While looking at the latest NCAA Tournament projections on ESPN.com, something struck me as a possible stunner.
The opening round game, or "play-in" game between the 64th and 65th teams in the tournament is currently projected to be UNC-Asheville vs. Alabama State. By definition, those are the two lowest-ranked teams in the tournament. So what happens if Murray State wins the OVC Tournament and gets into the NCAA Tournament?
Let's crunch some numbers.
- UNCA's RPI is 131
- Murray State's is 187
- Alabama State's is 220
By looking at those numbers, if the Racers get in, it would seem completely within the realm of possibilities Murray State would be in that opening round game in Dayton on Tuesday night.
Some other numbers. There are 31 college basketball conferences. According to the Sagarin Ratings...
- The Big South (UNCA) is the 24th toughest conference.
- The OVC (Murray State) is the 29th toughest conference.
- The SWAC (Alabama State) is the 31st toughest conference.
The winner of the SWAC can pretty much book reservations to Dayton. But if the 2nd best team in the 24th best conference can play in the opening round game, why can't the 2nd best team in the 29th best conference play in it as well?
Austin Peay is the best team in the OVC with an RPI of 90. ESPN has them as a 15-seed. They may be the best team in the conference, but the numbers show the OVC is about as weak of a conference as there is in America. If Austin Peay is a 15-seed, it's not hard to fathom Murray as one of the "play-in" teams on March 18th in Dayton.
Let's hear from you. Would you be satisfied if your team, whether it's Murray State or someone else, earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament but then had to play in the opening round game on Tuesday night in Dayton?
The floor is yours.
