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

[stever20]

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.

Give me a break. After they're gone, fine they're gone but while they are there, they deserve to be rewarded. They made the final 4 last year. A team in their conference is gone to the Big East and they're winning the Big East.

You might not like it, but Creighton winning the Big East is helping out Wichita SO much this year. I don't think Wichita would be getting nearly the respect if Creighton was a 7-6 Big East team right now.

[senditinjerome]

If you want to be mentioned in the same breath as the big boys, you have to play with the big boys like Creighton.

Pretty sure if Wichita was invited to join the Big East or AAC in the next round of expansion, they would jump at the chance, just like Creighton did to join the Big East.

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.

Ask any Marquette fan if Davidson is "an afterthought."...Also, assuming Davidson wins their conference tourney and gets a bid, ask the power conference team who they're up against if they think Davidson is a cake-walk. In case you missed it, Davidson took UNC to OT earlier this year at the Dean Dome before losing.

[whiteandblue77]

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.

Good one.

[handdownmandown]

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.

No one on this board other than BillekinsWin give a crap about the A10.

[Bill Marsh]

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.

If they are 34-0 according to RPI forecast, their RPI will be #4.

Bottom line, if they are 34-0, they will be a #1 seed. End of story.

Thanks, Steve. I've forwarded your post to the committee so they'll know that the decision has been made and they don't have to bother discussing this one. End of story.

BTW, Steve, where did you come up with a #4 on RPI Forecast? Or even a 34-0 projection? Haven't seen either of those over there. They're currently projected to rank 6th at season's end with a record of 32-1.

[Bill Marsh]

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.

Give me a break. After they're gone, fine they're gone but while they are there, they deserve to be rewarded. They made the final 4 last year. A team in their conference is gone to the Big East and they're winning the Big East.

You might not like it, but Creighton winning the Big East is helping out Wichita SO much this year. I don't think Wichita would be getting nearly the respect if Creighton was a 7-6 Big East team right now.

It has nothing to do with what they "deserve". The guidelines that the committee follows are designed to seed teams based on what they've actually accomplished on the court, not based on someone's opinion of what they "deserve".

Unfortunately for Wichita State , their ability to accomplish big things on the court during the regular season this year is limited by the weakness of their schedule. They can't compile many quality wins because they don't play many quality teams. The notion that the committee is going to suspend their guidelines so one team can get what they "deserve" isn't based on precedent or current practice.

[Randy]

I guess the answer to this is : we will see. Obviously, if they lose, the point is moot. I would bet the get a number 1 seed with an undefeated season. I think they will have earned it. There is a very good chance I will be wrong.

[Bill Marsh]

I guess the answer to this is : we will see. Obviously, if they lose, the point is moot. I would bet the get a number 1 seed with an undefeated season. I think they will have earned it. There is a very good chance I will be wrong.

If the committee follows it's established guidelines, WSU will not have earned the established benchmarks that the committee looks at either in terms of quality wins or strength of schedule.

[Randy]

I guess the answer to this is : we will see. Obviously, if they lose, the point is moot. I would bet the get a number 1 seed with an undefeated season. I think they will have earned it. There is a very good chance I will be wrong.

If the committee follows it's established guidelines, WSU will not have earned the established benchmarks that the committee looks at either in terms of quality wins or strength of schedule.

i would say to that is show me a team with an undefeated record with a weak SOS that did not receive a 1 seed. Its a case of first impression, if it happens. We really don't have much of an idea on "guidelines" as to how they weigh an undefeated season vs. a 40 (or so) Non Con SOS and 120 (or whatever it is) SOS.

[Bill Marsh]

I guess the answer to this is : we will see. Obviously, if they lose, the point is moot. I would bet the get a number 1 seed with an undefeated season. I think they will have earned it. There is a very good chance I will be wrong.

If the committee follows it's established guidelines, WSU will not have earned the established benchmarks that the committee looks at either in terms of quality wins or strength of schedule.

i would say to that is show me a team with an undefeated record with a weak SOS that did not receive a 1 seed. Its a case of first impression, if it happens. We really don't have much of an idea on "guidelines" as to how they weigh an undefeated season vs. a 40 (or so) Non Con SOS and 120 (or whatever it is) SOS.

There are no guidelines for undefeated seasons. The guidelines look at RPI, strength of schedule, quality wins, bad losses, etc. undefeated is not relevant other than that it means no bad losses.