Top teams now Faltering

[tornado]

I was interested to see how some of the highly touted and higher ranked teams are doing now that they are into their conference races.
These are the teams we heard endlessly about and they are on TV all the time, with the talking heads like Bilas, Packer, Nantz hyping them constantly.
Let's see how they are doing now.

Clemson is a team that won it first 17 games, but now has lost 3 of its last four. We'll start with them.

Clemson was 17-0, now they are 18-3 but only 4-3 in the ACC.
Maryland was 14-2 and cracking the Top 25, now they have lost 3 of their last 5 and are 16-5, and only 2-4 in the ACC.
NC State started off 10-4 and was cracking the Top 25, now they've lost 4 of their last 5, they're 11-8, 1-5 in the ACC.
Georgia Tech started 11-3, now has lost 3 of 5, they're 13-6, and 2-4 in the ACC.
UConn started 11-0, was ranked, then hit a 2-6 stretch and is now 13-6, 2-4 in the Big East.
Purdue started 10-2 then ran into Indiana State, & hit the skids. They've been 3-5 since, now they're 13-7, 2-4 in the Big Ten.
Iowa State started 5-0, then they began to play some MVC teams, and have gone 5-8 since, they're at 10-8, 2-3 in the Big XII.
Missouri started 11-2, then hit the skids and have gone 1-4 in the Big East, now they are 12-6.
Oklahoma State ran out to a 17-1 start but are just 3-2 in the Big XII.
Wichita State started out 9-0, but now are 13-8, 4-6 in the MVC.
New Mexico started 12-3, but have really tanked it, losing 6 of their last 7, now they're 12-9, 1-5 in the MWC.
Washington started 10-1, now have lost 6 of their last 7 and are 12-7, 2-6 in the Pac 10.
Tennessee started 12-2, then lost 4 of their last 5 to fall to 14-6, 2-3 in the SEC.
Illinois ran out to a 7-0 then a 12-2 start, but they sacrificed their season to beat Bradley and have gone 3-4 since, now they're 15-7 (same as BU) and 3-4 in the Big Ten

[Braves4Life]

ACC

Living in ACC Country I can vouch for the quality of that conference. NC State is the only team you've listed that would finish in the lower half of the Valley -- I believe this is, without a doubt, the strongest conference in America.

I think at least six of these teams make the NCAA Tourney -- Duke, Carolina, Clemson, BC, Maryland (hate 'em), VT, & Virginia. I think VT and/or Virginia goes to the NIT with FSU and GTU.

I also predict that Valley backlash this year sends no more than three teams to The Dance -- SIU, CU, and either NIU or MSU (MSU probably gets the nod as payback for last year). We'll get four teams if WSU or BU win the Conference Tourney.

I think BU, WSU, NIU/MSU, and EU (if they keep playing well) go to the NIT.

[tornado]

Not sure about Maryland.
If they play under .500 the rest of the way in the conference schedule, which is certainly a possibility,
then they'd finish the season 20-11, and 6-10 in the ACC, probably good for at best 7-8th.
I cannot imagine with all the great teams like Missouri State with RPI=21 getting left out, that the NCAA will offer an at large bid to any team that can't at least finish .500, but it has happened before.

[Grassman]

Re: ACC

Living in ACC Country I can vouch for the quality of that conference. NC State is the only team you've listed that would finish in the lower half of the Valley -- I believe this is, without a doubt, the strongest conference in America.

I think at least six of these teams make the NCAA Tourney -- Duke, Carolina, Clemson, BC, Maryland (hate 'em), VT, & Virginia. I think VT and/or Virginia goes to the NIT with FSU and GTU.

I also predict that Valley backlash this year sends no more than three teams to The Dance -- SIU, CU, and either NIU or MSU (MSU probably gets the nod as payback for last year). We'll get four teams if WSU or BU win the Conference Tourney.

I think BU, WSU, NIU/MSU, and EU (if they keep playing well) go to the NIT.

ME thinkem you drinkem to much fire water and smokem that funny tobacca in your peace pipe, there cheif.
Obviously you have not heard about THE Valleys preseason, record against power conferences, the conferences RPI or seen the skill level of these teams. 4 in the dance Is a lock!

[houstontxbrave]

I guess I really have a problem if a school can not finish atleast .500 in their conference receiving an at large bid to NCAA. Of course other factors can affect that with a strong run in a conference tourney or a strong non conference, and when I say strong non conference that includes playing a few true road games... that means you UConn and Syracuse.

[tornado]

From their first game on Nov. 7, until Jan. 16, 2007, Maryland played only THREE true road game.
That means of their first 18 games, they only played three road games. They also played two at "neutral" sites, but both of those neutral sites were over 1000 miles closer to their own home than their opponents.
Maryland was 15-3 in those 18 games that were predominately at home, now their final 13 games have 7 road contests, two of which they'va already played and lost.

[Murph]

How bout the only winless team left in DI...Iona is 0-19....Ouch

[tornado]

At least Illinois won one, but Maryland, coached by one of my favorite guys, Gary Williams, keeps looking more and more like they won't even get an NIT bid!
They are now 2-5 in the ACC with ONLY ONE TEAM in the 12-team ACC having fewer wins. They must have cracked the code for the RPI, as their RPI=30, pretty danged good for a team that's 2-5 and only 1/2 game out of the absolute bottom spot in the 12-member conference!

Whattya wanna bet Williams still lobbies for an NCAA bid even tho he's buried deep, deep in the basement of his conference?
Clemson, NC State, Georgia Tech, UConn, Purdue, Iowa State, and Tennessee have continued their losing ways, and all these teams are beginning to generate concern they'll be left out on selection Sunday.

The whining will really reach a peak if the Valley gets 4 or 5 bids and teams like Maryland, Tennessee, and Clemson, with RPI's around 30 opr less get left out.
Brace yourself....