AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > February > 18 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USPostseason hopes drying up
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
They have lost three consecutive games. They’re two games under .500. Barring an unlikely run through the ACC tournament, you can just about forget about an NCAA tournament berth for Georgia Tech’s Yellow Jackets.
So, if Tech isn’t in the field of 65, what about the 32 spots in the NIT and the 16 in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational?
The good news is that neither requires a winning record or even a .500 record. The bad news is that, while a losing record doesn’t exclude a team from those tournaments, it makes selection to either unlikely.
The NIT changed its rules in 2006 to allow teams with losing records to be considered for selection, but the tournament never has invited a team with a losing record. A test case came last season, when Cal went 16-17, including a victory over UCLA in the Pac-10 tournament quarterfinals. The Bears had an RPI of 79 on Selection Sunday.
Tech’s RPI is currently No. 80 (Monday, 5:30 p.m.), according to realtimerpi.com. And the Jackets haven’t beaten anybody better than Notre Dame this season.
The College Basketball Invitational also has no rules against selecting losing teams, but there’s at least a suggestion that won’t be something it does lightly. Here’s some info on the tournament. The head of the group running the new tournament, Gazelle Group president Rick Giles, told The Associated Press that though there is no rule against it, “I can’t anticipate taking a team with a sub-.500 record. There are too many teams out there with good records.” Link here.
The “easiest” path to .500 for Tech: Go 4-2 the rest of the way, then win a game in the ACC tournament.
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: Basketball
Comments
By RAMBLE ON!
February 18, 2008 5:50 PM | Link to this
Just put an end to another pathetic season under Hewitt.
By Blue Fox
February 18, 2008 7:05 PM | Link to this
I agree, put a fork in this team and declare it done, don’t prolong the agony with a NIT post-season loss.
By ben
February 18, 2008 7:17 PM | Link to this
We’re not mathematically eliminated just yet, however, the odor coming from the kitchen says we’ve been burnt toast for quite a while.
By Extremely disapointed
February 18, 2008 8:11 PM | Link to this
Initially a big fan of PH but have been extremely disapointed to date. Yesterday’s game was the proverbial straw. No teamwork, totally out of control, coach crouching by bench, with back to game!
Shame, thought at one time we had a coach prodigy. No such luck!
By woodsy
February 18, 2008 9:10 PM | Link to this
this aint tenuta
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/
By Bowie
February 18, 2008 11:54 PM | Link to this
Nothing else to say- * Fire Hewitt*.
By aw
February 19, 2008 6:37 AM | Link to this
iS THERE A BASKETBALL COACH AT NAVY?
By since this season is toast,
February 19, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this
why not plan now for next year(s)?
Play some sets not normally played. Play some guys longer than 31 secs. Play something besides the normally feeble in-bounds play…. Play a game without 53 fouls. Have fun…what else is there?
By williambuchheit
February 19, 2008 11:05 AM | Link to this
Tech’s the only B-Ball program I know of where players get worse by the year. Clinch, Smith and Morrow all looked so promising as freshmen. Now they look like they’re playing in the dark. What does this team do in practice every day?
By blazer
February 19, 2008 12:01 PM | Link to this
WHEN CLINCH AND AMINU STARTED THE FIRST OF THE YEAR THEY AVERAGED DOUBLE FIGURES. WHY WERE THEY BENCHED? LAWAL AND BELL DON’T AVERAGE DOUBLE DIGITS AND THEY START>. GET A CLUE!!
By GT
February 19, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this
The man that learns how to teach foul shooting in basketball as a whole and Tech in specific will get rich. You got guys hitting in the 40% range playing major college basketball. It is like playing tennis and not being able to serve.
By TechNerd
February 19, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this
NIT= Nerds in a Tournament