NCAA Tournament 2021

[Cascadia]

villanova was in the Big East in 1985.

I had thought Big East was a decided mid major in those days, no?

I don't think so. I mean, they played fellow Big East team and #1 ranked Georgetown in the final. St. John's was a power and so was Syracuse.

Agreed on Big East being a major conference, but a mid major team did win in 2014

[CrimsonNBlue]

I had thought Big East was a decided mid major in those days, no?

I don't think so. I mean, they played fellow Big East team and #1 ranked Georgetown in the final. St. John's was a power and so was Syracuse.

Agreed on Big East being a major conference, but a mid major team did win in 2014

Well it's a little semantics, because the American was more of a major conference in 2014 than the Big East was because of weird re-alignment. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Big_ ... Tournament)

UConn/Nova have a major program feel and have floated between conferences that dip in and out of major status.

[Cascadia]

I don't think so. I mean, they played fellow Big East team and #1 ranked Georgetown in the final. St. John's was a power and so was Syracuse.

Agreed on Big East being a major conference, but a mid major team did win in 2014

Well it's a little semantics, because the American was more of a major conference in 2014 than the Big East was because of weird re-alignment. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Big_ ... Tournament)

UConn/Nova have a major program feel and have floated between conferences that dip in and out of major status.

The American has never been a major conference though and in 2014 finished 8th in RPI. One spot above he WCC. That is 100% mid major.

The Big East was 4th that year

[PhDhawk]

I had thought Big East was a decided mid major in those days, no?

I don't think so. I mean, they played fellow Big East team and #1 ranked Georgetown in the final. St. John's was a power and so was Syracuse.

Agreed on Big East being a major conference, but a mid major team did win in 2014

That's true, but it almost feels like a technicality since UConn had just left the Big East, and is back in the Big East now, plus, the AAC at the time also had Louisville.

[Cascadia]

I don't think so. I mean, they played fellow Big East team and #1 ranked Georgetown in the final. St. John's was a power and so was Syracuse.

Agreed on Big East being a major conference, but a mid major team did win in 2014

That's true, but it almost feels like a technicality since UConn had just left the Big East, and is back in the Big East now, plus, the AAC at the time also had Louisville.

It's not a technicality if your argument is NCAA Tournament success requires good competition in the two months that proceed the tournament. Past and future teams rosters and experience do not apply. A team from the 8th best conference (mid major) won the tournament in 2014.

For reference, the WCC is 5th this year, the ACC is 7th

[Deleted User 865]

ACC is a midmajor.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Agreed on Big East being a major conference, but a mid major team did win in 2014

That's true, but it almost feels like a technicality since UConn had just left the Big East, and is back in the Big East now, plus, the AAC at the time also had Louisville.

It's not a technicality if your argument is NCAA Tournament success requires good competition in the two months that proceed the tournament. Past and future teams rosters and experience do not apply. A team from the 8th best conference (mid major) won the tournament in 2014.

For reference, the WCC is 5th this year, the ACC is 7th

Always going to be outliers, and I again wouldn't argue "require" because a juggernaut team can certainly win it all regardless of who they played all season.

But, even if we say UCONN counts in 2014, that is two mid-majors in 30+ years going back to 1990. It's just more often than not the teams playing against major competition in the regular season tend to win this thing and go to the Final Four more often than the mid-majors. Certainly is not "dependent" on that factor, though.

[Cascadia]

ACC is a midmajor.

It is this year!

UNC
Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech
Clemson
Virginia

all out in the first round

[Cascadia]

That's true, but it almost feels like a technicality since UConn had just left the Big East, and is back in the Big East now, plus, the AAC at the time also had Louisville.

It's not a technicality if your argument is NCAA Tournament success requires good competition in the two months that proceed the tournament. Past and future teams rosters and experience do not apply. A team from the 8th best conference (mid major) won the tournament in 2014.

For reference, the WCC is 5th this year, the ACC is 7th

Always going to be outliers, and I again wouldn't argue "require" because a juggernaut team can certainly win it all regardless of who they played all season.

But, even if we say UCONN counts in 2014, that is two mid-majors in 30+ years going back to 1990. It's just more often than not the teams playing against major competition in the regular season tend to win this thing and go to the Final Four more often than the mid-majors. Certainly is not "dependent" on that factor, though.

I think the question here is what actually defines a mid major? Because I'd argue that the SEC was mid major conference in basketball for a long damn time.

[CrimsonNBlue]

It is this year!

UNC
Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech
Clemson
Virginia

all out in the first round

What does that make the B1G?

[Cascadia]

It is this year!

UNC
Virginia Tech
Georgia Tech
Clemson
Virginia

all out in the first round

What does that make the B1G?

Haha, no doubt. Absolutely garbage in the tournament this year.

[Deleted User 865]

Speaking of which, lets go Oregon. Monday afternoon NCAA basketball. Just doesn't feel right,

[pdub]

Don't like it.
Hope next year it's back to Thu/Fri/Sat/Sun.

[Cascadia]

Also, 1997-1998 KU team played in the 8th best conference. As a 1 seed they were upset by the 8th seed Rhode Island who played in the 7th best conference.

Fucking mid major on mid major action.

[jfish26]

Don't like it.
Hope next year it's back to Thu/Fri/Sat/Sun.

Yeah, I don't like this either.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Don't like it.
Hope next year it's back to Thu/Fri/Sat/Sun.

Yeah, I don't like this either.

Could have been that way this year, but I digress . . .

[Deleted User 865]

Yeah, I still am unsure what was gained, but whatever. Might have saved us from not having J Wills at all.

[Deleted User 865]

149 seconds in, four fouls already.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Revenge on Oregon would feel pretty sweet.

[Deleted User 865]

Yeah, seeing the game tip off was the first time I even thought that we might face the Ducks. Always had Iowa penned into the S16, but now Ducks have extra time to prepare and heal, and the Pac 12 might be the best league out there, I just realized we could see Oregon again.

Although, they like to run, and not sure how we would fare against that speed.