Teams to root against
- Thread starter SpiderDogg
- Start date
Only one regular season game left for all the teams who haven't already completed theirs. There are still roughly twice as many bubble teams as available spots. Your guide to Friday - Teams to root against in bold
- Drake vs UNI - These are the complicated ones. Do you root against the only bubble team in the conference, thinking that an early loss will push them to the NIT? Or do you root against the upset, which could lead to a potential bid thief? Even if the 1 seed wins, there is always the risk of them losing later, with another win under their belt. I tend to pick the latter - root against the bid thief. It's simple math. I don't think UNI would get a bid over us, but why take the risk? Root for the Panthers to win their AQ.
- Georgia Tech at Clemson - Clemson's only shot at an at-large is probably winning out all the way to the ACC title game. A home loss to the Yellow Jackets would eliminate even that.
- Yale at Dartmouth - I'm dubious, but Yale is still showing up on some bubble lists. Another Ivy League loss would put a stop to that nonsense.
- Richmond at Duquesne - Really, people?
- Wake Forest at NC State - [Lloyd Bridges] It looks like we picked the wrong year to stop playing the Deacs. A Quad 2 game would be pretty helpful right now. Maybe they can at least do us a favor tonight. A home loss for the Wolfpack might be fatal.
- Hampton at Radford - The Big South Teams Who Have Recently Beaten the Spiders Tour continues. Hampton (2018) blew out Longwood (2018) last night. I doubt Radford (2019) can do much to make this season's loss "not bad," but a Quad 4 loss certainly wouldn't help.
- Boise St. vs San Diego St. - No bid thieves from the MWC, please.
- VCU at Davidson - Just do what comes naturally. Cats to the 7-line.
- Wyoming vs Utah St. - The Aggies can take their "beautiful basketball" to the NIT. C'mon folks. Last place Wyoming continues their surprise run in the MWC tourney. I was disappointed to see they took out Nevada, but that may be a blessing in disguise. This is a Quad 4 game for Utah State, whereas the Wolfpack would have been Quad 2.
I disagree on UNI-Drake. We want Drake. I think UNI could be knocked out with early loss. Now if they win here yeah we root for auto bid. But what if UNI wins next 2 then loses in finals. Now we are talking 2 teams from MVC, a bid stealer. Worst case scenario. So you root for what makes it a 1 bid league. If lose to Drake are they definitely out? No but they'd be right on bubble and imo likely just out.
Good point on Wyoming. Didn't realize they won, of course the game was like at midnight. While Utah St. winning was no good the fact Wyoming also won I agree may be a blessing in disguise. Loss to Wyoming would definitely knock out Utah St. since it would be a bad loss. Of course they'll be big favorite to win. A loss to Nevada I'm not sure would have knocked out. maybe. But had they beat Nevada and face SDSU I think in regardless. Plus if Nevada won brings in Nevada winning whole tourney. They r solid enough it could have happened. Wyoming I don't see beating SDSU, tho I'm not counting on as automatic win vs boise.
Good point on Wyoming. Didn't realize they won, of course the game was like at midnight. While Utah St. winning was no good the fact Wyoming also won I agree may be a blessing in disguise. Loss to Wyoming would definitely knock out Utah St. since it would be a bad loss. Of course they'll be big favorite to win. A loss to Nevada I'm not sure would have knocked out. maybe. But had they beat Nevada and face SDSU I think in regardless. Plus if Nevada won brings in Nevada winning whole tourney. They r solid enough it could have happened. Wyoming I don't see beating SDSU, tho I'm not counting on as automatic win vs boise.
Utah St swept the regular season series by 20 both times. Here is to hoping the third time is the charm...
Yep. That's why I said it was complicated.
If I was more confident that UNI would be out with a loss, I'd flip it.
That's one thing the ESPN site has correct - since nearly every bracket projection has UNI in as the AQ, it is difficult to tell where they stand in the at-large picture.
Drake wins by 21. Someone else will be the representative from the Valley.
UNI is now a bubble team. If they were going to lose in their conference tourney, we certainly wanted it to be in their first game.
To the 8 seed.
By 21 points.
UNI is now a bubble team. If they were going to lose in their conference tourney, we certainly wanted it to be in their first game.
To the 8 seed.
By 21 points.
Wait, I wanted Drake to beat UNI. But I wanted them to do it on Leap Day...
That's just it.....nobody really knows, because all the "ologists" had them in as the MVC auto-bid.
About the last 11 seed, with East Tennesee the first 12 seed.
But as Broc said that was as an AQ...
I'll take it on. It was not cut & dried I was a bit conflicted but thought Drake was the play. Palm & Lunardi both had UNI as 11 seed meaning if not AQ they were on bubble. We don't know exactly where on bubble but somewhere. & this has to knock them further down. Obv if we could guarantee they'd win tourney you take that. But winning 3 games in a row is very far from a lock. Worst case was they win today then lose next one or finals. Then they'd be in a much stronger position.
But a 21 pt beatdown...that has to look bad to committee and metrics. Blackjack Drake. Blackjack! UNI *should* be busted.
Plus after all those flyover state UNI fans bombarded our football board during our Natty run I'm not biggest fan. Heck give me Iowa in the NCAAs. You hear that Hardt. Meat & Potatoes!
Spiders. Let's go!
Oh and I just saw this from Jerry Palm...
Totally - the team they are playing I want to lose every game from tonight and into perpetuity,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
UNI went down 9 spots already in Kenpom. From 38 to 47. A drop like that in Net and they're behind us.
Lunardi keeps UNI in the tournament and now adds another MVC autobid team, dropping us further out. UNI has 3 Quad 3 losses AND played two non-D1 teams. They are 4-3 vs Quad1/2 vs our 4-6. Against Quad 3 they are 10-3 vs our 9-1. Best win for them is @Colorado who has a slightly better NET than our neutral court win vs Wisconsin. They are 9-6 road/neutral vs our 9-5. Our resumes are very similar but they have two more quad 3 losses so I'm not sure how they are still ahead of us.
BS but it's Lunardi let's not be surprised he's been negative on us all year and we paid him for scheduling!
However being last team in is a precarious spot when you can't improve at all with zero games left. I'd say most teams ever in that position end up out.
If we win tonight and still not ahead of UNI well if you think I have disregard for Lunardi now watch out.
Atta boy, Jerry.
Next year can we hire Palm instead of Lunardi?
Although, Jerry seems to like the resume Joe built more than Joe does.
It's kind of like that riddle where you are supposed to hire the barber with the worst haircut in town.
Except.....both Jerry and Joe have pretty bad haircuts.
While the NET Caps MOV at 10 (for the conspiracy theorists out there, it really does)....the committee has no such restriction. They get to look at this neutral court 21-point beatdown for the next NINE DAYS.
I would love it if we got Iowa in the first round. Who is it that's been posting that the committee tries to set up "stories?"
dogg, you are a true believer.
I would put a minimum of 8 non P6 at-large teams in the bracket every year, just on principle.
Tonight, to keep it simple, I'm rooting against Duquesne.
Joe Lunardi on Drake beating UNI:
"That's the kind of thing that Richmond fans need to root against."
"That's the kind of thing that Richmond fans need to root against."
No crap Joe. It seems even if that doesnt happen, you arent putting us in, so why does it matter.
Was that from TV or Twitter or what? Remember the better bracketologist Palm is not as high on UNI remaining in. Plus the MVC could have been a 2 bid lock had they gone to finals & lost. Now UNI could still get in making it 2 bid league but I really don’t get his comment unless they r lock which clearly they r so far from that. I want to play craps w Lunardi and bet the no pass line when he’s shooting and be that guy.
& they lost by 21 joe!
He said that on Craig Burton's show, in the clip posted in another thread.
This was right after he explained why our resume wasn't quite good enough. He neglected to mention he was paid to help build that resume.
I am glad my kids were not in the car with me; I very rarely yell those words at my stereo.
Negative PR. I’ve been saying it. Hardt w Mooney on board unethically hired this guy to do a crap job and then blast us to the media for said crap job.
And holy Mary Mother of God lunardi still has UNI in over us.
