If Wichita St. runs the table, do they deserve a #1 seed?

[HoosierPal]

there is a slight chance ISU blue could take them out in the finals of the conference tourney. It happened a few years ago when Odem was a frosh, IIRC. If everything flips the right way, WSU could lose a slow, possession based game against them. Not likely, but not impossible either.

I agree that could happen. If it does, that means one less NCAA At Large slot available, as the Valley would then have two teams in the Dance.

[OutlawWales]

there is a slight chance ISU blue could take them out in the finals of the conference tourney. It happened a few years ago when Odem was a frosh, IIRC. If everything flips the right way, WSU could lose a slow, possession based game against them. Not likely, but not impossible either.

I agree that could happen. If it does, that means one less NCAA At Large slot available, as the Valley would then have two teams in the Dance.

I have very mixed feelings about that. Yeah, it'd suck to have the Valley take an extra spot away from someone more deserving -- nobody else in the Valley should even be in the discussion right now. It would REALLY suck if that was another BIG EAST team that lost a spot. Still, there's something in the inner makeup of Jays fans that will never be able to pass up a little inner glee and joy at seeing Wichita lose in the conference tourney. As good as Wichita has been over the years, that team has NEVER WON THE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT. And it's just so much fun seeing them blow it in the tourney every single year.

If they win out, they deserve a one seed. They won't suddenly be one of the four or five best teams in the country, but you have to respect actually not slipping up and losing to somebody you should beat. Everyone else pretty much has done that -- I believe the Jays were favored in every game they have lost, for example. So you respect that, and you reward it with a one seed. Then you get your popcorn and watch for the possibility of seeing the first ever #16 over a #1, because that #1 in Wichita has basically not played anyone meaningful all year long.

[Jays26]

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.

there is a slight chance ISU blue could take them out in the finals of the conference tourney. It happened a few years ago when Odem was a frosh, IIRC. If everything flips the right way, WSU could lose a slow, possession based game against them. Not likely, but not impossible either.

As you said, there is always a slight chance that ISU blue could take them out but for God sake, ISU blue about went down at home to Evansville last night.

I will always be a fan of the MVC but it is just horrible this year especially without the Jays.

And if the Shockers do lose a game in their tourney, and we all know Gregggggg's history in St. Louis , it will be a damn shame that they steal a bid this year.

[stever20]

Yes, Wichita State is undefeated, and while some on this board thinks that carries some kind of inherent, mystical merit all it's own, it doesn't. A hammer is undefeated against a nail. As always, the committee always looks at "Who did you play, where did you play them, and who did you beat?"

Wichita State has one win against the Top 25. ONE. Saint Louis (#13) back in December. The Shockers have as many wins against the Top 50 as MARQUETTE does (2). You remember Marquette, the team that desperately needs quality wins just to even be in the bubble discussion? Looking at their resume, yes, they've never lost, but we really have no idea how good they are because they're essentially picking on the slow kid in class. At a time when most teams are in the toughest portion of their conference schedule, Wichita State has played FIVE teams with sub-200 RPIs in the last three weeks.

I also think it's a little strange to justify their nonexistent conference schedule just because "they tried to schedule tough in non-conference, but some teams under-performed."

It's worthwhile context here that Marquette scheduled Ohio State, a road trip to Arizona State and the Wooden Legacy (where they had to play a "neutral" site game against San Diego State in Anaheim), at Wisconsin, and another "neutral" site game against New Mexico in Las Vegas, all before getting into the meat grinder of the Big East. That's trying to schedule tough in nonconference, and MU, rightly or wrongly, got punished for it with losses to Arizona State, San Diego State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and New Mexico.

But remember, with Wichita, we're talking about scheduling Tennessee (at home), BYU and DePaul at a "Neutral" Site (Kansas City, less than a 3-hour drive from their campus), Alabama (preseason picked to finish 6th in the SEC), and Tulsa (KenPom picked to finish 7th in Conference USA, because C-USA doesn't conduct a pre-season poll). Good on the Shockers for beating SLU on the road, but nonconference Chaifetz is hardly an arena that strikes terror into anybody's hearts yet. Otherwise, that's a lousy non-conference slate. Period dot.

Even if they finish the season undefeated, they should not be given a number one seed.

Marquette had 6 games against teams projected RPI 298 or worse.
Grambling 347
New Hampshire 334.5
CS Fullerton 297.6
IUPUI 322.3
Ball St 304.1
Samford 301.6
that's why Marquette has an OOC SOS of 154 right now.(and why they are so dead in trying to make the tourney)
Wichita has an OOC SOS of 46. I'm sorry, but an OOC schedule of 46 is not bad at all. Of the top 60 RPI teams, only 20 have better OOC schedules than Wichita does. BYU, Tennessee, and SLU all could easily make the tourney, and it wouldn't be a shock to see NC Central and Tulsa win their auto bids.

And, like was said earlier, Creighton's sucess in the BE does nothing but help Wichita out. Similarly, I think Wichita's sucess combined with Creighton's sucess actually helps the Big East a smidge.

[XBand15]

If they remain undefeated they will get a 1 seed. And I think they should. As much as we can debate how weak their overall schedule is, they still won all their games and should be rewarded for it whether it is fair or not. Then it will be up to Wichita to show that they deserved it. Do I think they are better than any of the other teams in contention for a number 1 seed? No, but they will have their opportunity to prove me wrong.

[FlyJays]

If Wichita runs the table, which they will, they will be a #1 seed. And they will lose in the 2nd round. Their best win is against St. Louis - another mid-major. But, its tough to go 30-0 against any schedule.

They are going to miss Carl Hall in the tournament. He gave them a super physical presence, and while their big guy this season is improved, he's not on Hall's level. Furthermore, they aren't a great shooting team. Baker and Van Vleet are streaky, and if they get hot, they are dangerous, but I don't see them getting as hot as they did last March. No doubt WSU is a good team - probably a top 15 team. But I think it's going to be a wake up call when they hit the 2nd round and play a top 50 team, after facing 150+ RPI squads for the past couple of months (including several over 200).

[Jays26]

If Wichita runs the table, which they will, they will be a #1 seed. And they will lose in the 2nd round. Their best win is against St. Louis - another mid-major. But, its tough to go 30-0 against any schedule.

They are going to miss Carl Hall in the tournament. He gave them a super physical presence, and while their big guy this season is improved, he's not on Hall's level. Furthermore, they aren't a great shooting team. Baker and Van Vleet are streaky, and if they get hot, they are dangerous, but I don't see them getting as hot as they did last March. No doubt WSU is a good team - probably a top 15 team. But I think it's going to be a wake up call when they hit the 2nd round and play a top 50 team, after facing 150+ RPI squads for the past couple of months (including several over 200).

I assume you really mean the 3rd round game. 1st round is play-in games. 2nd round they will be playing a 16 seed and SHOULD win. Where they will have trouble is the 8/9 match up, and if I were a betting man I would bet they exit before the first weekend is over. Oh wait, I am and I will.

[HoosierPal]

For what it's worth, CBS Sports Jerry Palm has Wichita State as the No 1 OVERALL seed in the tourney.

[tsmithohio1234]

If Wichita runs the table, which they will, they will be a #1 seed. And they will lose in the 2nd round. Their best win is against St. Louis - another mid-major. But, its tough to go 30-0 against any schedule.

They are going to miss Carl Hall in the tournament. He gave them a super physical presence, and while their big guy this season is improved, he's not on Hall's level. Furthermore, they aren't a great shooting team. Baker and Van Vleet are streaky, and if they get hot, they are dangerous, but I don't see them getting as hot as they did last March. No doubt WSU is a good team - probably a top 15 team. But I think it's going to be a wake up call when they hit the 2nd round and play a top 50 team, after facing 150+ RPI squads for the past couple of months (including several over 200).

SLU another mid major huh? - Well SJU and 5 other A10 mid majors will be in the dance. Mid major is a compliment.

[RedStormNation]

It's sad to me that a team that plays in the MVC and really has no serious competition at all is allowed to be ranked this high. IMO no mid major team should be ranked in the top 10 unless they truly go out and beat a top 10 power conference team i.e. Kansas, Duke, Cuse, etc. If Wichita State played in the ACC or Big Ten, they'd be a slightly above .500 team if not .500. I can't stand when little guys benefit from a weak schedule, power through it as they should, and they get treated like Duke. If you want to be mentioned in the same breath as the big boys, you have to play with the big boys like Creighton. You can't play in the minor leagues and get the same respect as the Yankees no matter how much you win. Wichita State is just the latest Davidson…they go on a big run, shock the world, but then after the core graduates that gave them all the success for the few years, they go back to being an afterthought.