Muller: Mid-majors get snubbed again in NCAA tournament

Posted on March 12, 2018
Dan Muller
Dan Muller’s Redbirds end the season at 18-15 after failing to get an NIT bid. (WJBC file photo)

By Eric Stock

NORMAL – The Redbird men’s basketball team practiced on Sunday night for the final time this season, then found out there would be no NIT bid.

Illinois State coach Dan Muller said he’s not surprised his team missed the cut. ISU ends the season at 18-15, finishing better than the preseason Missouri Valley Conference projection for the fifth year in a row. The Redbirds were picked to finish fourth and ended with the No. 3 seed in the MVC Tournament.

Muller said the NCAA tournament, which took just one Missouri Valley team and only four schools from non-power conference, shows how tough it is for mid-majors like the Missouri Valley conference schools to get respect.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Muller on WJBC.

“The A-10 had three (bids), but if St. Bonaventure or Rhode Island would have won, they would have only had one at-large,” Muller said. “So it’s just becoming increasing difficult no matter what your schedule is to get in if you are not in one of those big conferences.”

Muller noted ISU played its 10th toughest non-confernce schedule in Division I this season.

Muller added the head of the NCAA committee, Creighton athletic director Bruce Rasmussen, recently seemed to drop a hint that explains why mid-majors get so few at-large bids.

“Two days ago he talked about how important it is to see teams in person and how that allows him to maybe get a feel for teams,” Muller said. “How many times do you think those guys saw Missouri Valley play in person? How many times do you think any of those guys saw MTSU play in person?

“No chance, maybe the Big East maybe, no chance they saw us in person.”

Muller was referring to Middle Tennessee State, a 24-win Conference USA team that wound up with an NIT bid.

Four schools from non-power conference schools; Nevada (Mountain West), Rhode Island (Atlantic 10), St. Bonaventure (Atlantic 10) and Wichita State (American), received at-large bids to the tournament.

Loyola, the MVC, lone rep in the ‘Big Dance’ will play Thursday afternoon in Dallas against Miami.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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