ESPN Mid-Major Power Ranking

[Aargh]

Aargh...question, and no disrespect intended, but do you have Creighton penciled in yet?

Yes. they have the AA (DMac) who's getting mentioned as a potential National POY. They're in the top 20. CU could lose a home game to Bradley and still get in.

I'd like to know what 68 teams you have penciled in, in front of them right now..

I haven't taken much of a look at the rest of D1, so I have no clue who's in or who's out. I remember a lot of teams with good records who got left out and the excuses - oops, I meant reasons - for that. WSU has given the committee a lot of reasons to exclude them. 1-3 against the top 50. 2-3 against the top 100. That's a losing record against all opponents in the top 100 of college basketball. The committee is looking for teams that can compete with (or beat) top 50 teams. The total of WSU's resume is a single home win against UNLV.

The worst WSU can do and expect an NCAA invitation is probably 15-3 in the league with road losses to only CU and MSU. Then St. Louis finals appearance with a loss to CU. Even that would probably leave a BB game on the road as an elimination game.

My attitude isn't about who's going to get invited, it's about WSU creating reasons to not get an invitation.

[WuShock Reaper]

Heres a list of 29 out of 29 2012-NCAA Tournament prognosticators who think the Shockers are pretty good as of today.

http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

I'll take 29 out of 29.

Go Shockers!!!

[ShockerPhi]

Yes. they have the AA (DMac) who's getting mentioned as a potential National POY. They're in the top 20. CU could lose a home game to Bradley and still get in.


I haven't taken much of a look at the rest of D1, so I have no clue who's in or who's out. I remember a lot of teams with good records who got left out and the excuses - oops, I meant reasons - for that. WSU has given the committee a lot of reasons to exclude them. 1-3 against the top 50. 2-3 against the top 100. That's a losing record against all opponents in the top 100 of college basketball. The committee is looking for teams that can compete with (or beat) top 50 teams. The total of WSU's resume is a single home win against UNLV.

The worst WSU can do and expect an NCAA invitation is probably 15-3 in the league with road losses to only CU and MSU. Then St. Louis finals appearance with a loss to CU. Even that would probably leave a BB game on the road as an elimination game.

My attitude isn't about who's going to get invited, it's about WSU creating reasons to not get an invitation.

I don't think it's your attitude, I think it's what you've been smoking. No disrespect. :congratulatory:

[Aargh]

Heres a list of 29 out of 29 2012-NCAAA Tournament prognosticators who think the Shockers are pretty good as of today.

http://bracketproject.50webs.com/matrix.htm

I'll take 29 out of 29.

Go Shockers!!!

The prognosticators are predicting that WSU will do enough the rest of the season to get an invite. What I'm saying doesn't disagree with that at all. I'm pointing out what the prognosticators are expecting of WSU the rest of the season - and it's a tall order. If the selections were made today, WSU would have a chance to repeat as the NIT champion.

I think I've watched the Shox a little closer than the prognosticators. The tendency to let teams hang around and to give up decent leads in the second half doesn't give me confidence that the Shox will be able to get away with that often enough to live up to what the prognosticators are predicting.

[1972Shocker]

I think if the selections were made today based on what the Shocks have done to date I think they would be in. I'm not writing them in today because, well the selections aren't made today based on what the Shocks have done to date. But it should be fun and exciting to see how the season plays out.

I hope the prognosticators are on target. Of course, their prognostications are subject to continual updating and changes based on what happens in the real world.

[ShockerFever]

Aargh, I thought you were supposed to be the sunshine pumper and I was supposed to be the evil Mr. Realist? What the hell is going on??

While you bring up valid concerns for potential NCAA snubs, I think WSU has done enough necessary to satisfy an at-large bid if necessary. There isn't a lot more they could be doing, besides going 18-0. The key is there are no bad losses and that's the thing, more than anything, that have kept them at bay in the last 2 years. The NCAA is crooked but they aren't looking for every possible reason to exclude a WSU. They do look at the positives as well.

It is a bit premature in the year still to start calling for WSU snub options, just as it is way too early to be calling for WSU as an NCAA lock. But as it stands right now, they are easily in, and that has been backed up by all major publications. If you look at Division I, you'll see the profiles below WSU and those that are currently on the bubble that are no where NEAR as good as the resume WSU portrays right now. So by that very reason, the NCAA has no choice but to put WSU in, again as of right now. At this point, there is no way WSU is in with the Southern Mississippi, NC State, Iowa State, La Salle, UNI, and Missouri State's of the world. As of now, those are some of Lunardi's last 8 teams out. I mean when the pickings are so slim that MSU and UNI are still in the bubble hunt with their poor records and resumes, there is absolutely no way to be nitpicking at WSU's resume to this point. You just can't compare it to the rest of the at-large field.

Bring up VCU's resume last year as a comparison sake. I, by no means, think WSU should rely on that lucky of a break to get in nor are they even close to that point. But, compare an at-large recipient like VCU to WSU right now and show me why WSU could be left out at this time. Of course, you can't compare em too much because WSU only has a resume of 18 games on it.

[shox1989]

SI.com bubble watch lists both CU and WSU as "teams that should be in" right now. They also include the Valley with the BCS 6, MWC, A-10, C-USA and WCC. We are not in the others category (where they place all of the "traditional one bid conferences"), so they do show us some respect as a conference.

They include UNI in the "in the mix" category but not MoSt. They do say though that UNI needs to beat WSU this Wednesday to stay in the mix. They do imply that MoSt can get back "in the mix" by sweeping Creighton.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/andy_glockner/01/17/Bubble.Watch/2.html

[Capitol Shock II]

I don't Creighton's resume is any different than ours at this point. They have a good win against SDSU but other than that...what? They have two borderline bad losses right now to Missouri State and St. Joe's. But because they have baby squatch they're in? If we aren't in neither are they in my opinion. At least based on results to this point.

[The 'hut]

The biggest difference on Creighton's resume is they have a win...over the Shocks at the Round House. That single game moved WSU from a tempestuous ride in the Valley, to needing a major, nearly perfect uphill climb to be considered a quality at large contender. I don't really agree with this, but I believe it to be true in the eyes of the naysayers. There was a reason I was in a funk for 2 days after that loss. Put that top 50 rpi win on the Shocks resume and take it off the 'birds... and WSU looks like a quality at large team if they completed the conference with a couple of road losses.

[Kung Wu]

Around this time last year we were all high on how we were pretty sure we were an NCAA sure thing. Then came a home loss to SWOMO. Then a home loss to UNI. Then a home loss to SIU. Followed by losing to ISUb in the tourney. Granted we had no UNLV on our resume, but we can still easily blow it. Let's see how tonight goes.

[rjl]

I'm surprised that Aargh has met this much criticism for having WSU only "penciled" into the tournament. It's like the last few years have been wiped from the collective memories of those who post on this board.

Nothing is a given when you play in the Valley unless you win Arch Madness. Nothing.

[1972Shocker]

Around this time last year we were all high on how we were pretty sure we were an NCAA sure thing. Then came a home loss to SWOMO. Then a home loss to UNI. Then a home loss to SIU. Followed by losing to ISUb in the tourney. Granted we had no UNLV on our resume, but we can still easily blow it. Let's see how tonight goes.

You mean we actually have to play the scheduled games? Downer, man!

[SubGod22]

I'm surprised that Aargh has met this much criticism for having WSU only "penciled" into the tournament. It's like the last few years have been wiped from the collective memories of those who post on this board.

Nothing is a given when you play in the Valley unless you win Arch Madness. Nothing.

I believe he's recieved this much criticism for NOT having WSU penciled in. As of right now, which is how these things work, we're in. What we do over the next month can change things either way. But right now, I have a hard time believing there are 30 better at-large teams than us.

[ripemupshocks]

SI.com bubble watch lists both CU and WSU as "teams that should be in" right now. They also include the Valley with the BCS 6, MWC, A-10, C-USA and WCC. We are not in the others category (where they place all of the "traditional one bid conferences"), so they do show us some respect as a conference.

They include UNI in the "in the mix" category but not MoSt. They do say though that UNI needs to beat WSU this Wednesday to stay in the mix. They do imply that MoSt can get back "in the mix" by sweeping Creighton.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...e.Watch/2.html

Actually a BCS butt kisser article. Look at the RPI and SOS for some of the BCS teams they say are in the mix. At those rates, MSU, and maybe even DU should be in the mix right now.

[shox1989]

Actually a BCS butt kisser article. Look at the RPI and SOS for some of the BCS teams they say are in the mix. At those rates, MSU, and maybe even DU should be in the mix right now.

Oh yeah that is for sure, but pretty much all of the major media pundits are like that. This guy includes like 6 or 7 PAC 12 teams that are in the mix. Basically any BcS team that hasn't lost to everybody is still in the mix.

If you look at his The Others list it is very short - only 4 teams (out of about 200) that are even in the mix: Murry St, Iona, Long Beach and Harvard. That is it! In his and the other pundits eyes, so called "mid-majors" are only suppose to get one bid so it takes a miracle season just to be in the mix.