Playing Without Akok

[VAHuskyFan]

Current BPI Rankings:

17 - Houston (11-4)
39 - Wichita State (8-6)
42 - Cincinnati (11-4)
66 - UConn (6-8)
67 - Memphis (8-6)
84 - Tulsa (10-4)
85 - SMU (8-6)

This is great news for us with respect to the NIT. If Houston, Cinci, and Wichita St all make the tourney (as currently projected), we’re the next team up in the AAC in terms of overall performance, essentially even with Memphis. I think we’d both be selected over Tulsa and SMU. This would align with the best outcome for the NIT in terms of ratings.

If we finish 3-1 to get to .500 in conference (very doable with our schedule) and win our first game in the AAC tournament, we should be in the NIT.

 

[Kathy]

That used to be true, when the NIT was sponsored by the MIBA, a group of NYC schools. That was certainly true in 1997, when UConn got in with a 14-14 record and went to the semi-finals. But since the NCAA took over in 2005, things have changed. The NCAA has explicitly stated that performance, not drawing potential, is primary. For example, regular season conference champions who do not make the NCAA tourney, now get preference over all others. Further, the selection committee is no longer a group of NYC metropolitan-area coaches and ADs. Nor does ESPN any longer have any say in the matter. It is a national committee which happens, at present, to be very Mid-Western and very lightly representative of the Northeast. Bottom-line, the NIT is not operated today as a fund-raiser for Northeast schools or a commercial-draw for ESPN. The NCAA views it as a national consolation tourney for worthy teams that don't quite make it to the NCAAs. Net-net, UConn needs to win some games.

Selection of NIT teams - not like it used to be. Must be above .500.
Automatic
Like the NCAA Tournament, there are teams that are automatically granted a spot in the NIT should the team want to continue its season. A team is considered an auto-bid team if it is its conference regular-season champion but has not been selected to play in the NCAA Tournament. Most often this is a team from a one-bid conference that failed to win its respective conference tournament. However, this can apply to a major conference but in extremely rare circumstances.

At large
Each member of the NIT selection committee reviews the various teams in contention and submits a ballot listing no more than 32 teams he or she believes deserve to be included in the tournament. That list may not include regular-season champions or teams that have already earned an auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Teams receiving a vote on every ballot will be moved into the at-large selection board. All other teams receiving at least one vote will be moved into the “nomination board” where they are listed alphabetically. Each committee member then submits a ballot of the eight teams from the nomination board that he or she believes should be added to the at-large selection board.

The eight teams with the highest votes will be ranked by the committee using a “cross-country scoring system,” with the best team valued at one. The four teams with the lowest scores are added to the at-large selection board. The remaining four teams are held over to an additional nomination process, where an additional four teams are added and then ranked by the committee using the scoring system. Should a team not move on after two rounds, it returns to the nomination board.

The process continues until a decision has been made by the committee to start seeding the teams.

 

[mauconnfan]

Winning record almost assures us I believe. NIT would love UConn to make a run no doubt!

 

[Kathy]

Winning record almost assures us I believe. NIT would love UConn to make a run no doubt!

Not anymore

 

[mauconnfan]

Not anymore

I'm not saying because of a winning record, I'm saying because it's UConn but maybe that's history these days. Pretty sure they will consider them hard though especially knowing how well they played even in the losses.

 

[businesslawyer]

That used to be true, when the NIT was sponsored by the MIBA, a group of NYC schools. That was certainly true in 1997, when UConn got in with a 14-14 record and went to the semi-finals. But since the NCAA took over in 2005, things have changed. The NCAA has explicitly stated that performance, not drawing potential, is primary. For example, regular season conference champions who do not make the NCAA tourney, now get preference over all others. Further, the selection committee is no longer a group of NYC metropolitan-area coaches and ADs. Nor does ESPN any longer have any say in the matter. It is a national committee which happens, at present, to be very Mid-Western and very lightly representative of the Northeast. Bottom-line, the NIT is not operated today as a fund-raiser for Northeast schools or a commercial-draw for ESPN. The NCAA views it as a national consolation tourney for worthy teams that don't quite make it to the NCAAs. Net-net, UConn needs to win some games.

66 teams make the dance. 32 more make the NIT. Yes, there are auto-bids for both, but I'm more confident than you that winning 3 of our last 4 and at least 1 in the tourney is sufficient for the NIT. I don't think they care how many AAC teams are in -- I think they try to do exactly what the NCAA does -- take their autobids (conference regular season champs who didn't make the dance) and then fill up the brackets with best teams available. If we wiin those games and have both Net and Ken Pom in the low 60s, I'm more confident than you.

 

[HuskyHawk]

66 teams make the dance. 32 more make the NIT. Yes, there are auto-bids for both, but I'm more confident than you that winning 3 of our last 4 and at least 1 in the tourney is sufficient for the NIT. I don't think they care how many AAC teams are in -- I think they try to do exactly what the NCAA does -- take their autobids (conference regular season champs who didn't make the dance) and then fill up the brackets with best teams available. If we wiin those games and have both Net and Ken Pom in the low 60s, I'm more confident than you.

Agreed. I think our ability to sell tickets and TV eyeballs plus our close losses against tournament teams makes us appealing. 3 of 4 plus one in the AAC should do it. That Temple loss hurt.

Meanwhile lets hope that not many regular season champs get knocked off in their tournaments. Houston, Gonzaga, SDSU and Dayton are all in anyway. Need Vermont to win and several others. Need Arizona State not to win the PAC regular season. Lots of lower level conferences in virtual ties right now.

 

[olehead]

Don't know if UConn beats Temple handily with Akok
PC gave the team 18/14 - even in his best of best I don't see Akok getting those results - he isn't aggressive enough on the offensive end to get those pts and offensive boards. The Temple guards were chewing up Bouk, Gaff and Adams - PC is fairly aggressive - had 2 blocks -
DH would have had Akok probably on Rose or Scott due to Temples 3/4 guard lineup and Akok would have been in foul trouble and not allowed to cheat underneath and slide because he would be tied to his quicker assignment JMO

*PC=Porkchop for you casual fans.

 

[ToolzieFan]

For what it worth, an NIT Bracketogist has us as a #6 seed.

 

[Hankster]

Winning record almost assures us I believe. NIT would love UConn to make a run no doubt!

I am sure I am wrong but I do believe tournaments want exciting teams. We are the most exciting in the AAC for sure, and one of the top 5 in the nation. Nobody wants a dull tournament. Our losses are the most exciting I have seen this year. LOL Has to be worth something.

 

[Get a Job]

I am sure I am wrong but I do believe tournaments want exciting teams. We are the most exciting in the AAC for sure, and one of the top 5 in the nation. Nobody wants a dull tournament. Our losses are the most exciting I have seen this year. LOL Has to be worth something.

I haven't seen the latest AP Excitement Poll. Didn't realize we cracked the top 5.

 

[temery]

Just a little confirmation about how we've changed since losing Akok Akok..

A lot has been said about how the team is "developing" and plays "prettier" in the last week. That's clearly true, because as much as we love the young man and belive in his future, Akok was giving us nothing offensively the last few weeks we've played. The observations seem confirmed by a glance at Ken Pom this morning, where our offensive efficiency rating has moved into double digits for the first time that I can remember.

What hasn't been talked about, however, is that our defensive efficiency ratings have at the same time plummeted, and a glance this morning had us down roughly 20 spots in the fifties from where I recall being while Akok was playing.

So that is the recipe for the rest of the season. We can't replace Akok's defense with anyone on the roster, because Pork Chop and Josh aren't going to be on the floor together for most of the game, but between figuring out player's defensive roles and some more improvement from individuals (that's a hint James and Sidney), if we can get our team defense back to where it was a run in the AAC tourney or, more likely because of games not being played on consecutive days, the NIT, is not imposible to imagine.

You're proud yourself with your thread title, aren't you?

well done.

 

[businesslawyer]

You're proud yourself with your thread title, aren't you?

well done.

LOL. No, totally inadvertent.

But thank you fo making me spit a mouthful of tea across my office.