Blind Resume (Part 7)

This exercise familiarizes us with (potential) bubble teams across the country. I provide the resumes of 3 bubble teams & in each scenario you're the Selection Committee and you can only choose 1 of the 3 for inclusion in the NCAA Tournament. (you have to trust me that the teams are not considered locks for the NCAA Tournament) I will not list the team's RPI but will provide some of the basic things that I look at when selecting the 37 at-large teams. I will disclose the teams at approximately 12:30 p.m.

Which 1 of these 3 would you select if you only had 1 spot left for your NCAA Tournament field?

Team A
Record: 23-7
Overall Strength of Schedule (SOS): 89
Nonconference SOS: 55
Road/Neutral Record: 6-6
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 0-3
Record vs. RPI Top 100: 6-5
Bad Losses (RPI 101+): 2
Best 3 Wins by RPI: @ #52, #52,@ #53 (total = 157)
Last 10 Games: 7-3

Team B
Record: 17-12
Overall Strength of Schedule (SOS): 25
Nonconference SOS: 135
Road/Neutral Record: 4-8
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 4-9
Record vs. RPI Top 100: 6-10
Bad Losses (RPI 101+): 1
Best 3 Wins by RPI: #4, #9, #22 (total = 35)
Last 10 Games: 2-8

Team C
Record: 17-12
Overall Strength of Schedule (SOS): 10
Nonconference SOS: 24
Road/Neutral Record: 7-7
Record vs. RPI Top 50: 4-8
Record vs. RPI Top 100: 8-10
Bad Losses (RPI 101+): 2
Best 3 Wins by RPI: #10, #41, vs. #45 (total = 96)
Last 10 Games: 3-7

If you think you've figured out who any of these teams are, please do not post the team(s) name, as that could influence people's selection.

I take team A. I know their schedule is a lot easier, but 6 extra wins over the other two is tough to ignore. B is definitely third, same record as C with a weaker schedule.

Can I choose none of the above? I don't think any of those teams should be tournament teams in a perfect world. Begrudgingly, I choose C to reward them for playing a brutal schedule.

I also choose C.

I wonder if past 10 is a fair stat to include in the blind resume? Teams in strong conferences will generally have worse past 10 games than teams in weak conferences (Team A looks to be a prime example of a team playing in a lesser conference than B and C).

C, and I don't like any one of these three.

I have C, also, but we'll give folks another hour before we tally 'em up.

Fair point about the last 10, but I've included it because I get the feeling it's important to quite a few people who participate in this exercise. Not necessarily the Selection Committee, however. I take the SC's word for it when they say they look at the "entire body of work". Translation? What happens early in the season is equally as important as what happens late in the season (and I agree with 'em).

B's top wins are pretty darn good, all at home though, and their road record sucks, so they probably aren't a good candidate. Give me C.

The final tally is. ...

C = West Virginia (5 votes)
A = Cal (1 vote)
B = Illinois (0 votes)

For what it's worth, currently I have both Cal and West Virginia in my Field of 68 (Cal more comfortably than WV), with Illinois simply trying to get back on the bubble, which the Illini will do IF they beat Michigan on Thursday.