UNI in trouble??

[TheAsianSensation]

There's a reasonable chance with Louisville at 10-8 and Marquette at 10-8. Of course, it all depends on what the other bubble teams do.

This leads down a very very dark road of discussion about what conference record truly represents when it comes to an at-large resume.

As an aside, how quickly do we forget about 10-6 Syracuse being punished by the committee a couple of years ago?

[tornado]

You're talking about 2006-2007, but then they were 24-11, and the Big East already had 6 teams in...
Most years, Syracuse has gotten pretty good deals from the NCAA!

In 2008-2009 they were 28-10, and 11-7 in the Big East, yet still got a #3 seed!!
In 2004-2005 they got an at large bid when they were 7-9 in the Big East and even got a #5-seed!

[Tulsa Brave]

Maybe this might help things...

Jerry Palm breaks down the teams on the bubble like this:

In (26 teams):
ACC: Duke, Wake Forest
Big 12: Baylor, Kansas, Kansas St, Texas, Texas A&M
Big East: Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia
Big Ten: Purdue, Michigan St, Ohio St, Wisconsin
SEC: Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
A-10: Richmond, Temple, Xavier
Horizon: Butler
Mtn W: BYU, New Mexico
West Coast: Gonzaga
One bid only (18 ): America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Ivy, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Summit, Sun Belt, SWAC, WAC
Number of spots remaining in the field: 21
Number of teams listed below: 30. That means that at least 9 teams listed on this page will not make the tournament.


CLEMSON
FLORIDA ST
GEORGIA TECH
MARYLAND
VIRGINIA TECH
MISSOURI
OKLAHOMA ST
CINCINNATI
CONNECTICUT
LOUISVILLE
MARQUETTE
SETON HALL
ST JOHNS
ILLINOIS
CALIFORNIA
ARIZONA ST
FLORIDA
MISSISSIPPI
MISSISSIPPI ST
CHARLOTTE
DAYTON
RHODE ISLAND
SAN DIEGO ST
UNLV
ODU
UAB
UTEP
UNI
UTAH ST
ST MARYS

At least 10 of those 30 teams have little case that they can make for being in the tourney as of right now. I guess 1 of them has to get in unless there's a big upset in one of the multi-bid league's tourneys...those 10 are Cincy, Seton Hall, St. John's, Arizona St., Mississippi, Mississippi St., Charlotte, Dayton, Rhode Island, and St. Mary's.

[shaunguth]

Maybe this might help things...

Jerry Palm breaks down the teams on the bubble like this:

In (26 teams):
ACC: Duke, Wake Forest
Big 12: Baylor, Kansas, Kansas St, Texas, Texas A&M
Big East: Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia
Big Ten: Purdue, Michigan St, Ohio St, Wisconsin
SEC: Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
A-10: Richmond, Temple, Xavier
Horizon: Butler
Mtn W: BYU, New Mexico
West Coast: Gonzaga
One bid only (18 ): America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Ivy, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Summit, Sun Belt, SWAC, WAC
Number of spots remaining in the field: 21
Number of teams listed below: 30. That means that at least 9 teams listed on this page will not make the tournament.


CLEMSON
FLORIDA ST
GEORGIA TECH
MARYLAND
VIRGINIA TECH
MISSOURI
OKLAHOMA ST
CINCINNATI
CONNECTICUT
LOUISVILLE
MARQUETTE
SETON HALL
ST JOHNS
ILLINOIS
CALIFORNIA
ARIZONA ST
FLORIDA
MISSISSIPPI
MISSISSIPPI ST
CHARLOTTE
DAYTON
RHODE ISLAND
SAN DIEGO ST
UNLV
ODU
UAB
UTEP
UNI
UTAH ST
ST MARYS

I'm wondering if UNI is only listed as the one Valley team or if the winner in STL would take another team's place on that list of 30.

[Bravesfan]

I think the NCAA selection committee will consider they were playing without their "star" center Eglseder. However, losing to the last place team in the league will be ammunition for all the committee members to use against them so they can get the 8th place BE, ACC, and Big 12 teams in the tournament.

This is no shock to me. I knew we were going to get this from the college basketball talking heads today, which just reiterates what I posted last night after this game. However, we all know that if U Conn as an example loses two home games to DePaul and Rutgers, but then comes back and beats two top 10 teams, they get in without any issue as long as they are 8-10 in conference and at least three or four games above .500 overall. And you could make a good case for them.

The problem is there is no margin for error with the UNI's of the world because they did not really have any games this year against NCAA Tournament type teams except maybe Old Dominion. And because through no fault of their own that Boston College is having a down year and the Valley is still down from their levels of four or five years ago, UNI has no chance to disprove a fluky bad performance against Evansville, even with as you said Coach, their star player suspended. The only mid-majors who could get away with a loss or two like this are Gonzaga and Butler as they are two of only a few other non-BCS teams that are able to schedule up to give themselves more chances to beat high quality teams.

Besides those two teams, you have BYU, a couple of A-10 teams, and Old Dominon that are the only other non-BCS teams that have played their way into at-large contention with wins over BCS teams that these teams were willing to play. Then you have Bradley that may have the best wins in the Valley this year, but had too many blown opportunites against lesser opponents mainly at home. But at least we did the right thing by scheduling up. It doesn't work every season, but we gave ourselves the opportunity. As soon as ISU red, UNI and SIU learn that lesson, maybe the Valley can earn multiple NCAA Tournament bids again and a team like UNI won't have to worry about their status if they lose to an Evansville type team.

As it is, I think the weak bubble still gets UNI in. But based on what happened the last two seasons on Selection Sunday, I'm not really counting on it.

[BradleyBrave]

Folks...UNI would have to lose out (that means Saturday and in their 1st game in St. Louis) to even be back on the bubble. Enough with the 'Doomsday' thoughts.

[TheAsianSensation]

You're talking about 2006-2007, but then they were 24-11, and the Big East already had 6 teams in...
Most years, Syracuse has gotten pretty good deals from the NCAA!

In 2008-2009 they were 28-10, and 11-7 in the Big East, yet still got a #3 seed!!
In 2004-2005 they got an at large bid when they were 7-9 in the Big East and even got a #5-seed!

'04-'05 was the year they won 4 games in 4 days to win the Big East tourney, but the 5 seed was definitely an overreaction.

Yea, Syracuse has gotten a couple of breaks, but that wasn't the point. The point is that they're not afraid to leave a +.500 Big East team out if they don't deserve it.

[MacabreMob]

I'm wondering if UNI is only listed as the one Valley team or if the winner in STL would take another team's place on that list of 30.

A winner other than UNI in STL would take the place of teams listed IN. UNI would still be on the Bubble List. But the number of remaining bids available to those on the Bubble List will shrink from 21 to 20 - which would mean 10 teams on the list would not make the Tourney.

[pfunk880]

UNI is fine for now, but their seeding definitely took a hit and they really need to be careful from here on in. Lose their next two and they are skating on very thin ice.

[BradleyJD]

Jay Bilas says UNI is fine....

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/31041/ncaa-bb-with-jay-bilas

[BradleyJD]

Farther into the discussion...

Dylan (ATL)


its ridicilous that teams like Northern Iowa are locks bc of a weak sched. use the eye test.UGA would beat northern iowa by 10+.if you have seen both play,no one can say different


Jay Bilas
(4:49 PM)


I don't know if I agree with that. I think that Georgia is doing a good job and can beat people, but are inconsistent. Mark Fox is doing a great job in Athens, and will have that program back in pretty short order. But, Northern Iowa would be a handful for Georgia because the Panthers are strong, have some size inside, and can control tempo. They have played a tough schedule, and have played well against it. Would Northern Iowa win the SEC? No, but they wouldn't be patsies or an easy out, either.

[SFP]

SOS of the MVC is pathetic and if for some reason UNI does not get in it will be because the IllSUs and SIUs of the MVC decided to have a pathetic out of conference schedule. If you think that the NCAA will not point to SOS then we are all dilusional.

[tornado]

it's because of ISU & SIU

[TheAsianSensation]

Wait until you see how the non-conference SoSs shook down.

Indiana St 99
Bradley 134
Creighton 167
Missouri St 256
Northern Iowa 261
Drake 267
Wichita St 303
Southern Illinois 306
Illinois St 327
Evansville 342

What a disaster.

[SFP]

TAS is there a way to find out how much the conference overall SOS brought our SOS down. What is the overall OOC SOS of the individual teams? I hope this is addressed by the comish! Shameful !