Selection Sunday Thread

[kcshocker11]

"We saw our name [on the bracket]. That's all we needed to see."

Anton Grady

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

CBS politicked HARD -- VERY hard -- to leave the Shox out. Then the committee puts all the RPI -54- P5 teams in and snubs the non-P5 RPI -54 schools. Something stinks about this. Did CBS somehow pressure the committee to have a P5 heavy tournament for ratings?

@Jamar Howard 4 President:, when you look at the non P5 schools that DID make it in, how do they look from a seeding standpoint across the board? As expected for the most part, or is there a surprising seed penalty for being non-P5 across the board?

The A10 and American both received average, to slightly above average, treatment. Moving beyond those "kinda big, kinda mid-majorish" leagues, there weren't any mid-majors in the top 40 this year. Gonzaga, St. Mary's, anyone from the MVC, Colonial, etc.... The "little guys" were all bubble at best this year, and we have already discussed how pro-BCS the bubble was this year.

[Dave Stalwart]

I checked the nit bracket. One side effect of some of this odd decision making for the NCAA tournament selection is that the nit looks kinda stacked. That tournament may be a step down, but it's got some great contenders in it.

[cjp27]

We may have gotten screwed on the seed, but immediately after last Saturday, I was afraid our season was going to end in the NIT. I am just glad these seniors get a chance to make one more run at it. As long as you are in the tournament you have a chance to win it, and this year, more than any other, the seeds are irrelevant. Having an excuse to hang out with friends, drink beer, and watch basketball on Tuesday isn't a bad consolation prize either!

[Dave Stalwart]

What would it have done to Ron and Fred's legend if they missed the dance their senior year?

[ShockRef]

RefChick and I already have our tix. Section 218, Row M. Paid more than I like, but then again how many times are the Shocks playing a home game for us?

It wasn't a hard decision.

If you make the trip and see us, we will not be hard to find. Approach with civility and decency. ;-)

That is all.

[shoxlax]

Lax,
There is an answer to your question.
The nickel response is Dayton agreed to accept the first extra game (between #64 & 65) when absolutely nobody wanted to host it. The game usually consisted of a SWAC vs NEC titanic struggle.

The NCAA approached other sites and had zero response due to the hassle, cost and lack of local ticket sales. Dayton embraced it and has always handled it with class.

When it became more popular due to the increase in teams (especially the last 4 at-large) all of a sudden cities lined up to host.

In one of the rare times the NCAA demonstrated some common sense (and decency), they agreed to keep it in Dayton.

That is all.

Understand and thanks.

[shockmonster]

There isn't a Shocker fan on here who isn't happy they are in. However, you can't make something sound better than it is. Non P5 schools just got it handed to them by the committee.

And no matter what happens in the future with our program, that doesn't speak well for our future unless something unforeseen happens. There shouldn't be anyone who feels good about what the committee did today.

[Rixtoy1]

Mine IS bigger than yours.

At an early age I learned you don't have to be the biggest - you just don't want to be the smallest . . .

[Rosewood]

The committee this year completely ignored every stat but top-X wins unless the quality wins metric was virtually tied. To use an analogy, say we are comparing two players. The first averages 15 PPG, the second averages 20 PPG. But the 15 PPG player shoots just 10 shots a game, plays tremendous defense, gets assists, steals, rebounds, blocks, etc. Meanwhile the 20 PPG player is shooting 20 shots a game and barely registers outside of that. Committee universally agrees the 20 PPG scorer is better, end of story.

Similarly, arguing ONLY about # of wins completely ignores the differing number of opportunities between teams or how good they are by other metrics. A power conference team like say Vanderbilt might have more good wins than a mid-major like Monmouth. But what does that mean? The single largest factor in number of quality wins is # of opportunities, not team strength. And even worse, Vanderbilt got roughly half their opportunities at home where they have an inherent advantage. Vanderbilt had 7 top 100 wins, Monmouth had 3. However, Monmouth went 3-4 with 1 game in 7 at home. Vanderbilt went 7-10, with 8 of those 17 at home. Shrink to Top50 and Monmouth was 1-1 (neither at home) while Vanderbilt was 2-7 with 3 at home.

The stance taken by the committee this year is that mid-majors are not welcome, and they chose to over-value a stat that says a top-30 team that happens to be a mid-major is less deserving than a team outside the top-60 that happens to play in a power conference. I think a very good argument could be made that Tulsa, for instance, shouldn't have been in the tournament even if the cut-line was 64, given that virtually every metric has them at 64+ (Kenpom, Sagarin, BPI, Warren Nolan, OOC SOS, RPI).

Nailed it

[kcshocker11]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...nd-tv-schedule NIT bracket. No Valley no KState, LSU declined

[fansince80s]

There isn't a Shocker fan on here who isn't happy they are in. However, you can't make something sound better than it is. Non P5 schools just got it handed to them by the committee.

And no matter what happens in the future with our program, that doesn't speak well for our future unless something unforeseen happens. There shouldn't be anyone who feels good about what the committee did today.

If Shanka would of stayed at VCU and had a similar resume he has at Texas would he recieved the same seed?

[ShockdaWorld]

If Shanka would of stayed at VCU and had a similar resume he has at Texas would he recieved the same seed?

Not even close.

[shocker3]

Another note...Evansville got snubbed by the NIT and is declining any 3rd tier tournament. Sad ending for 2 great players.

that is too bad. Ballantine and Moc should play in the post season. I was really hoping to watch them play in the NIT. No Valley team in the NIT. UNI and WSU need to get a bunch of wins in the NCAA to carry the Valley banner.

[WillieJeffJeffries]

I have no patience for either of you tonight.

1) No Willie, UNI wasn't ahead of WSU. WSU came in 43, UNI 46.
2) Fever, I already explained to you how close on the S-Curve doesn't have to mean close overall. Let me spell it out for you.

The S-Curve showed
43 WSU - atlarge
44 Gonzaga - auto
45 Tulsa - atlarge (last in)
46 UNI - auto (best S-curve spot of the "undeserving autos", RPI 70, KenPom 76)
47 Chattanooga - auto (RPI 50, KenPom 107)

UNI at 46 wouldn't have received a bid without winning the MVC tourney. UNI was simply the best of the "undeserving" teams from 11 all the way through 16 seeds. St. Mary's, Monmouth, Valpo, San Diego St., Florida, South Carolina, St. Bonaventure, and potentially another DOZEN other teams could have easily been ahead of UNI. For all we know, if the committee ranked the top 100, it was WSU 43, UNI 65, Chattanooga 75, and so on.

Just stop with the nonsense.

Howie not sure why you wouldn't have patience for me, you should just bow down to me, I said a week ago that WSU was a bubble team, 50/50 to make the NCAA and if they did get in they would probably be an 11 seed heading to Dayton....Right, Right and Right...LOL. Meanwhile you waste countless hours putting together graphs and such that show WSU as a lock and as high as an 8 seed. Maybe 10-15 years ago you would have been correct but now all you have to do is follow the money. Just like coach Cal said tonight, its all about creating matchups and storylines, its why WSU had to run the gauntlet 2 years ago of Kentucky (Not an 8 seed), Louisville (Not a 4 seed) and Michigan ( #5 on the S curve). This tournament is run by CBS and they decide who gets in and where teams are seeded...all your stats, slide rule numbers and rankings have become meaningless. ........... Re UNI and WSU obvious WSU was higher on the s curve I simply meant UNI got an EZ draw by not going to Dayton....You and the Fev need to relax...this chit, all in fun to me...dam sure not my life.