Thursday, March 03, 2005

There’s Nothing To See Here

Luke Winn has a piece at si.com about three teams that changed personalities this season without a coaching change. It's kind of an extension of the Basketball Shrink^TM I introduced a while back, with the respective coaches trying to explain the changes. This is especially nice because 1) We all get to read something by somebody who took more than just 'Technical Writing' in college, and 2) I can take a day off. It's a win-win, or a win-Winn. Yeah, whatever.

Over at ESPN, Andy Katz takes a nice stab at some championship week hype. But the discriminating mid-major connoisseur will be over at the midmajority over the next couple of weeks as Kyle documents all the mid-major tournaments in digest form and attends 32 games on his own. Methinks Kyle shouldn't be surprised if at some point during that time the Official Wife^TM makes eyes at Bally the Basketball.

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Minutia

Slowest paced games this season by possesions per 40 minutes (score in parentheses)...

1   46, 2/4 Princeton(42) at Dartmouth(50) 
2   47, 11/20 Princeton(46) at Temple(48) 
3   47, 11/15 Air Force(60) vs. Mississippi(36) 
4   48, 12/8 Rutgers(40) at Princeton(53) 
5   49, 1/31 UNLV(48) at Air Force(64) 

Fastest paced games this season by possesions per 40 minutes...

1   93,  1/22 North Carolina A&T(86) at Florida A&M(93) 
2   92, 11/23 Mercer(67) at Maryland (93) 
3   92,  1/8  Maryland(75) at North Carolina(109)  
4   91, 12/24 Houston(63) at Washington(110)  
5   89, 12/30 Quinnipiac(71) at Connecticut(123) 

Best shooting games by a single team this season...

1   80.0%,  1/24 Air Force(51) at Utah(63)  
2   77.8%, 11/27 UC Davis(55) at Utah State(81) 
3   69.2%,  2/5  Utah State(80) at UC Santa Barbara(50)
3   69.2%,  1/15 New Mexico(62) at Air Force(64) 
5   68.6%, 12/30 Indiana State(69) at Drake(74) 

Best rebounding games by a single team, as defined by total rebounding...

1   154.6,  1/20 Northwestern State(72) at Texas State(69) 
2   153.9, 11/23 Arkansas Pine Bluff(40) at Nebraska(97) 
3   150.2, 12/3  Youngstown St.(52) at SW Missouri State(88) 
4   150.0, 12/20 Cornell(69) at Syracuse(82)  
5   146.9,  1/15 Butler(59) at Detroit(72) 

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

The Best of Bowlsby

Bob Bowlsby 1/3/05 - "[W]e want the RPI to be the best tool possible. We believe this adjustment accomplishes that."

Bob Bowlsby 2/23/05 - "The committee has talked till we're blue in the face that [the RPI] is just one of many tools. ... But the fact of the matter is it serves a role, it serves an enhanced role now that it's been refined a little bit. I think it's a better tool."

If the basketball committee chairman believes this RPI is better than before, why would anyone think it will be used less? If a top 30 ranking was sacred before, then it should be even more so now. If teams like Vermont and Miami of Ohio are denied at-large bids should they need them, then we know that Mr. Bowlsby did not truly believe what he said. I can only take him at his word for now. So don't be surprised that a six-loss team from the MAC (Buffalo) could be selected over a six-loss team from the Big Ten (Indiana).

With this in mind, here is another vague and nebulous look at the bubble:

Teams that should be in if they avoid another bad loss (in no particular order): UCLA, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Iowa State, Minnesota, Indiana, Saint Mary's, Georgetown, West Virginia, Stanford, and Texas.

With the locks listed below, the preceding teams would take up 31 of the possible 34 at-large bids. But with the inevitable conference tourney upsets looming, one-bid conference locks Vermont, Miami, Pacific, Nevada, and Holy Cross(??) could find themselves taking at-large bids from the teams above.

Teams that can still get in by getting themselves noticed (in no particular order): NC State, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Buffalo*, UTEP*, Northern Iowa, Wichita State, Houston, and George Washington*.

*Must win out through conference championship.

Now the stone-cold locks - these teams will get in regardless of their finish. (leagues with only one possible at-large not included)

ACC - UNC, Wake, Duke

Pac 10 - Washington, Arizona

Big East - BC, Syracuse, UConn, Villanova, Pitt

Big XII - Kansas, Oklahoma St., Oklahoma, Texas Tech

Big Ten - Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan State

SEC - Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi State, Florida, LSU

WCC - Gonzaga

MVC - Southern Illinois

CUSA - Louisville, Cincinnati, Charlotte, DePaul

WAC - Nevada

Think I missed something?