Just how bad is the bubble this year?

[HuskyBballFan]

RPI does account for road games.

 

[caw]

I think you missed my point. It really isn't about the makeup of the tournament vs the BCS game. It is that the system used is equally flawed, though in a different way. It badly overvalues Strength of schedule to the point where it rewards teams for losing. That makes zero sense. And it creates a circular logic where the big east teams have the toughest schedules, thus making the big East the best conference, thus making Big East teams play the toughest schedule which makes the Big East the toughest conference...Strength of schedule basically accounts for 75% of the RPI. So it overrates major conference teams and underrates mid-majors and let's face it, if you are a mid-major, a CAA team for example, you simply aren't going to play as many games against Top 50 teams, you'll probably play them on the road (RPI doen't account for this) and you'll probably also play them very early before you've totally gotten into a groove.

No, I get your point and I get that there are flaws, but they are not equal (which is my point).

The RPI may be based too much in SOS and that's fine. Why?

The point of both the football and basketball season is to win the National Championship first and foremost. The usage flaws in the BCS go far and beyond the usage flaws in the RPI. Even if the same/similar technical/calculation flaws exist, it is truly the usage flaws that cause the harm in the BCS compared to the RPI. I would argue adamantly against using just RPI to pick teams for the NCAAT and the selection committee doesn't use RPI by itself to pick teams that is why the flaws in RPI just don't matter as much.

 

[sparky]

They need divine intervention to succeed. Where's Tebow? I think they will make the tourney, but perhaps a 12 seed. No chemistry, uncoachable kids, missing JC.

 

[tzznandrew]

Uncoachable kids? The kids who won the national championship last year? Who Kemba called likable and coachable?

Or are you talking about Drummond, who everyone has been impressed with with regards to his willingness to learn?

They lack chemistry and miss JC. These are true. That third one is patently absurd.

 

[SubbaBub]

Now shown as 12 seed out west. OIOW, the last non-play-in spot. To me, this means we're out unless we win 3 more games.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[champs99and04]

I'm not sure how you could ever prove that to actually be true. The Price/Adrien/Thabeet group was better after 2007 because they stayed together for 2 years after that and turned into a junior/senior dominated team in 2009. You can say that they were "extra motivated after missing the tourny" but do you really think making the tournament in 2007 would have been bad for that group?

I truly and honestly don't know how someone can call themselves a fan of a college basketball team and be indifferent as to whether or not they make the NCAA tournament. That simply does not compute on any level.

Because Calhoun is at his best in time of doubt, that's why. Of course I have no proof, just as you have no proof that missing the tournament in those two seasons didn't help the program. I just think Calhoun gets the most out of his players when he's got the whole "Nobody expects anything out of us" mantra going.

I've already explained to you my thoughts on this team and the tournament. If they play well in these next few games, show signs of improvement, and look like a team capable of making a run, then I'd love for them to be in the tournament. If they squeak by Pitt and Providence and then get blown out by Louisville, then no, I won't really care all that much, because to this point, this team hasn't shown that they have what it takes to beat good teams, nevermind consecutively. You don't have to understand where I'm coming from, just as I don't understand all the folks that would give away their virginity to see a lifeless, underachieving team in the tournament.

 

[champs99and04]

Uncoachable kids? The kids who won the national championship last year? Who Kemba called likable and coachable?

Or are you talking about Drummond, who everyone has been impressed with with regards to his willingness to learn?

They lack chemistry and miss JC. These are true. That third one is patently absurd.

A willingness to learn and a quick learner are two completely different things. I wouldn't argue with you that these are all coachable kids, but it does seem like they haven't grasped the concepts quite as quickly as they did last year (probably because of not having an on floor leader).

 

[tzznandrew]

Because Calhoun is at his best in time of doubt, that's why. Of course I have no proof, just as you have no proof that missing the tournament in those two seasons didn't help the program. I just think Calhoun gets the most out of his players when he's got the whole "Nobody expects anything out of us" mantra going .

The "no one believes in us thing" may work, but not over whole seasons. 1996-97 and 2006-07 were prime examples where the teams weren't believed in yet failed.

I think JC is at his best with teams led by a talented, experienced PG.

As for not being able to disprove that the was better for missing the tournament, such an argument is clearly fallacious. You can't disprove that, between his sophomore and junior year, AJ was kidnapped by aliens and replaced by an alien with an Achilles ACL. I mean, he wasn't very good one year, and then he was great the next. And previously all his health issues were brain related--then a part of his body far away from it gets hurt while his head is fine. Suspicious enough where the History Channel might just call me to be an expert on Ancient Aliens.

Of course, the far more likely scenario is the one that is most logical--he got healthy and a year older.

While missing the tourney might have made them better, despite the loss of game action and negatives for recruiting, it's simply far more likely experience--with the requisite strength, savvy, comraderie, and comfort that comes with it--was the reason behind their continued improvement.

 

[tzznandrew]

A willingness to learn and a quick learner are two completely different things.

this is true. Fair enough.

Learning to ride without the training wheels (Kemba) is difficult. They've taken some falls, but they'll eventually be okay--unfortunately, due to a ton of things (self-, NCAA-, and health-inflicted), it may not be this year.

 

[8893]

Can we please stop the nonsense? There are no circumstances, ever, where it would be better for the team or for the program if we miss the NCAA tournament. None. Ask anyone with any remote connection to any Division 1 basketball program their thoughts on this and let us know what the response is.