FWIW, from one of the best "bracketologists"

[MGP]

So there's been a standing notice posted annually in the committee room going back 20 years reading something like, REMEMBER, KEEP SYRACUSE OUT OF THE TOURNAMENT AT ALL COSTS

Sounds about right...

 

[BomberOrange]

I think this NCSt game will be tougher than people expect.

That said we are also due for a hot start.

The way this team has played this year no game is a gimme. Every game can be a loss. That said, I feel better about the FSU game than NC St.

 

[jncuse]

Well since the mid-80's SU has only missed the Tourney six times. Two of those six they weren't eligible, which leaves four legit misses - each of which we were legitimate bubble teams.

1996-97 - 19-12, RPI of 60 after the home FSU loss. I'm guessing during Selection Sunday that their RPI was somewhere in the low-to-mid-50's.

2001-02 - 20-11, RPI of 54 after the NIT. I can't imagine the RPI improved much after going 3-2 in the postseason considering none of their wins came against a team that finished with an RPI higher than 65. Let's assume their RPI on Selection Sunday was somewhere in the mid-to-upper 40's.

2006-07 - 24-10, RPI #50 on Selection Sunday. 8-2 record in final 10 games, including win over #2 seed Georgetown. Georgia Tech (52), Texas Tech (53), Virginia (55) and Stanford (67) all had higher RPI's and made it in as at-large teams.

2007-08 - 19-13, RPI #56 on Selection Sunday. Kentucky (58) and Oregon (61) made the Tournament.

I'm not arguing 2007. 29 of 30 people (97%) on the matrix thought we would get in.

Can't really speak to 1997 or 2002 - too bad there was no such thing as the bracket matrix back then. That was a 64 team field as well, and that resume at high level seems modest.. Just based on what I have read here (just a few tidbits), it doesn't seem like there was major hope or surprise when those teams got excluded.

As for 2008, as I said before 2 of 53 had us in on the bracket matrix, and 6 teams left out had more votes. I think we got what we deserved. I am sure there is the odd person with bias against a certain school here or there, but I don't the majority of the 53 people had some hate on for Syracuse.

 

[jncuse]

As another note on 2007. In the 10 years of the matrix, there have been 15 schools that were in based on the consensus but ended up being out. So basically 1.5 / year. No real trend observed, although it apeears that mid-majors tend to be on the shaft list more often.

 

[kirbivore]

There has only been one year where we deserved to get in on the bubble - 2007. 29 of 30 people had us in on the final bracket matrix -- I did not have us as a clear in, but safely in nonetheless. I don't think 2007 was any vendetta but just a case of poor logic. If you remember we last at home to Drexel that year -- and Drexel was also a team that many thought would get in -- (16 of 30 on the matrix). My guess is that when they tried to separate the bubble, they decided Drexel was out, and then used the if A beat B, and A is not in, then B cannot be in either logic. Just my guess.

http://bracketmatrix.com/matrix_2007.html

And if you believe John Feinstein (per something Alsacs said a few days ago) we were the last team out in 2008 after Georgia won the SEC which was a heck of a generous placement for us (we did not deserve that spot at all). Of course it is just heresay, but that does not indicate a vendetta if it was true. In 2008, 2 out of 53 people had us in the tourney per the final matrix -- so it would have been quite generous.

2002 that meshaun team was a mess that didn't deserve a bid. Did the committee take into account player absences as much in the 90's as they do now? That 1997 team really got hurt by Burgan's suspension. They got swept by Notre Dame without him then beat the Irish easily in the BET with him.