NCAA Selection Committee

[GP1]

OK, the Zips have won 12 in a row. We are talking at large bid. You are on the selection committee and like most of them, you probably have not seen a lot of the mid majors play you have to decide if the Zips get into the big dance or not. The question of the Zips comes around and they have won every game in the MAC with the exception of the MAC Championship...a close game (1-5 points). What questions do you ask about the Zips and put them in order of importance? Feel free to make up your own questions. Look at them as a committee member probably will, and not a Zips fan.

1. What is the power ranking of their conference?

2. Who have they lost to?

3. Any significant wins?

These are my questions in order. I would ask these questions of any team on the bubble. I think the Zips need to win the MAC to get in the Big Dance. We know this is a good team, but tournament selection committee members don't know them very well. I don't know the power ranking of the MAC, but I see the standings and the league doesn't appear to be good. Maybe Dave in Green could help us out with the power rankings.

I can live with the OK State loss. The Blue Jays loss would be a big one for me. Mid major vs. mid major OOC loss isn't good. The Blue Jays are an elite mid major team and that's what you have to be to be taken seriously as a mid major if you want to make it inside of the bubble. I probably wouldn't go to question three after seeing the CCU and Detroit defeats. To me, who you lose to is more important than who you beat. You SHOULD have wins against good teams if you want to make the Big Dance...it's a chance to play for the national championship and they can't just let anyone in. If you are on the bubble, you had to have won games against Detroit and CCU. CCU is 12-12 overall and in a horrible conference. Detroit is a nice 18-9, but not a marquis win. These games hurt more than beating OU twice helps.

If I made it to question three, OU...maybe, but I wouldn't make my decision based upon how a team did the previous year in the Bid Dance. Remember, I'm a tournament selection committee member and my memory of mid majors going far in the Big Dance only lasts as long as the following week's game. I would ask the same questions of OU as I have of the Zips if they were on the bubble.

Final ruling...The Zips are out. Not everything is their fault, but they had limited chances to make a big splash this year and didn't take advantage of them. A couple of times, they jumped in the pool against CCU and Detroit and there was no water in the pool.

Again, you are on the Tournament Selection Committee. You haven't seen the Zips play much if at all. You have to make a decision in a time span of an afternoon. What do you ask and what do you decide?

The next few weeks are critical for this team. I think they have to win the MAC Tournament.

[Dave in Green]

We've been having this conversation here.

[LZIp]

We have won a few more than 12 in a row.

[a-zip]

Hmmm, where was our soccer team ranked in the polls and RPI - I don't hold much hope on anything that has to do with the NCAA.