Ruzious wrote:80sballboy wrote:Ruzious wrote:Definitely need a win over Michigan - which is very doable. If they win that, I think they're pretty much a lock if they win their first round game because of a relatively strong finish and a 21-12 record.
Nah, their RPI (59) is not good enough. Their resume' is not strong enough. Butler and Michigan (if they win). A 21-12 record means very little in college basketball if 12-14 of those wins are against bad teams and right now, most feel that only four teams from the Big 10 are getting in. Just because you beat Iowa in the first round of the Big 10 trny, that's not enough. They need to be a stronger team than that. Their best win in the Big 10 is over No. 127 Northwetern. Michigan is 28 so that would be strong but their road record with just 2 wins is abysmal.
Saying that as a Maryland fan since the mid 70s. Just being realistic and going through what most are saying and that's they need to get to the finals of the trny if they beat Michigan or win the whole thing if the don't. I think maybe semifinals is enough if they can take out a MSU, Purdue, Ohio State or MIchigan again.
I think it's odd that Nebraska's not in at this point - but I don't know anything about their strength of schedule, and I haven't studied it. But I think one of Penn State or Maryland will make it - because they're both pretty good teams that are looking strong as the season ends. And they are teams that get ratings - people want to see Tony Carr, people want to see MD. When it comes down to it, those things matter, imo. Otherwise, they'd have computers choosing, and Dick Vitale wouldn't be whining the next day.
Really? People want to see Penn State basketball? Who, Tim Frazier? Maryland has missed out on the tournament before with much better teams and that only matters if they are very close to getting in, which as of right now, they aren't. Like it or not, RPI and SOS are big factors in what the committee looks at and sure, TV ratings matter when it comes to putting Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA or Kentucky in easier brackets so they can get to the Final Four. They don't want a Wichita State, Gonzaga, St. Mary's, and Rhode Island or Cincinnati Final Four, I get that.
But if the committee has Kentucky and Maryland on the bubble, and both are close when it comes to resume', they are going with Ky. Though their road win last night against a pretty good Arkansas team by 15 was impressive. Md doesn't have a win like that.
