NCAA Tournament

[soonerbms]

Yeah, I said it. I know it's a longshot this year, but that's the kind of buzz that Lon and the team have created with their 7-1 start. We haven't beaten anyone great, but we're beating the teams we're supposed to beat and we're winning at home. That's more than we could say during the previous regime.

Let's say we beat Houston, South Carolina State, and Northwestern State and lose at Cincy. That will put us at 10-2 in the noncon. I don't know what kind of RPI the Big 12 will have this year, but I bet 18-10, 8-8 would get us in the dance. The tough part will be finding eight conference wins in a conference without Nebraska and Colorado.

 

[playmakr]

There are 18 conference games, so 9-9 and 19-11. Don't think that does it. We need to go 10-8.

 

[soonersublime]

We're a bubble team right now. Need to win more then we lose in BIG XII play to get into the tourney like playmakr says

 

[DenverSooner]

There are 18 conference games, so 9-9 and 19-11. Don't think that does it. We need to go 10-8.

OU needs 3 or 4 conference road wins to make the tournament as well as defending the LNC by winning 80% of the home games. So where can OU win on the road?

Obviously anything can happen on any given day but I really think Lawrence, Waco and Columbia are out. That lease Lubbock, Stillwater, Ames, Manhattan, Austin, and College Station. If OU wins 3-4 of those games, I think they have strong chance to make the tournament. Obviously they will need to be all 6 of those teams in Norman and beat one of Missouri, Baylor or KU in Norman.

It will be interesting to see this team play against a conference team

 

[IndySooner]

I think it's a long shot this year, but the fact that we can even discuss it with a straight face is absolutely awesome.

 

[PeteHoops]

I'm very happy with the progress and that we even have a thread talking about the Dance, but I'm reserving my judgment until we play @Mizzou, KU, @OSU. If we go 10-2 in the Non-Con and are respectable in those three games, even if we're 1-2, I'll think more about the Tourney. Right now we should all be really pleased that we ALREADY look like a legit NIT/fringe bubble team.

 

[geeoh]

Why is everyone assuming we're going to lose at Cincy? They haven't been great all year, plus they might be looking at several suspensions/dismissals after that brawl yesterday, especially their best player, Yancy Gates.

 

[DenverSooner]

Why is everyone assuming we're going to lose at Cincy? They haven't been great all year, plus they might be looking at several suspensions/dismissals after that brawl yesterday, especially their best player, Yancy Gates.

I don't think OU is going to lose. I think Yancy Gates is getting kicked off that team or suspended for several games. I think some others are also getting multi game suspensions.

 

[tjames]

Cincy doesn't have a great rpi (187) or SOS (232). With their best player out, we should expect to win.

 

[soonersublime]

Cincy just got gutted for our game, 4 players are out for 6 games each including OU game.

 

[WTSooner]

If OU wants to talk Dance, we probably need to win out on our OOC schedule. It's not going to be a very tough OOC schedule at the end of the year I'm afraid. If we win out, I think a .500 league record gets us to 20 wins. Do that and win a Big 12 Tourney game, or finish above .500, and we have a chance. And really, that is all I'm asking at this point. Assuming good health, let's have a shot at the Dance going into the last week or so of the season.

 

[Joe_Bab]

Not only are we gonna make the dance, we're gonna win the dance

 

[WTSooner]

Not only are we gonna make the dance, we're gonna win the dance

:chestram2:

 

[Shooterms]

Not only are we gonna make the dance, we're gonna win the dance

Excellent first post. :clap

 

[NickZepp]

There are 18 conference games, so 9-9 and 19-11. Don't think that does it. We need to go 10-8.

It depends on who the wins are against. If we say win in Columbia, beat Kansas, Texas, and A&M and/or Baylor at home and only win 8 or 9 conference games that may be a good enough resume to get in. Also lets say we win 2 conference tournament games that should be enough also. I think we may have to end the non conference with only one loss. Cincy might look like a good win on paper at the end of the year. But without their big guys in that one we should expect to win that one with how we are playing inside.

 

[campbest]

Fun to think ahead, but alson need to be realistic. Arkansas is going to finish in the middle of the pack in the SEC West (probably worst division in college basketball). The only thing that is going to help us is quality wins because our non-conference schedule is so poor, have to split with KU, Mizzou and Baylor...19-11 without wins against those teams will not be enough to get in.

 

[Sam]

Wasn't 10-6 usually a bubble team/last at large in the previous Big 12? Didn't Colorado and Kansas St miss the dance a few times at 10-6 in the past due to a soft non-con? I'd guess 11-7 is what is needed.

I still think the focus should be NIT, if OU wins out their non-con then the bubble talk should start.

 

[CobraKai]

I'm just happy we are this far into the season and we are actually having this conversation.

 

[NormanPride]

If we go 10-2 in the non-conference and 11-7 in the conference then we deserve to go just because of the story alone. Holy crap that would be beyond awesome!

But really, this is about the time where we have a confusing loss that shows the team still needs a lot of development. If we make the NIT this year I will be ecstatic, because this team still isn't that great. We have some good players, but unless they play at a REALLY high level none of them can really hang with the big boys.

 

[campbest]

It's going to come down to quality wins...our schedule is crap. Not complaining because this squad needs to get in the habit of winning and rough early schedule would have been detrimental. However, 20-10 is not going to be enough unless we beat some decent teams.