The Valley had a lot to prove in the NCAA tourney after the display put on by Jim Nantz and Billy Packer on Selection Sunday.
No matter what Nantz and Packer said, they couldn’t change the fact that four Valley teams got the nod from the committee, a record for the second-oldest conference in the NCAA.
It’s been called the “Not Invited Tournament.”
I didn’t hear such labels this season. Maybe the NIT is making a turn for the better.
This year’s NIT seemed to have just a bit more luster than previous seasons.
The new format was probably key. No longer was the home team arbitrarily assigned based on presumed ticket sales.
The seeding format gave it more of a meaningful feel, as well.
The Valley sent two teams to the NIT, Creighton and Missouri St.
What an unbelievable run the Patriots have strung together over the last nine days.
The phrase “By George!” is already overused, but who cares — a “mid-major” is in the Final Four.
This has to be a slight consolation to Creighton, since the Bluejays were the only team to win at George Mason this season.
Tomorrow we’ll break down postseason results of all MVC teams and compare them to other conferences around the country.
Wichita St. was unable to overcome an early barrage of three-pointers by George Mason on Friday in a 63-55 loss.
The Patriots opened the game by making 7/12 of their first nine three-pointers, and never looked back after leading early 9-0.
GMU’s lead was as large as 39-20 early in the 2nd half. Wichita St. got back to within seven points in the final minute, but the game was mostly under GMU’s control.
The Shockers were only 3/24 (12.5%) from three-point range. Overall Wichita St. shot 31.2% from the field.
GMU had four players in double figures, including 16 points by Folarin Campbell.
Bradley bowed out of the NCAA tourney Thursday with a blowout loss to the region’s top-seeded Memphis Tigers.
Memphis is undoubtedly a better team, but it would have been nice to at least get a good game out of it.
Instead, head coach Jim Les and the Braves have to look ahead to next year, where they return everyone except team leader Marcellus Sommerville. And of course, Patrick O’Bryant must decide to not declare himself for the NBA draft.
Note to Mr. O’Bryant. Stay another season, you’re not ready.
(13) Bradley vs. (1) Memphis
Thursday March 23, Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA
Nice try, NCAA Selection Committee. There’s always next year.
Bradley’s run through the first two rounds of the NCAA tourney is one indicator that the committee didn’t do such a hot job at seeding teams this year. There are others, but we won’t get into that here.
The Braves have dispatched a blazing hot Kansas squad, and then one of the Big East’s better representatives in Pittsburgh.
Now, it’s time to face Memphis, the top seed in the Oakland region. The run ends here, right?
After edging Houston by one point at home on Monday night, Barry Hinson’s road to vindication gets even tougher tonight as his Bears travel to Louisville for a game at 8 p.m.
Hinson, who tirelessly vouched for the Valley to get five or six teams in the NCAA tourney all year long, found his team in the NIT after they were snubbed on Selection Sunday despite finishing 21st in the RPI, making the Bears (22-8) the highest team ever to not make the NCAA tourney.
(7) Wichita St. vs. (11) George Mason
Friday March 24, Washington, D.C.
When the NCAA tourney brackets were announced on Selection Sunday, it was a bit puzzling that these two teams were paired to potentially meet in the regional semifinal.
The odds were pretty long that both Wichita St. and George Mason would win two games each, but here we are.
GMU won the first meeting back in February’s BracketBuster matchup played in Wichita, 70-67. The Patriots outshot the Shockers 52% to 42% from the field in that game.
Goodbye Cedar Falls. Hello Ames.
Northern Iowa head coach Greg McDermott was hired today by Iowa St. to fill the Cyclones’ head coach spot.
“It’s simply a dream come true to have the opportunity to assume the reins of a program that has the reputation and resources of Iowa State University,” McDermott said at a press conference Tuesday.
Translation: It’ll be easier to recruit and build a winning program at Iowa St. than it was at Northern Iowa.
One also has to wonder how focused he was heading into the NCAA tourney — the Panthers just finished their season four days ago in a loss to Georgetown in the first round.
Creighton and Missouri St. each find themselves in the round of 16 in that other postseason tournament — otherwise known as the NIT.
Does it mean anything?
It has to. It would say quite a bit if both could make it to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden. Granted, that’s still two wins away each for both teams, but certainly something that is very attainable.
Both the Jays and Bears host games tonight, and should win both.
After that, it’s most likely both would then have to hit the road in the quarterfinals.