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#Post#: 33--------------------------------------------------
Kentucky leads the field in March madness
DIR By: PWTRPWR
Date: March 15, 2015, 10:09 pm
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The Kentucky Wildcats ended up where everyone expected them on
Selection Sunday: Seeded No. 1 on their quest to become the
first undefeated team since 1976.
Oh, but there were surprises when the bracket came out, too.
Big-conference UCLA and Texas made it. Colorado State and Temple
did not.
Wisconsin is a No. 1 seed for the first time in program history.
But the Badgers must play in the West Region, where
second-seeded Arizona is certain to draw more fans.
As for those play-in games Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton.
Well, one of the teams playing is Dayton - a No. 11 seed that
will have a distinct home-court advantage against Boise State.
Generally, that's not allowed during the tournament, but there's
an exception because the committee said the Flyers were the last
team in, and thus, had to play in the opening-round game.
''It falls within our policies and procedures,'' selection
committee chairman Scott Barnes said. ''It's obviously a
home-court advantage but we didn't waver from that decision.''
View galleryKentucky leads the way with top spot in March
Madn …
Connecticut's Ryan Boatright celebrates after hitting a 3-point
shot to tie the score during the …
The action starts in full on Thursday, when Kentucky headlines
the action against the winner of a play-in game between No. 16
seeds Manhattan and Hampton. A '1' has never lost to a '16.'
The other No. 1 seeds were Villanova in the East and Duke in the
South. Those were pretty easy picks.
And then there was the total no-brainer - placing Kentucky at
the very top of the bracket. The Wildcats defeated Arkansas
78-63 on Sunday to improve to 34-0. If they win six more,
they'll become the first team since then 1975-76 Indiana
Hoosiers to go undefeated.
''I think I have the best team and the best players,'' said
coach John Calipari, trying to lead the Wildcats to their ninth
national title. ''Does that mean we'll win? No, it doesn't.''
Barnes called the UCLA pick ''one of the tougher decisions we
had to make.'' But he defended putting the Bruins (20-13) in the
bracket despite an RPI of 48, which is 18 spots lower than
Colorado State.
View galleryKentucky leads the way with top spot in March
Madn …
Arkansas guard Michael Qualls (24) shoots as Kentucky forward
Trey Lyles (41) and Kentucky forward W …
''We felt they were gaining steam,'' Barnes said. ''They did
have a good strength-of-schedule, they were playing better
against tough competition. An example is the last game against
Arizona (a 70-64 loss in the Pac-12 title game). I think the
''eye test'' was also a plus in putting them in the field.''
The Big Ten and Big 12 led the way by placing seven teams each
in the bracket.
Other teams that just missed were Old Dominion and Richmond,
which lost out to teams like Ole Miss and Texas that have
stronger schedules baked into the cake because they play in
major conferences.
As is custom, Barnes was short on specifics, though he said
Wyoming's surprise victory in the Mountain West Conference stole
away an at-large bid that would've gone to Temple.
The 68-team bracket includes its usual share of quirks and
tear-jerkers.
-UCLA's first game is against SMU, coached by Larry Brown, the
74-year-old turnaround artist who is taking his third team to
the NCAA Tournament. The first team? UCLA, of course.
-Georgia State coach Ron Hunter watched the bracket unveiling
with his left foot in a cast. He tore his Achilles' tendon while
celebrating his program's first trip to the tournament since
2001. The 14th-seeded Panthers open against Baylor.
-Also seeded No. 14 is Albany, which made the tournament on a
3-pointer with 1 second left by Peter Hooley, whose mother died
six weeks ago. No. 14 Albany opens against Oklahoma State.
#Post#: 34--------------------------------------------------
Re: Kentucky leads the field in March madness
DIR By: LEO
Date: March 16, 2015, 7:30 am
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VERY GOOD REPORT
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