Trying something new, I created an actual bracket and filled it out instead of a wall of text, hopefully the text isn't too small, if it is hopefully everyone can zoom in.

Bracket Predicitons

Final Four

Drew
Webster
Franklin
Hanover

NC

Drew
Franklinn

Bow down to the 35-0 overlords: Drew!

Personally I'm bit disappointed in drawing Franklin as my 4 seed, Franklin actually kind of screwed themselves out of a higher seed, if you look at their stats in multiple of their losses taggl opted to start freshmen and other young players, which backfired and they lost, at least 3/4 losses were of this case.  Franklin if they kept their "normal" roster intact probably wouldn't have 9 losses and most likely would've been a 2 seed imo.   So thats why I have them on a run to the NC game sadly knocking me out early in the sweet 16, hopefully that doesn't happen.

I also went with 7 seed Wisconsin Eau, Claire making the S16 and knocking off 2 seed PBA in the 2nd round, Wisky EC is another underseeded team due to the previous coach giving a lackluster schedule(or forgetting) causing Wisky EC to have a very low SOS, and even going 29-0 was not enough to make up for even though talent wise they are up in the top 3 tiers of teams.

Wow that seems like a lot of work putting that bracket together. I don't disagree with most of it.

I like this prediction but not going to happen for Franklin. It will be interesting to see if Drew can go undefeated or do they run into one of the many elite 'Guard" teams. I really like the Eau, Claire pick and maybe even further. Drew, NYU, Hanover, & Webster(slightly). The bracket was awesome, Only!

I like how KNIGHT has a lot of new players.  Nine guys in the top 25 have less than 10 NT appearances.

Well I'm 10/16 for S16 picks

Biggest surprises
7 Yeshiva (the sim team I mentioned in an earlier post) upset 2 seed Whittier
13 US Coast Guard Academy has made the S16

2 Whittier is out
2 PBA is out
3 Dickinson is out
3 NYU is out
4 Franklin is out
4 FDFH is out

well damn I really didn't want to see my season end this early, honestly I'm super disappointed in the results, the best roster I've had and regular season I've had only to lose the CT and then in the S16 as a 1 seed to a team I beat earlier in the season...

Here is goes  Elite 8 Teams:

Drew (dtm1500) [the0nlyis's pick]
Stays unbeaten with its 10 point victory over 4 seed CNU, all 3 of their NT wins have been double digits.  will face surprise 6 seed "cinderella" Waynesburg.

Waynesburg (delpcomm1)
Won big over super sim Yeshiva after upsetting 3 seed Dickinson in the second round, can they pull of another upset against 1 seed Drew?
______________________

Becker (carlbuzz)
Survives in OT against Manchester with a poor shooting performance(sub 40%), will need to play better to yet again advance.

CMHMS (aejones) [the0nlyis's pick]
Jacob Brown and Jon Little are a dominant duo, accounting for 77% of the teams NT points will anybody be able to slow them down?
______________________

Pacific Lutheran (affvid) [the0nlyis's pick]
It's raining three's from the team from Tacoma, averaging 32 3PA this season and 26/gm in the NT who will be the first team to shut them down?(I sure as hell couldn't)

Wisconsin Eau, Claire (TMAN25)
this unknown first season coach seems to know what he's doing, besides Drew they are the only other undefeated team remaining.
______________________

Hanover (cbous3040)
After ending the run of the cinderella USCG Hanover looks to match Menlo with their elite speed guards this afternoon.

Menlo (anavrin) [the0nlyis's pick]
The FB/FCP combo with such great speed has made this team extremely hard to beat, and is scoring at a high rate.

Final Four

#1(1) Drew vs. #2(1)Becker
The battle for the ages.  Undefeated Drew verse 1 loss Becker, the 2 teams agreed upon by if not everyone to be the top tier have made it and not followed suit of other top ranked teams.  Drew and their elite guards will get their toughest challenge from the as elite guards of Becker, top coaches square off it what should be an amazing game.  Will Drew be able to match Beckers insane athleticism, the battle of possible the best backcourts in the nation.

Pick [Becker] pulls of the upset athletic advantage in the front court will be hard to stop and the real battle is Hallum verse Laub and Jones verse Clinton.  Becker wins those battles as well, however Becker's trick weapon is the 3-2 zone ability which will heavily defend the perimeter against the 3's from Drew.

#4(5) Pacific Lutheran vs. #3(3) Menlo
Two teams with elite speed match up in a battle for the title of fastest team in Knight.  Who comes out on top, will it be the 3 point drilling team of affvid or the Hyper tempo team of anavrin. 

Pick [Pacific Lutheran]  Menlo's defense has finally met it's match in a team capable of beating them in a race, the 3 point shooting of Pacific Lutheran I deem an unstoppable for at the moment.  Menlo will score but won't be enough to compensate for the amount of 3's Pacific Lutheran hits, and won't be able to get to the foul line like usual because they won't have such a speed advantage anymore.

	SYSTEMS				OFFENSIVE							DEFENSE
SOS	OFF	DEF	# SRs	TEAM	PTs/G	OREB	REB	AST	FG%	3PT%	FT%	PTS/G	FG%	3PT%	TO	Steals	BLK
3	FLEX	PRESS	3	DREW	78.5	13.0	34.6	12.8	47.5	42.1*	69.7	56.9*	42.1	33.5	20.5	9.6	2.8
34	MOTION	ZONE	1	WAYNESBURG	64.8	9.1	29.7	12.3	50.7	44.4*	69.5	56.4	41.7	29.6	12.1	6.0	3.9
24	FLEX	ZONE	4	BECKER	85.9*	12.6	40.8*	15.8	49.9*	42.2*	69.1	60.8	37.1**	24.9**	17.2	8.0	5.6*
9	Triangle	MAN	2	CMHMS	65.9	8.8	29.7	13.8	49.4	42.1*	69.8	53.8*	40.1*	32.1	13.0	7.4	3.7
21	MOTION	PRESS	5	PAC LUTHERAN	85.2*	13.6	35.7	19*	48.5	42.1*	69.6	59*	43.0	30.1	20.0	11.2*	3.4
96	MOTION	MAN	6	WISCONSIN EAU, CLAIRE	75.4	11.2	35.4	16.8	51.8*	36.5	71.7	52.4**	38.2*	31.2	16.2	7.6	5.0
10	MOTION	MAN	4	HANOVER	73.9	9.7	33.4	16.4	49.8	44.6*	71.8	59.9*	39.5	30.0	15.1	7.9	4.8
30	FB	PRESS	3	MENLO	102.3**	13.7	41.6*	24.7*	52.0*	38.5	70.5	75.8	42.3	30.6	25.5*	14.4*	4.8
												^Opponent's Averages^

NOTE:        ** = LEADS NATION IN STAT   * = TOP 25 IN STAT

I apologize for the formatting... I initially did this in excel and the paste/input options absolutely rape the formatting.  Outside of re-inputting all this data one by one into the crappy "Insert Table" option- this is the best I could do.

I always like to look at and analyze the Elite 8/Final 4 teams every season to see what works for them and how they are THAT good.  I haven't done this in a few seasons, but above is usually the generic points I look at and analyze!

I think you need 5 things to go deep. I've never had all of these. I'm curious if anyone agrees:

1. Consistent Perimeter threats
2. Consistent Inside scoring threats
3. Elite defenders in the backcourt
4. The right bracket path
5. Experience

I'm defintley not the best one to comment on this but I don't think you need all of them. Bracket path actually may be the most important due to most people aren't going to have all the above on a yearly basis. I think a good mixture of elite per shooters & defenders will consistently put you in good situations. I know Menlo plays press but still, look at his per def... There's some really high end speed there but I still sort of scratch my head when I look at the amount of times he turns people over...it's crazy! GL to our f4 and may the best man win!

I don't know. Drew has elite perimeter shooters, elite defenders, low post scorers, and experience.... Really everything I think you'd need.

Posted by kbc167 on 4/28/2015 11:35:00 PM (view original):
I don't know. Drew has elite perimeter shooters, elite defenders, low post scorers, and experience.... Really everything I think you'd need.

I agree Drew is elite and does have the pieces needed. I was just talking in general that I don't think you need all of them to go far. Sometimes just some of them in the right bracket is enough. It's hard to hit it just right in recruiting all the time and someone I guess could come on here and say something like his bigs aren't elite rebounders or his guards could use more speed...idk. I'm not going to critique somebody that's undefeated and playing in the f4. That's a hell of a team!

National Championship Game

#1 Drew vs.#2 Menlo

Drew wins in a game as good as advertised verse Becker, ending after double overtime.  Drew needed a jump hook buzzer beater as time expired to tie the game in the first OT before charging ahead to take the victory by 10 points in the 2nd half.  The key factor was James Reeder absolutely abusing the 3-2 zone deployed by Becker to slow down the elite guards of Drew.

Meanwhile Menlo shot nearly 60% with their potent offense to overcome 11 threes from Pacific Lutheran.  Kinder had a game high 20 on 6/9 shooting and hitting 7/8 of his free throws.

Pick (Drew) finishes the undefeated with an undefeated season, they matchup ath/spd and defensively to slow down Menlo just enough while taking advantage of Menlo's low defense to score and get to the foul line to pull ahead towards the end of the game.
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