Daily Bullets (March 13)

Seeding Perspective

Berry on how to look at being seeded seven to 10:

Think of it this way. Make OSU a seven seed, then ponder a first-round matchup against one of the other 10 seeds. Marquette, Virginia Commonwealth, Wichita State. I don’t know much about Marquette. But nobody is standing in line to play VCU or the Shockers. I know, the Cowboys won big in Wichita back in December, but the Shockers are a tough program with a winning culture.

It comes down to this. If you’re not a high seed, top three, maybe top four in a regional, you’re playing a virtual tossup game in the first round. Which means the letters w-h-o should be shifted around. It’s a lot more important how you play, rather than who you play. [NewsOK]

The perennial jumble between the 6-11, 7-10 and 8-9 games (even the 5-12) is such a mess. And while I would rather take on an unknown Marquette team than somebody who won a major conference, how the Pokes come out shooting is probably the single greatest factor in how deep they go.

A Peek at Big Blue

Thought this best case/worst case scenario was intriguing:

Best-case scenario: Sweet 16
Seniors are powerful forces at this time of year, as evidenced down the regular-season stretch for Michigan. If the team extends its defensive strides without sacrificing its offensive firepower, it could be a dark horse pick for the NCAA tournament’s second weekend.

Worst-case scenario: One and done
Even if Michigan stays on track offensively, a hot-handed opponent out of the gate could be its undoing. The Wolverines’ most lopsided Big Ten defeat came at the hands of Illinois, which spurned Michigan’s 52.9 percent shooting en route to its own 64.2 percent accuracy and a 20-point lead. [ESPN – $$$]

If I replaced all the “Michigan”related references with “Oklahoma State” and “Illinois” with “Iowa State”, would you argue with the comments?

Michigan at top of their conference in offense, near the bottom in defense. Sounds familiar. pic.twitter.com/W2kttHNWof

— Oklahoma State Stats (@OSUStats) March 12, 2017

OSU and NCAA Notes

Tram breaks down each region of the Big Dance….Writeups on all 68 teams that made the field and the complete seed list from 1-68….Six Big 12 teams make it in, plus TCU goes to the NIT….Cowboy Baseball took two from the Jackrabbits on Sunday to take the series….Selection Sunday Winners and Losers…. Bielema fussy that Kentucky beat Arkansas in the SEC championship

#LetsDance

? More ticket info available tomorrow at https://t.co/JeOOvHybHy. #okstate #marchmadness pic.twitter.com/WcYDpGXouk

— Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) March 12, 2017

Pokes tip off at 11:15 a.m. on Friday in the land of the Hoosiers. Mix it up and watch the game somewhere other than where you watched Iowa State.

A little context on the Midwest region here, these guys felt like Michigan should have been a no. 6 seed (nothing like the 2013 Oregon team that was a 12 seed)

When the boss brings in donuts on Friday:

Check out the reaction from the Cowboys when they saw their team pop up on @CBS this afternoon. #okstate #marchmadness pic.twitter.com/9TQtZPUgze

— Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) March 13, 2017

Pretty sure there were more fans at the seeding announcement than any non-KU home game last year.

What You Missed on PFB

• Porter’s always-inspired five thoughts on the Michigan draw
• All the details on the OSU-Michigan game on Friday
• Kyle Cox with three numbers to know for OSU-Michigan 
• The opening line on the round one game plus odds of making it further
• What the experts are saying about the Cowboy-Wolverine game
• Instacap on the Pokes drawing the Wolverines with solid context
• Underwood was pretty pleased with how the seeding went down

Other Stuff I’m Reading

The 10,000 hour rule breaks down when genes come into play…. Get well soon to the Spurs’ LaMarcus Aldridge…. Challenging practical advice from a marriage counselor: don’t use “busy” as a positive….What you need to know before reading a book….As a native Oklahoman, this piece on “spring break” ideas was just solid gold