Polls / Brackets

[WstateU]

Michigan State will be 14-11, after tonight, 13-11 in d1 games, no way they are in the tournament.

Dofo...

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

Michigan St is not in the tournament as of today, but they are still in the hunt. You realize MSU has 4 wins better than WSU's best win. It is very possible that on Selection Sunday, MSU will have played 23 games vs the top 100 and WSU will have played as few as 7. Isn't it understandable that a bubble team would have 13 or 14 losses after playing that kind of schedule?

If WSU is in the picture, MSU is in the picture as well.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

I'm sorry, but Boston College, Michigan State, and Richmond do not deserve bids at our expense.

Boston College RPI - 42
WSU RPI - 52

BC Best Win - N#28
WSU Best Win - @#78

BC Top 100 Wins - 7
WSU Top 100 Wins - 2

BC Worst Loss - #140 (In November)
WSU Worst Loss - #197 (In February)

That's a really abbreviated summary, but tell me why WSU should be ahead of BC.

[calfan]

Jamar Howard 4 President,

Love your stats. Here's my problem with this situation.

WSU is told that it needs to play and beat BCS teams.

WSU might have beat UConn at Maui if the refs had done a better job.

WSU beats Virginia.

WSU beats LSU.

Now WSU is told that the teams they beat are bad and the RPI's are bad, so the wins don't count.

WSU had no way of knowing Virginia and LSU would be BAD WINS.

WSU doesn't get a chance to play against good BCS teams other than tournaments.

WSU doesn't get a chance to play 10 games against teams in the top 50 because of our conference.

What is WSU suppose to do???

I say this, If the BCS teams are so good, let WSU pick one that is in. Play them at a neutral site, with the winner going to the NCAA tournament and the loser going to the NIT.

[Aargh]

If the BCS teams are so good, let WSU pick one that is in. Play them at a neutral site, with the winner going to the NCAA tournament and the loser going to the NIT.

The NCAA owns both of those. The NCAA tournament is the one where the NCAA gets most of their revenue. So, say it came down to MichSt and WSU.

Michigan State is going to draw more viewers than Wichita State.

Viewers determine revenues, which determine league shares, which determines how much money the school the guys on the Committee could be getting.

Even the Prez or AD from a mid (or lower) conference might rather see a Michigan State game than a WSU game.

If it comes down to a name school like that and WSU, we're NIT bound every time. For WSu to make the NCAA's, we don't just have to have a better resume than a BCS school, we need a resume that can't be denied. We don't make the dance on a split decision. We have to have a knock out.

Until WSU becomes a "name brand" - like Gonzaga and Butler (???), that's the way it's going to be.

[60Shock]

Calfan, understand your frustration. But, you certainly don't think anyone but us shocker fans gives a damn about it. Obviously no BCS team does. And I am beginning to question whether our AD or our coach do either. Nothing is likely to change until the powers that do our scheduling change their attitudes and bring on some one and ones.

Don't kid yourself, there is a very, very short list, if any list at all, of quality Div 1 schools waiting in line to play us on a home and away basis.

Perhaps, if we will not lower ourselves to be bought for $100,000 a wack to play a BCS school on their home court, we ought to anti-up $200,000 a game and buy off one or two of the BCS schools. Might be more worth the money than paying out $100,000 a game for our cream puffs. Just a thought.

[Aargh]

we ought to anti-up $200,000 a game and buy off one or two of the BCS schools.

That doesn't work at all. There's a vast chasm between being the buyer and the seller in those deals. Coaches on the buying side of the chasm take a lot of pride in their status and position. There is pretty much no amount of money that will cause them to switch sides.

I'm reminded of a coach - I think it was a Valley coach - who got a call from one of the big name schools. The Valley coach was asked if he was interested in a guarantee game. The answer was, "Sure, how much do you want"? Then both coaches laughed a lot.

Do you have any idea how much money it would take to convince Marshall and Sexton to take a one and done? No one is likely to pay that much because they can get a "safer" game for a lower price.

The current scheduling strategy is to get the most number of wins for the lowest dollar. Everybody wants to play the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Nobody wants to play WSU.

[ABC]

Jamar Howard 4 President,

Love your stats. Here's my problem with this situation.

WSU is told that it needs to play and beat BCS teams.

WSU might have beat UConn at Maui if the refs had done a better job.

WSU beats Virginia.

WSU beats LSU.

Now WSU is told that the teams they beat are bad and the RPI's are bad, so the wins don't count.

WSU had no way of knowing Virginia and LSU would be BAD WINS.

WSU doesn't get a chance to play against good BCS teams other than tournaments.

WSU doesn't get a chance to play 10 games against teams in the top 50 because of our conference.

What is WSU suppose to do???

I say this, If the BCS teams are so good, let WSU pick one that is in. Play them at a neutral site, with the winner going to the NCAA tournament and the loser going to the NIT.

So, what you are saying is that Michigan State should be punished for a tough schedule.

[shocker3]

Not sure how we go from last 4 in after the SIU loss to first four out after the UNI win.

Lunardi has lost whatever credibility he had with me. How could he have us IN before playing UNI, tell the world that he was going to watch the WSU-UNI game, and then after watching it make us one of the last four out?

I guess we would have had to win by 50 to keep from losing credibility with him.

[ShockerFever]

Michigan St is not in the tournament as of today, but they are still in the hunt. You realize MSU has 4 wins better than WSU's best win. It is very possible that on Selection Sunday, MSU will have played 23 games vs the top 100 and WSU will have played as few as 7. Isn't it understandable that a bubble team would have 13 or 14 losses after playing that kind of schedule?

If WSU is in the picture, MSU is in the picture as well.

They'll likely have 14 losses before the Big 10 Tournament begins. Are you seriously going to reward a team for losing 14 times just because they've played a tough schedule?

BCS schools get more opportunities at big wins (a lot at their home court as well). Non-BCS schools get less opportunities and their margin is razor thin. It's only fair that BCS schools should be penalized if they can't handle it in their own conference. We always talk about how BCS schools get to enjoy their buttload of free RPI boosters during their conference slate. Well with the good comes the bad. If you can't handle that luxury, then we'll be seeing ya in the NIT. Case closed.

Michigan State is the prime example of this.

Has Jamar gone BCS hero on us?

[ShockerFever]

I'm sorry, but Boston College, Michigan State, and Richmond do not deserve bids at our expense.

Boston College RPI - 42
WSU RPI - 52

BC Best Win - N#28
WSU Best Win - @#78

BC Top 100 Wins - 7
WSU Top 100 Wins - 2

BC Worst Loss - #140 (In November)
WSU Worst Loss - #197 (In February)

That's a really abbreviated summary, but tell me why WSU should be ahead of BC.

So BC should be in because they play in the ACC? You realize that's where all of their Top 100 wins have come from, right? Against mediocre NIT teams like Maryland, Virginia Tech, NC State, and Virginia (CBI/CIT). Seriously, their best conference win is against Virginia Tech.

Jamar, I think all of the time away from us has caused you to "lose it". You seriously sound like a BCS honk. I understand you want to try and be objective and fair as possible.

But you're now defending Boston College simply for the fact that they happen to play in the ACC and they have beaten a few of the middling teams in it. My, how tragic. :(

[ShockerFever]

So, what you are saying is that Michigan State should be punished for a tough schedule.

Yeah, if you can't handle the big, bad perks and luxuries of playing in the Big Ten, then get out. With the good, comes the bad.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

Jamar Howard 4 President,

Love your stats. Here's my problem with this situation.

WSU is told that it needs to play and beat BCS teams.

WSU might have beat UConn at Maui if the refs had done a better job.

WSU beats Virginia.

WSU beats LSU.

Now WSU is told that the teams they beat are bad and the RPI's are bad, so the wins don't count.

WSU had no way of knowing Virginia and LSU would be BAD WINS.

WSU doesn't get a chance to play against good BCS teams other than tournaments.

WSU doesn't get a chance to play 10 games against teams in the top 50 because of our conference.

What is WSU suppose to do???

I say this, If the BCS teams are so good, let WSU pick one that is in. Play them at a neutral site, with the winner going to the NCAA tournament and the loser going to the NIT.

Sorry to say this, but you made many false statements and asked all the wrong questions.

WSU was never told it needed to play and beat BCS teams. Beating a good team, BCS or not, is good either way. Beating a bad team, BCS or not, is not all that helpful. WSU beat bad teams (bad BCS teams) when they beat LSU and Virginia. Even with Creighton being mediocre this year, the win at their place was much more valuable than either of our BCS wins.

WSU could have beaten Uconn, yes. Every other team in D1 "could have" won a few more games. The key is that they didn't. Until there is a national story about WSU blatently getting robbed by the refs, the game is a close loss, nothing more.

You say WSU had no way of knowing LSU and Virginia would be bad wins. Well, I guess that's too bad for WSU, but that's mostly irrelevant. The committee may give a tiny little bit of consideration to non-conference scheduling intent, but it is a microscopic impact in the grand scheme of things. The goal is not to reward noble intentions, but to choose the best teams.

What is WSU supposed to do? Very good question. WIN MORE GAMES. LOSE FEWER GAMES. WSU is currently 52 in the RPI. Do you know what teams 30-51 have as a combined record vs teams 200+ in the RPI? 138-8! Joe Lunardi's current "last 4 in" are a combined 21-1 against 200+ teams. WSU's home loss to SIU was absolutely terrible. Keep WSU's current resume and simply change that 1 single loss to a win and every bracketologist in the country would have WSU in their current field of 68.

Now, look at the other side of the equation.
N#13 - Loss
@#5 - Loss
H#94 - Win
H#46 - Loss
H#78 - Loss
@#78 - Win

WSU has had 6 games against good competition so far. 3 of those were HOME GAMES against non-ranked teams. Going 2-4 against that schedule is not impressive.

I've heard Michigan State's name thrown around a lot by angry Shocker fans. It makes me laugh when people complain about all their losses. The fact is that they are 7-9 against the top 100, and only 6 of those 16 games were at home.

In the end, it all evens out. WSU has had it's chances and has missed for the most part. A solid (but not perfect) record against weak teams is keeping atlarge hopes alive. The remainder of the schedule will ultimately decide everything. If WSU deserves a bid, they'll get it.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

So BC should be in because they play in the ACC? You realize that's where all of their Top 100 wins have come from, right? Against mediocre NIT teams like Maryland, Virginia Tech, NC State, and Virginia (CBI/CIT). Seriously, their best conference win is against Virginia Tech.

Jamar, I think all of the time away from us has caused you to "lose it". You seriously sound like a BCS honk. I understand you want to try and be objective and fair as possible.

But you're now defending Boston College simply for the fact that they happen to play in the ACC and they have beaten a few of the middling teams in it. My, how tragic. :(

Does an ACC top 100 win count less than a CUSA top 100 win or an MVC top 100 win? Your entire argument against BC (their wins aren't all that good) can be used against WSU, only more so!

In what ways has WSU done something better than BC?

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

Not sure how we go from last 4 in after the SIU loss to first four out after the UNI win.

Lunardi has lost whatever credibility he had with me. How could he have us IN before playing UNI, tell the world that he was going to watch the WSU-UNI game, and then after watching it make us one of the last four out?

I guess we would have had to win by 50 to keep from losing credibility with him.

Following Lundardi's day to day brackets will make your head spin. Overall, he does a so-so job. Far from the best out there.