4th Team

[Westbrook36]

Hall, even though you quoted me, I don't do the argue over the internet thing, haven't for years. So I'm signing off, but before I do I'd like to thank you very much for reconfirming my opinion of typical Seton Hall fans. Well done.

[Bill Marsh]

Point of clarification XUFan, UConn missed the tourney last year because they were ineligible for the post season. The oBE was scary deep last year, and they would have been yet another BE team in the tourney mix had they actually cared about the academic performance of their student athletes.

Gumby, I was a season ticket holder at UConn last year and I can tell you that they were not going to the NCAA tournament even if they were eligible.

Your comment about UConn not caring about the academic performance of their student athletes is an undeserved and baseless cheap shot.

[CTYankee10]

Marsh - UConn was absolutely tournament caliber last year. They would have been around a 9 or 10 seed. They beat 3 ranked teams and played 2 more within 5 points (including a double OT loss to Georgetown).

[ChelseaFriar]

Marsh - UConn was absolutely tournament caliber last year. They would have been around a 9 or 10 seed. They beat 3 ranked teams and played 2 more within 5 points (including a double OT loss to Georgetown).

Ugh, and they beat PC in OT twice. Infuriating.

UConn finished tied in the BE last year with Villanova (10-8). Uconn was 20-10 overall and Villanova 23-10 overall in the regular season. Nova made the dance. No idea what the two teams had for RPI numbers, etc.

[Bill Marsh]

Marsh - UConn was absolutely tournament caliber last year. They would have been around a 9 or 10 seed. They beat 3 ranked teams and played 2 more within 5 points (including a double OT loss to Georgetown).

CT Yankee, the committee would have given UConn more scrutiny than you are, but before it ever got to that point, UConn would have had to play at least one more game, the Big East tournament. Who would UConn have played?

Providence.

How did UConn do against PC during the regular season? Beat 'me twice. So, why should anyone doubt that UConn would have beaten PC a 3rd time?

1. Both UConn-PC games went into OT. These 2 teams were very evenly matched.
2. The 2nd game was the last game of the season, the Sunday before the BE tournament.
3. That 2nd game was in Hartford and it was UClnn's opportunity to win their 20th game and give meaning to a season that was ending without an opportunity to go to postseason. The climate was fanatical. Even with all that, it took OT to get a win.
4. It's hard enough to beat any time 3 times in one season, but to do so 3 days after losing in OT was a classic trap game, which UConn was not winning.
5. UConn was decimated by injury. They were not beating anyone in the BE tournament at that point.

Chances are that UConn was one and done in the BE tournament, giving them 4 losses in their last 5 games and 5 in their last 8. The committee doesn't like teams that rank down the stretch - especially when that team is a bubble team in the first place.

By season's end, UConn's RPI ranking had slipped to #49, a classic bubble team. A loss in the BE tournament would have dropped them down even further to the wrong side of the bubble.

Ultimately the major bid killer for UConn was injuries. The committee is allowed to take into consideration a team's injury status. And they do. UConn was a bubble team which was so decimated by injury as to be not recognizable as the same team. Consider the following:

Shabazz Napier had a severe ankle injury. No one understood how he was even able to get out on the floor against PC in the final game, which he hobbled through. He was placed in a boot immediately after that final game, which he wore around campus for weeks afterward. His season was done after the PC game. He was the team's leading scorer, assists leader, and its best player.

Starting wing and double figure scorer, Omar Calhoun, was already gone for the season.

The starting center and his backup were both gone.

6th man Neil's Giffey was also gone with injury.

In other words, they were without 5 of their top 7 players including their best player. There is no way that the committee was giving this team a bid despite what would have been a 20-11 record.

[XUFan09]

So, Georgetown and Marquette may have just switched positions. Marquette also has the benefit of no bad losses. I'd say Providence is the front-runner for a fourth bid now. They get Xavier at home this Saturday, and I'm really nervous about that one. Bryce Cotton vs. Semaj Christon will be a fantastic matchup though.

[Jet915]

So, Georgetown and Marquette may have just switched positions. Marquette also has the benefit of no bad losses. I'd say Providence is the front-runner for a fourth bid now. They get Xavier at home this Saturday, and I'm really nervous about that one. Bryce Cotton vs. Semaj Christon will be a fantastic matchup though.

If PC can get through this week 2-0, they will definitely be bubble in. X will be tough though.

[stever20]

So, Georgetown and Marquette may have just switched positions. Marquette also has the benefit of no bad losses. I'd say Providence is the front-runner for a fourth bid now. They get Xavier at home this Saturday, and I'm really nervous about that one. Bryce Cotton vs. Semaj Christon will be a fantastic matchup though.

Marquette's problem though is 8 losses already. Still only 11 wins. Providence now only team outside the top 3 with more than 11 wins.

It's possible by Saturday-
Providence 14-6(win over Butler, loss to Xavier)
Marquette 11-9(loss to Nova)
Georgetown 11-8(loss to Creighton)- with games next week vs Nova and Mich St

and that's if PC beats Butler. If they lose both they're 13-7. All 3 teams then would need to get 7 wins to have a shot. All 3 in 11 games. Not sure any of those are capable of doing that this year.

Will say though- the 3 that Marquette got end of regulation is the kind of shot that changes seasons. They lose tonight, they are pretty much done. Now at least they have a shot. Wouldn't shock me much at all to see them get going here.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Point of clarification XUFan, UConn missed the tourney last year because they were ineligible for the post season. The oBE was scary deep last year, and they would have been yet another BE team in the tourney mix had they actually cared about the academic performance of their student athletes.

Gumby, I was a season ticket holder at UConn last year and I can tell you that they were not going to the NCAA tournament even if they were eligible.

Your comment about UConn not caring about the academic performance of their student athletes is an undeserved and baseless cheap shot.

Um... You do realize that UConn was ineligible because it's players failed to meet BASIC academic standards, right? This wasn't a one year thing. For years UConn has demonstrated that the success of its basketball team trumped the success of its student athletes. When your coach has a record of graduating less than 50% of his players that tells you all you need to know about priorities at the school.

[ljay]

Look at teams 5 through 10 in the league right now...records from 10-10 to 11-7. They are toast for NCAA consideration short of a miraculous run from here on out as IMO no one from this league with 10+ losses will get a bid short of winning at MSG.

Pretty much the only way the BE gets four in is if Providence goes on to a strong finish from here. They can do it but with such a short bench I expect that there may be unfortunate losses ahead. It will be tough.