The Zags are an experienced team with an experienced coach used to being in the tourney. They are the loan bright spot in a second round so far dominated by the power conference schools. 9 of the current 13 teams on to the sweet sixteen are from the ACC and the Big12. ACC showing their strength with six.
NCAA Tournament Thread
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Lawpoke, Do you think the Big East is a basketball power conference? The AAC? I would say yes to both. Mid major conferences don't get 4 bids, or have a recent national champion as a member.
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Big East ... Yes. Huge CBS TV deal. Multiple high seeds. History of excellence
AAC ... Closing in but still has work to do. Been a 1 or 2 bid league historically. Not a power conference per Sagarin, RPI, Pom, etc... or by public perception. UConn adds luster and name recognition. Got four in this year but three were low seeds and went 1-4. Can they sustain a 3 to 4 bid league or do they revert back? Certainly has potential to move into power category. Best league we've ever been in.
AAC ... Closing in but still has work to do. Been a 1 or 2 bid league historically. Not a power conference per Sagarin, RPI, Pom, etc... or by public perception. UConn adds luster and name recognition. Got four in this year but three were low seeds and went 1-4. Can they sustain a 3 to 4 bid league or do they revert back? Certainly has potential to move into power category. Best league we've ever been in.
Good answer Lawpoke. I asked Lawpoke, since he mentioned power conferences.
What do other posters think. Is the AAC, major or mid major?
What do other posters think. Is the AAC, major or mid major?
The AAC has had multi bids each year of its existence and won it all two years ago.
One more thought....I don't think
It's only been in its current form for the last two years. It's a new conference. No doubt UConn adds a big name with a great recent history. However, the league is below the power conferences in every rating service I could find as well as public perception and advertising revenue. The champion was considered a bubble team and a ten seed. We need to bottom of the conference to step up in order to help the top with their power ratings. We also need to make noise in March much like UConn has in the past. We're on the doorstep. Need to knock it down.
FWIW...remember when the MVC had multiple ranked teams and multiple teams having success in the tourney. Lots of talk about them being the next power conference. Need to do whatever we can to ensure we don't go the route that conference has followed since that high point.
It's only been in its current form for the last two years. It's a new conference. No doubt UConn adds a big name with a great recent history. However, the league is below the power conferences in every rating service I could find as well as public perception and advertising revenue. The champion was considered a bubble team and a ten seed. We need to bottom of the conference to step up in order to help the top with their power ratings. We also need to make noise in March much like UConn has in the past. We're on the doorstep. Need to knock it down.
FWIW...remember when the MVC had multiple ranked teams and multiple teams having success in the tourney. Lots of talk about them being the next power conference. Need to do whatever we can to ensure we don't go the route that conference has followed since that high point.
The term "power" only applied to football conferences until a few seasons ago when ESPN started pushing Power 5 into basketball too. Basketball had always used the terms major and midmajor. It's more accurate since Power is associated with the 5 top conferences in football. AAC is a major conference in basketball, I don't give two $h#ts what the talking heads have to say about it.
If there was a label between major and mid major, that is where I would place AAC and A10. Good to very good top half of conference, almost yearly final four or elite 8 caliber teams, but not on the same level of resources as major conferences. UConn is major though regardless of its conference like Gonzaga.
How about your 6th place team, in an 11 team conference, getting a 9 seed? AAC-UCONN-this season. I still say AAC is a major.
There's a pretty clear line imo between the top 6 then the next 2 then everyone else in terms of money, TV deals, rankings, perception and media treatment. The question is posed above is correct imo....you become a "major" conference when people outside your conference begins referring to you as the same. We have a ways to go.
Very impressed with Northern Iowa coach. Solid defense every game I've seen them play. UNI has done a good job keeping him.
Looks like they are OU's next opponent!
Looks like they are OU's next opponent!
The AAC didn't win it all. UConn won it all. Regardless, if you want to call AAC and A10 major that is definitely defensible. I would say they are significantly above the next conference behind it. But I think the bottom of those conferences make them noticeably below the other six.
UNI loses their Sr. PG, who inbounds & rarely turns it over, to injury with a minute left & blow an 11 point lead in the last 45 seconds!
Can any of these advertisers make more than one ad for the tournament?
Why didn't that UNI player just throw the ball up in the air to the other end of the court? That would have had to burn 6-9 seconds?
His coach asked him the same thing...at least throw it all the way to the other end of the court
Guys... did you see what Coach Mack for Xavier did there? He calls a TO with the ball (10 seconds left). If the Wisconsin coach had the ability to call a TO he would. So... Coach Mack does what the other coach wants so desperately. Coach Mack allows Wisconsin to set up their D and get settled. RIDICULOUS. Coach's need to stop doing that; especially with good to excellent guard play. LET THE KIDS MAKE A PLAY and force the other team to react in real time. Costs X the game imo.
I was in OKC and am just now coming to grips with what I saw. That was the most incredible comeback/collapse/whatever you want to call it that I've seen in my life in any sport. As to the debate on how to dole out credit, I don't think you can have a 12 point turnaround in the last 33 seconds without incredible intensity/skill/heart from A&M, a complete meltdown from UNI and the refs morphing into three Yell Leaders. It was the perfect storm. Exiting the stadium after the game was surreal and eerily quiet. Even most of the Texas A&M fans I passed had a kind of catatonic thousand yard stare.
As someone who was rooting for UNI, it was excruciating to watch in person. I can only imagine what it must have been like for their players/coaches/fans. My only consolation is the thought of the annoying Aggie fans above us trying in vain to get back into the arena after bailing with two minutes left.
As someone else noted above, this does make me feel slightly better about 2003. It seems almost quaint now to blow a 13 point lead with 3 1/2 minutes left.
As someone who was rooting for UNI, it was excruciating to watch in person. I can only imagine what it must have been like for their players/coaches/fans. My only consolation is the thought of the annoying Aggie fans above us trying in vain to get back into the arena after bailing with two minutes left.
As someone else noted above, this does make me feel slightly better about 2003. It seems almost quaint now to blow a 13 point lead with 3 1/2 minutes left.
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The U of Phoenix one will be the death of me.
Although I haven't seen it today. Ad costs maybe getting too rich for a supposed institution of higher learning.
Without good three point shooters, Kansas was toast. I'm glad we are recruiting some.
Nova wins on FTs. Good teams make FTs (especially late). Only way to advance far in the NCAA tourney.
KU was 5th best three point shooting team in the country. Just didn't make them tonight.
Yes, I know. I was only addressing the level of the American Conference.. I probably should have said a higher seeded team in the dance.
