WBIT - Villanova still in it (Go Lucy!)

[DefenseBB]

A couple of years ago it happened to the MAC, it's happened to the MW, I believe that it happened to the Ivy League. Almost every non P5 Conference at least once since the expanding to 64 now 68 teams has had it happen. I don't give a darn about metrics, some of those P5 conference teams refuse to play mid majors, so how is a mid major going to get a shot. I believe that South Dakota State was the regular season conference winner a few years ago and lost in the second round because one of their star players was sick. They didn't make it to the dance, but a team from one of the P5 had finished 8 or 9 with a losing record did who also didn't make it past their second round did. Why should a team that can't even win in their conference get in the dance?

Many P5 conference teams play soft schedules during the beginning of their season because they know that their play in conference will improve their SoS. Look at LSU, they had an SoS of 127 when they started conference play, the only teams that they played that were in the Massey Top 100, were Colorado who I believe was #14, Virginia #64, and Virginia Tech #16. The next highest teams they played in #116 Kent and #167 Louisiana. All of the other teams were Massey rated between 202 and 353. After they finished conference play to include the conference tournament they their SoS is 28. I can tell you right now that if Jackson State would have lost in their conference tournament they would not have been invited, even though they went undefeated in their conference regular season and that is just wrong. Teams that work hard in the regular season should be rewarded for their work no matter what conference they come from. I would rather see a team that did something great during their conference play than watch some team like Miami that couldn't win in their conference get in.

Here is your initial claim:

You have a a lot of other conferences out there that if the conference regular season champion losses in the conference tournament they get left out, while some team that finishes 9th or has a losing conference record gets invited. I believe that the regular season conference champion should be rewarded for the body of work, before some team that finishes so low in the conference does. I also believe that the only way a team with a losing conference record should get in is they win the AQ by winning the conference tournament. Starting next year I believe that there will be only 31 conference bids. The NCAA always says they want to grow the game, well it doesn't sell well if they keep dishing the other 27 conferences after the P4 invitees start getting maybe 9 to 12 teams in the tournament.

In your claim, in 2021-22 Toledo won the MAC regular season with 19-1 Conference record (29-6) but lost the conference Tournament to Buffalo. Toledo had the best NET of the MAC teams at #69. Their SoS was #136 and their only win over sub 100 ranked team was Buffalo at #45. In other words, their resume was TERRIBLE and they did not deserve an at-large bid. Go look at who they beat and tell me why they deserved a bid over? In the 2022 Tournament only Arkansas came in with a losing conference record at 7-9 (18-14 overall) and had the #10 SoS, and #34 NET and 8 wins over teams with sub-100 NET including #21 LSU. This resume is vastly superior to Toledo.

In my close examination of these bids since 2016 when I joined the BY, there have been very few on the bubble calls that could have gone either way but with the change to NET vs. RPI, I think the strength of teams is clearer and your argument has no credence.

I state my case again using facts that the committee is trying to get the best 36 teams into the tournament after the 32 automatic qualifiers. If you play in weak conference, win your regular season title and win your Conference Tournament otherwise play a tougher OOC and win games against these teams to show you deserve a bid. Your view is "hey let team who beat up the weaklings into the tournament even though they lost the conference automatic bid because they beat up the weaklings during the season". This makes no sense for the committee. They have already been inclusive by letting all 32 conferences get a bid even though by talent, 22 probably don't deserve it.

 

[jeff30189]

I state my case again using facts that the committee is trying to get the best 36 teams into the tournament after the 32 automatic qualifiers.

While I agree with the premise of your argument, what gets lost in the data is that some really good mid-majors have a weak SOS and NET for the simple fact that the P5 conference do not want to play them. So yes, some good mid-majors are left with playing whoever is willing to schedule them, which inflates their record and deflates their metrics. The metrics are not an accurate representation of the quality of their team.

Giving some sort of deference to ALL regular season conference champions rewards those teams who beat who was in front of them. No solution is perfect, but the David vs Goliath storyline (to me) is far more intriguing that watching a bunch of 18-14 power 5 schools who had all season to prove they didn't belong there.

Of course this line of reasoning is completely decimated by the NC State men's team this year

 

[HuskyNan]

Home game for the Wildcats.

 

[Plebe]

Home game for the Wildcats.

View attachment 98744

Is there a punchline I'm missing? Hinkle Fieldhouse is in Indianapolis.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Is there a punchline I'm missing? Hinkle Fieldhouse is in Indianapolis.

I didn't get the reference either.

I am largely undecided about NCAA pandering to women, but at least the WBIT semis and final game are in the same location as the Men's NIT semis and final.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[Plebe]

Rough second half for Villanova, got outscored 42-25. Final score 71-57.

A team that went 8-10 in the Big Ten and was sub-.500 on selection day wins the WBIT trophy.

 

[DefenseBB]

Rough second half for Villanova, got outscored 42-25. Final score 71-57.

A team that went 8-10 in the Big Ten and was sub-.500 on selection day wins the WBIT trophy.

So does that mean that the Illini deserved to be in the NCAAT? I am asking for a friend....

 

[Bone Dog]

I saw a few of Adalia Mackenzie’s HS games, including one against Paige. She was one of those players who the ball seemed to be drawn to as by magnetism. I mean, she was a total ballhawk, but she also seemed to have a bit of magic about her. Also a great shooting touch. I wondered how she would fare at the next level since she’s only 5’9” and not super speedy. Would that magic continue to carry her? She’s done well at Illinois, a solid role player though not the star of the program. I hope she continues to find her magic.