You're describing every "mid-major" outside of Gonzaga. You're also talking about wanting a tournament of only Power 5 schools. This is a completely different discussion however. What do you think we'd say if ISU asked us to play in Normal? Hell no! That would be Whitman's answer.
So, you're going to penalize them for not playing anybody, saying their only option to increase their SOS is to go and play 4 or 5 true road games against top 20 teams to compensate for the 10-15 resume building opportunities that the P5 schools have pre-built into their schedules year in and year out?
Forget the numbers for a second.....I look at three teams that should make it just from watching them play. Middle Tennessee, Wichita State and ISU. If you think that we would go into any of those gyms and feel secure about the outcome, I think your wrong.
However, based on metrics, due to $$$$ and how the system is set up, seems you'd rather have a 10th place ACC team over an elite mid major.....Each time, every time. The RPI, BPI, blah, blah, blah....Are always going to say so.
GTFO
Their only option is not to play true road games. hell, we played a true road game at western mich a few years back.
There are preseason tourneys, neutral games that can be arranged etc.
Sure, illionois wouldnt play them in normal but how do you know what others would do? I didnt say go play all high majors...but they dont have to play all cupcakes either.
They can also switch conferences as many mid majors have done.
Why should they get a pass for playing a crap schedule? The committed picks teams based on top 100 wins, RPI, SOS. Based on that, they probably shouldnt be in? if the question is if htey should change the criteria, thats a whole different discussion. But for now, I'l base who should be in on the criteria used to pick them.
And no they arent like eveyr mid major outside of gonzaga...wichita st played louisville, ok st, and MSU and Gasp!...none were true road games.
The only major team ISU played all year was TCU (who is a bubble team that likelly wont make it)...and they lost by 10. And this is the 8th place team in b12 and a perennial b12 bottom feeder.
How would they fare against our sched?
And no, im not talking about a tourney of only P5 schools, as WSU/ISu can win their tourney and get in.
Their resume, based on the criteria set forth by the committee, isnt very good.
And no, i dont want the 10th place acc team over an elite mid major...But you know what? ISU isnt elite. Elite mid majors dont have just 2 top 100 wins and 2 sub 100 losses in the same season. I'd consider ISU but thats a long way from thinking they are a shoo in bc they won 24 games vs a crap schedule and 2 vs decent, but not great teams.
If they had a resume like st mary's, id be on board. They are in a weaker conf but schedule team like dayton, stanford, etc who at least will be in teh top 100 in their OOC. 7 top 100 wins, no losses to cupcakes.