THE CASE: The NCAA Versus Campbell

Every year when the NCAA basketball brackets come out there is always someone who thinks that they should be part of the 68 teams that make the tournament.  Every case the NCAA can throw at you statistics and in some case facts as to why a certain team did not get in.  Monday when the NCAA baseball brackets were announced N C State had every reason to think that according to the numbers they could have been as high as a five seed because those higher in the final bracket at least four don't have the stats and facts that the Pack has this year.  The one thing the Pack has is it is in the tournament and will host a Regional this weekend.  On the other hand Campbell who had every reason to plan on practice Monday afternoon was left to pack up the equipment and call it a season.

Campbell has only been to the baseball tournament once since they have gone to division 1 baseball.  This years was the best in the history of the school when they won 49 and lost ten.  Their winning percentage is the fifth best in the country.  You have heard me within the past month preach about RPI and there's is 38 well within the top 64 in the land.  They won their division of the Big South with a 19-5 record..  The biggest objection the NCAA can have is they have a strength of schedule of 237.  No one who made the tournament that didn't automatically get in has a worse SOS.

The curious problem with not allowing Campbell in is they gave the #3 team in the Big South Coastal Carolina an invite.  They trailed CU in RPI  38 to 50  and behind them in the division of the Big South.  The only winning point for CC was their SOS was 76 to CU's 237.  I can see where Campbell was bumped but here is where I am really disappointed for Ben Fish.  The former Rocky Mount Gryphon like every one at Campbell wanted to find out what it is like playing any where country in the NCAA Tournament.

They beat ECU twice this year but as the year has unfolded that didn't help Campbell's RPI with the year ECU had.  The real kicker is that Coastal Carolina and Campbell did not meet during the regular season so there is no  face to face battle to decide who goes.  The bottom line the writing was on the wall for Campbell when they lost their tournament final to Liberty who got in.  A victory on Saturday and the Fighting Camels  would be playing this weekend.

The Northern Nash football program is sponsoring  a Bar-b-que chicken dinner at the high school on June 14th.  Plates are selling for $7 and all the profits will go to the football program at Northern.  The time is from 11am -2pm and if you company would like to order at least ten plates they will deliver.  Help support the Knights as they try to get new coach Randy Raper off and running at Northern Nash.