This is yet another "Year of the Mid-Major"

2006 was a year of the mid-major, then the selection committee muscled all the little guys out for a few years, but they have battled back to make 2010 another "Year of the Mid-Major"! And rightfully so - just look at the facts, especially considering how the seeding and travel distances were stacked so heavily against the non-BCS schools.


When Selection Sunday rolled around, we were all anxious to see how many of the deserving mid-majors were given bids. Everyone agreed that the pool of truly deserving BCS-teams was way smaller and almost nonexistent this year, so naturally we expected plenty of the deserving smaller schools should get a chance.
The number of mid-majors was up just a little from the past two years, but honestly, I really thought some of the deserving schools like UAB, Wichita State, Memphis, even Dayton, etc...still got overlooked...and the few mid-majors who did get the bids were given horrid seeding...

Well, time has proven two things in this regard...that the mid-majors ARE better than those talking heads and selection committee members thought, and they deserved better seeds......the consequence of which causes great anguish among the Big Easters and ACC'ers who got knocked off by the little guys.

Here is a run down and a REPORT CARD for the conferences based on their performance so far.........

The Best:
Missouri Valley - 1 team (UNI), 2-0 record, both wins against higher seeds (and a win over the #1 rated team) - Grade A+

Ivy League -- 1 team (Cornell), 2-0 record, both wins against higher seeds - Grade A

Horizon League - 1 team (Butler), 2-0 record, but both against far lower seeds - Grade A-

West Coast Conference - 2 teams (Gonzaga, St. Mary's), 3-1, with St. Mary's getting two wins over higher seeds - Grade A-

Big Ten - 5 teams (Mich. St., Purdue, Ohio St., Wisc., Minn.), 7-2, only one win vs. a higher seed, and it's a stumper why Maryland would be a higher seed than MSU (except for the obvious bias that explains it) - Grade B

Pac 10 - 2 teams, (Washington, Cal), 3-1, but not a single win yet over a BCS school who finished higher than 5th in their own conference - Grade B-


The Worst:
Big East - EIGHT teams in, record is a miserable 6-6, four of their teams were one-and-done, four losing to mid-majors, and FIVE losing to LOWER seeds - They have been the ultimate embarrassment of this tourney - Grade F

ACC - 6 teams, but just 5-5! Come on, this was supposedly the very top ranked conference! Wayyyy overrated -- Grade D- (saved only by their precious Dook who was granted a comfy #1 seeding, opponents like Arkansas Pine Bluff & hobbled Cal- missing a ket starter, and they got to play close to home on the east coast)

Big 12 - 7 teams in (KU, KSU, Baylor, TA&M, Mizzou, Texas, OSU) plus only one of the seven had to face a higher seed, yet FIVE are already gone (record 7-5) - several losing to lower seeds - including Kansas' humiliating but predictable loss to UNI - Grade D (but almost a D-)

SEC - 4 teams in, two are out already - losing embarrassing games to mid-majors - Grade C-

Mountain West - 4 teams, remember this conference was almost identical in strength to the Valley and WE BEAT THEM fair and square in the MVC/MWC Challenge - yet they are 2-4 with a couple losing to much lower seeds - Grade C-

A-10 - 3 teams, 2-2, with only one team remaining - and it's a real puzzler how Xavier got a #6 seed while teams like Notre Dame had a 6 and Vandy had a 4! - Grade C


Here is who's left in the Sweet Sixteen and what conference they come from........
also the percentage of team from their conferences that have been success ful and still remain!

Ranked by SUCCESS RATE:

100% Success:
MVC- Started with 1, 1 remains (UNI)
Ivy League- Started with 1, 1 remains (Cornell)
Horizon League- Started with 1, 1 remains (Butler)

60% Success:
Big Ten- Started with 5, 3 remain (MSU, OSU, Purdue) and two of their successful teams are playing without their best player!

50% Success:
WCC- Started with 2, 1 remains (St. Mary's)
PAC 10- Started with 2, 1 remains (Washington)
SEC- Started with 4, 2 remain (Kentucky, Tennessee)

33% Success:
A10- Started with 3, 1 remains (Xavier)

29% Success:
Big Twelve- Started with 7, 2 remain (KSU, Baylor)

25% Success:
Big East- Started with 8, 2 remain (Syracuse, WVU)

17% Success:
ACC- Started with 6, 1 remains (Duke)

Thus, again we see that the Big East and ACC have the worst success thus far in this year's NCAA Tournament. Wonder if that'll translate into maybe a few less bids next year as those on the selection committee possibly learn from their horrible experience. But don't hold your breath!

Even the Kansas press acknowledges that the midmajors are good this year and they surely deserve to be in this tourney!
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/03/20/1826869/kerkhoff-new-heroes-enter-ncaa.html

***EB-->>HCMPDD