[ballah09]

Joe Lunardi thinks it can happen.

In the old days, when mid-majors didn't have to be perfect and the NCAA bracket wasn't bloated with mediocre power conference teams, a decent at-large case could be made for teams such as Lipscomb and conferences such as the Atlantic Sun.

The Bisons have a pair of "Grade A" road victories: against TCU, a near-lock NCAA tournament team, and SMU, more likely an NIT team but still very much top 100. And the A-Sun is creeping toward the top 20 in conference rankings after foundering in the bottom third of all leagues for much of the past decade.

The main sources of improvement are the dramatic nonconference successes of both Lipscomb and Liberty. The Bisons' pre-league mark of 9-4 is well-earned against the nation's No. 54 schedule. And Liberty, at 10-5, has played almost as well while also contributing quite recently to the firing of Steve Alford at UCLA.

Lipscomb, though, is the team to watch if you're looking for sleepers that can win in March. With a NET ranking of 38 and composite ranking -- KenPom, KPI, BPI, Sagarin and others -- of 54.43, the Bisons rate very favorably among teams that land those upset-minded 11 and 12 seeds on Selection Sunday.

Their ability to get there, however, will be forged on the road in Atlantic Sun play. That's where mid-majors typically get tripped up, and it is exactly where Lipscomb begins conference play -- at Jacksonville, at 6 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN+.

The Bisons are 4-5 at Jacksonville in this decade. Despite being heavily favored, Saturday's contest sits as the kind of bogey that can instantly disqualify a team from at-large consideration. The big boys lose occasionally to sub-300 teams and survive, but it is a death knell for any squads outside the upper echelon of Division I.

The Bisons are not a great outside shooting team (.337 on 3-pointers, No. 196 in Division I) and Jacksonville is No. 14 in the nation in blocked shot percentage. So there is a scenario in which Lipscomb goes extra cold from the outside and the underdog Dolphins prevail in a low-scoring contest.

All of which would put a damper on what figure to be a pair of high-level games against Liberty later in the season (Jan. 29 and Feb. 13). In the meantime, both teams will need a few breaks away from home to maximize the import of those encounters.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... rise-march

[LU 57]

Joe Lunardi thinks it can happen.

And Liberty, at 10-5, has played almost as well while also contributing quite recently to the firing of Steve Alford at UCLA.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... rise-march[/quote]

Someone needs to inform Lunardi that we are 11-4, not 10-5

[lynchburgwildcats]

Not happening

[thepostman]

Until it was confirmed by many on here that ballcoach was indeed real, I really thought Lynchburgwildcat was behind the account.

Their approach is different but their content is pretty much the same.

[jbock13]

No.

[flamehunter]

Until it was confirmed by many on here that ballcoach was indeed real, I really thought Lynchburgwildcat was behind the account.

Their approach is different but their content is pretty much the same.

Ballcoach is much more fun to have around.

[thepostman]

Yeah, good point.

[ballcoach15]

With the new criteria NCAA is using for basketball, in place of RPI, I think it will be hard for ASUN to get 2 in. NCAA will want average Big 10 teams and the Notre Dames and Pittsburghs of the world in tournament, along with average Big 12 and PAC 12 teams in. To show how screwed up it is, I saw a couple weeks ago that Virginia was ranked 2 in whatever criteria they are using. Virginia had not played anyone but Morgan State and Coppin States of the NCAA. And William and Mary. They tried to schedule Sweet Briar, but found out it is a girls school.

[Purple Haize]

With the new criteria NCAA is using for basketball, in place of RPI, I think it will be hard for ASUN to get 2 in. NCAA will want average Big 10 teams and the Notre Dames and Pittsburghs of the world in tournament, along with average Big 12 and PAC 12 teams in. To show how screwed up it is, I saw a couple weeks ago that Virginia was ranked 2 in whatever criteria they are using. Virginia had not played anyone but Morgan State and Coppin States of the NCAA. And William and Mary. They tried to schedule Sweet Briar, but found out it is a girls school.

VCU
Dayton
Wisconsin
MTSU
South Carolina
Maryland

I love that you try so hard to have 0 credibility

[ballcoach15]

Average teams . , that should not help anyone's SOS.

[olldflame]

Actually, Purple left out their best (and most recent) win over 9th ranked FSU. Maryland and Wisconsin are also top 25 teams. But I guess in ballcoach world, that is "average".

I actually think it's kind of sad that someone could be so blinded by their blanket hatred for everything associated with a school that they overlook/ignore the fact that UVA's basketball team has not only been highly successful, but has done it the right way under the leadership of one of the finest Christian men in the coaching profession.

[LU 57]

Actually, Purple left out their best (and most recent) win over 9th ranked FSU. Maryland and Wisconsin are also top 25 teams. But I guess in ballcoach world, that is "average".

I actually think it's kind of sad that someone could be so blinded by their blanket hatred for everything associated with a school that they overlook/ignore the fact that UVA's basketball team has not only been highly successful, but has done it the right way under the leadership of one of the finest Christian men in the coaching profession.

Great post. I have had to come to terms with my distaste for UVA for that reason. Tony Bennett is such an outstanding coach and man that I find it nearly impossible to root against the UVA hoops team, even though I went to grad school at Tech.

Clearly, I do not pull for them against LU or Tech, but otherwise I tend to pull for them as long as he is at the helm.

[JK37]

Average teams . , that should not help anyone's SOS.

Step 1: make ignorant comment
Step 2: double down on it
Step 3: repeat

You’re ignorant of facts. But ok, PH and others help you out. And you ignore their help just because you don’t like UVA.

From now on, I refuse to call you “coach”. You’re an embarrassment to the term.

[Jonathan Carone]

Just use the foe feature on him. It makes the experience more enjoyable.

[Purple Haize]

Average teams . , that should not help anyone's SOS.

Did you even bother to look to see how many were Tournament teams? As of now only MTSU looks like the only team on my list that won’t make the Tournament this year.

[jinxy]

Every other thread. Ballcoach trolling the same people... and getting bites every time. Pretty sure half his non softball posts are trolling you but i guess i could be wrong.

Thread wise. Its not impossible but liberty or lipscomb would have to be almost perfect and then drop the title game. I actually theres maybe a 10 percent chance at best. They would also need NJIT to keep winning so that those 2 to 3 matchups are against another top 150 team. Any loss to the bottom 6 would sink any chance whatsoever to me.

[thepostman]

You're giving ballcoach too much credit. He hates certain schools and will never give those schools any credit whatsoever. If all else fails they cheat. It's really as simple as that.

Ballcoach isn't complicated.

[ballcoach15]

I pull for UVA baseball, except when they play Liberty and VT. When UVA won college world series, I went to their"welcome home" celebration. I just don't like their basketball and football.

[Cider Jim]

Ballcoach, what keeps you from liking UVa's basketball program?

[Class of 20Something]

Ballcoach, what keeps you from liking UVa's basketball program?

Seriously! I grew up in Cville and hate Jeffersons college, but I have to pull for Bennett.

[cruzan_flame13]

Ballcoach, what keeps you from liking UVa's basketball program?

Seriously! I grew up in Cville and hate Jeffersons college, but I have to pull for Bennett.

Be careful calling it "Jefferson's" college. There are talks to try to eliminate him around campus since he wasn't a good man. Back on the why ballcoach hate UVA basketball subject, Bennett is pretty great guy. UVA's blessed to have him as their coach.

[ballcoach15]

Bennett is a good guy, but I just don't like UVA basketball.

[JK37]

I think what we’re all simply asking, BC, is why?

[thepostman]

He doesn't have to have a reason!

[ballcoach15]

I think what we’re all simply asking, BC, is why?

There are teams around the nation I simply don't like, for no reason other than I don't like them. I think most people have teams that they do not like.