Let's go Albany Great Danes - NIT hopes rooting thread
March 14th, 2015 at 10:07 AM ^
I think we are pretty much guaranteed to be out after the handful of conference regular season champs that have lost the last couple days. But that's alright. We improved over the course of the season and after the injuries, that's what is most important.
March 14th, 2015 at 11:07 AM ^
Who is NYC Buckets? Why should anyone put any stock in his NIT bracketology forecast? This is common problem today. For some reason, any random schmuck with a blog is now an expert. Case in point: NBADraft.net. People quote that stupid website every year for draft predictions just because of their web address even though they have no NBA sources or prospect scouting.
Here is what we do know about the NIT. There are 32 teams. 10 automatic bids have already been claimed (assuming each school accepts their bid). That leaves 22 at large teams at this moment. Assuming Temple, BYU, Indiana, and Ole Miss take the last 4 NCAA tournament bids (from the Bracket Matrix composite rankings), the remaining bubble teams like UCLA, Tulsa, Miami (FL), Texas A&M, Rhode Island, Stanford, Old Dominion, Richmond, UConn, Illinois, and Pittsburgh are going to make the NIT. The loser of the Buffalo-CMU MAC Championship Game is probably going to make the NIT. That leaves about 10 at-large spots at this time (which could decrease if more automatic bids are needed). I don't know if anyone can accurately predict how those spots are going to be distributed at this time, but it doesn't leave much margin for error for Michigan if Michigan is even under consideration anymore.
Quite honestly, I personally think we are out right now as there are 10 teams with better resumes than Michigan. I think St. Mary's, a second SEC team (Alabama or Vandy), Green Bay, the Harvard-Yale loser, and Illinois State are going to get in. I think it is going to come down to Michigan versus Minnesota for a second Big Ten bid, and I think Minnesota is going to get the nod over us.
March 14th, 2015 at 10:09 AM ^
March 14th, 2015 at 10:17 AM ^
Eh, there's still some good teams that'll be in it. If we ran into UCLA or UCONN, even a Murray State or Miami, those are not shameful losses at all. The way we have played the last week however, means that anything other than a trip to MSG would probably be a disappointment.
March 14th, 2015 at 11:08 AM ^
March 14th, 2015 at 10:45 AM ^
According to the NIT Bracket project, which is pretty comprehensive, UM was solidly in the tourney as of March 12. That is, it was not among the last four in. This result did not include UM’s game yesterday, but I would guess that a respectable loss to a probable #1 NCAA seed would not hurt too much. I am not sure how many spots were lost due to yesterday’s games elsewhere. But according to the Bracket Project, UM could fall at least four spots and still make the NIT.
According to precedent, it would seem that our overall record would hurt us. But since the NCAA took over the NIT tourney, the .500 Div I record requirement was dropped. Also, we had an impressive overall SOS (#12 nationally)-which the Bracket Project does take into account.
They don't have all the automatic bids to date in their projection. Louisiana Tech, NC Central and UC Davis all now have automatic bids. Adding that to their current projection, Michigan is already out of the NIT (which I actually believe as well).
March 14th, 2015 at 10:40 AM ^
We really have hit rock bottom
March 14th, 2015 at 10:52 AM ^
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March 14th, 2015 at 11:13 AM ^
It is somewhat ironic, as for decades the NY state legislature prohibited state universities from participating in D1 sports. Now, I have to root for Stony Brook, they are not too far away from me and that university is a minor success story, building a decent D1 program without scandal (so far), and being invited to AAU membership along the way. Seem to be doing things right. And if you're from NY, "Albany" is a four-letter word.
I don't think this game will determine UM's fate, so go Seawolves! Whatever that is, I've never seen one around here.
March 14th, 2015 at 11:26 AM ^
Stony Brook had a pretty big issue with the athletic director who was fired.
March 14th, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^
4-2 Albany at the 12-minute time out. The American East's auto bid should be stripped with prejudice.
March 14th, 2015 at 11:35 AM ^
Today, Harvard plays Yale for the Ivy title and the right to go to the NCAAs. Yale is ranked higher than Harvard, and is projected to make the NCAAs according to the Bracket project. Harvard is projected to make the NIT. UM probably has a better chance to knock Harvard out of the NIT with a Harvard loss today. I am not sure they would be knocked out in favor of UM. But the Sagarin ratings have UM ranked 20 spots ahead of Harvard. So, apologies to Tommy Amaker, but I hope Yale beats Harvard.
March 14th, 2015 at 11:41 AM ^
It's okay, Tommy knows how to miss the NCAA Tournament.
March 14th, 2015 at 11:40 AM ^
FOUR other NCAA bids up for grabs today.
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Sun Belt (Semis) 1 Ga. State vs. 4 Louisiana (1pm/ESPN3)
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MAC -- 1 CMU vs. 2 Buffalo (7:30pm/ESPN2)
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Big Sky -- 2 Eastern Washington at 1 Montana (9pm/ESPNU)
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Southland -- 1 Stephen F. Austin vs. 2 Sam Houston State (9:30pm/ESPN2)
- WAC -- 1 New Mexico State vs. 3 Seattle (11pm/ESPNU)
1 Texas Southern is playing for the SWAC title but it doesn't matter if they come out and punt the ball into the stands. They received the NCAA autobid last night by winning the semifinal game since both teams in the other SWAC semifinal are ineligible for postseason play to low APR.
March 14th, 2015 at 12:01 PM ^
God I hope Central whoops the Buffalo Bobby Hurleys asses
Buffalo's resume is strong enough for an at-large NIT bid, and CMU has an automatic bid to the NIT with a loss.
Since conferene seeds do not always reflect national rankings, and since some teams may be on the NCAA bubble and others the NIT bubble, it is tricky to know who to root for.
Clearly, we now should not always root for a #1 seed to in the conference tourney. For example, in the AAC--another conference relevant to UM's hopes, the #4 seed, Temple, could solidify their NCAA bid by beating the #1 seed, SMU today (3pm, ESPN2). .
At the same time, we also cannot assume that it’s better for Temple to actually win their conference tourney tomorrow. They would probably make the NCAA without doing so. Ironically, that is not the case for a higher seed,Tulsa (the #2 seed), if Tulsa makes the AAC finals tomorrow. Tulsa is more likely to need an AAC tourney win to make the NCAAs.
In summary, today, we should root for Tulsa in their semi vs. UConn 5pm ESPN2); and if they win today, even if they play vs. Temple in the finals, Sun, we should root for Tulsa.
March 14th, 2015 at 12:07 PM ^
March 14th, 2015 at 12:07 PM ^
Stony Brook should just throw it to that Weerny guy, he has more than half of their points.
March 14th, 2015 at 12:13 PM ^
I didn't know you could just push a guy out of bounds and get the ball back. Michigan should have done that yesterday against Wisconsin
Whoa...glad I caught the end of that...that should help Michigan
After not hitting a 3 all game long, Albany comes back and sinks that. Wow. What a game
This is why March Madness is so awesome
Gotta be gut-wrenching for Stony Brook. Up for the majority of the 2nd half only to lose the lead with 1.6 seconds to go
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As one of the few Albany undergrads / Michigan grad, I cannot properly express the joy of seeing an Albany Great Dane thread on the board! I will be the first one to admit that this game was far from pretty. To me though, it was a thing of beauty. Go Danes!