AM Note: Let's use this thread for any pre-selection show chatter, comments, or questions. The sun will rise tomorrow, and I believe that by the time it sets we will be happily filling out our brackets.
In reaction to the Houston loss, a reader emailed me a link to this video. It pretty much sums it up.
Apologies for the lack of posting and coverage of the Houston game. To be honest, it's probably better if I let my brain wrap around what happened in Tulsa for a few days before I write about it. The real question, now, is obviously "Have the Miners done enough to garner an at-large selection for the NCAA Tournament?
After UAB and Memphis went down, I forced myself to analyze UTEP's at-large resume. I believed then, and I believe now, that UTEP's RPI, 8-4 record against the RPI Top 100, and 3-1 record against the RPI Top 50, should be enough to keep the Miners in the dance.
From the TV coverage I've seen on ESPN, Houston has been pegged as the first tournament "bid stealer." That means C-USA is now being pegged as a two bid league. Fortunately, the lower-tier conferences haven't produced any other bid thieves, so the at-large pool is larger than it usually is. Really, so far, only Houston, Washington, and San Diego State have "stolen bids."
SI's Andy Glockner thinks the Miners are in.
Houston pulled the upset in the Conference USA final, beating No. 25 UTEP 81-73 and executed the year's first bid steal. That's bad news for some bubble team, as UTEP now drops into the at-large pool and almost certainly will be selected.
So, does ESPN"s Joe Lunardi.
With my internet connection shaky at best, please feel free to FanShot any links you want to share with the community. Full posting will resume early in the week, starting with a Houston Postmortem.