Greendylan

I'm pretty sure we won by double digits. And, I think the slight NET drop had more to do with other games than our margin of victory.

Road wins in conference play are rarely blowouts, and that is especially true when you play a slow, plodding style. For the sake of comparison, let's look at #22 Murray State's last two road games: 2-point victory over UT-Martin (8-22), 2-point victory over SE Missouri State (14-17). Also, I feel like we are sort of burying the lead here. With only one game left, we are the only team in the nation that is undefeated in true road games!

I'm probably more bullish than most, but I tend to think North Texas is in if we win out, regardless of what happens in the CUSA tournament. I'll go out on a limb and say we could even lose one of the remaining games and still have a shot, but that would very much depend on how the chips fall across other conferences. Just a couple points to consider: Last season no team with a 41 or better NET ranking was left out. We are sitting at 38 at the moment, and were at 41 even before the UAB game. Also, the committee is always vocal about valuing teams that can win on the road--and we have the best road record in the nation. We also have statistically the best defense in the nation. I think North Texas is an intriguing team to a lot of people around the country. But, as CBL pointed out, there are certainly events beyond our control (such as upsets in conference tournaments or big wins by other bubble teams) that could throw a monkey wrench into all of this. Still, if the field were to be announced today, I think we'd be in.

We are now receiving votes in both polls. Not as many as I was expecting, but it's a start.

Wichita State has an opportunity for a Quad 1 win today.

You don't want me to be honest. TP would probably get a little creeped out.

There's just no consistency to this officiating.

It's early, but so far UAB is replicating their rebounding dominance from the last matchup, and we look lost on offense.

We're playing against teams that are a combined 27-4 at home. Most CUSA teams would go 0-2 against them. On the flip side of that, North Texas has the best true road record in the nation (6-0), so I don't want to imply that we have no chance of winning both. Overall, though, the good news is that I could see a scenario where both our NET ranking and position in the CUSA standings remain largely the same or better if we go 1-1.

It has been awhile for CUSA, but keep in mind that in 2013 both MTSU and Western Kentucky received bids (Blue Raiders as the at large) as members of the Sun Belt. Don't get me wrong...it's an uphill climb. If the past is any indication, though, a team from a midmajor conference such as ours probably needs to be receiving some top-25 votes to really be in good shape. Also, while technically not a factor, our results last year help.

Yep, just listening to the audio online it sounds like a neutral site game.

Yeah, the Buffalo and Miami losses don't help, but I think overall it's simply the lack of Quad 1 wins that is hurting more than any of our losses--none of which are really that bad. We have a huge opportunity for a Quad 1 win at UAB, and that could go a long way toward placing North Texas firmly in the at-large conversation.

Here's a pretty good assessment of the bubble situation. And yes, both UAB and North Texas are mentioned. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/insider/story/_/id/33209419/ncaa-tournament-2022-bubble-watch-brace-month-march-madness-bracket-selection-drama

For what it's worth, if we start seeing predictions of North Texas being an 11 seed or better, then those prognosticators are placing us in the conversation for an at-large bid.

I think that's pretty accurate. It reminds me of the old Sun Belt days when we would frequently struggle against some exceptionally unathletic Denver teams and their version of the Princeton offense. It was frustrating to say the least. On the other hand, I guess the difference is that we've been winning way more than those Denver teams ever did. And . . . we do have some athletes. So, we'll see, but I suspect that outside attitudes will eventually catch up to the reality on the court if we keep winning.

Not only have there been some classic games with them with a lot on the line, but they arguably have the best basketball fans in the conference. Our games against them always feel like barometers of whether or not we are really contenders. Obviously, huge win!

Things could certainly change in the second half, but it definitely feels like North Texas is dictating the pace. That was frequently not the case the last two games.

The rebounding disadvantage is similar to the advantage we had over Rice.

I think it's pretty clear by now why our alums aren't just clamoring to come watch yet another one of our bowl disappointments.

This team keeps on surprising me. I thought they'd be good, but I didn't think they would be this good this soon.

I'm not 100% sure, but I suspect this is the problem. Recruiting isn't about persuasion anymore. It's a bidding war.

I may be splitting hairs here, as the attendance WAS disappointing, but this myth that we had fewer than 100 fans there needs to die. It's an arena that holds 13,300, and attendees were pretty spread out all over the place, so yeah, we didn't have any single section that was packed. But, just because we didn't blanket the place in green doesn't mean we only had a few dozen fans.

Maybe they found some NIL money for him?

In fairness, he has always provided some good quality defensive minutes here and there.