Anyone else glad to see that the majority of the mid-majors have been knocked out the tourney? Don't get me wrong, i'm not Billy Packer, I respect some of the mids, but teams like Gonzaga and Creighton and Oral Roberts get way overhyped throughout the season. Plus they bust your bracket which is enough to make anyone angry.:growl5cj:
Mid-Majors
- Thread starter klones
- Start date
The good mid-majors are still around, Southern Illinios and Butler. It is unusual that there weren't more upsets this year, but the fact that its unusual just shows you how used to upsets we are.
Oh yeah, the Missouri Valley and Horizon Conferences have the same number of teams left as the ACC and Big Ten: One.
Oh yeah, the Missouri Valley and Horizon Conferences have the same number of teams left as the ACC and Big Ten: One.
I think part of it is that teams like Butler and Southern Illinois are higher ranked this year, so they don't look so much like the Cinderella mid-majors of years past.
Butler earned a lot of respect early in the season and they are one team that I do think belongs in the sweet 16. They already showed what they could do in a tournament format. I was very disappointed Gonzaga won their conference tourney. It would have been nice to see someone different in there.
One reason many of the mid-majors have been knocked out of the tournament is there weren't many in there to begin with. Looking at the at-large bids there were only six (if I recall correctly) mid-majors selected. It makes it hard for them to make some noise when the pool consists of minor conference winners and a handful of at-large bids.
It's the mid-majors that make the tourney though, in my opinion. Sure, they bust brackets, but who wants a predictable tournament? Maybe it's just my tendency to root for the underdog, but mid-majors make the whole thing more dramatic and entertaining.
It's the mid-majors that make the tourney though, in my opinion. Sure, they bust brackets, but who wants a predictable tournament? Maybe it's just my tendency to root for the underdog, but mid-majors make the whole thing more dramatic and entertaining.
And why would CBS be happy? Do they not get a boost in ratings when a George Mason makes a tournament run - everyone in America falling in love with 'em?
People are going to flock to March Madness. It's an obsession many of us have - for good reason. I don't understand why all this hate gets thrown at a TV network that does a pretty darn good job of bringing us March Madness coverage. Switching to games at the appropriate time for one - a big one too.
Billy Packer is the biggest mid-major hater - yet because of it all of CBS gets lumped into it.
On the tournament as a whole - there are pros and cons to how it's shaping up. The downside is there's no exciting cinderellas team that busted everyone's bracket yet those poor souls with tattered brackets are rooting for that very team.
The upside is we're about to watch in almost every game from here on out, the "heavyweight" fights. That should be some exciting basketball to watch.
People are going to flock to March Madness. It's an obsession many of us have - for good reason. I don't understand why all this hate gets thrown at a TV network that does a pretty darn good job of bringing us March Madness coverage. Switching to games at the appropriate time for one - a big one too.
Billy Packer is the biggest mid-major hater - yet because of it all of CBS gets lumped into it.
On the tournament as a whole - there are pros and cons to how it's shaping up. The downside is there's no exciting cinderellas team that busted everyone's bracket yet those poor souls with tattered brackets are rooting for that very team.
The upside is we're about to watch in almost every game from here on out, the "heavyweight" fights. That should be some exciting basketball to watch.
I tell you what. the year ISU went to the elite 8 was one of the highest rated years. When ISU lost to Michigan State the viewing slumped. People love to see an underdog win games and succeed. People get bored when the same teams win every year.
I didn't know we were that much of an underdog that year - having won the Big 12 regular season and tournament titles that season.
Somewhat of an unknown name perhaps - yet not a huge underdog.
Somewhat of an unknown name perhaps - yet not a huge underdog.
I agree that we are an underdog in the sorts that we are still unknown to much of the country. After all, we are the Iowa State Hawkeyes right? :frown3qg:
We would be an underdog in the tournament if we made it past the Sweet 16, because frankly, we haven't been there too often! We would be the underdog to teams like KU, Michigan State, Illinois, North Carolina, Texas Tech, etc. If/until we get there on a regular basis we will still be considered an underdog, even if it's not of the George Mason sort.
I kinda miss not having the cinderellas in this year. I'd rather cheer for them than the likes of Kansas, Ohio St., or Florida...
A mid major is any team that is not in the Big 12, Big 10, Pac 10, SEC, ACC or Big East. The six BCS conferences in football.
The six mid major bids were lowest in a decade. The second tier teams have also become better in the major conferences. Except for EIU.
Also disappointed that Okie State and KState folded their tents in the NIT. Basically all Big 12 teams were gone in a week except for two. It did not lengthen their teams practice season by much.
Last edited:
Does it ever strike you or anyone else that if our jersey didn't read ISU that year and instead said Texas or KU, that we would have been a #1 seed ie. we would never have had to play a game in MSU's backyard?
You answered your own question. The second week of the tournament has bigtime games, which will draw basketball fans, not just fans of specific teams. Fans=ratings.
How many times do you see a cinderella team that has an amazing day, then lose by 20 in their next game. I am pretty sure that other than George Mason, and Gonzaga in '99, all of these low seeds that get to the second week of the tournament lose that next game. Usually the game isn't that close, and people tune out.
:yes4lo: Pretty much. Iowa State, sells out Metrodome, so they are useful in that way, but there are not many TV sets in the state of Iowa. Many more in Michigan.
I think our record heading into the NCAA Tournament in 2000 was 29-4. We had a ridiculous number of wins down the stretch and won the Big 12 rournament. KU this year I believe was 30-5 heading into the NCAA Tournament. They had a home loss this season to Oral Roberts. I forget the number of teams the Big 12 had in the NCAA tournament in '00 (KU, ISU, UT, OU, OSU, any others?) but the conference was definitely stronger that year than this one. And yet, KU in '07 #1 seed. ISU in '00 #2 seed. Also, that was the year Arizona and Stanford both got #1 seeds and both lost in the first weekend.