Nice discussion/slam of UD's NCAA chances

[Mr. Neutral]

This from a blogger on Jerry Palm's website-

Another bad loss last night for the Flyers, losing at RPI 225 George Washington. Yet they continue to remain solid in their own RPI (15) despite losing 5 of their last 7 games. I think they are trying to
become the first team ever to get an at-large bid to the NCAA while failing to qualify for their own conference tournament....

How do you evaluate a team like this? Great wins early in the season, but I dont know that they can beat anyone at all the way they are playing right now. Are you really going to give an at-large bid to a
team that you know has almost no shot a winning the game, based solely on how they performed 2 months ago?

[joetitan]

Frankly much depends upon Wright's return and Ud wins thereafter; NCAA takes into account injuries and the effect on team record. If Wright is able to return to action (Little already has) and UD performs well, then NCAA can "overlook" the losing period while the players were injured.

[Mr. Neutral]

More from Palm's blog (first, a poster's inquiry, and then Palm's response)

"The reason players miss games -- injury, academic suspension or
violation of team rules -- is irrelevant....BTW, this was from an article written by one of the members of the mock committee this week."

"That quote is accurate. I think a few years ago, that mattered, but it hasn't for a while."

[bluegrass]

They might take injuries into consideration but you still have to win some games.Losing at GW is going to hurt them.I can't see how their rpi is still so high.Granted 2 of their loses were X and URI.It just shows that the rpi is not a perfect method to judge teams.I think UD is really in trouble if they don't turn things around quick.They won't get an at large with a .500 conference record.

[sergiogarcia]

Mr. Neutral is right about people missing games being irrelevant in the selection process. I was listening to something the other day and they said that people are only allowed to ask what games a certain player missed not why they missed them. How funny is it that Dayton will probably finish 9-7 in the conference and could get a bid if they don't win the conference tourney. When has that ever happened in this conference?

[D West]

So, if we can take into consideration the injuries during the losses you can take into consideration the injuries of the teams you beat? Louisville and Pittsburgh (Pit to a lesser extent as Dayton played well and the fouls took Pit out of the game).

In other words, we can rationalize to heck why someone should or shouldn't be in the dance.

Bottom line is if Dayton doesn't finish .500 or better in the A10, they are history. Actually, they are NIT.

[realxfan]

How much do they really expect Wright to give them if and when he comes back. He'll have been out of action for about two months and his conditioning will not be anywhere near what it needs to be. Face it Dayton fan's you guys are NIT bound. Guys like Binnie and Huelman (BWS) have not developed and stepped up when the other two went down. I really can't see them beating Duquesne on Wednesday.

[Frank D.]

This whole Dayton thing is interesting to me . . . they have completely folded in recent weeks and all you hear about is injuries this and injuries that. Look, they lost arguably their second best player (a freshman, mind you), and their first guy off the bench. What other team in the country would go from a top 20 team to a bottom-half A-10 team (which is how they have been playing) when you lose what they lost? Answer - probably none. They have bigger problems than just those injuries, and maybe the early part of the season was the exception with this team. There is validity to the point about Louisville and Pitt being very banged-up as well when Dayton beat them and besides those two wins, what have they done really?

Brian Roberts is supposed to be the best player in this league. It just goes to show how mediocre the rest of the guys on that team are. In order to make the tournament, they are going to have to get Wright back and start playing well with him. Of course, they do play us at home and if they win that game, all might be forgotten.