Six questions for the committee
The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee has its work cut out for them this week. On Sunday, they will put together the crème de la crème, setting up the bracket for the best three weeks of sports, March Madness.
My friends, filling those 34 at-large spots will not be easy as there are so many similar resumes out there. You look at conference standings and you see a lot of teams with 20+ wins that are just over .500 in league play.
I really believe that conference tournament action will have a major impact on this year's selection process. Here are a half-dozen questions the committee will have to answer this weekend?
How will St. Mary's be evaluated?
If Randy Bennett's team doesn't win the WCC tournament, this will be an interesting team for the committee to look at. It is difficult since star guard Patty Mills missed nine games and the second half of a 10th. He was injured against Gonzaga and the Gaels had a lead at the time he went out. St. Mary's went 6-4 in his absence and entered the WCC tournament at 24-5. With Mills, this is clearly a different team, one capable of winning a couple of games in the big dance.
How far will Marquette fall in the seedings?
The Golden Eagles have slipped since Dominic James was lost for the season with a foot injury. Marquette closed on a four-game losing streak and was 3-6 in its final nine games overall. The slide actually began before James went down, and the committee has to look at the way this team has finished and what the current lineup looks like. Don't be surprised if Marquette moves down quite a bit. Buzz Williams' team needs a strong showing in the Big East tournament to reverse that trend.
How many teams will the Mountain West get in?
You can make a case for as many as five teams. BYU, Utah, New Mexico, UNLV and San Diego State all won 20+ games in the regular season. All five have credible non-league wins (UNLV probably has the best one, knocking off Louisville). A conference tournament quarterfinal between San Diego State and UNLV looks like an elimination game with the loser likely to the NIT.
How do you differentiate the Big Ten bubble teams?
There is so much balance in the conference and so many intriguing scores. Penn State and Northwestern won at Michigan State. The Wildcats also won at Purdue. Eight of the 11 teams finished .500 or better in league play. The conference tournament will likely have an impact on the number of teams sent dancing from Jim Delany's conference.
How will Creighton be evaluated after its blowout loss in the Missouri Valley Conference semifinal?
The Bluejays tied for the league's regular-season title at 14-4. Overall, Creighton sits at 26-7, including wins over New Mexico, Dayton and George Mason. Dana Altman's team was fortunate to edge Wichita State in the quarterfinals before falling by 24 to Illinois State. The good news is the Bluejays were 11-1 in the final 12 games. Altman and company will sit and sweat until Selection Sunday, rooting for other bubble teams to get knocked off.
How will last year's Cinderella (Davidson) be evaluated?
Some fans feel the committee wants Stephen Curry in the field after last season's success story. Looking at the data, the Wildcats were 18-2 in the Southern Conference during the regular season. The overall record is a solid 26-7, with a win over West Virginia standing out. Is this enough to earn one of the 34 at-large berths? Bob McKillop and his squad will be watching for the pairings on Sunday.
