Iowa State is in. The Big XII is the womens version of the Big East in mens basketball. ISU will receive their due preference by the selection committee based on the league's sterling reputation. End Thread.
Do the women deserve a bid to the dance?
- Thread starter Knownothing
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Yep, I think they're in. I think if the committee looks at our conference season, from starting 0-5, then winning 9 of the next 13 (14), to finish 4th the in the best conferenc, and hosting the first 2 rounds - that volume of work gets us in.
Here is what the NCAA uses as part of the selection process:
NCAA
Note - they look at the last 12 games on the women's side
Based on the history of the Big 12, any team that has finished .500 or better in the league has always made the tourney, and there have been teams below .500 that have made it (ISU 2008).
Things to remember:
#1 - Conference RPI and SOS (9 of 10 teams in the top 65 of the RPI)
#2 - Only power conference to play a double round robin
NCAA
Note - they look at the last 12 games on the women's side
Based on the history of the Big 12, any team that has finished .500 or better in the league has always made the tourney, and there have been teams below .500 that have made it (ISU 2008).
Things to remember:
#1 - Conference RPI and SOS (9 of 10 teams in the top 65 of the RPI)
#2 - Only power conference to play a double round robin
Finished fourth in the toughest womens conference, yes we are in. Our resume looks good to me as well, hope they stay at home in Ames count me in as attending!!
Kansas - out, losing to A&M popped their bubble
Oklahoma State - out, losing to sub 100 MU killed their chances
USC - out, lost to Washington State (#126 RPI) in the Pac-12 tourney, on their home floor.
Creme has been very quiet tonight.
Creme's bracketology from late last night hasn't changed anything at the bottom. Iowa State's still the third-from-last in, and all the other bubble teams are in the same slot they were a couple days ago. No wonder, since practically all of the bubble teams lost in the past three days or had already finished their conference tournaments.
And since Delaware and UWGB and (of lesser importance) UTEP keep advancing in their conference tournaments, this is the perfect scenario for Iowa State to make the NCAAs. If UTEP and UWGB win their conference tourneys today, and Delaware wins the CAAs tomorrow, I'd put the Cyclones' chances of making the NCAA bracket at probably 85%-90%.
And since Delaware and UWGB and (of lesser importance) UTEP keep advancing in their conference tournaments, this is the perfect scenario for Iowa State to make the NCAAs. If UTEP and UWGB win their conference tourneys today, and Delaware wins the CAAs tomorrow, I'd put the Cyclones' chances of making the NCAA bracket at probably 85%-90%.
Especially with us hosting. The WBB Big 12 is what the MBB Big 10 claims to be every year.
Really? You play in a murderous conference where the second place team has SEVEN conference losses (and they are the defending national champs) and a team two games back in 4th doesn't deserve a bid? I want to hear the rationale for this one.
If ISU is benchmarked by how well it competed against Baylor relative to other teams this year...
A&M lost to BU in the Big 12 title game by about the same margin as ISU did at Waco. ISU scored more points against BU than A&M did in those games.
Only 5 teams led or tied BU at the half ALL YEAR and only 6 teams led Baylor in the 2nd half of a game, and ISU was one of them.
Tennessee: 33-31 at the half and by 8 early in the 2nd
St. Johns: 32-30 at the half and by 6 early in the 2nd
UConn: 34-28 at the half and by 11 partway through the 2nd
TTU: 35-30 at the half
A&M: down at half, up by 1 early in 2nd
ISU: 32-32 at the half and by 4 early in the 2nd
ISU, A&M, and TTU were the only Big 12 teams to lead BU after the half. Other Big 12 teams either never led or led only in the early minutes of the game.
While those stats don't show up in RPI, it's an interesting benchmark going against the best team in the country.
A&M lost to BU in the Big 12 title game by about the same margin as ISU did at Waco. ISU scored more points against BU than A&M did in those games.
Only 5 teams led or tied BU at the half ALL YEAR and only 6 teams led Baylor in the 2nd half of a game, and ISU was one of them.
Tennessee: 33-31 at the half and by 8 early in the 2nd
St. Johns: 32-30 at the half and by 6 early in the 2nd
UConn: 34-28 at the half and by 11 partway through the 2nd
TTU: 35-30 at the half
A&M: down at half, up by 1 early in 2nd
ISU: 32-32 at the half and by 4 early in the 2nd
ISU, A&M, and TTU were the only Big 12 teams to lead BU after the half. Other Big 12 teams either never led or led only in the early minutes of the game.
While those stats don't show up in RPI, it's an interesting benchmark going against the best team in the country.
ISU will get in. 1 they finished in top 4 of tough conference. 2 They host so the only other way they could get any draw would be to put iowa or drake if they win MVC there. ISU may actually get a decent seed because they are a host
I'm more nervous now than I was a few days ago. Our RPI has dropped to #48. My brain says there are too many factors in our favor not to make it, but I'm still concerned.
Kansas and Texas are now worse than 50, so our record shows four fewer games vs top-50 teams. On the plus side, Kansas and Texas are also bubble teams, and I don't see any way they leapfrog us.
We still have a 7-5 record in our last 12 games, which is pretty decent compared to major-conference teams with a similar RPI. We still have no bad losses.
If you want an interesting look at the actual data the NCAA uses, check these out:
NCAA
NCAA
Kansas and Texas are now worse than 50, so our record shows four fewer games vs top-50 teams. On the plus side, Kansas and Texas are also bubble teams, and I don't see any way they leapfrog us.
We still have a 7-5 record in our last 12 games, which is pretty decent compared to major-conference teams with a similar RPI. We still have no bad losses.
If you want an interesting look at the actual data the NCAA uses, check these out:
NCAA
NCAA
This shows us in as a 10 seed. Even though we're still listed on the 'first 4 out' list, I think we're solid.
Side note: Oklahoma a 8 seed, that seems low. Playing #9 Iowa. Isn't that a rematch from a couple years ago?
Consider me hopeful, but, very concerned. I hope I've overlooked something. There are 31 automatic bids, 21 of those in the AP poll top 34 do not have automatic bids. I realize the committee does not always agree with the polls, but, assume they all get in, that accounts for 52. We are number 13 in terms of NCAA rpi (in MRED's post) of the remaining teams. One hopeful is that rpi has limits - (e.g. KSU at 17) One team we could jump is Villanova.
Women's NCAA Automatic Bids - College Women's Basketball - Rivals.com
NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Rankings - NCAA.com
Women's NCAA Automatic Bids - College Women's Basketball - Rivals.com
NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Rankings - NCAA.com
