NCAA Tourney Question

[BGSU33]

BG wins every game from now until MACC, but lose MACC - does their RPI and record get them a spot? I don't think so.

No way in hell. We could win out and lose in the MACC and our record of 25-7 wouldn't get us in. But we could lose every single regular season game but win all of our MAC Tournament games and a 4-28 record would get us to the Big Dance. It's ALL about winning the MACC. Period.

[BGSU33]

Bowling Green has a RPI of 56. We would need to run it up into the 30s, if not higher, to have a legitimate shot at an at-large bid.

Even then, that's not even a guarantee. (If memory serves, we had an RPI that strong in 2002 and got ignored)

I don't see how we run it up that high given our remaining schedule.

I'm inclined to say that this team would struggle mightily against that '02 team.

I agree with you. In fact, I think the 1997, 2000 and 2002 teams were all better than this year's team. This year's team is pretty good, but those three teams were very good. One could argue all three were NCAA Tournament-caliber teams. But the dreaded MAC Tournament brought all three of them to their knees. From a damn good Kent State team to a 35-foot heave by Miami, the MAC Tournament was our downfall in all those seasons. The MAC Tournament is a house of horrors for BG.

[Browns]

Also, BG's RPI does not include the loss to Ferris State since they are D2. If somehow they could include that game BG's RPI would drop around 20 points.

[zete]

NCAA Tourney, and the NIT for that matter, are not designed with the MAC in mind. Come on, you guys should know that by now. I wish it was different but reviewing the history makes it obviously painfully clear; AND to be fair, our representatives usually just don't have enough talent to play for a sustained period of time at that level.
Not really worth discussing as it always comes out the same.
For one, I wish our basketball program would move to the next level and play competitively nationally. I have seen a somewhat same sort of mediocrity for 50 years.

[guest44]

MAC teams don't have enough talent to play in the NIT? Huh? No, they don't have large enough arenas to actually get home games. The NIT is a dumpster fire. Has been for 20+ years.

[zete]

The may have the talent but always get the shaft by going on the road. ie Buttler in'02

[Schadenfreude]

In fairness, the NIT's practice of including all regular season champions that don't get into the NCAA tournament seems pretty reasonable to me.

[manager]

BG has to win the MACC.

Remember Bill Frack's dream was to build a Gonzaga-type program. It will take a while.

I just hope BG can hang on to Jans. We don't need a Bill Fitch one and gone, like 1967-68. We need someone to stick around a few years. The mediocrity didn't happen overnight and it's not going away overnight.

[FalconTurf]

This is in my opinion the best TEAM and the best coaching job I have seen at BG since I started frequently attending games in the late 80's. Other teams have had more individual talent but have not jelled to this degree. With that said I would suggest that on given nights, not every night for sure, this team could beat any of the teams from Larranaga forward because of their style of play and level of coaching not because of their individual talents. The whole of this team is greater than it's parts.

Next level for Jans is to bring in greater talent to buy into his style of coaching and the debates will only reside with the teams of the Anderson era of which we have only a couple of experts on this board. The problem there, as is comparing 10+ years ago, is the style of play and the game itself has evolved into something that is very different.

[Globetrotter]

This team isn't as good as the brandon pardon teams and it's not really close. Holmes is really good but there isn't a guard on this team that would start over Pardon or McCleod and we don't have much depth to speak of. I am hopeful Jan's is here for a long time to build it.

[Hdog]

This is in my opinion the best TEAM and the best coaching job I have seen at BG since I started frequently attending games in the late 80's. Other teams have had more individual talent but have not jelled to this degree. With that said I would suggest that on given nights, not every night for sure, this team could beat any of the teams from Larranaga forward because of their style of play and level of coaching not because of their individual talents. The whole of this team is greater than it's parts.

Next level for Jans is to bring in greater talent to buy into his style of coaching and the debates will only reside with the teams of the Anderson era of which we have only a couple of experts on this board. The problem there, as is comparing 10+ years ago, is the style of play and the game itself has evolved into something that is very different.

Even though this season has yet to be completed, I agree FalconTurf, this year's team has to be included in one of the best coaching jobs in Falcon history. I agree with Globe and others that the players on this team are not as talented as the best Jim Larranaga, Dan Dakich, John Weinert, or 1960s teams. BUT, I am enjoying this year more because these guys play as a team and they play HARD. Jans seems to have ability as not only a good practice and preparation coach but a good in-game coach. His big test will be with building this thing long term - can he bring in big time talent? I predict yes.

Enjoy the rest of this season Falcon fans. I have a feeling we're going to be lighting up AZZ with alot of good basketball talk in the next few weeks!

[BleedOrange]

Last year, Toledo finished with a 36 RPI and a gaudy record. They weren't even considered on the bubble.

The sooner you make peace with the fact that MAC teams don't make it to even the bubble, the better off you'll be.

[Flipper]

One thing this team would have going for it against the 2002 team is the Holmes/Matela match up. Holmes is a very athletic big and Lenny didn't handle that type of player very well. That game would probably come down to the current team's ability to control McLeod.

Or not control him....

[Falconfreak90]

The selection process is garbage, and always will be.

But there's a beauty to it all....win your freaking conference and they can't leave you out. Find a way to win 6 games and they cannot give the crown to anybody else.

Unlike football where it's ALL based on bias and conjecture, in hoops we always control our own destiny from day 1. Right now we've been taking care of business and if we can maintain that top 2 seed status we're in great shape. I LOVE how the MAC gives a double bye to the best teams...win 2 games and we could be dancing for the first time in almost 50 years. Gotta keep taking care of business in this regular season though.

So true. We have no shot in hell in football but we can control our destiny in hoops, no matter how far fetched it may be. It's that way in all sports except football.

[FalconTurf]

This team isn't as good as the brandon pardon teams and it's not really close. Holmes is really good but there isn't a guard on this team that would start over Pardon or McCleod and we don't have much depth to speak of. I am hopeful Jan's is here for a long time to build it.

Best TEAM. Individual players are not on par with the teams many speak of and with individual talent would beat this team but this group plays better as a team. Jans would have made more noise with those groups if they bought in.