Wright State, Bracketbusters, Mid-Major Hoops

Wright State suffered an ugly bracketbusters loss to Northeastern on Saturday afternoon. The Raiders turned it over 16 times to Northeaster's 6 turnovers. If I had turned that game on as just a casual basketball fan I think I'd be stunned to learn that Wright State had won 16 games this year. They are just a team with so many flaws. It is somewhat amazing that they have 16 wins. Offensively, the Raiders are brutal to watch at times. I hate to be so negative, but these are just my true thoughts! Haha

Scott Grote kind of mystifies me. I think he could be good, but he has lapses where he just is not quick enough, especially with the ball. It's like he is still adjusting to the quickness of Division 1 Hoops even though he's been around it for 3 years now. Sometimes I'm not sure he makes great decisions defensively, and his turnovers on the offensive side of the ball are frustrating.

With that being said, I think he is an aggressive offensive player, and that is something the Raiders desperately need. Graham and Evans just don't produce enough scoring so the Raiders need someone like Grote to step up to make any kind of run in the conference tournament.

 

Bracketbusters

I hear people complain about ESPN's bracketbusters every year and how it doesn't help them. It's usually the fans of the really good mid major teams who I perceive think their team/program is above the bracketbusters idea or that it hurts them if they lose. It usually just sounds like whining, but I am starting to understand that sentiment. I might be coming from a little different perspective though.

I watched parts of many of the bracketbusters games on replay through ESPN360.com (I love 360! Especially since I don't have cable television) Anyway, ESPN and their announcers seem to unintentionally belittle the Mid-majors. Maybe I'm over thinking it, but I just get the feeling ESPN feels like it is doing these small piddly schools a service, which in some ways they are…but I still don't think they get it. The top of the line Mid-Major teams can beat anyone in the BCS conferences on a neutral floor or on the mid-majors home floor.

Anyway, Gordon Hayward is (no pun intended) dog for Butler. One of the slights I thought the announcers made was when they said Indiana and Purdue, or Michigan State missed out on Hayward. First off, who really wants to go to Indiana with what they went through in the last year or two? But I honestly think Butler is just out-recruiting some of these big schools. I don't think these schools are necessarily "missing" on guys like Gordon Hayward. It's like out West where Gonzaga started just out recruiting Washington, Oregon, and Washington State for some of the top players in the North West.

Butler played great defense on Steph Curry, but I really hope Davidson makes the NCAA tournament. I kind of think they deserve to go if they lose in their conference tournament and don't get the automatic bid. Steph Curry is so fun to watch. He's just a tremendous player. Butler won that game easily. But you could tell that if Curry was playing like he normally does when healthy that Davidson probably could have won the game or at least been in the game in the last minute. He makes that big of a difference when healthy and sharp.

Mid Major Hoops

I'll be honest. I can't tell a difference in hardly any of the Mid-Major leagues anymore. People say the MVC is the best. They say the Horizon is pretty good. A-10 fans like to think they are the closest to being a major conference out of the Mid-Majors. But I would submit to you that there is so much parity that it'd hard to make any definitive statements. Butler and Gonzaga are probably the best mid-majors right now. Siena, Creighton, Dayton, and Xavier are all close in my opinion. Green Bay can be very good some nights.

I watched a little bit of Sienna and Niagra. Who is to say those 2 teams wouldn't be fighting for championships in the A-10, Horizon, or MVC conferences? Especially Sienna.

The A-10 is a little hard to figure out. UD isn't out of the woods yet. They could still end up with 5 losses in the conference. Xavier is good, but I think a little overrated. I kind of hope Green Bay and like Temple or Rhode Island win the Horizon and A10 tournaments because you know Butler, Xavier, and Dayton will get at large bids…those kind of upsets would keep out some of those 7^th and 8^th place teams in the ACC, Big 10, and Big East, that are just kind of boring to watch.