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NO Drexel, NO University of Tennessee- it’s March MADness!
Selection Sunday is a Sports Holiday. However, this year it was like being on Santa’s “good list” only to wake up on Christmas Day with a stocking full of reindeer poop.
Most of my madness comes from Iona and BYU getting an at-large bid. Yes, it was fun to Jimmer Jammer last year, but THIS year how does a 25-7 Iona and a 23-8 BYU get in over a 27-6 Drexel from the CAA (Colonial Athletic Association)?
Two teams from the MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) Iona and Loyola (Md.) and two teams from WCC (West Coast Conference) BYU and St. Mary’s. And only one team from the CAA- (who I like to call the Cinderella Athletic Association)? The selection committee must be made up of wicked step-sisters (and brothers). Iona lost to Loyola (Md.) in February and BUY only played St. Mary’s once during the season and got crushed 66-80. Don’t tell me it came down to strength of schedule. Individual teams can’t control who they play- the conference determines the schedule and when it comes to non-conference schedules other conferences wont play the CAA.
The CAA is considered a mid-major conference mostly because they recruit players who eat at McDonalds- not McDonald’s All-Americans. No one wants to play the CAA because they are really considered a threat to college basketball. They beat up on each other throughout the season playing each other and they beg to play the major conferences on the road and still the CAA only got the automatic conference bid.
South Florida went 19-13 and ranked 57th in non-conference play and lost to VCU 46-69. ODU went 20-13 and ranked 16th in non-conference matchups and beat South Florida 66-68, but somehow none of those stats mattered in all that calculating that those goes on in the selection room- I’d like a re-count.
To make it worse, those wicked step sisters (and brothers) take their Cinderella-hating further by matching mid-majors against mid-majors every year in the bracket. Last year it was Butler and ODU. ODU lost in the final seconds and Butler went on to the Championship game for the second straight year. This year it’s the 12th seed VCU vs. 5th seed Wichita State. The only answer I have is that the selection committee is more scared of Cinderella’s than the ACC.
Of course I have to fight for the VOLS. I know they needed a miracle to get in this year, but seeing Vanderbilt- the armpit of the SEC get in with Bama, Florida and Kentucky just stings. Wait- Alabama has a basketball team? UT beat Florida- twice. UT got the #1 seed in the NIT tournament. At least UT got in a tournament.
Oh the madness of the bracket. I haven’t filled out my bracket yet, but I’m rooting for VCU and Creighton to show the selection committee just how magical the bracket can be.
Choose wisely.