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(02-02-2018 02:52 PM)Gilesfan Wrote:  

(02-02-2018 02:32 PM)ODU BBALL Wrote:  

(02-02-2018 11:34 AM)Gilesfan Wrote:  

(02-02-2018 11:23 AM)EverRespect Wrote:  

(02-02-2018 11:00 AM)Gilesfan Wrote:  FWIW, MTSU is a top 40 team. They have won tourney games in back to back years. Claiming any of our teams would win might be a stretch(probably had 1-2 that were on the same level). Claiming they would run through the conference is ridiculous.

That team was Final 4 capable. Lost on a tip in at the buzzer to the national runner up after running through a 3-bid conference and blowing out an eventual Final 4 team in their backyard. MTSU is not on that level. First win was a 15/2 fluke and last year they got a good 1st round draw. I have no doubt we would have run through this conference. Maybe not undefeated, but we certainly would have held serve at home and won the big ones and the tournament. I also like this team, but maybe you aren't old enough to remember how good those other teams were and how they stepped up every single time.

We were a 9 seed with 4 CAA losses (7 losses overall). KenPom had us as the 48th team. MTSU is ranked as the 41st best team this year.

Claiming that team is was a final four caliber team through transitive properties is a stretch.

There is no way to accurately use KenPom rankings for an ODU team having a ranking of #48 back 7 years ago and say that it has any relevance what so ever in using it as evidence against a current team graded out as being #41. That is far more of a stretch than saying that ODU was a Final Four caliber team.

It isn't a transitive property to say that VCU and Butler made up half of that season's Final Four. It also isn't a transitive property to say that ODU defeated VCU 2 out of 3 games that season, or that it lost on a buzzer beater shot off a rebound to Butler. It isn't a transitive property to say that ODU played half the Final Four field that season a total of 4 times and held their own with a 2-2 record in them. The total point differential for the 4 games combined was a +8 for ODU.

Yes, some things would have had to have gone right along the way for ODU to have reached the Final Four that season, much like it had to go right for both Butler and VCU to reach it. However, it is clear by the games played and actual results that occurred that ODU was a Final Four caliber team that season. Personally I think that team would be the best team in CUSA if they were playing for ODU today, and it might not even be close. I've got a strong feeling that Mr. Bazemore could do a very nice job defensively on Potts, and probably Finney would have matched up well with King. If not then they could have put someone taller like Cooper or Carter on him.

Some additional facts -

1). At the time of the CAA Tournament, ODU was leading the nation in rebounding margin. They may also have ended the season as the nation's leader, (not sure). At any rate, it is highly unlikely that starters 6'-9" Hassell, 6'-9" Cooper, 6'-5" Finney, and 6'-5" Bazemore, along with 6'-9" Carter coming off the bench would have gotten beaten so badly on the boards like ODU did last night. In all likelihood it would have been the other way around.

2). Seniors James, Hassell, Carter, and Finney won a total of 97 games in their ODU careers, including beating VCU a total of 4 times in the city of Richmond - twice in the Siegel Center, and twice at the Richmond Coliseum in the CAA Tournament. Amazing how that used to be a rather routine occurrence having an ODU team win over a VCU team.

What Butler or VCU did was meaningless. Neither were top 15 teams in the country, but circumstances/luck/hot streak helped them get to the final 4. Just because Butler went on to beat Pittsburgh doesn't mean ODU would have.

Giles, don't lose track of the fact that I was only saying that ODU was a Final Four caliber team based upon the fact that VCU and Butler actually were Final Four teams and ODU had significant (and positive) history with those teams that season. In making those assessments, what Butler or VCU did is anything but meaningless to the conversation.

I made it pretty clear that ODU would have had to have had some things go their way during the games for them to have also made it to the Final Four such as Butler and VCU did. That would have included in the game against Pittsburgh had ODU not lost at the buzzer to Butler.