NCAA Tournament

[Stevezall]

I agree with much of what has been written! If Indiana State has a 29 net and doesn't get an at-Large Bid if they need it, that will really be a travesty! Most of us watch the tourney hoping for upsets unless your rooting for your university! I also love the underdog and root now for teams such as FAU! I prefer a 64 total Bracket....unless Bradley is in the first 4, I don't even watch until the 64 starts! Can't wait for March Madness to start

[Stryker]

I'd be fine with expanding the tournament to 96, wouldn't really be any different from the play in round for the additional teams added. Usually there are alot of mid-major teams in the top 50-100, so it could potentially just add a ton of mid-major teams. However, you know they would try to spin it some way to get more and more power teams in.

[BUSongwriter]

I'm sure most of us want to see two MVC teams in this year's Dance. Someone give me a few power conference teams to root against in the coming days to help Indiana State's cause, or which mid-major teams to root for. I'm pretty sure Iowa is one to root against. Which others? Thanks . . . I'm too lazy to figure it all out.

[Da Coach]

I'm sure most of us want to see two MVC teams in this year's Dance. Someone give me a few power conference teams to root against in the coming days to help Indiana State's cause, or which mid-major teams to root for. I'm pretty sure Iowa is one to root against. Which others? Thanks . . . I'm too lazy to figure it all out.

Cheer for the power conference teams on or near the bubble so that it solidifies Indiana State's chances-
Wake Forest- unfortunately, they already won today, beating Notre Dame
New Mexico- bubble team, already won tonight, beating Air Force. Need them to lose their next game.
Villanova- bubble team
St. John's- "
Colorado- "
Texas A&M- probably out unless they win a couple games
Seton Hall- "
Pittsburgh- "
Utah- "
Iowa- "
Clemson- "

[BUSongwriter]

Cheer for the power conference teams on or near the bubble so that it solidifies Indiana State's chances-

Thanks, DC. I'm pretty sure you meant cheer against....

I tried to get DePaul to upset Villanova, but they blew it in the final seconds. It's a long week for Indiana State, but I sure hope they get in.

[egib52]

I tried to get DePaul to upset Villanova, but they blew it in the final seconds. It's a long week for Indiana State, but I sure hope they get in.

That's an understatement! DePaul really needs to go to the Horizon lol

[Da Coach]

DePaul was 3-28, and was 0-20 in the Big East this year and almost beat Villanova tonight. DePaul lead until the final seconds when Villanova made a 3-pointer to win 58-57. Villanova plays Marquette tomorrow.

Clemson (11-7 in the ACC) lost big to Boston College (8-12 in the ACC) 76-55.
Clemson's NET was 26, and the bracketologists had them securely in the tournament as a 6-seed. Could this blowout loss knock them down to the bubble? Probably not, but it would be nice to see.

And yes, Songwriter, I meant for you to cheer for them to lose.

[BUSongwriter]

So Lunardi this morning now has Indiana State in the First Four Out category, with New Mexico -- the 7th place finisher in the Mountain West -- ahead of them in that category. His four "on the bubble" categories are filled with power conference also-rans -- no mid-major Cinderella in sight. How boring!

It is truly March "madness" to leave out a team with 28 wins, conference champions, and a NET of 28. Hopefully the committee will get it right. If not . . . then NET means nothing, conference championship means nothing, and the name on the front of the jersey means everything. I can only imagine how we Bradley fans would be squawking if we had won 28 and the conference title and had a NET of 28 . . . and were overlooked because we lost in the tournament title game to the second place team by a few points.

Might this be the record low year for mid-majors in the tournament? If so, how sad. Drake could advance to the Sweet 16 and I bet they'd still ignore the Valley again next year.

[bradleyfan124]

So Lunardi this morning now has Indiana State in the First Four Out category, with New Mexico -- the 7th place finisher in the Mountain West -- ahead of them in that category. His four "on the bubble" categories are filled with power conference also-rans -- no mid-major Cinderella in sight. How boring!

It is truly March "madness" to leave out a team with 28 wins, conference champions, and a NET of 28. Hopefully the committee will get it right. If not . . . then NET means nothing, conference championship means nothing, and the name on the front of the jersey means everything. I can only imagine how we Bradley fans would be squawking if we had won 28 and the conference title and had a NET of 28 . . . and were overlooked because we lost in the tournament title game to the second place team by a few points.

Might this be the record low year for mid-majors in the tournament? If so, how sad. Drake could advance to the Sweet 16 and I bet they'd still ignore the Valley again next year.

I say again. There are 363 teams in D1 of which only 82 are of so called Power Conference category. The other 281 D1 teams need to start asserting themselves and demand changes that is fair for everyone

[houstonbrave]

I don’t think the non power 5 have as much power as you think. This is not a democracy where every team has one vote. The changes came to the NIT because the power 5 were talking to Fox about their own tourney to replace the NIT. I think every time the NCAA talks about leveling the playing field the power 5 talk about leaving the NCAA and the NCAA blinks.

[bradleyfan124]

I don’t think the non power 5 have as much power as you think. This is not a democracy where every team has one vote. The changes came to the NIT because the power 5 were talking to Fox about their own tourney to replace the NIT. I think every time the NCAA talks about leveling the playing field the power 5 talk about leaving the NCAA and the NCAA blinks.

I agree and that's the problem

[BUfan17]

So Lunardi this morning now has Indiana State in the First Four Out category, with New Mexico -- the 7th place finisher in the Mountain West -- ahead of them in that category. His four "on the bubble" categories are filled with power conference also-rans -- no mid-major Cinderella in sight. How boring!

It is truly March "madness" to leave out a team with 28 wins, conference champions, and a NET of 28. Hopefully the committee will get it right. If not . . . then NET means nothing, conference championship means nothing, and the name on the front of the jersey means everything. I can only imagine how we Bradley fans would be squawking if we had won 28 and the conference title and had a NET of 28 . . . and were overlooked because we lost in the tournament title game to the second place team by a few points.

Might this be the record low year for mid-majors in the tournament? If so, how sad. Drake could advance to the Sweet 16 and I bet they'd still ignore the Valley again next year.

They would be a lock if they didn't have that Quad 4 loss. Same for New Mexico.

I agree it is ridiculous though if they both don't get in.

[Stevezall]

As a side note after reading NCAA and NIT Bracketology projections: it still appears Indiana State has at least a fair shot at playing in the first 4 no pun intended play in tournament and/ or could end up a 12th seed in NCAA tourney! Personally if I was an Indiana State fan after reading possible NIT projections saying Indiana St.would be a top seed maybe playing Indiana at home as lower seed, wouldn't that be great for the Hoosier State? Honestly instead of a dreaded first 4 play in NCAA, I'd rather have an NIT home game against Indiana or at least a decent good NCAA team! Will see what the NCAA and NIT committee decide. Of course I would still like to see Indiana State as a 12th seed and no play in game!

[ManMythLegend]

As a side note after reading NCAA and NIT Bracketology projections: it still appears Indiana State has at least a fair shot at playing in the first 4 no pun intended play in tournament and/ or could end up a 12th seed in NCAA tourney! Personally if I was an Indiana State fan after reading possible NIT projections saying Indiana St.would be a top seed maybe playing Indiana at home as lower seed, wouldn't that be great for the Hoosier State? Honestly instead of a dreaded first 4 play in NCAA, I'd rather have an NIT home game against Indiana or at least a decent good NCAA team! Will see what the NCAA and NIT committee decide. Of course I would still like to see Indiana State as a 12th seed and no play in game!

First Four games still count as a unit and pays the same (to be split among conference members) as any other round. That's one of the reasons I would much rather see Indiana State in the tourney. I think they can win a game. I think Drake can win a couple of games. That would be a huge windfall for the Valley. 2023 units were worth about $2 million.

[Da Coach]

First Four games still count as a unit and pays the same (to be split among conference members) as any other round. That's one of the reasons I would much rather see Indiana State in the tourney. I think they can win a game. I think Drake can win a couple of games. That would be a huge windfall for the Valley. 2023 units were worth about $2 million.

Good point. And this is why it's absurd when people say "what does it matter if mid-majors are screwed by the NCAA and don't get teams in the NCAA Tournament. They don't stand a chance to win it".
It's true they may not stand a chance to win the tournament (although the 2017 Loyola team from the NCAA was 1 game away from playing for the title). It's not just about winning the tournament. The more important factor is that each game they play in the tournament is worth close to $2 million in revenue for their conference. That money is divided between the conference schools, and can play a huge part in improving facilities, funding the recruiting budgets, paying to hire and retain good coaches, and ultimately making programs better. That can't happen if the MVC only gets 1 team in each year, then they get a poor seed and get matched against a top team that makes it hard to win a game. The big conferences want the money all to themselves.