5 Bid Thief Threats

[RU2323]

Here’s who to root against/for….

1) Texas A&M - they might get in regardless as squarely on the bubble. But, want Arkansas to knock them off.

2) Va Tech - extremely similar to A&M. But win today and they obviously get auto bid. Want Duke to knock them off. But, Hokies hot right now.

3) Indiana - win today versus Iowa and think they become a lock, with an obvious chance win auto bid tomorrow in title game. Want Iowa to knock them off.

4) American Conf - we want Houston or Memphis. Tulane needs to win it all for auto bid (unlikely to happen). But, SMU squarely on bubble. They win today versus Memphis and they could bump us.

5) A10 - mostly likely scenario of a bid thief here. Anyone but Davidson and this becomes a 2-bid league. Saint Louis, Richmond, or Dayton the biggest threats. If Davidson does go down, we probably want it to be anyone but Dayton and prefer they sweat out the bubble with us.

I think if we can limit the bid thiefs to just 1-2, we get in. Anything over 2, I’m wildly nervous. Godspeed, ladies and gents.

 

[fluoxetine]

A bid thief is classically:
A team out of at-large contention winning a conference tournament while failing to knock another team from the same conference out of at-large contention

1-3 don’t really qualify

 

[RU2323]

A bid thief is classically:
A team out of at-large contention winning a conference tournament while failing to knock another team from the same conference out of at-large contention

1-3 don’t really qualify

Semantics. Bid thief in my eyes is a team that isn’t guaranteed to get in but does so by winning multiple games (or the title) in the conference tourney. And without this W’s, doesn’t get in (hence “bid thief”).

 

[anon_ivydyf0amkzay]

If A&M wins today (big if as arkansas is really good) they absolutely deserve a spot…PERIOD

 

[RUtrumpet92_rivals498139]

Yahoo lines for today:

Arkansas -5.5 aTm

Davidson -3.5 St. Louis

Iowa -5.5 Indiana

Houston -13.5 Tulane

Dayton -2.5 Richmond

Duke -5.5 VT

 

[SBP]

Indiana is in. Va Tech is in.

 

[bac2therac]

Indiana is in, Va Tech not so much

 

[AreYouNUTS]

1-3 aren’t “bid thieves” and SMU?

 

[NickRU714]

The fact that a bad team could win a small conference tournament and “steal” a bid from a Top 35 team (Rutgers) is everything wrong with the NCAA tournament.

If your resume is still “out” even after winning the conference tournament then you shouldn’t be in.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Also a lot of brackets already have Indiana and VT IN right now.

 

[Scangg]

The fact that a bad team could win a small conference tournament and “steal” a bid from a Top 35 team (Rutgers) is everything wrong with the NCAA tournament.

If your resume is still “out” even after winning the conference tournament then you shouldn’t be in.

Stop it.

 

[SBP]

Indiana is in, Va Tech not so much

We keep goin back and forth on this Most I see is in...BUT hope the lose today for sure...

 

[rubigtimenow]

Great and accurate list OP. Call it whatever anybody wants. Bottom line is those are teams that are on the bubble.

 

[fluoxetine]

The fact that a bad team could win a small conference tournament and “steal” a bid from a Top 35 team (Rutgers) is everything wrong with the NCAA tournament.

If your resume is still “out” even after winning the conference tournament then you shouldn’t be in.

1) Just no, absolutely no, autobids are great
2) They can't steal a bid from a top 35 team (in the committee's eyes) because the cutoff for a bid is in the high 40s.