Big 12 shaking out...

[slappy in OP]

If I had a choice of us playing ISU twice in a few weeks OR having a rematch with Baylor, I chose Baylor 100% of the time. ISU is a bad matchup for our team. They would also have big crowd support over us in KC. Baylor = not a big traveling crowd.

 

[sybarite]

The rpi tends to give us an SOS of #6 with a ranking of about 19. I think that SOS will go a long way to getting a better seed than we might have thought.

 

[DenverSooner]

I am wondering if OU can win out will they get into the top 25.

If OU gets into the top 25, has a top 20 RPI, and has won 8 of their last 10, I don't see how they are not a 6 seed. A 6 seed is huge because it gives you a reasonable chance to make the Sweet 16. The 7, 8, 9, and 10 seeds all have to play a 1 or 2 seed to make the Sweet 16 (or get lucky due to an upset).

 

[slappy in OP]

Given the win out scenario, I think a 6 seed is entirely possible. Especially if the selection committee gives us credit for our amazing SOS. Some of the "bracketologists" are saying the UNC could get a 6 seed with a few more wins. They will have a worse RPI and worse SOS compared to us.

If we win out and get a couple in the Big 12 tourney, no telling how high we can get.

 

[DenverSooner]

Florida, Michigan State, Syracuse and Miami all lost last week. They will all drop in the polls. KU could move as high as 6. (I don't think they will pass Miami.)

Michigan still has to play Michigan State and Indiana. They will likely lose a game so KU could pass them. Duke has to play North Carolina (at NC) and Miami. Duke might lose a game or even two. North Carolina needs that win. If they beat Miami at home and lose to North Carolina on the road, KU could pass both teams in the polls.

I seriously doubt Gonzaga loses a game. Indiana could lose to Michigan or Ohio State but I think they win out.

I think KU might finish 3rd, especially if they win the Big XII tournament. That would be good for OU because it gives us a signature win over a top 5 team.

I would also like to see either KSU or OSU work their way into the top 10. If either of them can win their final four games they will probably be in the Top 10 going into the Big XII tournament. (They can't both win all four because they play each other)

 

[oSuJeff97]

I am wondering if OU can win out will they get into the top 25.

If OU gets into the top 25, has a top 20 RPI, and has won 8 of their last 10, I don't see how they are not a 6 seed. A 6 seed is huge because it gives you a reasonable chance to make the Sweet 16. The 7, 8, 9, and 10 seeds all have to play a 1 or 2 seed to make the Sweet 16 (or get lucky due to an upset).

The biggest thing working against OU in seeding right now is your 2-6 record against the RPI top 50, with both of those wins being at home.

Your overall RPI is strong, but you really need to pick up a few more high-quality wins, ideally away from Norman, to move up the seeding line, IMO.

 

[WTSooner]

The biggest thing working against OU in seeding right now is your 2-6 record against the RPI top 50, with both of those wins being at home.

Your overall RPI is strong, but you really need to pick up a few more high-quality wins, ideally away from Norman, to move up the seeding line, IMO.

OSU is just 1-2 in such games. I can't imagine there are a ton of teams with a lot of road wins against top 50 RPI teams out there, except the top 15 type teams. Never heard that stat mentioned before even. Road wins are road wins, and record against top 50 teams is what it is. No reason to break it down much further.

 

[KBaden145]

The biggest thing working against OU in seeding right now is your 2-6 record against the RPI top 50, with both of those wins being at home.

Your overall RPI is strong, but you really need to pick up a few more high-quality wins, ideally away from Norman, to move up the seeding line, IMO.

We just need to win out and get 1 or 2 in the Big 12 tourney and we get to at least the 6 line, possibly a 5. Doesn't matter who we beat. You would be right if we were trying to move up from say the 4 line. OU has more upward mobility as far as seeding goes than OState does. OState can really only drop unless they were to win the conference tourney. I think OU wins out, gets the 3rd seed in the Big 12 and gets at least 1 win there to gain a 6 seed in the NCAAs.

 

[oSuJeff97]

OSU is just 1-2 in such games. I can't imagine there are a ton of teams with a lot of road wins against top 50 RPI teams out there, except the top 15 type teams. Never heard that stat mentioned before even. Road wins are road wins, and record against top 50 teams is what it is. No reason to break it down much further.

I'm not sure what you're looking at.

OSU is currently 5-4 against the RPI top 50, and three of its five wins are away from Gallagher-Iba. I'm not just talking about "road" wins... I'm including neutral site wins. The wins over both NC State and Akron (both RPI top 50 teams) were away from home, as was the win on the road at Kansas.

The NCAA Tournament committee has talked a lot in the past about "quality wins", especially "away from home."

OSU's high-quality wins away from home are the main reason why we are currently slotted into the 5-seed line in most of the current bracket projections, even though our overall RPI is not as high as OU's.

That's what I was meaning about it being the only limiting factor in holding back OU's seed. OU has a very high-quality NCAA Tournament resume with one glaring exception - high-quality wins away from Norman. That's the main reason (IMO) why you guys are generally slotted in the 7-9 range right now.

 

[KBaden145]

Jeff, do we look like an 8/9 seed to you? We pass the eye test, we have quality wins and our last 10 has a chance to look as good as our RPI and SOS. You know there isn't a hair of difference between our schools and I believe like many others on this board that, on a neutral floor, we beat OState, probably by 3-4 points. Much of what you are talking about occurred in the non-conference which was literally last year and, with how we are playing right now, seems even longer ago.

 

[JBaker]

Not our fault our domination over Baylor keeps knocking them down in the RPI!

 

[campbest]

Jeff, do we look like an 8/9 seed to you? We pass the eye test, we have quality wins and our last 10 has a chance to look as good as our RPI and SOS. You know there isn't a hair of difference between our schools and I believe like many others on this board that, on a neutral floor, we beat OState, probably by 3-4 points. Much of what you are talking about occurred in the non-conference which was literally last year and, with how we are playing right now, seems even longer ago.

Body of work.

 

[oSuJeff97]

Jeff, do we look like an 8/9 seed to you? We pass the eye test, we have quality wins and our last 10 has a chance to look as good as our RPI and SOS. You know there isn't a hair of difference between our schools and I believe like many others on this board that, on a neutral floor, we beat OState, probably by 3-4 points. Much of what you are talking about occurred in the non-conference which was literally last year and, with how we are playing right now, seems even longer ago.

Dude -- I'm not the one who decides where teams are seeded. I'm just giving my opinion based on years of observing this stuff.

Pretty much all of the bracket projectors say the same thing. Jerry Palm, who is basically the best in the biz at this, currently has OU seeded #8.

As for the OU/OSU comparison, it's irrelevant. Your seeding is based on your body of work, not a one-off comparison against another potential tournament team. Otherwise, I guess you'd be arguing that SFA should be seeded ahead of OU?

 

[5hrenergy]

I think at this point we root for KU over ISU tonight as OU isn't catching Kansas, but ISU could be done especially with a loss tonight.

 

[KBaden145]

Dude -- I'm not the one who decides where teams are seeded. I'm just giving my opinion based on years of observing this stuff.

Pretty much all of the bracket projectors say the same thing. Jerry Palm, who is basically the best in the biz at this, currently has OU seeded #8.

As for the OU/OSU comparison, it's irrelevant. Your seeding is based on your body of work, not a one-off comparison against another potential tournament team. Otherwise, I guess you'd be arguing that SFA should be seeded ahead of OU?

We are a completely different team than we were prior to conference play. I believe our SOS and RPI speaks very well to our body of work. I have seen multiple mocks with us listed higher than 8/9. We are not an 8/9 seed right now.

I didn't start the comparisons between the 2 teams. I'm just saying one school is a solid 5 seed and one is an 8/9. There is no difference between the 2 teams except one game in the conference (@ KU). That one game isn't worth 3 to 4 seeds. I would argue that win and the emergence of Smart on the national conscience is the only reason OState is ranked and OU is not. It will all shake out and, when it does, there will be less than 3-4 seeds difference between our teams.

And no. We are better than SFA right now. I doubt that loss is hardly discussed in the selection process.

 

[BoulderSooner]

I think at this point we root for KU over ISU tonight as OU isn't catching Kansas, but ISU could be done especially with a loss tonight.

don't know what you mean by "done" if ISU goes 1-3 in the next 4 they still most likely get in the dance with 1 win in the big 12

and they have osu at hilton so i would bet they go at least 2-2

 

[DenverSooner]

The biggest thing working against OU in seeding right now is your 2-6 record against the RPI top 50, with both of those wins being at home.

Your overall RPI is strong, but you really need to pick up a few more high-quality wins, ideally away from Norman, to move up the seeding line, IMO.

What hurts OU is the four close losses. KSU by 3, OSU in OT, SFA and Arkansas. Had OU managed to win those games or even just a couple of them they would be in much better shape and probably looking at a 5 seed, especially if they had beaten OSU and KSU. Honestly, if they had won all 4 of those games, they would probably be a top 10 team right now. Obviously, you can take the close wins and say had they lost those games things would be a different too.

OSU needs Akron to win this week. They have two challenging road games. If they lose them both they might drop out the RPI top 50. Another thing that hurts OSU is that one point loss to Gonzaga. If they had won that game, they would be a top 10 team. The Virginia Tech loss also hurts OSU a bit and is hard to understand because I think OSU is a much better team than Virginia Tech.

OU and OSU are both pretty good basketball teams. A combined team would be great. A year or so ago, I am not sure a combined team would have been all that good.

 

[WaymanFan]

OU has never played in the 8/9 game, so if it's going to happen, this would be the perfect year for it. There is no dominant team in college basketball - no 2012 Kentucky or 2009 North Carolina types to worry about. A team with an elite bench coach and a boatload of hungry seniors will be a tough out.

I still think we need 21 wins to get in the 8/9 range. Anything north of 21 wins and the seed gets better.

 

[pnkranger]

I think our potential seeds are in the 7-10 range. Unless we win out and make a run to the finals in the Big 12 tourney, we don't have a chance to get much higher than that based on the strength of our remaining opponents.

 

[KBaden145]

OU and OSU are both pretty good basketball teams. A combined team would be great. A year or so ago, I am not sure a combined team would have been all that good.

Funny but a cousin of mine, a big OState fan, and I usually do this exact thing each year (combining the teams). You're right about recent teams, especially last year.
Here would be my combined team, assuming starters stay starters and bench players stay on the bench:

Starters
PG - Smart, OState
SG - Brown, OState
OG/SF - Hield, OU (if healthy))
PF - MBaye, OU
PF/C - Osby, OU

Bench
PG - Grooms, OU( starting now)
SG - Forte, OState
OG/SF - Williams, OState
F - Clark, OU
PF/C - Fitzgerald, OU

Coach
Kruger, OU (easiest pick)