whiteandblue77 wrote:GumbyDamnit! wrote:Being undefeated and a mid-major #1 seed seems like an awful lot of pressure to me. How do they respond when down double digits in the 2nd half? Do they feel like they are representing mid-majors everywhere and start getting a little tight?
Don't bait me Gumby! That is exactly why Mid-Majors love to play BCS football schools.
Bill Marsh wrote:Westbrook36 wrote:If the Shockers go 34-0 they deserve a number 1 seed, St. Joe's had a similar season and got rewarded with a #1. With that said, I agree with whoever said earlier in the thread, that while they may get a #1 seed they aren't one of the top 4 teams in the country, IMO. I think WSU is going to find the tournament much more difficult this year and it has nothing to do with their draw, this year they will have a big old target on their back. They won't be flying under the radar as some 8 or 9 seed this year, no one is going to be sleeping on them.
Sorry, but they will not deserve a #1 seed. The only thing that their season has in common with that St. Joe's team is that both have undefeated regular seasons. Even after their loss in the A10 tournament and their loss in the Elite 8, St. Joe's still had an RPI of #3 and their SOS was 46th. Their A10 schedule included Xavier, a team that went to the Elite 8 that year.
Wichita State currently has an RPI of #7 and a SOS of #90. Even with an undefeated season their SOS is expected to drop further to #104 due to the weakness of the remaining MVC teams on their schedule.
Big difference between giving a #1 seed to a team with a top 50 SOS and one that isn't even in the top 100.
Bill Marsh wrote:Westbrook36 wrote:If the Shockers go 34-0 they deserve a number 1 seed, St. Joe's had a similar season and got rewarded with a #1. With that said, I agree with whoever said earlier in the thread, that while they may get a #1 seed they aren't one of the top 4 teams in the country, IMO. I think WSU is going to find the tournament much more difficult this year and it has nothing to do with their draw, this year they will have a big old target on their back. They won't be flying under the radar as some 8 or 9 seed this year, no one is going to be sleeping on them.
Sorry, but they will not deserve a #1 seed. The only thing that their season has in common with that St. Joe's team is that both have undefeated regular seasons. Even after their loss in the A10 tournament and their loss in the Elite 8, St. Joe's still had an RPI of #3 and their SOS was 46th. Their A10 schedule included Xavier, a team that went to the Elite 8 that year.
Wichita State currently has an RPI of #7 and a SOS of #90. Even with an undefeated season their SOS is expected to drop further to #104 due to the weakness of the remaining MVC teams on their schedule.
Big difference between giving a #1 seed to a team with a top 50 SOS and one that isn't even in the top 100.
GumbyDamnit! wrote:So what happens when all of a sudden, instead of being an underestimated #6 seed you are rewarded with a #1 seed. The hunter becomes the hunted and the spotlight and target is on your back. You can no longer fly under the radar--a role that you thrive on. Kentucky, Fl, Kansas, Syr and Mich St are used to that top seed role. Last year Gonzaga as a mid major #1 didn't get out of the 1st weekend. This will be uncharted territory for WSU, so is it safe to assume that they may feel a little pressure to validate that #1 seed? Compound that with being undefeated. That too carries a weight. Is it outlandish and off the mark for me to suggest that the two things might cause the Shocker players to tighten a bit?
senditinjerome wrote:GumbyDamnit! wrote:So what happens when all of a sudden, instead of being an underestimated #6 seed you are rewarded with a #1 seed. The hunter becomes the hunted and the spotlight and target is on your back. You can no longer fly under the radar--a role that you thrive on. Kentucky, Fl, Kansas, Syr and Mich St are used to that top seed role. Last year Gonzaga as a mid major #1 didn't get out of the 1st weekend. This will be uncharted territory for WSU, so is it safe to assume that they may feel a little pressure to validate that #1 seed? Compound that with being undefeated. That too carries a weight. Is it outlandish and off the mark for me to suggest that the two things might cause the Shocker players to tighten a bit?
Excellent point...For these reasons, I think it would be better if Wichita actually lost a game now and dropped down to a #3 or #4 seed...There would be less pressure to validate the #1 seed. They would still have a target on their back and would still be the mid-major darling, but the target would not be as big and the spotlight not as bright.
GumbyDamnit! wrote:whiteandblue77 wrote:GumbyDamnit! wrote:Being undefeated and a mid-major #1 seed seems like an awful lot of pressure to me. How do they respond when down double digits in the 2nd half? Do they feel like they are representing mid-majors everywhere and start getting a little tight?
Don't bait me Gumby! That is exactly why Mid-Majors love to play BCS football schools.
I'm not baiting anyone. Is it the term "mid-major" that has your panties in a bunch? Some may see that term and think it holds a connotation of being less than a BCS school. I do not. It is simply a term for the type of league that one is in. The MVC is not the B1G. Saying that Wich St is better than Iowa, or Mich St, Wisc., is fine and is a reasonable debate. But the MVC is just not a league that can compare top to bottom. I don't think any Jays fan would reasonably conclude any different now that they are in a league with 9 other quality programs, right?
My point that must have been missed... Many "mid-majors" use that designation as fuel. They surely feel like they have been judged to be less than the BCS schools. They are motivated to prove that they belong with the big boys. Heck, I have heard as much from Jays fans (and Butler and XU fans) trying to justify that they belonged in the discussion for the BET title at the start of this season. So what happens when all of a sudden, instead of being an underestimated #6 seed you are rewarded with a #1 seed. The hunter becomes the hunted and the spotlight and target is on your back. You can no longer fly under the radar--a role that you thrive on. Kentucky, Fl, Kansas, Syr and Mich St are used to that top seed role. Last year Gonzaga as a mid major #1 didn't get out of the 1st weekend. This will be uncharted territory for WSU, so is it safe to assume that they may feel a little pressure to validate that #1 seed? Compound that with being undefeated. That too carries a weight. Is it outlandish and off the mark for me to suggest that the two things might cause the Shocker players to tighten a bit?
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