UK Got Hosed

[02Ram54]

Outside of the selection of Atlanta as the region over St. Louis, here are my reasons that UK got absolutely no respect as the (obvious and clear) #1 overall team:

 

1) WKU

2) UConn

3) IU

4) Duke

 

These are the teams you would expect Kentucky to have to go through to get to the Final Four.

 

First, an in-state school that turned it on at the end of the year and would be absolutely desperate to beat UK and not just "happy to be there."

 

Second, a team with the type of inside-outside talent that has the potential to play with anyone in the country. The team and coach, while under-performers most of the year, have a ton of big game experience including a fairly big one against Kentucky less than a year ago... and they just happen to be from the conference whose teams give UK the most trouble in the tournament.

 

Third, one of the only two teams THIS ENTIRE YEAR that has already proven to themselves that they can beat Kentucky. That is no small factor, because this UK team win most of their games before the ball bounces. That wouldn't be the case here.

 

Fourth, it is not even remotely possible that the committee thought this was genuinely the worst 2 seed. In fact, the committee already admitted that they aren't. Any 2 seed isn't chopped liver, but in the regional final UK would most likely face a team that has the outside shooting and the coaching to hang with any team in the country.

 

UK got hosed. I would be losing my mind right now if Louisville had the kind of year Kentucky did and were "rewarded" in this manner.

[Zlatan]

Outside of the selection of Atlanta as the region over St. Louis, here are my reasons that UK got absolutely no respect as the (obvious and clear) #1 overall team:

1) WKU

2) UConn

3) IU

4) Duke

These are the teams you would expect Kentucky to have to go through to get to the Final Four.

First, an in-state school that turned it on at the end of the year and would be absolutely desperate to beat UK and not just "happy to be there."

Second, a team with the type of inside-outside talent that has the potential to play with anyone in the country. The team and coach, while under-performers most of the year, have a ton of big game experience including a fairly big one against Kentucky less than a year ago... and they just happen to be from the conference whose teams give UK the most trouble in the tournament.

Third, one of the only two teams THIS ENTIRE YEAR that has already proven to themselves that they can beat Kentucky. That is no small factor, because this UK team win most of their games before the ball bounces. That wouldn't be the case here.

Fourth, it is not even remotely possible that the committee thought this was genuinely the worst 2 seed. In fact, they committee already admitted that they aren't. Any 2 seed isn't chopped liver, but in the regional final UK would most likely face a team that has the outside shooting and the coaching to hang with any team in the country.

 

UK got hosed. I would be losing my mind right now if Louisville had the kind of year Kentucky did and were "rewarded" in this manner.

 

I respect your opinion on that, and while you have some points about how they have tough matchups, you have to play SOMEONE to get to the Final Four. I think it plays to their advantage that they are playing teams where there are inherent "story lines." It eliminates the "We can cruise here" (i.e. Kansas vs. Northern Iowa in 2009-2010) mentality of a "non-story line" game. It automatically gets your team ready to play, eliminates the cockiness, and can get your team up and ready to play every game.

 

I'll repeat it. You have to play SOMEONE.

[LRCW]

A potential UK/UConn match up is concerning, and anytime I see Duke I get nervous, but as a UK fan, I am very pleased with the job the selection committee did this year. Having to play UK in Louisville will be just about the same as playing UK in Rupp Arena for UConn or Iowa State. Indiana lost Verdell Jones for the year. A huge blow for the Hoosiers.

[LRCW]

For the record, I never thought a would see a UofL fan start a thread title UK got hosed. :lol:

[DragonFire]

It seems somewhat ironic to me that UK fans seem to be saying they're happy with their draw, or at least think they didn't get messed over, but others are saying they did. I look at it like this:

 

WKU - They may not be just happy to be there, but let's be real - they have a losing record and while they got hot they are still deficient at every position compared to UK.

UConn - The only game in the region that would scare me. So I won't dispute that one.

Indiana - I don't even think they'll be there. They lost Verdell Jones for the year, and most importantly they're not going to be playing in Bloomington. They were a mere 7-7 in road/neutral games. If they play Kentucky ANYWHERE but Bloomington, I don't think they can beat them. But as I said, I think Wichita State is in this game.

Duke - Duke was not the bottom #2 seed, but honestly, they're a 2 seed. You can't complain about who you get as the 2. If my options were Missouri, Kansas, Ohio State, or Duke, honestly, I'd take Duke.

[02Ram54]

I respect your opinion on that, and while you have some points about how they have tough matchups, you have to play SOMEONE to get to the Final Four. I think it plays to their advantage that they are playing teams where there are inherent "story lines." It eliminates the "We can cruise here" (i.e. Kansas vs. Northern Iowa in 2009-2010) mentality of a "non-story line" game. It automatically gets your team ready to play, eliminates the cockiness, and can get your team up and ready to play every game.

 

I'll repeat it. You have to play SOMEONE.

You sure do. Are you going to claim you wouldn't prefer these four:

 

1) ANY other 16 seed matchup.

2) Creighton, St Louis, or Southern Miss

3) Michigan or Louisville

4) Kansas

 

I would. I make those replacements in a heartbeat. So would Cal.

[16thBBall Fan]

I don't even thin UConn will beat Iowa State. Plus I don't think Duke will get there imo.

[ADopted ADmiral]

What number one seed got a better bid?

[LRCW]

You sure do. Are you going to claim you wouldn't prefer these four:

 

1) ANY other 16 seed matchup.

2) Creighton, St Louis, or Southern Miss

3) Michigan or Louisville

4) Kansas

 

I would. I make those replacements in a heartbeat. So would Cal.

 

 

I would rather player Indiana 100 times before I played Louisville again.

[Irish Cat]

I think it could bode well for the team. First of all there is no guarentee that UK will even have to play WKU, but given that no #16 seed has ever defeated a #1 seed, I don't think that facing WKU is anything to complain about.

 

Second, while Uconn could be very dangerous if they play up to their potential, they have showed that they just aren't willing to give that type of effort very often this season. The game will be in UK's backyard and hopefully the fact that 3 of the top 6 can remember what it felt like to be eliminated by this team last year, they will play with a sense of getting revenge.

 

Third, Plently has already been said about how the team has used the loss to IU and subsequent ESPN commerical for motivation all season. Well you can't ask for any better motivation than to be given the chance to right that wrong. Compound that with the fact that IU has lost a starter due to injury and I would like UK's chances in a rematch.

 

Finally, while you cannot over look Duke especially if Rivers is hot, they don't appear that they would match up well with UK's front line, and if anybody could contain Rivers, I'd like MKG's chances as much as anybody. I think Duke would struggle to guard Davis and Jones.

[02Ram54]

A potential UK/UConn match up is concerning, and anytime I see Duke I get nervous, but as a UK fan, I am very pleased with the job the selection committee did this year. Having to play UK in Louisville will be just about the same as playing UK in Rupp Arena for UConn or Iowa State. Indiana lost Verdell Jones for the year. A huge blow for the Hoosiers.

IU fans don't agree. Every Indiana fan I talk to hate to see it happen to the kid, but have felt for a while that IU is better with Jones playing as little as possible. Look at his usage later in the year, he hasn't played more than 24 since January.

[futurecoach]

Uconn scares me a little, but if UK plays like they can then they will be fine.

[LRCW]

IU fans don't agree. Every Indiana fan I talk to hate to see it happen to the kid, but have felt for a while that IU is better with Jones playing as little as possible. Look at his usage later in the year, he hasn't played more than 24 since January.

 

 

Have to admit that I haven't watched IU enough to argue with their fans, but they really don't scare me at all. Playing Louisville would.

[02Ram54]

I would rather player Indiana 100 times before I played Louisville again.

For the record, I never thought I would see a UK fan state that they would be worried about a rematch with Louisville. :sssh:

[02Ram54]

What number one seed got a better bid?

Glad you asked. The answer is UNC, no doubt.

 

1) Vermont/Lamar

2) Creighton

3) Michigan

4) Kanasas

 

Playing Kansas in St Louis is the ONLY negative compared to UK's draw. Turn that into the Atlanta regional, and there is no argument.