Weber St. left out of NIT

[bengal]

He isn't reaching at all....he is right on the money. What the Kentucky person thinks about the Big Sky Conference is a reflection of the image of the conference on a national basis.

Hell, just read some of the idiotic posts from a few of the no-nothing badger fans on the other threads here if you want any proof that this is true. Essentially what they are saying is because we play in the Big Sky, there is NO WAY IN HELL we're as good/talented/have athletes/size/speed/quickness/or the ability to spell "basketball" the way it's done in the Big 10. Mind you, these people have never even seen Montana play, but they KNOW that we can't have any athletes/players because we play in the BSC.

That's a problem.

Every fan base is ego-centric. They all think their conference is the best in the country. I'm a Northwestern graduate and our fan base was apopletic that the Wildcats "only" beat Akron by three in the NIT yesterday, because they are from the lowly MAC. (Most of them didn't bother to notice that Akron had a higher RPI than NU, but what the heck.)

The folks on the NCAA (and NIT) selection committees are little bit less superficial than all that. They really, really do look at RPI, SOS, performance trends, etc. And what hurt Weber this year was the fact the conference was down this year, according to group RPI (the Big Sky ranked 25 in RPI as a league -- the conference was as high as 18 two season ago); the Cats didn't have a signature win on their resume; and they had a "bad loss" -- to my Bengals. I still think the fact that their team RPI was higher than a lot of the teams in the NIT should have gotten them into the tournament, but I don't think the Big Sky's "poor reputation" was the cause. I think the Big Sky's poor group RPI probably had a lot more to do with it.

 

[Spanky]

Bengal....isn't that the same thing? :roll:

 

[bengal]

Bengal....isn't that the same thing? :roll:

Not in my book. Reputation is the committee just saying, "Oh, they're from the Big Sky, they can't play." Actual RPI is performance -- the league hasn't been very good the last two years (RPI -25). Two years ago, the league was ranked 18th in RPI, and if Weber had gone 14-2 that year, they would have definitely gotten into the NIT. (At least that's my theory and I'm stickin' to it.

 

[Spanky]

And you graduated from Northwestern? :lol: :?:

 

[bengal]

And you graduated from Northwestern? :lol: :?:

And Idaho State.

 

[Spanky]

Now that really explains your point of view. :thumb:

 

[Paytonlives]

Payton you do a great service to this board, but the notion that because a Kentucky Wildcat fan thinks the Big Sky sucks and that has an effect on what athletic directors on the tournament selection committees think is absurd to put it mildly. First, I think Montana fans are so egocentric, they gravely overestimate how many OTHER fanbases even think of the Griz or the Big Sky at all. But again, to say that because the Wisconsin fan base thinks the Big Sky sucks and that in turn has some effect on how the NCAA treats the conference come the postseason is insanely rediculous. You're reaching and trying way too hard on this whole move up thing.

My point is that when the guys at the NIT sat down to pick teams, record is a secondary trait. They want name teams that will draw a crowd. The NIT is "stuck" with conference regular season champs that did not win the conference championship.

IE The rest of the country does not even know more then 1 or 2 teams in the BSC. And yes that makes a big difference in which teams the NIT chose.

MONEY (will they draw a crowd) and then name recognition.

TEAMS IN NIT
Iowa 17-16
Northwester 18-13
LSU is 18-14
Tenn 18-14
Minn. 19-14
Miami 19-12
Dayton 20-12
Ole Miss 20-13
St. Joes 20-13
Seaton Hall 20-12
Stanford 21-11
Miss St 21-11
UMass 22-11
Oregon 22-9

AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
Valpo
Midd Tenn
Savannah State
Akron
Texas Arlington
Washington
Stony Brook
Drexel
Bucknell
Oral Roberts
Nevada

 

[MT Jack]

Who gives two squats what BCS conference fan bases think? Really.

Weber State, Montana or whoever the Big Sky rep is could beat an ACC team five years in a row in the opening round of the NCAA tourney and the Big Sky conference still gets viewed as peons. I hear it weekly from ASU and U of Arizona fans how their schools are god's gift to collegiate sports. They have no idea what goes on outside their little bubbles. No matter how many times a VCU, Butler, Wichita State, Northern Iowa or the like prove they can compete...this won't change. I do know that North Carolina hoops fans know Weber State and Kansas hoops fans know Northern Iowa to this day, though. Beat the BCS big boys and they won't give due props but they will remember it.

 

[Growler1]

He isn't reaching at all....he is right on the money. What the Kentucky person thinks about the Big Sky Conference is a reflection of the image of the conference on a national basis.

Hell, just read some of the idiotic posts from a few of the no-nothing badger fans on the other threads here if you want any proof that this is true. Essentially what they are saying is because we play in the Big Sky, there is NO WAY IN HELL we're as good/talented/have athletes/size/speed/quickness/or the ability to spell "basketball" the way it's done in the Big 10. Mind you, these people have never even seen Montana play, but they KNOW that we can't have any athletes/players because we play in the BSC.

That's a problem.

Then he must not have watched previous NCAA tournaments. There are upsets every year. The NBA taking the best young kids has provided parity in college BB.

 

[IdaGriz01]

Who gives two squats what BCS conference fan bases think? Really. ... No matter how many times a VCU, Butler, Wichita State, Northern Iowa or the like prove they can compete...this won't change. I do know that North Carolina hoops fans know Weber State and Kansas hoops fans know Northern Iowa to this day, though. Beat the BCS big boys and they won't give due props but they will remember it.

So will the AD. :lol: :lol:

But that also means he'll make damn sure not to schedule you for a regular season game. (If he tries, someone will surely remind him.) It's an impossible situation for the have-nots: Teams like the Griz or Weber get hammered for a weak SOS, but it's the big boys who hardly ever schedule a mid-major that might actually give them trouble. That's a no-win situation for the big boys too, of course -- they get virtually no credit for winning (they're supposed to win), but it's a big black eye to lose.

 

[MT Jack]

Beat the BCS big boys and they won't give due props but they will remember it.

So will the AD. :lol: :lol:

But that also means he'll make damn sure not to schedule you for a regular season game. (If he tries, someone will surely remind him.) It's an impossible situation for the have-nots: Teams like the Griz or Weber get hammered for a weak SOS, but it's the big boys who hardly ever schedule a mid-major that might actually give them trouble. That's a no-win situation for the big boys too, of course -- they get virtually no credit for winning (they're supposed to win), but it's a big black eye to lose.

NAU beat Arizona State U. the last two times they played. I don't expect another game in Tempe any time in the near future. Will Oregon/Oregon State/U Washington schedule the Griz anytime soon in college hoops after losses/skin of their teeth wins @ home? Doubtful...and that's a bummer for college hoops fans.