Sometimes, the system that grants the invitation to the NCAA's Big Dance defies logic.
Take Utah State University. The Aggies posted 28-5 record, including 19 straight wins, and they ended up a 12th seed in the South Region. The 22-8 University of Utah men, tied with the UNLV for the Mountain West season crown, were ousted in the second round of the conference tournament. According to the NCAA, they're an 8th seed in the Midwest. Understandably, there are matters of reputation and levels of competition at work here. But if not for USU's conference tournament championship, the Aggies may very well have been en route to the National Invitation Tournament.One could go batty trying to second-guess the rationale behind the tournament bracketing. Perhaps that's why it's called March Madness. The important thing is, five Utah collegiate teams will be part of post-season tournaments. Utah's men and women's basketball teams have qualified for the NCAA tournaments, as have the USU men and the Brigham Young University women. BYU's men have been invited to the NIT. This certainly adds a lot of local interest and flavor to the "madness" of the month.
College basketball is exciting because unpredictable things can and do happen. Yes, USU has its work cut out for it taking on the defending national champion Connecticut in the first round. But who would have dreamed last year that Weber State University would have upset the University of North Carolina? Who could have predicted that tiny Gonzaga University would reach the Elite Eight?
As USU coach Stew Morrill has observed, his players believe they can beat anyone. It's hard to argue with a 19-game winning streak. Surely, they must carry that confidence onto the court when they play the University of Connecticut Huskies.
The U. men will make their sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAAs under Rick Majerus, although Ute fans must acknowledge that they shouldn't take this feat for granted. This has been a rough year for the Utes, who have been plagued with injuries and inconsistent play. Instead of fretting over the tournament seed, the Utes were fretting over whether they'd be invited to the tournament at all. Happily, they were, an eighth seed to boot.
The U. women's NCAA bid wasn't unexpected, given the team's regular season and conference tournament championship. But it's a wonderful reward for a season of hard work and emotional trials, namely junior center Kristina Anderson's frequent trips to Oregon to be with her ill mother.
Meanwhile, BYU's women will make their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1993, and their second in 14 years. It is a giant step forward for the program, which finished second to the U. in conference tournament play.
BYU's men will represent the Beehive State in the NIT, which speaks well of coach Steve Cleveland's efforts to improve a sagging program. The scrappy Cougars ousted not only the University of New Mexico but arch-rival Utah from the Mountain West Conference tournament. With strong recruiting efforts, BYU has put the MWC on notice that it will be a force to reckon with in upcoming seasons.
For basketball fans, all there is left to do is sit back, enjoy and cheer on Utah's sons and daughters.