J.K. Rolling

Author: Jeff Klein

Arizona is in. St. Mary's is out. Are you kidding me?

Great, Arizona extends its longest active streak of NCAA tournament appearances to 25 straight, which undoubtedly pleases all the traditionalists. But is it really too much to ask the selection committee to base its decisions on merit instead of pedigree?

The fact that the Arizona Wildcats were awarded the last at-large bid in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament, while the St. Mary's Gaels remain on the outside looking in, is absolutely absurd and reflects the committee's blatant bias toward traditional powerhouse conferences at the expense of lesser-publicized mid-majors.

Yes, I understand that each year selecting the field of 65 is an extremely difficult task. Tough decisions have to be made, and inevitably there will be a couple selections that lead to controversy and second-guessing.

But in this case, there is absolutely no rational justification for taking Arizona over St. Mary's.

Let's take a look at the numbers. St. Mary's boasts a 26-6 record, and four of those losses came when the team's best player, Australian sensation Patti Mills, was out with an injury. Arizona, meanwhile, heads into the Big Dance at a pedestrian 19-13, including an underwhelming 9-9 in regular season conference play. Factor in RPI - which takes into account a team's winning percentage, opponent's winning percentage and the winning percentage of those opponents' opponents - and the Gaels also come out on top; they're ranked 48th in that category, while the Wildcats are 62nd. Oh yeah, and Arizona has also lost five of its last six games. St. Mary's, meanwhile, has won seven of its last eight.

Here's where the traditionalists argue that St. Mary's doesn't deserve to be in because they didn't "play anybody." I don't buy that. Sure, the Gaels lack a couple of the caliber wins that Arizona compiled over the season, but you have to look at context when making that argument. It's simply not feasible for a team like St. Mary's to acquire a top-notch resume. Each game they schedule against top teams in major conferences will inevitably be on the road (do you think Duke would ever agree to travel all the way to California to play a game on the Gaels' home court?). Thus, the only way for St. Mary's to get signature wins over major programs entails making multiple trips across the country - a task that, realistically, could be accomplished only in the month or so prior to the beginning of conference play. So at season's end, it hardly seems fair to expect the Gaels to hand the selection committee a resume replete with matchups against the likes of UConn, UNC and other basketball giants on the East Coast.

Even with that in mind, it's not as if the Gaels have been playing cellar dwellers. They beat both Kent State and Providence at neutral sites. They gave perennial WCC powerhouse Gonzaga a serious run for their money on the 'Zags home floor before falling by seven. And last month, they got a signature victory over Utah State, ranked 23rd in the country.

The selection committee screwed up big time here. Instead of trying to determine which team was truly most deserving of an NCAA tournament birth, it made an ostensibly subjective decision that sorely lacks any semblance of validity. Simply put, the committee wrongfully penalized an excellent team in a mid-major conference to cater to an average team in a major conference. You think mid-majors can't compete on the big stage? Try telling that to Davidson - a team that came within a Stephen Curry three from going to the Final Four last year. Somehow I doubt those Wildcats are buying that argument.

Give the little guys a chance.