Prisoners of Bracketology
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LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER | KENTUCKY.COM BIG BLUE SUNDAY SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2013 D3 NOTEBOOK PRISONERS OF BRACKETOLOGY we are now just several steps PROJECTING NCAA FIELD AN UNAVOIDABLE COTTAGE INDUSTRY from falling off the face of the Earth. JERRY “You see, besides the TIPTON fact that we should redirect HERALD-LEADER our priorities to stuff that STAFF WRITER really matters — like climate change or failing schools or Bracketology, which gun violence — all I want proves you can create the to do is watch the games in perception of heft by attach- relative peace. I don’t need ing “ology” to the end of breakdowns of batting aver- any word, reaches its climax age on balls in play or true Sunday. Selection Sunday is a shooting percentage. I’m just high holy day for those who rooting against the Knicks.” pay attention to the ceaseless Attendance figures speculation about the NCAA MARK CORNELISON | [email protected] Tournament bracket. John Calipari likes to talk Coach John Calipari’s team lost five road games this season about how playing Kentucky We learn the seedings, GREG CARROCCIO | 2007 AP FILE PHOTO by double digits. That hasn’t happened at Kentucky since 1910. pairings and travel plans for is like being in the Super Joe Lunardi, a self-proclaimed “Bracketologist,” projects the Bowl for opponents. It has an 68 teams. Poof! All the so- 68-team NCAA Tournament on a daily basis. Lunardi does not called brainpower devoted to inspiring effect. would make to the NCAA include Kentucky in this year’s tournament. the pseudoscience of brack- Certainly, Kentucky as the UK MEN Tournament Selection Com- etology becomes irrelevant in visiting team makes for a fes- mittee, the always coopera- From Page D1 a CBS minute. tive atmosphere. Big crowds. tive Cauley-Stein obliged. This truth hit home for T-shirt giveaways. Retired (21-11) had to beat Van- “When everybody plays me several years ago at the jerseys. Etc., etc. derbilt to secure an NCAA as a team and does what Southeastern Conference Attendance figures Tournament bid. Instead, they’re supposed to do, we Tournament. It was before released by the SEC sup- the Cats find themselves in a can beat anybody,” he said. cellphones. I remember that port the coach’s contention. peculiar and vulnerable posi- Cauley-Stein noted victo- because while sitting in the Kentucky’s road games in tion. ries over Florida, Missouri media work room I saw a col- the league drew the largest “I’ve always been part of and Ole Miss. All three fig- league gathering telephones crowds: 13,441, on average. teams where we’re sitting ure to be in the NCAA Tour- as he feverishly worked. He And that’s without the benefit and waiting to see where nament. took calls. He made calls. of playing a road game in a we’re supposed to be,” ju- “Florida is a lock, and we He scribbled on a pad while venue the size of Rupp Arena. nior Jon Hood said. “What beat them,” he said. “Mis- engaged in several animated While not every road one-seed are they supposed souri is a lock, and we beat conversations. game was a sellout (the to be?” them. … The growing dread of announced 10,558 at Texas The loss of control irked “It’s just the fact when we TED RICHARDSON | ASSOCIATED PRESS being oblivious to a major A&M was well below the the UK players. They can come out and play like we Nicholasville native and Gardner-Webb Coach Chris Holtmann is breaking story faded when I listed capacity of 12,989), only sit and wait and hope. know how.” a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award. realized he was working on Kentucky’s SEC road games “It (stinks),” Mays said. Mays suggested a bottom- his mock NCAA Tournament confuse everybody.” it wasn’t UK’s night against averaged the highest at- “But there’s nothing I can line appeal to the Selection bracket, which would appear When asked at mid-week Vanderbilt on Friday in the tendance despite visits to do about it. We had the op- Committee. “I don’t think in his newspaper Selection what he took from bracketol- SEC Tournament: smaller venues at Auburn and portunity to keep it in our there are (68) teams better,” Sunday morning. ogy, Tennessee Coach Cuonzo ■ Sophomore Shelby Mississippi. UK also had to hands. But we didn’t seize he said. Oh, OK. Nothing impor- Martin said, “Nothing. Moats, who had made only battle apathy at Georgia and the moment and take advan- Kentucky’s record away tant. “I don’t worry about it. two three-pointers since Texas A&M. tage of it.” from Rupp Arena without Yet, bracketology contin- I don’t have the time or the Jan. 12 (and only four in his Florida was the SEC’s sec- Hood echoed Mays’ philo- Nerlens Noel throws that con- ues to grow. Last four in. energy.” college career), erased UK’s ond-best road draw (13,021). sophical point of view. tention into doubt. The Cats First four out. Bubble, bub- Perhaps. But a reporter last lead with a three-pointer Rounding out the top five “We can’t do anything lost all five games away from ble, much toil and trouble. noted how Martin had cited at the 13:53 mark of the first were Missouri (12,953), about it,” he said. “Before we home without Noel by dou- Xavier Athletics Director the Vols’ Ratings Percentage half. Vanderbilt (12,349) and Mis- could do something about it. ble-digit margins. That had Mike Bobinski, chair of the Index and Strength of Sched- ■ Moats, who averaged sissippi State (12,145). Of Everybody wants to control happened to the proud pro- NCAA Tournament Selection ule numbers. 3.0 points, made a shot in the course, all four made visits to their own fate. … We can’t gram only once: in 1910. The Committee, acknowledged A guilty smile crossed final seconds to give Vandy a Rupp Arena. do anything about it, now.” five losses came by an aver- the booming popularity of Martin’s face. “You have to 37-23 halftime lead. The rest of the SEC, Kentucky’s many fresh- age margin of 17.2 points. bracketology. know what’s going on,” he ■ Rod Odom’s three- in order, was 6. Tennes- men seemed unsure of what When asked to explain “It’s become its own said. pointer from the right corner see (11,748), 7. Georgia to do next. They had never the road losses, Hood cited industry, which is interesting When it comes to the bounced high off the right (11,448), 8. LSU (11,209), 9. before been in NCAA Tour- Noel’s absence. “He’s one to us here in the committee NCAA Tournament bracket, side of the rim, came down Auburn (11,108), 10. Texas nament limbo. of the best players I’ve ever room,” he said last week. many take comfort in the on the back of the rim and A&M (10,864), 11. South Willie Cauley-Stein boiled seen in person,” he said. “We know all those folks appearance of knowing what’s rolled off the glass before Carolina (10,795), 12. Missis- it down to the essentials. “One of the best players I’ve honestly enjoy what they do. going on. nestling into the basket. sippi (10,290), 13. Alabama “Hopefully, the teams we ever had on my team.” I think it’s great for the game “That’s why you slap them (10,093) and 14. Arkansas need to lose, lose,” he said, But the players suggested of college basketball. It builds One man, one vote on the butt and say, ‘Next (9,870). “and the teams we need to that more than Noel’s ab- and sustains interest through- The Associated Press will game,’” UK freshman Willie In terms of home atten- win, win.” sence hurt Kentucky down out the course of the year.” announce its All-SEC awards Cauley-Stein said. “Obviously, dance in league play, Ken- That plea for help took a the stretch. As for actual impact on se- on Monday. you’re not supposed to win tucky (23,874) far outdis- hit later in the night when “We didn’t show the right lection process, not so much. Here the ballot I submit- the game.” tanced Tennessee (18,089). Ole Miss rallied to beat effort,” Kyle Wiltjer said be- “They react literally on a ted Saturday: Rounding out the top five snake-bit Missouri in the fore adding a few moments day-to-day or sometimes half- First team: Jarnell Stokes, Congratulations were Missouri (13,805), Ala- SEC Tournament’s final later, “We didn’t play as a to-half or game-by-game basis F, Tennessee; Nerlens Noel, Nicholasville native Chris bama (12,828) and Florida quarterfinal game. team tonight.” to what they see,” Bobinski C, Kentucky; Kentavious Holtmann was named a final- (11,853). “We were on Death Row,” Hood said much the same said. “That’s who they are, Caldwell-Pope, G, Georgia; ist Wednesday for the 2013 Perhaps as a further Ole Miss Coach Andy Kenne- thing. what they get paid to do. It Elston Turner, G, Texas A&M; Hugh Durham Award as the indication of a down year dy said of his team’s sense of “We should have come to- helps to drive and build inter- Trevor Releford, G, Alabama. nation’s top mid-major coach. in SEC basketball, home urgency, “and we knew it.” gether better, but we didn’t,” est, makes for great conversa- Second team: Johnny Holtmann, 41, led Gard- attendance decreased at nine Meanwhile, Kentucky he said.