Green Shirt Thursdays

[Quagmire]

Dayton lost. Green shirt thursdays are just myths.

[Quagmire]

Wait a second Glork.

Counting all the locks and at-larges, and assuming no surprise tourney champ emerges from a major conference, there appear to be 26 at-large spots filled, leaving eight available. That number will decline if Xavier, Memphis and BYU/UNLV don't win their respective automatic bids.

For those eight remaining at-large bids, there appear to be 22 teams realistically with a chance, but not all profiles are created equal. The current tiering of those teams (in no particular order yet) would look something like this:

Tier A (in relatively good shape today): Arizona, Kentucky, UMass, Texas A&M, Arkansas
Tier B (right on the cut line): Dayton, Illinois State, Ole Miss, UAB, Ohio State, Villanova, Oregon, Arizona State, New Mexico, Saint Joseph's, VCU
Tier C (long shots): Virginia Tech, Temple, Florida, Houston, Maryland, Florida State

If you believe the breakdowns, three of the teams from Tier B would make it, so you can see how crucial the next couple of days will be.

A few observations:
• Arizona has 10 Top 100 wins, which is three more than any other team on those lists, other than Dayton.
• Dayton and Ole Miss have profiles that are much better than most think, despite long swoons in league play. Both clubs won their last three regular-season league games, and if they get to their respective tourney semis (one win for Dayton and two for Ole Miss), will deserve very long looks.
• It's going to be really hard for Illinois State and/or VCU to hold on as teams around them win games.
• Kentucky's profile isn't the mortal lock many Cats fans believe it is. In fact, it isn't clear that the Wildcats should even be in Tier A. Let's play a quick game of blind profile:

Kentucky vs. Team B
RPI SOS R/N Top 50 Top 100
Kentucky 49 11 4-7 4-7 5-10
Team B 31 35 6-6 2-3 9-5


Who's Team B? Dayton, which finished seventh in the A-10 (in large part due to injuries). Based on those numbers, which team would you take? Recall that the Flyers also beat Pitt and won at Louisville, which cancels out some of UK's biggest chips -- home wins over Tennessee and Vandy.

Remember, in January, this column noted that 12-4 in the SEC would be needed just to get into reasonable at-large position. Kentucky's only four wins away from Rupp this season are over four of the five bottom teams in the SEC. The Cats also lack a nonconference win in the top 250. Yes, they're healthier now and have won 11 of 13 down the stretch, but unless that gives them a full pass for the first half of the season, the overall profile remains dicey.

Bottom line: Kentucky would be wise to avoid a loss to Ole Miss or Georgia in the SEC quarters; if the Cats lose, they'd give the committee an excuse to leave them out.

[Glork]

I found that really amusing. (I had also emailed Andy to just look at the damned numbers -- remember how I cited like those exact numbers to you re: S. Ala/UD?)


Dayton may have lost, but just about EVERY bubble team lost, too. Sometimes Green Shirts work in mysterious ways.

[Glork]

You failed to wear your Nibblerized GST avatar yesterday.

DIE SCUM DIE

I spent about half an hour on Scum on Thursday, because I travel on Thursdays. I had kindof forgotten about that.

[xyzzy]

I wasn't able to get on MS yesterday, but I wore a green shirt.

[PokerFace]

if ye be irish or just don't want to be pinched as you consume alcohol, you better wear green today!

[Glork]

I didn't wear green today.

I'm saving it for Thursday.

[Tamuz]

Poker. Celebrating St. Patrick's day today is insulting to any catholic.

Fuck you.

[PokerFace]

In truth I only really had one drink as I sang some irish songs and ate irish foods. I myself actually am catholic and I chose to recognize the holiday and wore green, while drinking was not really important. Sure you could consider one to be drinking but having one still doesn't make drinking important. I celebrated a little bit because I know other people did anyway and I figure that is the best way to not let it bother me. I don't think getting upset at others is a good thing for this time of year. My friends also celebrated a little and some (not all) of them are catholic too. BUT I am sorry if I upset you. [/hijacking]

Regardless we should not discuss religion values further. The point I wanted to get across was wearing green. And I hope at least some people here did.

[Flameaxe]

I didn't wear green today.

I'm saving it for Thursday.

I hope you realize that this ruins our friendship.

[OhGodMyLife]

I have enough green shirts that I could wear one for st. pat's and thursday.

[Glork]

I didn't wear green today.

I'm saving it for Thursday.

I hope you realize that this ruins our friendship.

Yeah, I'm okay with that.

Commercialized "DURR WAER GUHREEN" doesn't appeal to me. Yet somehow, GST does.

[Iammars]

Poker. Celebrating St. Patrick's day today is insulting to any catholic.

Fuck you.

We celebrated it at its proper time. The people I know just did all their drinking a week in advance.

[Glork]

I pretty much had the best GST ever today.

[pickemgenius]

i wore a bleeding through shirt today

[elvis_knits]

I'm actually wearing a green shirt today.

OMG check this out: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.p ... t+Thursday

[hasdgfas]

I pretty much had the best GST ever today.

me too

[Andycyca]

I pretty much had the best GST ever today.

me too

Does this imply you were together?

[Mastermind of Sin]

GST = Gray Shirt Tuesdays!

[Glork]

MoS = creepy Creepo!

[Glork]

It has been a good Green Shirt Thursday overall.

[petroleumjelly]

GST = Gray Shirt Tuesdays!

I'm actually wearing a grey shirt. ><

[Mirth]

Mmmm comfortable red shirt

[Thestatusquo]

I'm wearing white.

[Tamuz]

maroon!