UCLA gets #1 seed with win and UW loss

by gilbert on Mar 6, 2009 10:10 AM PST

UPDATE: ryebreadraz beat me to this in a comment in his fanpost from earlier this week.

I haven't seen this anywhere else yet, and correct me if I'm wrong, but the Bruins get the #1 seed in the Pac-10 Tourney with a win and a Washington loss no matter what now. Nothing else matters anymore, not even the Cal-Arizona State game.

Here's why:

Scenario #1: Cal beats ASU

This would put UCLA and Washington tied for first at 13-5, with the first tiebreaker being head-to-head, where the teams split. The next tiebreaker would be results against the next best team, which in this case would be Cal, finishing third. UCLA swept Cal, Cal swept Washington, so UCLA would get the #1 seed

Scenario #2: Arizona State beats Cal

In this scenario, UCLA and UW would be tied at 13-5 and would still be tied in the first tiebreaker, head-to-head. Cal and Arizona State would be tied for third at 11-7 and under Pac-10 rules, you take head-to-head results against tied teams as a group, and UCLA and Washington both went 2-2 against these schools. So the next tiebreakers would be head-to-head results against the next best team. Both UCLA and Washington would've split against Washington State, split against Arizona, swept USC, swept Oregon State, swept Stanford and swept Oregon.

Here's the Pac-10 tiebreaker rules from their media guide (PDF):

1. Two-team tie
a. Results of head-to-head competition during the regular season.

b. Each team’s record vs. the team occupying the highest position in the final regular standings, and then continuing down through the standings until one team gains an advantage.

When arriving at another group of tied teams while comparing records, use each team’s record against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to that group’s own tie-breaking procedure), rather than the performance against individual tied teams.

c. Won-lost percentage against all Division I opponents.
d. Coin toss conducted by the Commissioner or designee.

a) and b) would be even as I established already. For the whole season, UCLA would be 24-7 and Washington would be 23-8, so UCLA would get the #1 seed by tiebreaker c).

And to think, had Washington won one more non-conference game (or UCLA lost one more) -- this could've gone to a coin toss.

(Cross-posted from my blog.)

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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Comments

You're correct

I mentioned this as a comment to my post breaking down the final weekend, but it was a good idea to do a full post for this and explain it all. Well done.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 6, 2009 10:12 AM PST reply actions

Thanks rye

I didn’t see your comment, I remember reading your fanpost, but I didn’t see the comment.

Thanks!

by gilbert on Mar 6, 2009 10:12 AM PST up reply actions

No need to add the update

You did a better job anyways.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 6, 2009 10:30 AM PST up reply actions

Both of you...

Seriously, thanks. Being in exile, I don’t get nearly as much UCLA-centric news as I’d like so I really appreciate all your posts. From baseball to basketball to football to random, thanks.

by impaulv on Mar 6, 2009 12:19 PM PST reply actions

Even More Critical to NCAA Seeding

If you look at mock-brackets, almost all of them have Washington seeded roughly #4 in the West Region. That seems about right to me, since right now they look to be the Pac-10 Champs. However, UCLA still has a chance to go the West Region – and here’s how I think it is possible.

(1) Washington Loses to WSU – UCLA Beats Oregon – UCLA Finishes Ahead of Washington in Pac-10 Tourney

If all that happens, I see UCLA getting a #4 or a # 3 seed in the West region, and playing in Boise or Portland.

(2) Washington Beats WSU – UCLA Beats Oregon – UCLA Wins the Pac-10 Tournament

If all that happens, it is possible (but unlikely) that UCLA would be in the West region. The reason: The Committee would still probably favor Washington for winning the conference’s regular season. However, if we win the Pac-10 and beat Washington soundly in the Championship game, maybe we get a seed in the West.

In any case, if we beat Oregon and advance to the Semi-Finals of the Pac-10 tourney, I think our opening round games will likely be in Portland or Boise, which is nice.

by rfirpo on Mar 6, 2009 1:24 PM PST reply actions

Too much to think about!!!

My head hurts. Though, IMHO, if we win the Pac-10 Tournament, we should get a #3 seed in the West.

But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.

by tasser10 on Mar 6, 2009 1:40 PM PST up reply actions

The selection committee prioritizes the s-curve and seeding

over region unfortunately so they’d stay true to our seed on the s-curve before considering the region. I’d rather be a #4 in the West than a #3 anywhere else, but the committee won’t give us that break.

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Mar 6, 2009 2:19 PM PST up reply actions

Agreed Rye

though I still think it comes into play a bit—particularly because it is hard to differentiate sometimes after the very top. In any case, if we continue to play well, the first games will at least be closer.

by rfirpo on Mar 6, 2009 3:46 PM PST up reply actions

EVERYONE REMEMBER!

Our boy DG leads selection commitee! Can’t hurt

by harveyismyboy on Mar 7, 2009 5:54 AM PST up reply actions

I would take the west (as 3 or 4)

over anything else as well.

However, if the 4 #1 seeds turn out to be Pitt, UCon, UNC, OU, as currently predicted, then we will have a much much much easier path to the final four going through whatever region OU is in.

Our dream sequence right now is winding up as #3 (can we dream about a 2?) in the West with OU as the West’s #1

by haster123 on Mar 6, 2009 10:44 PM PST reply actions

I don't think it will make that much of a difference

I have pontificated all year that there are no easy teams. Sure, history teaches that no #16 has beaten a #1 seed, but the fact is that the ncaa tournament guys still require the game to be played. Any time a team of D-1 players gets on the court, it’s possible that they can all find the magic key to success, and applies to a #16 or a #6 or anything in between.

I think the important thing is – get ready for this kernel of wisdom which no one else in the whole world has thought of – how our team plays. If we play like we played in our glorious victories, then we will win plenty of games. If we play like we played in some of those other games, it will be more of a struggle. In all likelihood, if we play our game, we will create that intangible “luck” factor which every successful team needs. Our head coach and his coaching staff are the same guys who guided us during our great wins, and our players are the same, too. I think we have already had success this season as Coach defined it. Now if we can just play our game, I think we have as good a shot as anyone at progressing deep into the tournament.

So many words, and so few facts. All that is just hope, I suppose, but I can’t help it.

by Fox 71 on Mar 7, 2009 7:01 AM PST reply actions