ESPN's Andy Katz and Committee Source
Andy Katz of ESPN posted on ESPN.com what he was told by a committee source regarding the selections. He was on ESPN radio this morning to talk about it, as well. The irony is neither Cincy nor Missouri State was next in line to get into the field. It was Western Kentucky. Cincy's loss to Syracuse took them off the board early. It's very obvious there was a quota system in place when it came to conferences. The MVC was not going to get more than the Big 12 or Pac 10. Here's some of the story:- Even though it ended in a loss, Utah State's performance against Nevada in overtime in the WAC tournament title game was the final impression needed to push the Aggies into the field of 65 in one of the more surprising selections of the year, ESPN.com has learned. The selection committee watched Utah State and, after seeing the Aggies nearly pull off the upset at Nevada on Saturday night, was convinced the Aggies should be in the field, a source with knowledge of the selection process confirmed.
- If South Carolina had beaten Florida in the SEC tournament title game, then one team would have been eliminated -- either Bradley or Air Force.
- One of the main reasons Air Force got in the field was that the Falcons were the No. 2 team in the Mountain West, ranked as the No. 8 conference.
- One of the last teams not to make the field was another mid-major: Western Kentucky. The committee looked strongly at the Hilltoppers, regular-season champs of the Sun Belt. Western Kentucky, which lost to South Alabama in the conference title game, had an RPI of 55, a strength of schedule of 116, a 1-2 record against the top 50, a non-conference SOS (strength of schedule) of 29, and a 7-4 road record. Meanwhile, the NIT placed Western Kentucky as a 6-seed in the South region.
- The biggest discussion point was over Missouri Valley teams.
- Cincinnati was off the board by late in the week. The Bearcats didn't get out of the first round of the Big East tournament after Syracuse's Gerry McNamara beat them with a 3-pointer with a half second left.
Re: ESPN's Andy Katz and Committee Source
good stuff.
Too bad NCAA can't be more transparent on Selection Sunday when they announce.
Re: ESPN's Andy Katz and Committee Source
Isn't it crazy that WKU might have been the 66th team in the NCAA selection committee's eyes, but gets a 6 seed in the NIT?
Re: ESPN's Andy Katz and Committee Source
From Missouri State's hometown paper:
"By Monday afternoon, (MSU Coach Barry) Hinson's shock had turned into fire. Especially by the mention of two schools. Air Force and Utah State?
"The more I looked at (Air Force and Utah State), the more it makes me sick to my stomach," Hinson said of two questionable at-large selections.
"Some things are right and some are wrong," Hinson said. "Those two are downright wrong. There's not even a comparison."
From the Cincy Enquirer:
"I need the truth to be told and the truth to be told is that we can't give one (conference) nine bids, so for every head coach in the Big East, today was a frightening day," (Cincy coach Andy) Kennedy said.
What happened to UC is exactly what some Big East observers feared would happen when the league expanded to 16 teams this season, forming a conference that some called the most powerful college basketball had ever seen.
But Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said repeatedly the league would not be too strong for its own good, that the committee had assured him each team would be viewed on an individual basis and that there would be no limit placed on how many teams could be invited from one league.
When told Sunday night that Kennedy believed UC was left out for that very reason, Tranghese - who served on the committee from 1997-2001 and was chairman in 2001 - urged restraint before jumping to conclusions.
"I'd like to think that's not the case," Tranghese said.
From the Tallahassee Democrat and columnist Jack Corcoran:
"...The formula was tweaked last season to give added weight to road wins. But the computer doesn't know playing at Boston College is a tad tougher than, say, Missouri State.
The Missouri Valley Conference has six teams ranked among the top 40 in the RPI but none in the coaches' poll. The Atlantic Coast Conference has three teams ranked among the top dozen by the coaches. Bradley (20-10) is 33rd in the RPI based on the Missouri Valley's perceived overall strength.
George Mason (23-7) was invited out of the Colonial despite racking up 11 wins against teams outside of the top 200. The Patriots lost at Wake Forest in the second game of the season when the Demon Deacons were ranked 18th in the coaches' poll. Utah State (23-8) didn't play anybody of consequence besides Nevada, and Air Force (24-6) hasn't faced a team in the top 50 of the RPI since losing to Washington.
The mid-majors and small conferences had the numbers on the selection committee. Littlepage either didn't have a clue or the backbone to stand up for the best at-large teams.
Shame on him."
Re: ESPN's Andy Katz and Committee Source
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tech77
Isn't it crazy that WKU might have been the 66th team in the NCAA selection committee's eyes, but gets a 6 seed in the NIT?
That is crazy, when I saw that I thought how low rent the NIT still is.
Re: ESPN's Andy Katz and Committee Source
Man, I am really crying for these BCS schools who feel their 9th place team should have gotten a basketball bid. It's so unfair, just like in football.......................................... .:bigcry:
Re: ESPN's Andy Katz and Committee Source
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Historian
From Missouri State's hometown paper:
"By Monday afternoon, (MSU Coach Barry) Hinson's shock had turned into fire. Especially by the mention of two schools. Air Force and Utah State?
"The more I looked at (Air Force and Utah State), the more it makes me sick to my stomach," Hinson said of two questionable at-large selections.
"Some things are right and some are wrong," Hinson said. "Those two are downright wrong. There's not even a comparison."
I would love to see Missouri State play Utah State.
Re: ESPN's Andy Katz and Committee Source
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Historian
The mid-majors and small conferences had the numbers on the selection committee. Littlepage either didn't have a clue or the backbone to stand up for the best at-large teams.
Shame on him."
Yeah I am crying too. Once in a blue moon the middies get a fair shake and the BCS aren't used to that.
Re: ESPN's Andy Katz and Committee Source
...and to think there are some that want a football playoff!
