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Post by jenningsbeach on Jan 29, 2024 12:41:21 GMT -5
This topic deserves a thread of its own. Fairfield garners 13 votes and moves up to 28th place. No. 25 Princeton has 28 votes. The Stags are two weekends away from cracking the AP Top 25 poll. What a spectacular accomplishment that will be. www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/rankings
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Post by stag76 on Jan 29, 2024 14:35:13 GMT -5
Depending on if you consider Gonzaga to be a mid-major in women’s basketball, we’re either the 3rd or 4th highest mid-major in this poll (Gonzaga, Princeton, UNLV). All the other teams above us are high majors. Yet in the collegeinsider mid-major poll, we were ranked 10th last week. 🤔
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Post by jenningsbeach on Jan 29, 2024 16:40:05 GMT -5
Getting way ahead of myself here, but if we keep winning, Fairfield will crack the AP poll in February at some point. Let's say we run the regular-season table but lose in the MAAC finals (or semis) when ranked in the top 25. Does Fairfield get an at-large bid to the Big Dance?
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Post by stag76 on Jan 29, 2024 17:06:41 GMT -5
Our current NET ranking is 81 and it’s unlikely to move up much because there are no Quad 1 or Quad 2 teams left on our schedule. I hate to say it, but I really think the only way for us to make the March national tournament is to win the MAAC.
I’m assuming bids to the women’s tournament are given out roughly the same way as the men’s tournament is and I don’t think any team with a NET in the 70’s or 80’s ever got an at-large bid to the men’s tournament, regardless of how many weeks they were on the AP top 25.
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Post by typhaon on Jan 29, 2024 17:28:22 GMT -5
It's so tough nowadays. You've got 32 automatic and that leaves only 36 for the other... 320 teams.
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Post by ctbobs on Jan 29, 2024 17:38:18 GMT -5
Getting way ahead of myself here, but if we keep winning, Fairfield will crack the AP poll in February at some point. Let's say we run the regular-season table but lose in the MAAC finals (or semis) when ranked in the top 25. Does Fairfield get an at-large bid to the Big Dance? JB, I would think no chance. The wins vs Rutgers & Fordham (160 & 221 in the NET) are meaningless in this context; both teams having awful seasons. Only St John's (83) is a "good" win.
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Post by vastagman on Jan 29, 2024 18:01:07 GMT -5
The 2000-01 women's team got an at-large bid with a 25-5 record (19-2 in MAAC games). Notable wins were against Cal, Miami and BC. Cal was 14-15 that year. Miami was 13-15. BC was 16-15.
Have to imagine if the women run the table, they would have a shot at an at-large. 27-1 would be impressive no matter what the schedule is.
But for now, just play 'em one at a time and worry about that other stuff later on.
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Post by ctbobs on Jan 29, 2024 21:01:59 GMT -5
The 2000-01 women's team got an at-large bid with a 25-5 record (19-2 in MAAC games). Notable wins were against Cal, Miami and BC. Cal was 14-15 that year. Miami was 13-15. BC was 16-15. Have to imagine if the women run the table, they would have a shot at an at-large. 27-1 would be impressive no matter what the schedule is. But for now, just play 'em one at a time and worry about that other stuff later on. Sounds good, but if they need an at large, that would mean a "real bad loss" in the MAAC tourney.
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Post by ctbobs on Jan 29, 2024 22:29:14 GMT -5
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AP Top 25
Jan 30, 2024 10:50:33 GMT -5
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Post by stags74 on Jan 30, 2024 10:50:33 GMT -5
During the QU game at Hamden the announcers including Diane Nolan discussed the possibility of FF getting an at large bid if they did not win the MAAC tournament. Diane indicated maybe that would be possible but the other two announcers said most likely not. They indicated the NCAA selection committee would take an 8-9th place power 5 womens team over a first place mid major team that lost in the conference tournament. That’s a mid major reality. As indicated by other posters let’s just play the games one at a time and enjoy the regular season. Go stags!
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Post by FU73 on Jan 30, 2024 11:17:36 GMT -5
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Post by jenningsbeach on Jan 31, 2024 11:24:22 GMT -5
I understand the analytics argument. We need to win the MAAC tournament to make the NCAA tournament. But consider this:
Fairfield runs the table and enters the MAAC tournament on a 26-game winning streak, at 28-1. Two more wins, 30-1, 28 in a row, and we lose a heartbreaker on Saturday in Atlantic City. At that point, Fairfield would be getting substantial local and national publicity, and tons of cachet in the world of women's college basketball. Media coverage would be off the charts. Most importantly, the Stags will have cracked the Top 25 and probably moved up a few slots by mid-March. So if the analytics prevail, a 30-2 team that won 28 straight games and resides in the AP Top 25 will be left off the Big Dance floor. Basically, the No. 20 team in the country gets bupkis.
I'm not so sure. Maybe I'm giving the tournament selection committee too much credit, but I think an at-large bid is in play.
Anyway, this is total speculation. Long way to go, one game at a time, yada, yada, yada. Honestly, I think one loss wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. It would release the pressure that, make no mistake, would be enormous in Atlantic City. But I hope we win out. This team and this coach deserve all the positive publicity they can garner. I want this to be a season for the history books.
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Post by ctbobs on Jan 31, 2024 11:50:06 GMT -5
I understand the analytics argument. We need to win the MAAC tournament to make the NCAA tournament. But consider this: Fairfield runs the table and enters the MAAC tournament on a 26-game winning streak, at 28-1. Two more wins, 30-1, 28 in a row, and we lose a heartbreaker on Saturday in Atlantic City. At that point, Fairfield would be getting substantial local and national publicity, and tons of cachet in the world of women's college basketball. Media coverage would be off the charts. Most importantly, the Stags will have cracked the Top 25 and probably moved up a few slots by mid-March. So if the analytics prevail, a 30-2 team that won 28 straight games and resides in the AP Top 25 will be left off the Big Dance floor. Basically, the No. 20 team in the country gets bupkis. I'm not so sure. Maybe I'm giving the tournament selection committee too much credit, but I think an at-large bid is in play. Anyway, this is total speculation. Long way to go, one game at a time, yada, yada, yada. Honestly, I think one loss wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. It would release the pressure that, make no mistake, would be enormous in Atlantic City. But I hope we win out. This team and this coach deserve all the positive publicity they can garner. I want this to be a season for the history books. JB, I agree with everything you say; except the Stags are currently 81 in the NET. Strength of schedule in the MAAC will likely bring that down even if we keep winning. And a loss in the tourney, even in the finals, will be looked at as a "bad loss" by the committee. Plus the NET will drop even further. I sure love your optimism, but I just don't see it
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Post by typhaon on Jan 31, 2024 13:49:49 GMT -5
Let's hope it doesn't come to that and the real argument is who should be favored when 21st ranked Fairfield faces off against unranked UCONN? 😊
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AP Top 25
Jan 31, 2024 17:44:16 GMT -5
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Post by stags74 on Jan 31, 2024 17:44:16 GMT -5
It’s nice to dream! One game at a time fellas!
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