Some strange tourney selections, but don't weep for snubbees

^
The Bald Truth

Let me start by saying I'm thrilled Marquette is an 11 seed. Everybody knows it's better to be an 11 than an 8 or 9 because, if the 11 seed can beat the 6 in its first game, it then gets to play the 3 seed in the next round; the 8 or 9 must play the top seed in its second game.

Having said that, every year I'm reminded how crazy some of the seeding is. For example ...

Marquette and West Virginia each won 20 games and each played proudly in the best conference in the land. Marquette didn't have a single "bad loss" all season; West Virginia lost at home to Marshall. And not only did Marquette beat West Virginia during the season, my Golden Warrior Eagles defeated the Mountaineers in the Big East tournament.

Nonetheless, Marquette was one of the last five teams in the tournament -- and the very last that doesn't have to do one of those play-in games -- while West Virginia is a 5.

Weird.

The Balder Truth

Illinois failed to win 20 games, never contended in the Big Ten, beat just about nobody all season and blew numerous games it was supposed to have won. Many Illini fans were convinced their heroes weren't going to make the NCAAs after a conference tournament loss to Michigan.

Yet here the Illini are, easy qualifiers as No. 9 seeds. Meanwhile, Colorado -- which beat Texas and Missouri teams that had defeated Illinois -- was snubbed. And while the Illini couldn't even handle Northwestern and Illinois-Chicago, Virginia Tech beat Duke but was snubbed.

Weird.

THE BALDEST TRUTH

Having said all that, I don't feel at all sorry for any of the snubbees.

I'm guessing that if Colorado had somehow found a way to beat Harvard, San Francisco and Iowa State or if it hadn't lost 6 of 7 during one stretch, the Buffaloes wouldn't have been excluded. I'm guessing that if Virginia Tech hadn't lost twice to a dreadful Virginia team and once to even more hapless Georgia Tech, the Hokies wouldn't have given the selection committee the chance to slight them.

One of the cool things about sports is that participants control their own destinies. Every single one of the snubbees had the opportunity to win another game or two and take itself off the dreaded bubble.

Rather than whine about "undeserving" teams that got in, snubbees and their fans need to look in the mirror and say:

"Yeah, but if we only had beaten San Fran (as Colorado didn't) or Virginia (as Virginia Tech didn't) or Iowa (as Alabama didn't) or San Diego (as St. Mary's didn't) or Yale (as Boston College didn't), we'd be in the tournament, too."

Nah ... much easier to whine and blame somebody else, right?
^

Bo should know the NIT

^

The Bald Truth

If Wisconsin gets invited to the NCAA tournament, it will because of reputation alone.

The Badgers are 19-12 and have one victory all season over a ranked team - at Michigan in their Big Ten opener. That also serves as their most "quality" road victory. 

They even lost at Iowa - and that's not easy.

Though the selection committee might end up ruling differently, logic suggests the Badgers had to beat Ohio State in the conference tourney Friday to sew up an NCAA bid ... and they couldn't do it.

Bo Ryan is a great coach, but this isn't one of his better teams. It certainly isn't a team worthy of playing in the NCAAs. 

The Balder Truth

Syracuse players are many things, including tough, resilient and well-conditioned. Given their ability to follow a six-overtime victory over UConn with a run-of-the-mill single-OT triumph over West Virginia, "impressive" works well, too. 

OK, now can all commentators please stop with all the talk of "courage"?

The Orangemen didn't rush into a burning building to save lives, didn't go off to war, didn't even take a difficult public stand on a controversial issue.

They are basketball players who played lots of basketball.

Yes, they played it very well, but I sure hope that's not how we're defining "courage" these days. 

THE BALDEST TRUTH

Jon Scheyer clanked the front end of a 1-and-1. Boston College then grabbed the rebound and the Eagles, who trailed Duke by one point in the ACC quarterfinals, were steaming up court with a chance to win the game.

That's when coach Al Skinner called a time out.

And he wasn't finished showing how smart he was. Oh no, not even close.

BC got the ball inbounds and advanced it into the frontcourt ... when Skinner called time again. Now there were only 5.5 seconds left.

When play resumed, Duke overplayed Skinner's first option - Tyrese Rice - and BC ended up taking a wild, challenged shot that didn't come close to going in.

Why didn't Skinner simply trust his players, especially Rice, after that missed free throw? Isn't that why the Eagles had spent the last six months practicing, for those exact kind of situations?

With the Dookies scrambling to get back into defensive position, BC had every advantage.

Until Skinner called time. Twice.

Coach S apparently wanted to prove he was smarter than Coach K.

Gee. How did that work out?