AAC Wins vs P5 + BE

[ThabeetDown]

Figured we had enough games to see how our beloved conference was doing in non-conference. Only taking into account P5 and Big East matchups.

Below are wins AAC teams have had so far, KenPom Ratings:

#18 Syracuse (UConn)
#31 Oregon (Houston)
#57 OK State (Tulsa)
#60 Providence (Wichita)
#64 Baylor (Wichita)
#68 Alabama (UCF)
#92 Mizzou (Temple)
#120 Georgia (Temple)
#180 Cal (Temple)

On the docket is:
Memphis vs #10 Tennessee
UConn vs #16 FSU, #19 Villanova
Tulsa vs #22 Kansas State
Cincy vs #26 Miss State, #48 UCLA, #55 Xavier
Wichita vs #37 Oklahoma
Houston vs #51 LSU, #57 OK State
SMU vs #94 Gtown

UConn, Houston, Wichita and Cincy definitely all control their own destiny in terms of at-large bids -- even Tulsa if they take down K-State. Temple also did play Nova close last night, so they could also get in with a strong conference season. Getting 4 teams into the tourney is doable, 5+ is definitely tough though.

I'm glad UConn and Memphis are carrying the conference in terms of scheduling, even though Memphis is a year away (losses to OK State, LSU, and Texas Tech so far this year). Hoping that continues next year when both teams, in theory, should be better.

Kind of disappointing the UCF who is "supposed to be" the best team in the conference has a fairly week non-conference schedule, but I guess they take after their football team. You can't get any of the P5 Florida schools or SEC or ACC teams in a home and home other than Bama and Mizzou? Their AD should probably not put scheduling on his resume as a skill. Even Tulsa played Nevada, went to Utah, and scheduled 2 Big 12 teams -- UCF should hire their AD.

 

[McLovin]

Figured we had enough games to see how our beloved conference was doing in non-conference. Only taking into account P5 and Big East matchups.

Below are wins AAC teams have had so far, KenPom Ratings:

#18 Syracuse (UConn)
#31 Oregon (Houston)
#57 OK State (Tulsa)
#60 Providence (Wichita)
#64 Baylor (Wichita)
#68 Alabama (UCF)
#92 Mizzou (Temple)
#120 Georgia (Temple)
#180 Cal (Temple)

On the docket is:
Memphis vs #10 Tennessee
UConn vs #16 FSU, #19 Villanova
Tulsa vs #22 Kansas State
Cincy vs #26 Miss State, #48 UCLA, #55 Xavier
Wichita vs #37 Oklahoma
Houston vs #51 LSU, #57 OK State
SMU vs #94 Gtown

UConn, Houston, Wichita and Cincy definitely all control their own destiny in terms of at-large bids -- even Tulsa if they take down K-State. Temple also did play Nova close last night, so they could also get in with a strong conference season. Getting 4 teams into the tourney is doable, 5+ is definitely tough though.

I'm glad UConn and Memphis are carrying the conference in terms of scheduling, even though Memphis is a year away (losses to OK State, LSU, and Texas Tech so far this year). Hoping that continues next year when both teams, in theory, should be better.

Kind of disappointing the UCF who is "supposed to be" the best team in the conference has a fairly week non-conference schedule, but I guess they take after their football team. You can't get any of the P5 Florida schools or SEC or ACC teams in a home and home other than Bama and Mizzou? Their AD should probably not put scheduling on his resume as a skill. Even Tulsa played Nevada, went to Utah, and scheduled 2 Big 12 teams -- UCF should hire their AD.

Until the AAC sends a team further than the round of 32***, the selection committee is going to continue to overlook us. They left out a top 25 SMU team inexplicably and then the next year few years tried to right that wrong and SMU has disappointed. Cincy has never been able to win in March and Houston and UCF are unknowns in the eyes of the committee. It seems like every year the conference has had good OOC wins but are never rewarded.

Until Memphis and UConn are back to being annual top 10 teams (which they very much could be next year), we will be lucky if the conference gets more than 2 or 3 at large bids, given the track record of the selection committee.

***besides UConn in 2014

 

[businesslawyer]

Until the AAC sends a team further than the round of 32***, the selection committee is going to continue to overlook us. They left out a top 25 SMU team inexplicably and then the next year few years tried to right that wrong and SMU has disappointed. Cincy has never been able to win in March and Houston and UCF are unknowns in the eyes of the committee. It seems like every year the conference has had good OOC wins but are never rewarded.

Until Memphis and UConn are back to being annual top 10 teams (which they very much could be next year), we will be lucky if the conference gets more than 2 or 3 at large bids, given the track record of the selection committee.

***besides UConn in 2014

And Louisville in '13. This conference did supply the national champion in each of its first two years.

Just saying.

 

[auror]

And Louisville in '13. This conference did supply the national champion in each of its first two years.

Just saying.

1) Louisville was still in the Big East for that.
2) They never won that championship.

 

[McLovin]

And Louisville in '13. This conference did supply the national champion in each of its first two years.

Just saying.

My point was that the last few years the AAC has missed a lot of opportunities in March to build credibility for the league. Even though we have good OOC wins and teams solidly in within the "top 68", we don't have the same leeway other conferences have for the league to beat up on each other in conference and rely on the OOC SOS to get into the dance.

There is a lot of talent and parity among the top 5 or 6 teams year after year, which is great for competition and viewing by the fans. But unfortunately a 21 win team in the AAC with a 12-6 conference record will be less appealing in the eyes of the committee than an 18 win team in a P5 with a 9-9 conference record. The league needs to start doing more with their opportunities in March in order to legitimize what they do OOC in November and December.

Once UConn / Memphis (and anyone else who wants to join the fun) starts to consistently make it to the second weekend of the big dance, conference wins will mean more. After that, only then will the strong OOC wins from earlier in the season push our teams to the right side of the bubble. Sad but true.