Gophers Shown No Love

#2 posting 11.26.2006
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#8 GOPHERS SENT TO ALBANY
I went to the Minnesota Gopher selection party and the good news is the Gophers are the #8 seed in the country. The bad news is, for the third year in a row, the Gophers are on the road to start in Albany, NY. In 2004 the Gophers had to go east, and in that year they were runners up to Stanford. But the lack of love from the NCAA had many gasps and groans from the many in attendance this afternoon. They also will play the Thursday/Friday games.

First off the NCAA only seeds 16 teams. Why? I think they want to keep things local, build up attendance. The other three teams in the Albany bracket are from NY: Siena of the Metro Atlantic, the Gophers first opponent, and then the nominal host Albany and St. John's from the Big East.

Siena is close to home and is counting on their fan base to provide them a lift. Siena made the tournament as an automatic qualifier with a five game win over Fairfield in the Metro Atlantic tournament.

7 Big 10 teams are still dancing. Penn State, as you would expect is home, but so is Wisconsin and Purdue. Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State are all road warriors. Of the top 8 seeds only #6 Washington is sent packing to Colorado, but if they get the job done there they are back in Seattle.

Why is Minnesota the Rodney Dangerfield of this tournament?

The NCAA needs to seed ALL 64 teams, and it probably needs to do away with home court advantages too. Texas and Florida don't have to leave home if they want to make the final four. That is a fairness issue. I know the Gophers benefited in 2004 when they hosted the regionals.

Here is the NCAA press release.

I don't know if anyone does bracketology, but make a copy of this bracket and start an office pool.

And of course you need the official website of the NCAA tournament. not much there yet.

I will have more on Siena as the week progresses.

Next up: tomorrow morning