Match 14th, 2006

Poll Position: NCAA Tournament Edition

End of the Road for Andy Kennedy?

The recent Big East trend of having plenty to complain about on Selection Sunday continued this week when Cincinnati was passed over for an at-large bid to the Big Dance. 

In 2003, Seton Hall and Boston College both posted 10-6 Big East conference records but ended up in the NIT.  In 2004, Pittsburgh was rewarded for their great season by having to play Big Ten champion Wisconsin in Milwaukee, then Big 12 champion Oklahoma State who – despite being ranked #4 in the nation – was somehow given a #2 seed.  Last season, current Big East member Louisville was spotted a #4 seed, despite posting a 29-4 overall record, winning the Conference USA championship, and being ranked #4 in the final AP poll. 

Now Cincinnati adds to the tradition in just their first Big East season.  Cincinnati had beaten Syracuse, West Virginia and Marquette en route to a 19-12 record, and finished the regular season 8-8 in what many consider the toughest, deepest conference in America.  Had Gerry McNamara’s miracle 3 rimmed out at the buzzer in the first round of the Big East Tournament, the Bearcats would more than likely be dancing, and the Orange would be sulking in the NIT.  Instead, Syracuse is the two-time defending Big East champs and a #5 seed, and Cincinnati is waiting to find out whether they play Georgia Southern or Charlotte in the NIT. 

With all that Andy Kennedy has had to go through this season, it just seems like a bit much.  He was named the interim coach just three months shy of the season opener, had to work overtime to convince angry players and recruits not to transfer after the Bob Huggins fiasco, had to play in the shadow of Huggins all season in front of fans who clearly wish he were still there, had to try to recruit despite the uncertainty of his own job, and now this. 

Adding insult to injury is the fact that it was widely assumed that the university would only consider offering him the job permanently if he got the Bearcats to the NCAA Tournament.  If that’s the case, then Cincinnati would be letting go one hell of a coach, and any other school would be lucky to have him.

Now Prove It, MVC

The Missouri Valley Conference has had a dream season this year, culminating in four NCAA Tournament bids - as many as powerhouse conferences the Big 12, PAC-10 and the ACC.  They almost got more, with Missouri State and Creighton just missing the cut. 

There has been plenty of discussion over whether the MVC deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the BCS conferences.  Specifically, whether their teams are good enough to be a credible threat to reach the Elite Eight or even the Final Four, or are merely good enough to be just another Cinderella from a mid-major.  With this NCAA Tournament, the MVC has been given their best chance ever to state their case, or ruin it.

MVC Tourney champion Southern Illinois takes on a West Virginia team that made a run to the Elite Eight last season with pretty much the same players.  Wichita State has to face Seton Hall, a team that has struggled lately but still has quality wins against the likes of NC State and Pitt.  Northern Iowa also plays a Big East team in Georgetown, who gave #1 Duke their first loss of the season.  Finally, Bradley matches up against Big 12 champion Kansas, who has simply been on fire lately.

None of these games will be easy, even though Wichita State is favored over Seton Hall.  Winning two, three or all four will make a compelling argument to the country, the sportswriters, and most importantly, to the NCAA Selection Committee next season about the arrival of the Missouri Valley.  It will also make Missouri State’s snub look all the more glaring. 

Losing all four, or three of four, could be disastrous, leading many to question whether the Selection Committee had bought into the MVC hype at the expense of teams such as Cincinnati.  Without stronger early season schedules – and wins – it will be much more difficult for Missouri Valley teams to make their cases to the Selection Committee next year, no matter their RPI. 

Kudos to Billy

Kansas Coach Bill Self once again has proven himself as one of the nation’s best coaches, and will almost certainly be named Big 12 Coach of the Year.  What he has done with such a young team has been remarkable. 

But what about Texas A&M’s Billy Gillespie? He has lead the Aggies to fourth place in the Big 12, their first NCAA Tournament birth since 1987, and only their second since 1980.  This was after losing his best player, Antoine Wright, to the NBA last season. 

For the record, Gillespie is the only coach in NCAA history to have the most improved team in the nation in back to back seasons.  In 2003-2004 his UTEP squad went from a dismal 6-24 and last place in conference, to 24-8, tying for the WAC regular season championship, and earning a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in over a decade.  In his first season with Texas A&M, Gillespie inherited a team that went 0-16 in the Big 12 and finished the season with a 7-21 record.  All he did was lead the team to a 21-10 record, a .500 finish in the Big 12, and an NIT invitation – their first postseason in 11 years.  Now he has them in the Big Dance.

In other words, he hasn’t been too shabby.  Should the Aggies continue their ascension  – and based on his latest recruiting class it certainly looks like they will – let’s hope that the “great motivator,” as some are calling him, starts to get a little more national recognition. 

Kevin McNeill's Poll Position is a new weekly feature on CHN.