First of all, sorry to hear about his father's passing.

But second- guys- consider what you're saying on today's morning sports talk show.

I realize as the ETSU announcers you can't be very critical.

However, trying to make excuses for the worst basketball conference in Division I isn't going to win you a lot of credibility.

Today I heard them speak of the difference between the A-Sun and the Southern Conference.

In championing the A-Sun, they actually mentioned that there were "only" three teams with higher RPIs in the Southern Conference than ETSU.

So, instead of talking about the chances for an NCAA berth (which even in rah-rah Johnson City, I haven't heard much talk about), we are now championing that we would only be the FOURTH BEST TEAM in the old conference?

How does this speak highly of the A-Sun?

They went and continued the disparity between the A-Sun and SoCon was primarily the bottom feeder teams. Evidentily the bottom teams in the A-Sun are significantly worse than those in the SoCon.

Uh, okay, but then HOW WERE THE TOP THREE TEAMS IN THE SO CON BETTER THAN THOSE IN THE A-SUN?

It doesn't make any sense whatsoever!

Look, you can talk all you want about NCAA seeding when it is pretty much established the top 48 seeds- with rare exceptions- go to the major conferences and the mid-majors are left to fend for themselves.

And those rare exceptions get seeds 28-48.

You cannot refute that the Bucs went from 7-19 in the Southern Conference to 15-13 in the A-Sun overnight.

You cannot dispute the fact a middle-of-the-road Chattanooga team from the SoCon took ETSU to overtime in Johnson City earlier this year.

The A-Sun is a significantly weaker conference.

And the thing is- even if the Bucs were able to win the A-Sun Tournament this year- which they just might- it is highly unlikely they'll be able to compete with the Big Boy they'll be matched up against.

It will simply be like trying to hit a 100 mph fastball after spending the previous eight innings trying to hit junkballers.

No "down to the wire" game a la Cincy, Wake, or Oklahoma. No chance of an upset against Arizona or Florida State.

A lopsided loss, and the cry of "those mid-majors are jokes" is heard.