Where is all of the mid major bravado today?

**CycloneErik** · 03-23-2009, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by isunorth

I like the limit per conference idea like they do with the BCS in football.

Like it's been mentioned many times before, it has a lot to do with ticket sales and money. It also has to do with the fact that it's conceivable that the 7th best team in a major conference might still be better than the 2nd best team from a mid-major conference.

Given results from this year, you could say that the selection committee did a pretty good job using the original poster's criteria. Some years it will go that way and others it will not. At the end of the day it's about a committee trying to select the top 34 at-large bids. There are going to be people ****** off one way or the other.

I agree. In the end, it keeps us talking either way, and it keeps us paying attention.

It was fun when we watched Boeheim get passed over. Those guys that assume the tourny is their right are fun to watch go down. Go Richmond Spiders!!!

**jbhtexas** · 03-23-2009, 09:59 AM

If this wasn't all about money, from a competition standpoint, there should be two tournaments. Maybe divided along FBS and FCS lines. Really, is UCONN winning by 60 and UNC winning by 40 adding anything useful to the tourney? A #1 has never lost to a #16. And yes, a #15 does bite a #2 now and then, but not often.

But, as this is about money, the current format will remain.

**ahaselhu** · 03-23-2009, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by CycloneErik

They don't count. That's a different ball game

Bring in the mid-majors! I wouldn't mind seeing a general limit of 5 teams per conference. This could be an option as a general rule of thumb, not as a hard and fast rule.

Seriously, who needs to get in if you're 7th in your conference?

I'd be in favor of giving a regular season conference champion who didn't win their conference tourney an edge over a middle of the pack BCS conference team.

**CycloneErik** · 03-23-2009, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by ahaselhu

I'd be in favor of giving a regular season conference champion who didn't win their conference tourney an edge over a middle of the pack BCS conference team.

Works for me!

**jbhtexas** · 03-23-2009, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by isunorth

Just curious...would you not agree that the posters logic would likely be used to prove the opposite point had teams like Maryland, Arizona, and Wisconsin gone out early?

I'm sure some would have used it. If Arizona or Wisconsin had been blown out in the first round, it might be a legitimate argument.

**Cydkar** · 03-23-2009, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by cyclonenum1

LSU lost to the soon-to-be National Champions but they did barely beat a mid major darling in Butler to get the chance to play UNC.

Fixed it.

**cyclonenum1** · 03-23-2009, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Cydkar

Fixed it.

Figures that a GM apologist would do something like this! I know you chalked up a bunch of "moral victories" to GM this year...but I am from the camp that a loss is a loss and a win is a win.

**jdoggivjc** · 03-23-2009, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by cyclonenum1

LSU lost to the soon-to-be National Champions but they did beat a mid major darling in Butler to get the chance to play UNC.

A. I wouldn't put money on UNC winning the national championship - they look EXTREMELY VULNERABLE.

B. What was the final score of that game? LSU 75, Butler 71 - seems to me Butler belonged in the tournament as an at-large Mid-Major even though they lost, despite your assertion to the otherwise...

**isunorth** · 03-23-2009, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by jdoggivjc

A. I wouldn't put money on UNC winning the national championship - they look EXTREMELY VULNERABLE.

B. What was the final score of that game? LSU 75, Butler 71 - seems to me Butler belonged in the tournament as an at-large Mid-Major even though they lost, despite your assertion to the otherwise...

Just curious...who would you put your money on?

**jdoggivjc** · 03-23-2009, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by cyclonenum1

Figures that a GM apologist would do something like this! I know you chalked up a bunch of "moral victories" to GM this year...but I am from the camp that a loss is a loss and a win is a win.

Yet you're qualifying your beloved LSU's loss in the NCAA tournament because it's to the "eventual NCAA tourney champions" - explain that bit of hypocrisy to me...

**jdoggivjc** · 03-23-2009, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by isunorth

Just curious...who would you put your money on?

Louisville

**06Panther** · 03-23-2009, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by cyclonenum1

Down to the Sweet 16 and only 3 schools left that are not from the major / BCS / power conferences. And those three (Memphis, Gonzaga, and Xavier) have really catapulted themselves into "major" programs over the past 10-15 years even though they play in mid major conferences because they schedule a bunch of non conference games against major schools and then wipe the court with their conference opponents.

And as I said last week when some of you were bemoaning the lack of respect from the NCAA selection committee for the mid majors...the selection committee does a tremendous job...only 2 of the Sweet 16 were not seeded to get this far...Purdue as a #5 and Arizona as a #12...everything else went exactly according to seeding.

What a bunch of crap. Its tough for alot of mid-major teams to make the sweet 16 when only 4 of the 34 at large selections were mid majors. And the all the mid-majors that were in had ****** seeds and had to play the top seeds.

You can't go and say "I told you so" when only 4 at large teams were mid-majors.

**Steve** · 03-23-2009, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by cyclonenum1

Figures that a GM apologist would do something like this! I know you chalked up a bunch of "moral victories" to GM this year...but I am from the camp that a loss is a loss and a win is a win.

So when did you arrive at this camp? You certainly weren't there back in January when you went out of your way to slam the quality of the win over Nebraska.

**cyclonenum1** · 03-23-2009, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by Steve

So when did you arrive at this camp? You certainly weren't there back in January when you went out of your way to slam the quality of the win over Nebraska.

I don't believe I ever "slammed" that win or any of the other wins we had (few as they may be) this past year. Now, I do get on posters that go crazy after a win like this NU win at home...some of them act like we just beat the number one team in the country and we should give the coach a raise and a long extension. Little did we know this had already been done.

**isunorth** · 03-23-2009, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by 06Panther

What a bunch of crap. Its tough for alot of mid-major teams to make the sweet 16 when only 4 of the 34 at large selections were mid majors. And the all the mid-majors that were in had ****** seeds and had to play the top seeds.

You can't go and say "I told you so" when only 4 at large teams were mid-majors.

What do you propose instead? Should we seed the mid-majors higher so they have a better chance of making the Sweet 16? How about we make a special tournament for mid-majors so they can all feel good about themselves?