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A week ago, I would have said that we had played ourselves out of a host site. Fortunately, a large number of other teams in positions similar to ours have done the same thing over the last eight days and I now believe we are back in contention.
Things we have going for us:
1) Last year's regional and super-regional's attendance and revenue figures were tremendous. With that factored in, I am sure we submitted one hell of a big bid.
2) An RPI that will wind up much higher than anticipated due to stumblings by others around us. We should wind up at right around 25, almost identical to last year.
3) A 6 game winning streak, 8-2 in the L10, and a dominant finish to the season. Most others in precarious positions are in them because they finished the year with very poor showings in their conference tournament.
Things working against us:
1) Geography. Oklahoma State will host for sure, Nebraska will host almost certainly, and Missouri may weasel out a hosting spot as well. They will never, ever award all four of us sites because we are just too close together and it makes travel too cumbersome for the teams that would be attending.
***(1a) Geography will be helped considerably if KSU can get the Big 12 Championship game and win. They can't be sent to a Big 12 site, and we would be by far the closest option. Go Kitties.
2) The MVC was certainly a joke this year, so far as RPI and out of conference performance is concerned. Embarrassingly, the committee may be inclined to give a team like Michigan a site ahead of us because the Big 10 was just as good. That, and the NCAA kind of has a mancrush on the Wolverines.
My biased projection (aren't they all?) is that we will host, but as a #2 seed. Coastal Carolina will get top billing, Oral Roberts will be #3, and an unusually tough 4 seed (La Lafayette if they win the Sun Belt or KSU if they win the Big 12) will round out the field.
Discuss, if you please.
Things we have going for us:
1) Last year's regional and super-regional's attendance and revenue figures were tremendous. With that factored in, I am sure we submitted one hell of a big bid.
2) An RPI that will wind up much higher than anticipated due to stumblings by others around us. We should wind up at right around 25, almost identical to last year.
3) A 6 game winning streak, 8-2 in the L10, and a dominant finish to the season. Most others in precarious positions are in them because they finished the year with very poor showings in their conference tournament.
Things working against us:
1) Geography. Oklahoma State will host for sure, Nebraska will host almost certainly, and Missouri may weasel out a hosting spot as well. They will never, ever award all four of us sites because we are just too close together and it makes travel too cumbersome for the teams that would be attending.
***(1a) Geography will be helped considerably if KSU can get the Big 12 Championship game and win. They can't be sent to a Big 12 site, and we would be by far the closest option. Go Kitties.
2) The MVC was certainly a joke this year, so far as RPI and out of conference performance is concerned. Embarrassingly, the committee may be inclined to give a team like Michigan a site ahead of us because the Big 10 was just as good. That, and the NCAA kind of has a mancrush on the Wolverines.
My biased projection (aren't they all?) is that we will host, but as a #2 seed. Coastal Carolina will get top billing, Oral Roberts will be #3, and an unusually tough 4 seed (La Lafayette if they win the Sun Belt or KSU if they win the Big 12) will round out the field.
Discuss, if you please.
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