MBB: Midwest Conference

[Greek Tragedy]

I don't follow or know the selection criteria very well, so I guess my real question is if it came down to an at-large berth in the region...would the committee take a 19-6 WIAC school ranked sixth in region over a 22-2 Grinnell team ranked eighth?

With a 22-2 record, I'm pretty sure Grinnell would be safe getting a Pool C bid, considering they'd most likely be ranked higher than 8th! lol    Also, Grinnell and any WIAC team are in different regions, so the only way they'd be compared to each other is if they were at the "Pool C" table at the same time, and even at that time, they'd also have to go up against the Pool C candidates of the other 6 regions. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

ft2006,

By the (late, unlamented) QOWI, the secret was not to schedule low-level teams from weak conferences (where, as Old School noted, a win may be barely better than a loss to a top team), but HIGH-level teams from weak conferences - they'd have a good record, but still be easily beatable.  Since we don't yet know the particulars on what will replace QOWI, this may or may not still be the ticket to a pool C bid.

But, as has also been mentioned, it takes two to tango.  The other school is presumably also aware of the criteria, and has to be willing to schedule YOU.  With QOWI, this may not have been as much of a problem - good teams in weak conferences knew there was little chance of a C-bid, so scheduling tough opponents could be seen as improving their AQ chances.  It will be interesting to see how the new criterion plays out for schedulers trying to 'game the system'.

[fightintitan2006]

Old School and Mr. Ypsi,  Thanks for the knowledge.

OS, in a sense, are you agreeing that a powerpuff schedule might have helped Grinnell get a berth last year...minus those three losses they could have been 20-4...with Carthage and UWO both ranked regionally (with the possibility of an extra win or loss replacing Grinnell)  Its very interesting and probably a go indicator that change is needed. Even as an MWC fan, I couldn't have made a case for Grinnell over Oshkosh for a tourney bid.

[Greek Tragedy]

Not sure if that would've helped too much.  Like it was stated before, a win over a very weak team can be just a bit better than losing to a quality opponent.  Oshkosh, Whitewater and Carthage were tough opponents, but there are reasons why they scheduled those teams...maybe other teams didn't want to schedule them or whatever the case was. 

Also, it's VERY likely that Oshkosh and Grinnell weren't even matched up against each other since Elmhurst and Carthage, teams ahead of Grinnell, didn't even make the tourney, meaning Elmhurst never made it out of their Pool C seat.

Oshkosh, right behind St. John's being picked, must have been at the table for awhile since I'm guessing St. John's was picked pretty early (they were the first at the Pool C table in the West Region)

Personally, I think playing those teams made Grinnell better come conference time.  They went on that incredible 13-game streak.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Grinnell may well have been in that category I mentioned who benefit from tough outside competition: good team in a weak conference who has little chance of a C-bid and thus needs to toughen up to increase their AQ chances.  (Please note, I think the MWC is underrated [i.e., NOT a weak conference], but they have rarely (ever?) gotten a team into the tourney by pool C.)  In light of what Carroll did this year to Augie and St. Thomas, Grinnell probably SHOULD have been a C, but by the criteria they had zero chance.

'Scheduling theory' is apt to be up for grabs with the demise of QOWI; I'll be most interested to see how that goes - but it STILL takes two to tango!  I have no idea how Grinnell should go with their schedule, but they still have to find willing opponents.

[The Roop]

The MWC has had a second team get in on occasion. 6 times I believe if you count Coe and Cornell who were in the MWC at the time. 1976 Tournament I think. Not sure when the current selection criteria started so the only official "Pool C" I know of is Carroll in 05-06.

Will an RPI type system really help, or just create different criteria. I guess we'll have to wait and see, it probably won't hurt though. Another thing that might be worth looking at is the recent history of a conference in terms of tournament wins. I don't have any particular conference in mind so I'm not trying to pick on anybody. Lets just say for example that a Pool A conference hasn't won a game in the tournament the last 10 years. Maybe said conference should lose their automatic bid for a few years and have to fight it out under Pool B or C criteria.

[Greek Tragedy]

Scroll to the bottom to NCAA participants.

HERE

[Scots4]

Speaking of tough schedules....Monmouth non-con next year
@ Eastern Illinois, @ Central Missouri State, @ Northwest Missouri
vs. Macmurray, vs. St. Ambrose, vs. Robert Morris Chicago, vs. Central

then open the MWC with Carroll, Lawrence, Grinnell right off the bat

[Pat Coleman]

Two regional games. Whooooooooooooooo. 

[The Roop]

Scroll to the bottom to NCAA participants.

HERE

Looks like I did pretty good for just guessing. Might want to put an * by the 1957 season as Beloit did make the tournament but was not a MWC member at the time. They were kicked out for a few years.

[Hoops Junkie]

What the heck is taking Beloit sooooo looooong...

This has to be one of the worst searches known to man kind. 

What is the deal....

[The Roop]

Perhaps Bigfoot will be delivering Beloits new coach to Roswell this weekend. That's where interplanetary customs is located.

[gobucs]

Or maybe they're trying to hire Bigfoot himself.....and he is yet to be "sighted"...........

[Greek Tragedy]

Two regional games. Whooooooooooooooo. 

He never said anything about regional games, Pat! lol   

Point is planning on playing Amherst next year (I heard) and also gets D2 Northern Michigan (the second leg of the home and home series).  That would qualify as a tough nonconference schedule, yet both aren't in-region!  So there! 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Point is planning on playing Amherst next year (I heard)

Please tell me you didn't hear it from the NESCAC room.