The Bid Stealers

[brewcity77]

Illinois State down by 2 to Creighton with 2:32 left...these are the types of games that could cost the Big East bids as a league. Nice to know Marquette's not sweating the bubble, but I love watching these types of games in March.

[PGsHeroes32]

Since we are not on the bubble at all for a change I am really rooting for Illinois state.

I like seeing the bid stealers

[TallTitan34]

I'm all for a weaker field!  Steal the bids!

[warriorchick]

Creighton wins in OT 83-79.

[brewcity77]

I tend to think they'll all be out, but add Oral Roberts, Iona, and Drexel as possible bid-stealing teams. ORU and Iona are both top-50 RPI teams, and Drexel has won 19/20 (though many over sub-150 teams).

Most likely all three will be NIT-bound, but it's possible that 1 or 2 could make the field of 68.

[cheebs09]

We want some upsets in the mid-major conference tourneys don't we?  That way some of the more dangerous mid-majors may not make it and weaker Conference Champs may make their way to the 14 seed line.

[jsglow]

I tend to think they'll all be out, but add Oral Roberts, Iona, and Drexel as possible bid-stealing teams. ORU and Iona are both top-50 RPI teams, and Drexel has won 19/20 (though many over sub-150 teams).

Most likely all three will be NIT-bound, but it's possible that 1 or 2 could make the field of 68.

I think that Drexel's loss cost CAA a bid.  VCU would have been in either way but now they earned the auto.  Seton Hall and Northwestern were obviously big fans.  So far, no bids have been stolen that I can see.

[boyonthedock]

Lot of big east buddies down there on the bubble. I'd rather the conference (and then MU) get the money.

[jsglow]

For fun I'll be a big Western Illinois Leatherneck fan in tomorrow's Summit championship.  Great nickname and I've known kids that went there.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I wouldn't mind seeing a few teams steal bids from Big East teams. 10 Big East teams in the field means we could very likely see one in the round of 32 or Sweet 16 again. I'd rather play a mid-major than another Big East team in the tournament.

With that said, I think 8 Big East teams are safely in the field:
Syracuse
Marquette
Georgetown
Notre Dame
Louisville
Cincinnati
West Virginia
UCONN

And I think USF will make the field, but Seton Hall will be left out unless they beat Providence AND Louisville.

[MU B2002]

Wasn't drexel the #1 seed and VCU the 4 2?  I think Drexel gets in and VCU steals a bid.



Corrected, thanks Brew.  I still think Drexel gets in. (But predicting bubble teams has never been my strength.)

[brewcity77]

Wasn't drexel the #1 seed and VCU the 4?  I think Drexel gets in and VCU steals a bid.

Drexel was the 1, VCU was the 2 (they were 4 last year). By Drexel's resume is really questionable. Only 1 top-50 win, as many sub-130 losses as they have top-100 wins, 19 wins against sub-150 teams. Their only positive is that road record, but many of those were against sub-200 teams. I think they're out.

[CTWarrior]

Even though they were the 2 seed, prevailing wisdom was that VCU had a slightly better shot at an at-large than did Drexel.  Regardless of what bracketologists say, the last couple of bids are a total crapshoot, subject to the whims of whoever is on the current selection committee.  Drexel is probably a 50/50 proposition right now.

[brewcity77]

Even though they were the 2 seed, prevailing wisdom was that VCU had a slightly better shot at an at-large than did Drexel.  Regardless of what bracketologists say, the last couple of bids are a total crapshoot, subject to the whims of whoever is on the current selection committee.  Drexel is probably a 50/50 proposition right now.

I had Drexel ahead of VCU on my S-Curve only because they were leading the CAA and were in line for the auto-bid. I agree that VCU had a better profile than Drexel and was more likely to get an at-large. But VCU had 5 top-100 wins including a road win over a top-50 team (USF). They also had one less sub-100 loss than Drexel.

Drexel could still get in because of their 13-6 road/neutral record, but that's the only card they have in their pocket. And 10 of those wins were against sub-200 RPI teams, so how impressive is that record? It's an uphill climb for them, definitely more so than it would have been for VCU had they lost yesterday.

[Norm]

I would not want to face VCU in the early rounds. They have the momentum from the CAA tournament and the belief they can win in the NCAA's - they will be a tough out.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I would not want to face VCU in the early rounds. They have the momentum from the CAA tournament and the belief they can win in the NCAA's - they will be a tough out.

I have watched VCU a few times this year, including last night.  They're a solid team, but I wouldn't be all that terrified to play them. With that said, they're not going to be a 14 seed.

[brewcity77]

I have watched VCU a few times this year, including last night.  They're a solid team, but I wouldn't be all that terrified to play them. With that said, they're not going to be a 14 seed.

Agreed...they'll either be on the 12 or 13 line. Possibly even 11 if the SC wants to be sentimental. Regardless, the earliest we'd likely see them would be a regional final, and if we get VCU in the regional final, I'd be overjoyed.

They're not a great 3-point shooting team, their defense is good, but we can turn the press back on them, and we're one of the few teams that can keep up with them in terms of turnovers.

Regardless, I'd be happy to see us in the Elite Eight and take my chances.

[T-Bone]

The only reason I don't want ANY bid stealers is so Northwestern gets in. 

[SaintPaulWarrior]

For fun I'll be a big Western Illinois Leatherneck fan in tomorrow's Summit championship.  Great nickname and I've known kids that went there.

The Fighting Leatherneck's obviously have never made the tourney.  I will be rooting for them also....have 2 brothers (football scholly's) and a sister that went there.  They are 0-2 vs South Dakota St. this year and it is virtually a home game for SDSU.

[Norm]

University of Detroit just stole a bid tonight, winning the Horizon League title against Valpo.

[dwaderoy2004]

How is that stealing a bid?  Valpo is not getting an at large.

[cheebs09]

Is Valpo an at-large team though? If not, Detroit didn't really steal a bid, they just replaced Valpo. If Valpo is an at-large team, than they did steal a bid.

Either way, it's nice to have this as a discussion to kill time and not worry about our NCAA hopes resting on Detroit vs. Valpo.

[mubb34]

Yea....No way Valpo gets an At-Large...They would have been a 14 seed if they would've won the Horizon...

[ATLmarquettefan]

Speaking of Detroit...there's a team I could see pulling off an upset or two

[Norm]

Ah, guess you guys are right. I thought Valpo had a better record than they did. Looks like Detroit just replaced Valpo.