Dial Lodge
Sophomore
Posts: 170
Reg: 03-08-07
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Rankings, Ratings and Polls 02-26-24 10:24 PM - Post#364023
In response to TigerFan
Is it possible for Princeton (or any Ivy) to sustain an upwards trajectory and break through the Ivy wall that keeps them from securing games against power conferences and garnering the respect that it would take for the league to be considered for 2 bids?
In the mid-to-late 1990's (back when Coach Henderson had fuzzy cheeks, no grey hairs and played, rather than coached), Princeton was able to schedule some power conference games, win some of them and even win a few in-season tournaments over the big boys. If the team is strong enough, we could schedule some of these teams.
Edited by Dial Lodge on 02-26-24 10:25 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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gokinsmen
Postdoc
Posts: 3683
Reg: 02-06-10
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Rankings, Ratings and Polls 02-26-24 11:42 PM - Post#364028
In response to Dial Lodge
The Sweet 16 run scared away the power conferences - and rightly so. Somehow this team got even better this year and no powerhouse programs want to play Princeton anywhere - not even on their home court.
However, it's worth noting that we're still on ESPN Bubble Watch. If not for the Ivy road losses to Cornell and Yale, there was a slim opportunity for an at-large. Had we lost only 1 of those 2 games, the Selection Committee might be taking a serious look.
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TigerFan
PhD Student
Posts: 1892
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-27-24 12:55 AM - Post#364032
In response to gokinsmen
CBS bracketologist Jerry Palm has the Tigers as a #11 seed in his brackets this week:
https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/br ack...
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SRP
Postdoc
Posts: 4919
Reg: 02-04-06
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02-27-24 05:40 AM - Post#364034
In response to TigerFan
Meanwhile, Kansas State is considered to be in the first four out, even after struggling at home to put away a KenPom 134 West Virginia squad. Princeton is seven ranks better than K State on KP.
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whitakk
Masters Student
Posts: 523
Age: 33
Reg: 11-11-14
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02-27-24 09:32 PM - Post#364059
In response to SRP
ESPN WBB bracketology has Princeton as a #10 and four spots clear of the play-in despite no longer being the automatic qualifier (they gave that to Columbia for some reason).
Of course any scenario where that matters will involve another loss, albeit most likely a Q1 game at Columbia in the Ivy final. Seems pretty safe that they'll be in the field even if that happens, but could slip into the first four.
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ToothlessTiger
Senior
Posts: 341
Age: 76
Reg: 03-28-15
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02-28-24 09:54 AM - Post#364069
In response to whitakk
Wonder if Ivy gets 2d bid if Columbia loses in final. Lions deserved bud last year but for late stumble vs Harvard
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Albert08
Masters Student
Posts: 574
Reg: 08-21-10
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02-28-24 01:54 PM - Post#364094
In response to whitakk
Falling in the ESPN Bracketology seeding to a #10 is actually a blessing in disguise for Princeton, if their ultimate goal is (as I think it is) to get past the NCAA first weekend. Before the Columbia loss Bracketology had them as a #9 seed who, if they won the first-round game, would have had to play #1 seed Stanford. Playing a #2 or #3 seed would seem to improve the odds of a second-round win (see near misses in 2022 and 2023 against Indiana and Utah).
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whitakk
Masters Student
Posts: 523
Age: 33
Reg: 11-11-14
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02-28-24 11:18 PM - Post#364132
In response to ToothlessTiger
Wonder if Ivy gets 2d bid if Columbia loses in final. Lions deserved bud last year but for late stumble vs Harvard
no chance this year, didn't do enough in non-conference. ESPN has them at 12 right now, below the at-large line even without another loss.
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TigerFan
PhD Student
Posts: 1892
Reg: 11-21-04
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02-28-24 11:19 PM - Post#364133
In response to Albert08
Joe Lunardi @ ESPN breaks his normal rules by slotting Cornell into his bracket from the Ivies as a 14 seed instead of the Tigers, despite Princeton being a whopping 42 places better in NET and 57 spots better in KenPom. I suspect he did this to justify a lower seed for the Ivies. They guy hates the league.
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whitakk
Masters Student
Posts: 523
Age: 33
Reg: 11-11-14
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02-28-24 11:20 PM - Post#364134
In response to TigerFan
probably just because they'd have H2H tiebreaker if the season ended today
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TigerFan
PhD Student
Posts: 1892
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-05-24 01:33 AM - Post#364525
In response to ToothlessTiger
The Tigers get 3 votes in this week’s AP Top 25 poll and are holding at #5 in College Insider’s Mid Major Top 25. With the win over Cornell, I’ve seen them picked by various “bracketologists” between a 10 seed and a 13 seed in the NCAA tournament. What a joy to be in the conversation again this year!
Go Tigers!
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Tiger81
Masters Student
Posts: 412
Loc: Montclair, NJ
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-05-24 09:46 AM - Post#364535
In response to TigerFan
Jerry Carino from the Asbury Park Press publishes his ballot every week and the Tigers reappeared at #25 this week.
Princeton doesn’t have the metrics because high-majors avoided them like the plague, but this team is fully capable of advancing to the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend – again – with five players who did it last March
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ToothlessTiger
Senior
Posts: 341
Age: 76
Reg: 03-28-15
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03-05-24 10:26 AM - Post#364541
In response to Tiger81
Carino is, of course, a megaphone for Garden State hoops, but his reasoning is spot on. Princeton has a record that should impact its standing on selection Sunday.
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gokinsmen
Postdoc
Posts: 3683
Reg: 02-06-10
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Rankings, Ratings and Polls 03-05-24 03:04 PM - Post#364574
In response to ToothlessTiger
Princeton still making a token appearance in ESPN's Bubble Watch. Meanwhile, the current mock brackets project us as an 11 or 12 seed.
Win the ILT and I think 11 is most likely.
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TigerFan
PhD Student
Posts: 1892
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-05-24 07:38 PM - Post#364606
In response to gokinsmen
Princeton is included in all of the brackets I've seen today as an 11 or 12 seed. (Someone has them as a 10 seed but I can't seem to find that one now).
USA Today (11 seed) https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/20 24/0...
CBS Sports (11 seed) https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/br ack...
Andy Katz (11 seed) https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/a rticle/2...
ESPN (12 seed) https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/ page/bra...
Washington Post (12 seed) https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/03/05/n...
SB Nation (12 seed) https://www.bloggingthebracket.com/2024/3/5/240911...
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TigerFan
PhD Student
Posts: 1892
Reg: 11-21-04
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Rankings, Ratings and Polls 03-05-24 09:35 PM - Post#364608
In response to TigerFan
Team Rankings has Princeton as a 10 seed:
https://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-tournament/brack ...
Note that this site considers the three teams ranked above the Tigers and the three teams ranked below the Tigers all more likely to make the tournament.
The Tigers are considered to be a 10 seed but only have a 52% chance of making the tournament while the teams considered to be the top three 11 seeds are thought to have an 83%, 70%, and 65% chance to make the tournament.
That pretty much says it all.
Edited by TigerFan on 03-05-24 09:46 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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SRP
Postdoc
Posts: 4919
Reg: 02-04-06
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03-05-24 09:48 PM - Post#364610
In response to TigerFan
Still have two must-win games ahead for seeding discussion to even matter and one important game maintaining these lofty expectations.
I’d rather have the twelfth than the tenth—the five vs seven opponent in the first round is not as big a difference as the two versus the four should one get to the second round.
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whitakk
Masters Student
Posts: 523
Age: 33
Reg: 11-11-14
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03-06-24 09:41 PM - Post#364683
In response to SRP
I’d rather have the twelfth than the tenth—the five vs seven opponent in the first round is not as big a difference as the two versus the four should one get to the second round.
Normally I'd agree, but this year there isn't much difference at all between the likely 2-through-4 seeds. (A big dropoff after the top three teams, and another smaller dropoff after about the 4-seeds.)
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gokinsmen
Postdoc
Posts: 3683
Reg: 02-06-10
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03-06-24 09:54 PM - Post#364684
In response to whitakk
If this team wins the ILT, they can beat anyone outside the Top 3. Last year's team beating #2 Arizona - a trendy pick to win it all - makes anything look possible.
But it all starts with getting there. I suspect every game we have left will be a nailbiter - no one is rolling out the red carpet for a Tiger coronation.
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Tiger69
Postdoc
Posts: 2819
Reg: 11-23-04
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03-07-24 01:26 AM - Post#364693
In response to gokinsmen
Uh, let’s win the League before talking about the ILT. IF we win the ILT, then we can talk about our NCAA opponent. I hope that the Team is putting all its focus on the next game it plays
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