CollegeHoops.net Top 144 countdown -- 2008-09

[mportsch]

He easily could have been talking about UIUC!

[SFP]

Pac 10 was probably the best conference last year IMO. Trust me I would never ever say that unless I believed it, I'm not a west coast team fan! They have good coaching all around, tradition (UCLA) and some good all around programs. CAL has a new coach and it will be interesting to see what he will do. I wonder where they have Stanford?

[Braves4Life]

Pac 10 was probably the best conference last year IMO. Trust me I would never ever say that unless I believed it, I'm not a west coast team fan! They have good coaching all around, tradition (UCLA) and some good all around programs. CAL has a new coach and it will be interesting to see what he will do. I wonder where they have Stanford?

The Pac-10 is probably the most over-looked, under-rated conference year in and year out. Because most of their games end after the elitist Eastern media go to press they are rarely reported on and watched by those who write and rate teams in the polls. The Pac-10 seems to routinely have 1-2 teams each year in the Elite 8, whereas the "power conferences" often have one or none.

[BUBraves2006]

The Pac-10 is probably the most over-looked, under-rated conference year in and year out. Because most of their games end after the elitist Eastern media go to press they are rarely reported on and watched by those who write and rate teams in the polls. The Pac-10 seems to routinely have 1-2 teams each year in the Elite 8, whereas the "power conferences" often have one or none.

You think the Pac-10 isn't a power conference? Are you kidding me?

[mike radigan]

The Pac-10 is probably the most over-looked, under-rated conference year in and year out. Because most of their games end after the elitist Eastern media go to press they are rarely reported on and watched by those who write and rate teams in the polls. The Pac-10 seems to routinely have 1-2 teams each year in the Elite 8, whereas the "power conferences" often have one or none.

You think the Pac-10 isn't a power conference? Are you kidding me?

Dang, BUBraves2006, he posted just the opposite. He said underrated not overrated.

[Braves4Life]

You think the Pac-10 isn't a power conference? Are you kidding me?

Media "Power Conferences" :

ACC
Big East
SEC
B-10
B-12
(I know I'm leaving someone out)

Pac-10 -- NOT a "power conference" as far as eastern media is concerned (isn't that what I originally said?)..... but OBVIOUSLY a power conference based on what I just said.

[Rusty 54]

I think the media considers the PAC 10 a power conference, with teams like UCLA, Arizona, and USC. There aren't as many stories because the night games don't get finished in time to make eastern deadlines.

[MacabreMob]

IMO:
1) B4L knows the PAC10 is a "power conference"
2) the Media considers the PAC10 a "power conference"
3) B4L, living on the East Coast, knows the Eastern coverage thinks of the PAC10 as last of the BCS 6

But here's something for ya B4L....

Looking at the past 10 years NCAA Tourneys and counting up representatives in the Elite 8....

Conference ----- # of Reps
Big12 ----- 14
Big10 ----- 13
ACC ----- 10
BigEast ----- 10
PAC10 ----- 10
SEC ----- 8
NonBCS ----- 15
>A10 -- 5
>CUSA -- 5
>Colonial -- 1
>MAC -- 1
>Southern -- 1
>WAC -- 1
>WCC -- 1

[Braves4Life]

But here's something for ya B4L....

Looking at the past 10 years NCAA Tourneys and counting up representatives in the Elite 8....

Conference ----- # of Reps
Big12 ----- 14
Big10 ----- 13
ACC ----- 10
BigEast ----- 10
PAC10 ----- 10
SEC ----- 8
NonBCS ----- 15

But I would venture to guess that if the media or the average-joe basketball fan were picking the NCAA Tourney teams that the Pac-10 would have even less representation and the ACC and Big East would lead the way. That's what I mean when I said "over-looked, under-rated". This is a case where the NCAA Selection Committee has done a decent job.


Fortunately, the good fans here at Bradleyfans know their basketball

[MacabreMob]

But I would venture to guess that if the media or the average-joe basketball fan were picking the NCAA Tourney teams that the Pac-10 would have even less representation and the ACC and Big East would lead the way. That's what I mean when I said "over-looked, under-rated". This is a case where the NCAA Selection Committee has done a decent job.


Fortunately, the good fans here at Bradleyfans know their basketball

Oh - I agree with ya B4L. and I must admit I am also a little biased against the PAC10. Not because of the media... but because I miss a lot of their games. I am surprised at those numbers (I provided) a little. I think as Conferences go, I think the B10 and B12 have weakened recently and to see their strong representation in the past 10 years is something to be noted. Then seeing how the PAC10 fits right in with the ACC and BigEast... hmmm. And rounding out the bottom is the SEC which leaves me a little surprised.

But then I think about Conferences ascending, namely the MVC. A conference that has ranked (by RPI's) strongly in the top 10 very recently, and the MVC has ZERO Elite 8's in the past 10 years. As much as I like and want to beat my chest about the MVC and the recent success.... it is deflating to see success from other Non-BCS conferences in the Elite 8 (and I'm not talking about the A10 and CUSA).

As good as we think we are, we are NOT that good UNTIL results show we are.

[Rusty 54]

Oh - I agree with ya B4L. and I must admit I am also a little biased against the PAC10. Not because of the media... but because I miss a lot of their games. I am surprised at those numbers (I provided) a little. I think as Conferences go, I think the B10 and B12 have weakened recently and to see their strong representation in the past 10 years is something to be noted. Then seeing how the PAC10 fits right in with the ACC and BigEast... hmmm. And rounding out the bottom is the SEC which leaves me a little surprised.

But then I think about Conferences ascending, namely the MVC. A conference that has ranked (by RPI's) strongly in the top 10 very recently, and the MVC has ZERO Elite 8's in the past 10 years. As much as I like and want to beat my chest about the MVC and the recent success.... it is deflating to see success from other Non-BCS conferences in the Elite 8 (and I'm not talking about the A10 and CUSA).

As good as we think we are, we are NOT that good UNTIL results show we are.

That is frustrating. The MVC consistently sends teams to the dance, but the strongest candidates to break through (SIU and CU, based on their consistent ability to make the tournament) have not advanced to the Elite 8

[brocks]

That is frustrating. The MVC consistently sends teams to the dance, but the strongest candidates to break through (SIU and CU, based on their consistent ability to make the tournament) have not advanced to the Elite 8

Well, it sure helps when half (or more) of your conference gets bids every year. Put 5 Valley teams in there every year and I bet those numbers start to even out. Take a top-10 conference and invite only Drake and I have a pretty good idea who will not be represented in the Elite 8. BTW, if you extend that out one round to Sweet 16, I think the Valley does OK.

[BUBraves06]

#121 LaSalle - with NINE A-10 teams still ahead of them!!

Wow this guy is weird, he's putting TEN A-10 teams in the Top 121!
Last year, guys like this predicted as many as SIX NCAA bids for the A-10 citing how incredibly strong they were going to be, when in reality, they were almost, by all measures, exactly as strong as the Valley, and they ended up with only THREE NCAA bids, of which ONE came under big-time fire (St. Joseph's) because of their terribly weak nonconference schedule (#11 and their 21-12 record 9-7 in the A-10.

http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/new/2...view-121-44894

But they had three teams in the Tourney, the Valley had just one, that's one of, if not the most, important measure to me. Though I agree that St. Joe's was an iffy selection, especially with how they looked in the first round against Oklahoma.

It is kind of surprising that this guy believe that 10 of the 120 best teams in the country are in the A-10.

[mportsch]

According to Pomeroy ratings, the A10 had 8 teams in the top 85 last season, so it doesn't seem like a huge stretch to say that two of the other teams will climb from the 130-140 range into the top 121.

http://kenpom.com/conf.php?y=2008&c=A10&t=p

I will give this guy Joel Welser credit - he obviously does a lot of research for this countdown.

[MacabreMob]

I don't deny that but I think the A-10 was weaker than everyone had thought.
I still have all those preseason mags with their predictions from last year, and all of them picked Saint Louis, Charlotte, Dayton, and some even Duquesne as sure NCAA teams!

Hey - someone even thought Fordham could wind up in some Top 65 rankings and would be better than Bradley.