ToledoRambler wrote:
There are 32 Division I conferences, correct? I would think that means there’s 32 automatic bids, which would leave 36 at large spots. Are you telling me that if we don’t win the arch we aren’t one of those 36 teams even though we have 24+ wins, 6 losses, 50 percent shooting percentage, top 15 3 point percentage, regular season conference championship, win over a then ranked top 5 team team on the road, and regular season conference championship.... with x-factors of 3 of those losses coming without the teams starting point guard who will most likely be conference player of the year? This is NOT the same scenario that Illinois State was in a year ago.
Yes. Now that larger conferences have swallowed up all the viable mid majors into mega-conferences with 14 or 16 teams, the NCAA is now giving at large bids to P5 teams that are under .500 in conference over teams that run away with their mid-major but don't win the conference tournament. Illinois State last year was an example.... their only Top 50 win was at home over WSU, and their second best win was a home game against New Mexico (RPI 87). Their best road win was at #147 Southern Illinois.
We would have a better resume than them, I think, if we lost in the conference tournament final. But the ISU precedent is recent, the factors that move the committee toward mediocre power conference teams has likely only accelerated, and you can't depend on the committee to factor in the Custer injury to explain away the losses at UW-Milwaukee, at Missouri State, and against Indiana State at home.