Big 12 race tightening

[twistedredbird]

Big 12 Conference Teams - Women's College Basketball - ESPN

OU lost last night at Colorado.

ISU 2 games from 3rd, and don't look now, but OU has Baylor, @TTech left on their schedule.

This game is huge Saturday for us at KState.

Go clones

[Clonehomer]

Big 12 Conference Teams - Women's College Basketball - ESPN

OU lost last night at Colorado.

ISU 2 games from 3rd, and don't look now, but OU has Baylor, @TTech left on their schedule.

This game is huge Saturday for us at KState.

Go clones

I'm not sure that Oklahoma matters to us. We're two games down with only three left. They also have the tie breaker against us (head to head) so we're essentially three games down. They have OSU left on their schedule also who is 3-10.

You are right, however, that the KSU game is huge for us. If we can win in Manhattan, then we'd be tied and they still have a game against A&M left. Looking at our remaining schedule, if we can win Saturday I'd almost say that we're in the driver seat to get the first round bye.

[isuno1fan]

Just don't see it happening at KSU for us. Same story different road venue unfortunately.

Hope I'm wrong. Would be a HUGE win and they are more than capable, but I expect to lose by 6-10 pts given our woes on the road.

[NYCy]

Yes! A very interesting and exciting development indeed. Shocking that OU (RPI #17) lost at Colorado (RPI #159), and in some ways this will probably make our loss at Colorado look not-quite-as-bad. It will certainly help our own RPI to have Colorado and Kansas winning more games.

The last few weeks of the season will be very interesting. Crunch time. We NEED this win at K-State to erase any doubt that we are the top team in the North division. This is the separation game, much like the one against Texas was a separation game.

It will be very interesting to see which of the middle tier bubble teams in the Big 12 that will likely finish around .500 in the league will also make the NCAA tournament: Texas Tech, Texas, K-State, Kansas.

By the way I don't think a team has EVER been left out of the NCAA tournament if they finished in the Top 4 of the Big 12 and/or with a .500 record. Someone should correct me if I'm wrong on that....

[mred]

By the way I don't think a team has EVER been left out of the NCAA tournament if they finished in the Top 4 of the Big 12 and/or with a .500 record. Someone should correct me if I'm wrong on that....

I read that and recalled putting together a spreadsheet of historical standings postseason appearances, and postseason results. Lo and behold, I found it. I need to update it (only goes through 2006) and then I'll post results.

[mred]

I'll post through 2006 and then update it and post the rest.

No top-4 team has ever been left out, but plenty of .500 teams have.

1997: Nebraska 8-8 (no postseason because WNIT didn't exist yet)
1998: OSU and Baylor each 10-6, NIT
1999: Three teams were 8-8, but only NU made NCAA. OU and BU went to the NIT.
2000: none
2001: none
2002: none
2003: MU was 9-7 and BU 8-8, NIT
2004: none
2005: Nebraska was 8-8, NIT
2006: TTU was 9-7, no postseason (I believe declined NIT invite). NU/KSU 8-8, NIT

[mred]

2007 - 2010: none

As the conference has gotten more respect and higher RPI, it has gotten harder for teams to have a .500 record and not make the tournament.

[NYCy]

I'll post through 2006 and then update it and post the rest.

No top-4 team has ever been left out, but plenty of .500 teams have.

1997: Nebraska 8-8 (no postseason because WNIT didn't exist yet)
1998: OSU and Baylor each 10-6, NIT
1999: Three teams were 8-8, but only NU made NCAA. OU and BU went to the NIT.
2000: none
2001: none
2002: none
2003: MU was 9-7 and BU 8-8, NIT
2004: none
2005: Nebraska was 8-8, NIT
2006: TTU was 9-7, no postseason (I believe declined NIT invite). NU/KSU 8-8, NIT

Very cool MRed, thanks for posting this!!! Ok so we really need to finish in the top 4 at 9-7 in the conference to remove all doubt. If we lose at K-State and finish #5 with an 8-8 record it could be trouble.

I look forward to seeing 2006-2010 as well...

[NYCy]

2007 - 2010: none

As the conference has gotten more respect and higher RPI, it has gotten harder for teams to have a .500 record and not make the tournament.

Ok got it.

And this year we may even see a team with a sub-.500 record make it to the Big Dance --- I think Texas Tech, even if they finish 7-9 because of their brutal schedule, has a very strong case since they beat Baylor and ISU.

[VeloClone]

Ok got it.

And this year we may even see a team with a sub-.500 record make it to the Big Dance --- I think Texas Tech, even if they finish 7-9 because of their brutal schedule, has a very strong case since they beat Baylor and ISU.

I don't know. There have been a few strong voices out there who appear to be tired of the dominance of the Big 12 (top to bottom strongest conference for years running) that are poo-pooing the league this year. It may be an uphill climb for any team that is under .500 this year whatever their resume says.

[mred]

2006: TTU was 9-7, no postseason (I believe declined NIT invite)

I double-checked, and they did. It was Marsha Sharp's last season. Tech also declined an invite in 2009 when they were 6-10 (16-15 overall).

[mred]

Here's a list of sub-.500 teams to make the tournament, their seed, and the NCAA result. All records are 7-9.

2001: Texas -- 8 seed (1st rd loss)
2004: Missouri -- 11 seed (1st rd loss)
2008: Texas -- 8 seed (2nd rd)
2008: Iowa State -- 7 seed (2nd rd)

[mred]

I don't know. There have been a few strong voices out there who appear to be tired of the dominance of the Big 12 (top to bottom strongest conference for years running) that are poo-pooing the league this year. It may be an uphill climb for any team that is under .500 this year whatever their resume says.

People who say that are ignoring the fact that teams like Tech and Texas are playing 6 total games against Baylor, A&M, and Oklahoma. Tech and Texas are each 6-7, have a game left against each other, each play OSU one more time, and each have an upper-div South game (Tech vs OU, UT vs A&M). If Tech beats OSU and Texas, they are in. Texas has a lower RPI and probably needs a win against A&M and/or a stroung conference tourney run.

On the other hand, Kansas State already has 8 wins and could get to 9 or 10, but they still might need help due to a low RPI. If they beat KU but lose to ISU and A&M (9-7 record), I think they need conference tourney help to make it.

[NYCy]

I'm so excited to see how this all unfolds. I really want K-State to stumble and fall at the end. Really don't like K-State.

Texas Tech is a new favorite of mine mostly because I see them as an underdog in the South and because their Coach Curry always says such nice things about Coach Fen. She said point-blank in her game interview that she thinks Coach Fen is the best in the Big 12. Then in their next game she got into a screaming match face-to-face with Kim Mulkey and had to be separated by a referee because she thinks Kim's players play dirty (it was after a double-foul that involved Griner). So I have lots of love for Kristy Curry!

This is completely off-topic, but remember that Chicago State team we played in Hilton on January 2nd? They have not lost since that day! They're on a 12-game winning streak and are 9-0 in conference, and probably going to win the Great West Conference. Our Northern Iowa win keeps looking better and better as well.

[VeloClone]

People who say that are ignoring the fact that teams like Tech and Texas are playing 6 total games against Baylor, A&M, and Oklahoma. Tech and Texas are each 6-7, have a game left against each other, each play OSU one more time, and each have an upper-div South game (Tech vs OU, UT vs A&M). If Tech beats OSU and Texas, they are in. Texas has a lower RPI and probably needs a win against A&M and/or a stroung conference tourney run.

On the other hand, Kansas State already has 8 wins and could get to 9 or 10, but they still might need help due to a low RPI. If they beat KU but lose to ISU and A&M (9-7 record), I think they need conference tourney help to make it.

I hope you are right, but I have been hearing things here and there all season from voices like Charlie Creme. Everybody who follows WBB at all listens to Charlie whether they agree with him all the time or not.

Women's basketball: No. 1 seeds seem obvious now - ESPN

I realize this link is pretty dated (a little over two weeks old) but he clearly is discounting the Big 12 and the strength of the league.

Again, I hope you are right, but I still am worried that the Big 12 will not get the respect it deserves come Selection Monday.