I admit to having a soft spot for some of these lower major teams who didn't make the field

[Travelman6]

I know nothing will change but it is a bummer just the same they have to do so much more to even be considered on the fringes of the bubble but often just simply don't get enough chances for qualitly wins and admittedly might have 1 or 2 bad losses but still, 25+ win teams, pity to see them not get a crack at a Power conference team on the big stage. Maybe just because they lost in the semis or finals of their conference tourney but otherwise had a great season.

(teams like Liberty 27-8 (who proved they could play with the big boys in 2019, but yes I know past doesn't equal present), North Texas 27-7 (beat Purdue last year as a 13 seed, yes I know recent past doesn't predict present/future), Toldeo 27-8, Sam Houston 26-7 and so on. But I guess Utah Valley can be blamed for playing 3 D2 opponents).

But hey, it could just be me, maybe others like the 14 and 15 loss power teams! I think conference season winners from low majors (especially with 25+ wins) should be considered more.

 

[B1GEast]

Rutgers fans have an NCAA thread complaining that they were screwed by the committee and deserved to be in the tourney over other teams.

They had some big wins, but they ended up losing to Hofstra in the 1st round of the NIT.

It's hard sometimes to feel sorry for fans that bump their chest about their team, and then their team lays an egg in a lower tournament.

 

[navery12]

I agree, which is why more coaches need to get on board with this

 

[Hey Adrien!]

I agree, which is why more coaches need to get on board with this

This would be amazing.

Let's be honest: February is kinda the dog days of the college basketball season. Adding dozens of high-profile, high-consequence mid-major non-con games in February would be fantastic. This year, it could have been something like Charleston v LIberty ; Oral Roberts v Florida Atlantic...

 

[FlippinCrazy!]

Rutgers fans have an NCAA thread complaining that they were screwed by the committee and deserved to be in the tourney over other teams.

They had some big wins, but they ended up losing to Hofstra in the 1st round of the NIT.

It's hard sometimes to feel sorry for fans that bump their chest about their team, and then their team lays an egg in a lower tournament.

I do think Rutgers fan have a valid gripe this year, though they also were on the other end of it last year and made it when they shouldn’t have. They should’ve been in the last 4 in though.

And I will say NIT doesn’t mean much. Teams generally don’t care about their consolation tournaments.

 

[Fishy]

The bubble is absolute crap every year.

Teams that fall to right and wrong side of the bubble are both crap and none really have a complaint either way.

Rutgers was crap. Crap does not have a 'valid gripe.' Crap just whines a lot.

 

[NH Husky]

The bubble is absolute crap every year.

Teams that fall to right and wrong side of the bubble are both crap and none really have a complaint either way.

Rutgers was crap. Crap does not have a 'valid gripe.' Crap just whines a lot.

Crap always makes a big stink

 

[Tyler2Rings]

I agree, which is why more coaches need to get on board with this

I like this because it is more likely to help a team get at large consideration than hurt.

FAU is the only team this year that could have been hurt by this setup. On the other hand, if you throw a win over ORU onto Charleston's resume, then they are likely a 10ish seed and an at large even if they had lost in their conference tournament

 

[UCTitleTown]

How about the stupid rule that when you move up to D1 you are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament for some years? Some conference also don't allow those teams to compete in their conference tournament for this reason. Merrimack won the NEC Tournament over FDU and should have made the tournament this year, but for the rule. Game recognizes game. In my opinion, if teams pull off being successful at D1 that quickly, they should be praised and rewarded, not punished.

 

[Fishy]

How about the stupid rule that when you move up to D1 you are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament for some years? Some conference also don't allow those teams to compete in their conference tournament for this reason. Merrimack won the NEC Tournament over FDU and should have made the tournament this year, but for the rule. Game recognizes game. In my opinion, if teams pull off being successful at D1 that quickly, they should be praised and rewarded, not punished.

Yeah, that makes so little sense.

 

[SwingDog]

I do think Rutgers fan have a valid gripe this year, though they also were on the other end of it last year and made it when they shouldn’t have. They should’ve been in the last 4 in though.

And I will say NIT doesn’t mean much. Teams generally don’t care about their consolation tournaments.

If teams really don't care then they should do what UNC did: decline the invitation. It's their choice.

 

[UCTitleTown]

The bubble is absolute crap every year.

Teams that fall to right and wrong side of the bubble are both crap and none really have a complaint either way.

Rutgers was crap. Crap does not have a 'valid gripe.' Crap just whines a lot.

I always say, if you lose 13-15 games in the season, you'd don't deserve a bid, you're super lucky if you got one. Either thank God, or play better next year.

 

[richw]

Every National Championship team has had at least 20 wins and only Villanova had 10 loses ,at the start of the tournament. A team with 26or more wins is more deserving then a 13 loss team that couldn’t win their conference tournament for a automatic bid . I’m glad UWV lost and that Ok St and Michigan didn’t make the field.It’s collage basketball let the madness continue.

 

[mauconnfan]

You need to be a team like Auburn. Lose 9 of your last 13 and the NCAA gives them a home game, well 2 now that they won. What a joke!

 

[UCTitleTown]

You need to be a team like Auburn. Lose 9 of your last 13 and the NCAA gives them a home game, well 2 now that they won. What a joke!

Yeah, I thought for sure Auburn was missing the tournament.

 

[JakeTheDog]

Any team with a winning percentage <.600 should be automatically DISqualified barring a conference tourney championship.

 

[Rocktheworld]

26 of the 64 teams were from non-P6 conferences. That’s 40% of the field. Today in itself was incredibly entertaining. What are you complaining about, and what do you expect? I don’t think you thought too hard about this post.

 

[Scoe]

It’s fine the way it is. If you can’t make the tourney in a field of 68 it’s your own fault. Now that rule of 4 years of being in D-1 to be tourney eligible is stupid.

 

[Travelman6]

It’s fine the way it is. If you can’t make the tourney in a field of 68 it’s your own fault. Now that rule of 4 years of being in D-1 to be tourney eligible is stupid.

That's your opinion. Some would have the opinion that it is too skewed towards middling high majors teams with 13-15 losses just because they had 10 million chances to get qualitly wins and maybe they got 2 or 3 and went 2-8 or something in those chances. On the other hand numerous mid and even low majors have great records and talented teams but might get lucky, IF no one ducks them, to get 2 or 3 qualitly games vs solid opponents in a year. Most of those teams do what they can with the situation they are dealt, with little to no power to do much else.

I get that nothing will change because $.

+ a crappy 14 win B10 or B12 team gets more eyeballs on the screen than letting some team into the field that could pull a Princeton or Furman, god forbid we have some (media) darling bow out early (lol, Lehigh).

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The NET is garbage. As an efficiency measurement, it basically rewards schools for running up the score on bad teams. There are other efficiency tools like KenPom that are better at measuring the same thing the NET does anyway..

On the other hand, I loved the RPI. It was simple, transparent, and measured exactly what needed measuring. Did a team win by playing against good teams? The RPI was merciless to P6 bubble teams that loaded up on cupcakes in the preseason. It was also very kind to major conference schools that played tough non-conference schedules. Some “experts” would complain that it was possible to game the RPI by playing lots of mid-majors, including a couple on the road every year. That is not gaming the RPI, that is what you want major conference schools to do.

Bobby Knight was one of the first coaches to figure out how the RPI worked, and it was great for the regional mid majors. A case could be made that Butler is in a major conference today because Knight would schedule them in the 90’s to boost his RPI. It was a win/win.

 

[REB1094]

I feel for them too. The only thing they can do is win their conference, or win the NIT. That gives them the national attention that they just can’t get in the rest of the regular season

I don’t understand why the first four includes teams that win small conference tournaments. If you win your conference and your league sends you to the tournament, you should get a guaranteed spot. Let the last 4 in play in the first four