Lunardi ESPN column- UNI out of bracket

[Da Coach]

Joe Lunardi is ESPN's "bracketologist". He updates his brackets weekly. Last week he had UNI in the tournament with a #7 seed. This week he has them out of the tournament. The problem he sees is their terrible nonconference Strength of Schedule (#296)

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=lunardi_joe&id=2733623

This week's brackets have only 3 MVC teams in the tournament. UNI and Bradley are both among the "last 4 out", and Creighton among the "last 4 in".

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology

[bravesmanager11]

he also lists tommorow nights game as one of the games of the week and says its simple, the winner stays, the loser goes. This game is huge, a win at their place makes a statement.

[Grassman]

How can the 4th ranked conference in the country, a conference that put 2 teams in the Sweet 16 last year, only get 3 teams onto The Dance?
We should get 5 and if we get less than 4, I will totally lose faith in the selection process.
If memory serves me correctly, last year, Lunardi was one of the PRO BCS East Coast scribes.

[TheAsianSensation]

How can the 4th ranked conference in the country, a conference that put 2 teams in the Sweet 16 last year, only get 3 teams onto The Dance?
We should get 5 and if we get less than 4, I will totally lose faith in the selection process.
If memory serves me correctly, last year, Lunardi was one of the PRO BCS East Coast scribes.

Repeat after me: "Teams get bids, not conferences."

And remember. If 5 get in, that's 50% of the conference. Usually that 50% benchmark is only achieved by 1 or 2 BCS conferences a year.

[Grassman]

How can the 4th ranked conference in the country, a conference that put 2 teams in the Sweet 16 last year, only get 3 teams onto The Dance?
We should get 5 and if we get less than 4, I will totally lose faith in the selection process.
If memory serves me correctly, last year, Lunardi was one of the PRO BCS East Coast scribes.

Repeat after me: "Teams get bids, not conferences."

And remember. If 5 get in, that's 50% of the conference. Usually that 50% benchmark is only achieved by 1 or 2 BCS conferences a year.

I disagree. Conference rank projects strength of teams.

[TheAsianSensation]

How can the 4th ranked conference in the country, a conference that put 2 teams in the Sweet 16 last year, only get 3 teams onto The Dance?
We should get 5 and if we get less than 4, I will totally lose faith in the selection process.
If memory serves me correctly, last year, Lunardi was one of the PRO BCS East Coast scribes.

Repeat after me: "Teams get bids, not conferences."

And remember. If 5 get in, that's 50% of the conference. Usually that 50% benchmark is only achieved by 1 or 2 BCS conferences a year.

I disagree. Conference rank projects strength of teams.

Fair enough, but you can't expect the numbers to fall exactly in line.

And even so, take a look at past #4 conferences...

'06 - SEC - 6 teams (50%)
'05 - Pac 10 - 4 teams (40%)
'04 - Big 12 - 4 teams (33%)
'03 - Big East - 4 teams (33%)
'02 - Big East - 6 teams (50%)
'01 - Big East - 5 teams (42%)

Aggregate = 29/70, 41%

So if the Valley gets 4 this year, that's right on average with years past. Some perspective to remember.

[Grassman]

How can the 4th ranked conference in the country, a conference that put 2 teams in the Sweet 16 last year, only get 3 teams onto The Dance?
We should get 5 and if we get less than 4, I will totally lose faith in the selection process.
If memory serves me correctly, last year, Lunardi was one of the PRO BCS East Coast scribes.

Repeat after me: "Teams get bids, not conferences."

And remember. If 5 get in, that's 50% of the conference. Usually that 50% benchmark is only achieved by 1 or 2 BCS conferences a year.

I disagree. Conference rank projects strength of teams.

Fair enough, but you can't expect the numbers to fall exactly in line.

And even so, take a look at past #4 conferences...

'06 - SEC - 6 teams (50%)
'05 - Pac 10 - 4 teams (40%)
'04 - Big 12 - 4 teams (33%)
'03 - Big East - 4 teams (33%)
'02 - Big East - 6 teams (50%)
'01 - Big East - 5 teams (42%)

Aggregate = 29/70, 41%

So if the Valley gets 4 this year, that's right on average with years past. Some perspective to remember.

I agree 4 would be right. The problem being we will probably end up the 5th ranked conference.
The other problem being, if we keep beating each other up, we will ALL have a bunch of losses!
That probably will not reflect well with the committee.

[Bravesfan]

[quote=Grassman]

I agree 4 would be right. The problem being we will probably end up the 5th ranked conference.
The other problem being, if we keep beating each other up, we will ALL have a bunch of losses!
That probably will not reflect well with the committee.

Why? Other BCS conference teams beat each other up, and many get five teams or more into the tournament. We'll get four in whether we finish 4th, 5th or 6th.

[Bravesfan]

How can the 4th ranked conference in the country, a conference that put 2 teams in the Sweet 16 last year, only get 3 teams onto The Dance?
We should get 5 and if we get less than 4, I will totally lose faith in the selection process.
If memory serves me correctly, last year, Lunardi was one of the PRO BCS East Coast scribes.

Well, another pro BCS pundit with egg on his face! Not only does Creighton become that bonafide third team in, but UNI took care of their weak SOS with a monumental win at MSU, at least for the moment. And for what it's worth, this Lunardi piece probably was used as bulletin board material for UNI. I would not be surprised if this really rallied their team tonight. Anyway, if the season ended now, four teams at the very least would be in from the Valley, whether Lunardi likes it or not!

Of course, if the season ended now, Bradley would be on the outside looking in, but there are a lot of games left to play. A top 3 finish would earn us serious consideration for an at-large bid, though it would be close. Let's take it one game at a time and send Wichita St back to Wichita in disarray!

[Grassman]

[quote=Bravesfan]

I agree 4 would be right. The problem being we will probably end up the 5th ranked conference.
The other problem being, if we keep beating each other up, we will ALL have a bunch of losses!
That probably will not reflect well with the committee.

Why? Other BCS conference teams beat each other up, and many get five teams or more into the tournament. We'll get four in whether we finish 4th, 5th or 6th.

The committe, believe it or not, would look more favorable on a BCS team with 8 losses than an SIU, N. Ia, or Bradley (Our Bubble teams).
I know strength of schedule is a factor. I just think a Michigan St. Arkansas, Syracuse, or a Fla State, with 8 losses would trump a valley team with 8 lossses.
I hope 4, but nobody asks me who gets in!