Life on NCAA tourney bubble getting tougher for the little guys: 'The opportunity is disappearing'

[Phantom]

As an aside, HCDM played two (Mississippi, South Carolina) and the possibility of a third (Iowa State, if our early season tournament bracket had gone our way) P5 schools ... and they were three of the sixteen that did not play in the NCAA/NIT. No valuable quadrant one opportunities to be had, as it turned out.

Talk about playing/scheduling on a thin line.

And this is further proof of the annual moving target. It was essentially the thought that had we beaten someone, anyone, in a P5 league last year, it might've mitigated our bad losses to Murray St & Tulsa, which is what they used to keep us out. So by that rationale, if we had Ole Miss & South Carolina on the sched last year, that might've tipped us in despite them only hovering around .500 themselves.

Now enter this quadrant bullshit, which effectively eliminates the 2017 system. Now you have to not only play real good teams, but you have to beat them too in order for it to "count."

It's ALWAYS a rock and hard place situation for mid majors who are near the bubble. Who knows what the criteria will be next year? Pretty much the only thing you can do is: 1. Schedule as difficult as you can. 2. Hope everyone you beat has tremendous seasons and are top-100 teams, and 3. Do NOT lose to any bad teams, especially at home.

Since the RPI code was "cracked" in '06, they've basically Fort Knoxed the f**k out of things for the little guys.

 

[bb fan]

Sad but true, Phantom.

 

[bombay]

https://twitter.com/bkoremenos/status/975055489867202560?s=21

Some interesting stuff on 'value' basketball and how to win without an even talent level. Gregg Marshall is portrayed as a dinosaur while Dan D'Antoni is a sort of pioneer.


@BKoremenos
Mar 17
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Gregg Marshall at Wichita St is kind of the embodiment of all that old-school stuff. Pound in the post, run "actions" instead of creating high-value shots and a classic effort over substance type. It was very fitting that D'Antoni -- who's 15 years old btw -- is more w/ the times

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