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NCAA Basketball: Michigan/Ohio State recap, at-large hopes among key questions

By Tristan Freeman

Ohio State Buckeyes guard Duane Washington Jr. (4) is guarded by Michigan Wolverines forward Isaiah Livers (2) during Sunday's NCAA Division I Big Ten conference basketball game at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on February 21, 2021.Ceb Osu Mbk Mich Bjp 17
Ohio State Buckeyes guard Duane Washington Jr. (4) is guarded by Michigan Wolverines forward Isaiah Livers (2) during Sunday's NCAA Division I Big Ten conference basketball game at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on February 21, 2021.Ceb Osu Mbk Mich Bjp 17 /
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Belmont’s Hpt Austin Peay Belmont Basketball 28
Belmont’s Hpt Austin Peay Belmont Basketball 28 /

4. Should Belmont or Winthrop get real at-large consideration?

Brown

Based on how well both of them have done this season, why not both? Give them a shot to see how they would fare against the power-five competition in the NCAA Tournament.

Tineo

I don’t think either of them will, because they should be automatic qualifiers with winning their conference. Even if they don’t win their conference tournaments, however, I believe both should have heavy consideration for an at-large bid.

This year’s bubble is among the worst in recent times, and the slew of teams that lost over the weekend doesn’t help their cases. Belmont and Winthrop can dominate inferior opponents and both rank in the Top 40 in scoring in the NCAA. Belmont more so, ranking ninth, with 82.9 points per game.

Both teams have just one loss on the resume and Belmont has a perfect 18-0 record in OVC play. Winthrop has the argument for better non-conference wins with an early-season victory over Southern conference-leading UNC Greensboro. They also have a win over Sun Belt’s Little Rock.

Both should be heavily considered for a spot, over 8-9 loss bubble teams, that have already limited their schedules, due to COVID and scheduling regulations.

Zacher

I’m always an advocate for mid-majors to earn recognition and consideration for the NCAA Tournament.  I would so much rather see them than most power conference schools that get in with double-digit losses – especially in conference play.  If you can’t beat the teams on your schedule, why should you ultimately be rewarded for it?

It’s no mystery that the quality of opponents Belmont and Winthrop have played are not anywhere close to the level of those in power conferences, yes, but the two teams are a combined 44-2.  That’s insane.  There are some really good solid mid-majors among those wins, too – Belmont has Murray State, Austin Peay, and Morehead State, while Winthrop owns dubs over UNC Greensboro and Furman.

They ultimately won’t get at-large consideration, especially because their NET rankings aren’t that solid – 63rd for Belmont and 71st for Winthrop – and they both own a Quad 4 loss, which hurts substantially.  But I would so much rather see them in the field rather than double-digit loss teams like Indiana or Minnesota.

Zinkula

Should they? Maybe. I’d love to see one or both of these teams get serious at-large consideration. Based on past precedent, however, they probably won’t get a serious look. I’m not a Bracketologist, but one way I evaluate resumes is using KenPom’s “Tier A” and “Tier B” games. A “Tier A” game is when a team plays a top 50 opponent-adjusted for location, while a “Tier B” game pertains to a Top 100 opponent.

Despite their gaudy records, neither Belmont nor Winthrop have any of these games on their schedules. Is this their fault? Not exactly. It just makes it harder for me to make a passionate case in their favor.

Loose

The bottom line is that the 68 best teams should make the NCAA Tournament, but this will never happen. When you compare the records of Belmont and Winthrop to those of the bubble teams, it’s easy for some to say that these mid-majors deserve their shot.

When you look at their resumes, however, a different story is told. I hope that Belmont and Winthrop both win their conference tournaments (they’ll both be heavy favorites), because the NCAA Tournament is going to be better with them involved, and I wouldn’t count on the Selection Committee throwing them any bones.

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