March Madness upsets remind us what metrics, Bruce Pearl get wrong
Bruce Pearl and metrics nerds railed against mid-majors getting in the NCAA Tournament. We need more VCU, Miami of Ohio and High Point, not less.
PHILADELPHIA – Travis Steele tried to warn everyone Wednesday night. “This is not an upset,” the Miami of Ohio coach said after his team crushed SMU in the First Four. “There’s some really good mid-major teams – really good.
” Like High Point, which took down Wisconsin. Like VCU, which rallied from 19 points down to stun North Carolina. Like Santa Clara, which pushed Kentucky to overtime and would have advanced but for a miracle shot.
“Those teams could compete with anybody," Steele said, "but they don’t get the opportunity in the regular season, quite honestly, to put them in position for an at-large bid. ” High Point coach Flynn Cayman echoed that point. “High Point and Miami Ohio are 2-1 in Quad 1 games,” he said.
“We couldn't get games, they couldn't get games…We won 22 of our last 23 games and we didn't move up one spot in the metrics – not one. ” How many High Points, VCUs and Miami of Ohios got left out of the Big Dance because computers are doing the work of people? Because algorithms have replaced common sense?