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I say that because I don't think we would have made the NCAA Tournament based on one good win anyway. Most at-large teams win two or three games against the big boys or strong mid-majors in order to get consideration. Also, the selection committee will be more inclined to overlook a bad loss or two in favor of big wins and a strong conference showing. So my point being is that they would have had a LOT more work to do to put themselves into at-large position anyway.
Not saying this wasn't a bad loss, it definately was. But not devastating in that Western Carolina is an excellent team that could shock someone in the NCAA Tournament if they get there. Bradley is in all reality probably an NIT team, even before tonight. Bradley now has a chance to prove me wrong by beating Loyola and pulling off an upset at Iowa St. If they don't come away with a win at Iowa St., Bradley can still show that they have improved over last season by finishing somewhere in the top 3 of the Valley with at least 11 or 12 conference wins. An NIT bid will be a nice improvement over last year, and an NCAA bid will not be lost just because of what happened tonight. We just need to avoid losses like these from here on out.
I like how Snell and Buechler (sp) mentioned on the postgame show that these types of games happen even to the best of them. Charlotte going into Louisville and beating them by 22, and Boise St. giving Illinois all they could handle the other night after Illinois shocked Clemson last week. We blew a ten point lead in the last ten minutes at home. Clemson blew a 23 point lead in 17 minutes on their home court! Does this make Clemson, Illinois or Louisville any less of a good team with those losses? Most likely not. It happens to the best of them. Yes they all have the built-in advantage of playing in BCS conferences, but despite these losses, they all are capable of making deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. That's why I think we will still be okay in the long run. Not at all easy to take now, but this hopefully will make us a better team down the road. This is definitely a wake up call for this team which is unfortunate because we shouldn't need a wake up call at this stage of the season. But maybe this combined with the long layoff will give this team time to think about why they can't rest on a lead, even at home against another mid-major team, albeit a good one.
Okay, sorry for the rambling, but I needed to spew a bit.
Not saying this wasn't a bad loss, it definately was. But not devastating in that Western Carolina is an excellent team that could shock someone in the NCAA Tournament if they get there. Bradley is in all reality probably an NIT team, even before tonight. Bradley now has a chance to prove me wrong by beating Loyola and pulling off an upset at Iowa St. If they don't come away with a win at Iowa St., Bradley can still show that they have improved over last season by finishing somewhere in the top 3 of the Valley with at least 11 or 12 conference wins. An NIT bid will be a nice improvement over last year, and an NCAA bid will not be lost just because of what happened tonight. We just need to avoid losses like these from here on out.
I like how Snell and Buechler (sp) mentioned on the postgame show that these types of games happen even to the best of them. Charlotte going into Louisville and beating them by 22, and Boise St. giving Illinois all they could handle the other night after Illinois shocked Clemson last week. We blew a ten point lead in the last ten minutes at home. Clemson blew a 23 point lead in 17 minutes on their home court! Does this make Clemson, Illinois or Louisville any less of a good team with those losses? Most likely not. It happens to the best of them. Yes they all have the built-in advantage of playing in BCS conferences, but despite these losses, they all are capable of making deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. That's why I think we will still be okay in the long run. Not at all easy to take now, but this hopefully will make us a better team down the road. This is definitely a wake up call for this team which is unfortunate because we shouldn't need a wake up call at this stage of the season. But maybe this combined with the long layoff will give this team time to think about why they can't rest on a lead, even at home against another mid-major team, albeit a good one.
Okay, sorry for the rambling, but I needed to spew a bit.
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