Nice Job Mike in Choosing the Field

[Xaveriana]

Nice job Mike Bobinski!!!

You represented Xavier well on the Selection Committee/Show.
Proud you have been associated with us for a long time. Good luck in your new role.

Agree with the field.
Hard to not see Xavier's name on any of the lines, but we all knew that was coming (or not coming).

Interesting Info...Xavier's Record Against the Field:

Won
- Saint Louis (won by 11 - Home)
- Memphis (won by 2 - Home)
- LaSalle (won by 7 - Home)
- Temple (won by 5 - Home)
- Butler (won by 15 - Home)

Lost
- Cincinnati (lost by 15 - Neutral)
- VCU (lost by 4 - Home)
- Butler (lost by 5 - Road)
- Pacific (lost by 3 - Neutral)

[LadyMuskie]

I agree he represented himself and X well. I like that his answers were well thought out and he was thoroughly prepared. He'll be missed, but time to move on.

[wkrq59]

I agree he represented himself and X well. I like that his answers were well thought out and he was thoroughly prepared. He'll be missed, but time to move on.

Agree completely Lady Muskie. Did you like the way he 'Did the Little Sidestep' (see the late Charles Durning's wonderful song in "Best Litttle Whorehouse in Texas." Definitely an adult film but really tame by today's standards. Some nice music, too.

[gladdenguy]

Jay Bilas was on Mike and Mike just ripping the selection committee as always. He was in a tizzy about Virginia and Maryland not making the tourney instead Lasalle as an example. He said "good thing the NCAA Tournament is idiot proof". Also complained about the fact that Pittsburgh is an 8 seed.
If you don't give every benefit to the ACC or Big Least he is gonna have problems.

[X-band '01]

Probably that's what he's really thinking (he IS a Duke grad, after all) - but at the same time, that's the company line Gladden - I'd take Bilas with a grain of salt here. He won't work for the Mothership for much longer if he says otherwise in public.

[nuts4xu]

If you don't give every benefit to the ACC or Big Least he is gonna have problems.

Jay Bilas is a jackass. I wonder if he will have the same Big East bias next season.

[LA Muskie]

I actually agreed with Bilas' main point. The selection of St. Mary's and MTSU (and to a lesser extent placing Gonzaga on the top line) sent the wrong message: it doesn't matter who you play, just don't lose.

Personally, I would rather the committee encourage tough scheduling even if it comes with a few losses. And even if a few of those losses weren't to good teams.

In other words I'd rather see good wins matter more than bad losses. That's been the party line for a while bit this year it seemed to be more about who you lost to than who you beat.

That said, it could just be an anomaly based on the extreme amount of parity this year. Frankly I wonder if any of the #1 seeds would have gotten those seeds in prior years.

[xubrew]

Virginia played a sub 300 out of conference strength of schedule. I guess they figured playing a top 250 schedule was way over their heads. Same with Maryland. They played jack shit out of conference. If you schedule that weak, you have to force the committee to take you. Every team that has played a weak schedule and ended up on the bubble has been left out. Fair or not, that's the way they've always done it.

Middle Tennessee won their league out right, had a good RPI, and played an out of conference strength of scheudle of #9. 9th vs not in the top 300. The committee got it right. Good for them. If they don't like it, then they shoudl play teams like Middle Tennessee and not lower level teams from the NEC.

[gladdenguy]

Great points Brew. I totally agree.

[GoMuskies]

I actually agreed with Bilas' main point. The selection of St. Mary's and MTSU (and to a lesser extent placing Gonzaga on the top line) sent the wrong message: it doesn't matter who you play, just don't lose.

Personally, I would rather the committee encourage tough scheduling even if it comes with a few losses. And even if a few of those losses weren't to good teams.


And how would you have Gonzaga and MTSU schedule better? Gonzaga played 8 major conference teams in the non-conference. 8. What else would you have them do? MTSU, as 'brew pointed out, had the #9 OOC RPI. You're going to reward UVA for being in a club withe UNC, Duke and Miami? I think THAT sends the wrong message.

[XU 87]

I actually agreed with Bilas' main point. The selection of St. Mary's and MTSU (and to a lesser extent placing Gonzaga on the top line) sent the wrong message: it doesn't matter who you play, just don't lose.



He had a similar complaint last year- he seemed upset about the number of mid-majors that got in. I like Bilas, but he has showed a Big 6 bias come selection time. The year we lost to OSU he must have repeated a dozen times on different shows that Xavier shouldn't be in the tournament.

[xubrew]

Whenever I hear ESPN bitch about the selection committee, it makes my brain explode. I know it shouldn't bother me because who cares about what a bunch of talking heads, think, but I can't help it. It does bother me. I'm smart enough to know it shouldn't bother me, but dumb enough to let it bother me anyway, I guess.

More "basketball people" on the committee. WTF?? The committee is not putting together scouting reports. They're assessing the values of wins and losses. ESPN spends 90 percent of their time watching 15 percent of the teams. To say that Middle Tennessee didn't play anybody and that Maryland did is off the freakin' planet. Even if you don't think Middle Tennessee is better on paper, I'm pretty sure Middle Tennessee would kick the shit out of Maryland and Virginia if the two played on equal terms. Virginia had eight losses to teams that aren't even in the NIT. They lost to Old Dominion, who is one of the nation's worst teams this year. Their coach was fired a few weeks later because he was drunk during the game, and on the air after the game.

Maryland played two of the five worst teams in the country in South Carolina State and UMES. That's actually hard to do. They did beat Duke on a neutral floor, but they also lost to Kentucky who's not in the tournament, and other than beating an NC State team at home who was awful on the road, did absolutely nothing. Not one thing. The Sun Belt teams that Middle Tennessee played and beat on the road are better than anything Maryland managed to do. Maryland has a brand name and that misleads a lot of people, but they're not as good as Middle Tennessee. Not even close, really. The committee got it right. "Basketball people" who come at this from an objective point of view would know that. ESPN does not fall into that category.

[xubrew]

I'm expecting Middle Tennessee to get past SMC and Memphis. I don't think Memphis is that good. Many would say Middle is a dirty team. They're physical, and they're aggressive, and they will frustrate the hell out of weak minded teams. If they end up playing Memphis, I think they'll really get after it, and Memphis will whine all game long about how 'dirtly" they think MTSU is playing.

[Masterofreality]

I actually agreed with Bilas' main point. The selection of St. Mary's and MTSU (and to a lesser extent placing Gonzaga on the top line) sent the wrong message: it doesn't matter who you play, just don't lose.
.

Then Bilas ought to bitch about SucKS if that is the criteria. Beating Iowa State on a neutral court < beating Ole Miss on the road.

[LA Muskie]

Then Bilas ought to bitch about SucKS if that is the criteria. Beating Iowa State on a neutral court < beating Ole Miss on the road.
I'm all for bitching about UC.

[LA Muskie]

Virginia played a sub 300 out of conference strength of schedule. I guess they figured playing a top 250 schedule was way over their heads. Same with Maryland. They played jack shit out of conference. If you schedule that weak, you have to force the committee to take you. Every team that has played a weak schedule and ended up on the bubble has been left out. Fair or not, that's the way they've always done it.

Middle Tennessee won their league out right, had a good RPI, and played an out of conference strength of scheudle of #9. 9th vs not in the top 300. The committee got it right. Good for them. If they don't like it, then they shoudl play teams like Middle Tennessee and not lower level teams from the NEC.
I'm all for letting the little guys in. But MTSU won one -- count 'em ONE -- game against a team with an RPI below 100 (at home vs. #48 Ole Miss.) I'm sorry, in my book that's just not a tournament resume.

That said, having now actually looked at the resumes, I would disagree with Bilas when it comes to St. Mary's. 5 Top 100 wins (although 4 were @ home), 1 Top 50 win (Creighton @ home), and only 1 "bad loss" (Ga Tech on a neutral floor). I don't know how that stacks up against the bubble teams, but it doesn't sound outlandish.

As for UVA...what an enigma. They won some big games (including on the road vs. Wisconsin and Maryland). But they put themselves in a hole to start, and that home loss to ODU really killed them. Still you don't see too many teams on the bubble with wins against Duke, UNC, Maryland, NC State, Wisconsin and Tennessee.

[D-West & PO-Z]

I agree with you brew.

One team I remember seeing the resume of when ESPN was doing the "blind" resume test was Southern Miss and thinkng they had a pretty good resume. Havent looked at it since so I dont remember their numbers or wins but I do remember seeing a decent resume.

[xubrew]

I'm all for letting the little guys in. But MTSU won one -- count 'em ONE -- game against a team with an RPI below 100 (at home vs. #48 Ole Miss.) I'm sorry, in my book that's just not a tournament resume.

That said, having now actually looked at the resumes, I would disagree with Bilas when it comes to St. Mary's. 5 Top 100 wins (although 4 were @ home), 1 Top 50 win (Creighton @ home), and only 1 "bad loss" (Ga Tech on a neutral floor). I don't know how that stacks up against the bubble teams, but it doesn't sound outlandish.

As for UVA...what an enigma. They won some big games (including on the road vs. Wisconsin and Maryland). But they put themselves in a hole to start, and that home loss to ODU really killed them. Still you don't see too many teams on the bubble with wins against Duke, UNC, Maryland, NC State, Wisconsin and Tennessee.

Whenever a team schedules weak, they need to be inside the bubble or they're getting left out. I cannot recall a single case where a team played a piss poor out of conference schedule, ended up on the bubble, and ended up getting in. Having said that, the committee did say they would take Ole Miss and they had a very weak schedule, but that is the only example I can think of.

Maryland and Virginia were terrible in true road games (although UVA did have a nice win at Wisconsin, that's all they had).

Virginia had an abundance of very bad losses.

That's too many strikes. Had the committee selected either one of them, it would have been an unprecedented selection.


I just think Middle Tennessee is a better team. If you don't think they have a tournament resume, I think theirs resembles a tournament team more than Virginia's and Marylands do. They do lack quality wins. That's a problem. However, UVA and Maryland's profiles have an abundance of problems. Middle actually had more road wins than both Maryland and Virginia combined, as well as more top 150 road wins than both teams combined. I don't mean that as praise for Middle as I do criticism for Maryland and Virginia.

Middle won their conference and had a solid RPI. The trend is that teams like that always get in.

And...when you get down to it, I think Middle would kick both their asses if they were to play on equal terms.

[LA Muskie]

Whenever a team schedules weak, they need to be inside the bubble or they're getting left out. I cannot recall a single case where a team played a piss poor out of conference schedule, ended up on the bubble, and ended up getting in. Having said that, the committee did say they would take Ole Miss and they had a very weak schedule, but that is the only example I can think of.

Maryland and Virginia were terrible in true road games (although UVA did have a nice win at Wisconsin, that's all they had).

Virginia had an abundance of very bad losses.

That's too many strikes. Had the committee selected either one of them, it would have been an unprecedented selection.


I just think Middle Tennessee is a better team. If you don't think they have a tournament resume, I think theirs resembles a tournament team more than Virginia's and Marylands do. They do lack quality wins. That's a problem. However, UVA and Maryland's profiles have an abundance of problems. Middle actually had more road wins than both Maryland and Virginia combined, as well as more top 150 road wins than both teams combined. I don't mean that as praise for Middle as I do criticism for Maryland and Virginia.

Middle won their conference and had a solid RPI. The trend is that teams like that always get in.

And...when you get down to it, I think Middle would kick both their asses if they were to play on equal terms.
Virginia also won at Maryland. But honestly I don't have much sympathy for any team that puts itself on the bubble -- whether they get in or not. Like Chris Mack said (unfortunately about the NIT) if you're on the bubble, your destiny is in a committee's hands.

[waggy]

In reference to the Terps not making it... Ball don't lie?

[Masterofreality]

Mike Bobinski gave Lossalle and Bernadette McGlade a lovely parting gift on his way out the A10 door. You're welcome.

For that we get to pay $2 million to leave. Yep.

[GoMuskies]

I'm not sure why anyone would give McGlade a hard time. I think she's done a wonderful job cleaning up the mess Bruno left behind.

[XU 87]

Maryland played two of the five worst teams in the country in South Carolina State and UMES. That's actually hard to do. They did beat Duke on a neutral floor, but they also lost to Kentucky who's not in the tournament, and other than beating an NC State team at home who was awful on the road, did absolutely nothing. Not one thing. The Sun Belt teams that Middle Tennessee played and beat on the road are better than anything Maryland managed to do. Maryland has a brand name and that misleads a lot of people, but they're not as good as Middle Tennessee. Not even close, really. The committee got it right. "Basketball people" who come at this from an objective point of view would know that. ESPN does not fall into that category.


Maryland's non-conference schedule was absolutely awful. A bunch of terrible teams at home. Maryland had a total of 4 top 100 wins, and one of those was against Stony Brook, at home. If you want to play a non-conference schedule against the likes of Monmouth, IUPUI, SC State, MD Eastern Shore, and Georgia Southern (and there are more), dont complain when you don't get in the NCAA.

Virginia's OOC schedule wasn't much better. They played the likes of Seattle (the college not the NFL team), Lamar, North Texas, Miss. Valley State, Morgan State, Old Dominion and Wofford, all at home. At least they have 8 top 100 wins. Of course, they lost to Old Dominion, George Mason and Delaware, at home. Old Dominion won 5 games this year.

After looking at the above mediocre to crappy resumes, I don't know what Bilas was complaining about.

[chico]

Virginia's OOC schedule wasn't much better. They played the likes of Seattle.

I take it you mean the school, not the city.

[XU 87]

I take it you mean the school, not the city.


So there is no confusion, I have clarified "Seattle".

(I sure miss London Warren).

[chico]

So there is no confusion, I have clarified "Seattle".

(I sure miss London Warren).

Now that's more like it.

[XU 87]

I am explaining to XU 2023 all the fun we used to have with the old UD posters. I was just telling him about the "Steven Thomas recruiting watch" when he eventually chose UD over IUPUI.

[chico]

One of my favorites was the guy who was arguing that UD would win the A-10 and listed the expected starting line-up. However, since they had no point guard on the roster he had something like "unnamed recruit" listed for the position.

[XU 87]

One of my favorites was the guy who was arguing that UD would win the A-10 and listed the expected starting line-up. However, since they had no point guard on the roster he had something like "unnamed recruit" listed for the position.

XU 2023 and I were just discussing this one. The point guard was actually a guy by the name of "Unknown JUCO point guard."

Of course, that one wasn't nearly as good as the guy who argued, with multiple UD posters agreeing, that UD winning two games in the NIT was a bigger accomplishment than X going to the Elite 8.

Suspectx, are you out there?

P.S. One correction- I have been informed that the UD poster actually claimed that UD had a great chance to make the final four with "Unknown JUCO point guard" at the point.

[chico]

Then there was the guy who used to argue that UD had a better program because they were the last school in Ohio that reached the finals of the NCAA, even though it was in 1974 when they did it.

[XU 87]

Then there was the guy who used to argue that UD had a better program because they were the last school in Ohio that reached the finals of the NCAA, even though it was in 1974 when they did it.

1967.

UD's biggest accomplishment since then was winning the Maui Christmas Classic in '04. I think they upset Chaminade on their home floor, and then the 35 UD fans in attendance rushed the floor, just to see what that's like.

[chico]

1967.

Know it all...

[LA Muskie]

Virginia's OOC schedule wasn't much better. They played the likes of Seattle (the college not the NFL team), Lamar, North Texas, Miss. Valley State, Morgan State, Old Dominion and Wofford, all at home. At least they have 8 top 100 wins. Of course, they lost to Old Dominion, George Mason and Delaware, at home. Old Dominion won 5 games this year.

After looking at the above mediocre to crappy resumes, I don't know what Bilas was complaining about.
But they also beat Duke, North Carolina, NC State, at Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Maryland (twice, once on the road). Definitely a glass half full/glass half empty type of season for them. Personally I'll take those wins over some bad losses to MTSU's one (that's right, one) good win but no bad losses.

[XUFan09]

Belatedly coming to this discusison after St. Mary's solidly beat Middle Tennessee State. Really, if you go by Kenpom statistics, it was a bad seeding for both of them. Middle Tennessee ranks 32nd in efficiency statistics and St. Mary's ranks 22nd. It's not an exact science by any means, but those aren't even close to the rankings for 11 seeds, particularly in St. Mary's case. I have the Gaels beating #39 Memphis, who is over-seeded as usual.

Concerning Virginia, Maryland, and La Salle fighting for the 13 seed, Maryland and La Salle are actually only two spots away from each other on Kenpom, 55 and 57. Maryland is clearly worse than Middle Tennessee. Now UVA, on the other hand, ranks very high for a team that missed the tourney, coming in at #27. Iowa is the only other one close at #29, and they also had a shitty nonconference schedule.

[LA Muskie]

Belatedly coming to this discusison after St. Mary's solidly beat Middle Tennessee State. Really, if you go by Kenpom statistics, it was a bad seeding for both of them. Middle Tennessee ranks 32nd in efficiency statistics and St. Mary's ranks 22nd. It's not an exact science by any means, but those aren't even close to the rankings for 11 seeds, particularly in St. Mary's case. I have the Gaels beating #39 Memphis, who is over-seeded as usual.

Concerning Virginia, Maryland, and La Salle fighting for the 13 seed, Maryland and La Salle are actually only two spots away from each other on Kenpom, 55 and 57. Maryland is clearly worse than Middle Tennessee. Now UVA, on the other hand, ranks very high for a team that missed the tourney, coming in at #27. Iowa is the only other one close at #29, and they also had a shitty nonconference schedule.
Maryland had a losing record in the ACC and a weak OOC schedule. If anyone was suggesting they should be in the tournament, they must have been drunk. On the other hand, UVA got shafted.

[XU 87]

Maryland had a losing record in the ACC and a weak OOC schedule. If anyone was suggesting they should be in the tournament, they must have been drunk. On the other hand, UVA got shafted.

You can make an argument that Virginia should have gotten in. They had some good wins. But you can make an equally good or better argument that they shouldn't have gotten in. Other than Wisconsin, their OOC schedule was terrible. And they still managed to lose to Old Dominion, Delaware and George Mason, at home. If you're going to schedule all these buy games, at least win them.

Bilas said that the NCAA is sending a message "not to lose games". Virginia failed that test when losing, at home, to three bad teams. Old Dominion won 5 games this year, one of which was on the road against Virginia.

[LA Muskie]

You can make an argument that Virginia should have gotten in. They had some good wins. But you can make an equally good or better argument that they shouldn't have gotten in. Other than Wisconsin, their OOC schedule was terrible. And they still managed to lose to Old Dominion, Delaware and George Mason, at home. If you're going to schedule all these buy games, at least win them.

Bilas said that the NCAA is sending a message "not to lose games". Virginia failed that test when losing, at home, to three bad teams. Old Dominion won 5 games this year, one of which was on the road against Virginia.

That's all true. Except Bilas' point wasn't that the NCAA meant to send that message. It was that that is the point that gets conveyed when you leave out a school like UVA.

[GoMuskies]

I think the message that gets conveyed is not to schedule like shit in the portion of your schedule that you control. And if you do, don't lose games.

[GuyFawkes38]

IMHO, Mike and company did a pretty awful job. The West is in shambles. The Midwest is too strong. The PAC 10 was absurdly disrespected.

[SixFig]

IMHO, Mike and company did a pretty awful job. The West is in shambles. The Midwest is too strong. The PAC 10 was absurdly disrespected.

They did a good job picking the field. Seeding it...not so much.

[waggy]

And if the tourney went chalk everyone would bitch how boring it is.