I saw that. Of course 8 to10 of the lowest seeded teams are there due to automatic bids (champion who lost in their tourney) so no way they get in unless they move up to about a 6 seed. 6 vs. 3 in LR. I'm okay with that.
Personally, I don't want to play the Hogs. We have bragging rights right now, and if we were to lose to them, we'd never hear the end of it. No. Maybe in a few years when we've built the program up I might enjoy seeing that game, but not now. A loss would put a smear on our great season. We're obviously going to lose to someone before the season is over. That's assuming we don't win the national championship, but I don't want it to be against the Hogs.
(03-04-2016 02:51 PM)mjs Wrote: [ -> ]I saw that. Of course 8 to10 of the lowest seeded teams are there due to automatic bids (champion who lost in their tourney) so no way they get in unless they move up to about a 6 seed. 6 vs. 3 in LR. I'm okay with that.
3 low major one seeds have already been upset and tournaments have just begun. So that's 3 already. 8 to 10 automatic NIT qualifiers may have been a conservative estimate. I really love that the NCAA/NIT have done this. Give conference champs a shot at postseason even if they lose in "crapshoot" tournaments. This year, I think we would have been in regardless, but that's not always the case in the Sun Belt.
I like it too. Makes the NIT far more interesting. I follow it now almost as much as the NCAA Tournament.
(03-05-2016 09:58 AM)mjs Wrote: [ -> ] (03-04-2016 02:51 PM)mjs Wrote: [ -> ]I saw that. Of course 8 to10 of the lowest seeded teams are there due to automatic bids (champion who lost in their tourney) so no way they get in unless they move up to about a 6 seed. 6 vs. 3 in LR. I'm okay with that.
3 low major one seeds have already been upset and tournaments have just begun. So that's 3 already. 8 to 10 automatic NIT qualifiers may have been a conservative estimate. I really love that the NCAA/NIT have done this. Give conference champs a shot at postseason even if they lose in "crapshoot" tournaments. This year, I think we would have been in regardless, but that's not always the case in the Sun Belt.
I want the system changed. If you go back for years and read my posts, I've always thought our league champion should represent us in the NCAA with an automatic bid. Have the conference tournament for the rest of the teams, and the winner go to the NIT. It's unfair for a mid major to work their butts off, go through a grueling full season, and win the title, and then lose in their league tournament, and fail to go to the NCAA. It just doesn't make sense to me. But it is the way it is, so for now, we have to win our tournament to be certain of an NCAA bid. So GO TROJANS!
I love the conference tournaments. It essentially makes everyone in the NCAA tournament, in a way. Also, small conferences like ours would lose a LOT in terms of national recognition and money from conference tournaments because they would no longer mean anything.
Some of the best basketball on ANY level happens during the conference tournaments. Just look at the Austin Peay-Belmont game last night.
(03-05-2016 10:39 AM)outsideualr Wrote: [ -> ]I want the system changed. If you go back for years and read my posts, I've always thought our league champion should represent us in the NCAA with an automatic bid.
I'm with you all the way, Doc. Right now the NCAA doesn't go to the best team, but to the hottest team. Why reward someone who dogged it all year and got hot at the right time.
(03-05-2016 11:27 AM)MICHAELSPAPPY Wrote: [ -> ] (03-05-2016 10:39 AM)outsideualr Wrote: [ -> ]I want the system changed. If you go back for years and read my posts, I've always thought our league champion should represent us in the NCAA with an automatic bid.
I'm with you all the way, Doc. Right now the NCAA doesn't go to the best team, but to the hottest team. Why reward someone who dogged it all year and got hot at the right time.
It is what it is. Its not going to change. I love going to and watching conference tournaments. I have no problem with the NIT as a conciliation prize. Maybe be better for us anyway. Since we can possibly get a 12 seed, I'd tend to lean to the NCAA this year. Rare for a Sun Belt team to be seeded that high. As a 12 seed, I think its conceivable we could pull an upset. Much lower than that it is highly unlikely, although of course it does happen.
Pappy. We're not alone in our preference. I heard Coach K on the radio a while back, and he said exactly the same thing we're saying. He even went further saying he thought every conference regular season champion should be in the tournament, and if they lost in their league tournament, both the league champion and the tournament champion from that league would go to the NCAA tournament. I think he said it would take increasing the number of teams in the NCAA to 96 or something like that. Of course the big boys wouldn't like that because it would mean some of their fourth and fifth place teams wouldn't get into the tournament. Big deal. Fourth and fifth place teams don't belong in the tournament. Their chances of winning the national championship aren't much better than the champion from the SWAC. So why not reward excellence instead of cronyism.
Another point, the conference has set up so we don't have to risk a loss to an 8 seed. We have to win two games on a neutral court. Can't do that, I find it hard to argue we deserve to go. No home court advantage, no complaints about travel, no excuses about tired legs, no homer referees. Everything on the line. Just win the two games.
Exclude home games and games against each other. How many road games did Monroe win, and how many did we win.
That's probably a better barometer than anything else in figuring out who was the best team. Not that any of this makes any differences. It will all boil down to who wins this next weekend. Let's hope we have it all together for the tournament.
(03-05-2016 11:53 AM)outsideualr Wrote: [ -> ]Exclude home games and games against each other. How many road games did Monroe win, and how many did we win.
That's probably a better barometer than anything else in figuring out who was the best team. Not that any of this makes any differences. It will all boil down to who wins this next weekend. Let's hope we have it all together for the tournament.
Right now Monroe is clearly playing better than us (of course, they might lose and end their winning streak tonight). It's always who is playing better in March. It is no different in the NBA, NHL, or NFL playoffs. No one cares what you did during the season. Playoff's are all that matters. The tournament is our "playoffs".
(03-05-2016 09:58 AM)mjs Wrote: [ -> ] (03-04-2016 02:51 PM)mjs Wrote: [ -> ]I saw that. Of course 8 to10 of the lowest seeded teams are there due to automatic bids (champion who lost in their tourney) so no way they get in unless they move up to about a 6 seed. 6 vs. 3 in LR. I'm okay with that.
3 low major one seeds have already been upset and tournaments have just begun. So that's 3 already. 8 to 10 automatic NIT qualifiers may have been a conservative estimate. I really love that the NCAA/NIT have done this. Give conference champs a shot at postseason even if they lose in "crapshoot" tournaments. This year, I think we would have been in regardless, but that's not always the case in the Sun Belt.
It is a great thing that our conference champ is guaranteed an NIT bid if they lose in the tournament. Beats the old days when nothing was guaranteed if you didn't win your league tournament.
(03-05-2016 10:39 AM)outsideualr Wrote: [ -> ]I want the system changed. If you go back for years and read my posts, I've always thought our league champion should represent us in the NCAA with an automatic bid. Have the conference tournament for the rest of the teams, and the winner go to the NIT. It's unfair for a mid major to work their butts off, go through a grueling full season, and win the title, and then lose in their league tournament, and fail to go to the NCAA. It just doesn't make sense to me. But it is the way it is, so for now, we have to win our tournament to be certain of an NCAA bid. So GO TROJANS!
I agree with the conference champ getting the automatic bid, but the league members aren't going to go for that, because every team has a shot at winning the tournament by getting hot or lucky at the right time.