Why only three

[drkelsey55]

For a lot of the season the talking heads kept saying the A10 might get 6 teams in the dance. Now when some of those six are starting to fad away they drop down to three. WHY? What is wrong with four and giving credit for an improving team that has shown they can play with anyone.

Lets have no more talk of three, only refer to the dance in terms of FOUR.

Thanks I had to get that of my chest.

[Quality Is Job 1]

I'm sure it will be four, possibly five, depending on how the A-10 Tournament shakes out.

[BillsFanRick]

well we have st. bonaventure and GW to thank for the recent drop to 3 "in teams." The bottom half of our league is playing for a bid/seeding into the A-10 tournament and they've been catching some of the sort-of-big-boys in the A10 by surprise. For example, yesterday GW pulled into a tie with Duquesne for 8th with their win over charlotte. who wouldn't want to host an opening round conf. tournament game?!?

We had so many tournament hopefuls b/c the top 7 had really separated themselves from the rest. When bottom 7 teams like SB and GW start winning games that separation fades a bit, IMO.

[kshoe]

I'm sure it will be four, possibly five, depending on how the A-10 Tournament shakes out.

If the NCAA tourney started today, it would be 3. The NCAA has said time and time again they do not give out bids to conferences and value each team on its own merit. As of right now, only 3 A-10 teams have put together a season long performance deserving of NCAA bids. A few weeks ago it looked like Charlotte, RI, and Dayton could be in that group but they have all had very rough stretches and quite frankly have not earned bids.

Lastly, anyone that thinks SLU has an at-large possibility is living in a fantasy land. The best we can do RPI wise and not win the conference tourney is like 58. Go back through time and one will not find more than a very rare case of 55+ RPI teams getting at large bids.

[drkelsey55]

well we have st. bonaventure and GW to thank for the recent drop to 3 "in teams." The bottom half of our league is playing for a bid/seeding into the A-10 tournament and they've been catching some of the sort-of-big-boys in the A10 by surprise. For example, yesterday GW pulled into a tie with Duquesne for 8th with their win over charlotte. who wouldn't want to host an opening round conf. tournament game?!?

We had so many tournament hopefuls b/c the top 7 had really separated themselves from the rest. When bottom 7 teams like SB and GW start winning games that separation fades a bit, IMO.

That's all well and good, but our RPI is low mainly due to our games before Ellis. If you could figure our RPI on games only after Ellis I think people would be talking about the four A10 teams that are locks...number four being the Billikens.

We are just going to have to win the A10 Tourney to take the discussion out of everyone's hands.

[SLU_Nick]

That's all well and good, but our RPI is low mainly due to our games before Ellis. If you could figure our RPI on games only after Ellis I think people would be talking about the four A10 teams that are locks...number four being the Billikens.

We are just going to have to win the A10 Tourney to take the discussion out of everyone's hands.

If they look at each team independently, then they should look at who is actually on our team now. With CE we are completely different team. With that said, I agree with Kshoe and there is no way we get it at large...

[Clock_Tower]

That's all well and good, but our RPI is low mainly due to our games before Ellis. If you could figure our RPI on games only after Ellis I think people would be talking about the four A10 teams that are locks...number four being the Billikens.

We are just going to have to win the A10 Tourney to take the discussion out of everyone's hands.

Presume our RPI takes a beating each time SIUC and MO State lose and lose and lose. W/o KM, w/ BC on only 1 leg, w/o CE, w/ FJ on 1 leg... that loss to MO State really hurt.

BTW, where's all that talk about how great Cuonzo Martin and the then unbeaten MO State Bears are.

Other teams and conferences are also taking a beating (RPI) with the end of their conference games. SLU was the only "local" team to win as Mizzou, Illini, SIUC and MO State all lost yesterday.

[Basketbill]

Remember RPI is only one factor. The "body" of work is what is considered. The teams play after the addition of Cody Ellis is a factor. However that factor is diminished with each loss. If we beat Temple that factor is more significant. And if we beat Dayton on their own court not only does the addition of Cody factor continue to hold water, but now our road/neutral court record is

0.500. Neutral games at the tourney going 1-1 or 2-1 still puts us in the conversation with 0.500 or better onthe road, wins-loss versus top 50 rpi, strength of schedule notthe best. But now look at w-l with CE, road with CE etc.... It all points to abetted team than the initial glance would show. This team is a winner we need to continue to show we belong , beat temple!!!!!!

Other teams will have the opposite problem after losing a player. Look at Mizzou. Now they are in but if they go 1-3 in their last four games with losses to kst,ks at home win at is and lose 1st game of conf tourney...... They would be pretty

nervous on selction Sunday. If they lose all four the committee may well say this is a different team without stafford......And take a rising team instead.....

[MB73]

A-10 will get 3, longshot, 4.

RPI is not a perfect indicator of team strength and accomplishent, the formula does not always hold true.

Almost every year some conference is significantly overrated, another significantlhy underrated.

SLU = 91 but is likely "as good" as some A-10 teams that have RPI's of 25-26-43-56 but we played weak non conference schedule.

Duqesne is 87, SLU is 91. What does that tell you?

SO when A-10 had 6 teams at about 46 or under about 3 weeks ago a lot of A-10 supporters thought A-10 would get 6 NCAA bids, maybe just 5.

They did not understand that these teams would all play each other and also a few would be upset in the conference grind by lower teams that were "up" for a game while the higher ranked team looked ahead to another "big" game.

I think Xavier and Temple are legitimate, played very strong non conference schedules and beat some non conference excellent teams.

But some others, IMO, are mathematical anomolies, Richmond and RI have much better RPI's than Mich State, Gonzaga, Ohio State, Ok State, etc.

We can still get in if we beat Temple, Dayton, win 2 A-10 conference tournament games, and play the final close. Will be very difficult.

If we pull it off, NCAA will understand that Ellis did not play first 1/2 of season, we have a good chance, depends on other bubble teams outcomes.

[Taj79]

Three of the A10's pretenders started blowing their proverbial tires coming down the stretch, namely Rhode Island, Charlotte and Dayton. If we had had more buzz in our non-conference schedule, who knows. But we didn't due to our scheduling. I recall Rick being attributed to some saying that said next year or so is when this team starts to gel. Well, it gelled a little early.

Dayton was found out because they can't shoot. I was watching them yesterday aganst Umass. Evn when Umass scored, Warren and Lowery and Perry were pushing the ball up the court like a fast break. Because that still transltes into layups. At one point, Dayton has like 21 assists on 28 baskets. To stop them, you have to matchup physically and make them depend on the jump shot. Now, yesterday, Mickey Perry got unconsciously hot and Lowery added a few. But that is to be expectedin the YouDee arena.

Charlotte was an aberation in my mind. They got off hot,peaked, and now, with conference play much more intene, are being found out. I don't respect their exterior game. Anderson and Dewhurst add nothing and Green is a slasher. Their power are the two big hulks down low, Spears and Braswell. Yesterday, at GeeDub, Braswell got into early foul trouble and that was all she wrote. Backup big man Phil Jones was shooting threes in the second half. Lutz even ran a set play designed for Jones to get a three. Harris is a nice point provided he has the two big men to dump it too. Otherwise, he's not a scoring option. I watched that one too. Karl Hobbs pulled another "Karl." He was up by 12 with under a minute to go and cleared his bench. It was homecoming so all the scrubs got in. Then that European benchwarmer for Charlotte hit a three. They then stole the inbounds and Euro-man hits another three. Karl calls time out and sends his five starters back in. Amazing how fast a 12-point lead can evaporate.

Rhode Island never seems to have the stamina to make it through a whole season. They play a nice game and surprise out of the gates it seems but fade down the stretch and in conference. I believe that short of winning the A10 tourney in two weeks, all three teams will be on the outside looking in. Anytime you get a marginal BCS team against one like these three, I think the bias points towards the committee putting the BCS team in first.

I am in agreement with kshoe --- we don't win the tournament in AC we are looking at NIT at best. Which I think would benefit this team and its youth providing they are healthy enough to go some more.

[NH]

A-10 will get 3, longshot, 4.

RPI is not a perfect indicator of team strength and accomplishent, the formula does not always hold true.

Almost every year some conference is significantly overrated, another significantlhy underrated.

SLU = 91 but is likely "as good" as some A-10 teams that have RPI's of 25-26-43-56 but we played weak non conference schedule.

Duqesne is 87, SLU is 91. What does that tell you?

SO when A-10 had 6 teams at about 46 or under about 3 weeks ago a lot of A-10 supporters thought A-10 would get 6 NCAA bids, maybe just 5.

They did not understand that these teams would all play each other and also a few would be upset in the conference grind by lower teams that were "up" for a game while the higher ranked team looked ahead to another "big" game.

I think Xavier and Temple are legitimate, played very strong non conference schedules and beat some non conference excellent teams.

But some others, IMO, are mathematical anomolies, Richmond and RI have much better RPI's than Mich State, Gonzaga, Ohio State, Ok State, etc.

We can still get in if we beat Temple, Dayton, win 2 A-10 conference tournament games, and play the final close. Will be very difficult.

If we pull it off, NCAA will understand that Ellis did not play first 1/2 of season, we have a good chance, depends on other bubble teams outcomes.

RI has beaten OK state. Richmond is for real. I still think we will get four, but we will have to wait and see how it turns out.

[Taj79]

URI beat Oklahoma State early. In the game against Kansas yesterday, CBS put up Okie State's log and it had "Bad Loss" down for Rhode Island. That at least tells you what CBS thinks of the Rams. And your latest run is taken more into account than who you beat early now--- that's got to favor us more right now then these other three A10ers. And again, short of wining the A10, I don't like out chaces much. Having said that, it ain't over until its over and this has been a great ride so far.

[Schasz]

I like the notion of just winning the darn A10 Tourney. At the start of this conference schedule I would have said no way, but the way our team has played in the conference schedule, we are capable of beating anyone. I surely would not call it a Miracle if this team wins the conference tourney.

[slu72]

I like the notion of just winning the darn A10 Tourney. At the start of this conference schedule I would have said no way, but the way our team has played in the conference schedule, we are capable of beating anyone. I surely would not call it a Miracle if this team wins the conference tourney.

Winning the A-10's probably the only way we go dancing at this point. I will be thrilled if we go the NIT. Major achievement for these kids and RM. Could we win the A-10? Yes, but odds are against us. X is looking really good right now. Richmond's the type of team that would and did give us fits. After CE gave 'em a spanking at the Chey they adjusted at home and shut him, and us, down. Temple? Guess we'll find out Wednesday night where all the focus should be directed at right now anyways. Let's deal with them one game at a time.

[Postcard]

If the NCAA tourney started today, it would be 3. The NCAA has said time and time again they do not give out bids to conferences and value each team on its own merit. As of right now, only 3 A-10 teams have put together a season long performance deserving of NCAA bids. A few weeks ago it looked like Charlotte, RI, and Dayton could be in that group but they have all had very rough stretches and quite frankly have not earned bids.

Lastly, anyone that thinks SLU has an at-large possibility is living in a fantasy land. The best we can do RPI wise and not win the conference tourney is like 58. Go back through time and one will not find more than a very rare case of 55+ RPI teams getting at large bids.

Kshoe gets it.

That's all well and good, but our RPI is low mainly due to our games before Ellis. If you could figure our RPI on games only after Ellis I think people would be talking about the four A10 teams that are locks...number four being the Billikens.

I don't think you can pick and choose when you start counting a teams games for their RPI's sake. Chances are, it wouldn't be all that better than any of the teams from the BCS conferences. Their RPI's always get a boost it seems during conference play because they're playing top 50 teams multiple times.

[slu72 fan]

I, too, think we are not likely to receive an at-large bid, given our non-conference schedule. However, I found it interesting that, while watching UCONN yesterday, the announcers were discussing how they should get a pass for their losses while Calhoun was out. Using that logic, shouldn't we get one for CE's late arrival.

If we can continue winning, we'll find out about how much importance they put on the end of season results.

[slu72]

Kshoe gets it.

I don't think you can pick and choose when you start counting a teams games for their RPI's sake. Chances are, it wouldn't be all that better than any of the teams from the BCS conferences. Their RPI's always get a boost it seems during conference play because they're playing top 50 teams multiple times.

And that's why you cheer for Mizzery, correct?

[Postcard]

And that's why you cheer for Mizzery, correct?

Why is that?

[Clock_Tower]

Winning the A-10's probably the only way we go dancing at this point. I will be thrilled if we go the NIT. Major achievement for these kids and RM. Could we win the A-10? Yes, but odds are against us. X is looking really good right now. Richmond's the type of team that would and did give us fits. After CE gave 'em a spanking at the Chey they adjusted at home and shut him, and us, down. Temple? Guess we'll find out Wednesday night where all the focus should be directed at right now anyways. Let's deal with them one game at a time.

I don't buy it. If we beat Temple and Dayton (at Dayton), both would be quality wins and we would have won 10 our last 11. Our win total would be 21 and our conference record would also be a very respectable 12-4 in a pretty good conference. Then, if we won 2 more games in the conf tournament, our win total would be 23 with 12 wins over last 13 games!! A respectable loss in the conf tournament, SLU being a hot team, SLU also being a new face/team lead by nationally known RM, the fact that nearly all teams lose their last game before the NCAA, we could definitely get an invite.