Buzzmaster

  (5:05 PM)

Sunday, the men's bracket was released. On Monday night, it's all about the women's bracket. ESPN holds its Selection Show at 7 p.m. ET and we'll be chatting about it starting at 8 p.m. ET. We'll finish with the selection committee chair Jacki Silar stopping by at 9:30! Join the chat!

Graham Hays

  (8:01 PM)

Happy Selection Monday! Or not so happy for folks in a bunch of places. But you've got me until 8:45, then Charlie Creme and finally selection chair Jacki Silar at 9:30. So basically, we're working our way from least intelligent to most.

Seth (TX)

Graham, what were you surprised about most in the NCAA Selections?

Graham Hays

  (8:03 PM)

I thought there were quite a few surprises this year. In terms of in/out, I was very surprised to see Georgia in the field and South Florida out. But the biggest surprise to me was how harshly Louisville was treated, dropping to a No. 3 seed and not getting to play in Bowling Green (in fact, having to play on LSU's court in Baton Rouge).

Shawn(Las Vegas)

Why did South Dakota State get a 7 seed, they are better then that! How far do you think they will go?

Graham Hays

  (8:06 PM)

That wasn't a surprise necessarily, but I completely agree with you. I thought SDSU deserved a No. 5 seed, might get a No. 6 seed but was probably headed for No. 7. They played as good a nonconference shcedule as they could, but I guess the lack of strength in the Summit ended up costing them. That's all I can figure. It's a tough draw playing potentially two Texas schools in Texas, but it's not impossible. I think the Jackrabbits match up pretty well against TCU, a team that doesn't have a dominant post game and can be handled on the boards. And as good as Baylor looked in the Big 12 without Danielle Wilson (and that was a heck of a coaching job by Mulkey), the Bears aren't the worst draw SDSU could get as a No. 7. They definitely still have at least a shot at playing into the second week.

Keith (AL)

What is the deal with higher seeded teams (Oklahoma, Duke, Auburn, Texas A&M, Louisville) having to play on a weaker team's home court in the second round? Shouldn't it be the other way around?

Graham Hays

  (8:07 PM)

That one can't really be pinned on the selection committee, in the sense that the return to predetermined sites this year pretty much tied their hands. We just ended up with a situation where a bunch of those host sites were in the middle of the seedings. It's unfortunate, but it's not unexepcted.

Michael (Dallas, Texas)

I, too, am a bit surprised by Louisville getting the 3 seed, but my thinking is in the"S seeding" curve, they were 8th, which would've place them in UConn's bracket, and they wanted to avoid a repeat of last year's 1/2 matchup between UConn and Rutgers. That being said, I was more surprised by Duke getting a 1 over Stanford, but that argument is nul because playing in Berkeley, should the two meet, will be a huge advantage to Stanford anyway. Your thoughts?

Graham Hays

  (8:11 PM)

You make a fair point, Michael. And the logistics of sites might have been nightmarish, but it just seems like they should at least be staying in Kentucky at Bowling Green if they're a No. 3. Anyway, I agree with you on Duke/Stanford. In some cases, I still think the 1/2 difference would matter, but the two sides of the bracket are really evenly matched over there (I'd almost rather play Ohio State at the 3 than Iowa State or Tennessee as the 4-5 in the Sweet 16). Duke-Stanford would be a fantastic regional final; my take is that Stanford has improved just a little more since the game earlier this season, especially with Pedersen knocking down more 3-pointers as a really underrared inside-outside threat. Throw in the location and I like the Cardinal.

Mickey (Albany, New York)

Can Marist beat UVA in the first round? Looks like the Cavs received a tough draw.

Graham Hays

  (8:13 PM)

When he has almost a week to prepare, I would not want to play one of Brian Giorgis' teams under any circumstances. That said, Virginia is a tough matchup for a young Marist team. I'm just not sure how they stay with Wright, Littles, etc. This might not be the year for the Red Foxes.

pilight (macon ga)

This is the first time in tournament history that Tennessee has been sent to a regional in the west. Do you think that will give The Lady Vols some extra motivation?

Graham Hays

  (8:14 PM)

I don't think so. Tennessee can't have any complaints about its draw. They could easily have been a No. 6 and could easily have been shipped somewhere other than neighboring Kentucky for the first two rounds.

Jason (Radford, VA)

How does VCU (2nd CAA- lost in Semifinals to JMU in conf. tournament) receive a 10 seed and Drexel (1st CAA- won CAA title) get a 12 seed??

Graham Hays

  (8:16 PM)

You know, I hadn't even noticed that disparity. Even if both got moved a seed line to accomodate other things, that still means they had them even to begin with. Sort of strange.

Curtis Florida

Why do you think USF got left out of the tournament while Villanova got in? USF beat Nova, Depaul and Rutgers all on the road, yet get left out in the cold. Whats up with that?

Graham Hays

  (8:18 PM)

I don't think it was either/or with Villanova. The Wildcats did enough to get in, but I agree with you on USF. It seems to me like wins at Rutgers, DePaul and Villanova, along with a win against Iowa makes for a stronger case than Georgia, which was hardly surging at 4-6 in its last 10 games.

Brian(Cincinnati)

Seems unfair that Xavier has to go to Spokane to play Gonzaga. Your thoughts?

Graham Hays

  (8:20 PM)

It's in Seattle, which is a decent hike from Spokane, but your point is valid. It's a tough draw in terms of the travel, but a 5 is still a good seed for a team out of the A-10 that didn't win its conference tourney. Good seed, bad draw, sort of evens out.

tina , los angeles

How come UNM was not selected but TCU even though lost in the first round of their conference tournament?

Graham Hays

  (8:22 PM)

Unfortunately, the split against TCU was the best thing New Mexico had going for it. It certainly had a case, but there just weren't enough road wins or big conference wins there to get off the bubble.

Phoenix Fan (Green Bay, Wisconsin)

I think UWGB has been underrated for many years under Kevin Borseth and now Matt Bollant. Every season they come out with a solid team. The only dock on this team is they didnt play anyone and the horizon is pretty weak but they did win 21 in a row. This group is experienced, went and i think poses a real threat to LSU. Besides having to play at LSU, what do you think of UWGB doing some damage in this tournament?

Graham Hays

  (8:23 PM)

If not for the pesky fact that it's in Baton Rouge, I'd love this draw for the Phoenix. Even with the location, it's a game they should be competitive in. LSU isn't going to bury them offensively, so it comes down to the Phoenix taking care of the ball and getting their shots. They were a little sloppy early in the Horizon final against UWM and a spell like that could be a killer against LSU.

Blake

YOU ARE ALL IDIOTS...... GO MARYLAND

Graham Hays

  (8:24 PM)

Blake has spoken.

Drew (Midland, MI)

Do you feel that this could possibly be the best UConn women's basketball team of all time?

Graham Hays

  (8:24 PM)

I feel like I hope we can wait six more games before having that conversation. We won't wait, but I can hope, right?

Mia (Modesto, Ca)

I think the Trenton region is the easiest region, when looking at the other regions. Do you think the trenton region is the easiest? If not who would you say!

Graham Hays

  (8:27 PM)

Tough question this year. We had to give an answer on quick turnaround after seeing the bracket, and my initial answer was Raleigh. It's a tough 1-3, if you believe Baylor is as good as it looked in the B12 tourney, but the middle of the bracket is pretty soft. But the more I look at it, I think Berkeley might be the easiest once you get past Duke-Stanford. Trenton seems pretty challenging to me. Cal has definitely faltered down the stretch, but that's a pretty tough No. 4, and FSU and A&M are going to be tough outs.

Steve (Boston)

Should Boston College feel snubbed by being left out of the tournament?

Graham Hays

  (8:29 PM)

Sure, they were close enough to getting in to justifiably feel snubbed. I agree with the committee on this one, largey given their so-so finish. But BC is going to be a team to watch next year with Swords, Picco and Murphy all back. Definite Sweet 16 material, if not beyond.

Kayla (Nevada)

Graham, can you type any slower?

Graham Hays

  (8:29 PM)

Y e ... s

Gary (Allentown)

They should expand the women's field. A team like BG deserves to go. They played great for three months of the season and have established a strong program. Just lost by four in conference championship. Big error not putting Prochaska in.

Graham Hays

  (8:30 PM)

Don't know about expanding the field. Seems like it's better to have the debate than have a bunch of mediocre teams, but I agree with you on Bowling Green. Tough break for them to lose in the conference title game for the second year in a row and have little to show for yet another regular season title.

kyle Great Falls Montana

what are your thoughts on the Pitt/Montana matchup. Anychance lagy griz pull off an upset?

Graham Hays

  (8:32 PM)

That's probably at the top of my list for potential upsets. I worry about Montana containing Pepper Wilson, who is huge in the post and really played well in the Big East tournament. And obviously, not many people contain Shavonte Zealous. But Montana has a great backcourt of its own and set itself up for this with some good nonconference games. Plus, while it's not necessarily right around the corner, Seattle is a much easier trip from Missoula than Pittsburgh.

Mona Rae--Seattle, WA

Once again the east coast bias comes in with Duke getting a #1 seed and Stanford a 2 seed. And could the committee make it any easier for UConn to get mto the final four.

Graham Hays

  (8:33 PM)

Hey, Stanford was my fourth No. 1 as well. But it's sort of tough to call East Coast bias when Duke beat Stanford head-to-head. There was a good case to be made either way.

pilight

Who will score more in the first round: Maya Moore or the Villanova/Utah winner?

Graham Hays

  (8:34 PM)

Ha, that's a fantastic question. I don't think Moore will be in the game long enough (although as 16 seeds go, Vermont isn't bad at all). So I'll take Nova-Utah.

Arthur (Franklin, Ky)

Is UT women playing in Bowling Green, Ky or Bowling Green, OH for their 1st game?

Graham Hays

  (8:34 PM)

Kentucky

Kyle (Omaha, NE)

Wow, a would love to watch the #4 Iowa State against #5 Tennessee in the 2nd Round. Those are two very well coached and scrappy teams.

James (Philadelphia)

How do you think the CAA Champion Drexel Dragons match up against Kansas State???

Graham Hays

  (8:36 PM)

Pretty well. Obviously, K-State still goes in as the favorite, but it seems like the 5-12 matchups, which are always such a hot topic in the men's tourney, could be more of a breeding ground for upsets than normal in the women's game.

Pat Champion (San Fran)

Duke also beat Stanford days after Hones went down. They aren't the same team.

Graham Hays

  (8:37 PM)

Neither is Duke. Again, I agree with the Stanford lobby, I'm just saying Duke has a pretty good case as well.

Kurt (Cleveland, OH)

Speaking of Bowling Green...how a team dominates their conference all year, wins 25 in a row, is ranked just last week and loses in the final seconds of their final and gets snubbed because of it is a complete joke!!

Graham Hays

  (8:39 PM)

It is a joke, but as much of a joke because keagues like the MAC insist on having conference tournaments as on the selection committee. You want the regular season to mean something? Fine, don't have a conference tournament just because everyone else does. Why those leagues insist on sending less than their best to the biggest show in the sport baffles me.

Destinee Briskey (Anniston, AL)

I think that Auburn is way underated. I believe that they are very capable of beating UConn and can take the whole thing home. If Dewanna Bonner and Whitney Boddie play good this whole tournament. It is over!

AU B-Ball Fan (Auburn,AL)

What was the NCAA Selection Team thinking? Thanks for making Auburn a #2 then giving no respect by shipping us to the "Garden State".. I smells from here!

Graham Hays

  (8:41 PM)

If both get past the first round, that Rutgers-Auburn second-rounder might be the best of the opening week. Rutgers played much better down the stretch, and watching Hobbs try to contain Prince would be fantastic. If Boddie handles the press, I'm not sure who checks Bonner for the Scarlet Knights.

doug, Jackrabbit city

Too bad the Miners of UTEP couldn't make it; who do you think got left out?

Graham Hays

  (8:43 PM)

Jackrabbit City is a great place. In order, I'd say the snubs run: South Florida, Bowling Green, Illinois State, Boston College. But I'd only get loud about the first two.

Miner (San Francisco)

All the teams that aren't in the field got left out

Felicia (Ingram)

Is Purdue capable of beating Oklahoma. If you don't answer this one I'm going to tell everyone I know that this is a simulation and only Espn Employess can participate.

Graham Hays

  (8:45 PM)

Just for Felicia, yes, I actually have Purdue as a Final Four sleeper (beyond the top three seed lines). The loss to OSU aside, I think they're coming together at just the right time, with Malone healthy at the point and Wisdom-Hylton and Howell healthy and rolling. That said, I did pick OU to go St. Louis.

Graham Hays

  (8:45 PM)

And with that, I turn things over to Charlie Creme! Thanks all.

Charlie Creme

  (8:46 PM)

You have all been here and I'm just jumping in, so be nice to the guest.

Dan (vermont)

I know Vermont was a 3 seed in the America East. But Are they the weekest team in the tournement or did they get jobed haveing to play Uconn? there is some good history of womens basketball in the Am East and at vermont.

Charlie Creme

  (8:47 PM)

I don't think Vermont is the weakest teams in tourney, but they are among them. Getting stuck with UConn had more to do with geography and keeping them close to home

Jane Rock Hill SC

Who makes these picks ? Auburn to New Jersey to play Rutgers possibly on their home floor....the " honor" of the #2 seed It is crazy

Charlie Creme

  (8:49 PM)

i know people are going to complain about this stuff, but look around the bracket. Baylor is the only two seed not in the same situation. Two No. 1 seeds are in that situation. Two No. 3's same situation. So, there wasn't much the committee could do. It just is the nature of having host school's and so many of them being in the 7-10 seed range.

Julie (ohio)

Iowa State vs Tennessee. Who do you like? Great match up potentially....think this is ISU's year to get to the sweet 16....great team chemistry and awesome coaching!

Charlie Creme

  (8:50 PM)

That should be a good one. I'd lean toward Tennessee right now, although earlier in the year I said the Lady Vols wouldn't make it to the Sweet 16. I would not at all be surprised should Iowa State prevail there.

Jennifer (Denver,CO)

Charlie, don't you think Duke's placement is ironic! They've played Tennessee and Stanford and have the possibility of playing Michigan State and even Texas. McCallie is from Michigan State, where Duke is going this weekend. Gail went off to Texas. Again I have to say ironic! Also, funny that Duke is the one seed that has to travel so far!

Charlie Creme

  (8:52 PM)

Having done a ton of these brackets myself situations like the Duke in Michigan State or in the same region as Texas and Tenn is just that -- ironic, and nothing more. Too many other factors go into placing teams in the bracket to intend to make storyline matchups. The travel thing is a natural. They were the 4th of the No. 1 seeds, so they had to go to Berkeley.

Kevin (New Jersey)

If both Rutgers and Auburn make it past their first round games, who do you think would win that matchup?

Charlie Creme

  (8:53 PM)

I still like Auburn.

Chris(NYC)

How comes the men and women's brackets are so different? The Drexel/VCU catastrophe, Bowling Green exclusion, and absolute disrespect for Marist would be an outrage for the men. In the women's tournament it's "I hadn't even noticed" Something needs to be done - shake the committee up or something.

Charlie Creme

  (8:55 PM)

The Drexel/VCU thing is hardly a catastrophe. Remember, entire body of work goes into this and Drexel's non-conference RPI was near 100 and they lost four games to teams outside the top 100. So it's not that crazy that VCU would be seeded the same or higher. I suspect one of those teams was moved a seed line to accommodate a principle or procedure of bracketing. I had Marist as an 11 so I don't see them as a 12 as disrespect. They lost some games they shouldn't have.

Todd, Rapid City

So why not toss the "host schools" system and go the the pod system we see on the men's side?

Charlie Creme

  (8:57 PM)

Great question. i think everyone involved in the game would love if that could be done, but economics don't reasonable allow it. We saw over the last few years where there were 8 cities for the first rounds and not the current 16, resulting in fewer true neutral site games. Attendance was not good and getting worse. The game still needs to be built so it needs games with high attendance.

Scott (MD)

East Coast bias? Stanford may end up being better than Duke, but Duke has a far and away better resume. Plus, Stanford will probably get to play an ACC team on the west coast just like last year where it won't matter whether they're a one or a two seed.

Charlie Creme

  (8:58 PM)

Scott I'm glad you provided the counter argument. I get really sick of the east coast bias assertion. Stanford traditionally has gotten plenty of geographical and travel advantages and Duke's resume was a bit better.

Mike (New York)

Which 5-12 matchups do you think have the best chance of being upsets???

Charlie Creme

  (8:59 PM)

I would go with Gonzaga as the best chance.

Joe, Los Angeles

How did ND get a 7 seed? They have 8 top 50 wins, and a 15 rpi and 18 sos. This seemed pretty low to me.

Charlie Creme

  (9:00 PM)

I had them as a six. 7 maybe a little low, but I also have felt that ND has been a bit over ranked all season.

Eric (St. Louis, MO)

I'm stoked about going back to the final four. My brother and I went last time it was in St. Louis. I think the committee did a great job with bracket overall. My question is about the 16 pre-determined sites. Is this something that the tournament is going to keep? Is there a pool of cities that are eligible? Are they randomly selected? What goes into all of that?

Charlie Creme

  (9:02 PM)

Host schools have to bid and then each is evaluated by the NCAA. The NCAA is always trying to make the tournament better, so it might stay around for a while or it might not. It will be around for at least the next few seasons I would imagine.

Todd, Rapid City

So we sacrifice neutrality and an equal playing field to put butts in seats? Sounds legit to me.

Charlie Creme

  (9:03 PM)

I understand the frustration, but there is a reality to consider. The tournament would cease to even exist if there wasn't any attendance and they can't put it on for free. It's a difficult balance and the bests attempts are made to meet it.

Ryan (Chamberlain SD)

Charlie, SDSU played a whale of a non=conference schedule. Their companion school USD almost beat UNC yesterday. Yet SDSU gets sent to Lubbock Texas to play TCU, and if they beat them Baylor. Where, pray tell, is the fairness versus the committee's power conference bias?

Charlie Creme

  (9:06 PM)

Understood, but there isn't a bias in that room. There is no time for bias. I did think SDSU would be seeded a bit higher, but certainly they aren't the only school playing games away from home. Stanford might have to play at San Diego State. What happens to teams like SDSU is that because they have more flexibility to be move wherever because there won't be any conference conflicts in the bracket. So schools from multiple bid leagues are sometimes forced by the rules to only be placed in one or two places. SDSU is the team to help avoid those other bracketing conflicts. There is really no way around that.

Jim (Wilton, CT)

Do you think is fair for #8 Florida to face #9 Temple in Storrs? The return of Tonya Cardoza to Storrs (now as head coach) will be like the Owls getting 10,000 fans at a home game.

Charlie Creme

  (9:08 PM)

I'd love to say that the committee could do all it can to make sure all these details are accounted for. And this one may have even been brought up. You'd be amazed how much is discussed. But there are so many other firm rules and factors that have to be considered and followed first that these types of cases are hard to avoid.

Tina (Maryland)

The Drexel Dragons as a team are a great story, especially with Nicole Hester and her battle over Hodgkin?s Lymphoma...What do you think their chances are of upsetting Kansas State and being a cinderella???

Charlie Creme

  (9:09 PM)

I'll say they could be very competitive, but I don't think Drexel will ultimately pull an upse there.

Thomas (NC)

I'm very curious in what you think that Rutgers would have to do to beat Auburn? I know RU is down this year but i have the feeling they can pull off the big upset.

Charlie Creme

  (9:10 PM)

This may sound obvious, but Rutgers will have to win with stifling defense. It has no chance to outscore Auburn. If the game gets much above 60, Rutgers won't win.

Dan (Tampa, FL)

How does an 18-13 Georgia team get in, while a 22-10 USF team with a 41 RPI sit out?

Charlie Creme

  (9:12 PM)

I know there a lot of people upset in South Florida. I had them in and still would. The committee pointed to there weak non-conference schedule. I don't agree. VCU didn't beat anyone in the non-conference either and their overall schedule wasn't better. I do disagree with the committee USF, but it's not that big of an ommisson.

Jack (Morgan Hill, CA)

How can the current nationally ranked #2 team (both polls) not be a #1 seed in one of the brackets?

Charlie Creme

  (9:14 PM)

Because the polls have no bearing on this. The polls are just an opinion. There isn't nearly the work done on the polls as there is on the selection process. To ask that you are essentially the polls should carry more weight or be the baseline on which we look and given how most of these polls are conducted that would be absurd.

tadobson1953 (Ohio)

I feell the committee did a farely decent job of putting the right teams in the tournament. The placement however is more than trying to keep teams clser to home

Charlie Creme

  (9:16 PM)

Agreed on the committee's choices, but the placement of team's is based on geography. That is the first thing identified. That's without question. I've seen it in action and the bracket do actually bare that out. But, remember, not every team can be right next door. There are four sights in the MTN of Pacific time zones and the majority of schools in this country are east of the Mississippi.

Phil (Dublin, GA)

I was truly shocked to see my Lady Dogs in the bracket. Do you think their hosting of 1st and 2nd round games in Duluth, GA played a role in putting them in over USF?

Charlie Creme

  (9:18 PM)

I can't believe it took this long to get this question. The answer would be no. There is too much at stake for the committee and its credibility. If that were known to be breached they would have wild problem on their hands. There is just too much scrutiny on the process these days.

Patrick (reading,PA)

The fact that Auburn has to play Rutgers on their own court if they get to the second round is rediculous...and it should be pinned on the selection committee...could they not have put Rutgers in another pool...where they wouldn't(and dont deserve) such an advantage>??

Charlie Creme

  (9:19 PM)

Patrick, where would you have place them. Really look at the bracket. RU is hardly the only host school. #6 LSU is a host, #10 San Diego State is a host, #7 ND is a host, #11 Georgia is a host, #9 Michigan State is a host, and so on. You need to look at this with a broader eye if you are going to criticize. That's what the committee has to do.

Kathy(Lebanon, Ky)

I agree with Jack..Stanford should have been a 1 seed. This should give Tara some edge in motivation and kick some butt and get to the final four. Sometimes I believe this committee consist of people who know nothing about the game.

Charlie Creme

  (9:21 PM)

That simply isn't true. Members on that committte watch more basketball than most of us will in five years. 1700 games were viewed by committee members this year. I try to keep up and it's impossible. Every once in a while I like to check out the Cartoon Network.

Cindy (Des Moines, IA)

Now that you've had a chance to study the bracket, what do you see as the biggest potential upset brewing in the tournament?

Charlie Creme

  (9:22 PM)

Maybe Gonzaga over Xavier or Purdue over NC in the 2nd round. I'll even give Montana a shot against Pitt.

Steve (NYC)

Do you think that Rugters hosting the first and second rounds had anything to do with their seedings? If they would have been an 8 or 9 seed they would have to play the 1 seed on Rutgers home court and that would be a disadvantage to the 1 seed. Do you think that had anything to do with them getting the 7 seed?

Charlie Creme

  (9:23 PM)

Some years I might say yes, but since Iowa and Michigan STate are also hosts in the 8-9 seed level there was no wiggle room. 2 no. 1's are already playing potential second round games on the road.

Todd, Rapid City

So what we are getting out of this is that the placement system is broke, right? The committee has a lot to think of and the host system bolsters attendance, that can't be ignored, but it can be improved. There must be some impetus to get this right and keep the tourney financially solvent.

Charlie Creme

  (9:25 PM)

Todd, there is. Absolutely. No one wants this tournament to be fair any more than the women's basketball people at the NCAA. If you've noticed they have tried a bunch of different things over the past decade. That should tell you that they are trying to do everything they can. I wouldn't say it's broke. It isn't ideal, but you no what, while it might be better, it's not ideal on the men's side either.

Charlie Creme

  (9:26 PM)

If got 5 minutes left before the committee chair jumps on in.

Pulitzer, Kingston, RI

so xavier is ranked and because they don't win thier conference tournament---they go to seattle and they get a 5 seed in what is the 7th best conference in the land...Wow

Charlie Creme

  (9:27 PM)

What seed would you have expected for Xavier? EVen winning the A-10 tournament would have given them no better than a 4.

Tim (Phoenix, AZ)

Arizona State vs Georgia. Could be interesting without Dymond Simon. Thoughts? Could ASU get past both Georgia and FSU (Assuming Florida State wins?)

Charlie Creme

  (9:28 PM)

It's possible. That would be a fun game. I wish we could have seen a little more of ASU without Simon. Evaluating them is hard at this point. But they have great depth.

C. One (Spur, Texas)

Should Texas A&M face UConn in the Elite 8, what % chance would you give them of knocking off the Huskies?

Charlie Creme

  (9:28 PM)

2.1%

C. One (Spur, Texas)

Should Texas A&M face UConn in the Elite 8, what % chance would you give them of knocking off the Huskies?

Charlie Creme

  (9:28 PM)

2.1%

Jimmy - Connecticut

Do you think there is any chance that we could see Sacred Heart make an upset in this tourney. They went undefeated in The NEC Regular Season, Capturing the title and have what seems to be great Senior Leadership..... Is it too much to ask for a little luck?

Charlie Creme

  (9:29 PM)

Sacred Heart has a tough mountain to climb beating Ohio State in Columbus. It's not to much to ask for a little luck, but you will need it.

Brad (Gainesville, FL)

Why do you think the committee put Florida at an 8 seed?

Charlie Creme

  (9:30 PM)

That's right around what they deserved. I had them as the last 7 seed, so that's really only one spot on the s-curve difference.

Brandon (VA)

Should Maryland and Louisville advance, who would you give the edge to in the Elite 8? You have Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver for Maryland, but are they enough to overcome Angel and what she can do?

Charlie Creme

  (9:31 PM)

I would go with Maryland. They are playing better than anyone right now other than UConn of course. But my opinion could change with three games in between.

Charlie Creme

  (9:31 PM)

That's all for me. Thanks everyone for some great questions. Go easy on committee chair Silar, please. Enjoy the tournament.

Buzzmaster

  (9:31 PM)

We'll have Jacki Silar coming up shortly, everyone!

Jacki Silar

  (9:33 PM)

We are very pleased with the bracket that we have put forth. The committee has worked long and hard over the past four days in Indianapolis, and we're extremely pleased with the discussions. The committee has viewed almost 1,700 games. It lends itself to lively discussions, which we don't always agree on. We came to a conclusion on what we feel is a very strong bracket as we move into the championships in St. Louis.

John (Agawam MA) [via mobile]

Good job with the bracket. I do have 1 question though. Why was Louisville not kept in a Kentucky site?

Jacki Silar

  (9:35 PM)

After we select the teams, we seed them, then put them in the bracket according to seed order. They are dropped into the closest available regional site to their campus. Then, over the 64 teams are placed into their bracket, the first and second-round sites are placed in. They are in Baton Rouge because LSU is a pre-determined first and second-round site.

Mike (Anytown, USA)

Who were the last few teams eliminated, and/or who were the teams toughest to eliminate?

Jacki Silar

  (9:37 PM)

It's difficult to talk about individual teams who were eliminated. We look at 297 possible teams available for at-large selections. We look at these teams, compare their body of work and resumes, and look at lots of other factors. We try to find teams that have distinguished themselves, and they are the teams put in the bracket.

Seth

Jacki, why did the committee choose either a VCU or Georgia over South Florida and Boston College. I know you've been asked this question many times, but I think you did a great job this year! It really is one of the better years.

Jacki Silar

  (9:40 PM)

Thank you, we appreciate that. We're feeling pretty good about the bracket. Let me give you some facts regarding VCU and South Florida. We look at many factors--VCU finished second in the Colonial regular season, finished 10-2 in the past twelve games, had five wins vs the top 100 teams, including a win vs. Liberty. What you have to remember is there is a grouping of teams considered, so I don't want to imply these three were compared only to one another. South Florida, 22-10, 9-10 vs. top 100 teams, and finished 7-5 in the last 12 games. Their non-conference strength of schedule was 264. Georgia had 9 wins against the top 100 teams, and they had quality wins against Auburn, Florida, Vanderbilt, and MS State. They did have an early loss to Detroit, obviously considered by the committee. Boston college went 3-11 vs. the top 100, and 0-8 vs. the top 25, and they finished 5-7 in the last 12 games, including a loss to St. John's. They lost in the QFs of the ACC championship.

Jackie (Glastonbury, CT)

How do you all complete the bracket so quickly when there are tournament games being played through sunday evening?

Jacki Silar

  (9:43 PM)

The last game in the Pac 10 championship ended at about 11:00 Sunday night. We had a bracket with contingencies regarding the outcome of various conferences. There's 24 hours in a day, so we worked very late on Sunday night to put forth a bracket. Looking at our bracket again, we studied it until the afternoon, so it gave us plenty of time. Late nights, early mornings. Not much sleep!

Keith (Rockingham, NC)

Thanks for putting UGA Lady Dawgs in!!! Do you enjoy the process of seeding and picking of the teams?

Jacki Silar

  (9:45 PM)

Absolutely! We watched 1,700 games throughout the season. It's the most important part of our job--the selection, seeding, and bracketing. There are long nights, early mornings, but we have a very veteran committee, a group of individuals with a lot of experience in basketball and have been on the committee for a long time. We get along very well but are not afraid to challenge each other. I can speak for the entire committee--we do enjoy this part of our job.

Miner (San Francisco)

Convince me there is a chance that some team could maybe, kinda, sorta, possibly have some semblance of a chance to at least hang with UConn for a half. Otherwise, I cannot watch the tourney. Thanks.

Jacki Silar

  (9:46 PM)

UConn has had a tremendous season. They've played a tremendous schedule and went undefeated. I know that they are very excited to have the No. 1 team, but I would not want to speculate on the Final Four teams. That's why we toss the ball into the air!

Jacki Silar

  (9:47 PM)

That's why March Madness is March Madness. Anything can happen!

Jeff (FL)

Jacki, when you determain the brakets, do you look more at a team's SOS or RPI?

Jacki Silar

  (9:48 PM)

Both of those are part of our criteria. It depends on the individual committee member and how they rank RPI or Strength of Schedule. Each committee member weighs that differently. There's probably 15-18 factors we consider...those are just two of the many factors.

Todd, Rapid City

So being from Duke...have you ever spent a night in Kryzewskiville?

Jacki Silar

  (9:50 PM)

I can honestly say that I have never stayed. However, I walk through or around it almost every day. It's a great experience for undergraduates at Duke. I think almost every undergraduate at Duke spends at least one semester there. Parents don't like it, but students do---they sleep in a tent the whole semester, and it's crazy!

Eric (St. Louis, MO)

Is there any thought as to what 1st and 2nd round sites feed into which regionals?

Jacki Silar

  (9:52 PM)

We place the teams in the bracket according to seed order, closest geographic proximity to the regional sites. Then we drop in the first and second round sites after the teams are set.

Bill (PA)

Jacki, since you are currently working and have been working at Duke for a long amount of time, were you any part of the discussion of making Duke a 1 seed?

Jacki Silar

  (9:53 PM)

No I was not. When the No. 1 seeds were discussed, because Duke was a part of the discussions, I had to leave the room.

Jacki Silar

  (9:53 PM)

And also, when the vote happened, I was unable to vote at that time.

Miner (San Francisco)

On a given night during the regualr season, how many games do you watch? Do you watch them tip-to-buzzer? Considering the 1700 total you mentioned, is TiVo your best friend? Would it be possible to watch as many games as you currently watch without the advent of the dvr?Thanks....by the way, Jacki is my grandma's name, and she spells it the same. Awesome

Jacki Silar

  (9:55 PM)

It depends on what teams are playing, the time, if it's in the beginning, middle, or end of the season--personally, I watched almost 180 games, maybe more, with all the conference championships in there. We don't always watch tip-to-buzzer, depending on the game, but TiVo is our best friend, without a doubt. And also, when we're watching these games, we're not just watching the game, we're watching the officials, players, who's available, who's injured--a lot of factors go into it.

Jacki Silar

  (9:55 PM)

And a shout-out to your grandma, who spells her name like I do!

Jacki Silar

  (9:57 PM)

I appreciate everybody joining us tonight. We're really looking forward to the games starting this weekend, and to the championship in St. Louis. This is a great opportunity to get out there and watch high-level women's basketball at one of our 16 sites across the country!