ALREADY - Medias Need for a NCAA Cinderella Team to Spark Interest - Sports Illustrated choice DRAKE

[Go_Braves]

Not long after Drake cut the nets down - Sports Illustrated published their first NCAA Cinderella Team choice and it happens to be Drake. I truly enjoy watching teams that are not members of the Power 5 conferences play "the Big Boy Teams". I will cheer on Drake. I always cheer the MVC Tournament winner in the NCAA tournament. Love the underdogs especially when they surprise everyone.

If the Elite 8, Final 4, and especially the Final 2 are all from the Power 5 conferences - I don't even bother to watch the games. I am tired of the same old top teams - their McDonalds All American verses another McDonalds All American in a basketball game.

The Media and NCAA needs Cinderella teams.... Last year it was St. Peters who caught everyone's attention. A couple of years ago it was Chicago Loyola.

What gets me are conferences such as the Big 10 that get 8 teams into the tournament and after the first round and definitely after the second round at least 4 or more are done. And teams such as Bradley (and other mid-majors) are left out of the dance.

The media and tv coverage need Cinderellas - I have no stats but I bet tv viewership is up when a Cinderella like # 15 St Peters is playing # 3 Purdue as they did last year and won. Wouldn't a Bradley vs UCLA be more interesting to the college viewing public than Texas vs UCLA - with everyone wondering can Bradley stay with UCLA and possibly win. In my view Texas vs UCLA - who cares.

The NCAA Tournament needs to include more mid-majors for some real tournament action. But the Big Boys won't ever allow this. Therefore I won't be watching the Big Boys.

March Madness: Here’s why Drake could be this year’s Cinderella - Sports Illustrated

[Stryker]

I'll watch it all, but I agree it is much more fun when Cinderellas are making noise. I will cheer for Drake for sure.

There is a reason to be upset about the power conferences every year. It's really hard when teams like WVU or Wisconsin still get consideration despite their records. Anymore the committee only cares about who a team has beaten, and if the team has one to a few solid wins against top competition it seems to outweigh everything else.

I really miss the old "rule" where a team with double digit losses or a losing conference record would not get an at-large bid. It just seems like such a farce when a 16-13 team with a losing conference record is considered for an at large when a 25-27 win mid-major doesn't get consideration. But then again, a team like BU is really really hurt by no quality wins. I'd say the only true quality win BU has on its resume is against Drake in Peoria. And there were opportunities for quality wins on the schedule.

[Hawk84]

The Power 5 teams make it nearly impossible for mid majors to get quality wins because they refuse to play them. At best mid majors will get one shot (like BU going to Arkansas), but it's always going to be a road game, never at home. The best chances often come from the early season tournaments. It's stacked against the mid majors from the start so when they start talking "quality wins" and "quadrant 1 & 2 wins" at tournament time the good mid majors have very little opportunity to get those. I went to a Power 5 school, but things are absolutely rigged in their favor.

[bubraves82]

I can't help it, I have a Bradley education "media" is already the plural of "medium" no need to say "mideas", sorry to be so pedantic, but I'm still bumming from Sunday.

[Go_Braves]

It's stacked against the mid majors from the start so when they start talking "quality wins" and "quadrant 1 & 2 wins" at tournament time the good mid majors have very little opportunity to get those. I went to a Power 5 school, but things are absolutely rigged in their favor.

During the regular season - schools in the Power 5 will play several ranked teams. Just look at the Big 12 final standings 5 of the ten teams are ranked. That means that each team in the Big 12 got to play at least 8 to 10 games each season against ranked conference teams - not to mention ranked teams outside of their conference. Bradley and other mid majors are lucky to get "1" or "2" at the most games against ranked teams - and as shared are usually away games - rarely at home. During the regular season at least 5 Big 10 teams were ranked one time or another - although at the end of the regular season only 2 remain ranked. The Big 10 will likely have 8 teams in the Dance with at least half done after the second round.

The system is totally rigged against the Mid-Majors. Rules need to be changed requiring the Power 5 schools to play at least 3 mid-majors during the regular season and one of those games is to be played on a Mid-Major home court.

[Tommy]

During the regular season - schools in the Power 5 will play several ranked teams. Just look at the Big 12 final standings 5 of the ten teams are ranked. That means that each team in the Big 12 got to play at least 8 to 10 games each season against ranked conference teams - not to mention ranked teams outside of their conference. Bradley and other mid majors are lucky to get "1" or "2" at the most games against ranked teams - and as shared are usually away games - rarely at home. During the regular season at least 5 Big 10 teams were ranked one time or another - although at the end of the regular season only 2 remain ranked. The Big 10 will likely have 8 teams in the Dance with at least half done after the second round.

The system is totally rigged against the Mid-Majors. Rules need to be changed requiring the Power 5 schools to play at least 3 mid-majors during the regular season and one of those games is to be played on a Mid-Major home court.

Great points Go_Braves. I'd also add that the only time we ever get to play ranked power conference teams is early season tournaments, so we've had no time to gel and it's usually a travel location where the kids are most likely not as focused. I'd love to get one to come to Carver near season's end when we're playing together and have figured out our rotation, but we all know that is exactly what they avoid.

[Da Coach]

During the regular season - schools in the Power 5 will play several ranked teams. Just look at the Big 12 final standings 5 of the ten teams are ranked. That means that each team in the Big 12 got to play at least 8 to 10 games each season against ranked conference teams - not to mention ranked teams outside of their conference. Bradley and other mid majors are lucky to get "1" or "2" at the most games against ranked teams - and as shared are usually away games - rarely at home. During the regular season at least 5 Big 10 teams were ranked one time or another - although at the end of the regular season only 2 remain ranked. The Big 10 will likely have 8 teams in the Dance with at least half done after the second round.

The system is totally rigged against the Mid-Majors. Rules need to be changed requiring the Power 5 schools to play at least 3 mid-majors during the regular season and one of those games is to be played on a Mid-Major home court.

Yep Go_Braves, you hit the nail on the head. The NCAA concocted the NET formula and did away with overall record, number of wins/losses, conference finish, the "eye test", and the RPI. all of which the mid-majors were able to adjust to, Now the NET puts enormous weight on playing high ranked teams and Quadrant 1 wins, neither of which the mid-majors have any control over since the big boys refuse to play mid-majors, unless it's a buy game on their home court, and then they only want weaker opponents they know they can beat. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think any MVC team played a single game at home versus a Power 6 team this year. Maybe the nail in the coffin was when Evansville played at #1 ranked Kentucky in November, 2019, and beat them. Evansville then proceeded to go 0-18 in the MVC and finish dead last.

Let's see how many at-large bids go to mid-majors versus the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and even 9th place teams in the Power 6 conferences. Note that Wisconsin is still in most bracket projections despite none of their Big Ten wins are against ranked teams, they're tied for 11th place in the Big Ten, and have a NET of 78!
The game is rigged to funnel as much money as possible to the Power 6 conferences and prevent the mid-majors from getting a small share that would allow them to build their programs and facilities bigger and better. It's the same reason why the major conferences are against expanding the field in the NCAA Tournament. They are afraid there will be more mid-majors getting in and upsetting the Power 6 also-rans.

[Bradley3342]

Yep Go_Braves, you hit the nail on the head. The NCAA concocted the NET formula and did away with overall record, number of wins/losses, conference finish, the "eye test", and the RPI. all of which the mid-majors were able to adjust to, Now the NET puts enormous weight on playing high ranked teams and Quadrant 1 wins, neither of which the mid-majors have any control over since the big boys refuse to play mid-majors, unless it's a buy game on their home court, and then they only want weaker opponents they know they can beat. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think any MVC team played a single game at home versus a Power 6 team this year. Maybe the nail in the coffin was when Evansville played at #1 ranked Kentucky in November, 2019, and beat them. Evansville then proceeded to go 0-18 in the MVC and finish dead last.

Let's see how many at-large bids go to mid-majors versus the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and even 9th place teams in the Power 6 conferences. Note that Wisconsin is still in most bracket projections despite none of their Big Ten wins are against ranked teams, they're tied for 11th place in the Big Ten, and have a NET of 78!
The game is rigged to funnel as much money as possible to the Power 6 conferences and prevent the mid-majors from getting a small share that would allow them to build their programs and facilities bigger and better. It's the same reason why the major conferences are against expanding the field in the NCAA Tournament. They are afraid there will be more mid-majors getting in and upsetting the Power 6 also-rans.

Well said DaCoach. I’m so sick of watching the same teams every year. Hopefully Drake can make a little noise in the tournament this year and wherever we land we can do the same.

[Da Coach]

I predict Drake will get matched against another mid-major in the first or 2nd round, such as Houston, Marquette, Gonzaga, St. Mary's, or Xavier. That's another trick the NCAA does to eliminate the number of mid-majors quickly and insure only maybe one at most makes it to the final 8 or 4.

[Tommy]

I predict Drake will get matched against another mid-major in the first or 2nd round, such as Houston, Marquette, Gonzaga, St. Mary's, or Xavier. That's another trick the NCAA does to eliminate the number of mid-majors quickly and insure only maybe one at most makes it to the final 8 or 4.

I never thought of that, but it makes a lot of sense!

[Da Coach]

....
Let's see how many at-large bids go to mid-majors versus the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and even 9th place teams in the Power 6 conferences. Note that Wisconsin is still in most bracket projections despite none of their Big Ten wins are against ranked teams, they're tied for 11th place in the Big Ten, and have a NET of 78!

The Big Ten's 12th seed Wisconsin trailed from beginning to end and lost last night to #13 seed Ohio State to eliminated them in the opening night of the Big Ten Tournament. It dropped their record to 17-14, and they were 9-11 in the Big Ten prior to this loss to a bad Ohio State team (5-15). Their NET dropped to 81 and their RPI dropped to 87.
Perhaps this will be enough for the pundits to finally drop them from their NCAA Tournament brackets. But they will probably get an NIT bid.