Brad Brownell called out Big 12 teams for manipulating the NET:
"Their nonconference scheduling, they’re playing 300 level teams and winning by 40-50 points to increase their efficiency numbers. ... Our league is actually 9-3 against the Big 12." https://t.co/8mKBzdzIB8 pic.twitter.com/i4DjDUahno

— Matt Connolly (@MattConnollyOn3) February 26, 2024

Sounds like a skill issue https://t.co/tGkMyMax2O pic.twitter.com/XGqoZTFyz1

— Barstool Big12 (@BarstoolBig12) February 27, 2024

Brownwells being a baby.
But he's not wrong about the non con gripe.
TCU, ISU, OU, BYU, Tech played absolutely pathetic non con slates. Embarrassing is the word I'd use.
This has been the theme for TCU and ISU for awhile and needs to change

Losses to good teams in college basketball are not nearly as damaging as they are in football. I don't understand not picking up some more challenging teams in the non conference.

boognish_bear said:

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Sounds like a skill issue https://t.co/tGkMyMax2O pic.twitter.com/XGqoZTFyz1

— Barstool Big12 (@BarstoolBig12) February 27, 2024

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Clemson has made the tournament three times in 14 years under Brownell. He looks like a whiny ***** complaining about other teams, when he can't get his own above 17 wins most years.

boognish_bear said:

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Losses to good teams in college basketball are not nearly as damaging as they are in football. I don't understand not picking up some more challenging teams in the non conference.

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Are you talking about Baylor?

EvilTroyAndAbed said:

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boognish_bear said:

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Losses to good teams in college basketball are not nearly as damaging as they are in football. I don't understand not picking up some more challenging teams in the non conference.

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Are you talking about Baylor?

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I wouldn't think so. We schedule like a team planning for a deep tournament run every year. We have for ages under Drew.

boognish_bear said:

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Losses to good teams in college basketball are not nearly as damaging as they are in football. I don't understand not picking up some more challenging teams in the non conference.

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I guess I should've used the reply function. I was referencing the teams that IB named in the previous post.

He is correct that the various metrics can be statistically "gamed" to a degree through scheduling as long as you deliver the numbers needed to game the stats. But, as he's throwing arrows at the Big 12, let's look at the ACC non-conference SOS's:


Pittsburgh #342
NC State #320
Louisville #307
Miami #266
Wake Forest #252
Virginia #237
Boston College #216
Notre Dame #212
Duke #198
Virginia Tech #109
Syracuse #97
Florida St #93
Georgia Tech #77
Clemson #59
North Carolina #35

Looks like all the ACC schools have played murder's row, Brad, right?

EvilTroyAndAbed said:

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bear2be2 said:

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EvilTroyAndAbed said:

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boognish_bear said:

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Losses to good teams in college basketball are not nearly as damaging as they are in football. I don't understand not picking up some more challenging teams in the non conference.

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Are you talking about Baylor?

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I wouldn't think so. We schedule like a team planning for a deep tournament run every year. We have for ages under Drew.

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I was about to say. Auburn, Florida, Seton Hall, Michigan State, Duke. We loaded up this year (and most years).

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Also Oregon State

Part of me hopes Clemson loses to a Big 12 team in the first or second round, assuming they get in.

Lunardi discusses his thoughts on B12....click on the link to see his multiple responses if curious

• There are seven Big 12 teams with a non-conference schedule rankings worse than 300.
• Those seven teams played 32 games against the bottom 100 teams in Division I (more specifically the bottom 112 teams, NET 251-362, but you get the idea).

— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) February 29, 2024

I would be curious another the rest of the power 5s as a comparison.

He's got us back to 3 for the moment

pic.twitter.com/oOyIvP9THm

— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) February 29, 2024

How about Utah as a bubble team. They've been down for years.

This conference isn't getting any easier next year adding Arizona and 2 bubbles in CU and Utah.

IowaBear said:

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Brownwells being a baby.
But he's not wrong about the non con gripe.
TCU, ISU, OU, BYU, Tech played absolutely pathetic non con slates. Embarrassing is the word I'd use.
This has been the theme for TCU and ISU for awhile and needs to change

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Add in Cincinnati.

But why does it have to change for those schools?

Can it be possible that both things can be true?. The Big 12 has gamed the system and we're still the best conference top to bottom.

Sure both could be true. It's still pathetic and honestly cowardly. There's zero reason for a Jamie Dixon team with that much experience to be playing a sub 320 non con schedule. It's record fluffing at its finest. Same for Otz at ISU
I've always been of the belief those teams shouldn't be rewarded seed wise in March.

I'm definitely not going to disagree with a word you said.

But it's easy for us to sit back in our armchair and criticize.

If we were in their shoes our priority would be:

Win enough games to make sure I have a job

Get my team the best seed.

Prepare for March.

If Jamie and TJ win 23+ and get a 5 seed or above and get to 2nd weekend then you can't criticize one bit their philosophy. Everyone has to do what (they think)is best for their program.

Oh I agree about doing what's best for your program. I just think both have reached the point at their programs where they should be scheduling some tougher games. Not saying they need to follow Drew's scheduling style by any means. Just feel both programs are at a point where they could challenge themselves a bit more before league play

Agreed but I don't think they should be kept out entirely if their conference record is good.

Arguably, it would be better for the players

Oh I agree.. but I'd say TCU as an example finished 8-10 in league play they shouldn't get in. I'm not for rewarding teams with losing conference records who beefed up on only cupcakes in the non con

That makes sense. They should have at least a 0.500 record in conference. Maybe getting left out will encourage them to schedule better next year. Maybe the conference should require they schedule at least 2 P6 non conference games. If football can require one, MBB & WBB should have at least two, maybe three.

Capel about the Big 12: "They play these non-conference schedules that are not very challenging... The average margin of victory, I think, was 27 points, and that skews the numbers."

Pitt's average margin of victory against the #344 non-con SOS? Exactly 27 points per game. https://t.co/J9I6epZGyw

— Aaron Marner (@A_Mar32) February 29, 2024

boognish_bear said:

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Capel about the Big 12: "They play these non-conference schedules that are not very challenging... The average margin of victory, I think, was 27 points, and that skews the numbers."

Pitt's average margin of victory against the #344 non-con SOS? Exactly 27 points per game. https://t.co/J9I6epZGyw

— Aaron Marner (@A_Mar32) February 29, 2024

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He's still sore that he totally flamed out in Norman.

boognish_bear said:

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Sounds like a skill issue https://t.co/tGkMyMax2O pic.twitter.com/XGqoZTFyz1

— Barstool Big12 (@BarstoolBig12) February 27, 2024

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Dad bod?

ScottS said:

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boognish_bear said:

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Sounds like a skill issue https://t.co/tGkMyMax2O pic.twitter.com/XGqoZTFyz1

— Barstool Big12 (@BarstoolBig12) February 27, 2024

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Dad bod?

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IowaBear said:

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Sure both could be true. It's still pathetic and honestly cowardly. There's zero reason for a Jamie Dixon team with that much experience to be playing a sub 320 non con schedule. It's record fluffing at its finest. Same for Otz at ISU
I've always been of the belief those teams shouldn't be rewarded seed wise in March.

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I agree. You'll never catch Kansas, Baylor or even Texas (most years) playing a lineup of patsies in nonconference. Those programs a) have too much self-respect to do so and b) understand the value of challenging yourself early in the season.

There's no excuse not to play a quality nonconference schedule In a sport where you're not heavily penalized for "quality" losses. It's cowardly, plain and simple.

You don't have to play a schedule full of top-25 teams, but every schedule should have three to five nonconference games you could potentially lose. If you win some of them, it helps your tournament resume. And if you lose all of them, you probably don't deserve to be a tournament team.

Pittsburgh would probably be in the field right now (First Four Out at worst) if they hadn't lost at home to 8-20 (0-15) Missouri. https://t.co/dx3HEZW1Ne

— JBR Bracketology (@JBRBracketology) February 29, 2024

boognish_bear said:

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Pittsburgh would probably be in the field right now (First Four Out at worst) if they hadn't lost at home to 8-20 (0-15) Missouri. https://t.co/dx3HEZW1Ne

— JBR Bracketology (@JBRBracketology) February 29, 2024

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I didn't have a problem with anything Capel said here. He was far more diplomatic and contemplative than Brownell, who came across as whiny.

I will say this narrative loses some of its effectiveness coming from the coach of a Pitt team that played the 339th-ranked nonconference schedule this season.

Pitt's woes (& Clemson's) have nothing to do with the Big 12 or any other conference. It's entirely their own. If they don't get into the tournament it's entirely because they did not earn it. Same with any other potential bubble team or team that thinks they should be in the bubble.

It's not only about who one CB plays non conference, it's also the record of wins & losses. One could even argue that the Big 12 gauntlet makes up somewhat from playing too many cupcakes. It would be a lame excuse for poor scheduling but it has some truth.

In the end, the committee should use Net rankings and maybe KenPom, Torvik, EvanMiya, etc to decide & let the chips fall where they may. I certainly hope they won't be influenced by the whining of some coaches.

#JBRBracketology Seed List - Friday March 1st.

-Gonzaga making moves 👀
-I really like this Auburn team, but the 1-7 Quad 1 record is a tough look. Reminds me of 2022 Houston who was top 5 in every efficiency metric, but got a 5 seed due to their 1-4 Quad 1 record
-Margins are… pic.twitter.com/4dBsyirvSR

— JBR Bracketology (@JBRBracketology) March 1, 2024

He's got us one spot ahead of KU now

pic.twitter.com/jPJPKfEIgX

— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) March 3, 2024