(01-27-2013 06:05 PM)axeme Wrote: Since they expanded the field, the 12 seeds have tended to be major conference teams. Virtually no chance for an 11 seed with such blah non-conference records. I think 13 would be the best possible seed for either Ohio or Akron and 15-16 for another MAC team winning the conference tourney. Nobody has any signature wins over solid tourney teams.
Are you just making this up as you go because you don't like me?
2012 (1/4 of 12 seeds are from a major conference)
VCU
Harvard
Long Beach State
South Florida
2011 (1/4 of 12 seeds are from a major conference)
Clemson
Richmond
Memphis
Utah State
2010 (0/4 of 12 seeds are from a major conference)
NMSU
Cornell
UTEP
Utah State
2009 (2/4 of 12 seeds are from a major conference)
Zona
Wisconsin
Northern Iowa
WKU
2008 (2/4 of 12 seeds are from a major conference)
George Mason
Temple
NOVA
WKU
2007 (2/4 of 12 seeds are from a major conference)
Old Dominion
Arkansas
Illinois
Long Beach State
2006 (1/4 of 12 seeds are from a major conference)
Texas A&M
Utah State
Kent State
Montana
2005 (0/4 of 12 seeds are from a major conference)
Wisconsin-Milwaukee
New Mexico
George Washington
Old Dominion
Now I could keep counting back, but at this point I don't want to waste anymore time. Seeing that I have yet to see 1 season where the tournament 12 seeds were dominated by major conference teams, I'm doubting I will find the whole era dominated by major teams like you suggested.
Maybe in the 90's 12 seeds were dominated in the tournament by major conference teams; even if that is the case, I don't see how that is relevant. It is clear the current trend is for non-majors to take up the majority of 12 seed spots. (I assumed you meant the 1985 expansion of the tournament to 64 teams, even though we have expanded the tournament 2 times since then.)
You mentioned the "best possible scenario." The best possible scenario is Ohio and Akron winning out (including bracket busters) and only beating each other. Seeing that they have yet to lose in the MAC, I don't think that is particularly unreasonable to imagine (although it is difficult to do)... If they do that, I think they will have the record and rpi to command a seed above 13 in the big dance. Their biggest issue is the lack of key OOC wins, which is one of the big reasons I mentioned the bracket buster being so important.