Instead of regressing to talk about action that's already past, I feel it is best to move on to the tournament now. OK, so every 1-seed save for the Spartans lost in their conference tournaments, and some teams felt they got worst seeds (or their nemesis got better seeds) than they had earned, but now's the time has come to get over it and strap them up. Survive, and advance. Yet I'll take a while to address a few of the things mentioned above:
The Big East tourney is always a good show, which I appreciate. But so were virtually all of the tourneys, and not just The Big Boys. Look at, for instance, the A-10, where the Bonnies got themselves in by running the table. My only problem with these tourneys stems from my personal history as an ACC guy. For 30 years we were the only conference with a tourney, and everybody called us fools and idiots for doing this. We, well we'd just smile and say "OK, whatever. You don't get it, and that's just fine. You do your thing, we'll do ours." Now all but the Ivy has a league tournament, giving some in-conference Cinderella a shot at the Dance, and everybody and their cousin crows about how great it is, especially their OWN particular league tourney. Me? I'm left with pretty much the same reaction . . . "OK, whatever."
I felt Kansas came into THEIR tourney with an inside shot at a 1-seed, and much like Carolina would potentially secure it by making the Big12 championship game. Nota bene, I said MAKING the final, not WINNING it. As evidence, see UNC. Meanwhile, the Spartans needed to not only make, but win the Big Ten to grab that spot. Ohio State was likely a little lower on the chart, and probably a 2-seed regardless, while Mizzou's poor RPI and SoS put them out of the picture despite their league success. All that being said, I don't believe there's any difference whatsoever between a 1- and a 2-seed, and no significance difference between these and a spot on the 3-line. Regardless, you still have to win your early games, then knock off the same guys to get to the Final Four, so who cares? It's bragging rights, that's all, and with the way the NCAA schedules first-round games close to home for the marquee teams anyway (the Heels are the top-seed in the MidWest, and open in Greensboro, for instance) it's no big wuff.
Joe, I'm not sure your Racers deserve a 4-seed, but maybe a 5 would have been more fair than a 6-spot. But as above, you win your first game or two, and where's the problem? Again, you gotta win your games, no matter who you face, so just be ready to play ball, and forget about the rest.
Jake, congratulations to the Missouri Tigers for taking the Big12Minus2 Conference tournament title, and leaving that sinking ship in style.
Good luck in the Dance. You should not need much against Norfolk State, but you may need some against either the Gators or the Cavaliers in your next game. With your guard-heavy style, neither will be a cakewalk, believe me.
And Bear, that link led me to a page that was "no longer available", but I'm assuming you're still whining about what you thought were a few non-calls in that UNC/NCSU game. I'm tempted to merely remind you that you got your bid (even if you had to sweat it out until the very final end yesterday), and that you didn't have that bid before the ACC tourney started, so why are you still bellyaching when you should be preparing for Larry's SDSU Aztecs instead. But let me point out that it was the Wolfpack who decided to turn that game into a hard-contact contest, and who started fouling hard durnig player introductions. Whining about a call or two that did not go your way is like those two former 'Pack players who thought they had the right to interfere with the scorers' bench while they cussed out the officials, then whined about the insult after they were kicked out of the arena. You want to leave the ACC? OK, if that's gonna be the @$$hole attitude you want to bring back into the league, one that hasn't been a part of the conference since Frank McGuire took the Gamecocks out of the mix, then go join the Big Ten, where muggings are common.
Maybe tomorrow we can actually talk about some hoops, OK?