Doesn't really matter what we want, because unless there are some other major upsets in some of the lower RPI conferences thats where we will be going. I actually kind of like the idea. When the league has been strong, a regular season champ that wins the tourney could reasonably hope for a 12 or 13 seed which can be a winnable game. We are looking at a 16 seed- a 16 seed has never won and usually gets blown out. So why not hope for a play-in game, where we actually have good chance of getting an NCAA win? I think that this year, with 4 play-in games (2 for 16 spots and 2 for 12 seed spots) the games will carry a lot less negative stigma and will probably garner a lot more national attention. The play-in game counts as an NCAA victory. I'd like to get our first since 1986.

(03-09-2011 12:53 AM)mjs Wrote:  Doesn't really matter what we want, because unless there are some other major upsets in some of the lower RPI conferences thats where we will be going. I actually kind of like the idea. When the league has been strong, a regular season champ that wins the tourney could reasonably hope for a 12 or 13 seed which can be a winnable game. We are looking at a 16 seed- a 16 seed has never won and usually gets blown out. So why not hope for a play-in game, where we actually have good chance of getting an NCAA win? I think that this year, with 4 play-in games (2 for 16 spots and 2 for 12 seed spots) the games will carry a lot less negative stigma and will probably garner a lot more national attention. The play-in game counts as an NCAA victory. I'd like to get our first since 1986.

Today Lunardi had UNT as 16 seed (no play-in game) playing #1 seed Duke in Charlotte, NC. Couldn't imagine a worse scenario. But they had an RPI of 128 and ours is 200- so there is no doubt he will have us in the play-in game when his newest bracket comes out.

One good thing for the conference- We will likely have 3 teams in postseason- FAU-NIT, UALR-NCAA, and UNT in the CBI or CIT if they choose to go which I bet they do.

I don't mind a play in game. A chance to get a win, plus if we do it's two "units", so that means for $$$!

We didn't wanna be in one of those opening round games (I think calling them "play ins" is kind of an insult, so i won't refer to them that way). However, it'd get the league an extra unit if you guys go and get a win, so now I'm all for it? The way you play defense, you'd be a tough out for any team you'd be likely to face there.


I can almost guarantee you that we won't accept a CBI or CTI bid. Word on the street was that we were offered one a couple of years ago and turned it down because lack of money.

(03-09-2011 01:14 AM)CMJ Wrote:  We didn't wanna be in one of those opening round games (I think calling them "play ins" is kind of an insult, so i won't refer to them that way). However, it'd get the league an extra unit if you guys go and get a win, so now I'm all for it? The way you play defense, you'd be a tough out for any team you'd be likely to face there.


I can almost guarantee you that we won't accept a CBI or CTI bid. Word on the street was that we were offered one a couple of years ago and turned it down because lack of money.

Interesting. We also apparently turned down those tournaments 2 years ago, after we felt we get shafted by the NIT. Many of our fans were not happy, since we had not been in any post season in about 15 years.

I will take the play in game and the hope for units $$$. Unless we could end up in the Saint Louis POD.

What would a win over a SWAC team prove, other than getting an extra "unit" that you guys are talking about. I'd rather be a 16 seed and play a much better program. Would be get killed? Maybe, perhaps probably. In my mind playing a play-in game really isn't being in the tourney.

It would be national exposure against a team we have a chance of beating. That's relevance.

(03-09-2011 12:23 PM)Scotto Wrote:  It would be national exposure against a team we have a chance of beating. That's relevance.

It's on national TV. That's enough.

(03-09-2011 12:23 PM)Scotto Wrote:  It would be national exposure against a team we have a chance of beating. That's relevance.

You've got a point there Scotto, but what if we lose?

(03-09-2011 12:37 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  ou've got a point there Scotto, but what if we lose?

I would think we stand a lot better chance of looking good against a play-in team than against Kansas. And, after we get one game under our belts and have the NCAA jitters hopefully controlled, we would stand a better chance against Kansas.

(03-09-2011 12:37 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  You've got a point there Scotto, but what if we lose?

67 of the 68 teams will lose. Just getting the opportunity to lose is HUGE.

I'm gonna polish my Trojan license plate at lunch. Gotta look good this week.

(03-09-2011 01:02 PM)Scotto Wrote:  I'm gonna polish my Trojan license plate at lunch. Gotta look good this week.

Good point. Mine has a lot of bugs on it.

(03-09-2011 01:02 PM)Scotto Wrote:  

(03-09-2011 12:37 PM)LRTrojan Wrote:  You've got a point there Scotto, but what if we lose?

67 of the 68 teams will lose. Just getting the opportunity to lose is HUGE.

I'm gonna polish my Trojan license plate at lunch. Gotta look good this week.

Lunardi has recently updated his brackets for 3/9. Today he is projecting what could be a great senario for Little Rock. A First Four game in Dayton against Texas Southern, and with a win, a game in Tulsa against Kansas. I can't think of anything that would be better than getting an NCAA win and then a game where a lot of Trojan fans can easily travel to. Second best would be just a seed directly to Tulsa to play Kansas (no risk of a loss and not getting there).

I don't see a way that a 200+rpi team does not play on
Tuesday, so I am living with it. Let's go win one and travel well to Tulsa.

How long has it been since we had an NCAA - WIN?

(03-09-2011 01:12 PM)insideualr Wrote:  I don't see a way that a 200+rpi team does not play on
Tuesday, so I am living with it. Let's go win one and travel well to Tulsa.

If we feed into a Friday/Sunday site, the Dayton game will be on Wednesday. If into a Thursday/Saturday site, the Dayton game will be on Tuesday. Tulsa is a Friday/Sunday site!

(03-09-2011 12:53 AM)mjs Wrote:  Doesn't really matter what we want, because unless there are some other major upsets in some of the lower RPI conferences thats where we will be going. I actually kind of like the idea. When the league has been strong, a regular season champ that wins the tourney could reasonably hope for a 12 or 13 seed which can be a winnable game. We are looking at a 16 seed- a 16 seed has never won and usually gets blown out. So why not hope for a play-in game, where we actually have good chance of getting an NCAA win? I think that this year, with 4 play-in games (2 for 16 spots and 2 for 12 seed spots) the games will carry a lot less negative stigma and will probably garner a lot more national attention. The play-in game counts as an NCAA victory. I'd like to get our first since 1986.

A play in game no doubt would be what is best for UALR at this stage. You actually get quite a bit of national pub in those early play-in games because of less competition of other teams playing on that day. I was kind of dreading the fact that we would have to play a #1 or #2 seed the first game and risk the possibility of getting beat by 30 even though what really matters is that we made the dance in the big picture.

(03-09-2011 01:38 PM)Former JUCO Wrote:  the possibility of getting beat by 30

40 or 50 is what scares me. But the pace at which we play probably would prevent that from happening.

The situation proves the point that trusting the coaches to schedule without minimum guidelines was a bad idea. The league RPI has fairly consistently fallen since the mandate was repealed and hopefully next year when it returns things will improve.

Life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Right now the lemon is being the worst seeded Sun Belt team since at least the merger and probably worst ever. Make lemonade by winning that opening round game and gaining the extra unit of revenue.