Snubbed? Syracuse Not Selected for NCAA Tournament, Face Greensboro in NIT

But I can’t help but rant here. The two most similar were CT 2012 (RPI 32, 3-8 vs Top 50, 9 seed) and Georgia 2011 (RPI 41, 3-9 vs Top 50, 10 seed). Sure this team lost to UCONN, Georgetown, and St. Johns, but this is a whole new team now as two of the starters have changed. Those four losses alone should cancel a couple quality wins. That’s a shame, because they’re clearly the best team their conference had to offer.

The Illinois State Redbirds may not have the name pizzazz of Syracuse, but they certainly had the metrics. The Shockers made the Final Four in 2013 under current head coach Gregg Marshall when they were the No. 9 seed in the West Region.

Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament bubble finally burst on Sunday, with the selection committee leaving the most hotly debated team out of the field of 68. They are 86th in RPI! This isn’t an overt criticism as much as an observation that’s become clear over the last few years. 3 of the 4 “First Four Outs” have better RPIs and SOS.

The Red Birds checked in with the nation’s ninth-best defense at season’s end, putting them among some solid company. What universe is this? The Orange were 2-11 away from the friendly, domed confines of upstate NY, including a 2-8 mark in true road games, a 2-7 in ACC road games and an 0-3 record on a neutral court. Syracuse’s matchup in the NIT was announced on the event’s Selection Show on ESPNU on Sunday night. That may be necessary for them to make the NCAA Tournament as the Rams have just two top 50 wins. A VCU win would help Syracuse as it makes Rhode Island part of the bubble discussion as opposed to grabbing a guaranteed spot. The notable victories are Duke, Virginia, and Florida State, but all came within the friendly confines of the Carrier Dome. As it turned out, three of those losses were to eventual tourney teams, but there were also some duds mixed in. They only played 1 of the top 5 ACC teams twice. It’s the games we lost.

What hurts their BPI, without question, is a putrid strength of schedule.

The Trojans’ record of 24-9 is better than the Orange’s record of 18-14, but Syracuse played tougher opponents throughout the season and found ways to beat quality opponents a couple of times. However, when you look at the 2016-17 season for the Hawks, their resume is a bit more impressive than that would lead you to believe. The RPI is so low (86 on the NCAA site today), and most teams with a RPI that low don’t have 6 Top 50 wins. That’s it. That is basically the only argument in their favor. Beat one Top 25 team.