[Xs & Joes #30] How the Changing Landscape of College Basketball is Impacting March Madness with Andy Bottoms
Bob and Mike welcome Andy Bottoms from The Assembly Call to discuss the evolving world of bracketology and what the 2025 NCAA Tournament reveals about the future of college basketball.
Bob and Mike welcome Andy Bottoms from The Assembly Call to explore the fascinating world of bracketology and what the 2025 NCAA Tournament might tell us about the future of college basketball.
This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the mysterious art of bracket prediction, the evolving metrics that shape tournament selection, and why the drama of Selection Sunday has captured the public's imagination in unexpected ways.
The conversation examines how recent conference realignment has fundamentally altered the tournament landscape, with potentially far-reaching consequences for programs outside the power conferences.
Segment 1: The Rise of Bracketology as a Cultural Phenomenon
Andy shares insights on why bracketology has exploded in popularity and how it's become integrated into mainstream basketball coverage (7:00)
Mike presents an intriguing theory connecting the public's fascination with bracketology to the psychological appeal of popular reality TV formats (19:00)
Discussion of how the selection committee's increased transparency has transformed the process from a one-day event into something much more (20:30)
A fascinating look at the actual process bracketologists use - combining data analysis with the challenging task of predicting committee decisions (28:00)
Segment 2: Power Conference Dominance and the Mid-Major Question
Analysis of what the 2025 tournament results might reveal about the committee's approach to seeding and selection (10:00)
Andy offers a thoughtful critique of how certain highly successful mid-major programs were treated on the seed list, raising questions about fairness in the process (59:00)
Examination of how viewer engagement metrics might influence tournament decision-making behind the scenes (67:00)
Conversation about the unintended consequences of conference realignment and the transfer portal on program building outside power conferences (67:00)
Segment 3: Analytics Revolution and Future Trends
Exploration of how the metrics used for tournament selection have evolved and which ones appear to carry the most weight with the committee (36:00)
Discussion of the strategic challenges teams face when balancing statistical optimization against traditional coaching concerns (42:00)
Andy weighs in on whether the 2025 tournament results represent a new normal or just a statistical anomaly (89:00)
A spirited debate about tournament expansion that examines the tradeoffs between inclusion and the special quality that makes March Madness unique (94:00)
The episode delivers thoughtful analysis on how the modern selection process works while raising important questions about the direction college basketball is heading. Even as the metrics and conference structures change, the fundamental challenge remains remarkably consistent for programs aiming for tournament success.
On the mics: Bob Moats and Mike Wiemuth with Andy Bottoms (The Assembly Call).
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