I’m glad the full bracket leaked, because CBS’ two-hour selection show, which will probably still be going by the time I’m done this post, is a complete bastardization of March. Even Sir Charles Barkley, who’s typically delightful, can’t save it. He’s less prepared than usual– saying the Big 5 doesn’t exist anymore. The NCAA and a big network teaming up to siphon profits from the depths of your sports fandom is about as low as it gets. Les Moonves, whether he has anything to do with this or not, should go fuck himself.

Thoughts:

  1. Villanova got jobbed, there’s no other way to say it. They’re playing in Kansas’ bracket – Kansas is the number one overall seed – making them the eighth overall seed. North Carolina is the number two overall, playing in the East. That means the number seven overall seed gets the 2 in Philly– XAVIER. Bullshit. Villanova was ahead of Xavier all season, split the season series, and lost to the same team they did, a round later, in the conference tournament. How, in the fuck, does Xavier slot above them, thus sending Nova to somewhere other than Philly? Tell me– I’ll wait.
  2. [Waiting]
  3. Gripes aside, the South region may be more favorable to Nova. The winner of Temple-Iowa is probably the best second round matchup Villanova could ask for. Iowa has lost six of its last eight, and Villanova is clearly better than Temple. No other team is dominant, and Kansas is at the other end of the bracket. Home court notwithstanding, this shakes out better than being the 2 in the East, where Pitt or Wisconsin (always scary in March) loom in the second round.
  4. Temple-Nova possibility. I don’t think Temple beats Iowa. For as much as Iowa has struggled, they have more ability virtually everywhere on the floor and they play in a brutal conference. Either way, I’m not going to be able to take a week of proclaimed faux parity between Nova and Temple from the local media. THIS IS NOT SOME EQUAL BIG 5 MATCHUP! Villanova is the class of the city, by far. No tournament game is a gimme, but this will be branded as a toss-up by the pro-Temple Philly media establishment the same way the Republican establishment thought Jeb Bush had a chance.
  5. St. Joe’s got screwed on their location. Blame the A-10 for thinking its important enough to hold its conference championship on Sunday, potentially rendering the outcome moot in terms of seeding. St. Joe’s should’ve been a 7, and they probably shouldn’t have to go to Spokane and then Anaheim. I actually liked their chances at a Sweet 16 run, but Cincy was lit against UCONN in that 4-OT game, and high-flying Oregon, in Washington, will be virtually unbeatable. I feel way worse for them than I will for Temple when Nova shines their Sweet 16 party shoes with Fran Dunphy’s Villanova-groomed mustache.
  6. [Waiting] Oh, they’re bracket is better than what they would’ve faced in Philly? Never mind then. Go Cats!

UPDATE: Wait a minute– explain to me how Nova IS the number seven overall seed but they get slotted with the number one overall, not in the East?!?!?!?! Literally I don’t understand this:

Voila_Capture 2016-03-13_07-17-43_PM

Now I’m mad overall again.

UPDATE 2: Even if they did this based on location, Nova gets East. It seems the NCAA clearly punished them for working around the home court thing at the Wells Fargo Center. Complete bullshit. Still, I like their bracket and just want to complain about this for a few days.