatilla23
DeleteI found this is an informative and interesting post so i think so it is very useful and knowledgeable.
ReplyDeleteJust watched today's ESPN 2 hour special where the portion highlighting how good UConn 's Dolson is with her passing from high post. Actually was funny as the play they broke down showed her traveling with the ball before the pass in a major way. Went from foul line area to standing in opposite direction with feet at the top of the key. Don't know what it would take for her to not have protection from moving screens, fouls and travels but it sure would change the complexion of a game.
ReplyDeleteMight not happen until the WNBA but they are not really doing her any favors in the long run.