mediocrity rules the tourney!

[Starbase503]

Hey guys...just going over the teams who have wrapped up slots in the upcoming 2009 NCAA tournament, and I was underwhelmed with the "talent" that has clinched spots. Check out these numbers:

Northern Arizona won the Big Sky tourney after winning the conference outright with a nice 12-3 mark, but they were 1-11 outside the Big Sky, finishing the season at 13-14.

High Point won the Big South tourney after a pedestrian 6-8/15-14 season.

Houston shocked #4 Memphis for the C-USA title, but were otherwise a less-than-impressive 10-6/14-13. Likewise, Buffalo (9-7/15-13) captured the MAC; TCU (10-6/15-13) beat #13 UNLV for the Mountain West crown; and Tennessee State (10-10/16-17) took the Ohio Valley tourney.

Troy (10-8/16-14) won the Sun Belt; Texas Southern (11-7/15-15) won the SWAC (but was a preferable champion to runner-up Arkansas-Pine Bluff, who was 8-10 in SWAC play and 10-16 overall); and UTSA (Texas-San Antonio) won the Southland after an 8-1/12-13 season.

But the biggest shock came from the Colonial Athletic conference, where Hofstra won the title and a chance at the dance, after a horrid season (4-14 in CAC, 11-23 overall).

Anyone else seeing the biggest moment of this season being watered down by so much cannon fodder?

[Jukeman]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

Hey guys...just going over the teams who have wrapped up slots in the upcoming 2009 NCAA tournament, and I was underwhelmed with the "talent" that has clinched spots. Check out these numbers:

Northern Arizona won the Big Sky tourney after winning the conference outright with a nice 12-3 mark, but they were 1-11 outside the Big Sky, finishing the season at 13-14.

High Point won the Big South tourney after a pedestrian 6-8/15-14 season.

Houston shocked #4 Memphis for the C-USA title, but were otherwise a less-than-impressive 10-6/14-13. Likewise, Buffalo (9-7/15-13) captured the MAC; TCU (10-6/15-13) beat #13 UNLV for the Mountain West crown; and Tennessee State (10-10/16-17) took the Ohio Valley tourney.

Troy (10-8/16-14) won the Sun Belt; Texas Southern (11-7/15-15) won the SWAC (but was a preferable champion to runner-up Arkansas-Pine Bluff, who was 8-10 in SWAC play and 10-16 overall); and UTSA (Texas-San Antonio) won the Southland after an 8-1/12-13 season.

But the biggest shock came from the Colonial Athletic conference, where Hofstra won the title and a chance at the dance, after a horrid season (4-14 in CAC, 11-23 overall).

Anyone else seeing the biggest moment of this season being watered down by so much cannon fodder?

Lol im up to 2022 and NEVER seen anything like that but ive been using edited recruiting proirities since release day(makes teams more balance, deep into legacy most teams are made up of Fowards and Centers on default)

[Hillo]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

Hey juk34man could you share what chances you have done to recruiting proirities?

I remember that there was somewhere list of all schools and their chances. Does anyone remember that? I saw that couple of days ago when I checked information about custom playbooks, but now I can't find it.

[Hillo]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

Never mind I found it. http://www.operationsports.com/forum...-legacy-2.html

[J.R. Locke]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

I have seen a lot of upsets in conference tourneys that leads to less than stellar NCAA fields. But that has happened in real life so it isn't that far fetched.

[smidger9]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

Are you using rosters updated for 2009?

High Point is loaded with freshman with huge potential and have the most athleticism of the Big South. I can see them making a good run in the tourny. Of course I am a HPU fan so it all stands out that way to me :P

[Starbase503]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

Are you using rosters updated for 2009?

High Point is loaded with freshman with huge potential and have the most athleticism of the Big South. I can see them making a good run in the tourny. Of course I am a HPU fan so it all stands out that way to me :P

No, these were rosters for 2007-08, which has moved into the current season, so there is a slate of fictional freshmen and JC transfers now. But I just find it odd how the "experts" on CBS and ESPN cry over the lack of smaller schools in the tourney, while I get to see some of the worst representatives from these non-power conference schools.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to see Cinderella at every dance. But hey, we gotta remember that Cinderella was a diamond covered with grime and just needed a little polishing up to shine. Most of these teams are closer to the ugly step-sisters, lumps of coal who will never shine regardless of how much polish they get.

[Coachwf]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

What is your Team Unity setting?

[Sly_Hog]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

I've seen a few big upsets all at once before, but not that many... biggest one happened in my own conference tourney (Summit). Oakland University was 12-18 overall, 5-13 in conference play. They knocked off Oral Roberts who was unbeaten in conference play and ran the tournament.

They got stuck in the play-in-game... won it... and got thrashed in round one.

That's the beauty/aggrevation of the small conference.

[Starbase503]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

Well, I am right on par with the "other" NCAA tourney, getting set to play out my Sweet 16 matchups (plus some fun pairings in the NIT as well). In the "other" tourney, no Cinderella managed to sneak in, but I don't have to say that. She is here in a jaw-dropping, flowing gown, the poorest seeding I have ever had make it this far this century.

Let's hear it for those tough little Terriers of Boston U, who were just 7-9 in conference play but still at 21-13 wouldn't fall under the umbrella of mediocrity that started this thread. Coming in as a likely one-and-done, they became just the third 15 seed this century (first two were both from the 2002 tourney, when Hampton beat UConn and Montana stunned Oregon) to knock off a number two seed.

The Terriers have chewed their way through first Memphis and then Kansas to reach the sweet 16 and a date with 3 seed Tennessee.

[crques]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

I'm currently in year 5 of a legacy with South Carolina (started with VCU and accepted the South Carolina job after year 3) and I haven't seen too many crazy tournament teams like you mentioned in your original post, however I have seen some horrible at-large bids being handed out to undeserving teams. For instance, last night I saw a 15 win Baylor team and a 15 win Arizona team get at-large bids. Florida State had 22 wins and were left out of the tournament along with a 20 win Syracuse. In the 1st year of the legacy I remember Boston College having 16 wins and losing in the 1st round of the ACC Tournament and getting an at-large bid. Those are some of the things that stuck out in my mind regarding bad tournament teams.

[Starbase503]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

For instance, last night I saw a 15 win Baylor team and a 15 win Arizona team get at-large bids. Florida State had 22 wins and were left out of the tournament along with a 20 win Syracuse. In the 1st year of the legacy I remember Boston College having 16 wins and losing in the 1st round of the ACC Tournament and getting an at-large bid. Those are some of the things that stuck out in my mind regarding bad tournament teams.

Well, I guess we can take comfort in the fact that these oversights make the NIT (a tourney I don't recall seeing in past versions of this game) more enjoyable. I am looking at the teams still left, and these could make up a solid, even expected, Final Four in the Big Dance. Two teams have made the NIT's Final Four, Wisconsin (who beat defending NIT champ Ohio State) and Syracuse. The other two spots come down to the winner of the Maryland-Georgetown and Louisville-Kentucky games, which come tonight. No upstart Boston U's in this group.

[crques]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

Well, I guess we can take comfort in the fact that these oversights make the NIT (a tourney I don't recall seeing in past versions of this game) more enjoyable. I am looking at the teams still left, and these could make up a solid, even expected, Final Four in the Big Dance. Two teams have made the NIT's Final Four, Wisconsin (who beat defending NIT champ Ohio State) and Syracuse. The other two spots come down to the winner of the Maryland-Georgetown and Louisville-Kentucky games, which come tonight. No upstart Boston U's in this group.

I'm pretty sure that 2K8 was the first one to include the NIT, which is a nice feature for sure. I made the NIT in my 2nd season at VCU and even though I was disappointed that I didn't make the NCAA, playing a few NIT games was fun.

[DC]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

Team Unity Slider = 10

Fixes all of those problems

[Starbase503]

Re: mediocrity rules the tourney!

I'm pretty sure that 2K8 was the first one to include the NIT, which is a nice feature for sure. I made the NIT in my 2nd season at VCU and even though I was disappointed that I didn't make the NCAA, playing a few NIT games was fun.

Yes it really does expand the March Madness, especially when some of those poor bubble teams get left out but find themselves high seeds in the NIT. My NIT's Final Four this year is down to Louisville vs. Wisconsin and Georgetown vs. Syracuse. Not a lightweight in the group.

And I agree that its inclusion is a good thing, especially for closed legacies (or open ones where you choose a crappy school), as the NIT is probably a more realistic goal to shoot for in the first few seasons, particularly in those conferences where only the conference champ gets the NCAA nod.

I am looking forward to getting deeper into my closed legacy (with Winston-Salem State). I just rolled to my first conference win over South Carolina State, but overall am just 2-4 with more tough non-conf. games to come before the Mid-Eastern schedule hits full force.

But right now, I am hooked on my Duke open legacy and the NIT/NCAA tourneys. My Blue Devils just lost a tough one to North Carolina, so they won't be repeating as NCAA Champions (which from a historical perspective, I am glad). Arizona was the first team to make the Final Four after beating Oklahoma State. Michigan State takes on Villanova for my next Final Four, then Tennessee-UConn and North Carolina-Gonzaga to fill out the field. Fun stuff.