Loyola-Chicago Basketball: Head coach Porter Moser on Ramblers’ Final 4 run
Moser talks about the future of mid-majors and reaching the Final Four
What does the future hold for mid-major teams in terms of the Final Four? Is this just a trend that will die out, has it peaked, and can and will a mid-major win a national championship in today’s college basketball?
Moser says the biggest reason we see mid-majors in the final four more frequently is parity, but a big hurdle for them to overcome is what he sees as the lack of bids. “You gotta win your league, that’s a hard thing. At-large bids are becoming fewer and fewer.” He isn’t sure if the trend has peaked, “that’s the beauty of March Madness is that teams can be playing well as a certain time, they could be healthy” he says.
“That’s why I’m worried about the direction of less and less at-large bids for some of these teams. It would’ve been a shame if we didn’t win our conference tournament, and that team didn’t get into the NCAA Tournament. That’s what makes the tournament special, really good teams and making runs, there’s always a possibility.”
When it comes to a national championship, “it’s hard to predict that, no one could’ve predicted what we did, or George Mason did, or VCU. Just know that amazing things can happen when you get a talented group of guys that believe.”
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While the outside noise may say something different, to a coach at a mid-major school, going to a Final Four is no different for them than the Dukes and Kentuckys of the world. You’re focused on winning and advancing while embracing the atmosphere of it all, the time for memories will come when it’s over, and as for a national title, anything can happen with the right team in the right circumstances.