02-28-2019, 11:36 AM
|
General of the Air Force
|
|
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 8,071
Thanks: 3,440
Thanked 4,690 Times in 2,510 Posts
|
|
Originally Posted by redbengal
I was thinking back to the 1984 NCAA Tournament a couple of days ago. I still remember fondly the Elite 8 (Final 5, technically) run and the way that Roosevelt Chapman loaded the team up on his shoulders and carried them to win after win. But how did they get into The Dance with an 18-10 record as an independent? Especially after missing both the NCAA and NIT Tournaments the prior year with the identical record? Did someone on the selection committee do a favor for Donoher, AD Frericks, or the university in general? Was there a signature win or two? Or did the NCAA see potential star power in Chapman? If so I give them credit for their foresight. Velvet and UD became the darlings of the tournament right up until the last Elite Eight game was played on a Sunday in LA between our Flyers and the nasty Georgetown Hoyas (anyone remember the chants in the ghetto of "What the F's a Hoya?"?).
As we ponder this current team's seemingly minuscule at-large chances while hoping that Lunardi and others are on to something by having UD as a "Next Four Out" or "First Eight Out", could it be that the emergence of a bona fide star in Obi Toppin sweeps the selection committee away and allows them to veer from the NET rankings a bit and choose the Flyers as an at-large (assuming they win out in the regular season and reach the A10 Tourney finals)?
Other bubble teams have stars, of course, but you don't have to be wearing the red & blue goggles to see the kind of carnival attraction that a kid like this could be in the NCAA Tournament. Would it at least garner some consideration in the selection room? I mean, the committee can always justify the choice by using "eye test" or "gaining steam" phrasing, right? Thoughts?
|
I have never really bought into the “star power “ thing. A few years ago LSU had Ben Simmons who was one of the top players in the country and they didn’t get in. I do believe that certain “team” names help if you are on the bubble. UCLA and Cuse come to mind in the past few years.
|
|
|
|
St Bonaventure
|
|
SAINT BONAVENTURE
Founded in 1858, St. Bonaventure University is a liberal arts college located on 500 acres in southwestern New York state. SBU offers 43 undergraduate majors, the most popular of which are elementary education, journalism, psychology, accounting, marketing, finance, and management. Total undergraduate enrollment is 2,000. Virtually all freshmen and most undergraduates live on campus. A founding member of the A10 Conference. Famous athletes include Bob Lanier. Historical nickname was the Brown Indians, but later changed to the Bonnies. Their mascot is a wolf. |
|
|
|
|
|
|