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Buffalo is getting much love as an at-large from various sources on the internet.

Buffalo is getting too much love, imo.

Joe Londardi (sp) is very passionate about them. Miami is better, imo. I would be pissed to see them get in when BG didnt get in in 2002 when we were what 23-9? We lost to KSU in the MAC championship and all they did was go on to the elite 8! If the MAC ever deserved two teams, that was the year.

Blowing a 19-point lead in the second half and calling a timeout to choosse that very poor shot for the win at the end of regulation, Buffalo only has itself to blame for the loss. The worst part for UB was, that final tip in shot just hung on the rim for a second, then rolled in for Ohio for the win.

Right now I will be happy to just get 2 MAC teams in the NCAA. Thats would be a step forward. Then they both need to get out of the first round. We have to work at this thing one step at a time and that sucks.

The shot wasn't intended for the big man. In the Press Conference they said he supposedly rolled off the screen the wrong way. But he was wide open and every other day he was draining that shot.

Ohio is a tough team that doesn't give up. Although I lost a lot of respect for O'Shea during one of the press conferences (very arrogant to say the least) I really respect their players heart. Also the OU band and fans were very disrespectful to the opponents the majority of the week, I must say in their defense that they never sat on their hands during any of the games and that helped spark a lot of energy. Heck, the players were so pumped that even when they were down by 11 points Freshman Jeremy Fears did a cartwheel and and a backflip heading to the huddle for a timeout.

I loved the answer coach Witherspoon gave to a question when asked does the MAC deserve two bids. He said flat out NO they don't. Everyone was shocked he said no. Then a long pause. He went on to say that we deserved 3 or 4 bids and that he is tired of people settling for just one or two bids.

Witherspoon said that it is a disgrace that a league with 13 teams (I think he said the only conference to have 13 teams in it) only gets one bid. He then went on a rant about the RPI system saying the experts at the beginning of the year were raving about how the RPI worked and now that "mid-majors" have better RPI's than teams that you see on tv almost 3 times a week experts are now calling it a flawed system.

His final statement was actually a question to the reporters. He said If you just looked at the RPI numbers and you took away the Conference name and the team names within the Conference how many teams should be going to the NCAA tournament. One reporter answered FOUR. Reggie gave an exactly face got up and ended the press conference.

I still don't understand what the committee is looking for.

Buffalo had a better year than UAB, N. Iowa, and St. Mary's.

And Ohio gets a freaking 13 seed?

BGSU-Ph.D. wrote:I still don't understand what the committee is looking for.

Buffalo had a better year than UAB, N. Iowa, and St. Mary's.

And Ohio gets a freaking 13 seed?

I dunno about that...UAB plays in a tougher conference and has competed well in the tournament in the past...so i think thats what got them in and St. Mary's beat Gonzaga...no one UB beat compares to that...and all their other games(UB/St.Mary's) are pretty comparable

I also don't understand what made Buffalo and Miami's RPI's so high...

bobby bo wrote:

BGSU-Ph.D. wrote:I still don't understand what the committee is looking for.

Buffalo had a better year than UAB, N. Iowa, and St. Mary's.

And Ohio gets a freaking 13 seed?

I dunno about that...UAB plays in a tougher conference and has competed well in the tournament in the past...so i think thats what got them in and St. Mary's beat Gonzaga...no one UB beat compares to that...and all their other games(UB/St.Mary's) are pretty comparable

C-USA has better teams at the top compared to the MAC, but the MAC has more depth. It is irrelevant because UAB didn't beat Louisville, Cincy, or Charlotte. Not once. And, they didn't beat anyone of note outside the conference. St. Mary's beat Gonzaga, but that is one game. The rest of the year they did squat. Plus, they play in a conference that is MUCH weaker top to bottom than the MAC.

BGSU-Ph.D. wrote:C-USA has better teams at the top compared to the MAC, but the MAC has more depth. It is irrelevant because UAB didn't beat Louisville, Cincy, or Charlotte. Not once. And, they didn't beat anyone of note outside the conference. St. Mary's beat Gonzaga, but that is one game. The rest of the year they did squat. Plus, they play in a conference that is MUCH weaker top to bottom than the MAC.

At the end of the day Alabama-Birmingham was a couple spots back of Buffalo in the RPI, had fewer impressive (Top 100) wins and wasn't close to the kind of 8-2 tear Buffalo was on to end the season.

That's my kvetch.

On the other hand, last time I checked, the average West Coast RPI was strong than the MAC.

The fans and "bracketologists" love the to discuss the RPI, but the committee doesn't put nearly as much weight on it as is often thought. I think Buffalo was more worthy than both UAB and N. Iowa...just comparing the schedules, not the RPI (Buffalo's was pretty good anyway).

Buffalo and N.D. in, UAB and N. Iowa out.

I know, its water under the bridge. I'm just another pissed-off MAC fan, sick of getting the shaft.

Dick Vitale thinks Miami (OH) should have been in instead of either UAB or N. Iowa. Either way, Miam or Buffalo.

The interesting thing is that N. Iowa is the most controversial inclusion and the head of the committee worked at N. Iowa for seven years.

From foxsports.com (I promise this is my last post on this topic):

Biggest snub: Buffalo. One point away from securing the Mid-American Conference's automatic bid, the Bulls were left out of the NCAA tournament despite finishing 8-2 in their last 10 games and not losing a single contest to any team with an RPI below 110. Led by MAC player of the year Turner Battle, Reggie Witherspoon's squad notched one more victory against an RPI top 50 club than the "last team in," UAB. With an RPI of 46 and playing their best basketball in the weeks preceding March Madness, the Bulls deserved to go dancing.

Also not worthy: UAB. Without a single victory over an RPI top 50 team but three losses to teams (USC, Tulane and East Carolina) with RPIs below 110, the Blazers did not deserve an at-large bid. Only 5-5 in its last 10 games, Mike Anderson's club had lost each of its five contests against teams in the RPI top 50. Furthermore, the Blazers, with an RPI of 49, had not beaten a single NCAA tournament team as of Sunday morning. (When Alabama A&M defeated Alabama State in the SWAC championship on Sunday afternoon, UAB, which beat A&M on Dec. 28, picked up its first and only victory over a March Madness participant).

bobby bo wrote:I also don't understand what made Buffalo and Miami's RPI's so high...

Miami and Buffalo RPI is so high based on the formula that the RPI uses. Miami and Buffalo beat teams who then turned around and beat better teams. Basically giving them more "bonus points". Buffalo had a record record of 9-8 against top 100 RPI Teams