THE GIST OF COMPLAINTS
A sampling of various emails and web sites reveals that not all in the softball world are in full agreement with the NCAA choices.
On the West Coast, for example, there are complaints about UC Santa Barbara being excluded, while teams with a bare margin of winning, eg, CS Fullerton were given bids. In the Midwest, advocates for Kansas believe the Jayhawks were superior to Arkansas and Tulsa, while others make a case for Ohio State over Iowa and Purdue. Readers who follow the Big East have expressed "curiosity" that South Florida, Notre Dame and Louisville are in the show with DePaul. Along the Atlantic, there have been statements of support for North Carolina State as being more worthy than Georgia Tech or East Carolina. Indeed, there has been some disagreement with all of the at-large berths given to non-Top 25 teams -- but it is noted that for much of the season Georgia, Missouri, and Mississippi State were in Top 25 polls.
SPY will address these and other issues in a separate article.
Below is an article by ESPN's Graham Hays, whom we consider one of the more astute softball writers.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=3391188
Will Arizona complete its NCAA championship three-peat? Can the SEC challenge the Pac-10's supremacy? Which teams were bracket surprises? Who was snubbed? A look at the NCAA softball tournament's biggest questions:
Which teams have the biggest gripe with the bracket?
Snubs: The most puzzling omission is also the best example of the problematic nature of conference tournaments. Texas State played as challenging a nonconference schedule as any mid-major could reasonably be asked to concoct. During February alone, the Bobcats played Creighton (twice), Tulsa, Texas, Washington, Nevada, Arizona State and Houston -- all teams that are now in the NCAA tournament. They also played each of the four Texas schools in the Big 12 over the course of the season, including a rematch with Texas. Playing those games is one thing, but Texas State also managed wins against Texas, Washington and Creighton. Not to mention the Bobcats went 25-5 in the Southland and finished five games clear of their next-closest challenger. Their crime, apparently, was losing a 3-2 decision against Stephen F. Austin in the conference tournament -- much as at-large beneficiaries Georgia Tech, Purdue and Tulsa lost opening games in conference tournaments.
NC State put together a good run in its conference tournament. Kansas and Cal-Santa Barbara both put together season-long efforts worthy of serious consideration. Minnesota finished ahead of Purdue in the regular season and beat the Boilermakers in the conference tournament. And yet no team saw more good softball deeds undone by one ill-timed run than Texas State. Building a bracket is a difficult and thankless task with no right answers and endless opportunities for second-guessing. That said, Texas State deserved better.
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