First Unbeaten Team to go home?

[hoopstermom]

Ask the Patriots. 

[Hoosier Titan]

I know both are bad, but...Do you think that being undefeated and losing in the tournament is more painful then already having a number of losses and then losing?

I think losing is painful.  The university I went to (Indiana) was the last D1 school to have an undefeated season in men's basketball, in 1975-76.  The 74-75 team went undefeated too, until...I think...the sweet 16 final when Kentucky took them out because Scott May, the National Player of the Year that year, had a broken arm.  That was a painful loss, but I don't think it would have been any worse if they'd dropped a game or two along the way.  But maybe time has dulled the pain.

[hoopstermom]

Seriously, nobody likes to lose.  I think it's better to lose one (or two or a few), make to the tourney and then win it all than to go undefeated all the way to finals and then drop that last one. 

Certainly still a tremendous season, but I feel a tough ending to an otherwise great run.  No redemption for another year.

[gatoradio]

Update from Berea, Ohio.
Hope clears Juniata 76-47 and advances to the second round to face the winner of DYC/B-W.

[gatoradio]

Update from Crestview Hills:

Thomas More over Greensboro 76-63.

(This was a really close game - TMC leading by no more than 5 points - until TMC started to pull away with about 5 minutes remaining in the 2nd half).

[gatoradio]

Update from Crestview Hills:

Thomas More falls to Oglethorpe 65-55.

Oglethorpe led by 8 at the half, but TMC ties it up at 11:55 and the two teams duke it out for the next several minutes.  Oglethorpe then re-takes the lead for good with 7:52 remaining.

And so the first unbeaten team falls...

[LogShow]

Update from Crestview Hills:

Thomas More falls to Oglethorpe 65-55.

Oglethorpe led by 8 at the half, but TMC ties it up at 11:55 and the two teams duke it out for the next several minutes.  Oglethorpe then re-takes the lead for good with 7:52 remaining.

And so the first unbeaten team falls...

Well that didn't take long...Thomas More still had a good season, and should be proud

[quaj]

So Howard Payne is the last unbeaten left. But being unbeaten doesn't mean being unbeatable.

Just look at what happened with volleyball in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Wittenberg went undefeated (31-0) until the Final Four round against Wash. U. That was when they got dismantled in a 3-1 loss to the Bears. In that last set, Wittenberg was torn apart 30-15 which is big in volleyball.

Admittedly basketball is a different game but the culture where teams come from plays a role. I watched the University of Wisconsin Whitewater play Wash.  U. in the finals for volleyball and they're a tenacious school. Whitewater athletes know how to persevere. They've also got good fans and they'll be out in full force against Howard Payne.