Play-in Game -- a question

[JackJD]

Watching Ark-PB (SWAC Champs) and Winthrop (Big South Champs) in the play-in game tonight. Ugghh! 16:33 left in the game and ArkPB is leading 33 to Winthrop 27.

I missed the lesson on how the play-in teams are selected. Anyone know? (Don't say 'rock, paper, scissors' -- wife already offered that one). It isn't always SWAC and Big South, is it?

The two teams in tonight's game are not very good. These teams would not do well in the Summit League.

[zooropa]

Re: Play-in Game -- a question

Watching Ark-PB (SWAC Champs) and Winthrop (Big South Champs) in the play-in game tonight. Ugghh! 16:33 left in the game and ArkPB is leading 33 to Winthrop 27.

I missed the lesson on how the play-in teams are selected. Anyone know? It isn't always SWAC and Big South, is it?

The two teams in tonight's game are not very good. These teams would not do well in the Summit League.

It isn't always the SWAC and the Big South.

But it is typically a team that played wwwwwaaaaaayyyyyyyy over its head and won a tournament, and one of the HBCU conference champs (in '05 it was Oakland). (the SWAC & MEAC are the HBCU conferences). In short, it's the teams with the lowest RPI/worst record/worst luck in the tournament. The winner will be offered up to the overall no. 1.

One could write a book on the shabby way southern states have treated their various 'ag and mechanic arts' schools----but the truth remains. They're usually at the bottom of the heap. Some articles:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4306752
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/black...ory?id=1743388
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/column...t&lid=tab3pos1

These schools are basically the seamy underside of the SEC's glamour.

---

The upside?

The winner gets a true 1st round winner's share.

[mitchellrabbit]

Re: Play-in Game -- a question

Watching Ark-PB (SWAC Champs) and Winthrop (Big South Champs) in the play-in game tonight. Ugghh! 16:33 left in the game and ArkPB is leading 33 to Winthrop 27.

I missed the lesson on how the play-in teams are selected. Anyone know? (Don't say 'rock, paper, scissors' -- wife already offered that one). It isn't always SWAC and Big South, is it?

The two teams in tonight's game are not very good. These teams would not do well in the Summit League.

i just assumed it was the two worst teams in the smaller conferences. ark pine bluff was 17-15, winthrop was 19-13

[filbert]

Re: Play-in Game -- a question

#210 vs. #239 in Sagarin ratings. SDSU was #223.

So yeah, not very good. If SDSU had somehow won the Summit League tournament, we'd quite likely be playing tonight.

[JackJD]

Re: Play-in Game -- a question

Arkansas-Pine Bluff looks a little more organized as the second half wears on.

[1stRowFANatic]

Re: Play-in Game -- a question

And the winner does not always get the overall #1 seed.

[Evolution Prime]

Re: Play-in Game -- a question

Opening Round Game Info

[bub94]

Re: Play-in Game -- a question

And the winner does not always get the overall #1 seed.

Yeah, that's the part I don't understand. If they are the worst 2 teams in the tourney, shouldn't they face off against the team that is the top seed. Who says the NCAA tourney makes sense.

[mitchellrabbit]

Re: Play-in Game -- a question

Yeah, that's the part I don't understand. If they are the worst 2 teams in the tourney, shouldn't they face off against the team that is the top seed. Who says the NCAA tourney makes sense.

the reason is that kansas, the overall top seed plays on thursday in the midwest and the playin game winner never plays until friday. so i suppose if it works out, then they would play the overall number one. it didnt work out this year.

[SidelineObserver]

Re: Play-in Game -- a question

I say give the 32 conference teams (sadly, the Mediocre West is included in being a conference) an autobid and a first round bye and work backward. That's right! 32 play-in games for all the at-large teams for the field of 96. If they want to expand the field, this would be the fun way to do it. Do the mini pods like they do in Division 2, but reward the conference tourney champs with an automatic bye and an "easier" way to make the Sweet 16. Would this work? Maybe, but there would be a ton of resistance from the "Big Boy" conferences.

[mitchellrabbit]

Re: Play-in Game -- a question

we dont need 96 teams. i did like the idea brought up on mike and mike this morning of having 4 playin games. have 68 teams. have the 4 playin games be the last four in vs the last four out teams. have illinois play utah st, miss st play minnesota and so on. the playin games shouldnt be the conference champs from the small conferences. they earned their way there by winning their tournament. lets find out if va tech and illinois deserve to be in by playing utah st, minnesota and the other teams who were on the bubble that got in. those 4 winners would be the 12 seeds. play them all in dayton on the tuesday before. that would be four pretty good games to watch.

[valleyrabbit]

Re: Play-in Game -- a question

we dont need 96 teams. i did like the idea brought up on mike and mike this morning of having 4 playin games. have 68 teams. have the 4 playin games be the last four in vs the last four out teams. have illinois play utah st, miss st play minnesota and so on. the playin games shouldnt be the conference champs from the small conferences. they earned their way there by winning their tournament. lets find out if va tech and illinois deserve to be in by playing utah st, minnesota and the other teams who were on the bubble that got in. those 4 winners would be the 12 seeds. play them all in dayton on the tuesday before. that would be four pretty good games to watch.

The issue with this is that the 5 seeds get to play a team that played 2 or 3 days earlier and had to travel twice, so it would be a huge advantage to the 5 seeds. I'm not sure why all this talk about expanding the tournament. If you want to make the tournament win your conference tournament. Last time I checked, Mississippi State, Illinois, Virginia Tech, Seton Hall, etc. had the opportunity to do that. It is not broke, so why fix it?

[mitchellrabbit]

Re: Play-in Game -- a question

i dont want it expanded either but id rather see 68 than 96