Horizon poised for a busy postseason
Mar 9, 2007 6:39:07 GMT -5
Post by raiderscout on Mar 9, 2007 6:39:07 GMT -5
Butler expected to join WSU in NCAA tournament; Loyola 'in position' to get an NIT bid.
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Friday, March 09, 2007
FAIRBORN — For a moment, Butler coach Todd Lickliter considered a daunting possibility from members of the NCAA tournament committee, which began meeting Wednesday.
"I wouldn't want to play (Wright State) in the first round," Lickliter said in the wake of Tuesday night's 60-55 Horizon League tournament loss to the Raiders at the Nutter Center. "They (committee members) wouldn't do that, would they?"
No, but this may end up being as much a banner year for the Horizon League as it is for Wright State.
While the Raiders are 23-9 and own an automatic bid, they wouldn't have earned an at-large bid had they lost in the league championship game. Instead, they would have gone to the NIT, automatic these days to crowned regular-season champs who do not make the NCAA field.
However, it is assumed that Butler can sustain the loss, what with a 27-6 record, Top 25 ranking and "quality" out-of-league victories over Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee, Gonzaga and Purdue.
"And I think Loyola is really well-positioned to get into the NIT," said Horizon League commissioner Jon LeCrone, who is on the NCAA selection committee. "And that would just be a sensational year."
The last time the Horizon League sent two members to the NCAA tourney was 2003, when both Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Butler were invited. Milwaukee lost 70-69 to Notre Dame in the first round, but Butler won two rounds, making it to the Sweet 16.
Illinois-Chicago went to the NIT that season, losing 63-62 to Western Michigan in a first-round game.
Under the banner of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference in 1998, the league became the first "mid-major" league to send three teams to the NCAA in one season — Butler, UIC and Detroit.
Prior to Tuesday's game, LeCrone met with Butler president Bobby Fong and WSU president David Hopkins.
"I told Dr. Fong, 'You know what, there will be no losers tonight,' " LeCrone said. "'If Wright State wins, we are all going to be happy because Wright State goes in as the automatic qualifier and Butler is solidly in the tournament.
" 'Now if Butler should happen to win, Butler is going to get an excellent seed and Wright State is going in the NIT.' "
Beyond that, LeCrone also was thrilled with the crowd of 10,686 and the way the game was played.
"The thing I was most happy about really wasn't who won and who lost," LeCrone said. "It was the quality crowd we had and the game we had and being on national television. It was as good a college basketball atmosphere as you could have."
NCAA noisemakers
Horizon League teams have won at least one game in three of the last four NCAA tournaments. Here's how they've fared:
2006
Wis.-Milwaukee 82, Oklahoma 74 (first round)
Florida 82, Wis.-Milwaukee 60 (second round)
2005
Wis.-Milwaukee 83, Alabama 73 (first round)
Wis.-Milwaukee 83, Boston College 75 (second round)
Illinois 77, Wis.-Milwaukee 63 (regional semifinals)
2004
Kansas 78, Illinois-Chicago 53 (first round)
2003
Notre Dame 70, Wis.-Milwaukee 69 (first round)
Butler 47, Mississippi State 46 (1st round)
Butler 79, Louisville 71 (second round)
Oklahoma 65, Butler 54 (regional semifinals)
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.
www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/03/09/ddn030907horizon.html
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Friday, March 09, 2007
FAIRBORN — For a moment, Butler coach Todd Lickliter considered a daunting possibility from members of the NCAA tournament committee, which began meeting Wednesday.
"I wouldn't want to play (Wright State) in the first round," Lickliter said in the wake of Tuesday night's 60-55 Horizon League tournament loss to the Raiders at the Nutter Center. "They (committee members) wouldn't do that, would they?"
No, but this may end up being as much a banner year for the Horizon League as it is for Wright State.
While the Raiders are 23-9 and own an automatic bid, they wouldn't have earned an at-large bid had they lost in the league championship game. Instead, they would have gone to the NIT, automatic these days to crowned regular-season champs who do not make the NCAA field.
However, it is assumed that Butler can sustain the loss, what with a 27-6 record, Top 25 ranking and "quality" out-of-league victories over Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee, Gonzaga and Purdue.
"And I think Loyola is really well-positioned to get into the NIT," said Horizon League commissioner Jon LeCrone, who is on the NCAA selection committee. "And that would just be a sensational year."
The last time the Horizon League sent two members to the NCAA tourney was 2003, when both Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Butler were invited. Milwaukee lost 70-69 to Notre Dame in the first round, but Butler won two rounds, making it to the Sweet 16.
Illinois-Chicago went to the NIT that season, losing 63-62 to Western Michigan in a first-round game.
Under the banner of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference in 1998, the league became the first "mid-major" league to send three teams to the NCAA in one season — Butler, UIC and Detroit.
Prior to Tuesday's game, LeCrone met with Butler president Bobby Fong and WSU president David Hopkins.
"I told Dr. Fong, 'You know what, there will be no losers tonight,' " LeCrone said. "'If Wright State wins, we are all going to be happy because Wright State goes in as the automatic qualifier and Butler is solidly in the tournament.
" 'Now if Butler should happen to win, Butler is going to get an excellent seed and Wright State is going in the NIT.' "
Beyond that, LeCrone also was thrilled with the crowd of 10,686 and the way the game was played.
"The thing I was most happy about really wasn't who won and who lost," LeCrone said. "It was the quality crowd we had and the game we had and being on national television. It was as good a college basketball atmosphere as you could have."
NCAA noisemakers
Horizon League teams have won at least one game in three of the last four NCAA tournaments. Here's how they've fared:
2006
Wis.-Milwaukee 82, Oklahoma 74 (first round)
Florida 82, Wis.-Milwaukee 60 (second round)
2005
Wis.-Milwaukee 83, Alabama 73 (first round)
Wis.-Milwaukee 83, Boston College 75 (second round)
Illinois 77, Wis.-Milwaukee 63 (regional semifinals)
2004
Kansas 78, Illinois-Chicago 53 (first round)
2003
Notre Dame 70, Wis.-Milwaukee 69 (first round)
Butler 47, Mississippi State 46 (1st round)
Butler 79, Louisville 71 (second round)
Oklahoma 65, Butler 54 (regional semifinals)
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.
www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/03/09/ddn030907horizon.html