2016 Bracketology

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

the committee does seem to put quite a bit of weight on the quality of the victories.

As they should. I guess my main disagreement is when you say you wouldn't be surprised to see the Shox as a 9+. I would not only be surprised, I would be furious. I think even if WSU loses 1 game between now and selection sunday, they don't fall all the way to a 9 seed.

[Cdizzle]

I was surprised and furious last year when they gave WSU as 7 seed.

Nothing will surprise me any more. In fact, I think we'd better go ahead and win the Valley tournament to avoid any really big surprises.

[shockmonster]

Some of our fans seem to agree with this type of thinking. Either the so called experts are right or not. I guess I don't understand this analytical ho hum type of attitude.

[boltforge]

As they should. I guess my main disagreement is when you say you wouldn't be surprised to see the Shox as a 9+. I would not only be surprised, I would be furious. I think even if WSU loses 1 game between now and selection sunday, they don't fall all the way to a 9 seed.

Reading tea leaves: WSU gets an 8 or 9 and placed in the bracket with the 1 seed OU. Because we are going to play OU the next two years it gives the bracket makers a unique marquee game to advertise.

Personally, I think stealing the one seed path is the quickest way to the national championship.

[Shocker-maniac]

This is my exact argument of why being in the MVC harms us. With the departure of Creighton in most years our opportunities for quality wins vaporizes as soon as our conference schedule begins. Yes, we had UNI last year, but that appears to be at best a once in 4 years aberration.

We have a team that is now playing at an elite level, but due to a rash of early season injuries we may be a borderline at large team. As long as we hit the gates running and win our non-con games we will be ok. But if we have a situation with injuries or taking a while for our team to coalesce into an at large caliber team we are going to be dangerously close to the razors edge.

I have been amused with all of the RPI twisting and gyrations to try to prove that the MVC does no harm to us. But I'm not buying it.

I agree with the sentiment that we better win the conference tournament so we don't have to sweat this thing out.

[GreatWhiteBuffalo]

This is my exact argument of why being in the MVC harms us. With the departure of Creighton in most years our opportunities for quality wins vaporizes as soon as our conference schedule begins. Yes, we had UNI last year, but that appears to be a once in 4 years aberration.

We have a team that is now playing at an elite level, but due to a rash of early season injuries we may be a borderline at large team. As long as we hit the gates running and win our non-con games we will be ok. But if we have a situation with injuries or taking a while for our team to coalesce into an at large caliber team we are going to be dangerously close to the razors edge.

I have been amused with all of the RPI twisting and gyrations to try to prove that the MVC does no harm to us. But I'm not buying it.

I agree with the sentiment that we better win the conference tournament so we don't have to sweat this thing out.

Agreed. I think the MVC does drag down WSU this year. No one has heard of Evansville or believes in them...and rightly so. Shocks must win the MVC tourney to avoid disaster. Winning out is imperative.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

we may be a borderline at large team.

Not even close to true. Even today, all the "experts" are seeding WSU in the single digits. Heck, Lunardi has WSU as a 6 seed. Win 11 of the last 12 and WSU will at worst stay put as compared to today. Win all 12 and they improve. The bubble isn't even in the picture unless some really bad things happen in the next month. I'm talking "lose multiple games to non NIT bound teams" type of bad.

I have been amused with all of the RPI twisting and gyrations to try to prove that the MVC does no harm to us. But I'm not buying it.

How is it "RPI twisting" to say that WSU has had very appropriate RPIs each of the last 4 years?

Selection Sunday RPIs
2015 - 17
2014 - 4
2013 - 37
2012 - 12

Which one of those year end RPI's needs "twisted"? Which one of those do you think failed to give WSU enough credit?

[Shocker-maniac]

Someone recently tweeted Lunardi and asked him who from the MVC is an at large team? His response was MAYBE Wichita State and that's it (emphasis added). I would say that when they look at our listing of quality wins it makes it difficult to put us in the at large category. We've seen this happen before.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

@Shocker-maniac...

That tweet was before WSU won at Evansville, assumes WSU loses in St. Louis, and even then, doesn't give a % chance, just a "maybe". All he was saying was that they hadn't locked up a bid just yet.

The win at Evansville nearly seals the deal. Only multiple bad losses in the next month can keep the Shockers out.

Still interested to hear about the "RPI twisting".

[ShockerFever]

Someone recently tweeted Lunardi and asked him who from the MVC is an at large team? His response was MAYBE Wichita State and that's it (emphasis added). I would say that when they look at our listing of quality wins it makes it difficult to put us in the at large category. We've seen this happen before.

I think the maybe was a response to WSU if they lost in St. Louis. I took it as in the unlikely event WSU loses in the conference tournament, then they'll be an at-large team. If WSU wins as projected, then there are no at-large teams out of the Valley. Hence, the maybe.

WSU is no where close to "sweating it out" on Selection Sunday though. Come on.

[ShockdaWorld]

I think the maybe was a response to WSU if they lost in St. Louis. I took it as in the unlikely event WSU loses in the conference tournament, then they'll be an at-large team. If WSU wins as projected, then there are no at-large teams out of the Valley. Hence, the maybe.

WSU is no where close to "sweating it out" on Selection Sunday though. Come on.

The contrarians and nay sayers will find any little thing they can to twist around and use as a negative.

[ShockerFever]

Agreed. I think the MVC does drag down WSU this year. No one has heard of Evansville or believes in them...and rightly so. Shocks must win the MVC tourney to avoid disaster. Winning out is imperative.

Are you f****** kidding me?

Please define "disaster".

[Cdizzle]

Are you f****** kidding me?

Please define "disaster".

Not making the tournament. I don't think he's far off. We need to win out.

Fortunately, I think we can.

[ShockerFever]

Not making the tournament. I don't think he's far off. We need to win out.

Fortunately, I think we can.

Um, you can't be serious.

[Cdizzle]

Um, you can't be serious.

A 6 or 7 loss WSU with 1 good win and 1-2 bad losses is leaving it up to the committee. And I know we all trust the committee to do the right thing.