NCAA: Alabama feels cheated

By Michelle Gerber sportsuperstarz.com Columnist

Every year there are bubble teams heading into the NCAA tournament. The scenarios are played out through Championship weekend and teams rise and fall according to what they do. More often than not, there are bubbles that burst for many teams that felt they had a legitimate claim to being entered into the tournament.

However, the situation at Alabama is different. Rarely, does that bubble burst in Championship weekend for teams that are confident that they will be in. However, it did for the Crimson Tide. While, many at the committee feel they did a tremendous job of selection in a very competitive year, a source close to the Alabama basketball program that we spoke with begs to differ.

“They screwed us out being in the field,” said the source, which spoke with Sportsuperstarz.com on condition of anonymity. “We were better than many of the eights and nines that are in this field and yet we are at home. There is no way they can claim that we don’t deserve to playing Thursday or Friday, because we do.”

According to their numbers, the Crimson Tide may have a legitimate gripe. The team was ranked in both the AP and ESPN-USA Today Polls for much of the season. They posted a 21-10 overall record and an 8-8 record in the tough Southeastern Conference. They also advanced to the semi-finals of the Southeastern Conference tournament. However, they were left at home on Selection Sunday.

“That was crap,” said the source. “Look at just our own conference. They took Tennessee and Georgia, who both finished below us. Both of them didn’t go as far as we did in the conference tourney and both of them played poorly in their last 10, where as we were competitive. They can’t make an argument over us for either of them.”

However, the committee did. They placed Tennessee (22-10, 8-8) and Georgia (16-14, 9-7) in the field of 64 over the Crimson Tide. Both teams were knocked out of the tournament before the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs were knocked out on the first day by the last place LSU Tigers. However, the committee chose their impressive schedule over Alabama who had a better record.

“Last time I checked you had to win games to be here,” the source noted. “That is what we did. We didn’t finish 2 over .500 and lose to a last place team. We worked out butts off and won games. However, we go the NIT. No offense to that tournament, but we are not an NIT team, Georgia is.”

However, the committee disagreed.

Article courtesy of sportsuperstarz.com