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Could we be a bubble team


slu72

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Just for grins. I don't think we can make the dance w/o winning the A-10 in AC. However, think about this , we win out the regular season....18-12. We win 3 at the tourney, and say we beat X in one of those games. Hey we lost on a tip in at the buzzer, anything's possible. So now we're 21-12. Probably not enough, because I don't know enough about the RPI system to know where that kind of finish would put us, I'm guessing somewhere in the low 70's? Is that kiind of a jump even possible given we're in the 90's now? Would this finish get us in the NIT. I know the dance committee gives weight to end of season play, but even this type of finish wouldn't be enough to jump over some also ran BCS teams.

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Just for grins. I don't think we can make the dance w/o winning the A-10 in AC. However, think about this , we win out the regular season....18-12. We win 3 at the tourney, and say we beat X in one of those games. Hey we lost on a tip in at the buzzer, anything's possible. So now we're 21-12. Probably not enough, because I don't know enough about the RPI system to know where that kind of finish would put us, I'm guessing somewhere in the low 70's? Is that kiind of a jump even possible given we're in the 90's now? Would this finish get us in the NIT. I know the dance committee gives weight to end of season play, but even this type of finish wouldn't be enough to jump over some also ran BCS teams.

i am betting we take a step back in the rpi tomorrow win or lose playing st bonnie. keep that in mind.

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Just for grins. I don't think we can make the dance w/o winning the A-10 in AC. However, think about this , we win out the regular season....18-12. We win 3 at the tourney, and say we beat X in one of those games. Hey we lost on a tip in at the buzzer, anything's possible. So now we're 21-12. Probably not enough, because I don't know enough about the RPI system to know where that kind of finish would put us, I'm guessing somewhere in the low 70's? Is that kiind of a jump even possible given we're in the 90's now? Would this finish get us in the NIT. I know the dance committee gives weight to end of season play, but even this type of finish wouldn't be enough to jump over some also ran BCS teams.

No - unless we win the tourney.

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Just for grins. I don't think we can make the dance w/o winning the A-10 in AC. However, think about this , we win out the regular season....18-12. We win 3 at the tourney, and say we beat X in one of those games. Hey we lost on a tip in at the buzzer, anything's possible. So now we're 21-12. Probably not enough, because I don't know enough about the RPI system to know where that kind of finish would put us, I'm guessing somewhere in the low 70's? Is that kiind of a jump even possible given we're in the 90's now? Would this finish get us in the NIT. I know the dance committee gives weight to end of season play, but even this type of finish wouldn't be enough to jump over some also ran BCS teams.

I think if we get to 18 or 19 we have a good shot at the NIT. Is there any possiblily that if we get a NIT home game that it could be at the Chaifetz arena?

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i am betting we take a step back in the rpi tomorrow win or lose playing st bonnie. keep that in mind.

Even with a finish of 21-13 or somewhere near there, I just don't think SLU's RPI and strength of schedule would put them anywhere near a bubble team. Plus, they would really have few, if any, quality wins and they are bad on the road. However, how about an NIT invitation and a chance to play a home game at the Chaifetz? Not really out of the question. I guess you would need to see if the Arena would even be ready to host a basketball game. However, they have events planned for April and it was supposed to be open in early March.

Wouldn't that be something if SLU played an NIT game at the Chaifetz? Sorta like a "soft" home opener...

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We are the 7th best conference. Just based on that we have to get 2 teams in. Say we win out and then 3 wins in the conference tourney, final record 21-13, 20-13. This upcoming Duquesne game will be the biggest all season. Key wins SIUC, St Joe, UMass, RI(?). Our losses are not that bad if you take out 20pt GW game. Xavier is a top 10 team now. If we beat Xavier I think we could have a shot. Plenty of woulda/shoula/coulda

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We are the 7th best conference. Just based on that we have to get 2 teams in. Say we win out and then 3 wins in the conference tourney, final record 21-13, 20-13. This upcoming Duquesne game will be the biggest all season. Key wins SIUC, St Joe, UMass, RI(?). Our losses are not that bad if you take out 20pt GW game. Xavier is a top 10 team now. If we beat Xavier I think we could have a shot. Plenty of woulda/shoula/coulda

and the BC and Dayton loss and the Kent St. debacle... bad losses. However, they were a bit early in the season and this team and become a much better team as of late.

I do agree with those key wins and I should probably take back my comment about SLU having few, if any, key wins.

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We are the 7th best conference. Just based on that we have to get 2 teams in. Say we win out and then 3 wins in the conference tourney, final record 21-13, 20-13. This upcoming Duquesne game will be the biggest all season. Key wins SIUC, St Joe, UMass, RI(?). Our losses are not that bad if you take out 20pt GW game. Xavier is a top 10 team now. If we beat Xavier I think we could have a shot. Plenty of woulda/shoula/coulda

In my Billiken Blue hued glasses, I think SLU would deserve an NCAA at large bid if SLU makes the A-10 final. But I realize that will never happen. SLU would probably not even be close to the bubble. The NCAA finds ways to keep non-BCS schools like SLU out, such as the RPI. Of course, the NCAA disregards the RPI for a big conference BCS school like Stanford (RPI 65) last year.

This being said, SLU could win the A-10 Tournament and force the NCAA's hands.

Agree with B-Roy that SLU's RPI will likely go down just by playing the Bonnies (win or lose). But a win there is a necessity for many reasons, nonetheleast of them being A-10 Tournament seeding purposes.

Per Tom Timmerman, SLU has sent in its NIT application, but had not yet applied for the CBI, although Timmerman said that could happen. SLU needs to get that CBI application in too, if there is one, to ensure that another NIT snub (like last year) is not forthcoming. Remember the NIT is no longer controlled by the old NIT Committee in New York, that liked SLU, but rather by the NCAA and its bizarre College of Retired Coaches. I liked it better when the NIT was decided behind closed doors in NYC because those guys knew about SLU and its rich NIT history.

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In my Billiken Blue hued glasses, I think SLU would deserve an NCAA at large bid if SLU makes the A-10 final. But I realize that will never happen. SLU would probably not even be close to the bubble. The NCAA finds ways to keep non-BCS schools like SLU out, such as the RPI. Of course, the NCAA disregards the RPI for a big conference BCS school like Stanford (RPI 65) last year.

This being said, SLU could win the A-10 Tournament and force the NCAA's hands.

Agree with B-Roy that SLU's RPI will likely go down just by playing the Bonnies (win or lose). But a win there is a necessity for many reasons, nonetheleast of them being A-10 Tournament seeding purposes.

Per Tom Timmerman, SLU has sent in its NIT application, but had not yet applied for the CBI, although Timmerman said that could happen. SLU needs to get that CBI application in too, if there is one, to ensure that another NIT snub (like last year) is not forthcoming. Remember the NIT is no longer controlled by the old NIT Committee in New York, that liked SLU, but rather by the NCAA and its bizarre College of Retired Coaches. I liked it better when the NIT was decided behind closed doors in NYC because those guys knew about SLU and its rich NIT history.

Don't think that having RM as our coach instead of UB won't make a difference in the NIT selection committee's mind. I'd imagine that b/c members of the "coaching fraternity" would give a HOF coach like RM benefit of the doubt.

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If the Billikens had found a way to win the three close games earlier in the season they'd be a bubble team.

imo the killers are kent state, boston college, long beach state and missouri state.

conference losses are going to happen. you gotta kill that out of conference schedule to get to post season.

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Don't think that having RM as our coach instead of UB won't make a difference in the NIT selection committee's mind. I'd imagine that b/c members of the "coaching fraternity" would give a HOF coach like RM benefit of the doubt.

I thought of that too when I was posting. Hopefully, the presence of Coach Majerus will help with the NIT.

My qualms are that SLU clearly got the shaft last year, with its RPI of 74. Of course, losing 60-40 to GW in the A-10 Tourney did not help the SLU cause. But by the supposed objective criterion of the RPI, SLU should have been picked for last year's NIT.

Also, if SLU makes the NIT this year, perhaps the presence of the Coach will get ESPN to put SLU's game on TV.

I mentioned to my wife (fellow SLU alum) this morning if SLU might get to host an NIT game at the new Arena. That would be something, wouldn't it? Get that place ready. There might be an NIT game or games to play.

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Don't think that having RM as our coach instead of UB won't make a difference in the NIT selection committee's mind. I'd imagine that b/c members of the "coaching fraternity" would give a HOF coach like RM benefit of the doubt.

Thats exactly what I was thinking, Bandman. If we have a close enough record, I say we're in the NIT. Not only does Rick have friends all over the industry, it would be a hell of a story. We go from setting a record for fewest points scored to a postseason team. ESPN, which airs the NIT, would probably eat that up.

The only way I can see us even entering an NCAA conversation would be to make it to the championship game and beating Xavier along the way (and obviously not losing again before that). I think we would have to beat X at some point to get a look. We have some good wins, but we don't have a great win. We need a defining win. I think a win @ SJU was huge, but not huge enough.

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If the Billikens had found a way to win the three close games earlier in the season they'd be a bubble team.

Agree. You know what Satchel Paige said about not looking back. But I keep going back to those OT home losses to Dayton and Temple. And add to that the 2 point home loss to Xavier. Had SLU been able to win those 3, I think SLU would be close to being in the NCAA right now.

I watched that Temple game, and that one was there for the taking.

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Good grief. I hope that is wrong. Why, especially when the NIT left out SLU (RPI 74) and Dayton (RPI 75) last year?

SLU was even used by the CBI as an example when this new tournament was announced.

Yeah, I just went to their site to see if there was some reason why a program wouldn't want to be a part of it. I didn't see anything, and as you said, we were used an an example. I can think of no logical reason why the conference would not want to send representatives into the postseason. That just sounds stupid. It can't be true.
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Good grief. I hope that is wrong. Why, especially when the NIT left out SLU (RPI 74) and Dayton (RPI 75) last year?

SLU was even used by the CBI as an example when this new tournament was announced.

The only reason I can think of is that the A10 has worked to shake the dreaded "mid-major" level- has this tournament billed itself as a mid-major thing, or is it mainly for NIT leftovers from any conference? I like the idea of more basketball, but I also have to say that I don't see the point of this tournament.

That said, I think the conference is smart to try to get rid of that label. I like how the conference, Xavier in particular, won't even accept or acknowledge anything that puts their name with mid-major in the same sentence.

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The only reason I can think of is that the A10 has worked to shake the dreaded "mid-major" level- has this tournament billed itself as a mid-major thing, or is it mainly for NIT leftovers from any conference? I like the idea of more basketball, but I also have to say that I don't see the point of this tournament.

That said, I think the conference is smart to try to get rid of that label. I like how the conference, Xavier in particular, won't even accept or acknowledge anything that puts their name with mid-major in the same sentence.

http://www.gazellegroup.com/cbi/cbi_mockbracket07.pdf

Above is the link to last year proposed bracket. It sure doesn't look mid-major to me. And I haven't read anything that says mid-major. I agree with you, but I don't think this is being billed as a mid-major tourney.

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