Tag: NCAA March Madness

Wisconsin wins the (ESPN BPI) National Championship: Yes, let’s recap the simulation

Wisconsin has won the ESPN BPI simulated National Championship! I genuinely am wondering: Is this a good thing? Or does this just add to the never-ending list of “what-ifs” that the entire nation of college basketball was left with when the season …

Wisconsin has won the ESPN BPI simulated National Championship! I genuinely am wondering: Is this a good thing? Or does this just add to the never-ending list of “what-ifs” that the entire nation of college basketball was left with when the season came to an abrupt halt.

When coronavirus halted the 2019-20 NCAA season, seniors were left without their final chapter, coaches were left wondering how March would have treated their squads, and yes, we went to data analytics to answer the unanswerable questions. I have seen people playing out the NCAA tournament on College Hoops 2K8 (a great quarantine purchase), simulating the NBA draft through NBA 2k20, and using different types of data models to determine outcomes in a tournament that, in all honesty, has an unquantifiable luck factor. Last year, Virginia’s national championship run was perhaps the best example of how unpredictable the madness can be. The Cavaliers not only trailed by double digits to 16-seeded Gardner Webb in the first round, but through their Elite Eight, Final Four, and National Championship games, the ‘Hoos trailed with less than 15 seconds left in all three contests.

Who really cares about how unpredictable March is, let’s trust ESPN’s BPI tool to figure out who deserves the National Championship. Per ESPN, the BPI is a tool that combines stats to predict the outcome of two teams going head-to-head. The metric includes a BPI creates respective data points for a teams offense and defense that allows two teams to be matched up in a simulated game. The Badgers had quite a bit of help on the road to the final four in ESPN’s simulation.

In the first round, the 4-seeded Badgers took care of North Texas. Then the madness begun. 12-seeded Liberty took out the 5-seed Auburn, and the Badgers handled the Flames in the second-round. Who was waiting for UW in the Sweet-16? No, not Kansas who was the number one overall seed. Upstart Marquette, who shocked the Jayhawks in round two! Was there ever any doubt? The Badgers hand Marquette the L in a tight one.

Then, it was time for sweet revenge. The Duke Blue Devils stood between Wisconsin and the Final Four. ESPN’s simulation went mega-specific on this one, and said that D’Mitrik Trice hit a game-winning three at the buzzer to send the Badgers to glory. Trice was the least bit surprised.

This Final Four was interesting, and that’s putting it mildly. The Badgers were joined by Maryland, BYU, and Virginia. Two 4-seeds and two 6-seeds made up the last four standing. The Badgers met Maryland, and yes, you guessed it, Brad Davison hit a dagger three to send UW to the national championship game. Sound familiar?

In quite possibly the biggest party school mismatch in the history of college basketball, the Badgers met fellow-cinderella BYU in the national championship game. To nobody’s surprise, Wisconsin uses balanced offense, solid defense, and a bit of magic to win the 2020 (simulated by ESPN BPI) National Championship.

The Wisconsin Basketball March Madness guide to hand-washing

Our friends at Auburn Wire realized that the CDC is not thinking of college sports fans in their hand-washing recommendations. Sure, we could all sing our favorite song for 20 seconds as we vigorously apply soap, but Auburn Wire had a better …

Our friends at Auburn Wire realized that the CDC is not thinking of college sports fans in their hand-washing recommendations. Sure, we could all sing our favorite song for 20 seconds as we vigorously apply soap, but Auburn Wire had a better suggestion for Tiger fans: spend your CDC-recommended 20-second hand-wash listening to the radio call of Auburn’s miracle return for the win against Alabama:

I have to admit, even as a non-Auburn fan, that is one of the greatest ways any sports fan can spend 20 seconds. I have to add that if you are going to choose any song, there is only one choice to be made for premium March hand-washing:

But how about Badger fans? This is still March, ladies and gentlemen. The madness of our constant hand-washing, which a few weeks ago may have seemed like madness but now should be every American’s common practice, needs some Wisconsin flavor. Let’s start with a Bronson Koenig classic:

The game-winner that sent the Badgers to the 2016 Sweet Sixteen is still one of the sweetest shots in Wisconsin basketball history. There are many reasons why it is perfect, 20-second material. You see not only the corner-fadeaway shot and all of the reaction that follows, but the Milwaukee Brewers’ own Brian Anderson gives you an electric call of the action.

An alternative? How about a nearly-perfectly timed clip from the Big Ten Network of the dagger three by Sam Dekker in 2015 that sent the Badgers to the Final Four for the second straight season. Shoutout to Zach Heilprin for delivering a ton of throwback Badger clips on his Twitter timeline over the last few days:

There’s no shortage of Badger basketball memories, and no better time to stay at home and enjoy some classics while keeping yourself healthy.

Concerns over Coronavirus result in UGA swimming, NCAA championship games to be held without fans

The NCAA released a statement Wednesday that it will hold all championship events without fans in attendance, due to the fear of spreading coronavirus. All championship games will be held with only limited staff and immediate family members, NCAA …

The NCAA released a statement Wednesday that it will hold all championship events without fans in attendance, due to the fear of spreading coronavirus.

All championship games will be held with only limited staff and immediate family members, NCAA president Mark Emmert announced in the statement.  This means both the SEC swimming and diving championships held at Georgia and the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be held with no fans.

The decision was in hindsight a no-brainer. The Golden State Warriors, along with a number of professional sports teams world wide announced that they would not have fans for the remainder of their seasons.  The risk for all those in attendance would be too great to allow admittance to tens of thousands of fans.

“The NCAA continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel,” Emmert said in the statement. “Based on their advice and my discussions with the NCAA Board of Governors, I have made the decision to conduct our upcoming championship events, including the Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family attendance.

“While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States. This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes.”

This all has been sparked by the World Health Organization terming the virus a pandemic.

Emmert also told The Associated Press that there could very well be changes in game locations, especially for the Final Four, set to take place in a lonesome Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

$867.5 million in television and marketing revenue was brought in from last year’s men’s basketball tournament, according to the NCAA’s most recent financial statement.

Roughly 1,350 fans bought tickets to the swimming and diving championships in Georgia’s Ramsey Center.

All locker room media access will also be prohibited for all NCAA championships.

“The health and well-being of student-athletes and teams is an ongoing priority for the SEC,” the league said.

The Bulldogs take on Ole Miss Wednesday as the last game with fans in attendance for the SEC Tournament.

“Tonight’s SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament games will continue as regularly scheduled. We are evaluating plans for the remainder of the tournament.” said the SEC on Twitter.

“Not too many people touching me, putting their arms around me, nothing like that,” said Georgia superstar, and recently named SEC freshman of the year Anthony Edwards. “We’ll take pictures, but keep your distance…I’m not trying to get sick or anything like that. No disrespect to anybody.”

The current available number of confirmed cases in the United States is at 1,000, with the death toll at 31.

This is truly something we have never seen in our lifetimes, and the effects are now being seen in the sports world.

Prayers to all who have been affected by the virus so far and to keeping not just the country but the world safe.

BREAKING: NCAA Basketball Tournaments to be played without fans in attendance

In a shocking announcement, the NCAA President and Board of Governors have determined that NCAA March Madness will be played without fans.

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In a major move, NCAA President Mark Emmert announced on Wednesday afternoon that the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments will be played without fans in attendance amidst concern over the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak, outside of family and essential staff. Emmert says the decision was made after consulting with medical advisors and the NCAA Board of Governors.

This is particularly interesting for Michigan State and Big Ten schools because the Big Ten Tournament kicks off today and fans will be allowed to attend.

Here is the original statement from the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel:

“The NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel recognizes the fluidity of COVID-19 and its impact on hosting events in a public space.  COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the United States, and behavioral risk mitigation strategies are the best option for slowing the spread of this disease.  This is especially important because mildly symptomatic individuals can transmit COVID-19.  Given these considerations, coupled with a more unfavorable outcome of COVID-19 in older adults – especially those with underlying chronic medical conditions – we recommend against sporting events open to the public.  We do believe sport events can take place with only essential personnel and limited family attendance, and this protects our players, employees, and fans.”