WBB: American Southwest Conference

[dballa]

Here are the conference leaders in free throw shooting for the season not just one weekend.  HPU has shot more free throws than anybody, and they haven't all been home games.

FREE THROW PERCENTAGES
## Team                           G    FTM   FTA   Pct
---------------------------------------------
1.Mississippi College.      26    392   548  .715
2.Howard Payne........     28    510   715 .713
3.Hardin-Simmons.... .    26    427   602 .709
4.Ozarks..............           26    364   514  .708
5.McMurry.............          28    331   474  .698
6.Schreiner...........          25    384   567  .677
7.LeTourneau..........       25    303   454  .667
8.Sul Ross State......       24    369   556  .664
9.Mary Hardin-Baylor..    26    305   460  .663
10.Texas-Tyler.........        25    337   512  .658
11.East Texas Baptist..    27    396   609  .650
12.Concordia-Austin....    24    345   531  .650
13.Texas-Dallas........       26    319   491  .650
14.Texas Lutheran......     25    203   330  .615
15.Louisiana College...    24    222   368  .603

[thejungle]

Thanks for the stats!  There's a reason HPU is number 3 in the nation.  Not only are they talented and well-balanced, but they push the ball inside...Both guards and forwards.

If you do that....you go to the line!

[Rick Akins]

mcmfan and all the other whiners and malcontents here:  I know the facilities are not great, but you are dead wrong about the games themselves.  The free  throw thing is obvious if you know anything about basketball and watched the games--HPU plays a ZONE, never presses, and both HSU and MCM wisely knew this weekend the best way to beat a superior opponent is to aggressively get after them and try to disrupt their rhythm.  Plus HPU's team THIS year is quicker and gets to the spots better than others.  If you think the officiating cost either HSU or MCM the game you are clueless. I agree the officiating  in this tourney, and women's basketball in general, is very very poor.  I could share with you many pathetic calls I saw from my perspective also.

Get over it and worry about this weekend!!  Win 2 and  if HPU wins 1 and we can argue again this year.  If not, next year could always be a different story.

[fanstand]

Its so easy to talk about getting over something, when you win.  Shoe on the other foot, your the one wanting to talk about whatever. We ARE still playing, but we're just letting out some frustration. No one has said anything about, players or coaches, so back off hpfan.  My last complaint on seating.. We had two sections for visitors one behind the bench and then in the middle of the scorers table.  Had they given us the other section behind the goal or even half of that section (where the most obnoxious fans that talk ugly to our players and coaches) sit we may not be as whiney. We could have won that game given a 3 or 4 different opportunities, I didn't say the officials made a difference, but we did have the opportunity.

[cowgirlfan]

Can anyone explain why a team that has been ranked all year in the Top 25 and lost to only 3 teams (2 ranked in the Top 10and yes, one team #3 3 times) did not make it into the tournament?  I know about the QOWI but if that is the criteria, how did HPU make the #1 seed and get the bye?  Their QOWI wasn't as high as some others.  I realize the Top 25 is only a coaches poll but there had to be some reasoning for ranking HSU as high as they did all year that didn't have to do with QOWI.  Did the NCAA take that into consideration?  It isn't HSU's choice that they had to play HPU 3 times in a season. Has any other top teams played another top team that many times?

[mcmfan]

cowgirlfan ---
I can't, and I'm not exactly a fan of HPU.  If there are 60-odd teams in the playoffs, you'd think every team in the top twenty would be included.  I'm happy we don't have to play y'all for a while, but I was really surprised you weren't invited.  Some of this could just be the luck of the draw, and maybe Ralph or someone else with the figures could answer this: what if McM had been seeded to play HPU in the second round, instead of HSU?  If you had beaten ETBU instead of us, would that have given you enough points or whatever it is to get in? 

[thejungle]

The answer for your question cowgirlfan will be "If only HSU had beaten Southwestern."  But that answer kills me...So, the NCAA is telling us if you lose ONE game all year to someone NOT ranked in the top 10 you're out?

HSU deserves to be in.  I understand why they aren't, but they DESERVE to be.

[Ralph Turner]

Cowgirlfan, Pat Coleman projected HSU as the last team bumped due to the Dickinson loss.

If HSU had beaten Southwestern, almost certainly you would have made it.

The QOWI criterion was hurt by a factor of about 0.400 with that loss.

You had one only win against a Regionally Ranked team.  A win versus HPU this year would have sealed a Pool C bid as well. 

Your South Region regionally ranked percentage would have been better, if you didn't have the Southwestern loss.

Defeating HPU would have given the QOWI that same 0.400 boost.

That sums it up.

What would I recommend next year?

--  Keep playing the Southwestern and Trinity and even Austin College and UDallas games, or Hendrix, Millsaps, Rhodes, Piedmont, Maryville TN and Oglethorpe.
--  Schedule in-region games versus SCIAC and NWC teams on the west coast.  Pick up games versus IIAC, CCIW or MIAC schools.
--  Schedule as few NAIA and D2's as you can.

[Rick Akins]

As I understand it, and others can explain much better than I can, the schools that have more non conference games in region and can pick up wins against probably inferior teams (but which are still teams with good or great records, since they can beat even more inferior competition) can really boost that QOWI.  This is much easier to do in other areas of the country.  As an HPU fan selfishly I am glad to not play HSU 4 times in a month;  however, in all fairness absolutely HSU deserved to get in. I believe the d3hoops poll is very accurate as to the true strength of teams, but that poll has no bearing on the NCAA's actions under its rules.  It is bizarre that a very early loss against Southwestern could affect QOWI enough for this to happen, but I think it might have.

Obviously this is no real answer--I do feel for HSU and all its players, fans and coaches.

[Ralph Turner]

And the McMurry men's loss to ETBU or the HSU loss in Mabee also made the difference for the Men!

[Pat Coleman]

Yes, I think that HSU is really a victim of the entire conference's scheduling. The fewer out of conference in-region games a conference plays, the less a team is going to be able to distinguish itself.

By the way, if you think this is bad, the RPI-style rating the NCAA is moving towards next year is even harsher on HSU. They rank 53 in a run we just did on it. We'll post the full ranking later and talk about it on Hoopsville.

The ASC gives away opportunities for its teams to showcase themselves. Until that changes this should be expected.

[inthepaint]

My HSU Cowgirls lost?     I was away on a fishing trip and missed the action.

Go McM and HPU!  Represent the ASC well.   

[Ralph Turner]

Coach K is on Hoopsville now!

Look for the archives of Hoopsville in the second hour.

[Ralph Turner]

Coach K's interview is outstanding.  I strongly encourage every ASC fan to listen to it.

He has an excellent comprehension of what HPU needs to do!

I hope the conference can work together on this.

[Rick Akins]

thanks, Ralph for the Coach K update.  I will listen!!