Poor Jim Boeheim. Chances are you’ve seen or heard the Syracuse coach recently. Since his Orangemen were left out of the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament on Selection Sunday, Boeheim has told anyone who will listen about how his team was slighted.
“If you finish fifth in the Big East and don’t make the tournament something’s wrong,” Boeheim lamented, shaking his head. Boeheim was on ESPN, Fox Sports, ESPNews and various radio shows. I think I even saw him on Sesame Street. He was in the role of Oscar the Grouch.
I felt sorry for poor Boeheim myself – until I looked at Syracuse’s resume. Here’s an idea Boeheim – don’t lose to Drexel. Beat the Dragons and we’ll talk about your spot in the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament. You may want to knock off Wichita State while you’re at it. Yes, Wichita State was ranked when Syracuse lost to the Shockers, but rankings don’t mean much. Just ask Alabama who went from No. 4 in the land to getting drubbed by just about everybody not named South Carolina. Like Alabama and Wichita State, Syracuse (22-10) didn’t earn a spot in the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament, but instead landed in the NIT.
Boeheim isn’t the only one whining, he’s just the loudest. I’ve heard experts say that Drexel was robbed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. Many of these experts mention Arkansas as a team that shouldn’t have made the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament.
For some reason the experts mentioned Arkansas before discussing Stanford as a team that should have been left out of the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament. If Drexel and Syracuse have an argument it lies with the Stanford Cardinal.
Stanford enters the 2007 NCAA BasketballTournament with an 18-12 record. That alone is suspicious. Stanford has lost four of its last five games and seven of its last 11. Stanford’s bid NCAA Tournament big is just plain wrong. Stanford did beat Washington State, UCLA and USC, but I’m wondering if Stanford is even good enough to make the NIT. Still, I’d take the mighty Cardinal over Drexel.
I’m getting tired of small schools getting the nod over teams in far superior leagues. Teams like Gonzaga, Butler and Southern Illinois paid their dues and have earned a spot in the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Others haven’t. Can anyone explain to me why Florida A&M;, Central Connecticut State, Miami (Ohio), Eastern Kentucky and Jackson State are in the tournament? I know they won their conference tournaments, but they are the NCAA Basketball Tournament equivalent of feeder guppies. They clearly aren’t among of the best 65 teams in the nation. Some aren’t in the top 100.
There is one play-in game in the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament. This year it matches Niagara versus Florida A&M.; The winner plays Kansas. Why not have three other play-in games to get rid of some of these feeder schools? Instead, teams like Jackson State are taking spots that should go to deserving teams like Syracuse – that one’s for you Boeheim.
No matter what, there is always going to be somebody complaining about the tournament. I have some advice that just may work the next time your team is on the bubble – don’t lose to Drexel. Syracuse completes that one task this season and the Orange are in the 2007 NCAA Basketball Tournament.
