Mid-Majors in NCAA Tournement

[Count Shockula]

Interesting article about the risk of mid-majors being crowed out at the Big Dance. http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/9...0813162&ATT=99 :bball_spin:

[WSUwatcher]

Huh?

Stereotype alert, everyone: when you read the linked article, notice the accompanying picture. The best player for bubble team St. Mary's is Patty Mills from Australia, who was the only college player on their 2008 Olympic team.

1. Patty is a guy.

2. He's black.

A black guy named Patty (okay, Patrick, but they call him Patty) from one of the world's whiter and historically more race-conscious countries (at least officially), Australia. What will they think of next?

By the way, St. Mary's has four Aussies, all from the "Australian Institute of Sport" -- sounds like a good place to recruit.

[tropicalshox]

We had a tie to that place during MT's last year.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

[ShoxFan45]

Don't know if this means anything to anyone, or if it has been said before but...

Most recent bracketology by Lunardi has two MVC teams in. UNI winning the tourney, Creighton with an at large. The bj's are one of the last 5 in.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology

[kcshocker11]

When they say it aint about the number of mids its the wins their crazy. In 2006 look at the wins and 2007, but the number of mids just keeps going down! Got to make room for the precious BCS 6th,7th and 8th place teams.

[ShockerFever]

A lot of BCS bubble teams have lost in the last two nights. Don't know if that means good news for middies or good news for worse BCS teams.

[Aargh]

Now that the NCAA owns the NIT - and it's pretty obvious the BCS teams own the NCAA. Just follow the money.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the NCAA's become the BCS playoffs and the NIT becomes the playoffs for the rest of D1 ball.

That's a pretty cynical outlook, but the BCS has exercised their TV revenue before and forced the NCAA to agree to anything the BCS leagues wanted. I doubt that's finished and I suspect the NCAA tourney money is the next target for the BCS leagues.

The "Cinderella" teams will be the lower-echelon BCS teams

[WSUwatcher]

Nope

Only problem with that theory, Aargh, is that there are far more votes in the conferences outside the big six than there are inside -- and the NCAA operates by vote. Plus, the networks love teams like George Mason or Davidson succeeding.

"Paranoia runs deep," but the tournament isn't going to change.

[ShockerKhan]

If you look at the TV ratings for March Madness they are off the wall for the first week because of the number of teams.
The ratings drop the next week and drop even more for the final four. Kevin Harlan and Soren Petro discussed this on 810 yesterday.
Viewing audiences love rooting for the underdog and that would be us. I guess what I am trying to say
is that the NCAA tourney needs us(Mid Majors).

[SubGod22]

If you look at the TV ratings for March Madness they are off the wall for the first week because of the number of teams.
The ratings drop the next week and drop even more for the final four. Kevin Harlan and Soren Petro discussed this on 810 yesterday.
Viewing audiences love rooting for the underdog and that would be us. I guess what I am trying to say
is that the NCAA tourney needs us(Mid Majors).

Hadn't thought about that but it's true for me. I love watching the first few days. After that it just depends but I do watch less. Many times I don't even end up watching the Final Four or National Championship game. I'll just flip to SportsCenter for the highlights.

[Snapshot9]

Truth is, Mid Majors, are considered 'stepping stones' on the path of the big dance, but every year, a couple of mid majors will surprise everyone by getting to the Sweet Sixteen, anything further is just pure gravy for the teams. This usually occurs because the Mid Majors have 1 or 2 players with exceptional ability, and/or the team plays good overall team ball.

For past examples, I could certainly mention George Mason or Davidson with Stephan Curry.

[RoyalShock]

Re: Nope

Only problem with that theory, Aargh, is that there are far more votes in the conferences outside the big six than there are inside -- and the NCAA operates by vote. Plus, the networks love teams like George Mason or Davidson succeeding.

"Paranoia runs deep," but the tournament isn't going to change.

What you might have to worry about are the lower conference programs realizing they have virtually no chance to ever get past the 2nd round of the tournament and deciding a split would be in their best interests.

But even if there was a split, I think you'd see at least 10-12 conferences included in the upper division, maybe closer to 15.

That said, I don't think it will happen. Imagine the BCS boys not having a bunch of cupcakes to pick from to fill their OOC schedule.

[Capitol Shock]

I predict that the MVC will be the eighth best conference in the nation or better.

I also predict four teams in the tournament next year from the valley.

How's that for being bold?

[kcshocker11]

I predict that the MVC will be the eighth best conference in the nation or better.

I also predict four teams in the tournament next year from the valley.

How's that for being bold?

6th or 5th best conference! bolder yet! :goshocks: 8)