Is there any hope?

[IlliBraves]

I think there still could be a small glimmer of hope to make the NCAA tournament. We SHOULD have won this game, although the committee is not going to give credit for "almost wins". However, the following teams NEED to win their conference tournaments to help us out.

Winthrop-Already won Big South Title
Gonzaga
Davidson
Butler
Nevada
Memphis

The following conferences are going to screw us with possible multiple bids:

Atlantic 10 (Xavier, UMASS)
Mountain West (Air Force, UNLV, BYU)
CAA Not sure here, but could be multiple bids (Drexel, VCU, Hofstra)

The following bubble teams need to start LOSING
Kansas State
Purdue
Michigan
Probably a few other majors.

The rest of our non-conference opponents (Especially Depaul) need to keep winning.

[lightsout]

Michigan is up 2 with a minute to go over OHIO STATE.

[lightsout]

Ohio State holds off the Wolverines!!!


OHIO STATE 65
MICHIGAN 61

[lightsout]

VCU did beat Georgia State today, 73-60
DePaul defeated South Florida, 70-54


Purdue beat Northwestern, 73-50
Kansas State beat Oklahoma 72-61

[BTID]

There's always hope, but everything now is certainly out of Bradley's hands. Funny, but BU played a much better game today against a better SIU team than the two teams that met in the final last year. I thought the 2006 title game was a bad showcase for Bradley AND MVC basketball, and look what happened to the Braves and our conference!

If we rise any in the RPI during the next week, it would be like winning the lottery without buying a ticket.

Perhaps the selection committee will adopt a "chicks dig the 3-ball" attitude and take the Braves for the excitement they can generate.

[jasonpeoria911]

Well one things for sure, MO State certainly didn't help themselves today. Creighton in control the whole game. At least Bradley showed they can keep up with a top notch team on back to back nights.

Jason

[IlliBraves]

What do you think Davidson's chances are of making an at-large bid? If they have any chances, we need them to beat Charleston right now for the SoCon title.

[IlliBraves]

If VCU wins the CAA, maybe that gives us a good chance? That will probably eliminate Hofstra and Drexel, too.

[Bravesfan]

What do you think Davidson's chances are of making an at-large bid? If they have any chances, we need them to beat Charleston right now for the SoCon title.

A moot point now as Davidson wins 72-65! Just for kicks though the ESPN announcers thought they would have deserve dan at-large bid, but with Davidson's best wins against Charlotte, Arizona St and Ohio, I don't think would have deserved one. BUT, with 28 wins, they would have been an interesting case!

BTW, Butler just gets by Loyola-Chicago today, 67-66 in overtime! That would have been a disaster had they lost today, because I don't think Wright St or Loyola are at-large worthy. So definately root for Butler tomorrow, preferrably against Wisc. Green Bay, which would elimate Wright St with a win tonight.

[Bravesfan]

If VCU wins the CAA, maybe that gives us a good chance? That will probably eliminate Hofstra and Drexel, too.

Hofstra may lose tonight because they face George Mason, a team that has greatly underachieved this year, but will not go down with a fight. Hofstra is probably the weakest of the four CAA candidates, so a loss tonight most likely eliminates them from at-large contention.

Drexel and Old Dominion have already won today, and have made the conference semifinals. Let's hope one or both lost tomorrow, because they both have great credentials.

[Bravesfan]

There's always hope, but everything now is certainly out of Bradley's hands. Funny, but BU played a much better game today against a better SIU team than the two teams that met in the final last year. I thought the 2006 title game was a bad showcase for Bradley AND MVC basketball, and look what happened to the Braves and our conference!

If we rise any in the RPI during the next week, it would be like winning the lottery without buying a ticket.

Perhaps the selection committee will adopt a "chicks dig the 3-ball" attitude and take the Braves for the excitement they can generate.

If Bradley does make it, it will be based on conference rankings. Yes we've heard the obligatory "conference performance doesn't matter, but team performance does" argument so many times this year that it doesn't even phase me anymore! BUT, we all know perfectly well that playing in a good conference elevates everyone's schedule strength. And we also know that the selection committee chairman last year told ESPN's Andy Katz that the Mountain West Conference received a second bid based on the fact that they were the number eight conference. Therefore, a top five finish may just give the Valley that fourth bid.

[Big Mike]

Well everyone seems to think MS is in..........but there is not that much difference in MS and the Braves....http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_mvc_Men.html

The records are real close and the Braves SOS is higher....yajustneverknow!

[Fetz86]

ESPN seems to be marginalizing the Valley again. "Much to the delight of bubble teams everywhere the two valley teams we were sure would get in our playing for the title". Dont seem to think or wont anyone else from the conference will make it.

[Bravesfan]

ESPN seems to be marginalizing the Valley again. "Much to the delight of bubble teams everywhere the two valley teams we were sure would get in our playing for the title". Dont seem to think or wont anyone else from the conference will make it.

As I have said many times before, there is no way that the number five ranked conference (or even number six or seven) will not get at least three teams in. Whether Bradley could be a fourth is anyone's guess. But three is a given. Book it!

[Les is More]

Have to remember too that the committee takes into account that Croutch was hurt. They are getting better and better in taking into account hurt players and perhaps the impact they might have had. The game against VCU, on national television, Croutch did unreal and helped out a lot more than people think