Well, that was a shot across the bow

[Fishy]

The AAC got put in a corner tonight.

The committee applied a set of rules to the AAC that no one else had to deal with...

They lost a bid and a chunk of tournament credits to the ACC for the inexplicable swap of NC State for SMU. SMU will be the first team in the AP's final rankings to miss the tourney in a decade.

Louisville and UConn got pushed down two seeds for no apparent reason. Three ACC teams were ranked ahead of Louisville and UConn was ranked behind UMass and St. Louis.

Three AAC teams were crammed into one region - that's a power move, right there.

All, with the exception of Louisville are playing teams who play above their seed - UConn is the heaviest favorite at -4. All three games will be war. By comparison, #9 seed Pitt is -6.5 favorite over pillowy-soft Colorado. No other ACC team outside of NCSU in the play-in is less than a five-point fave. (UNC -5 over PC, the rest are all double-digit favs.)

The AAC had five ranked teams and yet somehow got their hand slapped for....not having six ranked teams? Maybe not having a rep on the selection committee and giving the ACC two reps might not be a good thing given their past predations?

 

[zls44]

Thamel tweeted about how the AAC losing their #1 football guy (Caparelli) and #1 basketball guy in short order really hurt them in terms of perception.


Caparelli, who is at Under Armor, re-tweeted it.

 

[lv99]

"March Madness 2014: Who Got Screwed in the NCAA Bracket?": "the entire AAC got shafted".

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...14-who-got-screwed-in-the-ncaa-bracket/page/4

 

[CTMike]

I just don't know what we do about it other than a crazy OOC schedule. nightmare.

Obviously, I hope SH and WM are behind the scenes trying to shake one last nut from the realignment tree, but they can't force anyone to extend an invite. F F F F F.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Everyone in power, and I mean everyone, wants to see the AAC fail. They couldn't make it any clearer. Our sugar daddy, ESPN, won't support us, as was readily apparent in Requiem for the Big East, where UConn was basically written out of history. The Selection Committee and seedings were a joke. Of course, now the detractors will have a ready made argument when the league struggles in the first rounds.

We need to get out of this league ASAP. Everyone can see that the deck is way too stacked against us for the league to succeed, and coaches and recruits are not going to want to piss in the wind just to make a point. They are going to go somewhere that they don't have to fight the entire college athletics establishment.

 

[billybud]

Louisville got screwed with the #4 seeding....but, according to Shocker guys, it is actually a conspiracy to kill off Wichita State at the Sweet 16 level...having to play Louisville.

 

[upstater]

I just don't know what we do about it other than a crazy OOC schedule. nightmare.

Obviously, I hope SH and WM are behind the scenes trying to shake one last nut from the realignment tree, but they can't force anyone to extend an invite. F F F F F.

What, Florida, Maryland, Indiana, Stanford, Washington, Harvard, wasn't good enough?

It's not often that you hand the #1 team in the nation one of their 2 losses and beat historical programs like Maryland and Indiana (in down years, albeit, though Maryland beat the ACC's #1 in Virginia, the BE's #1 in Providence, while Indiana beat the B1G's Michigan, Ohio St. and Wisconsin, while Stanford and Harvard made the tourney).

What more really could UConn do OOC? Other than take a whiff of smelling salts before the second half of the Stanford game?

 

[upstater]

Louisville got screwed with the #4 seeding....but, according to Shocker guys, it is actually a conspiracy to kill off Wichita State at the Sweet 16 level...having to play Louisville.

I believe the shocker guys. The intention is to keep as many credits for the ACC. This is why you make damn sure that only one of Louisville and Wichita St. advance. It's why you stick ALL the rest of the AAC teams in the same region.

This has NEVER happened before in the history of the NCAA tournament. Explain that. Explain how 75% of the teams in one conference end up in the same bracket. If the AAC teams win, they will play each other in the S16 and the F8.

Ludicrous.

Never happened ever before. The ACC is totally corrupt, and they have made a mockery of the NCAA tournament.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Not surprised that the ACC was slotted better than the American. That has been going on for years when the Big East was the Big East. How many years did Duke have a trail of gold laid out before them. Now, slotting the A-10 schools above the America is a freaking joke. UMass got a 6 seed? WTF?

As I said elsewhere, it could be worse (except for SMU as they do not even get the chance to prove themselves). Wichita St. is looking at Kentucky, Louisville, and Duke/Michigan just to get to the Final 4.

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

Thamel tweeted about how the AAC losing their #1 football guy (Caparelli) and #1 basketball guy in short order really hurt them in terms of perception.
Caparelli, who is at Under Armor, re-tweeted it.

Carparelli was Thamel's go to source inside the Big East. Plus, how stupid is jot that losing a "football guy" and a "basketball guy" hurts a teams RPI? or their OOC SOS? I mean how asinine is that?

edit: thamel did not imply losing those two changed perception, but added its tough as they left and committee ignored the conference.

 

[UConnJim]

I believe the shocker guys. The intention is to keep as many credits for the ACC. This is why you make damn sure that only one of Louisville and Wichita St. advance. It's why you stick ALL the rest of the AAC teams in the same region.

This has NEVER happened before in the history of the NCAA tournament. Explain that. Explain how 75% of the teams in one conference end up in the same bracket. If the AAC teams win, they will play each other in the S16 and the F8.

Ludicrous.

Never happened ever before. The ACC is totally corrupt, and they have made a mockery of the NCAA tournament.

Well, you don't remember your history and maybe I am dating myself.

Back in 1980, there was a new upstart conference called the Big East that was challenging college basketball's elite. The Big East had to battle for respect and seeds in the NCAA tournament. In 1980, what happened? Three BE teams in the NCAAs including 2 in the same bracket, Georgetown and Syracuse. Georgetown beat Syracuse in the BE tournament final, yet Syracuse was given a 1 seed in the East and Georgetown was given the 3 seed in the East. How could they put the top two Big East teams both in the East? (St. John's was a 3 in the Midwest.)

The Big East really sent a message in 1982. Georgetown was a 1 seed, Villanova was a 3 seed, St. John's was a 5 seed, and BC was an 8 seed. What happened? Georgetown ended up in the Final and both Nova and BC made the Elite 8. It was clear that the Big East was here to stay.

1985 was the real breakthrough year for the Big East as Villanova, an unranked 8 seed, won the NCAA title highlighting the strength and depth of the Big East.

Don't get me wrong, Louisville as a 4 seed is a joke and it is a bigger joke that they put Louisville as a 4 seed in the same bracket as Wichita St.

 

[CTMike]

What, Florida, Maryland, Indiana, Stanford, Washington, Harvard, wasn't good enough?

It's not often that you hand the #1 team in the nation one of their 2 losses and beat historical programs like Maryland and Indiana (in down years, albeit, though Maryland beat the ACC's #1 in Virginia, the BE's #1 in Providence, while Indiana beat the B1G's Michigan, Ohio St. and Wisconsin, while Stanford and Harvard made the tourney).

What more really could UConn do OOC? Other than take a whiff of smelling salts before the second half of the Stanford game?

By any reasonable measure it should have been enough! I'm really at a loss as to what to to. Fn #begharder or something. I don't know. Winning would be a nice giant to everyone.

 

[UConnJim]

Also, look at this year's selection committee:

ACC AD, SEC AD, Big 12 AD, Big 10 AD, Big East AD, CUSA ass. commissioner, West Coast Conf Commish, Big Sky Commish, MWC AD, CAA AD. Do you think the AAC got any help from any of these people? How many of these people have an ax to grind against the AAC?

AAC needs representation on the committee!

 

[HuskyHawk]

This is no shot across the bow. This is two topedoes that connect on the port side. The goal can only be to sink this conference fast. How dare it have ranked teams!

The only thing that can correct this abomination is a UConn vs. Louisville final.

 

[zls44]

The only thing that can correct this abomination is a UConn vs. Louisville final.

NOT THEM AGAIN

 

[UCPusky]

My love of college athletics officially imploded after last night's farce of a tournament draw. I will still support my beloved Huskies and remain a season ticketholder at The Rent; but seriously, if (when?) we do end up in a P5 conference it will come with a feeling of uncleanliness for being part of the cartel.

 

[Skiblets]

This is no shot across the bow. This is two topedoes that connect on the port side. The goal can only be to sink this conference fast. How dare it have ranked teams!

The only thing that can correct this abomination is a UConn vs. Louisville final.

This. If Warde and Susan can't get us into the club, we're ducked

 

[CTMike]

My love of college athletics officially imploded after last night's farce of a tournament draw. I will still support my beloved Huskies and remain a season ticketholder at The Rent; but seriously, if (when?) we do end up in a P5 conference it will come with a feeling of uncleanliness for being part of the cartel.

Me too but I'll get over it real quick knowing that UConn is safe. Until then I'm just tired of getting .

 

[Carl Spackler]

The lesson, as always, is that if you're not represented well, in a committee decision process, it's very easy to get bent over and screwed in the can.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Everyone in power, and I mean everyone, wants to see the AAC fail. They couldn't make it any clearer. Our sugar daddy, ESPN, won't support us, as was readily apparent in Requiem for the Big East, where UConn was basically written out of history. The Selection Committee and seedings were a joke. Of course, now the detractors will have a ready made argument when the league struggles in the first rounds.

We need to get out of this league ASAP. Everyone can see that the deck is way too stacked against us for the league to succeed, and coaches and recruits are not going to want to piss in the wind just to make a point. They are going to go somewhere that they don't have to fight the entire college athletics establishment.

Nelson you keep repeating this mantra,however in order to leave you need a place to go.,we have none.
We are trying for a P5 but it may no happen in my lifetime.
You dream of the Big East is just that. They do not want us.
They feel competing against a state flagship school is not in their best interests.
They would take us only if they perceived they were on a sinking ship. Desperation makes strange bedfellows.
The Big East with UConn ,Cinnn,Temple and Memphis would be a significant BB conference.
However much basketball means to those schools they have cast their future with football. You or no one else has made a viable solution to the football question.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Nelson you keep repeating this mantra,however in order to leave you need a place to go.,we have none.
We are trying for a P5 but it may no happen in my lifetime.
You dream of the Big East is just that. They do not want us.
They feel competing against a state flagship school is not in their best interests.
They would take us only if they perceived they were on a sinking ship. Desperation makes strange bedfellows.
The Big East with UConn ,Cinnn,Temple and Memphis would be a significant BB conference.
However much basketball means to those schools they have cast their future with football. You or no one else has made a viable solution to the football question.

Where does this assumption come from that the Big East does not want us? Are you saying they wouldn't like a school that plays in a large metro area that has 3 national titles and 4 final fours, and most importantly a fan base that travels very well and would fill up at least 3 of their arenas every year? And how would the Big East feel about us joining them if it looked like we were about to join the A10? The AAC is going to be terrible next year for hoops, and how long do you Dunphy, Cronin or Brown will stick around?

Football independence would be a superior option to the AAC too.

If we ever want to be in a P5 league, we need to stop the slow motion strangulation that we are experiencing now.

 

[06029]

Where does this assumption come from that the Big East does not want us? Are you saying they wouldn't like a school that plays in a large metro area that has 3 national titles and 4 final fours, and most importantly a fan base that travels very well and would fill up at least 3 of their arenas every year? And how would the Big East feel about us joining them if it looked like we were about to join the A10? The AAC is going to be terrible next year for hoops, and how long do you Dunphy, Cronin or Brown will stick around?

Football independence would be a superior option to the AAC too.

If we ever want to be in a P5 league, we need to stop the slow motion strangulation that we are experiencing now.

What would the independent FB schedule look like? Especially the home schedule? At least BYU and Army as independents have something of a tradition to fall back on and nobody dismisses playing either of them quickly. Lots of teams schools consider it a great trip to play Army. But what about some other independents like NM State? Take a look at their schedule (of course it would be one way to get BC on the schedule). You would guarantee crowds of 20,000 every game and recruiting would drop off the map.

And for BB? The BE has found their own way and appear to be perfectly content to be what they are. They have the name, the TV contract, MSG every year and as many ranked teams as could be expected. Uconn does not have nearly enough votes in that conference to be brought in. Uconn probably has more support in the ACC or the B1G at this point.

Sometimes you just need to control what only you can control. And for Uconn that is winning every game they play and dominating the AAC. You might not like it but right now that is the only option. If this is slow strangulation because the shirt is a little too small, independence as a solution would be a bullet to the head. It is not comfortable right now for Uconn and its fans. But your option is even worse.

 

[noeynox]

The Big East Straight Up Said That They Would Have Loved To Have UCONN as The Conference Anchor, But No We Would Bolt For A P5, Invite Cause Of Football. I Think It Was The Georgetown AD Who Said it.

 

[06029]

The Big East Straight Up Said That They Would Have Loved To Have UCONN as The Conference Anchor, But No We Would Bolt For A P5, Invite Cause Of Football. I Think It Was The Georgetown AD Who Said it.

Nice use of caps.

Which means that Uconn is not wanted by the BE because they would bolt for a better home for football if the chance presented itself. All that really says is drop football (who cares about that little investment you made), or at least de-emphasize it like Villanova did and re-affirmed to us in the last couple of years (and wasn't that the right decision you should have made several years ago), and you have a deal. Our door is always open to Uconn if they are willing to do it our way.

That is not an invitation or a welcome mat for Uconn from the BE. That is an ulitmatum.

 

[noeynox]

I Know What It Means. And The Caps Is A Browser Issue With This Snotty Replacement Android.