The A-10 is Better Than the Big 10?
Mar 17th 2008ericjhoroCollege Basketball
That’s what the NCAA selection committee thinks.
St. Joseph’s went 9-7 in the A-10, 21-12 overall. Their most impressive non-conference win came against Sienna. The only thing they had going for them was two wins against Xavier.
Ohio State wen 10-8 in the Big 10, 19-13 overall. Their big non-conference wins came against Syracuse, Florida, and UMBC. They also beat Purdue and Michigan State.
So which of these teams got into the tournament? St. Joseph’s of course.
Now let’s move onto the big boys.
Xavier finished 14-2 in the A-10, 27-6 overall. They didn’t make their conference tournament championship game. They’re big non-conference wins were against Indiana and Kansas State.
Wisconsin finished 16-2 in the Big 10, 29-4 overall. They won their conference tournament. In addition to beating Texas, Wisconsin beat Indiana and Michigan State twice.
Somehow, Wisconsin dropped to a #3 seed while the committed ignored Xavier’s conference tournament loss and and generously handed them the same seed as Wisconsin.
I don’t blame the committee for shafting the Big 10. The Big 10 sucks, and everybody knows it. But the A-10 lovefest that went on Sunday evening might be the conference’s most unexpected boon since Cuttino Mobley was draining threes to lead Rhode Island to the Elite Eight.
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