Women are NCAA-Bound

[PGY Tiercel]

It's impossible for a 3-loss team to not make NC's. To leave out a 3-loss team would be unprecedented for both men's and women's b-ball as far as I know. As for the remainder of the regular season, the only game our girls could possibly lose is when Kent State comes to AA next Wednesday. Their final games other than Kent are Ohio (4-8 in conference), Buffalo (2-10) and Miami (3-9). You can chalk up 3 more wins right there. Bottom line is, if we beat Kent State, we get our tickets punched to NCAA's. We'll be top 20 nationally at 25-2 by the time the MAC tournament rolls around, making that even if we lose there, we wouldn't even fall out of the national top 25 most likely, unless if it is to somebody horrible like Akron.

I just don't see how a team can go 25+ wins and not make NC's with only 3 losses. It's impossible, never been done before, would be the biggest screwjob in the history of college athletics, I just don't see it.

You don't seem to really understand Women's Basketball. UK beat UT, and moved up to 21/24 in the polls then lost and fell out of the polls beneath BG. One loss and we are out of the polls, regardless if that loss is regular season or tournament. The ladies are ranked b/c of a good OOC, and being undeafeted, once they lose they will not be ranked. All 4 of the upcoming games are not locks, specifically Kent. Anyone can win in the MAC and being undeafeted puts a big target on your back. Most sites have the women's RPI being around mid 40's, with a schedule rank of 172. It will not be hard for the selection commitee to only take the MAC Champion because that is precedence.

[brewer]

It's impossible for a 3-loss team to not make NC's. To leave out a 3-loss team would be unprecedented for both men's and women's b-ball as far as I know. As for the remainder of the regular season, the only game our girls could possibly lose is when Kent State comes to AA next Wednesday. Their final games other than Kent are Ohio (4-8 in conference), Buffalo (2-10) and Miami (3-9). You can chalk up 3 more wins right there. Bottom line is, if we beat Kent State, we get our tickets punched to NCAA's. We'll be top 20 nationally at 25-2 by the time the MAC tournament rolls around, making that even if we lose there, we wouldn't even fall out of the national top 25 most likely, unless if it is to somebody horrible like Akron.

I just don't see how a team can go 25+ wins and not make NC's with only 3 losses. It's impossible, never been done before, would be the biggest screwjob in the history of college athletics, I just don't see it.

Ahhh, ignorance must be bliss.

The cold reality is that it is actually quite common.

Last year's perfect comparison would be Gonzaga. In fact, they are an eerily similar example. Gonzaga was undefeated in their conference regular season. They were 27-2 going into their conference tournament championship game. The two losses were tough early season road losses to New Mexico and Arizona State. Gonzaga was ranked in BOTH the AP and coaches polls. Then they lost their tourney finals to Santa Clara. They finished 27-3, yet dropped out of both polls, were snubbed by the NCAA, and went to the WNIT.

By the way, Delaware (who beat BG this year) was 25-5 last year and also had to settle for the WNIT.

[PGY Tiercel]

Ahhh, ignorance must be bliss.

The cold reality is that it is actually quite common.

Last year's perfect comparison would be Gonzaga. In fact, they are an eerily similar example. Gonzaga was undefeated in their conference regular season. They were 27-2 going into their conference tournament championship game. The two losses were tough early season road losses to New Mexico and Arizona State. Gonzaga was ranked in BOTH the AP and coaches polls. Then they lost their tourney finals to Santa Clara. They finished 27-3, yet dropped out of both polls, were snubbed by the NCAA, and went to the WNIT.

By the way, Delaware (who beat BG this year) was 25-5 last year and also had to settle for the WNIT.

Nothing so pure as simple facts. Nicely done.

[svillefalcon]

It's impossible for a 3-loss team to not make NC's. To leave out a 3-loss team would be unprecedented for both men's and women's b-ball as far as I know. As for the remainder of the regular season, the only game our girls could possibly lose is when Kent State comes to AA next Wednesday. Their final games other than Kent are Ohio (4-8 in conference), Buffalo (2-10) and Miami (3-9). You can chalk up 3 more wins right there. Bottom line is, if we beat Kent State, we get our tickets punched to NCAA's. We'll be top 20 nationally at 25-2 by the time the MAC tournament rolls around, making that even if we lose there, we wouldn't even fall out of the national top 25 most likely, unless if it is to somebody horrible like Akron.

I just don't see how a team can go 25+ wins and not make NC's with only 3 losses. It's impossible, never been done before, would be the biggest screwjob in the history of college athletics, I just don't see it.

Ahhh, ignorance must be bliss.

The cold reality is that it is actually quite common.

Last year's perfect comparison would be Gonzaga. In fact, they are an eerily similar example. Gonzaga was undefeated in their conference regular season. They were 27-2 going into their conference tournament championship game. The two losses were tough early season road losses to New Mexico and Arizona State. Gonzaga was ranked in BOTH the AP and coaches polls. Then they lost their tourney finals to Santa Clara. They finished 27-3, yet dropped out of both polls, were snubbed by the NCAA, and went to the WNIT.

By the way, Delaware (who beat BG this year) was 25-5 last year and also had to settle for the WNIT.

very nice job with the stats, yes 24 it would be terrible if our girls would get snubbed, but i think the most sure way of us getting a at-large bid would be to at least get to the championship game. but it is feasable that if we loose in an early round of the MAC tourney or loose another game in the regular season, then in the toureny would be curtains....fact of the matter is this team is too good to not be in the tourney so lets not worry about whether we will get in or not, lets just win the darn MAC tourney and repeat as champs.

[bgsufalcon24]

Ahhh, ignorance must be bliss.

The cold reality is that it is actually quite common.

Last year's perfect comparison would be Gonzaga. In fact, they are an eerily similar example. Gonzaga was undefeated in their conference regular season. They were 27-2 going into their conference tournament championship game. The two losses were tough early season road losses to New Mexico and Arizona State. Gonzaga was ranked in BOTH the AP and coaches polls. Then they lost their tourney finals to Santa Clara. They finished 27-3, yet dropped out of both polls, were snubbed by the NCAA, and went to the WNIT.

By the way, Delaware (who beat BG this year) was 25-5 last year and also had to settle for the WNIT.

Nothing so pure as simple facts. Nicely done.

With stats like these, this basically tells me one thing about mid-major college basketball, that the regular season means absolutely nothing. It doesn't make a damn difference if we are 21-2, 17-6, 13-10, or 0-23, the only thing that matters is a 3 or 4 game stretch in March. You could have a team like Akron, who is 4-19, catch fire in the tourney and win it, and they'd be representing your conference in NC's and a team who is 25-3 will get snubbed. That's WRONG!!

What you've told me, in a nutshell is that there is no reason to be interested in the regular season at all, because it doesn't mean jack.

[PGY Tiercel]

With stats like these, this basically tells me one thing about mid-major college basketball, that the regular season means absolutely nothing. It doesn't make a damn difference if we are 21-2, 17-6, 13-10, or 0-23, the only thing that matters is a 3 or 4 game stretch in March. You could have a team like Akron, who is 4-19, catch fire in the tourney and win it, and they'd be representing your conference in NC's and a team who is 25-3 will get snubbed. That's WRONG!!

What you've told me, in a nutshell is that there is no reason to be interested in the regular season at all, because it doesn't mean jack.

Thats the way it has been for about 50 years. I think you have to go back to to the 50's maybe even the 40's to find 2 MAC men's teams in the NCAA tournament, don't think it has ever happend for the women.

Did you not see that Oakland had a losing record and was in the NCAA tournament last year.

But I disagree with you that the regular season doesn't mean jack. If making it to the NCAA tournament is all that matters then fine. But it does determine the MAC regular season champion, it puts the team in a better position for MAC tournament, and it is fun as hell to watch/listen too.

[TG1996]

Thats the way it has been for about 50 years. I think you have to go back to to the 50's maybe even the 40's to find 2 MAC men's teams in the NCAA tournament, don't think it has ever happend for the women.

Really? I thought a couple made it in 10 or so years ago, if that long. Kent and OU, I thought?

[PGY Tiercel]

Thats the way it has been for about 50 years. I think you have to go back to to the 50's maybe even the 40's to find 2 MAC men's teams in the NCAA tournament, don't think it has ever happend for the women.

Really? I thought a couple made it in 10 or so years ago, if that long. Kent and OU, I thought?

You're right there are a couple of times 2 teams made it. By my count 5 times since 1953, most in the 80's early 90's

[brewer]

On the women's side, MAC teams have gotten at-large NCAA bids exactly twice. In 1995 Toledo won the tournament and regular season champion Ohio still got in. In 1996 Toledo again won the tournament with Kent still getting in.

In that 96 season, both Toledo and Kent won opening round games too. UT beat Mississippi and Kent beat Texas A&M.

I do think this BG team would have a respectable chance of getting an at-large bid if it came to that. But it would definitely be very "iffy". It would depend on how many upsets there were in other tournaments. And never trust a selection committee.

Gonzaga last year is one of many examples why anything short of winning the MAC tournament is a risky proposition. However, it's not a lost cause without it either. Each year is a little different.

I believe this list to be accurate...

MAC Women's basketball NCAA tournament appearances

1982 Kent
1983 Central Michigan
1984 Central Michigan
1985 Western Michigan
1986 Ohio
1987 Bowling Green
1988 Bowling Green
1989 Bowling Green
1990 Bowling Green
1991 Toledo
1992 Toledo
1993 Bowling Green
1994 Bowling Green
1995 Toledo
1995 Ohio
1996 Kent
1996 Toledo
1997 Toledo
1998 Kent
1999 Toledo
2000 Kent
2001 Toledo
2002 Kent
2003 Western Michigan
2004 Eastern Michigan
2005 Bowling Green

[brewer]

Also of note, there have been other years where two current or recent MAC teams have been to the NCAA tournament.

Marshall went in 1997 prior to joining the MAC.

Northern Illinois went 5 times in a 6 year stretch between their two stints in the MAC.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Indiana won in OT at #10 Purdue today. They currently sit tied for fourth in the B11, behind 4 ranked teams. A strong finish by IU could be the difference if we don't end up winning the MAC tourney. That 18 pt win on the road would have to look good to the committee with IU finishing strong.


I think that if we beat Kent, we're probably in. It's worth noting that EMU and Kent will in all probability (It might even be clinched already) be the #2 and #3 seeds in the tourney. With us at #1, we would only have to play one of those teams, and not until the finals. That's a pretty soft track to the finals, and if our only loss comes in the finals to Kent or EMU, I really have a hard time seeing the committee leaving us out. I'm not going to say it's a lock, because it isn't.


I won't be able to go to the game on Wednesday because I'll be in Orlando on business. Everybody get out to the games and make it another raucous atmosphere. I want over 2,000 there for Sr. night.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Latest ESPN bracketology has us as a 12 seed playing BYU in University Park in the Cleveland regional. The scary part is the blurb you get if you scroll over our name in the bracket. And I quote:

"Dominance in MAC has been impressive, but at-large credentials would be questionable despite presence in latest ESPN/USA top 25."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/bracketology


The guy from CBS has us as a rising 11 seed but does not list us in his top 12 mid-major teams. We're still not getting a ton of respect nationally, which isn't all that surprising. We need to take care of business ourselves.

[bgsufalcon24]

Latest ESPN bracketology has us as a 12 seed playing BYU in University Park in the Cleveland regional. The scary part is the blurb you get if you scroll over our name in the bracket. And I quote:

"Dominance in MAC has been impressive, but at-large credentials would be questionable despite presence in latest ESPN/USA top 25."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/bracketology


The guy from CBS has us as a rising 11 seed but does not list us in his top 12 mid-major teams. We're still not getting a ton of respect nationally, which isn't all that surprising. We need to take care of business ourselves.

Is it true that 12 of the top 24 teams in the nation are mid-major teams? That really doesn't say a lot about the strength of the power conferences in women's basketball this year.

[BGSUfalcons]

Latest ESPN bracketology has us as a 12 seed playing BYU in University Park in the Cleveland regional. The scary part is the blurb you get if you scroll over our name in the bracket. And I quote:

"Dominance in MAC has been impressive, but at-large credentials would be questionable despite presence in latest ESPN/USA top 25."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/bracketology


The guy from CBS has us as a rising 11 seed but does not list us in his top 12 mid-major teams. We're still not getting a ton of respect nationally, which isn't all that surprising. We need to take care of business ourselves.

It is funny that the dumb poop ESPN guy who is the author of that quote (I think his name is Charlie Creme) has Indiana as an at-large 12 seed. Perhaps he should get his head out of his butt.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Latest ESPN bracketology has us as a 12 seed playing BYU in University Park in the Cleveland regional. The scary part is the blurb you get if you scroll over our name in the bracket. And I quote:

"Dominance in MAC has been impressive, but at-large credentials would be questionable despite presence in latest ESPN/USA top 25."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/bracketology


The guy from CBS has us as a rising 11 seed but does not list us in his top 12 mid-major teams. We're still not getting a ton of respect nationally, which isn't all that surprising. We need to take care of business ourselves.

Is it true that 12 of the top 24 teams in the nation are mid-major teams? That really doesn't say a lot about the strength of the power conferences in women's basketball this year.

I think he's counting the MWC as mid-major, even though they are 6th in conference RPI.

He has since added us to his list at #10, but dings us for strength of schedule in the blurb.


edit: Depaul at 14 is the highest Mid-Major. Not counting the MWC, there are only 4 other mid-majors in there.