The 2010 Best Sweet 16 Story Debate… Crow Tastes Nutty

March 22, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Bleacher Fan and Sports Geek.

First off, let me get this out of the way. Congratulations to Ohio State, who clearly was the better and more deserving team against Georgia Tech yesterday!

Gahhhh, it pains me to say that! You see, on Saturday, Bleacher Fan issued a little wager to me regarding the matchup between his Buckeyes and my Yellow Jackets. If Georgia Tech won, he would discuss Georgia Tech in his debate today and I would discuss St. Marys, Cornell, or whomever I wished. If the Buckeyes won, I would discuss the greatness that is Ohio State. Well you see how it turned out!

The truth is I had Ohio State winning in my bracket, but I thought it was a good chance to stick it to Bleacher Fan’s pro-Big Ten attitude. And for the second time in just over two months, I underestimated the strength of a Big Ten team against a Georgia Tech team, and in two different sports, too!

Flash back to December 5, 2009. Ohio State guard Evan Turner, alone on a breakaway, falls to the floor after an attempted dunk in a non-conference game against Eastern Michigan. All of Buckeye Nation panicked. Bleacher Fan spoke with obvious concern about the young man’s well being in our editorial meeting. There was a brief period of time where no one knew how long Turner would be out (it was initially supposed to be eight weeks after breaking two vertebra in his back), but he amazingly would only miss six games. Fast forward over three months later to yesterday. Turner, the Big Ten Player of the Year, and a national Player of the Year candidate, came up just an assist and a rebound short of a triple-double in a 75-66 victory over Georgia Tech, giving the Yellow Jackets a chance to get their cell phones back quicker than they had hoped.

At the beginning of the season I am not sure many folks outside of Columbus would have believed that the Buckeyes would have a decent shot at the national championship. They were ranked in the preseason polls, but were lost in the shuffle behind 2009 runner up Michigan State, as well as Purdue, and Michigan. But the Buckeyes have been on a roll due in large part to Turner, having won fifteen out of their last sixteen games.

Now, with the almost annual choke by Kansas, the Midwest region sets up nicely for Ohio State, with the Ohio State-Tennessee winner taking on the winner of Northern Iowa and Michigan State. It’s pretty clear that Ohio State has to be the favorite coming out of the region at this point, especially with the Spartans point guard, Kalin Lucas, likely lost for the season.

On the surface it may not appear that Ohio State’s presence in the Sweet Sixteen would be a great story. And yes, there are definitely some Cinderella stories in this year’s tournament. But the fact that Evan Turner has, ironically, put the team on his back and on the path to the Final Four is truly an amazing story for the Buckeyes and Even Turner.

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Posted by Loyal Homer

The 2010 Hardest NCAAB Region Debate… A Midwest Nightmare

March 19, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Sports Geek.

What did I tell you?! The March Madness tournament this year will be a) one of the most competitive we have ever seen, and b) LOADED with upset potential.

Day One did not disappoint! Congratulations to Old Dominion, Murray State, Ohio, Washington, and St. Mary’s for pulling off very exciting (and very entertaining) upsets yesterday, and for screwing up a lot of brackets around the country!

Speaking of screw-ups, the Big East had a TERRIBLE showing yesterday. In four games during the first day of competition, the Big East was LUCKY to finish at 1-3, with Notre Dame, Marquette, and Georgetown on the losing end of MAJOR upsets while Villanova was fortunate to escape with their tournament lives in order to avoid a sweep!

Now that the alleged depth of the Big East has once again been exposed for what it really is – overblown hype from having too many teams in the conference – we can move forward and take a look at which region is shaping up to be the toughest of the tournament.

Even with the early departure of the Georgetown Hoyas at the hands of a “lowly” mid-major MAC team (in case you haven’t learned yet, I am a supporter of the mid-major programs), the toughest region of the tournament is the Midwest.

To start with, the Midwest Region features the Kansas Jayhawks, who entered the tournament as the top team in the country. That fact alone means that 15 out of the 16 teams in that region would have go through the best team in the country just make it out of the region and into the Final Four!

Beyond the strength of the top seed in this region the Midwest is stocked with some of the strongest teams in the tournament.

Sitting opposite Kansas in the bracket is the Ohio State Buckeyes, who are led by the favorite for the NCAA Player of the Year award, Evan Turner. The Buckeyes, fresh off of claiming the Big Ten championship, were among the teams being tossed around as possible one seeds for the tournament, and have been playing some of the best basketball in the country over the last two months of the season.

Traveling further down the region, the road doesn’t get any easier. Sitting in the fourth position in the region is the second place team out of the ACC – Maryland. In a year where the overall performance of the ACC has been down, Maryland has been one of the two teams within that conference that still played exceptionally well this season, even defeating Duke earlier this month.

After Maryland comes fifth-seeded Michigan State. Although the Spartans struggled against many of the highly ranked teams they faced throughout the 2010 season, they are led by arguably the greatest tournament coach of the last decade in Tom Izzo (Editor’s note: Stay tuned next week for that debate). Under Izzo’s leadership the Spartans are now entering their THIRTEENTH consecutive NCAA appearance. During that run of thirteen straight NCAA Tournament berths, Izzo has reached the Sweet Sixteen EIGHT different times, has been to the Elite Eight SIX times, has FIVE different Final Four appearances, and has been to the championship game twice (WINNING the title in 2000)! If anyone knows how to “dance” it is Izzo.

If that is not tough enough, consider that some of the double-digit seeds in this region are capable of some very impressive feats! Entering the region as the ten seed, Georgia Tech showed during the ACC Tournament that they are capable of playing with and beating many of the top teams in the nation (including a victory over the aforementioned Maryland Terrapins). Then at 14 sits the Ohio Bobcats who already have proven they will run with anybody after they SMOKED Georgetown on Thursday by a score of 97-83.

We learned yesterday that there is no such thing as a free ride in the NCAA Tournament for 2010, and in no region is that more evident than in the Midwest. From top to bottom, the strongest caliber of teams at each level are represented in this corner of the bracket, and the team that ultimately does emerge victorious from this gauntlet will have tested and proven their mettle against the very best that March Madness has to offer!

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The 2010 Hardest NCAAB Region Debate… The South Rises

March 19, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Bleacher Fan and Sports Geek.

Hours of non-productivity will take place again today at the office as day two of March Madness began at noon. How does your bracket look? Mine would look great if it wasn’t for Georgetown laying a big egg! Rough day for the Big East, huh? Today, as we complete the first round, we are going to take a look at the regions and decide which is going to be the most difficult to win. I am going to branch out a bit and say the South region will be the toughest to win.

Yesterday, there were four games from this region, and three of them were hotly contested down the stretch. The unpredictability of the entire region is what makes it so fascinating, and so difficult to win. Several teams in this end of the bracket have had “moments” throughout the season at one point or another.

Villanova, who escaped yesterday with an overtime win over a feisty Robert Morris team, has had his ups and downs lately. But don’t forget they were a Final Four team last season. They also were ranked as high as number two in the polls in early February. Purdue is obviously a different team with the loss of forward Robbie Hummel. And I am aware that they are coming off an absolute thumping to the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Big Ten tournament. But they are still 27-5, and they did not get there exclusively on the back of Hummel.

Watch out for Louisville. The Cardinals spent much of the season on the proverbial bubble, but they played well down the stretch to find a way into the Big Dance. Their two high profile wins came against Syracuse, and one of those victories was when the Big Orange was number one in the country.

Duke is number one in this bracket and fresh off a march through the ACC in Greensboro last week. Winning the ACC, even in a down year, is nothing to frown at by any stretch. But, Duke really did not play all that well. They struggled in wins against Virginia and Miami. And they had to hold on to beat Georgia Tech in the championship game. Love them or hate them, they are still Duke, and they are always a threat at this time of year.

The sexy sleeper pick in this side of the bracket is Siena. The Saints come in with a record at 27-6, and four of those losses (Georgia Tech, Butler, Northern Iowa, and Temple) are to tournament teams. It is important to remember that Siena is tournament tested of late, as they have knocked off Vanderbilt and Ohio State in the first round the past couple of years. Might they be game for another upset?

The unpredictability of the South region is what makes it the toughest to win. Duke is a solid number one seed, but how many of you actually have them in the Final Four? I sure don’t. Enjoy the madness!

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Posted by Loyal Homer

The 2010 NCAAB Tournament Sleeper Debate… X Marks the Spot

March 18, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer.

The Selection Committee, a group of people tasked annually with one of the most difficult jobs in all of sports, do not get nearly the credit they deserve! They tirelessly work for many hours during the closing days of championship week in order to put together a bracket that everyone (including all of us at TSD) will complain about BEFORE the tournament. However, without fail, the tournament annually plays out as one of the most exciting and entertaining sporting events of the entire year.

Still, no recognition is given to those whipping boys who made it all possible, and this year has been no exception.

I am turning over a new leaf! Rather than get sucked into the pre-tournament negativity that always comes from analysis of a bracket that has not yet played out, I am going to look for the positive potential that lies in a tournament which we all know will nevertheless unfold in dramatic and entertaining fashion.

What I love most about the tournament this year is that there are no sure-things. The better teams have been lumped together in the same regions, meaning that nobody is getting a free ride to the Final Four. While Kansas and Kentucky may have finished the season as the top two teams, they are by no means perfect in their execution. Therefore they do not deserve a free-ride into the Final Four just because they finished the regular season as the best teams in the nation. If they want to be considered national campions they are going to have to earn it!

On the flip side, when you look at those so-called “easier” regions of the West and South, the collective talent level of those 32 teams once again presents a greater opportunity for more competitive matchups. Sure, Duke has a weaker region to compete in, but Duke is also the weakest of the top seeds and are more likely to struggle in their games.

The 2010 bracket is set up to play out as one of the most competitive that we have ever seen. It is LOADED with potential for dangerous mid-level teams to make a “sleeper” run deep into the tournament because the parity across the regions is remarkable this year.

One team that could surprise many with a deep run is the Xavier Musketeers.

To begin with the entire Atlantic-10 Conference has been underrated and underappreciated this season (as Sports Geek will cover in his article). The conference turned in six different 20-game winners in 2010, including the AP’s #12 Temple Owls and #25 Xavier. The A-10 has arguably been the best mid-major conference of the 2010 season, and has turned out some of the most battle-tested mid-major programs for this tournament.

When you look at the West Regional – where Xavier is seeded sixth – they stand as potential beneficiaries from being in one of those “weaker” brackets where the level of competition may not be as stiff. That is not to take anything away from teams within the region, like Syracuse or Kansas State who are worthy top seeds. But Xavier would not be facing those teams (potentially) until much later in the tournament.

Their first matchup pits them against a Minnesota team that would (and should) not even be in the tournament had it not been for a fortunate draw in the Big Ten tournament last week. Minnesota’s performance in 2010 can be defined as “streaky” at best. They finished in the middle of the pack of a very top-heavy Big Ten and turned in some pretty disappointing performances against lesser-caliber teams like Northwestern, Michigan, and Indiana… not to mention a very underwhelming showing in the Big Ten championship game against Ohio State.

Assuming that Xavier does get past Minnesota (which based on the seedings they SHOULD be able to do), they will likely face three-seeded Pitt in their second-round matchup.

Pitt will present a challenge, but they are certainly beatable (and a stretch, in my opinion, for a three-seed). The Panthers have some quality wins under their belt (including wins against West Virginia and at Syracuse), but they have also laid some eggs this season. They lack a truly dominant scorer on the court, are a painfully slow-paced team at times (a problem they had to deal with last season as well), and they do not shoot well from beyond the three-point arc.

With the right matchups, and by maintaining a fast tempo throughout the game, a Xavier victory is entirely possible even against a Pitt team from the vaunted Big East conference.

Finally, do not be fooled by the fact that Xavier is led by first-time head coach Chris Mack. Although this is Mack’s first year at the helm, he is no stranger to post-season play. As an assistant with Xavier leading up to the 2010 season, Mack has helped to lead this team to five consecutive tournament appearances, including two Sweet-Sixteen appearances and one Elite Eight appearance. He knows his players very well and he has been integral in helping achieve tournament success for several years.

Mack’s Musketeers are an underrated threat, facing overrated opposition in a mid-major laden region. That sounds like a formula for sleeper success to me!

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The NIT Winner or NCAA Tournament Loser Debate… Winning a Losing Game is Still Losing

March 18, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Babe Ruthless and Bleacher Fan.

The NCAA Tournament begins today. On behalf of The Sports Debates, I truly hope you enjoy an event that is madness, and I also hope you manage to find time to do a little work (but not too much) over the next two days. In the meantime, we had an interesting debate yesterday surrounding the NCAA Tournament and the NIT, which actually started Tuesday night, in you missed it. Is it better to have a quick exit in the Big Dance or an extended run in the NIT? Obviously, it’s better for the program overall to make the NCAA Tournament. That falls under the “duh” category. But then wins and losses come into play.

Bleacher Fan gave us a flashback to April of last year when he compared the situations of Wake Forest and Utah to Penn State. The Demon Deacons and the Utes were sitting at the house being couch potatoes with the rest of America while the Nittany Lions were playing for an NIT championship at Madison Square Garden. An analogy was then made to lottery tickets, something that was near and dear to my heart upon the grand event of my 18th birthday.

Babe Ruthless comes right out and calls the NIT the loser’s bracket. Sure, there are some talented teams in the NIT but the majority of the teams with the “fortune” of playing in the NIT aren’t very good. The NIT is second rate and, according to Babe Ruthless, it’s like receiving a “glorified participation trophy.” In a twist, Babe used my introduction to prove his point that teams like Baylor and Notre Dame parlayed strong NIT runs into NCAA tournament berths the following season. The goal was not to get back to the NIT. It was to take it a step further. Basically, Babe feels strongly that it is essentially better to be a loser in a winner’s bracket than a winner in a loser’s bracket.

I, the judge, am awarding this victory to Babe Ruthless. Having been fans of teams that have made it to both the NCAA tournament and the NIT (a.k.a. “Not In Tournament”), I understand the joy of being invited to the dance and the agony of having the bubble popped. I also understand that there is something to be said for making a strong run in the NIT. It gives the seniors more games to play and gives the fans more chances to watch their team in action.

Let me ask you this: Before Bleacher Fan mentioned that Penn State won the NIT last year, did you actually know that? I couldn’t recall it. Yet, I can recall that in last season’s NCAA tournament Cleveland State knocked off Wake Forest. I can also tell you, and I am sure Sports Geek can as well, that tenth seeded Michigan knocked off seventh seeded Clemson in the first round (Editor’s note: Sports Geek does recall that.). While I am sure the loss left a bitter taste in the mouths of all Clemson players, I feel that once they looked back on it they had a better feeling on how their season went… better than they would have if they had made a deep run in the NIT.

I am not convinced a deep run by Virginia Tech or Mississippi State in the NIT this season would erase the disappointment of not being selected for the NCAA, even if they knew going in they would lose in the first round. Congrats to Babe Ruthless!

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Posted by Loyal Homer

The NIT Winner or NCAA Tournament Loser Debate… The NIT is the Losers Bracket

March 17, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Bleacher Fan.

After my first debate here at TSD I remember being frustrated that I lost. Who could blame me? My argument was as compelling as it was entertaining, but nevertheless I lost. I remember bragging that I may have lost the debate, but I had the popular support (as my argument received 62 percent of the vote), but Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan were there to serve me a large slice of humble pie. One of them emailed me saying, “Losing the debate but winning the popular vote is like being the prettiest ugly girl at the dance.” As much as it pains me to say this… they were right. (You might want to bookmark this debate as it will be one of the last times I ever concede that point.) Their words are extremely applicable to today’s debate: Is it better to win a couple of games in the NIT than to lose in the NCAA tournament?

The NIT is the loser’s bracket. I am not saying that there aren’t any talented teams in the NIT, because there are. But for the most part, teams are in the NIT because they were not good enough for one of the real tournament’s spots. Sure, there are exceptions of snubbed schools and good mid-major teams that arguably deserve to be in the Big Dance, but that just proves my point. We cry foul at their exclusion from the NCAA tournament because we feel they don’t belong in the loser’s bracket. The NIT is like competing and winning honorable mention. It is a glorified participation trophy, a consolation prize. And you know who gets consolation prizes, right? Losers. I know that’s tough for people to read out there, but it is true. In sports, like life, there are winners and losers. Experiencing defeat is important in life. It encourages growth and provides motivation for the future.

You know that annoying guy at work. The guy who thinks he is always right, always wants to do everything his way, and cannot take constructive criticism. He is like that for a reason. He is apart of a whole generation out there now entering the work force. Men and women who were told there are no losers in life and we are all the same. He probably never learned to work hard, be disciplined, or work as a team because he was never forced to lose. There was always a certificate of participation or a best effort medal there to remind him he’s perfect just the way he is. But I digress.

Teams that did not make the NCAA tournament failed to reach their goal – winning the national championship. If winning the national championship, as unrealistic as it may seem for some teams, is not their goal, then they are selling themselves short. Decent teams like Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, and UConn were not good enough for the Big Dance. Does that make them losers? Absolutely! But losing should serve as motivation to not only return to the NCAA tournament next year, but to win it as well.

Loyal Homer mentioned in his introduction to this debate that teams like Memphis, Baylor, and Notre Dame have gone from deep runs in the NIT to deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. This only proves my point even more. They were not satisfied with a good performance in a secondary tournament. These teams wanted to win where it mattered most – The Big Dance.

Even high school athletes don’t set out to be second best. No one really wants to play on the junior varsity (JV) team. Real competitors want and strive to play on the varsity level. Why? Because it is the only one that matters. Even if a JV team goes undefeated it’s not really a big deal because JV games are not competitions at the highest level. They are glorified scrimmages, over-hyped exhibitions between practice squads. The same should hold true for college athletes. They should not put too much stock into a tournament of teams excluded from the recognized national championship. Bragging about winning the NIT is akin to bragging that your school has the best JV team in the state.

Finally, let’s compare two schools – UNC (17-16) and Georgia Tech (22-12). The University of North Carolina Tar Heels began the season attempting to defend their national championship, but as the season went on it became clear that they would not be able to do that. In fact, their record was so poor they were not even included in the Big Dance at all. North Carolina not only lost to competitive conference teams like Clemson, Duke, and Georgia Tech, but suffered defeat to mid-major upsets like College of Charleston. Georgia Tech, on the other hand, is playing at an elevated level this season, even defeating one seed Duke during the regular season. The Yellow Jackets figure to make a strong showing in the NCAA tournament. Even if UNC goes on to win the NIT and Georgia Tech only wins two rounds of the NCAA tournament, can the accomplishments of UNC be considered superior? No.

In the end, it all boils down to the level of competition. The NIT by its very nature is less competitive than the NCAA tournament and cannot be compared… that is unless someone is looking for the title of prettiest ugly girl at the dance.

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Posted by Babe Ruthless

The NIT Winner or NCAA Tournament Loser Debate… NCAA or NIT?

March 17, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Babe Ruthless and Bleacher Fan.

As we all know, the first round of the NCAA tournament begins tomorrow and employees all across the country will be slacking off at work tomorrow afternoon so they can follow their brackets! There is a good chance I will be “casually” following some of the early games if it is a slow day at work. However, did you also know that last night was the beginning of the NIT tournament? If you didn’t, you missed a very entertaining North Carolina-William & Mary game in which the Tar Heels won while playing at their old gym. They also won despite the fact that William & Mary hit 16 three pointers!!

Obviously, the NCAA tournament is the place every team wants to be at the end of the season. A rigorous season is endured in hopes of getting one of the 65 slots in the NCAA Tournament. You get to play on national TV, which is quite a thrill for some of the kids who play for the automatic qualifiers who do not really get to experience that during the regular season.

While that is true, the NIT also offers a chance for teams like Mississippi State and Virginia Tech – teams that felt they were wronged by not being selected for the Big Dance – to continue playing. The field of 32 is eventually trimmed down to one, with the championship being played at one of the most famous arenas ever, Madison Square Garden. Many teams also use the NIT as a springboard for the following season. A quick look at the results of the past ten seasons and you will see several examples of this. Memphis parlayed three deep runs in the NIT, including an NIT championship in 2002, into a string of strong finishes in the NCAA Tournament. Just last season Baylor and Notre Dame made it to the semifinals of the NIT. Look where they reside this year. Baylor is currently a three seed in the tournament, while Notre Dame is a six seed and is probably a sleeper pick among many of you.

Today’s debate revolves around one central question:

Is it better to win a couple of games in the NIT, or is it better to be a one and done in the NCAA Tournament?

Bleacher Fan will argue that it’s better to win a couple of games in the NIT in the hopes of building continuity for next season while serving as some type of reward for the season just completed. Babe Ruthless will argue that it is much better to make the NCAA Tournament, even if you make a quick exit.

The floor is yours. Let’s see what you got!

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Posted by Loyal Homer

The NIT Winner or NCAA Tournament Loser Debate… It is Better to Win Something Small than to Lose Something Big

March 17, 2010

Read the opposing argument from Babe Ruthless.

Let’s take a trip back in time to April 2, 2009, shall we?

On this date, who would you rather be – Wake Forest (seeded fourth in the NCAA Midwest Region), Utah (seeded fifth in the NCAA Midwest Region), or Penn State (seeded second in the NIT)?

When April 2, 2009 rolled around there were only six teams in all of college basketball that were still alive and competing – the national championship field had been narrowed down to the Final Four, and two teams were still alive in the NIT.

Both Wake Forest and Utah, who had been given the glory of being invited to March Madness, were sitting at home on their couches after being bumped out in the first round, while the “snubbed” Penn State team was getting ready for their NIT championship matchup against Baylor.

There is no question – I would rather be with Penn State!

I understand the excitement and drama around being selected to compete for the National Championship. If this were a debate about whether it is better to be selected for the NCAA Tournament, or instead selected for the NIT, there is no doubt that the NCAA Tournament is the clear preference. But that is not the subject of the debate today.

We are instead asking the question of which is better – NIT success or NCAA Tournament first-round failure. There will invariably be 33 losers after the first round of the NCAA Tournament games are completed, and every single one of those losers would trade places IN A HEARTBEAT with a team that was still alive in the NIT. Why? Because the NIT kids still get to play!

Let me put the question another way. Would you rather own a losing PowerBall lottery ticket, or winning $500 scratch-off ticket? With PowerBall, you had the POTENTIAL to win a better prize, but came away empty handed. With the scratch-off ticket, you may not have had the opportunity to win a prize as impressive as the PowerBall, but you actually have a real prize in your hands that is worth celebrating.

I’ll take the cash!

Penn State, who went on to win the NIT last season, had a more successful postseason than Wake Forest, Utah, and many other so-called favorites who were given the opportunity to compete for a spot in the Final Four. Does that mean the Nittany Lions were happy to have been selected for the NIT instead of March Madness? No, but only a fool would trade their NIT Championship for Utah’s first-round ouster.

When the 2009 season was completed, Penn State had a postseason championship. Wake Forest and Utah did not.

Looking ahead to the 2010 brackets, the University of Illinois serves as another example to illustrate what I am talking about. Would the Illini prefer a shot at the national championship over a shot at the NIT crown? Of course they would. However, if they go on to play deep into the NIT, they will be much happier with their postseason than are the Winthrop Eagles, who last night were defeated by Arkansas Pine-Bluff during the play-in Game of the National Tournament.

By the end of March, the two teams still vying for the NIT crown will have had a more successful postseason than MOST of the teams which played in March Madness. They will have accomplished something worthy of celebration, and would not trade that experience for a first-round loss in the national championship tournament.

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The 2010 NCAAB Tournament Selection Surprise Debate – I Guess it is Better to be Lucky than Good!

March 15, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Loyal Homer.

ESPN Radio’s SportsCenter anchor, Bob Picozzi, hit the nail on the head when he referred to the day after Selection Sunday as “National Whining Day.”

Now that the March Madness field of 65 teams has been announced, pundits and analysts from around the country now get the opportunity to scrutinize every choice made by the Selection Committee.

Obviously, the players and fans of teams that made it in feel they were justifiable selections, while those that did not are left to dwell on the bitter sting of rejection. As for me, I think the Selection Committee did a pretty good job this time around of getting it right (at least, this was a better result than in years past).

In fact, of the three schools which are even ATTEMPTING to use the word “snub” this year to describe their non-selection, only Illinois has a legitimate beef.

More specifically, Illinois has a right to feel snubbed primarily because it was passed over by the Selection Committee in favor of conference rivals, the lesser-deserving Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Minnesota was selected over Illinois for one reason – timing. Simply put, Minnesota is playing in the National Championship Tournament because Illinois lost to Ohio State first.

Let’s compare the teams’ Big Ten Tournament runs, shall we?

First Round – Minnesota vs. Penn State; Illinois earned a bye

Before entering the Big Ten Tournament, Illinois held a slight edge over Minnesota in the standings. Both teams had 18 total wins, and Illinois had a better in-conference record, so the mere fact that Minnesota even played in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament was a nod to Illinois being the better team. Additionally, Minnesota drew the weakest team in the conference, the hapless Penn State Nittany Lions, for the first-round matchup.

It was a cupcake game for Minnesota, giving them a token “W” that Illinois did not have the chance to match because they FINISHED WITH BETTER RESULTS in the regular season and earned a subsequent bye.

Although the first round tipped the scales towards Minnesota in terms of records, I still give the edge to Illinois… since the team earned it all season long.

Second Round – Minnesota vs. #11 Michigan State; Illinois vs. #18 Wisconsin

This round brought the only QUALITY tournament wins for both teams. Both had to pull off upset victories over ranked teams (that had surely already earned March Madness invites), and both did so in impressive fashion.

Although Wisconsin is a very talented team with a lot of postseason potential, I have to admit that a win over Michigan State is SLIGHTLY more impressive an accomplishment, and so I give the slight edge for this round to Minnesota.

Third Round – Minnesota vs. #5 Purdue; Illinois vs. #7 Ohio State

Based on name and ranking alone, these are equally difficult assignments to face. Both Purdue and Ohio State rolled through the regular season, and both had positioned themselves for very high seeding in the national tournament.

There is, however, one key difference between those two teams. Ohio State was at full strength, led by the “should-be” 2010 Player of the Year (Evan Turner), while Purdue was not at full strength, having been hobbled since the loss of their star forward Robbie Hummel (who suffered a torn ACL during their regular season matchup against Minnesota).

As was expected, considering the circumstances surrounding those two semifinal matchups, Minnesota breezed past the reeling Boilermakers while Illinois lost at the hands of the Buckeyes.

It is very important to note that Illinois took Ohio State all the way into double-overtime before finally succumbing to Turner and his cohorts. Minnesota was the fortunate beneficiary of a weaker matchup against a team whose current state placed it at a lesser caliber than their on-paper pedigree would have you believe.

Championship Round – Minnesota vs. #7 Ohio State

The reason it is so important to note Illinois’ performance against the Buckeyes is because Minnesota played them the very next day, in the Big Ten Championship.

After having been taken to the brink of elimination by Illinois one day prior, Ohio State came out and absolutely DOMINATED Minnesota, eventually winning the game by a score of 91-60. It was not even close! Ohio State manhandled Minnesota from tipoff all the way to 00:00.

What does that tell us?

Illinois had the better regular season, faced a MUCH tougher road in the Big Ten Tournament, and played MUCH better against the top team in the conference. The only thing they did wrong was that they had to play Ohio State on Saturday, instead of Sunday.

Because Minnesota had the sheer dumb luck to not have to face Ohio State until Sunday afternoon, they were rewarded an at-large Bid OVER Illinois, and will get to play for the National Championship, rather than the NIT.

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Posted by Bleacher Fan

The 2010 NCAAB Tournament Selection Surprise Debate – How Did Florida Get a 10 Seed?

March 15, 2010

Read the opposing arguments from Sports Geek and Bleacher Fan.

I am a huge fan of Selection Sunday. It is one of my favorite sporting days of the year. Not only do I get to watch three of the big six have their championship games (ACC, SEC, and Big Ten), but I also get to watch the brackets being filled out. There is nothing more maddening than being one of those teams on the bubble and having to wait the selections out. I fully believed the Florida Gators were one of those teams on the bubble. I had serious reservations about whether or not they would even make the tournament at all. Judging by the seeding, the Gators evidently were not really on the bubble, as they were awarded a ten seed. To me, that is the biggest surprise from the announcement of the teams in the tournament. Does Billy Donavan have scandalous pictures hanging over the heads of all of the committee members?

The Gators finished the regular season with a 9-7 in a conference that, after Kentucky, was a mediocre conference. Sorry Tennessee and Vanderbilt but your teams are too inconsistent. After beating an Auburn team that actually fired its coach after losing Thursday night, and losing to Mississippi State in the quarterfinals on Friday, the Gators sat at 21-12 and by all indications, were straight on the bubble. After upset losses by California, and UTEP in their respective conference tournaments, I had the feeling that Billy Donavan’s squad would be playing in the NIT for the third consecutive year. That feeling was wrong.

One of the big components to be considered when deciding whether or not a team belongs in the tournament is the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). A quick look at the up-to-date RPI standings shows the mighty Gators at 56!! Fifty-Six folks! That is low for an at-large team, much less a ten seed. That RPI is lower than the rating that teams like Mississippi State and Rhode Island, teams that are preparing for that other postseason tournament. Not to mention they lost four out of their last five games, with two of those losses coming to teams that eventually did NOT make the tournament (Georgia and Mississippi State). Does that mean they passed the so-called “eye test”?

As a ten seed, the Gators will be playing the seventh seed in the West Region, which is the BYU Cougars. This is not exactly an easy matchup. BYU ran into a hot UNLV team in the Mountain West Conference or they would be a much higher seed. Even with that loss, the Cougars are still ranked #16 in the current rankings.

Obviously, it is impossible for the NCAA selection committee to get everything right (and by the way, if any of the powers that be are reading this, Loyal Homer would love a spot on that committee). But they really surprised me with not only the selection of the Florida Gators but also the seeding.

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Posted by Loyal Homer

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