Congratulations to Will Brown and the UAlbany team. The 13th seed in fantastic and a load of respect for a program that's only been Division I since 2001.
The 13 is a direct response to Albany's performance last year against UConn, and rightfully so. The Danes nearly made themselves into a trivia answer by defeating the #1 seeds. That team has banked respect for the entire program. That respect manifested itself yesterday in a 13 seed.
Remember what happened the last time an America East program got a 13th seed in the NCAA tournament?? The answer, if you don't know, later..
Which brings me to my next point.. Syracuse got jobbed. I'm pretty sure anyone who knows me knows that while I like the Orange(my wife is a grad), I can't stand the fact that the media in this market treats Syracuse like they're located in Rotterdam Junction, not 135 minutes away.
But that's not the point here.
Fairness is the point here.
Syracuse won 10 Big East games. Forget the often spoken and accurate accessment that Syracuse doesn't play any decent teams in the non-conference schedule. This, by the way, is born out in the fact that none of SU's non conference foes got NCAA at large bids (Penn and Holy Cross got in by winning their conferences). The Orange still won 10 Big East games, including a win over Georgetown (15-1 in the last 16 games).
Here's two teams SU could have replaced. Arkansas is in at 7-9 in the SEC. Old Dominion is in from the CAA. They too beat Georgetown, but lost to Marist, and a James Madison team that finished 7-23. The Monarchs did finish 24-8. I guess the Orange losses to Drexel, Oklahoma State and a pretty bad UConn team really hurt in the end. Instead, it's NIT Wednesday night against South Alabama. For you SU fans, I hope the Orange come ready to play and to prove the NCAA committee wrong. We only need look back to the NIT in 1997 to know why I make that statement. (Florida State 82 Syracuse 67 at the Dome).
Now to the biggest crock of the entire tournament. Niagara in the PIG. (That's short for play in game). The Purps have won 11 straight including the MAAC title game. I realize the MAAC, as a whole, is down this season, but that should not have taken Niagara this far down.
A colleague, who I respect, suggested the NCAA did this because they, and TV, did not want two predominately black colleges in this this game. What century is this? I can't believe that would even be a consideration. But it does offer a reason for something otherwise unexplainable.
I am sick of two schools who earned the right to be in the tournament by winning their conference tounrament getting stuck in this game. Why can't we put the last two at large schools in the PIG and let them fight it out for spot 64.
OK, the complaining is done.. Let's get on with the tournament...
Here's the answer to the above...(#13 Vermont 60, #4 Syracuse 57).
