NCAA Tournament: Arizona Should Not Be Dancing

After 23 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, it’s finally time to leave the Arizona Wildcats home this year.

Let them host a few N.I.T. games. 

Yes, Joe Lunardi, we see that Kevin O’Neill’s squad is No. 29 in the all-important, tell-all RPI.

We see that.

And yes, we know about all the “no team with an RPI of such and such has never been left out blah, blah, f****n’ blah.”

Right now, Arizona sits at 18-13 overall, including a very impotent 8-10 in the Pac-10.  Granted, the Pac-10 is probably the best conference this season, but 8-10? 

The two teams who appear “on the bubble” closest to the Wildcats in the standings, Oregon and Arizona State, both finished at 9-9 in conference play.  (By the way, Oregon's résumé is about as hot as Rosie O'Donnell, but that's a whole other article)

Oh yeah, by the way, Arizona got swept by both Oregon and Arizona State.

But what does that matter, right? 

That big, sexy 29 rank in the RPI just helps fade that back into the distance—off into a land where computers are prophets. 

Let’s look at Arizona’s résumé a bit closer. 

Let’s see, um, they got roasted by Washington.

Swept Washington State—that’s actually not bad. With this résumé though, that should put them ON the bubble, not safely in. 

Non-conference? Beat Texas A&M and UNLV, but lost to Virginia. So-so.  Very so-so actually. 

Lately, the committee just seems to ignore Arizona’s bad losses, or huge number of losses, and inject the Wildcats into an eight versus nine game. 

Kind of like last season; except last season, Arizona finished 20-10 (11-7) with wins over Louisville and Memphis. 

My final point has to do with the team on the floor. This team has absolutely no bench to speak of; basically one inside player in Jordan Hill (what happens if he gets in foul trouble?); and freshman point guard Jerryd Bayless, who is more erratic than Roseanne Barr’s bowels. 

This is a very beatable team, as proven by the 13 losses. 

Let’s give a bid to a team who has actually done something this year, not a team who has underwhelmed us all year.

Put Arizona in the N.I.T. where they belong.