2021 NCAA Tournament

[pcowlax]

I’m not sure why anyone thought Delaware was getting in.

state your case for rutgers over delaware.
i'll listen.

That’s an easy one. A lifetime of watching NCAA sports decisions. I did t say anything about which team I thought was better or more deserving. I just said I can’t imagine how anyone thought Delaware was getting in. There was no way they were getting in. They certainly weren’t the last one out either. It was very clear who the 3-4 teams being considered for 2-3 spots were.

very clear when? by what measurement? you actually just gave none. would love to hear why rutgers and not delaware

Because one is in the Big10 and the other is in the CAA and the NCAA favors big conferences. If you thought Delaware was getting an invite you don’t follow lacrosse very closely.

[wgdsr]

I’m not sure why anyone thought Delaware was getting in.

state your case for rutgers over delaware.
i'll listen.

That’s an easy one. A lifetime of watching NCAA sports decisions. I did t say anything about which team I thought was better or more deserving. I just said I can’t imagine how anyone thought Delaware was getting in. There was no way they were getting in. They certainly weren’t the last one out either. It was very clear who the 3-4 teams being considered for 2-3 spots were.

very clear when? by what measurement? you actually just gave none. would love to hear why rutgers and not delaware

Because one is in the Big10 and the other is in the CAA and the NCAA favors big conferences. If you thought Delaware was getting an invite you don’t follow lacrosse very closely.

so then starting at square one i guess...why wasn't delaware getting in?
2 slots went to mid-majors (big east is now decidedly a mid-major).

[10stone5]

I’m not sure why anyone thought Delaware was getting in.

They’re a tremendous team, in a conference that is consistently overlooked by the NCAA,

if the NCAA was applying an “eye test” then they blew that criteria in assessing the Blue Hens.

Its more likely, they barely watched this team,
and merely applied the weak, oh, they lost to Hofstra argument - not realizing that Hofstra is a good team as well as being one of a very few teams that understand Delaware’s tendencies very well. Hofstra happened to exploit those tendencies in the CAA semifinals, playing one of their best games in a while.

If the NCAA really wanted a deserving team that would perform well in the NCAAs, a team deserving of a bid, then Delaware should have been one of their choices for at large.

Again, not ripping Delaware. Your entire post is proving my point. There was no way Delaware was getting in and anyone who thought they had a chance has not paid attention to college sports the last 30 years. Army was first out, almost certainly Nova after them, then maybe the Hens. It is easy to predict that consistently overlook conferences will be, you know, overlooked.

It looks like,
if Delaware wasn’t even under consideration for at large,
then there really was no “eyeball test”, and they stuck with, for them, the tried and true safe call choices.

The CAA was most definitely overlooked once again.
Which the discussion on those threads consistently was,
well, the NCAA will do what the NCAA always does.

No one is at all surprised.
For the last ten years or so, its expected.
The NCAA arbitrarily overlooks the CAA.
I’m just calling that out,
again,
for the umpteenth time.

Towson got a 6 seed in 2019 because there was no way to
overlook them, they were number one, beat the number one team, and had one of the top most dynamic players in
the country.

The NCAA makes the safe calls because they don’t want to get shredded by the larger conferences fandom.

[DU-fan]

Tough draw for Georgetown

Or a tough draw for Syracuse. It should be a good game.

[pcowlax]

I’m not sure why anyone thought Delaware was getting in.

They’re a tremendous team, in a conference that is consistently overlooked by the NCAA,

if the NCAA was applying an “eye test” then they blew that criteria in assessing the Blue Hens.

Its more likely, they barely watched this team,
and merely applied the weak, oh, they lost to Hofstra argument - not realizing that Hofstra is a good team as well as being one of a very few teams that understand Delaware’s tendencies very well. Hofstra happened to exploit those tendencies in the CAA semifinals, playing one of their best games in a while.

If the NCAA really wanted a deserving team that would perform well in the NCAAs, a team deserving of a bid, then Delaware should have been one of their choices for at large.

Again, not ripping Delaware. Your entire post is proving my point. There was no way Delaware was getting in and anyone who thought they had a chance has not paid attention to college sports the last 30 years. Army was first out, almost certainly Nova after them, then maybe the Hens. It is easy to predict that consistently overlook conferences will be, you know, overlooked.

It looks like,
if Delaware wasn’t even under consideration for at large,
then there really was no “eyeball test”, and they stuck with, for them, the tried and true safe call choices.

The CAA was most definitely overlooked once again.
Which the discussion on those threads consistently was,
well, the NCAA will do what the NCAA always does.

No one is at all surprised.
For the last ten years or so, its expected.
The NCAA arbitrarily overlooks the CAA.
I’m just calling that out,
again,
for the umpteenth time.

Towson got a 6 seed in 2019 because there was no way to
overlook them, they were number one, beat the number one team, and had one of the top most dynamic players in
the country.

The NCAA makes the safe calls because they don’t want to get shredded by the larger conferences fandom.

Totally agree. I don’t like Rutgers in without a win over even a .500 team (and they don’t exactly burn up the eye test either) and I don’t like Cuse in with them getting blown out 4 times. But there was absolutely no way Cuse wasn’t in. You are right, the CAA doesn’t get respect. But when something that has happened multiple times happens again I’m not going to be shocked by it.

[laxfan1313]

Printable bracket: https://www.ncaa.com/brackets/print/lac ... en/d1/2021

[pcowlax]

I’m not sure why anyone thought Delaware was getting in.

state your case for rutgers over delaware.
i'll listen.

That’s an easy one. A lifetime of watching NCAA sports decisions. I did t say anything about which team I thought was better or more deserving. I just said I can’t imagine how anyone thought Delaware was getting in. There was no way they were getting in. They certainly weren’t the last one out either. It was very clear who the 3-4 teams being considered for 2-3 spots were.

very clear when? by what measurement? you actually just gave none. would love to hear why rutgers and not delaware

Because one is in the Big10 and the other is in the CAA and the NCAA favors big conferences. If you thought Delaware was getting an invite you don’t follow lacrosse very closely.

so then starting at square one i guess...why wasn't delaware getting in?
2 slots went to mid-majors (big east is now decidedly a mid-major).

I don’t know how we should define mid-major in lacrosse but the big east had 2 teams who were in the top 10 pretty much the whole year. The middle of the CAA may well be stronger than the middle of the Big East but they are not the same at the top. You may want to say that they are only not the same just by reputation not by actual quality and that is fine...but that leads to the same place. The NCAA always factors in reputation. There are a lot on people on fanlax who follow lax very closely. I would be very surprised if literally one of them thought Delaware was getting an at large bid.

[Farfromgeneva]

I’m not sure why anyone thought Delaware was getting in.

They’re a tremendous team, in a conference that is consistently overlooked by the NCAA,

if the NCAA was applying an “eye test” then they blew that criteria in assessing the Blue Hens.

Its more likely, they barely watched this team,
and merely applied the weak, oh, they lost to Hofstra argument - not realizing that Hofstra is a good team as well as being one of a very few teams that understand Delaware’s tendencies very well. Hofstra happened to exploit those tendencies in the CAA semifinals, playing one of their best games in a while.

If the NCAA really wanted a deserving team that would perform well in the NCAAs, a team deserving of a bid, then Delaware should have been one of their choices for at large.

Again, not ripping Delaware. Your entire post is proving my point. There was no way Delaware was getting in and anyone who thought they had a chance has not paid attention to college sports the last 30 years. Army was first out, almost certainly Nova after them, then maybe the Hens. It is easy to predict that consistently overlook conferences will be, you know, overlooked.

It looks like,
if Delaware wasn’t even under consideration for at large,
then there really was no “eyeball test”, and they stuck with, for them, the tried and true safe call choices.

The CAA was most definitely overlooked once again.
Which the discussion on those threads consistently was,
well, the NCAA will do what the NCAA always does.

No one is at all surprised.
For the last ten years or so, its expected.
The NCAA arbitrarily overlooks the CAA.
I’m just calling that out,
again,
for the umpteenth time.

Towson got a 6 seed in 2019 because there was no way to
overlook them, they were number one, beat the number one team, and had one of the top most dynamic players in
the country.

The NCAA makes the safe calls because they don’t want to get shredded by the larger conferences fandom.

Certainly didn’t enjoy playing Towson in the play in game in 2016 (4th game in ten days for Hobart, not that it made a difference in outcome but we could’ve put up more of a fight).

[jhu06]

what unseeded auto bid conference teams have the best shot to pull an upset?

[wgdsr]

I’m not sure why anyone thought Delaware was getting in.

state your case for rutgers over delaware.
i'll listen.

That’s an easy one. A lifetime of watching NCAA sports decisions. I did t say anything about which team I thought was better or more deserving. I just said I can’t imagine how anyone thought Delaware was getting in. There was no way they were getting in. They certainly weren’t the last one out either. It was very clear who the 3-4 teams being considered for 2-3 spots were.

very clear when? by what measurement? you actually just gave none. would love to hear why rutgers and not delaware

Because one is in the Big10 and the other is in the CAA and the NCAA favors big conferences. If you thought Delaware was getting an invite you don’t follow lacrosse very closely.

so then starting at square one i guess...why wasn't delaware getting in?
2 slots went to mid-majors (big east is now decidedly a mid-major).

I don’t know how we should define mid-major in lacrosse but the big east had 2 teams who were in the top 10 pretty much the whole year. The middle of the CAA may well be stronger than the middle of the Big East but they are not the same at the top. You may want to say that they are only not the same just by reputation not by actual quality and that is fine...but that leads to the same place. The NCAA always factors in reputation. There are a lot on people on fanlax who follow lax very closely. I would be very surprised if literally one of them thought Delaware was getting an at large bid.

pcow. love your stuff on here normally (except excusing pg arguments).
the nc$$ has done nothing on reputation for 4 years (one season suspended). they put in the top 8 rpi teams. why that is is anyone's guess, but what you're saying about favored conferences is a theory and makes sense (rpi was going that way) and i've said the same a lot.

however, that's not consistent with our back and forth on delaware not to be considered. imo. you won't answer, and that's okay. this year is whacked.

[FlyEaglesFly]

Tough draw for Georgetown

Or a tough draw for Syracuse. It should be a good game.

No doubt. But just a gut feeling Cuse would beat Loyola, Drexel, Lehigh, etc. and those are all teams seeded above Cuse that I’m sure Gtown would rather play.

[HopFan16]

what unseeded auto bid conference teams have the best shot to pull an upset?

Realistically, none, but gun to my head I'd say Vermont vs. Maryland because there's some weird Bernhardt family stuff going on there and Vermont has a very good FOGO who might be able to give the Catamounts enough possessions to make it interesting.

I don't see a path for Monmouth, High Point, or Bryant.

Drexel is hot and could make it a game against ND but that game is in South Bend....would be the upset of the century if Notre Dame didn't win. Rooting for the Voelker-Durkin-Boyle Blue Jay triumverate though.

[10 10 2]

what unseeded auto bid conference teams have the best shot to pull an upset?

Drexel looks pretty darn good this year.

[wgdsr]

what unseeded auto bid conference teams have the best shot to pull an upset?

Realistically, none, but gun to my head I'd say Vermont vs. Maryland because there's some weird Bernhardt family stuff going on there and Vermont has a very good FOGO who might be able to give the Catamounts enough possessions to make it interesting.

I don't see a path for Monmouth, High Point, or Bryant.

Drexel is hot and could make it a game against ND but that game is in South Bend....would be the upset of the century if Notre Dame didn't win. Rooting for the Voelker-Durkin-Boyle Blue Jay triumverate though.

obviously, things could go chalk, but i'd say the o/u on upsets is 1 1/2 or 2 and i'd take the over on 1 1/2 all day.

[calourie]

what unseeded auto bid conference teams have the best shot to pull an upset?

Drexel looks pretty darn good this year.

I've liked Drexel and the CAA for a while now. I expect them to be tough minded and competitive, unlikely to fold if they manage to take a lead even at Arlotta versus Notre Dame. Pressler tends to get the best out of his Bryant gang this time of year, not the smoothest of stick handlers, but they play hard and having only seen about 2 hours of their play I'll just say I've heard they are solid up the middle which comes as no surprise. Might just give Virginia all they can handle especially since Pressler has a pretty good sense of what he will be up against in an ACC school.

[jrn19]

what unseeded auto bid conference teams have the best shot to pull an upset?

Realistically, none, but gun to my head I'd say Vermont vs. Maryland because there's some weird Bernhardt family stuff going on there and Vermont has a very good FOGO who might be able to give the Catamounts enough possessions to make it interesting.

I don't see a path for Monmouth, High Point, or Bryant.

Drexel is hot and could make it a game against ND but that game is in South Bend....would be the upset of the century if Notre Dame didn't win. Rooting for the Voelker-Durkin-Boyle Blue Jay triumverate though.

Drexel-ND is in Denver FWIW

[Matnum PI]

Trying to be patient and there's no guarantees but... UMD vs. Notre Dame is gonna be good...

[faircornell]

what unseeded auto bid conference teams have the best shot to pull an upset?

Drexel looks pretty darn good this year.

I could see 'Cuse, Rutgers and/ or Loyola pulling off upsets. I wonder what happens if Loyola still cannot play due to Covid? Will they promote a " bubble out" team?

[Matnum PI]

what unseeded auto bid conference teams have the best shot to pull an upset?

Drexel looks pretty darn good this year.

Agreed. Drexel. They won't beat Notre Dame. But i think they have the best shot.

[CU77]

I wonder what happens if Loyola still cannot play due to Covid? Will they promote a " bubble out" team?

In basketball a team that couldn't play due to covid forfeited. I expect the same will happen here.