Gator Country

mac4lyfe · 03-20-2013, 12:59 AM

Has a #3 seed ever been so highly picked? Almost every board I've been to has had us reaching the Final Four at a high rate. I think we are behind only Louisville as tourney favorites??? I sure hope the public is correct but a lot of questions have to be answered.

Even Barack Obama have us in his Final Four. Unreal.

**Emmitto** · 03-20-2013, 01:07 AM

Well you're basically picking a top 12 team to survive to the final four in a year that seems to lack any obvious juggernauts. Coupled with what I see as a reasonable bracket draw, and I think it's perfectly sensible.

mac4lyfe · 03-20-2013, 01:18 AM

Yeah, but we're the most popular #3 and I believe we're picked more than all the #2's and 2 of the #1's. I don't think I've ever seen that.

Most years, people go chalk with a 1 or 2 seed. I don't recall a 3 seed getting this much play.

**Emmitto** · 03-20-2013, 08:23 AM

A 3 more popular than all the 1's and 2's is odd, no doubt. The bracket I run isn't reflecting that, although it's only 22 brackets so far. Louisville and Indiana are present on the vast majority of them, including winning it all. UF is out to the FF on a handful.

I guess people are searching for an alternative since the perception is that the top lines are uncharacteristically weak. You do have some teams in there that are hard to embrace, like Gonzaga, Miami, Georgetown, etc.

maleko83 · 03-20-2013, 08:24 AM

SI's survival bracket has UF over Louisville in the Championship Game.....http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/-co...1_a9&eref=sihp

gator2109 · 03-20-2013, 08:34 AM

I got this from a Kansas board:

They have a similar thread over there separate from this info discussing the reasoning for why we are apparently the favorites in a lot of peoples minds in our region. Another thing I noticed below is how little play Georgetown is getting. Another interesting note is Duke - I will be picking them over UL in one of my brackets in a money pool just for the fact that UL is getting picked by everyone.

ESPN

Jay Bilas - Louisville, Ohio State, VCU, Indiana
Eamonn Brennan - Louisville, Ohio State, Florida, Indiana
Rece Davis - Louisville, Gonzaga, Florida, Indiana
John Gasaway - Louisville, Ohio State, Florida, Indiana
Seth Greenberg - Louisville, Gonzaga, Kansas, Indiana
Andy Katz - Louisville, Gonzaga, VCU, Miami
Jason King - Louisville, New Mexico, Florida, Indiana
Myron Medcalf - Louisville, Ohio State, Georgetown, Indiana
Dana O'Neil - Louisville, Ohio State, VCU, Indiana
Digger Phelps - Michigan State, Ohio State, Georgetown, Miami
Robbi Pickeral - Louisville, Ohio State, Kansas, Miami
Dick Vitale - Louisville, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana
JayWilliams - Michigan State, Ohio State, Kansas, Miami

CBS Sports

Gary Parrish - Louisville, Wisconsin, VCU, Indiana
Gregg Doyel - Louisville, Ohio State, Michigan, Indiana
Jeff Goodman - Louisville, Gonzaga, Florida, Indiana
Jeff Borzello - Louisville, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Indiana
Matt Norlander - Louisville, Gonzaga, Michigan, Miami
Jerry Palm - Louisville, Ohio State, Kansas, Syracuse
Dennis Dodd - Louisville, New Mexico, Georgetown, Miami
Mateen Cleaves - Louisville, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Miami,
Wally Szczerbiak - Louisville, Gonzaga, Kansas, Miami
Pete Gillen - Louisville, Gonzaga, VCU, Miami

Yahoo!

Jeff Eisenberg - Louisville, Ohio State, Kansas, Indiana
Brad Evans - Louisville, Ohio State, Georgetown, Miami
Pat Forde - Louisville, Ohio State, Georgetown, Indiana
Dan Wetzel - Louisville, Gonzaga, Kansas, Indiana

**SI**

Seth Davis - Louisville, New Mexico, Kansas, Miami
Luke Winn - Louisville, Ohio State, Florida, Indiana
Stewart Mandel - Louisville, Ohio State, Florida, Miami
Pete Thamel - Louisville, Ohio State, VCU, Miami
Andy Glockner - Louisville, Ohio State, Florida, Miami

**USA Today**

Mike Lopresti - Louisville, Ohio State, Kansas, Miami
Scott Gleeson - Duke, New Mexico, Kansas, Miami
Eric Prisbell - Louisville, New Mexico, Kansas, Miami
Nicole Auerbach - Louisville, Gonzaga, VCU, Indiana
Eddie Timanus - Louisville, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Indiana

**RealGatorFan** · 03-20-2013, 09:05 AM

The South has most of the coaches having made it to the Final Four at least once. No other region comes close.

**gator1986** · 03-20-2013, 09:07 AM

No offense but I wish all these threads about us in the Final Four would stop. Florida just needs to prove themselves.

gatorbogey · 03-20-2013, 09:36 AM

people are looking at pomeroy and sagarin. and making picks based on those metrics.

Colin · 03-20-2013, 09:38 AM

Can it happen? Yes. We have a team that, when playing well, can beat anyone. A good shooting night from any two of our three-point shooters combined with our typically strong defense is tough for any team to overcome.

Will it happen? Doubtful, considering we will have to go through a lot of really good teams, and all it takes is one bad night for our shooters and one amazing night for an opponent's shooters to end our season.

Will not winning it all or not making the FF be a failure? Not at all, IMO. This is a great team and tries to play the right way, and together, and they have been mostly fun to watch.

mac4lyfe · 03-20-2013, 09:55 AM

I made no claims of us being a Final Four team. I was just a little surprised how a #3 was on so many brackets and getting so much love. I really haven't seen this before.

Apparently Ohio State is the highest #2 pick.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gator1986

No offense but I wish all these threads about us in the Final Four would stop. Florida just needs to prove themselves.

HayGator · 03-20-2013, 10:05 AM

It reflects the "experts" opinion of Billy as a great tournament coach.

corpgator · 03-20-2013, 10:26 AM

People on forums are more likely to pay attention to Pomeroy.

**gator1986** · 03-20-2013, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mac4lyfe

I made no claims of us being a Final Four team. I was just a little surprised how a #3 was on so many brackets and getting so much love. I really haven't seen this before.

Apparently Ohio State is the highest #2 pick.

That's why I said no offense I have seen a bunch, and I really think its because people picking these brackets are still in love with floridas offense, but they really need to come to play. If they come like they have been lately, they won't get past UCLA

**ovillegator** · 03-20-2013, 11:34 AM

Just hope our boys don't read and buy into any of these polls, or they will be out early.

It's still about the game they bring.

Period.

HayGator · 03-20-2013, 12:00 PM

I don't care if they read this stuff. If Louisville players read it will they be out early?

**bgator85** · 03-20-2013, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HayGator

It reflects the "experts" opinion of Billy as a great tournament coach.

I think this has a lot to do with it. Plus, people know this team has been there the past two years and came very close to the Final Four each time. A team with a lot of tournament experience plus a great coach is often a recipe for success.

orlandogator · 03-20-2013, 02:21 PM

Alot of people think the tournament is a favorite of teams with good guard play. We have that, good defense and a 6'10" 3 point shooter who can create mismatches for most people.

fox · 03-20-2013, 08:52 PM

You make the elite 8 2 years in a row and return a better team you're going to get picked by a lot of people, especially this year when 20 teams could manke it.

**outbackjack** · 03-20-2013, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HayGator

I don't care if they read this stuff. If Louisville players read it will they be out early?

Funny. You automatically lose if you read about your game.

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