MORGANTOWN -
The West Virginia University basketball team and its fans
continue to wonder if the Mountaineers are in the NCAA Tournament. If you pay
attention to the "bracketologists", then WVU is in.
The next question to ask is what seed will WVU get? While
just getting in is great, the seed makes a big difference in what the road to
the Sweet 16 and eventually the Final Four looks like.
One look at college basketball this season and it is easy to
see a big drop in the level of talent from those teams likely seeded one and
two and the schools below them.
For example, if WVU is a 10 seed then it will draw a seven
seed in the now second round of the tournament. A win means either team is
likely playing a two seed in the third round.
If WVU is a 12 seed then it will draw a five seed. A win
will send WVU into a game against either the four seed or the 13 seed.
Here is a little food for thought on the success rates of
seeds in the history of the NCAA Tournament.
No. 10 seeds are 53-79 against No. 7 seeds and 21-29 against
No. 2 seeds.
No. 11 seeds are 42-86 against No. 6 seeds and 11-29 against
No. 3 seeds.
No. 12 seeds are 39-89 against No. 5 seeds and 11-19 against
No. 4 seeds.
No. 10 seeds have the best overall success in the first round
amongst that group and do pretty well against No. 2 seeds winning 42 percent of
the time.
Location could also play a role in West Virginia's success
or failure in the NCAA tournament. Drawing a 10 seed in the same region as Duke
could pit the two schools against each other in Greensboro, North Carolina.
That is about an hour away from Duke's campus.
WVU has shown the ability to compete with any team in the
country. It has also struggled to close out games, which proved to hurt the
Mountaineers once again in the Big East Tournament.
West Virginia tends to earn a higher seed when it plays in
the NCAA Tournament. The last time WVU was a 10 seed was in 1998 when the
Mountaineers advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to Utah.
Can this team make a run? It can, but will it? Only the players
can answer that question.
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