re: Lunardi says 2 spots for 5 teams left.....

Iona's Bilas index is now 53.

I posted this earlier and I am still holding out hope for the Gaels:

I do not mean any disrespect to Drexel with this post. They are a good team and I think the reason that they are getting more love than Iona is the fact that Drexel plays in the Colonial Athletic Association that is still getting great reviews based on the NCAA play of George Mason in 2006 and VCU last season.

As I post this, Iona’s (25-7) Real Time RPI is 40, right behind USF. I’m not an NDU fan, but I’m pulling like hell for them tonight. The fact is that Iona had some bad losses. Hofstra is just inexplicable. We blew big leads to Siena and Manhattan. So, we made our bed. I am still sick over the semi-final performance.

I think that Iona’s loss in the semis is a death knell. But here are some reasons that Iona deserves a long look by the Committee for an at large:

- 1-1 top 50
- 5-3 top 100
- Our first game of the season was a 1 point loss to Purdue 91-90. Purdue will probably be a tourney team.
- 15 road/neutral wins.
- Tried to have a tougher schedule but no one would schedule us
- we played entire month of December on the road and went 7-1 with a good win at Denver . The loss to Marshall cannot be considered a bad loss.
- We were (still may be) the highest scoring team in the country.
- We have what everyone considers one of the best point guards in the nation in Scott Machado, who leads the nation in assists; who is a finalist for the Bob Cousey Award and one of the 15 finalists for the Wooden Award
- Mike Glover had the highest field goal percentages in the nation. Both he and Machado have been have been named to the USBWA Men’s District II All-District Team.
- Momo Jones, the transfer from Arizona is an exciting player, sometimes out of control, but always exciting.
- Sean Armand can knock down 3s like crazy. He had 10 at Madison Square Garden this season.
- We beat St. Joe’s so I am hoping that they win the A-10.
- We beat Maryland by 26, so I’m hoping for the huge upset of UNC tomorrow.
- We beat Nevada in the Bracket Buster so, I'm hoping they win their tourney

Maybe the stars are aligning. Northwestern was a “last 4 in” team (how they were ahead of Iona is beyond me). But they lost. Unbelievably, Lunardi just put Seton Hall (coached by former Iona coach, Kevin Willard) back in the last 4 in. Joe, remember saying this:

"Pass the Lunardi rule. If you're below .500 in your conference, you don't get in. You can count tournament wins if you want. We just have to make room for the Drexels and the Ionas. That's what the public wants. That's what the tournament's all about."

We’re getting some support from Dick Vitale who tweeted, "Hate to see Iona with 25 W's passed over 4 a bid - most likely will lose out to MEDIOCRITY of a power conference school."

Middling Power Six schools have had their shot at the top teams in their conferences and came up short. Len Elmore said "I would rather see a mid major team like Iona make the tourney rather than a middle of the pack Big East team like Seton Hall or West Virginia".

Iona is still a long shot for an at large, but I’m holding out hope that our name will be called on Sunday evening.

Go Gaels!!!

They didn't play Iona basketball against Fairfield in the semis. For some reason they weren't running all game. They only had a 2 point lead at the half 42-40 and then went slow rather than the fast pace they usually play. I was just baffled by it. The loss in the semis could very well keep them out of the NCAAs.

ETA: Their Real Time RPI is now 41 vice the 40 I mentioned in my post above that I wrote yesterday.

I agree with that.

A bad second half will probably be the difference between a 12 seed in the NCAA and a 1 or 2 seed in the NIT.

quote:

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The Truth 34

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"Slugga" Morris

Iona and Seton Hall

No doubt.

Drexel would be the 3rd.


Mississippi State and Washington have no business being in the NCAA Tournament.

if St. Bonaventure wins today, Linardi said the bubble shrinks by one because Xavier is in. I think Mississippi St is out anyway