BracketBusters actually worked, the teams that needed wins just didn't win

BracketBusters weekend did not exactly have the outcome that many believed it would this year.

Instead of mid-major teams playing their way into the tournament, the consensus seems to be that the bubble teams that did participate in the event only hurt their chances of earning an at-large bid. With the outcome of so many games going against the teams on the bubble, the big winners of the weekend were teams like St. Mary's, UConn, and Mississippi State; teams that vaulted up a few spots on the bubble thanks to the losses of the BracketBusting mid-majors.



All this has led to some talk of the BracketBusters system being imperfect.

Its not.

Think about it. For a mid-major playing in BracketBusters, it is really no different than playing one of the best teams from your conference. Is there all that big of a difference between Old Dominion losing at Northern Iowa and losing at a William & Mary or Northeastern? Is Wichita State losing at Utah State any worse than if they lost at Northern Iowa or Illinois State?

If there is not BracketBusters, then where do these mid-majors go to fill that game? Do they schedule a middle-of-the-pack power conference team to play on the road? If you are looking to solidify a resume, would you rather play Butler or Alabama? Northern Iowa or Seton Hall?

More than anything, the bottom line is that the BracketBuster game is just one game. And one game is not going to make or break a team's resume.

Butler beat Siena in a brunch-time tipoff on Saturday.
(photo credit: SBRSports)

There were four teams on the bubble that lost their BracketBusters game - Old Dominion, William & Mary, Siena, and Wichita State. How much of an effect did the loss really have on their at-large chances?

• Old Dominion lost at Northern Iowa on Friday night. Northern Iowa has three losses all season, none of which came at home. They are currently sitting at 15th in the RPI. This is a team that is rated as high as a six seed according to some of the mock brackets that have come out. There is no shame in losing to Northern Iowa on the road, and its a loss that should have a minimal effect on the Monarch's seeding. If they had won, however, it would have been ODU's second best win of the season. As it is, ODU still probably needs to win three games - two regular season, at least one in the CAA tourney - if they want to feel at all comfortable on Selection Sunday. I probably would have said the same thing before the Northern Iowa game.
  
• Siena lost at Butler on Saturday in a situation similar to Old Dominion's. Before this game, Siena was probably not going to get an at-large bid. That's what happens when you don't have a win against anyone in the RPI top 50. If they had pulled off the upset in Hinkle Fieldhouse, it might have been enough to give the Saints some insurance should they get upset in the MAAC Tournament. If Siena really wanted to gripe, they should be mad at themselves for losing at Niagara and blowing their best chance at an at-large bid - going undefeated in league play.
• Wichita State lost at Utah State late on Saturday night. Even with a win, the Shockers were a long shot to make the field thanks to a disappointing few weeks in the MVC, which included a loss to Evansville. The win did help Utah State so long as the Shockers finish the season strong. WSU is currently sitting at 50th in the RPI, giving the Aggies their second top 50 win.
• William & Mary was the only team that really suffered in BracketBusters, as they lost to Iona on the road. The loss may have been the end of the Pride's at-large chances. William & Mary may have the best non-conference resume for mid-major bubble teams - beating Richmond at home and Maryland and Wake Forest on the road. To be honest, I don't feel bad for W&M. They wouldn't be in this predicament if they had beaten UNC-Wilmington at home or James Madison on the road, two teams that are 4-12 in the CAA. Or, and this may be a crazy thought, they could have simply beaten Iona.
  

The bottom line? No matter who you play, you must win games to make the tournament.

Old Dominion, Siena, and Wichita State lost games that would have helped their tournament resume. William & Mary lost a game it should have won. If ODU and Siena had both won, and that win helped the two teams to earn an at-large bid, people would be singing a much different tune about BracketBusters.

So until a situation arises in which a team winning their BracketBusters game has a negative effect on their tournament resume, I think BracketBusters is working just fine.