Posted on 03/20/2006 3:11:05 PM PST by dangus
Remember the earlier days of the NCAA tournament, before the days of the mega-conferences? As a conservative, I miss the old days, and I still find myself routing for the old nine-team Big East. I happen to like Pittsnoggle and the current West-Virginian team, but I’m not prejudiced towards them the way I am for the old Big East, and the way I sense many people root for given conferences. So, may I present to you, a fictional wrap-up of the NCAA tournament, the way it would’ve been with all these “newfangled, whippersnapper, Wal-Mart conferences.” (Imagine me saying that in the tone of voice of Grumpy Old Man, as played by Dana Carver.) So without further ado… Back in my day (roughly 1985)…
The BIG EAST dominates the tournament. In this remarkable season, all seven eligible teams are in the dance, including four in the Sweet Sixteen: Boston College, Villanova, U-Connecticut, and Georgetown. At least two teams in the final four seem certain, but no chance at getting three of the four again: Aside from UConn, the Bug East is clumped up within the same regional, where Villanova will face B.C., and then move onto face the winner of the Georgetown-Florida game. UConn, the only top-four seed remaining in its regional, seems very likely to meet the winner of this regional in the final four.
The ATLANTIC TEN (3 teams in tourney) continues to surprise. George Washington fans are furious that this team, with the best record in one of the strongest divisions, got a mere 8 seed; or that Xavier drew a #13 seed. But West Virginia has made it to the Sweet Sixteen. In the NIT, St. Joseph’s is trying to redeem its NCAA snub by beating fellow A-10 team Rutgers, which eliminated Penn State; and Temple beat Akron. UMass and URI continue to disappoint, and Duquesne and St. Bonaventure continue to pull down the rest of the conference.
The METRO Conference (two teams in tourney) is trying to redeem itself after receiving shocking rejections by the NCAA. Memphis State makes it to the Sweet Sixteen, having gotten a #1 seed, but Marquette let the conference down by losing to Alabama. Meanwhile, DePaul*, Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Carolina are all trying to prove they got skrood by the committee by winning in the NIT. [*DePaul is not really in the NIT tournament, as they were ineligible after getting a losing record in the Big East. This fiction supposes that they would be in the NIT if they had not joined the Big East.] St. Louis is stinging at not being invited to the NIT despite their late-season run, but I suppose the committee felt four teams were enough for an eight-team conference; only woeful Tulane stays home.
The BIG TEN Conference got six teams in the conference and complained that the smaller Big East got more teams despite a poorer out-of-conference record. Well, their argument went down the tubes, as all six teams lost the first weekend. Minnesota is the only Big Ten team still playing ball, and they face heavily favored Cincinnati next in the NIT.
The BIG EIGHT was completely shut out of the tournament also.
The ATLANTIC COAST has just Duke in the Sweet Sixteen, after getting only three of their nine in the tournament. Maybe the conference would do better if the current nine teams could inflate their winning record by playing more weaklings such as, I don’t know, Miami? Virginia Tech? Good thing they don’t need to play Boston College, though… that’d really screw them up.
The SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE’S hopes now rest with Florida and LSU, after 2-seed Tennessee is out, and 8-seed Kentucky lost despite a valiant effort.
Once again, the PACIFIC-TEN’s greatest hope is UCLA. Newcomer Arizona played tough against Villanova, but lost. Washington faces UConn next.
The newly formed COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION’s George Mason shocked the country, reaching the Sweet Sixteen.
The MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE held up surprisingly well, regrouping well and sending four teams, including two to the Sweet Sixteen. Ironically, none of the former conference teams (including Oklahoma State, St. Louis, Louisville, Houston, Cincinnati, Butler, and Memphis) made it.
Back in my day it was called "The UCLA Invitational"
Jim Nance, Billy Packer, and Digger Phelps certainly thought the Missouri Valley was way overrated. In fact, Packers comment about Bradley even getting into the tournament was "You've gotta be kidding". This Bradley team has finally lived up to it's expectations. Although picked sixth in the pre-season Missouri Valley Standings, they finally put it all together in late February.
Missouri State (formerly Southwest Missouri) really got the shaft. They had an 18 RPI and have only lost 8 games, but an early loss in the MVC tournament sealed their fate. There was no way the committee would put 5 Valley teams in the tournament.
I'm a realist enough to realize that Bradley probably won't advance much further, but we can all hope and cheer for the underdog.
Go BRAVES!!
Just to be nitpicky, that would be three of their eight. Flordia State didn't join the ACC until the early '90s. (1991, maybe?) Otherwise, an interesting trip down memory lane. I miss smaller conferences.
Naw, that's a good catch. Actually, I understand Georgia Tech had been in one of the precursors to the CUSA, too, but I think that was long before the frame of reference I was using, which was 1985.
You want to see history really really rewritten... Pittsburgh goes into the Big Ten, and the lure of a twelve team Big 10 draws in Notre Dame... It almost happened. Pitt was a year late becoming the 9th Big East team, I understand, because there was all sorts of bargaining going on over Notre Dame, Penn State, Pitt, the Big East and the Big 10.
6 of the 24 still playing are from the Huge East (West Virginia, Louisville, Cincinnati, UConn, Villanova, Georgetown).
Another 9 are from the traditional powers Big Ten (Michigan), ACC (BC, Duke, Miami), PAC-10 (UCLA, Washington), and SEC (Florida, LSU, South Carolina).
That's 15 of 24 (62.5%) in 5 expected conferences (out of 31 conferences)
The cool part is that 6 of the 24 still-active teams are from two conferences that are usually non-factors by now: the Colonial (George Mason, Hofstra, Old Dominion), and the Missouri Valley (Wichita State, Bradley, Missouri State). I'm glad that Hofstra and Missouri State are doing their part to make Billy Packer look bad.
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