Shaking My Head

9-1-1 Emergency! There has been a robbery on the Selection Show. The University of Tennessee has more top-50 RPI wins than Middle Tennessee State University and St. Mary’s combined and some how in all this madness the selection committee left UT out while MTSU and St. Mary’s both got in.

Maybe the selection committee drank too much green beer before they finalized the field of 68. Maybe they were rushing through the selections to make it to Saint Patty’s Day shenanigans. For whatever reason they felt MTSU was one of the best teams in college basketball, it clearly wasn’t the best reason. They even lost their conference tourney.

The selection committee said Tennessee didn’t beat anybody down the stretch.  Umm, do Florida, Missouri, and Kentucky by 30 mean anything? Apparently not.

“The ability to win on the road separated MTSU from other teams that didn’t get in” Mike Bobinski Committee Chair told CBS. MTSU lost to Florida on the road, lost to Akron on the road, lost to Arkansas State on the road, and they lost to FIU on the road.

In the next interview Bobinski will say that MTSU got in because they “travel well”.

Southern Miss, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama were all NCAA top 60 RPI teams and all four teams were left out.

If the Selection Committee would just come out and admit that they took every little team they could then I’d have a lot more respect for this bracket. What we did learn from this year is that it’s not about who you beat, but who you lost to. #SMH

Let the Cupcake scheduling begin in 2014!

Make A Statemen

It’s almost here. It’s almost time for the selection committee to pick the best 68 teams that define college basketball. It’s a day where your bracket selections can measure your manhood. It’s a day where your pride will be inflated or it’s your nightmare of not being asked to the big dance. Teams will rise and most teams will fall short in your bracket dreams, but first your team has to make the field of 68.

Joe Lunardi and his bracketology madness have created more havoc than VCU defense in the world of college basketball for teams and the fans. According to Lunardi here are the last four teams in and the last four teams out.

Last four in: La Salle, Boise State, Kentucky, and Virginia

First four out: Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Baylor

The Atlantic 10 should have two lines taken on the bracket without much consideration.

Both VCU 24-7 (12-4) and Butler 24-7 (11-5) have had there claws in each match up, even if Butler turned into puppy chow against Shaka’s ‘Havoc’ defense in Richmond. (Side note VCU lost to Missouri.) With stronger teams in the Atlantic 10, my fingers are crossed the selection committee pops the bubble for La Salle 21-8 (11-5) and recognizes that 16 of their 21 wins were against teams ranked outside of the RPI top 100.

Boise State 21-9 (MWC 9-7)-  we’re not playing on the blue field anymore. Who knew Boise State even had a basketball team and with four locks from the Mountain West Conference the bracket doesn’t need a fifth addition from MWC.

Kentucky 12-6 (21-10) this was not the same team without Freshman Nerlens Noel and the wildcats struggled to finish the last eight games with a 4-4 record and all four losses of those were lost on the road. Every team has suffered injury, but not all teams have been able to win with players off the bench. Just because your name is “Kentucky” that doesn’t mean you should be given a seed. Coach Calipari thinks he is a Prince and that he is the chosen one of college basketball. I can’t be the only one who hopes he gets the royal treatment in the NIT.

Virginia is an ACC bubble team for me. They have three losses to the CAA (GMU, Delaware, and ODU) and losing four of their last seven games makes me wonder if they have just ran out of gas. Then again, Joe Harris’s 36 points against Duke was pretty impressive.

Mr. Lunardi, how is the University of Tennessee on the first four out? Tennessee 19-11 (SEC 11-7) the same SEC record as Missouri who according to Lunardi’s science is a lock for the tourney, but they have losses to Kentucky, Florida, and Tennessee. 

The VOLS are peaking a the right time and they beat Missouri their last home game of the regular season along with Wichita Sate, Florida, and spanked Kentucky by a solid 30 points. The VOLS finished 4-4 against top 50 teams, 9-9 against the top 100 teams. Strength of schedule, the quality of wins, and the duel threat of Jordan McRae and Jarnell Stokes gives UT a resume that is bracket worthy.

The selection committee should take a tip from the world of fashion; ORANGE is in this season make a statement! #GoBigOrange!