2019-2020 College Basketball Discussion and Pick 'em Thread

[100% pro-life no matter what]

The preseason AP top 25:

1. Michigan State
2. Kentucky
3. Kansas
4. Duke
5. Louisville
6. Florida
7. Maryland
8. Gonzaga
9. North Carolina
10. Villanova
11. Virginia
12. Seton Hall
13. Texas Tech
14. Memphis
15. Oregon
16. Baylor
17. Utah State
18. Ohio State
19. Xavier
20. Saint Mary’s (Cal.)
21. Arizona
22. LSU
23. Purdue
24. Auburn
25. VCU

https://apnews.com/APTop25CollegeBasketballPoll

Well, the annual Champions Classic is going to be insane this year!

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Well, we can't be worse than 0-18, so here's to a new season!

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Kind of disappointed we're not doing the Champions Classic tomorrow!  The top 4 in the AP Poll are all squaring off- it should be an incredible way to open the season!!

#1 Michigan State vs. #2 Kentucky
#3 Kansas vs. #4 Duke

[100% pro-life no matter what]

I know I haven't been making picks (I'll start in conference play), but I'm coming here to note that this was Duke's first home non-conference loss in almost 20 years!  And, the way it happened was insane- kind of like how I always imagined the finish of the first 16-over-1 upset, instead of a 20 point final that lacked any real drama!

[100% pro-life no matter what]

It's time to accept that, one year after making history as the first SEC team in more than half a century to go winless in conference, we're going to do just that again.

The SEC losing streak stands at 23 and counting, back to the 2018 SEC Tournament.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

It's time to accept that, one year after making history as the first SEC team in more than half a century to go winless in conference, we're going to do just that again.

The SEC losing streak stands at 23 and counting, back to the 2018 SEC Tournament.

LOL! You are actually favoured in the final game of the season by 0.1 vs. South Carolina! Apparently 3% chance of one win or less. 0-18 would be an incredible accomplishment given the (terrible) quality of the SEC this year. You have four home opportunities against terrible teams to avoid it.

Does that take into account Nesmith being shutdown?  Between that and SC beating UK I can't imagine Vandy being a favorite in any system.

I agree.  After the close loss at Auburn, I expected to win 4-5 SEC games, but Nesmith's injury drastically changes things.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

As if this season couldn't get any worse, against our biggest rivals tonight, we lost our 1,080 game streak of making a 3-pointer, dating back to the introduction of the 3 point line.  We went 0-25 from the line and have now lost 24 straight SEC games, including the SEC Tournament.

Now, UNLV and Princeton are the last two schools that have made at least one 3 in every game since the introduction of the 3 point line.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON??

[100% pro-life no matter what]

As if this season couldn't get any worse, against our biggest rivals tonight, we lost our 1,080 game streak of making a 3-pointer, dating back to the introduction of the 3 point line.  We went 0-25 from the line and have now lost 24 straight SEC games, including the SEC Tournament.

Now, UNLV and Princeton are the last two schools that have made at least one 3 in every game since the introduction of the 3 point line.

Somebody named Maxwell Evans went 5-7 from 3pt line in the first half and has scored 25 pts as Vandy leads LSU 52-47 at the half.  Still wouldn't get too excited yet.

Now you can get excited

I didn't even watch the game because I had plans tonight, but imagine my shock when I checked my phone and saw the score!  Particularly against a team who was undefeated in the SEC.  Sports are weird sometimes!

[100% pro-life no matter what]

I've done amateur Bracketology for many years (since I was a kid).  Tomorrow, I'm going to do my initial projections and will post them here, if y'all like!

[100% pro-life no matter what]

2020 First Crack Bracketology:
Projected conference champs in bold and projected First Four participants in italics.

1 Seeds: Kansas, Gonzaga, Baylor, San Diego State
2 Seeds: Florida State, Dayton, Kentucky, Duke
3 Seeds: Seton Hall, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan State
4 Seeds: Creighton, Villanova, Oregon, Arizona
5 Seeds: Ohio State, Auburn, Colorado, Penn State
6 Seeds: BYU, Butler, Iowa, Wisconsin
7 Seeds: Marquette, Houston, West Virginia, Michigan
8 Seeds: Illinois, Texas Tech, Saint Mary's, LSU
9 Seeds: Stanford, Florida, Virginia, Oklahoma
10 Seeds: Providence, Northern Iowa, Indiana, Rutgers
11 Seeds: ETSU, Arizona State, USC, Utah State/Wichita State
12 Seeds: Xavier/NC State, Liberty, UCLA, Yale
13 Seeds: Vermont, Stephen F. Austin, Akron, North Texas
14 Seeds: Belmont, New Mexico State, Colgate, UC-Irvine
15 Seeds: Hofstra, North Dakota State, Wright State, Eastern Washington
16 Seeds: Little Rock, Winthrop, Prairie View/Siena, Robert Morris/North Carolina A&T

Last Four Byes:
Indiana
Rutgers
Arizona State
USC

Last Four In:
Utah State
Wichita State
Xavier
NC State

First Four Out:
Richmond
Cincinnati
Purdue
Mississippi State

Next Four Out:
Texas
Rhode Island
Alabama
Arkansas

Third Four Out:
South Carolina
Minnesota
Clemson
Memphis

Bids By Conference:
Big Ten: 10
Pac-12: 7
Big East: 7
Big 12: 5
ACC: 5
SEC: 4
WCC: 3
American: 2
MWC: 2