Bay Area Billiken

In looking at last year's RPI, the following RPI's were left out of the NCAA: 21 Missouri State 30 Hofstra 39 Creighton 40 Cincinnati 43 St. Joseph's 47 Michigan 49 Maryland The Missouri State situation, especially, and even Hofstra really stand out. Keeping out a school with an RPI of 21 was unprecedented. Couple that with SMS with an RPI of 34 getting snubbed in 2000.

Since 2000, the lowest RPI's to get snubbed were: 2006: Missouri State 21 Hofstra 30 2000: the then Southwest Missouri State 34 Thus, Missouri State has been left out in 2 of the 3 lowest RPI cases. What does that say about the NCAA Committee, the MVC, the BCS schools, etc.? Many think that a Sweet 16 team in Bradley walked away with Missouri State's NCAA bid last year when Bradley made but lost the MVC Tournament final.

1- SEC 2- ACC 3- Pac 10 4- Big 10 5- Big East 6- MVC 7- Big XII 8- Mountain West 9- WAC 10- A-10 11- C-USA 12- Colonial 13- Horizon 14- WCC Re the NIT, the field has been reduced to 32 teams. And with about 5 or 6 NIT bids now lost to lesser conference regular season winners that don't win their conference tournaments, the cutoff is about 77 or 78 in the RPI. SLU is at 72. The Billikens need to win for all purposes, NCAA and NIT. The NCAA is the ultimate goal. I know others differ, but I would rather be in the NIT than out completely. The NIT is actually a very competitive tournament and certainly has better games than things like the winner of the play-in game between the SWAC and NEC winners and the overall #1 NCAA seed.

Although we keep hearing that the RPI is only one tool and really is not all that involved, I still am a Doubting Thomas on that one. Year in and year out, the RPI seems to be followed closely, with about 3 predictable exceptions per year and no more than 5. The evidence is more than coincidental. Per a pure following of the RPI, Bradley is the first team out and in the NIT at 48. However, I think Bradley has to win the MVC Tournament. Getting to the MVC Championship Game and losing there might allow Bradley to steal Missouri State's bid, like last year, but I doubt it. It looks like the MVC is a 3 team league. I know the NCAA says it does not pick by conference. SLU at 72 is in the NIT at this point. To make the NCAA, SLU will probably have to win the A-10 Tournament. A late season run and winning even 2 games in the A-10 Tournament may not be enough for the Big Dance. The A-10 could be a 1 team league if Xavier (RPI 36) wins the A-10 Tournament, or it would be a 2 team league if someone other than Xavier wins the A-10 Tournament, with X getting an at-large bid. Even all hallowed Duke ordinarily would be at risk with that 5-6 ACC record. But this is Duke, and Duke's RPI is still 17. So barring a complete collapse down the stretch, the Dukies will be in. The teams that are currently in the NCAA per the RPI that might be out are Maryland (RPI 35, 4-6 ACC), Arkansas (#37 RPI, 4-6 SEC), Michigan State (RPI 42, 4-6 Big 10), and Texas Tech (RPI 45, 4-6 Big XII). Purdue (RPI 40, 5-6 Big Ten) and Florida State (29 RPI, 5-6 ACC) could also be at risk, but if the NCAA takes Duke, it probably takes FSU too. These can be replaced in the NCAA with Vanderbilt (49 RPI, 6-4 SEC), Notre Dame (51 RPI, 6-5 Big East), Providence perhaps, but unlikely (52 RPI, 5-5 Big East), Texas (54 RPI, 7-3 Big XII), Michigan (59 RPI, 5-5 Big Ten), Oklahoma (61 RPI, 6-4 Big XII), Syracuse (62 RPI, 6-5 Big East), and Louisville (73 RPI, 7-4 Big East). Even Washington (74 RPI, 6-7 Pac Ten) is making a move. And Iowa (RPI 81) is 6-5 in the Big Ten. Usually an above .500 record in one of the BCS leagues produces an NCAA bid. I don't see the NCAA leaving out Big East schools like Notre Dame, Syracuse, and Louisville if they finish over .500 in the conference. The Big Ten is in upheavel with only 3 locks: Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Purdue (RPI 40), Illinois (RPI 41), Michigan State (RPI 42), Michigan, and Iowa are left to scrap for perhaps 3 at large bids. It is hard to justify having a Michigan State ahead of a Michigan, for example. Call this the Big Ten Exception to the RPI. Again, an above .500 finish in the Big Ten garners an NCAA bid, and a .500 finish usually gets one. On another note, the WCC regular season game of the year is tonight in Spokane: Santa Clara at Gonzaga (minus the suspended Heytvelt) for sole possession of first place. For the first time in a long time, the Zags are being challenged in the WCC. With an RPI of 55, the Zags are certainly no lock for an NCAA bid if they don't win the WCC Tournament in Portland.

Gonzaga 60 St. Mary's 49 in Spokane, even without Heytvelt. For at least tonight, Gonzaga rose above the controversy. This is major news in the Northwest and throughout the WCC. The game of the year in the WCC is Monday night, Santa Clara at Gonzaga, in a battle for sole possession of first place. For really the first time in years, Gonzaga is being seriously challenged in the WCC. And the challenger is Santa Clara, whose coach, Dick Davey, has announced his "retirement" at the end of this season.

SLU is getting spanked early. 15-2 X.

What about DePaul?

After about the top 125 teams in D-1, there really isn't much difference with the D-2 teams. That is also the opinion of my good friend, who is a Bradley alumnus and fan and also the PA announcer at the Quincy home games. I was told that the Quincy folks were very impressed with SLU and the game setup, etc., first class. We are intrigued by all these old Quincy opponents who are now D-1 teams. They are literally all over the place: SEMO, WIU, EIU, UIC, Chicago State, UMKC, et al. It looks like SIUE will be the next to go the D-1 route.

One other point. At one time, the NIT did consider the overall record, even including games against non-D-1 teams so that a school's record was at or over .500 to permit NIT qualification. That would apply to a St. John's or a big conference also-ran. It is my understanding that the old at least .500 record for the NIT has been dropped.

Since this thread deals with Quincy, the Franciscan school 17 blocks from where I was raised, I feel some need to post. Quincy is actually a very good D-2 team. The Hawks are 17-4, 10-3 in the very tough Great Lakes Valley Conference, and are ranked 12th overall in D-2. There are those, me included, who feel QU would have little trouble beating a Western Illinois. In the Massey Ratings of all college teams, Quincy is #283 out of 1507 schools. By comparison, Western Illinois is #428, and SLU is #84. Now I realize that while playing Quincy did SLU no good at all as far as the NCAA Tournament Committee is concerned, in reality, at least in terms of the competition, Quincy was a better opponent for SLU than some of the bottom feeders in D-1. And perhaps most importantly, as others have noted, playing the Hawks did not hurt SLU's RPI. Now when SLU opens its new arena, who will be the first opponent? If SLU cannot get a big name school, such as a Notre Dame, to open the new Arena, how about opening against Wash U? After all, SLU, under Rich Grawer, opened Wash U's refurbished fieldhouse when it reopened. (Grawer vowed he would never return.) I'll probably get flamed for this paragraph, but I would like to see SLU take care of that academic rival across from Forest Park sometime again in hoops.

I realize Fox Sports Midwest is not just a St. Louis station. Fox Sports Ohio is not just a Cincinnati station; I believe it is on in Cleveland and Columbus. Yet, Xavier gets lots of exposure on that station. It would help SLU to get its games on Fox Sports Midwest. Many of these CSTV Syndicated games are appearing on TV stations for the opponents on similar stations, like today's game on MASN for GW. I'm a native of Quincy, IL. There are Billiken fans there, like my Mom, who hardly ever get to see SLU play on TV. If SLU games were on Fox Sports Midwest, I think the most people would get to see the games.

SLU somehow needs to get its games on Fox Sports Midwest, like Xavier games are on Fox Sports Cincinnati and Fox Sports Ohio. That would allow the games to be on TV in St. Louis on the cable systems, throughout many areas of the Midwest on their cable systems, and on DirecTV Channel 647 for expatriates like this poster. I agree that it is absurd for SIU, Creighton, et al., to be on Fox Sports Midwest, when SLU is a TV nomad.

The TV play by play guy was none other than Jonathan Coachman from the WWE. I thought he did a decent job today. Due to the ridiculous Rutgers at UConn OT clash of the never weres v. the has beens in the almighty Big East, the GW at SLU game came on the air at 11:40 Pacific time, 40 minutes late. That Rutgers-UConn epic was just about as ugly of a game that I have seen in years. Hobbs is a piece of work. He asked the ref twice in the same sequence with 5 or 6 minues left to give him a technical. Hobbs could be heard on the telecast. The ref declined to give Hobbs the T. Hobbs was complaining and yelling at the refs the whole game. Who is this guy? Let him whine to the press all he wants. His team got beat today, plain and simple. And he got outcoached. It looked to me that if GW can't get TO's from the other team and convert them into fast break points, GW will not beat a good team playing a half court game. GW's offense was shaky in the second half, no doubt due to solid SLU defense. The slam by Tommie Liddell was one for the ages. There is still hope for this SLU team this year.

That was a tremendous slam by Tommie Liddell. The TV analyst, Steve Wolf, thought a foul on GW could have been called too on the play. That should make some highlight films. Earl Austin, Jr. related it to Dominique Wilkins.

A number of SLU's A-10 conference games can be found at various places on DirecTV. Usually we are getting the opponent's station, but the A-10 announcers are usually neutral. The Texas A&M game was on Fox Sports Southwest, but was blacked out for some reason on our DirecTV. Today's game against GW again featured the WWE's Jonathan Coachman on the play by play. He also did the play by play for SLU's game at Fordham. The game today was on MASN, Channel 626.

Who is this guy? After yelling at the refs the whole game, he literally asked the ref at least twice to give him a technical, which was not given. If he asked for it, give it to him. What a piece of work.

Unbelievable! 2 lousy Big East teams, horrible game, bad free throw shooting by UConn. Rutgers hits a 3 pointer to send the game into OT after UConn misses 2 free throws. And we have to wait for the Billikens. 17-13 GW right now.

Agreed. Marquee was the man at crunch time too.

Without a lot of thought, I think that was the best I've seen a Billiken player completely take over a game since Larry Hughes took over at crunch time in the 1st Round NCAA win over UMass in Atlanta. Liddell was flat out awesome at crunch time tonight, unstoppable. Great job and kudos to all involved. Now, where are all those St. Joe's fans that gave SLU no chance coming into this one?

When SLU had its last chance, with an inbound under the basket with 2 seconds left, I do not understand why Tommie Liddell was the one throwing the ball in. Since Liddell is best on the team at creating his own shot, it would seem to me that someone should be throwing the ball into Liddell.

Here's hoping SLU signs him. SLU can always use good athletes.

While it was not as important as a conference game, IMO, every game matters. After last night's games, Houston's RPI is 75, while SLU's RPI is 102. SLU could have gained some much needed RPI ground with a road win at Houston. Even if an NCAA bid is going to require SLU to win out in the A-10 Tournament, a tall order, a win would have helped the momentum. I listened to the first half of last night's game and drove home hoping for a win. I heard the fateful last 15 seconds. SLU had 3 chances and was only able to even get off 1 shot. The other thing is that any hope for an NIT bid is getting slimmer and slimmer too. Again a road win at Houston would have helped for RPI purposes. Re the NIT, with the field reduced to 32 teams, 8 NIT slots are gone, and with the reserved NIT bids for regular season smaller conference winners that don't win their conference tournaments, another 5 or 6 bids are probably gone. So to even make the NIT, SLU would need to get its RPI into the low 80's, the 70's to be safe, and nothing higher than 84 as of yesterday. I know the aspiration of all, including me, is the NCAA this year. But I, for one, would rather get in the NIT, as opposed to nothing. I also know others do not share that sentiment.

To say the least, SLU owes SJU after last year's two debacles. I watched that second game, and the Billikens got manhandled by SJU and stifled by that East Coast zone. This year, St. Joe's is 12-8, 4-3 in the A-10. SJU's RPI is 78. This St. Joe's team starts 2 freshmen guards and plays 4 freshmen guards. None of them are averaging in double figures. Can Tommie Liddell and Kevin Lisch exploit them? SJU is big up front, 6'8", 6'9", and 6'10". The 6'10" guy, Pat Calathes, is hitting 46.3% from 3 point range; the 6'8" forward, Rob Ferguson is hitting 45.9% of his 3's. The pack defense will not work against this team. The Center, Ahmad Nivins averages 17.2 PPG, while Calathes is at 13.8 PPG, and Ferguson is at 12.4 PPG. If SLU could show up and win this one, it would at least make up at least somewhat for one of the two bad losses.

Last year, as I recall, about 5 NIT spots (per the RPI) were lost to the new edict about a guaranteed NIT bid for a regular season conference winner that didn't win its conference tournament. Also, is the NIT still 40 teams? Before the NCAA took over the NIT, the NIT really followed the RPI, with just a few exceptions for teams in the New York area. It used to be that being in the top 100 in RPI would get you in the NIT. That is no longer the case because of this new edict, which allows lesser conference winners with higher RPI's into the NIT.

Congratulations to all involved. That was a good win. Hopefully, it will send all the doomsayers back into hibernation. We watched the second half on CSTV. I had to monitor on the Blackberry on the way home for the first half. JJ's dunk at the end of the first half was noted in text on the Blackberry. In the second half, that was a fantastic alley oop slam by Tommie Liddell on the feed from Kevin Lisch. And JJ had a slam in the second half too. Lisch was named the Player of the Game with 28 points. ON the CSTV feed, Tom Timmerman and Bob Ramsey could be seen courtside. Was Bernie anywhere in the house? If not, why not? Don't the scribes have to accept the good with the perceived bad?