Leaderboard

UMass grossly over estimates their attractiveness to the AAC. I think the demographics of their school (size, academics, revenue, etc) make them a natural fit in the MAC and I think their BBall team would be a nice addition , but I don't think it would be a game changer. UMass had a 5 year run from 1992-1996 that any MAC team would kill for- 2 rounds of 32, 1 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8, and 1 Final 4. Amazing. (of course the Final 4 run doesn't officially count because those wins were vacated, but let's not dwell on that embarrassing detail.) But here's the thing, outside of that 5 year stretch where UMass won 11* tournament games they haven't won a single tournament game before or since. Not one. Before 1992 UMass only had 1 tournament appearance in 1962. After the Final 4 run in '96 they made it back in '97 and '98 but lost in the first round both times. In spite of being in a conference that annually earns multiple bids their at-large bid in 2014 is their only appearance since 1998. Their 9 appearances would rank them 3rd in the MAC behind Ohio and Miami. This year they would be 3rd in attendance behind Ohio and Toledo. Here's how UMass stacks up historically in regards to program all time winning % compared to the rest of the MAC (through 2014)- .609 Akron (1,503-966) .574 Ohio (1,450-1,077) .571 Toledo (1,354-1,016) .542 Miami (1,313-1,108) .540 BGSU (1,300-1107) .532 UMass (1,222-1,074) .529 WMU (1,262-1,123) .519 Ball St (1,148-1,063) .506 Buffalo (1,089-1,062) .506 CMU (1,214-1,184) .492 Can't St (1,138-1,171) .492 NIU (1,185-1,222) .491 EMU (1,155-1,197) UMass is an above average MAC team, nothing more.

But had we won, would we have lost?

God bless America, and God bless DeAndre Yedlin and the whole Yedlin clan. But God damn Tottenham Hotspur to Hell! Go Gunners!

Man Crush Monday: Feeling patriotic over DeAndre Yedlin... It’s really the kind of thing to inspire patriotism, so God bless America. Oh, and I guess bless Tottenham, too?

Some of these selections are so bad.... Sorry Mr George Gervin, Alex Alvarado says you just didn't make the cut at EMU.