Maui Bracket

[TheSultan]

First game of the tournament...v. Butler.

http://www.mauiinvitational.com/sites/default/files/2012%20EA%20SPORTS%20Maui%20Invitational%20Bracket _0.pdf

Taking that afternoon off...probably going to have to watch with my Butler-attending son. The wife is going to make sure to be at work undoubtedly!

[Nukem2]

Strange bracket.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

My cousin is currently attending Butler and has been talking crap for years about how they are a better program than MU and would kill them. This should be fun!

[BLT]

So is it MU or Butler who is the three seed? It looks like MU with UNC as the #2. I am guessing Butler would be the 6th seed? Wow. Texas as #1 with Illinois and USC as #4 and #5 then. It looks the seeding has more to do with TV$$ if Butler or MU are the 6th seed. I like MU's chances...if anything nice match-ups.

[TheSultan]

I don't think this is seeded. They want a Texas / UNC match-up in the final.

[Tatum74]

MU has been designated the home team so I'm assuming they are a higher seed than Butler - Sultan is right - they want a Texas/UNC match-up in the final.

[BLT]

Yes, it is pretty obvious if not predicted that ESPN would arrange the seeds to get the ACC/B12 match-up they wanted. What is interesting to me is how they then seeded it to arrange it. In most "too soon" rankings, UNC is generally rated higher than any other, and then MU, Butler and Texas have a smattering of rankings in the different services with no clear #2. So in this arranged bracket, Texas gets #1, UNC #2, MU#3 and Butler #6. Obviously, for TV, UNC vs. Chaminade wasn't going to happen. And the weakened USC and U of I teams makes the Texas path easier than Butler vs. MU. ESPN is just "special". i do think MU can take this, however.

[IWB]

Most teams do not want Chaminade because even though it should be a win, it does not count as a win on your schedule.

[mutpm]

Yes, it is pretty obvious if not predicted that ESPN would arrange the seeds to get the ACC/B12 match-up they wanted. What is interesting to me is how they then seeded it to arrange it. In most "too soon" rankings, UNC is generally rated higher than any other, and then MU, Butler and Texas have a smattering of rankings in the different services with no clear #2. So in this arranged bracket, Texas gets #1, UNC #2, MU#3 and Butler #6. Obviously, for TV, UNC vs. Chaminade wasn't going to happen. And the weakened USC and U of I teams makes the Texas path easier than Butler vs. MU. ESPN is just "special". i do think MU can take this, however.

That's not how Maui does it. ESPN helps set the pairings to get the best TV audience. You cannot draw any conclusions on who they think is the best team because that's not how they draw the brackets.

[Nukem2]

Illinois-Butler and Texas-USC would have been better draws for ESPN

UNC - Miss St
MU - Chaminade

TX - USC
Illinois - Butler



The actual bracket is very weak on the TX side as it stands. My bracket would be better competitively and for TV draw. Someone has to play Chaminade..... (:

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

I don't think this is seeded. They want a Texas / UNC match-up in the final.

Which is why this is so odd. I agree Texas/UNC is the goal, but isn't getting UNC there the top priority? This bracket seems far more slanted to getting Texas to the final, as UNC is guaranteed a tough second game while Texas should have a fairly easy time.

[mutpm]

Maybe Roy wanted a tougher draw?

[BLT]

That's my point exactly. So looking backwards at this, how they got there is ass backwards. Brew said it better than me, ESPN gave the best team of the two the hardest trip IF they were to seed on team strength. IWB is right though in retrospect in that UNC most likely doesn't want a D3 game.