2014 OFFICIAL NCAA Tournament Thread: Connecticut wins the title
 

The thread will probably get to rest for another week but we're starting to get teams qualified. Also, I think the tourney thread needs to be "official" instead of "semi-official" :D

A few early notes:

• Harvard was the first team in
• Wichita State will enter the tourney undefeated
• Coastal Carolina is in the field for the first time in quite a while
• For Mercer, it's been even longer

Here's the conference tourney cheat sheet so you can keep up with all the AQers:
2014 NCAA Basketball Conference Tournament Schedule - CBSSports.com Brackets

Update 3/16:
Printable Bracket: http://www.cbssports.com/images/coll...ports-2014.pdf

Update 3/17:
Yahoo Pickem Group #1: College Basketball Tourney Pick'em - Yahoo Sports - Group Invitation
pwd: trout

Yahoo Pickem Group #2: College Basketball Tourney Pick'em - Yahoo Sports - Group Invitation
If that link doesn't work: Your pool ID# is 223177 and your password is: trout

SI

I'll just settle in here...

St. Joe's is offering a class on Bracketology.

SJU: PLS - Certificate Programs - Bracketology

Is Joe Lunardi going to explain how the key is changing your predicted field on Sunday once you start hearing inside info and then claiming you had the most accurate field?

I wonder where Larry Brown sits on the pecking order of all-time coaches. He's won an NCAA and NBA title, has over 2500 wins combined from the ABA, NBA and NCAA. The job he's done in two years at SMU is remarkable. They are going to the big dance for the first time since 1993. I just wonder how much his coaching wanderlust has affected his legacy.

Geez- anywhere that he's been longer than 2 years, he's been one of the last 4 teams standing at some point during his time there (Nuggets, UCLA, Kansas, Spurs, Pacers, 76ers, Pistons) except for a 3 year stint with the Bobcats (and he has their only playoff appearance).

SI

Good question...but nobody really ever talks about best overall coaches taking into account both NBA and NCAA work. It is always one or the other. Are there any other coaches who have had so much cross-over success?

I believe he is the only coach to win both an NBA and NCAA title.

I think that is correct. But how about coaches who have been highly successful at both levels (just not winning both titles)? Was Rick Pitino that bad in the NBA? PJ Carlisimo had nice careers at both levels but no titles. Got to the final game with Seton Hall. Getting Seton Hall to the Final 4 has to count for something!

I'm headed to the B1G Tournament for the 6th year in a row. I'm pretty pumped...this year I got seats behind the hoop and included in my tickets for the all session pass is all you can eat and drink (beer and wine) included.

I went a couple of years ago and some friends were disappointed there was no alcohol. Has that changed?

SI

The only section that will serve alcohol is the Legends Club. Found that out a few years ago when we were randomly talking to a guy on the concourse.

Well, this blows:
Joel Embiid of Kansas Jayhawks out indefinitely after getting second opinion - ESPN

We were already a weaker defensive team than normal but Embiid covered a lot of that up.

SI

Breaking news: A college football referee was arrested today at the Big Ten tournament for running naked onto the court and twerking on the referees of the final game of the day.

:D

The Leaders side gets nothing? How does this happen?????

Yup tough break for Kansas. They will get dropped a seed or two I would think. 3 or 4? Unless they run the table in the big 12 tourney. Then they still get a two.

HAHA! Considering my mentor (and NFL Referee) is most likely going to be doing some of the tourney games...I'm pretty sure he'll just beat my ass before the cops get to me.

Set up a pool on Yahoo. The first 15 million to register can also try for the Warren Buffet $1 Billion challenge.

Here's the invite link:
http://y.ahoo.it/6NmXlm6o

pwd: trout

Dola,

Looks like the billion dollar challenge is locked to a specific group. So your picks for the FOFC group would be a second bracket.

Clicking the link I get a "Sorry, the password for this group has changed."

Attempting to bring the party over here.

One of the best hours of the year about to happen!!!

don't forget to enter the March Madness IWS

IWS #213 -- March Madness and Stupidity (open until 6pm Central, Wed. 3/19) - Front Office Football Central

Me too.

Dayton-Ohio State in round one, lol.

Dayton has a decent path to the sweet 16 given tOSU and Cuse have been playing like trash lately.

Glad Dayton didn't get the play-in home game. I would have been upset as the other team that had to play them.

My boss is an alum of Dayton and season ticket holder. He said from what he has been told the committee will always bump Dayton up a line to avoid that happening.

NDSU makes it all the way to the 12 seed. They will play Oklahoma in Spokane.

Oregon- BYU. Over/ under 170 points?

Dayton, BYU, and Nebraska all in from the bubble.

Kentucky as an 8 is surprising. I had them pegged as a 5 or 6.

Jeez- Committee doesn't do Wichita State any favors

UK an 8 seed?!

Playing Kansas State seems like a tough first round match.

NC State?!?

Wow this is a brutal region.

Iowa, SMU, and Tennessee are holding their collective breath.

IF Wichita gets past UK, they likely have Louisville waiting for them. Brutal.

Who did Larry Brown piss off?

UK with a path to the sweet 16. Potential games against Wichita St and Louisville.

One of my best friends her in Cincinati is a huge Iowa fan, alum, born and raised on a farm. They play in Dayton in a play in game. About a 45 minute drive.

The kicker, his wife is due any day with their first baby and there is no way he is going up there.

Wow.

Louisville and MSU both 4 seeds

Iowa State as a Round of 32 matchup looks great for UNC!

Wichita State just got fawked

I think we will give OSU a game just due to adrenaline... But UD is one of the worst defenders of dribble penetration in the tournament, so I'd be surprised if the Flyers can pull it off. They commit a lot of fouls. But the fanbase is pretty fired up about it, as fired up as I imagine the team is.

I don't mind the Cincy match-up as a Harvard fan. Style wise, they are similar and our two best defenders are perimeter guys who have the size and will be tasked with shutting down Sean Kilpatrick.

MSU is a beast in that pod though for whoever wins the H-C game.

Lot of talk about how we can support NC State over X too. I bet there will be vocal fans for both sides on that game at the Arena on Tuesday night.

Try this one:
College Basketball Tourney Pick'em - Yahoo Sports - Group Invitation

It says I have to agree to accept text spam in order to sign up. I don't even know the number of my cell.

That is for the Billion Dollar challenge. You don't have to enter a cell for a regular bracket.

Dola,

I'm shocked SMU didn't make the tourney. I guess it was their non-conference schedule that kept them out.