Rambling0101 wrote:
I think we can all agree that the A10 is stronger conference than the valley top to bottom. We can argue should the Ramblers have moved, but no turning back now.
My concern is this: Did we exchange a 1 bid conference for a 1-2 bid conference?
Both Drake and VCU were 12 seeds; Dayton would have been in the NIT but chose not to play postseason, Bradley played in it.
So...1 bid for both leagues and 1 NIT bid for both leagues. Given the "strength" of the A10, I would have expected more.
Last year was an aberration more than anything. It was a historically bad A10 season compared to the prior 20+ seasons. I think A10 is more likely to get back on the MWC's level (which had four bids this year) than stay on the MVC's level. On 'average', I think conferences like the A10 and MWC will get 2-3 bids, while the MVC is likely to get one bid, with the occasional 2 bid year when the top team doesn't win in STL and has a great resume. History shows this to be true.
A10 schools spend A LOT more on basketball than do MVC schools. The biggest spender in the MVC (ISUr) would be 14th in the A10, just above LaSalle. So 14/15 of the A10 schools would be the top spender in the MVC. The average MVC MBB budget is right at $3m. The average A10 MBB budget is around $5.4m (with Dayton, SLU & VCU spending at a low end Big East school). By comparison, the average MWC budget is $4.1m. Money isn't the only thing, but it is certainly an indicator that A10 schools are more 'serious' about basketball and expect returns for their spending, which would include NCAAT bids.
I do think it's become harder for mid-majors to get bids. You need to get creative with non-conf scheduling and actually win those games. It seems like the top at-large MWC teams took the approach of scheduling top mid-majors, rather than chasing after P6 schools. That, plus a good MTE, gives you a chance to get some great "quad" wins and avoids getting dinged in the computer metrics for only beating a crappy team by 8 points.
I do think Arch Madness was more fun than the A10 tourney. But that could just be because I don't love Brooklyn.