Wessler's Back

[wily coyote]

Let's be honest, unless you finish first (which guarantees the NIT bid), what place you finish in is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is your seed, and Drake parlayed their third place tie into a Thursday night play-in game as the 7 seed.

That's exactly what I've been trying to say but we seem to be the only two that understand what the seeds mean. Yes we tied for 9th last year but played in the 10 seed. Doesn't matter a whole lot except to a couple people.

[TheAsianSensation]

By that same token, is there really a difference between a semifinal and a quarterfinal loss in the tournament if you're not going to the NCAAs? We always cite what place you finish in when evaluating coaches but I don't see semifinal and final appearances cited nearly as often.

In conclusion, both matter, maybe not equally, but close enough to equally.

[Old Coach]

By that same token, is there really a difference between a semifinal and a quarterfinal loss in the tournament if you're not going to the NCAAs? We always cite what place you finish in when evaluating coaches but I don't see semifinal and final appearances cited nearly as often.

In conclusion, both matter, maybe not equally, but close enough to equally.

I can agree with that. Ultimately, what matters more than where you finish or where you're seeded, is whether, as a program, you're moving closer to or further from winning championships.