This is the second best sports week of the year, only behind next week when the first two days of the Big Dance get underway. This week is Championship Week, a week with a whole bunch of little dances that normally lead to mayhem.

Every conference plays a tournament to determine their automatic bid. The Ivy League was the last to submit to this torture test, instituting a conference tournament a few years ago. This is the week that makes college basketball’s postseason an open tournament. Every team has one last chance to punch their ticket to the Big Dance. Already we’ve seen teams taking advantage of that one last chance by destroying the dreams of a bunch of conference one seeds.

No team suffered more than Navy. Former Penn State coach Ed DeChellis stepped down as Navy coach last year and his understudy, Jon Perry, took over. All five starters for Navy were fourth year seniors, and they had a season to remember. They were 17-1 in the Patriot League, finishing six games better than the second place team. The Midshipmen were poised to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 28 years. Then in the Patriot League semifinal this happened.

 


Similar fates met one seeds Belmont(26-6), UNC-Wilmington(26-6), and Central Arkansas(22-12), and East Tennessee State(23-11).

With all of these regular season champs falling in their conference tournaments, it has led to a lot of conversation about getting rid of the conference tournaments or giving the top seed a pass to the finals.

How about this…

Expansion

You know expansion is going to happen. It is idiotic, especially when you look at this year’s bubble. But every decision in college sports is influenced by money, money, and money. Expanding the tournament will create more dollars. The power conferences will expect to benefit from more bids. How about this. If they add 8 or 12 teams, make a stipulation that some of those bids are given to small conference regular season champs that lose in their conference tournament.

Analytical caveats can be put in place so it is deserving teams getting those bids. For example, require the teams to be in the top 100 NET. Navy and Central Arkansas would not have qualified, but Belmont and UNC-Wilmington would have. That would still leave some bids for the 15th place team from one of the power conferences, which we all want to see.

Why does nobody ask for my advice?

First Timers

One of the super cool things about Championship Week is watching the kids from these small schools celebrate the chance to have their One Shining Moment. It is particularly exciting to watch players from schools making their first ever appearance in the Big Dance.

Thus far, we have one first time participant. The Queens(NC) Royals.

 

 


This is a particularly cool story. This is Queens first year of eligibility for the tournament. They were a Division II school four years ago. The school will merge with Elon University this summer, but maintain its own athletic programs. Great name —Queens Royals— and Buddy the dog attends every game. Hey, there could be worse lucky charms.

Have you seen any potential Cinderellas?

High Point has won 86 games the past three years. They have some athletes that should be able to compete. They are probably looking at a 14 seed, so it won’t be easy.

Queens has six players averaging in double figures. That means they have options. However, the Royals are likely to be no better than a 15 seed.

Troy looks like a perfect Cinderella candidate. They are athletic and deep.

Yale would be the team I would not want to see opposite my team in the brackets. The Bulldogs have to get through the Ivy tournament. Stephen F Austin would be another team capable of winning a couple of games.

It may not be any of the teams I mentioned, but it will be somebody. After all, it is March.


Weak Bubble vs Bid Stealers

This is the weakest bubble I can remember. Just this past weekend nine bubble teams had opportunities for big wins. All nine teams lost. It is hard to distinguish between these less than deserving teams, and it is more reason to throw a few bones to the mid majors. Here is a look at some of the more precarious bubble teams:

  • NC State(19-12)- The Wolfpack are total underachievers. They play defense like it is a Rec League pickup game. They will get in based on metrics, but it wouldn’t hurt to win a game or two in the ACC Tournament.
  • Texas(18-13)- If Texas loses to Ole Miss in the first round of the SEC Tournament they are out. Fourteen losses is a lot. Their analytics aren’t terrible, but losing 4 of last 5 is not going to endear them to the committee. Of course they are a Power 5 team, so there is that.
  • Missouri(20-11)-I think the Tigers are in. Their NET is suspect, but WAB is very respectable. Missouri doesn’t do much for me, but someone has to fill out the field.
  • UCF(20-10)- I like the Knights better than the three teams above them on this list, but they are not a lock. Again, WAB is saving the day analytically. Getting swept by West Virginia and Oklahoma State isn’t great for the ol’ resume.
  • SMU(19-12)- Talk about spiraling. Four straight losses and a less than stellar WAB has the Mustangs teetering. An upset loss to Syracuse could be a death knell. Even then, two wins may be mandatory for SMU.
  • Santa Clara and VCU(both 24-7)- Put both of these teams in the tournament. Both teams have decent analytics and both should be rewarded. If I have to watch average teams, let it be teams I don’t get to watch much.
  • Auburn(16-15)- Please. I won’t even dignify this with a response.
  • Stanford(20-11)- Minus a 5 game losing streak in the middle of the ACC schedule —to all good teams— this is a tournament team. They ended on a four game heater including pounding SMU and beating NC State on the road. Both fellow bubble teams. Beating Pitt and then NC State in the ACC Tournament could put the Cardinals in and NC State or SMU out.

That may be a moot point if we get some bid stealers. Bid stealers are teams that would not have made the tournament if not for winning their conference tournament.

I think the most likely chance of that happening is in the MAC, where 31-0 Miami(OH) is definitely in. However, the team favored to win their conference tournament MAC Tournament,ent is a really good Akron team. That would eliminate another of those crummy bubble teams.

I am not sure I see many other bid stealers, certainly not in the Power 5 conferences. I’d be all for it, so hopefully I am wrong.

Coaching

The coaching carousel is going to be packed. Coaches are already dropping like flies. Joining Kansas State from earlier in the year are Boston College, Georgia Tech, Pitt, Arizona State, Providence, Oregon State, and scads of smaller schools.

There are some situations that are still fluid, with most likely staying status quo. Greg McDermott is rumored to be retiring at Creighton. Eric Musselman is frustrated at USC with fan support, or lack thereof. Penn State is bringing in Calvin Booth to be GM, likely saving Mike Rhoades for one more season. Micah Shrewsberry will soon be on shaky Irish ground. Shaka Smart is well liked at Marquette, but that will change if he doesn’t right the ship next year. Lastly, Wes Miller is soon going to be on life support at Cincinnati.

Stripes

One of the things I will never understand is as soon as the calendar turns to March, the officials start swallowing their whistles. Suddenly they decide to “let them play”. I’m sorry, but this is a foul.

 

Just brutal. No word on whether Isaac McNeely’s soul has returned to his body.

Please just call the game correctly. 

TV

One lat note. I hate that I have to find channels or apps I rarely use to view some of these games this week. Alas, relying on ESPN to change Pat McAfee’s schedule was a fool’s errand.

Time to go find some more Cinderellas!

Tweet of the Week

Kudos, FOX, kudos. Just fantastic.

 


The Weekly Shiny Penny

Every person who has participated or currently participates in competitive endeavors should listen to Nathan Martin’s words after winning the LA Marathon. The high school cross country coach hits the mark with every word.

 


A Penny For My Final Thoughts…

Pittsburgh sports fans must have their head on a swivel these days. All three teams are making news left and right. So here we go…

  • The Pirates have a chance to have all eyes on them, with 19 year old Konnor Griffin set to make his MLB debut. But this is the Pirates. It looks like Griffin will start the season in AAA. Typical.
  • O’Neil Cruz is making Pirates fans mouths water with one titanic blast after another in the World Baseball Classic.
  • Cross your fingers that Paul Skenes doesn’t get hurt in said World Baseball Classic.
  • At the beginning of the week, Evgeni Malkin pulled the ultimate Malkin move with a slash to the head and next area. He is in the midst of a five game suspension that puts the Pens in a bind since they are already playing without Sidney Crosby.
  • Get used to the name Chinakov. Total stud.
  • What a big win on Sunday, beating Boston in overtime after a horrid start. May have saved the season.
  • NFL free agency is like Christmas morning. Sometimes you get a new set of golf clubs, and other years you get a pair of socks.
  • The Steelers first move was to trade for a solid wide receiver in Michael Pittman, Jr. Pittman catches everything and has been productive his entire career with some suspect quarterbacks. The only down side is Pittman will be a free agent in a week.
  • Then the Steelers found a cornerback —Jamel Dean— to play opposite Joey Porter. Dean, on paper at least, is a huge upgrade.
  • The other big move the Steelers made on day one was signing running back Rico Dowdle, a very productive back. Kenneth Gainwell was great last year, but again on paper this move is an upgrade.
  • Supposedly the Steelers are trying to acquire quarterback Tyler Bagent, a backup in Chicago. Many have predicted Bagent would get moved this offseason so he can go somewhere and be a starter. Could this? Should this? Hey, anything but 114 year old Aaron Rodgers.
Just my two cents…