Pitt’s seeding and where they play was the major story today. Heard Rome rant, ESPN’s “Around the Horn” panned it, various commentators on Sporting News Radio broadcasts layed into it. No one could make sense of the decision, and the committee did itself no favor with Bowlsby’s comments from yesterday about the higher seed only getting the neutral court for the first game.

The newspapers around the country are mostly picking Oklahoma State to come out of the East. No surprise that papers in Texas like OSU. But then so do the dailies in California.

Well, I found one bold prediction giving Pitt the National Championship, no less. From New York Newsday

A little controversy right off the bat when Pittsburgh, seeded third, has to play No. 6 Wisconsin in Milwaukee in the second round. It’s bad enough that the Panthers lost to Marquette in the Elite 8 a year ago. Now they have to face an arena of cheeseheads. They win anyway and benefit from the upset of No. 2 Oklahoma State by John Calipari’s Memphis team in Kansas City. Saint Joe’s rolls through its foes but is denied a storybook ending one victory from the Final Four by a Pitt team strong on muscle and defense.

I think he was still a little flush from the BET. Speaking of being flush from the BET, this column from Shaun Powell shows how NYC residents still think of the Big East.

In the years to come, the Big East, as we will know it, will be largely missing from the NCAA consciousness during the fall and winter months.

In that sense, The Big Sleep Conference will be on grizzly bear time. The member schools will snore right through football season, so please, do not disturb.

But do not pity, either. To be honest, the conference could give a BCS about football.

This is about the Northeast, this is about the spring, and this conference is about basketball. Always has been, and with Miami leaving, always will be.

I mean, this is absurd on its face. He does know that all of the new BE teams coming in are mid-west and from Florida? Right?

Of course there are those that see Pitt as ripe for an opening round exit.

I hope someone from the Pitt coaching staff or one of the players starts printing these out and pinning them up to let the Pitt players know how little the national media believes in them.

Now I’m pissed. I can only hope the Pitt players are even half as pissed as the fans. Pitt, the regular season Big East Championship, #6 in the polls, lost only in the BET championship to UConn, lost only 4 games by a total of 10 points, and #8 in the RPI is given the double screw by the NCAA Tournament Committee. Pitt was not only dropped to a #3 seed, they play their first two games in Milwaukee, where the second game would likely be against Wisconsin. Excuse me?

This was the outrage of the seeding. Everyone agreed that the Panthers were given a raw deal, or as Jay Bilas put it on ESPN last night, got “jobbed.” When the head of the committee Bowlsby, the AD from Iowa was being interviewed that was one of the first questions. His defense was Pitt’s non-conference schedule dragged them down and losing to UConn 2 out of 3 times. He ignored Pitt’s Big East schedule and winning the Big East regular season — impliedly suggesting that for Pitt, the conference regular season wasn’t important. As for getting placed in Wisconsin, he avoided the question. He said the committee was only obligated to make sure the first round game was neutral for the higher seeds (and after that, screw you).

St. Joe’s lost in the first round of the A-10 Tourney to Xavier big, and because of the weakness of the A-10, their overall strength of schedule (SOS) was 1 behind Pitt (46 to 45). The Committee ignored the tournament results and rewarded St. Joe’s for their non-con and regular season A-10 championship.

Gonzaga, who the committee appeared to be determined to give a number #2 seed was given the extra reward of playing in Seattle for its first 2 games. The Zags played a tough non-con, but considering how weak their conference was, it dropped their SOS to 85. This seeding strikes me as a payback for past screwovers in seeding Gonzaga (like last year).

I could see Pitt getting the #3 seed, kind of, but then you have to put Pitt in a better position to face the lowest #2 seed in the Sweet 16. That would have been Gonzaga not Oklahoma St.

That said, Pitt has to now go out and ram it down the Committee’s throat. The seeding committee doesn’t believe Pitt is that good. They have to use that as motivation. Us against them mentality.

The other thing is that Pitt is in the East (Rutherford) bracket. This means that if it gets to the Sweet 16, the next two games will be in New Jersey. That’s the closest regional to Pittsburgh and Pitt actually has large alumni bases in Philly, NY and NJ..

Coach Dixon was interviewed a couple times. He needs to show some personality. His responses were almost like they were programmed coachspeak and cliches. He refused to speculate beyond getting ready for Central Florida. Was way too nice to the committee. He actually used the phrase, “We’re just happy to be here.” NO! Look, he doesn’t need to be foaming at the mouth or uttering curses. He wouldn’t even say something halfway there like, “Well we’re a little disappointed, but the committee has a tough job and it can’t make everyone happy.” Or something to the effect, “We still have to win these games, our players know that and like they have all year are ready to go out there and prove it.”

I really think he needed to give the Pitt fans and alumni something. He needed to let us know that the team is going to go out there with some anger and determination. Dixon has had a great first season, but he has been the blandest and most boring copy I’ve ever heard or read in a coach. His players love him, so there is obviously something he doesn’t show the public. Dixon needs to show this side. If for no other reason, than his own job security. He won this year, but it’s easy to say he won with Howland’s players and recruits. If he doesn’t get out in a way that makes the fans and alumni comfortable and personally like him, they will turn on him at the first bump. Show some personality Dixon. Give us a reason to like you and give you space to have problems — because problems will come, they always do.

Other Seeding Notes
Of the 4 conferences that got 6 seeds, the ACC was given the best seeding, and therefore the best chance to get a lot of teams into the Sweet 16 and beyond. Duke was a #1, GT and NC St. were both given #3 seeds, Wake and Maryland got #4 seeds and UNC got a #6 seed. They may have been the best conference but they didn’t deserve half of the #3 and #4 seeds.

Conference USA was completely dismissed. Cinci, tied for the regular season title and winning the C-USA Tournament, was the highest seed at #4. This, despite having an RPI of 11 and being 12/13 in the polls. They were given their first 2 games in Columbus, Ohio, but would face a Sweet 16 game against Duke. DePaul and Memphis were given #7 seeds. Charlotte and UAB received the tails side of the coin toss by being #9 seeds. Lousiville was punished for their late season collapse by being dropped to a #10 seed.

The SEC ranged from #1 (Kentucky) to #10 (South Carolina). Mississippi St. was a deserved #2 seed. Florida (#5), Vanderbilt (#6) and Alabama (#8) in my mind were maybe a spot too high, but about right.

The ACC was skewed up and C-USA skewed down. SEC was about right, but a hair up. The Big East was about right, but a hair down. UConn was an easy #2, Pitt #3. Providence and Syracuse were both #5. I might have pushed ‘Cuse up a spot. Boston College was placed at #6 despite being only one place behind Providence in RPI (22 to 21). Seton Hall was about right at #8.

The Big XII with 4 teams in about the right spots. OK St. was a solid #2. Texas got a fair 3 seed. I think Kansas is a spot high at #4. Texas Tech at #8.

The A-10 will likely have 3 of the 4 teams gone by Sunday. St. Joe’s is a #1 as expected. Xavier is #7 facing Louisville and likely Mississippi St. Dayton is at #10 (second round match against UConn) and Richmond sneaks in at #11 (Wisconsin and then Pitt).

The Big 11 was dissed. It was a down year, but they made Wisconsin — the Big 11 Tourney champ and #12 in the RPI a 6 seed (but they did stick them in Milwaukee). Illinois the regular season champ got a #5 seed. Michigan St. (#7) was placed in Seattle and looks to face Gonzaga in the second round. Nice.

The PAC-10 got its 3. Stanford at #1, Washington and Arizona at #8.

Mountain West was given 3 expected to go out in the first day. Utah and Air Force have #11 seeds and BYU is a #12 seed.

Local Media

Well at least the players and the AD were pissed.

Pitt athletic director Jeff Long stormed out of the selection show party shortly at the Petersen Events Center after Pitt’s draw was unveiled. Players were equally upset about the draw. A couple of them jeered when Saint Joseph’s came up on the screen as a No. 1 seed. The reaction was shock when they saw themselves come up as a No. 3 seed.

“We don’t get the hype that we deserve,” sophomore point guard Carl Krauser said. “It’s always a lack of respect when it comes down to Pittsburgh. Maybe it’s because we’re not in the ACC, I don’t know. We’re just going to have to take it on the chin and play. We all expected to be a No. 2 seed. We have the most wins in the nation. I thought we deserved that No. 2.”

They also note the surprise from the analysts.

“I think it’s totally unfair,” added broadcasting legend Dick Vitale. “They should have a chip on their shoulders.”

Pitt’s seeding was the buzz topic on the national circuit, prompting one studio host to call it the “most controversial and wrong seeding,” in the field. Another said, “Pittsburgh got a raw deal.”

Troutman made a good point.

“I don’t think we should have fallen as far,” junior forward Chevon Troutman said. “But what can we do about it? I don’t think basketball has been big here and we don’t have a long history, so I think that’s a reason we don’t get respect.”

Two columns. One takes a hysterical tone to the drop to #3 seed — the level of disprespect for Pitt is nuts. The other is realistic and looks to the overall make-up of the region — and how Pitt should see the opportunity. It’s actually pretty reasonable.

Pitt matches up well with Wisconsin, too.

Now, to long-term benefits of Pitt’s bracket. If St. Joseph’s is, indeed, the least of the No. 1 seeds, Pitt has been spared the potentially more difficult task of having to make it past Kentucky or Duke or Stanford to reach the Final Four.

If Pitt reaches the Sweet 16 round again, it’s likely to find No. 2 seed Oklahoma State there. Pitt’s inside strength could tip that battle, against a Cowboys team loaded with swing men. In the regional final, it should be Saint Joseph’s or No. 4 seed Wake Forest.

Just imagine if Pitt makes it to the Elite 8 to face Wake Forest. Think Coach Dixon might want that one?