WBN Kentucky Wildcat Roundtable: Let's play bracketology
By Paul Jordan
No Joe Lunardi here, but that does not mean that the WBN Roundtable gang can’t do their own version of “Bracketology”. You know the game, so lets play it with the panel.
What seed do you think Kentucky will get in the NCAA Tournament?
Greg Edwards, Wildcat Blue Nation: First off, let me say this, I looooooove tournament time. This is almost as good as getting a week on a beach in Tahiti for me. The Wildcats are going to take the SEC Tournament and get their 3 seed.
Ken Howlett: A Sea of Blue: If UK wins Sunday, then I say they get a three, if they lose, a four
Glenn Logan, A Sea of Blue: Three if they win the SEC, four if not.
Paul Jordan, Wildcat Blue Nation: I think UK has a three locked up now because of their RPI and strength of schedule regardless of what happens.
That said, how important is location going to be? Would you rather see UK as a high lower seed (say 4th) and play in Tampa and New Orleans possible or a low third seed and play out West?
Greg Edwards: And I think it might push them out to the West to get it (number three seed), but that is fine. The Cats love to come out of the West, and it should not have a big impact on the following that the Cats will have.
Ken Howlett: I would give up a closer geographical location for a lower seed.
Glenn Logan: I’d rather have the better seed than worry about the location
Paul Jordan: I disagree with everyone on this one. I will take the four seed if it means staying close to home. I know the BBN will show up wherever UK plays, but traveling across the country takes a tremendous toll on the team, especially if we play in California which is a three hour time distance. With such a short bench, I’d rather keep them on the East Coast and not have to make any mental adjustments like that. All it takes is one player to be thrown off by the time difference and possible jetlag.
I know it’s hard to say, but how far do you see Kentucky going in the NCAA without knowing the pairings? Are they a Sweet 16 team, Elite 8? You can base it on the last five games or an overall view of how they have played.
Greg Edwards: I believe that the Cats are going to make it back to the Elite Eight this year, and with just a little luck and a good draw, they might even get to the Final Four. I don’t see this team winning it all, simply because I dont think we can go that many rounds without coming up against a team with a lot of size and depth. And those things present serious problems for the Cats.
Glenn Logan: I think this team will get to the Sweet Sixteen. From there, everything else would be an upset.
Paul Jordan: I think the Sweet 16 is a definite goal, anything beyond it takes a lot of luck. Can they advance to the Elite Eight and even Final Four? Yes. But sooner or later, they are going o run against that big physical team. I hate to harp, but with the short bench, its hard to play foul free that may games in a row. We need someone on the bench to be ready to emerge.
How many teams do you see the SEC getting, and who?
Greg Edwards: I think the SEC is going to get 5 teams in, and maybe a sixth. Florida, Vandy, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, and maybe Tennessee. If there is a sixth team it will probably be Tennessee.
Ken Howlett: The SEC should get six teams — Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee — but that probably won’t happen, so I’ll go with the SEC getting five teams in
the Big Dance.
Glenn Logan: I see six. I think Georgia and Alabama will make it along with Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
Paul Jordan: Right now, just five. Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, Vandy, and unfortunately the Vols instead of Alabama.
What case would you make for your last team into the tournament from the SEC?
Greg Edwards: They have a decent body of work, and they have played a good schedule. They have some early season losses that were ugly then, but they are looking better now that teams like Oakland are going to make the tournament. And Pearl pretty much knows this may be his swan song, so they could go on a run. The question becomes, will the committee punish them because they believe that Pearl does not belong on the sidelines?
Ken Howlett: Alabama and Georgia are both firmly on the bubble with 78 and 45 RPI’s respectively. As far as ‘Bama is concerned it’s simple: Any team who wins 12 games in the SEC regular season deserves a bid. Georgia has wins over Tennessee, Kentucky, and Colorado, and double OT losses to Notre Dame and Florida, and a close seven-point setback to a very good Temple team. That, along with nine SEC wins, should be enough to get them in (although they are not playing particularly well right now).
Glenn Logan: I would say that Alabama deserves to be in because they won 12 wins in the league and 21 games overall. They were 5-2 against the East, and I think that record gets them in.
Paul Jordan: I would say all the things about Alabama that everyone else is saying. Unfortunately, I think they blew it by losing to Florida by 27 and gettin
g blown out by Kentucky today.
Besides Kentucky, what SEC team do you see making the most noise in the NCAA Tournament and why?
Greg Edwards: I believe that Alabama is going to make some noise, and might also be a Sweet Sixteen team. They present matchup nightmares for a lot of teams, and they are playing their best basketball right now.
Ken Howlett: Probably Florida. They have a well-rounded, experienced team. They can play at any pace, and have two guards in Boynton and Walker who are capable of getting their teammates involved through the drive and dish, collapsing the defense. Parsons is one of the most versatile players in the nation, and is really beginning to take more of a role offensively with the team. Macklin and Young are both strong, skilled players down low. And other than the Gator’s loss to UK (which nobody nationally is talking about, all they are saying is how well Florida has played over the last two weeks of the season), they are without a doubt playing their best basketball of the season right now
Glenn Logan: Florida and Vanderbilt are both built to go deep into the NCAA tournament. Both teams have good depth, good size on the front line and most importantly, very good guards.
Paul Jordan: Besides Kentucky, I would say Florida is the only one to make a deep tournament run. I think that Chandler Parsons is being underused and I would make him the primary option on offense. A wing player at 6’10 is going to cause tremendous problems, but I don’t get how his averages is so low. I would have him averaging at least 18 a game.
The Roundtable is going to take next week off but will return in a week or two.
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