Middle America
02-27-2007, 09:30 AM
Check out this article about the Valley and why it deserves to be counted among the elite conferences in college basketball:
http://extrapoint.wordpress.com/2007/02/01/missouri-valley-conference-among-ncaa-elite/
There's an interesting discussion thread that follows, talking about what constitutes "elite." Is it the # of teams a conference places in the NCAA tournament, or how far they make it? If it's how far they make it, does seeding play a role?
I think it's unfair to say that the Valley is not an elite conference because it hasn't had any Elite 8 or Final 4 teams in recent history. In my opinion, that is more a result of the Valley never getting a top 4 seed, due to its mid-major label. It's a "catch-22" -- you can't be considered elite until you place a team in the Final 4, but you probably won't place a team in the Final 4 until you get a high seed (which comes with elite status).
http://extrapoint.wordpress.com/2007/02/01/missouri-valley-conference-among-ncaa-elite/
There's an interesting discussion thread that follows, talking about what constitutes "elite." Is it the # of teams a conference places in the NCAA tournament, or how far they make it? If it's how far they make it, does seeding play a role?
I think it's unfair to say that the Valley is not an elite conference because it hasn't had any Elite 8 or Final 4 teams in recent history. In my opinion, that is more a result of the Valley never getting a top 4 seed, due to its mid-major label. It's a "catch-22" -- you can't be considered elite until you place a team in the Final 4, but you probably won't place a team in the Final 4 until you get a high seed (which comes with elite status).