Who do you think the NCAA will TRY to make us play in the tournament?

[FurdTerguson]

Obviously they have to abide by seeding, but all it takes is bumping up or dropping down a team to get a lot of Made for TV matchups. Here are teams the NCAA put in our way in the second round since Cal's been here. Note not all those teams advanced. But they have consistently given us potential matchups that had extra drama.

2010: Texas (lost to Wake)
2011: West Virginia
2012: UConn (lost to Iowa St)
2014: Wichita State
2015: Cincinnati
2016: Indiana
2017: Wichita State
2018: Arizona (lost to Buffalo)
2019: Seton Hall (lost to Wofford)
2022: Murray St
2023: Kansas St

In 2010 Texas had top 10 talent but couldn't put it together. Same with 2012 UConn, which had beaten us the year before. 2011 WVU had beaten us the year before. 2015 Cincinnati and 2016 Indiana had the whole "UK won't play us" thing going on. Wichita State had revenge going for it. Seton Hall beat us that year, so that was probably advantage to us. Murray State is the only state school UK never plays.

First round we should be a 3 or a 4, so we'll face a 14 or 13. Can't think of any sexy matchups there. But the second round will be against a 6 or 5 (barring upset) and that's where it gets interesting. Memphis? Wisconsin?

 

[moses1uk]

Obviously they have to abide by seeding, but all it takes is bumping up or dropping down a team to get a lot of Made for TV matchups. Here are teams the NCAA put in our way in the second round since Cal's been here. Note not all those teams advanced. But they have consistently given us potential matchups that had extra drama.

2010: Texas (lost to Wake)
2011: West Virginia
2012: UConn (lost to Iowa St)
2014: Wichita State
2015: Cincinnati
2016: Indiana
2017: Wichita State
2018: Arizona (lost to Buffalo)
2019: Seton Hall (lost to Wofford)
2022: Murray St
2023: Kansas St

In 2010 Texas had top 10 talent but couldn't put it together. Same with 2012 UConn, which had beaten us the year before. 2011 WVU had beaten us the year before. 2015 Cincinnati and 2016 Indiana had the whole "UK won't play us" thing going on. Wichita State had revenge going for it. Seton Hall beat us that year, so that was probably advantage to us. Murray State is the only state school UK never plays.

First round we should be a 3 or a 4, so we'll face a 14 or 13. Can't think of any sexy matchups there. But the second round will be against a 6 or 5 (barring upset) and that's where it gets interesting. Memphis? Wisconsin?

Memphis a 5 or a 6 lolololol.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Memphis
St Johns
Indiana St

 

[ThunderMash]

UNC for a potential rematch, just like the Monk/Fox team.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I could see us getting BYU in the second round, so they can talk up Mark Pope vs. his alma mater. They like little stories like that in the early rounds.

 

[CASblue]

UNC for a potential rematch, just like the Monk/Fox team.

Not only do I see that, but would bet a paycheck that it happens. Let’s see who else can drum up drama….

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Memphis a 5 or a 6 lolololol.

The only way Memphis is making the tourney is if they win their conference tourney

 

[lpkilla7]

Arizona in sweet 16 and Connecticut in the final four. Marks it down. As a 3 seed.

Insert north carolina for the one or two seed for replacement giggles.
Insert Kansas for the same.
Insert Purdue cuz why wouldnt they.

There is the list of teams we will almost 100% play before the final four.

It will be Purdue , Kansas, Arizona , Yukon, north Carolina in sweet and elite 8 in some order.

 

[FurdTerguson]

Memphis a 5 or a 6 lolololol.

What will Memphis be? They just flipped a 22 point deficit into a 21 point win. Are they more like an 11? Because 3 would play 11 if both teams win.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

If Kentucky ends up being a 4 seed our 13 seed will be Indiana st or app st. And our 5 will be Illinois or creighton

 

[Wildcat Sheli]

The media had such a storyline in 2014…top recruiting class some had predicted would go undefeated meets a mid-major undefeated. What a run we had!

It still bothers me that we faced Indiana in 2016 and lost. If not for Pat Adams’ handiwork our seedline would have been different, and who knows what path Ulis and Murray might have had?

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

I'm over the boogeyman angle. Kentucky hasn't done anything to warrant anything to scare the committee into worrying about them. They've had favorable brackets since '18 IMO and it's up to them to cash in.

BTW--since '17, never heard more media enjoy/celebrate watching Kentucky basketball and like them. They are loved by neutral fans as a "Great Watch" too. So that's been interesting to see after so many others noticed how stale the program had become on the court as well as off it.

 

[FurdTerguson]

The worst screw job was 2010. Texas was by far the scariest 8/9 team. And making West Virginia our 2 meant we were the worst 1, which made no sense whatsoever.

2011 we got a four in the Death Region.

2012, again we almost got UConn, a scary talented team for a top seed to face the first weekend. And Duke was out 2 but they lost to Baylor I think.

 

[cats2010]

UNC for a potential rematch, just like the Monk/Fox team.

Question was on 2nd round. We definitely will not be playing UNC in round 2. That is likely a sweet 16 game or possibly even an elite 8 matchup depending on how both teams get seeded.

 

[JonathanW]

I think the fans that think the committee is always trying to give us a hard time with who we play are a bit to conspiracy theoryee
You can probably come up with some connection to 1/4 of the teams.

 

[CGblue]

Wisconsin or Gonzaga

 

[blue cincy]

Think of matchups. They will put us against the best Defense/offense (rated team) ASAP. Marquette, Creighton, Michigan State, Dayton. They will figure out a way to put us against a similar team to what we have struggled against. Then if we make it past that we will get ASAP, Houston, UCONN, Arizona or Purdue. I say we are what we are and we can beat or lose to anyone so just bring it on. Our team for the most part has been up for the big games. We have lost to teams we thought we would beat, USC, Zags, LSU, blah blah blah. Tennessee is the only exception to that rule.

Also we are now full strength and we have had Big Z for a while now and he seems to be turning the corner as well as Edwards and DJ. DJ is right there with Reed, Reeves and Dilly Dilly as a guard that can do what we need. If Cal can put the 2 to 3 at a time that is working best on any given day quickly we can go nuclear on anybody. If we get 5 guys on the same page for a game we can hit 130 points in a game (if Cal would let them play 40 full minutes). We can also give up 100 at any time.

LONG STORY LONGER....

BRING THEM ALL ON AND LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

 

[CGblue]

I'm over the boogeyman angle. Kentucky hasn't done anything to warrant anything to scare the committee into worrying about them. They've had favorable brackets since '18 IMO and it's up to them to cash in.

BTW--since '17, never heard more media enjoy/celebrate watching Kentucky basketball and like them. They are loved by neutral fans as a "Great Watch" too. So that's been interesting to see after so many others noticed how stale the program had become on the court as well as off it.

I agree, we screwed ourselves so many times lately they don't have to even try. The boogeyman used to be a real thing and it used to infuriate me on selection Sunday, and then the path would open wide for us and we'd blow it. We can't bitch about seeding anymore.

 

[UKBlueBlood]

I'm over the boogeyman angle. Kentucky hasn't done anything to warrant anything to scare the committee into worrying about them. They've had favorable brackets since '18 IMO and it's up to them to cash in.

BTW--since '17, never heard more media enjoy/celebrate watching Kentucky basketball and like them. They are loved by neutral fans as a "Great Watch" too. So that's been interesting to see after so many others noticed how stale the program had become on the court as well as off it.

It’s not so much a boogeyman angle. It’s the intentional creation of matchups to create drama. But they do it with all teams. I personally find it to be pretty lame. Would prefer the field be seeded and ranked and then the matchups fall here they may instead of rigging the brackets for certain matchups.

 

[FurdTerguson]

If we're a legit 3, give us a legit 6 and 11 and I'll shut up. It's when you consistently underseed us (2011, 2014) or make us face teams we shouldn't have to face until the Final Four (2010, 2017) or make us face a school with extra incentive to beat us (2015, 2016), that pisses me off. Then Duke and UNC get the easy path every time.

 

[BigTyrone]

They’ll somehow make us play UConn, Houston, Purdue, Arizona, UNC, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Duke. Yes, that’s 9 teams, but the NCAA will find a way to make it happen.

 

[$Z71$]

I can see McNeese being our opening round game in a 3 vs 14 matchup with a 6 seed Wisconsin in round 2.

 

[Marleydogg]

If we're a legit 3, give us a legit 6 and 11 and I'll shut up. It's when you consistently underseed us (2011, 2014) or make us face teams we shouldn't have to face until the Final Four (2010, 2017) or make us face a school with extra incentive to beat us (2015, 2016), that pisses me off. Then Duke and UNC get the easy path every time.

Not when they seed them vs us for the match up. 😉

 

[Cowtown Cat]

If we're a legit 3, give us a legit 6 and 11 and I'll shut up. It's when you consistently underseed us (2011, 2014) or make us face teams we shouldn't have to face until the Final Four (2010, 2017) or make us face a school with extra incentive to beat us (2015, 2016), that pisses me off. Then Duke and UNC get the easy path every time.

Lmao 2017 there were THREE top 5 teams in our region: UK, the cheats and UCLA. Of course we had to face both UCLA and the cheats in back to back games. It took a Higgins’ screw job to get us beat in that EE game. Cock sucker! Anyway, that was a TERRIBLE draw!

 

[Midway Cat]

UNC for a potential rematch, just like the Monk/Fox team.

Can we have a Kansas rematch instead?

We owe them one.

 

[susan2361]

They’ll somehow make us play UConn, Houston, Purdue, Arizona, UNC, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Duke. Yes, that’s 9 teams, but the NCAA will find a way to make it happen.

I was just getting ready to say that my nightmare road to the final game would somehow include the teams I hate most...Duke, UNC, Tennessee, Kansas, Auburn and UConn.🤣🤣

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

For sure some rock fight teams no runners.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Duke was out 2 but they lost to Baylor I think.

Lehigh

 

[seccats04]

Lmao 2017 there were THREE top 5 teams in our region: UK, the cheats and UCLA. Of course we had to face both UCLA and the cheats in back to back games. It took a Higgins’ screw job to get us beat in that EE game. Cock sucker! Anyway, that was a TERRIBLE draw!

Not only that but UCLA had beaten us earlier in the season and we beat UNC earlier in the season. It was going to be tough to beat UNC twice if we got past UCLA. That year seemed rigged anyway because if you remember, Arkansas had UNC beat in the 2nd round but the refs stepped in and bailed the Cheats out.

 

[etowncatfan]

This is maybe the first year in a while that it doesn’t really matter. For 2 reasons. First there is no UNBEATABLE Team out there like other years. Secondly this Team has shown it can BEAT or LOSE to anyone as well.

 

[DeerTurkHunter1]

Morehead St and Mich St

 

[rick64]

St John’s if they even have a chance to get in. Cal vs Pitino one more time.

 

[FurdTerguson]

St John’s if they even have a chance to get in. Cal vs Pitino one more time.

And St. John's will be an 11 if they get in.

 

[YardCat]

Obviously they have to abide by seeding, but all it takes is bumping up or dropping down a team to get a lot of Made for TV matchups. Here are teams the NCAA put in our way in the second round since Cal's been here. Note not all those teams advanced. But they have consistently given us potential matchups that had extra drama.

2010: Texas (lost to Wake)
2011: West Virginia
2012: UConn (lost to Iowa St)
2014: Wichita State
2015: Cincinnati
2016: Indiana
2017: Wichita State
2018: Arizona (lost to Buffalo)
2019: Seton Hall (lost to Wofford)
2022: Murray St
2023: Kansas St

In 2010 Texas had top 10 talent but couldn't put it together. Same with 2012 UConn, which had beaten us the year before. 2011 WVU had beaten us the year before. 2015 Cincinnati and 2016 Indiana had the whole "UK won't play us" thing going on. Wichita State had revenge going for it. Seton Hall beat us that year, so that was probably advantage to us. Murray State is the only state school UK never plays.

First round we should be a 3 or a 4, so we'll face a 14 or 13. Can't think of any sexy matchups there. But the second round will be against a 6 or 5 (barring upset) and that's where it gets interesting. Memphis? Wisconsin?

Memphis will need help

 

[YardCat]

This is maybe the first year in a while that it doesn’t really matter. For 2 reasons. First there is no UNBEATABLE Team out there like other years. Secondly this Team has shown it can BEAT or LOSE to anyone as well.

We just don’t know what UK team will show up once the tournament starts.

 

[JC CATS]

Well it won't be IU or Louisville 😆

 

[Runnin'Ramel]

Lmao 2017 there were THREE top 5 teams in our region: UK, the cheats and UCLA. Of course we had to face both UCLA and the cheats in back to back games. It took a Higgins’ screw job to get us beat in that EE game. Cock sucker! Anyway, that was a TERRIBLE draw!

That was one of the most ridiculous draws of the past 15 years. UNC, UCLA, UK all had legit complaints about that region.

 

[The_Answer1313]

I think the fans that think the committee is always trying to give us a hard time with who we play are a bit to conspiracy theoryee
You can probably come up with some connection to 1/4 of the teams.

Exactly.

If you want to create a storyline you can do so regardless what teams we are drawn with.

Also.......there a reason we have a greater chance of playing some teams over others. It's the bracket rules. It allows for more matchups to become more likely than others (based on geography, conference affiliation etc)

It's not that the committee is "creating" anything. In fact they seed the teams 1 through 68 and a program basically spits out the actual bracket depending on the bracket rules.

 

[The_Answer1313]

That was one of the most ridiculous draws of the past 15 years. UNC, UCLA, UK all had legit complaints about that region.

UCLA was incredibly overrated that season by most.
That team had a defensive efficiency ranked 85th.

If anything the more criminal thing about that year was where our second round opponent Wichita St was seeded.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

#1 seed Arizona
#2 seed UNC
#3 seed Kansas
#4 seed Kentucky