Yeah I agree with you. A team should not get an invite without a strong resume or an automatic bid. I’m just hinting at some of the ways that the metrics might not provide the most nuanced picture. Maine’s win over BC without Post is not the same as a win over BC in the ACC tournament. (That said I understand the ridiculousness of that… BC lost to Maine!?). (This is also NOT a segue into strength of the ACC… I admit we are not one of the top three or four leagues).
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Yeah, having a 1-seed be a… 2.5 underdog to a 4-seed, iirc, is pretty rough.
I remember the announcers going nuts because even though we lost we proved we were MSU’s equal. Which no one expected so it was cool at the time, but was a spectacularly bad draw for a 1-seed.
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I remember the year Kentucky was an 8 seed they asked Caliparii if he thought that was unfair. He said yes it’s unfair to #1 seed Wichita State who UK went on to beat.
To me it doesn’t matter. But i also don’t care that much about Sweet 16s etc. Its a tournament for the national championship.
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Yea but impossible to get to the Final 4 without getting to the sweet 16. 
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What I dislike most about the process is that the debate is between barely losing teams in strong P5 conferences (like WVU) vs barely winning teams in weak P5 conferences, when I’d be fine with both those teams being passed over for more great mid-majors who simply had the misfortune of not winning a conference tournament.
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I feel that way this year. It’s how it shakes out but Purdue having to play UNC or NCSU sheesh. Their freshman guards are going to get ran out of gym.
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Agreed. Wins Above Bubble treats midmajors more fairly, the Torvik version would have Oral Roberts and College of Charleston in as at-larges, to start.
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I’d be all for requiring a winning record in conference play to get an at large selection. Or at the very least a .500 record. Doesn’t make sense to give teams that go below .500 for 2/3 of the season a chance at a national title. They didn’t earn it
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I wouldn’t want this. It rewards conferences with a weak bottom, because the easy Ws you rack up against those teams makes it easy to get to .500 overall. By contrast, take this year’s Big 12. All 10 teams are in the top 55 of KenPom. 7 are in the top 30. A winning record against that is a really high bar, much higher than the bars other teams face. If a rule like this were in place, the Big 12 would be incented to go out and add 2-3 terrible teams to their conference, to pad their good teams’ W-L records. More of their top teams would then qualify, even though those teams haven’t actually improved their resume.
It’s a competition for a national championship. If you are below .500 you don’t deserve a shot at a national title. As you said ignoring conference records benefits the power conferences and thus won’t ever actually go away
I suspect if that rule were in place, and UVA were in the Big 12 this year, we wouldn’t deserve a shot at a national title. Iowa State is 8-10 vs Quad 1, 2-2 in Quad 2, with no bad losses. With this rule they don’t deserve a shot either.
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The problem with any set of rules where the schools and conferences set schedules is they can game the system.
So take scheduling out of conferences’ and teams’ hands…
Yupp. They’ve clearly shown they aren’t a national title deserving team. Now, because the format is made for a tv event and not to crown the deserving champion their inclusion fits with the rest of the tournament. But I’d personally have no problem leaving them out. Also bugs me NBA teams make the playoffs with losing records
Lol of course Nance can’t throw it in the ocean tonight.
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Pitt and UM have a 3 point duel. Much more fun game to watch than UNC/Duke
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UVA is better than ISU. If UVA was in the big 12 they would be one of the better teams. UVA is a good team and it’s silly not to think they aren’t.
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I know most guards do it from time to time, but Roach literally carries the ball every. single. time. he dribbles.
It’s maddening.
Damn Nike Sibande can hoop.
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But duke/unc has jay Bilas. How else will I know everything that’s wrong with college basketball if I don’t watch that game.
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“ITS WRONGGGGG” - Jay Bilas on anything
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