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I know there is a thread about the selection choices, but felt this deserved it's own.

After all the talk and hype of the AAC (5 teams in the top 25), the issues in the conference (the dreadful bottom half) got exposed.

SMU was left out despite being ranked last week after losses to Louisville, Memphis, and particularly #6 HOUSTON in their last game. Looks like the bottom half finally hurt a team in this conference.

Here are the RPI rankings:

1 (18) Louisville
2 (19) Cincinnati
3 (23) Connecticut
4 (34) Memphis
5 (55) Southern Methodist
6 (143) Houston
7 (180) Temple
8 (196) Rutgers
9 (215) UCF
10 (227) South Florida

And the Big East (Also got 4 teams)

1 (5) Villanova
2 (11) Creighton
3 (42) Providence
4 (49) Xavier
5 (65) St. John's
6 (66) Georgetown
7 (90) Marquette
8 (125) Seton Hall
9 (146) Butler
10 (151) DePaul

Creighton 3 West
Xavier 12 MW PIG
Villanova 2 East
Providence 11 East


Louisville 4 Midwest
Cincy 5 East
UConn 7 East
Memphis 8 East

I think this is fair seeing each get four in. Both conferences had issues but seeing the American get an extra team in wouldn't be right.

Although I will say Louisville at #4 is ridiculous. AAC having 3 teams in the East sucks as well.

Point is, after all the ESPN hype about the American we still did better in the bracket. Now to play the games.

This is probably the best the AAC will be as well with Louisville leaving this year and most would consider this a "down" year for the Big East with Marquette and Georgetown nowhere to be seen. The Big East will be hands down the better conference going forward.

Jet915 wrote:This is probably the best the AAC will be as well with Louisville leaving this year and most would consider this a "down" year for the Big East with Marquette and Georgetown nowhere to be seen. The Big East will be hands down the better conference going forward.

And then throw in the eventual slide of SMU after their coach leaves in a year or two.

Plus the likely departures of uconn and cincy whenever possible for them

Temple should be back, Tulsa looks like they're getting back, and also they lose Rutgers(addition by subtraction).

stever20 wrote:Temple should be back, Tulsa looks like they're getting back, and also they lose Rutgers(addition by subtraction).

But you also add two more bottom feeders in ECU and Tulane. My guess is they will be a 3-4 bid league out of 12 which isn't bad but isn't great.

Jet915 wrote:

stever20 wrote:Temple should be back, Tulsa looks like they're getting back, and also they lose Rutgers(addition by subtraction).

But you also add two more bottom feeders in ECU and Tulane.

that's true. However if the big 4 keep up- then add in Tulsa- that's a pretty good top 5. Key will be can Temple get back, and can Houston build on what has to be viewed as a pretty good season.. If those 2 are yesses, that's 7 teams. Leaves UCF, USF, ECU, and Tulane. ECU/Tulane both had winning records this year.

long term, it may be really good for SMU that they're in the NIT. With being such a young team, getting maybe 5 games would be huge.

The bottom half of the conference didn't help things, but SMU also hurt from playing a dreadful non-conference SOS (296th). This was actually the first thing Wellman said about them, followed by their overall SOS. He said that the worst SOS of at-large teams in the field was 90th, and SMU's was 114th, nowhere near that mark.

stever20 wrote:

Jet915 wrote:

stever20 wrote:Temple should be back, Tulsa looks like they're getting back, and also they lose Rutgers(addition by subtraction).

But you also add two more bottom feeders in ECU and Tulane.

that's true. However if the big 4 keep up- then add in Tulsa- that's a pretty good top 5. Key will be can Temple get back, and can Houston build on what has to be viewed as a pretty good season.. If those 2 are yesses, that's 7 teams. Leaves UCF, USF, ECU, and Tulane. ECU/Tulane both had winning records this year.

Way too many ifs though. Houston needs to improve quite a bit to get in next year. I mean this year the BE got 4 in and you can easily make the case for SJU, Gtown, SH, and Marquette getting in next year, That's 8 (7 if you remove Creighton), but 7/8 isn't happening.

The biggest IF for the American is if Uconn/Cincy leaves. That would be the biggest blow after Louisville leaving this year.