Selection Sunday-NCAA tournament thread

UVa this year highlights just how difficult scheduling to build a tournament resume can be. Like Circus pointed out, Virginia got itself into the preseason NIT to help boost the schedule and wound up playing a couple of RPI killers after losing a game without its point guard. The Cavs also scheduled George Mason and ODU, two of the most consistent mid-major programs around until this year, thinking they were getting two more quality opponents, instead the strength of schedule took a dive with those games.

Now granted, the Wahoos can't complain too much because if they win even one of those games they likely get in, but they were also playing without their senior point guard and playing a bunch of young guys who looked a lot better by the time they got to ACC play.

Point is, people say "just schedule better," but it ain't that simple.

 

That's my bad. For some dumb reason, I was thinking you meant 1 vs. 16.

Carry on.

 

How could you POSSIBLY make this claim? Of course they are going to crown a champion...that is unavoidable. However, you cannot say a team that was left out would not, for certain, had an impact. Kent State in 2003 would have been left out if it had not won the MAC Tournament. It ended up in the Elite Eight. I would say knocking off a very, very strong Pittsburgh team that many picked to go to the Final Four had an impact. George Mason, Butler a few years ago...they were both teams that probably would not have earned at-large bids.

 

This. I say screw the automatic qualifiers. If you want to make the field, win your conference and have an impressive resume. What good does it do to, year after year, see these automatic qualifiers provide cannon fodder for the Dukes and Ohio States of the world? Southern, you are not going to win the NCAA title. Sorry about that. Why not put a team in there, like Kentucky, that has the talent to actually go on a run and win the damn thing?

I love some of these mid-major programs and think it's great when they make a Sweet 16 run, but they aren't going to win the title. Butler made the title game but did not win it all.

That being said, I am thinking about picking Southern as the first 16 seed to beat a one-seed. They have the size and experience to beat Gonzaga. If Beltran and Miller both hit their first shots...watch out.

 

Nice tautology you've built for yourself there. Butler was inches away from beating Duke in the title game. Because Hayward's shot just missed, it proves they can't win the championship?

 

I think I worded that poorly.

What I'm saying is a potential champion has never been left out, so all the caterwauling about who is team #64 is pointless. And I will add that I have never seen a bubble team get left out that was more than a 51-49 case in the affirmative. That's why they're bubble teams, they all have major flaws.

 

That's makes it an even worse loss, no?

Was not aware of the Delaware/NIT implications. And yes, if you win that game, a decent OOC schedule is even stronger. But an (admittedly quick) inspection of the schedule makes it look as it UVa still played too many home games against nobodies.

As for the bubble teams making an impact, wasn't VCU a play-in team two years ago? They certainly made an impact. I know they weren't excluded so they don't erxactly fit your criteria, but there's probably not a lot of difference between the last teams in and the first teams out, which makes a case that an excluded bubble team could certainly make some noice in the tourney.

 

Not going to draw 17,000 for an NIT game.

Robert Morris is probably an afterthought for most Pittsburgh fans, well behind Pitt and Duquesne in number of fans. And it's not like Kentucky is going to travel much for this circus. The more I think about it, I'm surprised Kentucky accepted the bid at all.

 

If it were any other coach in America, I'd argue that playing in the NIT is good practice for his players for next season ...

 

The NIT should do more of this, not less. Kentucky coming to RMU will be the biggest thing in school history, the place will be packed to the rafters and it will be a tremendous atmosphere. Several years ago the NIT sent Holy Cross to Notre Dame for a game before about 1K bored fans. Had that game been played at HC it would have been a much bigger deal, but the NIT had to protect ND because that's who it wanted to make it to MSG.

Kentucky and its ilk turn their nose up at the NIT but for a lot of smaller schools, it's a huge deal.

 

How often do schools turn down NIT bids?

 

Oh, most definitely. That's why I mentioned it begrudgingly. It's all about accountability!