Open Question for all - Is this season shaping up really similar to the 2010-11 Final Four team ?
I'm not really saying this team is a lot like the 2011 team, just that the outcome of the season is really similar so far.
2011 - (8 overall losses heading into the NCAAT) 6 SEC road losses ; 2 losses outside conference play - vs UConn in Maui and @UNC***
2022 - (With one game left in the reg. season, 6 overall losses) 4 SEC road losses ; 2 games lost outside conference play.
2011 - @UNC***75 - 73 ; 2022 - @Notre Dame 66 - 62
2011 - @Arkansas 77 - 76 in OT ; 2022 - @Arkansas 75 - 73
2011 - @UGA 77 - 70 ; 2022 - 2022 - @Auburn 80 - 71
2011 - @Alabama 68 - 66 ; 2022 - @LSU 65 - 60
2011 - @ Ole Miss 69 - 71; @ Florida 68 - 70; ; @ Vandy 81 - 77
2011 - (neutral court) UConn 84-67 ; (neutral court) 2022 - Duke 79-71
2022 - @ Tennessee 76 - 63 (feels like the UConn loss as the worst loss this team will have this year)
We could win out, and still only get a 2 seed. How that is possible, with the schedule we've played, I can't say, but it would undoubtedly HAVE to make us the strongest 2 seed (probably in the history of the NCAA tournament ) ... and then stick us with Duke (?!) to make the selection committee's fantasy a reality. I'd like us in any rematch against Duke this year, don't get me wrong. But this year seems awfully similar to 2010-11, just that this year, we will have done better, even if we lose at Florida.
It has the same feel to it for me. So far, just better. Very similar seasons, the way it is shaping up.
Of course, lose @Florida, all bets are off where our seeding goes, IMHO. Just like in 2011, they would hit us hard and drop us to the end of the 2 seed line IF we lose to Florida and even if we win the SECT, the 2 seed surely would be the limit for us. In fact, if we dropped Florida as well as a game BEFORE the SECT title game, might we end up as a 3 or 4 seed? Inconceivable ? I can see the selection committee doing that. And if ALL of THAT happened - we'd end up with 8 overall losses heading into the NCAAT. About the ONLY thing decidedly different from 2011-2022 is the fact we went unbeaten from March onward until the Final Four game. This year would entail more late season losses than in 2011, and a big difference in momentum heading into the NCAA's.
As crazy and insane as that sounds to me, I could see it happening with the selection committee. And if ALL that happened (of course, lots of "if's" there), we would end up getting sent out West with a 4 seed against overall #1 seed Gonzaga. Right?!?!? LOL !
Whatever, I say bring it. We're good to go no matter how they screw us in the tournament draw. It's the other teams that will be screwed being placed in our region this year.
Just like in 2011.
I'm not really saying this team is a lot like the 2011 team, just that the outcome of the season is really similar so far.
2011 - (8 overall losses heading into the NCAAT) 6 SEC road losses ; 2 losses outside conference play - vs UConn in Maui and @UNC***
2022 - (With one game left in the reg. season, 6 overall losses) 4 SEC road losses ; 2 games lost outside conference play.
2011 - @UNC***75 - 73 ; 2022 - @Notre Dame 66 - 62
2011 - @Arkansas 77 - 76 in OT ; 2022 - @Arkansas 75 - 73
2011 - @UGA 77 - 70 ; 2022 - 2022 - @Auburn 80 - 71
2011 - @Alabama 68 - 66 ; 2022 - @LSU 65 - 60
2011 - @ Ole Miss 69 - 71; @ Florida 68 - 70; ; @ Vandy 81 - 77
2011 - (neutral court) UConn 84-67 ; (neutral court) 2022 - Duke 79-71
2022 - @ Tennessee 76 - 63 (feels like the UConn loss as the worst loss this team will have this year)
We could win out, and still only get a 2 seed. How that is possible, with the schedule we've played, I can't say, but it would undoubtedly HAVE to make us the strongest 2 seed (probably in the history of the NCAA tournament ) ... and then stick us with Duke (?!) to make the selection committee's fantasy a reality. I'd like us in any rematch against Duke this year, don't get me wrong. But this year seems awfully similar to 2010-11, just that this year, we will have done better, even if we lose at Florida.
It has the same feel to it for me. So far, just better. Very similar seasons, the way it is shaping up.
Of course, lose @Florida, all bets are off where our seeding goes, IMHO. Just like in 2011, they would hit us hard and drop us to the end of the 2 seed line IF we lose to Florida and even if we win the SECT, the 2 seed surely would be the limit for us. In fact, if we dropped Florida as well as a game BEFORE the SECT title game, might we end up as a 3 or 4 seed? Inconceivable ? I can see the selection committee doing that. And if ALL of THAT happened - we'd end up with 8 overall losses heading into the NCAAT. About the ONLY thing decidedly different from 2011-2022 is the fact we went unbeaten from March onward until the Final Four game. This year would entail more late season losses than in 2011, and a big difference in momentum heading into the NCAA's.
As crazy and insane as that sounds to me, I could see it happening with the selection committee. And if ALL that happened (of course, lots of "if's" there), we would end up getting sent out West with a 4 seed against overall #1 seed Gonzaga. Right?!?!? LOL !
Whatever, I say bring it. We're good to go no matter how they screw us in the tournament draw. It's the other teams that will be screwed being placed in our region this year.
Just like in 2011.
