Jump to content

At Large Consideration?


Blue & Gold

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 87
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

10 points in an entire 1st half. By a #9 seed. Could you imagine trying to defend that selection, and seed, if it were an at-large? THAT would be silly.

One game sample size. A team's performance in the tournament doesn't justify their entry into it, their regular season performance does.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the postgame yesterday when asked kd said if we win out and lose MAC title game, he feels that we would get an at large that our rpi and finish to the season would be to hard to ignore. I will believe it when I see it, but we should at least be in the conversation.

One more time. For Akron to nab one of the handful of at large spots handed out to non BCS schools, we have to win out, lose the MACC game, and have about 15 tragic bus accidents involving other teams in our situation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From Jay Bilas :

54. Akron Zips

After losing five of six early in the year, the Zips have been the winner of seven straight and 11 out of 12 -- Akron lost to VCU in overtime last month. Zeke Marshall is the best player, but there is depth and balance throughout the roster. I like this team. The wins against Mississippi State, Marshall, Ohio and Can't State will put Akron right at the bubble for discussion.

Can't link it from my phone for some reason but it's his Bilas Index column.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From Jay Bilas :

54. Akron Zips

After losing five of six early in the year, the Zips have been the winner of seven straight and 11 out of 12 -- Akron lost to VCU in overtime last month. Zeke Marshall is the best player, but there is depth and balance throughout the roster. I like this team. The wins against Mississippi State, Marshall, Ohio and Can't State will put Akron right at the bubble for discussion.

Can't link it from my phone for some reason but it's his Bilas Index column.

Link wouldn't have helped anyway because its "insider". Awesome stuff though, most exciting thing I have read in awhile. Is that the first time they have been ranked?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe it is because I have never had to face anything like this before, but I find it hard to believe that if the scenario does play out and the Zips do win out besides the MACC, that they would be left out. Dayton, Xavier, Cincinnati have all fallen off the face of the earth. That can only help.

EDIT: And if the Zips RPI is going to get down into the 20's...come on now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the Zips win out in the regular season, they would add 5 more MAC East wins and a BracketBuster win to their current 18-7 record for a final regular season record of 24-7.

They wouldn't play until the semi-finals of the MAC tournament, where a win would make them 25-7.

If they then lost in the MAC tournament championship game, they'd be 25-8.

RPI Forecast predicts that if the Zips are 25-8 after the MAC tournament, their expected RPI would be 19.8. Obviously, that's a highly speculative number. But it does suggest that an at-large NCAA tournament bid would not be out of the question. They would have a record of 22-3 over their last 25 games of the season, and the NCAA selection committee gives more weight to teams that have performed well over the latter part of the season than the beginning of the season.

Zips RPI Forecast

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the Zips win out in the regular season, they would add 5 more MAC East wins and a BracketBuster win to their current 18-7 record for a final regular season record of 24-7.

They wouldn't play until the semi-finals of the MAC tournament, where a win would make them 25-7.

If they then lost in the MAC tournament championship game, they'd be 25-8.

RPI Forecast predicts that if the Zips are 25-8 after the MAC tournament, their expected RPI would be 19.8. Obviously, that's a highly speculative number. But it does suggest that an at-large NCAA tournament bid would not be out of the question. They would have a record of 22-3 over their last 25 games of the season, and the NCAA selection committee gives more weight to teams that have performed well over the latter part of the season than the beginning of the season.

Zips RPI Forecast

From this it looks like a 24 win season almost certainly gets us into the discussion of an at-large, if not for sure a bid. If we finish the season with 24-25 wins, the projected RPI is in the top 30s-top 20s.

I think the Zips are capable of an at-large. With the record we have had AFTER the first half of the season, it is just incredible what this team has accomplished. Their RPI right now is 50, but that doesn't include the NIU game. I think we are among the top mid major programs and definitely in the mix or ahead of some big names.

If Bilas truly believes the Zips could be in contention, that is saying something. I respect Bilas and his opinions. I think he is a very well educated analyst who says what he believes, not what ESPN and fans wants to hear.

However, I just want to win the darn tournament and have that for sure bid. I have gone through enough heart attacks in my 17 years of living and watching the Zips; I don't need a selection Sunday heart attack to add to the total. Just win the MAC tournament and you're in. Better yet, get a top 2 seed and you only have to win 2 games to repeat as MAC champions. As Larry the Cable Guy would say, "GET 'ER DONE!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Getting Bilas to say something good about a Mid-Major is an accomplishment. He is consistently one of the voices for more teams from big conferences and less teams from Mid-Majors. I actually appreciate that he doesn't back down on this opinion and bases his opinion on the teams themselves versus the actual Mid-Major/Big School conversation. He takes it on a case by case basis and although I often feel he is wrong he is consistent. Not sure what you would expect from a Dukie though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At this point, our RPI is as much... or even more... in the hands of the teams we have already played. We beat NIU by 24, and yet CBS (and I'm sure others) dropped us from 51 to 59, probably to Miss St. and Ohio losing games they shouldn't have. We are now 3-7 against the RPI top 100.

No way will the selection committee be impressed by that. And we have to have some people jumping up and down about the Zips in order for us to get a chance that we are even part of a serious discussion.

Don't get me wrong. It's a step in teh right direction that we even have 10 Top-100 teams on our schedule. But, ya gotta win more than 3 of them.

I'll keep repeating what I've said for weeks. With this schedule, we are 2-3 wins short of being a serious contender.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 wins should get us just edged out of an at large birth by a Big Ten team that finishes with a .500 conference record. Better win the MACC.

I would think an at large birth would be painful no matter who it is coming from. Zipmeistering the Zipmeister! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been thinking about this since this thread started. I keep coming back to this: If they are "at large" I keep coming back to this in my head:

Off to Dayton (part of the first four)

I say this because of the conference. I know that there is no control over that, but the selection committee mite do it out of pity/spite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been thinking about this since this thread started. I keep coming back to this: If they are "at large" I keep coming back to this in my head:

Off to Dayton (part of the first four)

I say this because of the conference. I know that there is no control over that, but the selection committee mite do it out of pity/spite.

or because we are a 12 seed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Miss State lost once again tonight against LSU. Our premier win isn't looking as premier right now. Also, CSU lost. Neither is good for our RPI right now.

That seems to make sense. We're now down to #63 this morning.

Our SOS is now 129 also, but that should improve slightly over our final stretch of games.

Although I don't understand all of the inner workings of the RPI, I'm still not seeing how winning the remainder of our games could possibly put us in the 20s or 30s in RPI.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That seems to make sense. We're now down to #63 this morning.

Our SOS is now 129 also, but that should improve slightly over our final stretch of games.

Although I don't understand all of the inner workings of the RPI, I'm still not seeing how winning the remainder of our games could possibly put us in the 20s or 30s in RPI.

Oral Roberts would be a top 50 win, Buffalo a top 100 win, K ent a top 100 win, and a win or two over Buffalo/K ent again in the tourney would definitely get us up there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...