MBB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[RFB]

Wow, what a raw deal for Oxy. Something is going on behind the scenes for sure. The SCIAC gets no respect in football or basketball.

[tigersports]

A fairer regional would have Oxy playing UMHB and MC playing Maryville -- don't understand why they can't do that.  19 v. 23 in the first round is not a gross injustice, just as 19/23 v. 5 in the second round isn't either.    But to switch so that the two highest-ranked teams play each other is just ludicrous and really smells.  Why doesn't the NCAA go back to what it does best -- making sure a teammates parent doesn't buy a player a hamburger.

[diehardfan]

Declining the invitation is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

Seriously. The most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in the context of sports. How dare you suggest that. The Oxy team (now admittedly underdogs) and all the players that have worked so hard to get to this place all season should just give up and roll over JUST because they're playing a high seed out of some sort of obscure principle??? I guarantee the team doesn't feel that way... and if they do, we have a much bigger problem. Lets not produce a future generation of whiners that are so focused on the fact that they got jobbed that they can't believe the American dream that anything is possible and adversity is there simply to be overcome. PLEASE. Thanks.

Here's what actually needs to happen.

1) Oxy goes to Miss College and plays the game of their life. I don't think Miss College is unbeatable, and I'm sure the Oxy players don't think Miss College is unbeatable, so that works well. Win, and play the second round of the regionals while the hosts sit unhappily by and watch. Go on to bigger and better things. I'll show you guys around Salem. A big huge "up yours" NCAA. Oxy becomes the Cinderella story that people talk about for decades. Disney makes a movie about it, and I get a cut for suggesting it. Blah blah. We all live happily ever after.

2) Oxy schedules more regional games next year, and wins them, so they get to be ranked higher in the regional poll, and actually get to host a game.... maybe even a sectional. They start doing this every year. We get to watch playoff games. Yay. We all live happily ever after x 2.

Yes, I think the entire West Region got jobbed this year for many reasons. But we can't do anything about it so being annoyed doesn't help. And, all the players need to do is channel that and play well and the whining becomes moot.

Go Oxy, do us proud!

[Pat Coleman]

Because Mary Hardin Baylor whined.  They got beat in the second game of the season by MC by almost 30 points.  They had NO chance against MC.  They must have an AD with some serious pull to be able to get the committee to change the bracket around that quickly.  Oxy's AD is probably having a latte somewhere, reading the paper, enjoying the LA morning sunshine, and couldn't care less. 

Because the NCAA's rules were broken when they made the erroneous pairing in the first place. UMHB may have whined -- I have no idea -- but it had the right to.

"Teams from the same conference do not have to play one another in the first round as long as geographic proximity is maintained."

You are aware of this one, I know, because of the geography problem.

They HAD to change the pairing.

Why they changed it and still f'ed it up, that I have no idea. If they had looked at their own regional rankings I am sure it would have said MC should play Mville and Oxy should play UMHB.

[tigersports]

Atti-CA, Atti-CA, Atti-CA

[David Collinge]

It strikes me that the team in the Clinton pod that has the biggest gripe is Miss. College.  I haven't seen Oxy this season, but I saw them last year, and I think I have a reasonably good idea of how good they are.  Mississippi College had an outstanding year, and probably could argue with justification that they deserved to play an easier opponent than Oxy in the first round--like, say, Maryville. 

If the thought of Oxy winning at Miss. College is so unthinkable, I don't see why it matters if the matchup is in the first or second round.  But I don't think it is unthinkable.  I watched the video stream of MC's game against Hardin-Simmons, and I agree with April that they are not unbeatable.  When the pick 'em contest comes out, I'm going to have a tough time deciding who to take in this game.

[Browneagle64]

There's no crying in Baseball.......oops I meant Basketball. Come on guys, like D.H. has already pointed out all we can do now is cheer for the underdog and hope that they pull off a great upset and great escape. THe powers that Be sure have an weird thinking system, but they are human and make mistakes. All we can hope for is that they realize that they made a bad mistake when Oxy ends up beating their opponent in the first round of the dance.

[bbaddict]

So -- what happened to the Oxy that's going to "show the nation" when they were going up against the NWC champ?  I'm sorry, but I got my karma dinged down to nothing (and at one point negative!) over Oxy fans ranting about how great their team is and how they're going to show everyone!!

Honestly, it seems you'd want to play the tough team when you're fresh & just get there.  It's basketball for heaven's sake -- any team on any given night can win!  That's why we call them upsets!  So, go make the West as proud as you've been while knocking the NWC --- also from the West!  I'm kind of old fashioned -- first, my team, then my conference, then my region.  So GO TIGERS!

And for the savant that suggested that Oxy play LC in football -- it already happened!

Guess you should be grateful you didn't pull the UW Stevens Point bracket!  I haven't heard Whitworth whining -- probably just too busy getting ready to play.

[diehardfan]

Thanks for the pep talk, Knute.

No problemo.

Guess you should be grateful you didn't pull the UW Stevens Point bracket!  I haven't heard Whitworth whining -- probably just too busy getting ready to play.

Too true, that bracket is royally tough. Here's to all the players just focusing on getting ready to play!!!

[Ralph Turner]

Maybe it was Maryville that hollered!  

Maryville lost to Miss College in the second round in 1999, lost to McMurry in the Sweet 16 in 2000, beat Miss Coll in the first round in 2003, lost to Miss College in the second round in 2005 and 2006.

At least Maryville gets a fresh opponent in UMHB.  I posted on another board that Maryville' Coach Lambert and UMHB's Coach DeWeese are worth the price of admission alone.

[tigersports]

And for the savant that suggested that Oxy play LC in football -- it already happened!

I would be said savant.  I guess I needed to click onto the sarcasm face, though I thought most would grasp my meaning that a football game against L&C would be easier than a hoops contest.

[Browneagle64]

I think he meant that the L.C football team should play the Oxy basketball team in the 1st round of the big bball dance.

[Ralph Turner]

SCIAC fans traveling to Clinton, the local entertainment is interesting for historians.  There is the Vicksburg Battlefield, the USS Cairo (an ironclad that has been restored in Vicksburg), and the beautiful and historic Natchez Trace.  (The Natchez Heritage Tour doesn't start until March 10th but you might investigate it).

Also there are the casinos in Vicksburg if you wish.

[bbaddict]

OxyBob -- Not everyone in the NW is a Sea Pigeon fan, so I resent being called a seagull!  Go Chargers!

And I can't believe you're so busy defending someone's inane comment that you don't recognize support when it's given!

[bucs77]

DHF is correct.  After seeing some of the goodgreat teams that got left out of the tournament and talking to a few of the WhitW players they are excited to be in and really looking forward to playing on Friday night.