Let's keep it real.

[stodgdog]

This would be easier if the cards we *cant* control weren't lined against us.

32 fouls against Tech and 7 against UAB seems statistically improbable. One of those fouls called against UAB actually cost the Bulldogs the win in regulation. These are observations and not excuses as will be claimed by our @Lafayette visitors

[stodgdog]

I agree. It's foolish for teams like us and Murray St (Who won 25 games in a row before losing in the finals) to get left out.

Then again, if we don't go 1 for 5 from the FT line in regulation, none of it matters.

Yes. It's a shame we got so few opportunities and only 1 successful FT. Almost unbelievable on both counts.

[Dawgpix]

Keeping it real. UNT, ULL, Syracuse, Temple, NCState... Those are the reasons we are not in the NCAA tournament. Point blank. OOC games in a one bit league are crucial, and you can't lose a game to a sub 200 rpi team. Win the games above and despite the tournament loss Tech is a 10-12 seed at large.

Naw, too soon to keep it reasonable.
Maybe tomorrow.

[SIC_EM_DAWGS!]

https://vine.co/v/O9UXEBIYT5T

This however is why a true neutral site should always be used.

[cajunfanatico]

I can agree that the LEAST you can do is to allow the regular season champion to host the conference tournament. Otherwise make it for the NIT bid or for possibly padding one's resume for an at large bid.

I'm no fan of the post-season tournament to decide who's the best team in the league and deserves an NCAA invite , that's easily established over a period of months of regular season play, but have you considered the logistics of the regular season champion hosting the tournament? Could Ruston handle that crowd on such short notice? If not Ruston, would Shreveport block out a week's worth of potential events at their arena just in case LaTech was the regular season champion?

[SIC_EM_DAWGS!]

I'm no fan of the post-season tournament to decide who's the best team in the league and deserves an NCAA invite , that's easily established over a period of months of regular season play, but have you considered the logistics of the regular season champion hosting the tournament? Could Ruston handle that crowd on such short notice? If not Ruston, would Shreveport block out a week's worth of potential events at their arena just in case LaTech was the regular season champion?

Yes Ruston with the help of Monroe/West Monroe and SBC could handle the logistics of such an event.

Any chance ull plays in post season?

[cajunfanatico]

Any chance ull plays in post season?

God I hope not.

[stodgdog]

Actually, UAB gets the units if we are asked to leave. We'd have to leave them behind if we chose to leave.

You chose to leave by dropping football. CUSA didn't force you to do that. I sympathize with your plight, but UAB will not be asked to leave, if they do leave.

[ShrackUAB]

And you were given access to the NCAA tournament... That's the entire point!<br>
<br>
We won the conference by TWO games this year. LaTech definitely proved to be the best team in CUSA based on the body of work. The conference schedule should be the primary instrument of measuring a team verses its peers.<br>
<br>
This is a different scenario than last year's because the conference championship was split 3 ways last year. LaTech was distinctly and definitively the BEST team in CUSA in 2014-15. I'm not saying UAB isn't good, they are. LaTech proved to be the best team over the course of the season yet UAB gets to go to the NCAA tournament based upon an overtime win in a game played in Birmingham? That's asinine!

That's pretty much my point. We were given access to the tournament because of our resume. If our resume had been worse, we wouldn't have gotten in because they don't give much credit to what a team does in conference play in a weak conference. Think about that. They considered the 8th ranked conference as bad that year. Think about how little they care about a 17th ranked CUSA. Everyone in CUSA is going to have to schedule harder if anyone is going to get an at large. And La. Tech didn't prove to be the best team in CUSA based on body of work, ODU was and that is why they were being considered for an at large before they lost in the tournament to MTSU their first game. Everyone in conference shouldn't be going into the tournament praying to win to get a single NCAA bid. That's bush league stuff. If you won CUSA outright and only lost 3 games in conference, your coach needs to be figuring out why they're not being considered for at an large. That is the real problem. The fact that the conference is so weak is the only reason why anyone is complaining about a winner of a 4 day tournament getting a bid. A non conference SOS in the 200-300 range when you play in an already very weak CUSA just generally doesn't cut it.

And please don't take this as me insulting LT. I think this La. Tech team was pretty good and White is a really good coach. It will be interesting to see what he does the next couple of years.

[boxerdog]

That's pretty much my point. We were given access to the tournament because of our resume. If our resume had been worse, we wouldn't have gotten in because they don't give much credit to what a team does in conference play in a weak conference. Think about that. They considered the 8th ranked conference as bad that year. Think about how little they care about a 17th ranked CUSA. Everyone in CUSA is going to have to schedule harder if anyone is going to get an at large. And La. Tech didn't prove to be the best team in CUSA based on body of work, ODU was and that is why they were being considered for an at large before they lost in the tournament to MTSU their first game. Everyone in conference shouldn't be going into the tournament praying to win to get a single NCAA bid. That's bush league stuff. If you won CUSA outright and only lost 3 games in conference, your coach needs to be figuring out why they're not being considered for at an large. That is the real problem. The fact that the conference is so weak is the only reason why anyone is complaining about a winner of a 4 day tournament getting a bid. A non conference SOS in the 200-300 range when you play in an already very weak CUSA just generally doesn't cut it.

And please don't take this as me insulting LT. I think this La. Tech team was pretty good and White is a really good coach. It will be interesting to see what he does the next couple of years.

How many teams from CUSA made the tournament that year?

[ShrackUAB]

How many teams from CUSA made the tournament that year?

Only 2. UAB and Memphis (won the tournament as a 4 seed). Regardless of UAB's regular season championship, Memphis still had a better resume than UAB and ended up as a 12 seed outright. There was a lot of controversy over UAB getting in that year as people felt they didn't deserve it by only winning ten 51-100 RPI games and no 1-50 games. Same year VCU got in and made a major run. Like I said, it was pretty much an apology for not letting UAB in the previous year for going 2-1 against top 25 and 1-1 against 26-50. If the play-in game hadn't been created that year, we wouldn't have gotten in at all with 10 top 100 wins and a regular season championship.

[boxerdog]

Only 2. UAB and Memphis (won the tournament as a 4 seed). Regardless of UAB's regular season championship, Memphis still had a better resume than UAB and ended up as a 12 seed outright. There was a lot of controversy over UAB getting in that year as people felt they didn't deserve it by only winning ten 51-100 RPI games and no 1-50 games. Same year VCU got in and made a major run. Like I said, it was pretty much an apology for not letting UAB in the previous year for going 2-1 against top 25 and 1-1 against 26-50. If the play-in game hadn't been created that year, we wouldn't have gotten in at all with 10 top 100 wins and a regular season championship.

At least the regular season wasn't ruled obsolete. You got 2 teams in.

[SkeeterDawg]

UAB should have an easier time getting in the Div III tournament when Ray Watts finishes with your athletics programs.

[RougeDawg]

Guys, guys, guys ... we are new and don't know anything. This is the way CUSA has done it since Al Gore invented the Internet, and as being tradition, is obviously the most logical thing to continue doing. I have faith that UAB will show us how well this system works when they lose by only 30 points to the #1 seed in the first round (I don't think they are playing in Birmingham).

[ShrackUAB]

Guys, guys, guys ... we are new and don't know anything. This is the way CUSA has done it since Al Gore invented the Internet, and as being tradition, is obviously the most logical thing to continue doing. I have faith that UAB will show us how well this system works when they lose by only 30 points to the #1 seed in the first round (I don't think they are playing in Birmingham).

You realize LT might not have even played a single NCAA tournament team all year other than UAB right? Decent chance Temple doesn't get into the tournament or only gets in as a first four. Who knows, maybe ODU and Temple will both get in. I realize that maybe the tournament isn't a great way to do it, but simply handing the regular season champion the bid isn't a way to go. The conference slates as is aren't fair either and as there are already many examples of, the best team will often times not win the regular season championship.