BASKETBALL Top hoops leagues get too many NCAA berths

[SpaceRaider]

article by a Marshall beat writer:

Top hoops leagues get too many NCAA berths


excerpt:


...My mid-major beefs lie with the at-large selections, which seem to be more precious each year. As long as the field stays at 68, there are 36 at-large berths. That's not many.

If you're a Marshall fan wondering whether your team's league, Conference USA, will ever be a multi-bid league again in the current format — even occasionally — my answer is no.

Not even if Middle Tennessee wins out to the Conference USA tournament finals and gets toppled there. Yes, I am telling you here and now that the Blue Raiders would end up in the National Invitation Tournament at 29-5 — even with a higher Rating Percentage Index ranking of its current 37.

Even better, those septuagenarians on the NIT selection committee would stick them with a No. 2 seed in the 32-team bracket.

Such is life for the “have-nots.”

In the last bracket of ESPN's Joe Lunardi (before Saturday's games), he projects nine entrants from the Atlantic Coast Conference, seven each from the Big 12 and Big Ten, six from the Big East, five from the SEC and five from the Pac-12. That's 39 from the five uber leagues plus the Big East.....

 

[SpaceRaider]

Forgotten Five:


ESPN Bracketology vs Forgotten Forensics, Round 6

 

[Raiderclyde]

I don't trust NCAA Selection Committee as far as anything getting a G-5 at large! It's terrible shame a wonderful 5 loss season (potentially, if we win out to Semis or Championship game) would to come to a end by missing NCAA's if we lose in C-USA Tournament. Even with a NIT date, it's doubtful we are top seed (in favor of a 10-12 loss P-5), even though we would certainly be deserving based on record and RPI (or quality of wins). We're probably a #2 or even #3 in NIT---tournament is based too much on gate draws and potential television match-ups to be fair with seeding.

Two examples where a team missed at 5 or fewer losses while ranked in at least one of the polls:

• Utah State 2003-04: #22 ranked at time of tournament loss. 26-3, with third loss to Cal State Northridge by a point in opening round of their tournament.

• Murray State 2014-15: 27-5, #25 ranked losing to Belmont by a point in OVC Championship. Twenty five consecutive wins, undefeated in OVC regular season. That was even superior in consecutive wins than their famed 2011-12 of 32-2, though later got Murray #8 ranked, before losing to TSU by 4 at home and then they stayed at #16 for a couple of weeks. Murray's "bracketbuster" win in 2012 with Saint Mary got them in when Dick Vitale covered the game. An interesting "what if" would have been Murray losing to TSU again in 2012 OVC Tournament--would have dropped them from their #6 seed, probably to near the bubble line? How far? The world will never know...but it's what our conferences face.

It's basically comes down to a three day season for us in Birmingham. Sadly, regular season is for tournament positioning (or making it, if one is having a weak season like APSU as a #8 OVC seed and making it to the NCAA dance). Pre-conference games help gain a little seeding (basically to avoid the #16 play in, #16, or #15 lines), though the tournament rewards a hot team like APSU over a two month body of work in conference season.

MT's best realistic outlook is an #11 seed if we win regular season and tournament; though a #10 is possible if a flurry of losses occur around the cut line. Had we not lost at UTEP, #8 or #9 line would have been possible by winning out. Should we drop one game before tournament, think we are looking at a #13. Two games (gasp!) a #14. Basically, we share similar fate to Nevada or Akron--conference leader, but we can't afford any late stumbles, for sure!

 

[AustinLewis]

G5 programs should never rely on a committee to for a tournament berth. The committee will somehow find a way to stick an underdeserving P5 program in the tournament

 

[MTBig Blue]

It's really sad that a 29-5 MT has a chance not to get an at large when they are still talking about a 14-11 UT being in play for an at large.

 

[dukewayne]

Sometimes I think the Ivy League might be onto something, regular season champ gets auto bid. It seems except for extremely rare situations in non-P5, incredible championship basketball all season matters not when it comes to a 3 or 4 game tourney that the whole big enchilada really hinges on instead of the regular season.

There is a lot of excitement in some of the smaller conference tourneys when everything is on the line. I do enjoy getting to watch some of that March Madness. In situations such as C-USA and MT this season, it's just not right to expect dang near perfection all season for an at large bid when the P5 teams can seem to get at large bids with double digits in the loss column. I wish there were some easier answers. Maybe add another round to The Dance? Afterall, D1 is up to what? About 350 teams now?

I do think the OVC has hit upon something the last few years that at least mitigates somewhat the conf tourney potentially ruining a legit earned NCAA bid in the regular season by 1 loss in a conf tourney. The OVC seems to place the higher seeded teams even closer to the conf tourney championship game. I think it's the top 2 seeds that are automatically placed into the semis vs lower seeded teams that have had to win earlier round tourney games to get to the semis. I would be all for C-USA going to a similar format.

 

[Raiderclyde]

Great points! I like tournaments, but what NCAA Tournament Selection Committee has forgotten, or seems to have forgotten, is selecting best teams from all of 351 or so universities and colleges. Last count there are 32 conferences and problem is if one is not in the ACC,B1G,Big XII,Pac 12, $EC,and maybe Big East or AAC--no one if getting more than the automatic bid unless one has a fabulous year by losing just 4 or fewer. And, MT is on that bubble. And, so is #22 Saint Mary's (our play-in opponent from 2013) according to the fine folks at CBS. What happens if MT or Saint Mary's wins out but lose in Semi round? I think we get the Murray State treatment from 2014-15 or the Utah State treatment that I pointed out in earlier post. The "double bye" is in effect in the OVC and West Coast Conference (Saint Mary), so that helps the 1-2 teams get to the final. That is a good feature for the top two to earn.

What I think is even better than that, is conferences awarded two automatic bids: one to the Regular Season and one to the Tournament Champion. Say if an MT wins the regular season and tournament, that one extra bid would turn into a true at large bid, open to anyone. At large bids should be earned--not granted by default to a P5. This way there is true incentive to play at ones best during the tournament--it gives the regular season champion solace that they are in the NCAA's for their body of work (and playing for seeding) and gives the 11-16 team hope to "play their way in" like a seventh place Western Kentucky team did a few years ago in the Sun Belt with a First Four appearance. The bubble would literally expand and shrink, based on how conference tournament leaders performed.

I think conference tournaments should be limited to the top 8 teams and not open to every team. It can fit Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Friday, Saturday or (Sunday?) Monday well. To me, regular season should count for something. A few of your top eight will enter the conference tournament with a losing record overall or in conference--that's okay. But should the very worst with a 4-24 or a 6-22 team make a conference tournament? What purpose does that serve--other than in theory the team could win 3, 4 or 5 games and end up 9-24 or 10-22 and earn a play-in 16 seed, while taking away legitimate opportunity to an MT and sent away with a NIT or CBI bid? Also don't like ninth place ACC or eighth place B1G team with 12-14 losses and at/slightly over .500 in conference getting such an easy path to a #10 seed, while a MT or Nevada has to be almost perfect every night out in November, December, January, and February for mere consideration as a champion who lost in the Quarters or Semis in their tournament!

 

[SpaceRaider]

dnj:
http://www.dnj.com/story/sports/col...re-experts-have-mtsu-after-thursday/98045162/
Bubble Watch: Where the experts have MT after Thursday



.

 

[SpaceRaider]

 

[SpaceRaider]

Interesting discussion on 102.5 go right to 19:00 mark...

Cory Curtis on with Jared and Floyd discussing Middle Tennessee...discussion continues after Curtis leaves the air...