Butler snubbed again by the NCAA Tournament selection committee
Monday, March 17, 2008, 12:22 EST
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Tim Maurer is a junior at Butler University studying mathematics education.
Opinion
If there’s one thing the 90s taught me, it’s to trust no one (thanks, “X Files”). That advice is exactly how I’m approaching “Lost” at this point. As my hero Tony Montana said, “Who do I trust? Me!”
It’s not that I’m a cynic. It’s just that I kind of have to cherry pick alleged truths from less than reputable sources on “Lost” -- Ben or the freighter people. End world hunger! Save Darfur! Stop global warming! One can imagine a picket line with people chanting and waving colorful signs or a street filled with people marching side-by-side holding banners up high when any number of these subjects are brought to his attention.
Everyone wants to make the world a better place in which to live but after all, I am just one person… I can’t change the world. Then stop trying. Set your sights at a local level and save your community before you save the world.
I’ll use Indianapolis, our community, as a model. I’m well aware that National Lampoon's Animal House and the Dean’s List do not go hand-in-hand. However, I’m sick of the bad reputation Greek life possesses when it comes to academics.
Those of us who are affiliated are not a bunch of half-wits majoring in toga parties. Yes I admit, with all the things going on in college, sometimes we can forget why we’re here. Greek life alone is a huge commitment, and at times it can seem like a world of its own. But if the whole “getting an education thing” in college is cramping your style, don’t blame it on your fraternity. Butler’s spring break is fast approaching, and the common questions on campus seems to be “what are you doing,” “where are going” and maybe perhaps “what reading assignment will you be attempting to do?” The recess, commonly referred by universities as “reading break,” truly is a great opportunity to catch up or work ahead in school work; however, many take the opportunity to travel home or abroad.
I’ve come up with a concrete top 10 things to do.
Prior to the tournament field being announced many so-called experts had the Bulldogs either a fourth or fifth seed. Nobody projected the Bulldogs as a seventh seed. Even the players expected a higher seed. WISH TV showed the players were stunned and silent after the announcement of their placement.
Butler regular season and Horizon League tournament games should have awarded Butler a fourth or fifth seed. After the Horizon League tournament the Bulldogs record is 29-3. The Bulldogs three losses were at Cleveland State, at Wright State and home against Drake.
Losing three out of 32 games is an accomplishment. The college basketball season is long and very demanding. It is very difficult for teams to finish the season undefeated, so this is an extremely good record.
Within the season Butler scheduled several teams from power conferences and successful mid-major teams. These teams included Michigan, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Ohio State, Florida State University and Bradley. Although Michigan is in the Big Ten Conference they are rebuilding and under a new head coach so that win had the same impact as winning a Horizon League game.
This portion of Butler's non-league schedule is an impressive lineup considering the difficulty Butler has scheduling teams from power conferences. Because Butler has a successful program many teams such as Indiana and Purdue do not want to play the Bulldogs. The only reason that Ohio State was on Butler’s schedule is due to its head Thad Matta. Matta graduated from Butler and was the head coach of the Butler Bulldogs for one year.
In addition Butler was assigned to play Drake in the made-for-TV ESPNU Bracketbuster game. Although Butler lost the game the Bulldogs bounced back and won all their games from that point on. Drake did not win all its games after defeating Butler, but did win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. This is most likely why Butler is a seventh seed, which is unfortunate because one loss during the regular season should not have impacted the Bulldogs.
Another possible reason for Butler’s seed is that the Bulldogs play in the Horizon League. The Horizon League has a tradition of having one team in the tournament who loses its first game. This year the committee failed to recognize the quality of the league. The quality of play has improved substantially in the past few years.
People who argue that Butler should get out of the Horizon League and move to a conference that has a higher level of quality basketball programs think their argument was strengthened because of the seed Butler was awarded. People who make that argument forget that the quality of a conference/league changes every year. The Missouri Valley Conference in the past few years has had multiple teams in the tournament. This year Drake is the only team from that conference. Additionally, they do not consider the possibility of adding schools to make the conference more competitive.
Last year Butler received a fifth seed in the NCAA Tournament with a weaker résumé. This year’s tournament résumé is better than last years. Last year Butler had a 27-6 record going into selection Sunday. The Bulldogs lost four of their last 10 games including a lost to Southern Illinois in the Bracketbuster. This year the Bulldogs only had one loss in their last 10 games.
Some of the teams that are seeded ahead of Butler do not deserve to be. For example, Xavier, a mid-major from the Atlantic 10 conference was awarded a third seed. Xavier’s current record is 27-6 (14-2 in the Atlantic 10). Xavier's only big win is at Indiana who was ranked No. 8 at the time. Xavier also lost two of its last 10 games. Just like Butler, Xavier should have been awarded a fourth or fifth seed.
An even bigger disappointment is Butler’s opponent and location. Butler will be playing Southern Alabama in Birmingham, Ala. on Friday. The selection committee is trying to keep teams as close to home as possible. This year there are no first and second round sites close to Indianapolis, so a long road trip is necessary for Butler. The Bulldogs and their fans will have to travel 486 miles to Birmingham, while their opponent and their fans will have a much shorter drive.
This is not a recipe for a neutral court contest. This will be a home game for Southern Alabama. The selection committee should have assigned this game to a different site so both teams and their fans have a long distance to travel.
Even though the team is seeded seventh in the tournament, they still should receive the same support from their fans. One important thing to keep in mind is that only 65 teams are in the tournament. It's a big deal to be in the tournament and an even bigger deal if the Bulldogs are able to advance past the opening weekend.
Stevens will have the team ready to play Southern Alabama. If the team translates the silent anger they displayed when their first game was announced into motivation they will do very well in the tournament.
Go, Dawgs!