Musketeer Madness

All XU has to do to get a number one seed is win the next six games. For those of you who think that even this will not get XU to a number 1 seed you are wrong...consider the following:

How can the committee not award them a number 1 seed ...they would be 30-4 with an RPI in the top 4 and they have more wins over top 50 RPI opponents than most of the other 8 teams ahead of them. Their strength of schedule will be one of the best and If they win the last six they will be ranked 3rd or 4th in the country...how can this not qualify them for a number one seed?

I think its possible, but I just can't see us jumping ahead of too many people. We can't get a #1 if we don't get some help from other teams. It will be interesting though to see what happens. I really doubt we would get a 1 over memphis and tennessee, because of a couple factors. I also don't think we would get one over Duke, unless they play more games the way they did against wake forest and miami. We will see though.

If we win out the regular season and win the A10 tournament I'd say we have a case for a #1 seed. Not to be negative about our Muskies, but I'm not 100% convinced they can do that, but I sure hope they do. We've proven that we can play with UT.

Winning out will not guarantee XU anything. If you look at the remaining schedules for each of the Top 10 in the rpi(based on Ken Pomeroy's numbers), Xavier ranks ninth behind Memphis for average opponent rpi remaining:

UCLA (9th in rpi) - 46
Vandy (10) - 53
Georgetown (7) - 59
UNC (3) - 62
Tennessee (1) - 66
Kansas (8) - 70
Duke (4) - 71
Texas (5) - 71
XU (6) - 114
Memphis (2) - 163

Now add to the fact that XU's conference tournament will create an even bigger disparity with the 8 above them, and now you can see that winning just won't do it. They need help, and a little conference luck would go a long way.

Today, Rhode Island is the 8 seed. That would be ideal as X would face them in the quarterfinal. UMass could end up either the 4 or 5, and that would make the most likely candidate for the semifinals. Put St. Joe's in the finals, and all of a sudden, a 16 game winning streak, a regular season title, a conference title, and a sweet resume, hey, this team would be on the short list for one of the #1 seeds. But even then, they would need help.

The seed # isn't important, it's the draw. Who you play and where. What if Xavier miraculously winds up a #1 but is in the West Regional? Nah, I'd rather be a #2 or #3 in another region. Maybe even a #4.

The key is to finish strong. The game at St. Joe's might be the toughest game for X to win all regular season.

A 2 seed is fine with me. However, the committee owes a "make-good" for the stupid 8 seed (and its date with OSU in the second round) last year.

Godun, Im not sure the committee keeps a make good list, and I know you are tongue in cheek, but there is nothing to make good.

That matchup with Ohio State close to home was a GREAT bit of drama, and I for one loved it. Not the result, but a great match with a local team that will never play us reg season, Thad vs. Sean. I would much rather have been an 8-9 and be able to drive down for the BY and Ohio State games live than have watched something else on TV.

millersdad wrote:All XU has to do to get a number one seed is win the next six games. For those of you who think that even this will not get XU to a number 1 seed you are wrong...consider the following:

How can the committee not award them a number 1 seed ...they would be 30-4 with an RPI in the top 4 and they have more wins over top 50 RPI opponents than most of the other 8 teams ahead of them. Their strength of schedule will be one of the best and If they win the last six they will be ranked 3rd or 4th in the country...how can this not qualify them for a number one seed?

xavier has just one win against the rpi top 25, and that was against indiana. chances are that will be their only one. if we do get a #1 seed, we'll have the worst credentials BY FAR of any team that has ever gotten one.

like it or not, the fact that we haven't beaten any top ten teams is going to keep us off the top line, and probably off the second line. if we ended up as a #4 seed, we honestly couldn't say that we had beaten anyone who ended up with a better seed. louisville had a similiar resume in 2005 and ended up with a #4 seed. get mentally prepared to be dissapointed.

don't misunderstand me. i'm not saying we're not good enough. i'm not saying we shouldn't get it. i'm saying that based on how the committee evaluates teams, we probably won't. top 50 wins are important in terms of making the field, but top ten wins are important for #1 and #2 seeds, and xavier doesn't have any of those.

Goodenchiladas wrote:The seed # isn't important, it's the draw. Who you play and where...

No more questions your honor, defense rests!

If our RPI stays close to 6 (its current locale), there is NO way we end up worse than a 3 seed. I think a #1 is unrealistic because of the lack of marquee, top ten wins. But the overall body of work to this point is at worst a 3 seed.