Please explain these "play in" scenarios

#1
Tennman

Tennman

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#1
How are two play in teams seeded as a number 11 seed. I noticed 2 of the last four games are seeded as 11 and the other 2 at 16. Shouldn't they all be 16 seeds? My brain just can't comprehend this. If someone can explain, I would truly appreciate it.
 
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#2
#2
Tennman said:
How are two play in teams seeded as a number 11 seed. I noticed 2 of the last four games are seeded as 11 and the other 2 at 16. Shouldn't they all be 16 seeds? My brain just can't comprehend this. If someone can explain, I would truly appreciate it.
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The 11 seed teams are "at large" bids while the 16 seed teams won their conference tournament.
 
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#3
#3
Tennman said:
How are two play in teams seeded as a number 11 seed. I noticed 2 of the last four games are seeded as 11 and the other 2 at 16. Shouldn't they all be 16 seeds? My brain just can't comprehend this. If someone can explain, I would truly appreciate it.
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My man, we've been doing this format for 15 years.

Just teasing ya. Essentially, the worst 4 teams in the tournament are placed into the 16 seed play-in games. Then the last 4 at-large teams (teams who did not win their conference tournament but got selected to the tournament) are put into play-in games. Their seeding can change from year to year, depending on where the committee places them relative to other teams who got automatic bids. For example, the committee felt that SMU and Miami, OH were stronger than 12 seeds like Akron, so they are playing their way into that 11 seed.
 
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#4
#4
Tennman said:
How are two play in teams seeded as a number 11 seed. I noticed 2 of the last four games are seeded as 11 and the other 2 at 16. Shouldn't they all be 16 seeds? My brain just can't comprehend this. If someone can explain, I would truly appreciate it.
Click to expand...
This started in 2011 when the tournament expanded to 68 teams. The 11 seeds are traditionally the point where the at-large bids end. Thus the 2 11 seed playoff games are from the group of last ones picked to be in the tournament. The 2 16 seed games are the bottom 4 from the smaller conference tournament winners. They always play them in Dayton. If nothing else, it gave the TV package 2 more nights of games.
 
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#7
#7
Tennman said:
How are two play in teams seeded as a number 11 seed. I noticed 2 of the last four games are seeded as 11 and the other 2 at 16. Shouldn't they all be 16 seeds? My brain just can't comprehend this. If someone can explain, I would truly appreciate it.
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It's stupidity. It's better to be a 12 seed than 11. This is all about money!!
 
#9
#9
wtmvol said:
What do you mean by this?
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They're just pointing out that 12 seeds play 1 fewer game than the bottom 11 seeds. The whole rationale behind the extra game is those 11 seeds are the at large bubble teams who are lucky to get in. The 12s are rewarded for earning their conference auto-bids while their opponents aren't punished by having to face an 11 seed.
 
#10
#10
kckempf said:
They're just pointing out that 12 seeds play 1 fewer game than the bottom 11 seeds. The whole rationale behind the extra game is those 11 seeds are the at large bubble teams who are lucky to get in. The 12s are rewarded for earning their conference auto-bids while their opponents aren't punished by having to face an 11 seed.
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That's what I figured. Honestly, I think they should take the bottom 8 at-large teams and make them all go to Dayton for the play-in games. Let all the conference tournament winners be in the actual 64-team field, and not make any of them play in Dayton. It would make the Dayton games more appealing.

This would push teams from the bottom upwards, and the play-in teams would be fighting for 10 seeds, not 11 seeds. This year, if you went by the S-Curve and avoided conference rematches, the Dayton games would be:

Santa Clara vs Miami OH
UCF vs Texas
Missouri vs NC State
Texas A&M vs SMU

We would probably be playing VCU, who would be the lowest rated 11 seed, since we were the top rated 6 seed.
 
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#11
#11
wtmvol said:
That's what I figured. Honestly, I think they should take the bottom 8 at-large teams and make them all go to Dayton for the play-in games. Let all the conference tournament winners be in the actual 64-team field, and not make any of them play in Dayton. It would make the Dayton games more appealing.

This would push teams from the bottom upwards, and the play-in teams would be fighting for 10 seeds, not 11 seeds. This year, if you went by the S-Curve and avoided conference rematches, the Dayton games would be:

Santa Clara vs Miami OH
UCF vs Texas
Missouri vs NC State
Texas A&M vs SMU

We would probably be playing VCU, who would be the lowest rated 11 seed, since we were the top rated 6 seed.
Click to expand...
Once they expand it to 72 teams - maybe as early as next season - there will be two play-in games for each region. More $$ all the way around.
 
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