every game thread is gonna get locked the first time we’re in a bubble scrap bc we’ve at worst been a 7 seed if you count the projections from the cancelled year 
Our team this year is flawed. Most everyone who watches basketball a lot realizes that. So are others in the top 10. But we are still one of the top eight teams in the country. It’s gonna take a very good coaching job this year to mitigate what the successful defenses have done against us this year and get us back to the final four.
Once we get to the tournament, it’s going to be all about matchups… Hopefully the tournament will treat us better than the big 12 did with two big Monday games on the road sandwiched with a number 2 within an eight day period.
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its more about what region we land in since we’re already in that fringe 2-3 seed range
Don’t forget their 20+ blowout loss to NC State just last week. That same NC St team lost to Virginia by 30 yesterday and previously lost by 41 to Louisville.
Rising up to beat the same Duke team that Tech beat is fine, but you can’t just pretend the other stuff didn’t happen.
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That graphic with Illinois and Purdue higher than Florida, AZ and UH sure seems some big 10 bias. if it isnt the big12 may get knocked out and make it a big10 and duke final four.
Was bored. Decided to see which teams had the most top 100 wins according to KP. I then subtracted any losses to teams lower than 100.
18- Michigan and ARIZONA
17- Duke and UConn
16- IOWA ST and KANSAS
15- HOUSTON
14- Virginia, TX TECH, Florida, Bama
13- Illinois and St John’s
12- North Carolina, Vandy, Purdue, TENN, Neb.
11- BYU, ARKANSAS, NC State, Sparty
10- UCF, Nova, Wisc, Louisville, Miami, Kentucky, Utah State
Not only are we really good, our schedule is the toughest we’ve ever had. Proof is in our league has more 10+ quality win teams than any other.
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I cant prove this, but I think Houstons relative lack or marquis games has made it easier to place too much recency bias in the last few losses. Houston played well in Ames but some luck, a late hot stretch and favorable officiating did them in. Arizona came and won but Arizona can/would win on the road against a lot of teams. Then there is Kansas. Houston had a stinker, while Kansas played about as well as they could.
Does Houston have problems? Yes. Tugler/Sakho/Laith and or Cenac have got to figure out the paint. The guards also need to be better in looking to the inside as they have missed some WIDE OPEN slips to the basket these last few games. If Houston cant punish teams when they double opponents will continue to attack the perimeter with 5 on 4.
Everyone save maybe Arizona, Michigan, and Duke is flawed. When you look from the last #1 through the 3 seeds, there are a of warts. I actually think ISU has more issues than you do at the moment (admittedly we may both be biased against our own teams here 
)
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Injuries did the league in this year, but we could have had half the sweet 16 from the B12
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8 would be crazy since that’s probably what we’ll end up with but even with tech and byu being injured 5 feels pretty realistic
With the injuries, 5 does seems realistic, but TT and BYU were on a roll.
Tech can definitely shoot their way into the S16.
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Not without Toppin.
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BYU lost Saunders. Tech lost Toppin. I actually feel bad for both teams.
Depends on the draw, but they have enough shooters to get out of the first weekend, for sure.
Their backup bigs aren’t going to score much, but they don’t have to.
ugh, currently slated to play texas in the second round; yuck.
miami of ohio still an 11 seed, just no respect. one loss and they may not make it in.
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Texas isn’t good
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Texas is 16-11 vs DI. Their 17th win was against Chaminade because they lost in the first round to Arizona State on Maui.
Texas is 7-10 in quad one and two and has a bad loss. But somehow they are 40th in NET.
Meanwhile, UCF is 10-7 in quad one and two and doesn’t have a bad loss but is 44th.
TCU is 8-8 in quad one and two but 46th.
It’s all rigged.
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Live by the 3 die by the 3.
When we get to “The Dance”, everybody is good. Everybody.
Lunardi has us as a 3 seed in the South this week…
More SEC blather, too… but he does have TCU as a play in… 8 bids is about right for the Big 12 even though I think WVU or, dare I say, Cinci should have as much right to those play in games as any SEC team in the same bubble ranking.
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