Mid Major (and Lower) Conference Tournaments.

[HuskyNan]

 

[maple]

The second 1st round game of the Big West conference finished up and it was another upset, UC Riverside over Cal Poly. The real stars of this conference come out tomorrow but I'm pulling for some upsets.

"Fun" fact: UC Riverside considered cutting sports in 2021 due to financial issues caused by COVID-19. Their WBB team is also languishing at the bottom of one of the lowest conferences. Nice to see the ladies get a win today.

 

[BRS24]

This is what I dislike about the discussion of "mid-majors". Should both Portland and Gonzaga get in? IMHO yes. Should both Columbia and Princeton get in, same. Seeing the so called P5 conference teams get rewarded with a bid to the NCAAT while championing mediocrity is mind blowing. I want to see more of the less known schools in the tourney as that's how they get better, and how the whole sport gets better. As we get closer to selection Sunday, we'll see the prognosticators opine on how many bids the SEC, B10, ACC, B12 get, at the expense of a really good lesser known school.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

This is what I dislike about the discussion of "mid-majors". Should both Portland and Gonzaga get in? IMHO yes. Should both Columbia and Princeton get in, same. Seeing the so called P5 conference teams get rewarded with a bid to the NCAAT while championing mediocrity is mind blowing. I want to see more of the less known schools in the tourney as that's how they get better, and how the whole sport gets better. As we get closer to selection Sunday, we'll see the prognosticators opine on how many bids the SEC, B10, ACC, B12 get, at the expense of a really good lesser known school.

I don't agree in this regard - what criteria gets a so-called mid-major school a bid over a power 5 school?

A Power 5 school that has a decent record against their peers is better than a non-power 5 team that didn't beat anyone good (and many of them didn't). I feel bad for teams that went 24 - 4 and won't be in the big dance. But a closer look will usually reveal that they have absolutely no strength of schedule.

That's why Gonzaga will almost certainly be in, they have a quality body of work, and why UMass and Green Bay won't.

 

[UcMiami]

Most of the Mid-Majors really are ONLY one bid conferences - they just don't have the athletes and skills to be competitive in the NCAA as most 1/16 and 2/15 and 3/14 games show - 50+ margins of victory are common as are many games being decided at the end of the first quarter or first half at the latest. No one wants to add a second team from any of those conferences. Of the 13 seeds only one has won a game in the tournament since 2007 and again, you really don't want to add another team from their conferences either.

Of the mid-majors only the following have a team in the top 70 of NET
C-USA - Middle TN NET 28
AAC - USF NET 30
Summit - SDSU NET 37
ASUN - FGCU NET 38
Ivy - Princeton NET 40
WCC - Gonzaga NET 41
Ivy - Columbia NET 45
Mountain West - UNLV NET 51
MVC - Drake NET 53 (fourth in their conference standings heading into the tournament)
A10 - Massachusetts NET 59
WAC - SFA NET 62
MVC - UNI NET 63 (third in their conference)
Horizon - Green Bay NET 67
MAC - Toledo NET 69
Horizon - Cleveland State NET 70

NET and RPI and other attempts at measurement always have a bias toward major conferences, but it is hard to get around that. The only thing I think should be used as a 'corrective' is to punish the majors that play really bad OOC and are in bubble territory - smack those resume padding schools down!

Most if not all of the at large bids will come from top 50 NET - a team outside of top 50 NET would need a signature win or a stunning resume and the only one I am aware of is St. Johns win against NET 2 Uconn. St Johns is currently NET 55 and that is a better win than anyone in bubble territory except Marquette at NET 43 who has the same win on their resume. The bubble will mostly be teams NET 40-50 because the top 39 already includes 10 or the AQ teams. That means if all top 39 NET make it in (likely) there are only 7 more bids to be filled. Columbia or Princeton will likely be the Ivy AQ so 40-50 leaves 10 teams to fill 7 spaces.

I think Gonzaga will make it in. And I think both Ivies will as well, and I think Marquette will too. That would leave 4 bids out of the the 7 remaining NET 50 plus St Johns. So my bubble is:
Illinois
Nebraska
Michigan St
Oklahoma St
Arkansas
Purdue
Miami
St Johns

 

[militarydog]

I agree with others that Gonzaga and South Florida are definitely in the NCAA Tournament. So are there any other mid-major conferences that could get in an at large team if there is an upset in the conference tournament?.

 

[Reypl21]

Wyoming vs UNLV for the MWC championship. I'm pulling for the Pokes, obviously

 

[JellyBean]

Tough loss for Gonzaga yesterday. Despite the loss, they should be able to land a spot in the field of 68 in the tournament.

 

[cancontent]

Tough loss for Gonzaga yesterday. Despite the loss, they should be able to land a spot in the field of 68 in the tournament.

If they don't what's the point of the Top 25 rankings? They've been listed consistently throughout the season by coaches and the press. The selection committee would be daft if they were excluded.

 

[BRS24]

In today's MAC quarterfinals, 8th seeded Buffalo giving #1 seed Toledo all they can handle, within 2 at the beginning of 3Q.

 

[Figurehead]

I think he needs a few more years under his belt to prove himself. I don't think Oregon needs to limit themselves to looking at former assistant coaches under Graves.

I am skeptical of your take as being a OSU fan you would not want him there if Graves left. I get why you would not want Campbell there.

I mean after all Oregon State hired Scott Rueck from George Fox University. I would bet OSU would look at former assistants (Holsigner and the other who name escapes me at the moment) in the process. BTW, all which are better than any assistants they have now. Same goes for the current batch of Oregon assistants. But if the Pac-12 dissolves as expected in a few years then alot could happen to influence future appeal of a program if they all scatter as predicted. Same goes for the recruiting appeal as a side note.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I meant what I said. Campbell has not established himself as a top up and coming HC yet. Maybe he will. If I'm looking to hire a young coach with West Coast ties who has shown to be a big winner, my first phone call would be to Lindy La Rocque. She has 1 more year experience than Campbell and she is just crushing the rest of the Mountain West, undoubtedly a higher level conference than the Big Sky. Campbell made good progress from year 1 to year 2, but he does not have Sacramento St. head and shoulders above the rest of the league the way La Rocque does. That's my take.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Also I think focusing on the outgoing coach's coaching tree is often a mistake. Usually there are better candidates if you are open minded to it. I would be very disappointed if OSU was to replace Rueck and focused entirely on his former or current assistant coaches.

 

[maple]

Wow! In the Big West quarterfinals, CSU Bakersfield (#9 seed, second to last in their conference) just defeated UC Irvine (the #1 seed) in a huge game that went in 2 OT. A true Cinderella story with some huge buckets by CSUB at the end.

That's March Madness, baby!

UC Irvine shot 15-75 (20%) from the floor, with 5-26 (19.2%) from the perimeter.

 

[ochoopsfan]

Wow! In the Big West quarterfinals, CSU Bakersfield (#9 seed, second to last in their conference) just defeated UC Irvine (the #1 seed) in a huge game that went in 2 OT. A true Cinderella story with some huge buckets by CSUB at the end.

That's March Madness, baby!

UC Irvine shot 15-75 (20%) from the floor, with 5-26 (19.2%) from the perimeter.

Adios Anteaters

 

[Floridaduck]

Sac State get the title. Congrats to the ALL ex-Oregon staff: Mark Campbell, Xavier Lopez, Minyon Moore and Nyara Sabally.

 

[Ciscokid]

Portland Pilots of the Big West punched a ticket for the NCAA tournament. Ex-Duck Lucy Cochrane transferred there from Eugene and has played very well.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Portland Pilots of the Big West

WCC. Big West tourney is going on currently.

 

[FridaFriend]

Unbelievable last second shot by Daugherty puts So. Utah over New Mexico State in the WAC, 62-61

 

[nwhoopfan]

Every time UNLV started to pull away, Wyoming got right back in it. Vegas finally got a little breathing room at the end. Young was just dominant, completely owned the paint.

 

[Figurehead]

I meant what I said. Campbell has not established himself as a top up and coming HC yet. Maybe he will. If I'm looking to hire a young coach with West Coast ties who has shown to be a big winner, my first phone call would be to Lindy La Rocque. She has 1 more year experience than Campbell and she is just crushing the rest of the Mountain West, undoubtedly a higher level conference than the Big Sky. Campbell made good progress from year 1 to year 2, but he does not have Sacramento St. head and shoulders above the rest of the league the way La Rocque does. That's my take.

So hear is a question back at you. If Rueck were to move on or gets forced out is the short coaching list for Oregon be the same list as the one at Oregon State. If not then why?

 

[maple]

I won’t be able to watch the CSUB game tomorrow, but I hope the Roadrunners are able to pull through and continue their underdog story.

 

[nwhoopfan]

So hear is a question back at you. If Rueck were to move on or gets forced out is the short coaching list for Oregon be the same list as the one at Oregon State. If not then why?

UO and OSU are very different institutions. They might have some of the same names on a theoretical list, or they might not.

 

[FridaFriend]

Do they all have to be as short as Rueck to be on the short list?

 

[visitingcock]

This is what I dislike about the discussion of "mid-majors". Should both Portland and Gonzaga get in? IMHO yes. Should both Columbia and Princeton get in, same. Seeing the so called P5 conference teams get rewarded with a bid to the NCAAT while championing mediocrity is mind blowing. I want to see more of the less known schools in the tourney as that's how they get better, and how the whole sport gets better. As we get closer to selection Sunday, we'll see the prognosticators opine on how many bids the SEC, B10, ACC, B12 get, at the expense of a really good lesser known school.

I would rather see Columbia/ Princeton #. 2 than any P-6 team in the bottom half of their conference