On Tuesday, we’ll be bringing you a comprehensive look at the resumes of each and every SEC basketball team. Not only will you be able to compare tournament contenders with one another, but you’ll also be able to see just how bad the SEC’s bad teams were as well as just how average the league’s average squads were.
But tonight, we wanted to have a little fun with some of the teams currently sitting on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Taking the lists compiled by bracket gurus Jerry Palm, Joe Lunardi and Andy Glockner, we’ve created one master list of 22 bubble teams who are currently competing for NCAA at-large bids. But before we show you the list, let’s do some blind comparisons.
If only two of the five teams below could be given berths in the tournament, which two teams would you give them to?
| Team |
Overall Record |
Current RPI |
Strength of Schedule |
| A |
21-9 |
37 |
71 |
| B |
22-9 |
38 |
55 |
| C |
20-10 |
39 |
36 |
| D |
19-12 |
40 |
17 |
| E |
19-11 |
45 |
28 |
If we were on the selection committee, Team D would definitely get a bid. Their record and RPI are comparable to the other teams, but they played by far the toughest schedule of the bunch. The final bid would come down to teams C and E. One has the better RPI, the other the better SOS. Team C has a better record by one game, so we’d hand C the final at-large bid.
(Scroll down to find out who Teams A-E are.)
In this case, Team A is Butler, Team B is Memphis, Team C is Georgia, Team D is Illinois, and Team E is Boston College. So we would have given the slots to Illinois and Georgia. You?
Try this one…
| Team |
Overall Record |
Current RPI |
Strength of Schedule |
| V |
25-8 |
42 |
127 |
| W |
19-11 |
75 |
86 |
| X |
18-12 |
76 |
73 |
| Y |
19-11 |
78 |
65 |
| Z |
20-10 |
79 |
125 |
If we were on the selection committee, Team V would get one of our two bids despite the low strength of schedule. Their RPI and record are far stronger than anyone else in this group. Of the remaining teams, we’d dump Team Z because their SOS is so much lower than those teams with comparable RPI. With their record and a slightly tougher SOS, we’d give the other bid to Team Y.
(Scroll down to find out who Teams V-Z are.)
In this case, Team V is Missouri State, Team W is Washington State, Team X is Colorado, Team Y is Nebraska, and Team Z is Alabama. We would have extended bids to Missouri State and Nebraska. Would you?
The blind comparisons are an interesting exercise and a good way to take bias and prejudice out of the mix. If you want to send a couple to your friends, feel free to use the info below. The 22 teams most commonly listed as bubble teams are as follows:
| Team |
Overall Record |
Current RPI |
Strength of Schedule |
| Butler |
21-9 |
37 |
71 |
| Memphis |
22-9 |
38 |
55 |
| Georgia |
20-10 |
39 |
36 |
| Illinois |
19-12 |
40 |
17 |
| Missouri St. |
25-8 |
42 |
127 |
| Boston Coll. |
19-11 |
45 |
28 |
| Washington |
20-10 |
47 |
52 |
| Michigan St. |
16-13 |
48 |
9 |
| VCU |
23-10 |
49 |
91 |
| Penn St. |
16-13 |
54 |
7 |
| Richmond |
24-7 |
55 |
138 |
| Michigan |
18-12 |
56 |
18 |
| Clemson |
20-10 |
57 |
74 |
| Gonzaga |
22-9 |
62 |
103 |
| Virginia Tech |
19-10 |
64 |
87 |
| Marquette |
18-13 |
68 |
31 |
| Southern Cal |
18-13 |
69 |
42 |
| Washington St. |
19-11 |
75 |
86 |
| Colorado |
18-12 |
76 |
73 |
| Nebraska |
19-11 |
78 |
65 |
| Alabama |
20-10 |
79 |
125 |
| Baylor |
17-12 |
84 |
39 |
[...] just miss his cut.When you look at the other teams on the bubble from across the country — as we did here — you’ll find that the Dawgs stack up quite well. But they still have to do work in [...]
[...] Just a reminder not to miss our late-night/early-morning stories detailing the tournament hopes (and resumes) for each of the SEC’s hoops squads:1. From Best To Worst, A Comparison Of SEC Hoops Teams In 2010-112. Blind Comparisons: Who Would You Put In The Tourney? [...]