(11-04-2021 06:29 PM)rileylives Wrote:  We will have to be content as a one bid conference for the next few years.

As a mid-major, you have to be superhuman to make the NCAA tournament as a bubble team.

2018 CUSA is a perfect example. 2018 still used RPI, but both of these schools were left out

#30 MTSU
#32 WKU

#30 MTSU was a major slap in the face, because Middle actually won an NCAA tournament game two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017. The 2016 MTSU team took down #2 seed Michigan State, and then Middle did it again in 2017 taking out #5 seed Minnesota.

So for those two 2018 teams that got left out of the tournament, it just shows you how hard it is to be a multi bid basketball league.

At this point it's going to be easier getting a #8-#10 seed in the NCAAs than getting two bids.


In 2018-19 the SoCon were RPI #12, had Wofford go undefeated in the conference, get ranked in the AP (finished year #18) and the SoCon had 4 teams in the top 75 (3 in top 60) and still only get one bid.

Yeah. They created the NET as a way to shuffle the deck on mid majors. Complete joke to say the least. It will be hard, but our goal still needs to be to get that 2nd bid.

(11-04-2021 02:41 PM)ericsaid Wrote:  SI has ranked every team from 1 to 358:

1. (103) Louisiana
2. (116) Georgia State
3. (165) South Alabama
4. (168) Texas State
5. (178) Arkansas State
6. (183) Appalachian State
7. (201) Coastal Carolina
8. (246) Troy
9. (248) UTA
10. (252) Georgia Southern
11. (261) ULM
12. (275) ULR
Ulm will not improve this year but hopefully Coach Richard will voluntarily retire and we can rebuild. He was the right person at the right time but it’s pretty obvious he can’t take us to next level so we will have another 9 win or so season and move on. Already lost exhibition game to Tulane by 31, play LSU Tuesday and Auburn Friday so two large loses to start another dismal year

Future Members:

146. Old Dominion
147. James Madison
155. Marshall
215. Southern Miss

So the Sun Belt will actually be improving in basketball by not having UTA and ULR?

https://www.si.com/college/2021/11/02/nc...nhchdgO_bA

(11-04-2021 02:41 PM)ericsaid Wrote:  SI has ranked every team from 1 to 358:

1. (103) Louisiana
2. (116) Georgia State
3. (165) South Alabama
4. (168) Texas State
5. (178) Arkansas State
6. (183) Appalachian State
7. (201) Coastal Carolina
8. (246) Troy
9. (248) UTA
10. (252) Georgia Southern
11. (261) ULM
12. (275) ULR
Ulm will not improve this year but hopefully Coach Richard will voluntarily retire and we can rebuild. He was the right person at the right time but it’s pretty obvious he can’t take us to next level so we will have another 9 win or so season and move on. Already lost exhibition game to Tulane by 31, play LSU Tuesday and Auburn Friday so two large loses to start another dismal year

Future Members:

146. Old Dominion
147. James Madison
155. Marshall
215. Southern Miss

So the Sun Belt will actually be improving in basketball by not having UTA and ULR?

https://www.si.com/college/2021/11/02/nc...nhchdgO_bA

(11-04-2021 02:41 PM)ericsaid Wrote:  SI has ranked every team from 1 to 358:

1. (103) Louisiana
2. (116) Georgia State
3. (165) South Alabama
4. (168) Texas State
5. (178) Arkansas State
6. (183) Appalachian State
7. (201) Coastal Carolina
8. (246) Troy
9. (248) UTA
10. (252) Georgia Southern
11. (261) ULM
12. (275) ULR


Future Members:

146. Old Dominion
147. James Madison
155. Marshall
215. Southern Miss

So the Sun Belt will actually be improving in basketball by not having UTA and ULR?

https://www.si.com/college/2021/11/02/nc...nhchdgO_bA

Two years ago we were picked last (or very near the bottom) and finished first. Not saying we will win the league this year, but we won't finish at the bottom.

(11-04-2021 02:41 PM)ericsaid Wrote:  SI has ranked every team from 1 to 358:

1. (103) Louisiana
2. (116) Georgia State
3. (165) South Alabama
4. (168) Texas State
5. (178) Arkansas State
6. (183) Appalachian State
7. (201) Coastal Carolina
8. (246) Troy
9. (248) UTA
10. (252) Georgia Southern
11. (261) ULM
12. (275) ULR


Future Members:

146. Old Dominion
147. James Madison
155. Marshall
215. Southern Miss

So the Sun Belt will actually be improving in basketball by not having UTA and ULR?

https://www.si.com/college/2021/11/02/nc...nhchdgO_bA

Not sure if this will be first meeting with one of the four new members since they all announced, but Louisiana will play at USM in MBB this Friday. There is a thread on Louisiana’s Ragin Pagin concerning several fans intending to catch that game and then go to Troy the next day for football

Trying to work out going myself

(11-05-2021 07:02 PM)TravlnCajun Wrote:  

(11-04-2021 02:41 PM)ericsaid Wrote:  SI has ranked every team from 1 to 358:

1. (103) Louisiana
2. (116) Georgia State
3. (165) South Alabama
4. (168) Texas State
5. (178) Arkansas State
6. (183) Appalachian State
7. (201) Coastal Carolina
8. (246) Troy
9. (248) UTA
10. (252) Georgia Southern
11. (261) ULM
12. (275) ULR


Future Members:

146. Old Dominion
147. James Madison
155. Marshall
215. Southern Miss

So the Sun Belt will actually be improving in basketball by not having UTA and ULR?

https://www.si.com/college/2021/11/02/nc...nhchdgO_bA

Not sure if this will be first meeting with one of the four new members since they all announced, but Louisiana will play at USM in MBB this Friday. There is a thread on Louisiana’s Ragin Pagin concerning several fans intending to catch that game and then go to Troy the next day for football

Trying to work out going myself

That was my old man who started the thread on RP. I started a similar one here soliciting advice from the USM guys on places to see, eat, drink, etc. Beau and I are looking forward to our trip and hope you can make it to Hattiesburg and Troy!

(11-04-2021 05:01 PM)slycat Wrote:  UTA sure fell off a cliff by firing Cross

terrible decision and the new guy that was supposed to take us to new heights is already gone to ut-austin as an assistant when they hired the coach away from tech. UTA then sent a message that we arent interested in being a top program by deciding not to start a national search and hire the best up and coming new big time coach but to hand things over to the long time assistant. a great guy but it shows me and everyone that the school is happy with just offering basketball to round out the college experience and is not willing to do what it takes to move things up a notch. I think we will be lucky to get to 248 RPI with the schedule we have this year but there you have it. IMHO

(11-06-2021 09:27 AM)runamuck Wrote:  

(11-04-2021 05:01 PM)slycat Wrote:  UTA sure fell off a cliff by firing Cross

terrible decision and the new guy that was supposed to take us to new heights is already gone to ut-austin as an assistant when they hired the coach away from tech. UTA then sent a message that we arent interested in being a top program by deciding not to start a national search and hire the best up and coming new big time coach but to hand things over to the long time assistant. a great guy but it shows me and everyone that the school is happy with just offering basketball to round out the college experience and is not willing to do what it takes to move things up a notch. I think we will be lucky to get to 248 RPI with the schedule we have this year but there you have it. IMHO

It's hard to argue with any of that, except the optimist in me remembers that Greg Young was one of the brains and motivators behind Scott Cross's teams, and indeed was the only one of the Cross assistants who was deemed worthy of being retained when the (now discredited) Cross replacement arrived. When Young was named HC, the veteran players who had begun the transfer portal process decided to come back after all and play for Coach Young. To me, that says a lot. I'm hoping he can return the program to respectability and begin again to notch significant wins against big name teams, like Cross did. It would also be nice if we could finally win the Belt championship game, which Cross did not do.

Of course, what do I know? I keep thinking we will get a football team...

(11-06-2021 11:15 PM)wewererebels Wrote:  

(11-06-2021 09:27 AM)runamuck Wrote:  

(11-04-2021 05:01 PM)slycat Wrote:  UTA sure fell off a cliff by firing Cross

terrible decision and the new guy that was supposed to take us to new heights is already gone to ut-austin as an assistant when they hired the coach away from tech. UTA then sent a message that we arent interested in being a top program by deciding not to start a national search and hire the best up and coming new big time coach but to hand things over to the long time assistant. a great guy but it shows me and everyone that the school is happy with just offering basketball to round out the college experience and is not willing to do what it takes to move things up a notch. I think we will be lucky to get to 248 RPI with the schedule we have this year but there you have it. IMHO

It's hard to argue with any of that, except the optimist in me remembers that Greg Young was one of the brains and motivators behind Scott Cross's teams, and indeed was the only one of the Cross assistants who was deemed worthy of being retained when the (now discredited) Cross replacement arrived. When Young was named HC, the veteran players who had begun the transfer portal process decided to come back after all and play for Coach Young. To me, that says a lot. I'm hoping he can return the program to respectability and begin again to notch significant wins against big name teams, like Cross did. It would also be nice if we could finally win the Belt championship game, which Cross did not do.

Of course, what do I know? I keep thinking we will get a football team...

I think you are right. Young has already said he is going back to the style of play we had when Cross was coach. Our defense should be much improved this year. I think the season started looking a lot better when Pedro castro came back and David Azore decided to stay

It's great to see another Mavericks fan here!