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Post by warriordudette88 on Apr 24, 2005 14:35:12 GMT -5
Ok, UCLA is currently ranked #1 ... why don't they still have a chance at the at-large bid? Is it because they lost in the quarters instead of the semi's? Even if UCLA was ranked #1 they were not a #1 seed in the MPSF tournament. The at-large birth usually goes to the highest MPSF seed that didn't win the the tournament. That would be UCLA if Pepperdine wins the championship. To be guaranteed you should make it to at least the semifinals and the #1 seed needs to win the championship. At this point, even if Pepperdine were to win out, I don't think UCLA has a chance.
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Post by sonofbarcelonabob on May 2, 2005 2:52:07 GMT -5
Had to bump this thread back up. Looks like swingaway will be eating something gross on the level of a Fear Factor episode, and I myself put too much faith in the selection committee having any balls and making the right choice by NOT selecting UCLA for the at-large. Oh well.
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Post by swingaway on May 2, 2005 8:57:08 GMT -5
Had to bump this thread back up. Looks like swingaway will be eating something gross on the level of a Fear Factor episode, and I myself put too much faith in the selection committee having any balls and making the right choice by NOT selecting UCLA for the at-large. Oh well. Oh well. Guess I’ll head to the UCLA cafeteria for some Bruin balls covered with Scates secret sauce. Hope I can get it down. If I choke, maybe I'll get another chance if the same selection committee is in charge.
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Post by blob on May 2, 2005 9:45:40 GMT -5
Oh well. Guess I’ll head to the UCLA cafeteria for some Bruin balls covered with Scates secret sauce. Hope I can get it down. If I choke, maybe I'll get another chance if the same selection committee is in charge. Hold off on the "Bruin balls". If (God Forbid!) UCLA wins, we'll all be joining you for the daily special -"Al Scates Crow" with a topping of 49er whine sauce. I guess that if that happens, the committee will have picked the team with the best chance to win. Especially after Long Beach just got swept by Pepperdine. Come on Waves!! I don't think I could stand the smug look on Scates face.
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Post by beachman on May 2, 2005 10:09:48 GMT -5
Interesting how in 2000, when LBS entered the tournament ranked #1 in the country(not #4 like UCLA currently is), they lost in the first round(upset at home by the #8 seen, not the #7 seed like UCLA this year) and that loss had a lot to do with the fact that Jim Polster had severly sprained his ankled the day before the match(kind of like UCLA's setter this year with the broken finger).......Didn't see LBS going to the FF as the at-large then, but somehow the Bruins get to this year.....different years, same set of circumstances, different outcomes, but both times LBS got screwed. FU Scates and ditto for the spineless committee members from Ohio State and George Mason! What a shame!
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Post by Will Rogers Beach on May 2, 2005 11:05:52 GMT -5
In 2000, UCLA (#4 seed) won the MPSF finals (against Pepperdine) so they had the automatic bid. UCLA knew it had to win the MPSF to get into the final 4.
Pepperdine as the #2 seed received the at-large bid. Pepperdine had the same number of losses (i.e., 5 losses) like Long Beach (who was the #1 seed). I don't remember the head-to-head tally. Long Beach was eliminated by LMU in the quarterfinals.
So, the circumstances were not the same as this year. The only similarity is that the final 4 contingent this year is the same group as 2000 (with a different seeding).
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Post by northshore on May 2, 2005 11:21:23 GMT -5
I agree with you Beachman. Very strong points. But is anyone (NCAA) listening? Doesn't seem so.
Still think 2nd place in the MPSF tournament should be the team considered for the at large bid. But if this is how things are going to be done, maybe the NCAA could amend "the criteria" to include teams in the MPSF tournament must at least get through to the semi-finals to be considered for the at large bid.
At least this might make things clearer for everyone by allowing those teams in the semis to know where they stand. Any of the semi final teams could be considered no matter what their season rating was. And if you're the low man(team) on the the totem pole and have fought you're way this far, you would know you had some chance of being considerderd for the at large bid. I think if UCLA had at least made it through to the semis less people would be upset about this whole thing.
Anyhow, you snooze, you lose. Unless you're UCLA where you cruise after you lose. Go Pepperdine!
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Post by wornjersey on May 2, 2005 11:55:35 GMT -5
Didn't you Long Beach fans see the beating that Pepperdine gave your team? It wasn't even as interesting as last week's Fear Factor. And after seeing that, you still cry that Long Beach deserves to be in the NCAA's? Do you like to see your team slapped around? I don't think many fans would like to see that rematch, while a Pepperdine/UCLA rematch at least has some potential entertainment value.
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Post by blob on May 2, 2005 12:40:43 GMT -5
Didn't you Long Beach fans see the beating that Pepperdine gave your team? It wasn't even as interesting as last week's Fear Factor. And after seeing that, you still cry that Long Beach deserves to be in the NCAA's? Do you like to see your team slapped around? I don't think many fans would like to see that rematch, while a Pepperdine/UCLA rematch at least has some potential entertainment value. Good point. As a matter of fact UCLA & Pep split matches this year. And according to BarcelonaBob its a done deal that UCLA will win this match. So it's a much more interesting matchup than watching Pepp play a team that they just beat in 3 a few days ago, and beat 2 of 3 already this season.
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Post by vb on May 2, 2005 13:15:06 GMT -5
Interesting how in 2000, when LBS entered the tournament ranked #1 in the country(not #4 like UCLA currently is), they lost in the first round(upset at home by the #8 seen, not the #7 seed like UCLA this year) and that loss had a lot to do with the fact that Jim Polster had severly sprained his ankled the day before the match(kind of like UCLA's setter this year with the broken finger).......Didn't see LBS going to the FF as the at-large then, but somehow the Bruins get to this year.....different years, same set of circumstances, different outcomes, but both times LBS got screwed. FU Scates and ditto for the spineless committee members from Ohio State and George Mason! What a shame! Finish your thought... Al-baby bought his FF. Where are the next FFs held at? Do you think that maybe Al-baby comes out east early season for PSU and OSU gym experience? Who wants to come out east and play just one game.....How about a game at Mason/OSU? Sure lookes good for recruiting when east teams can brag that UCLA comes out to play them. Second, look for Mason and OSU to get Cali-UCLA games in the coming spring breaks. Third, at what point does a team have to exclude itself during the at-large meeting...any situations where OSU and Mason should have excluded itself? (looking for an angle here) LB should have at least gotten dinner before getting.......
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Post by VBbeast on May 2, 2005 14:13:51 GMT -5
Not sure what you are getting at here vb. Neither OSU or Mason was even an at large candidate this year. The other member of the commitee from LBSU did recuse themself from the discussion as it would have been a clear case of a conflict of interest. Had either of the other two schools been up for the at large they would have had to recuse themsleves too. ...which could have made for an interesting sitution, but not an issue this year.
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Post by beachman on May 2, 2005 14:38:19 GMT -5
Didn't you Long Beach fans see the beating that Pepperdine gave your team? It wasn't even as interesting as last week's Fear Factor. And after seeing that, you still cry that Long Beach deserves to be in the NCAA's? Do you like to see your team slapped around? I don't think many fans would like to see that rematch, while a Pepperdine/UCLA rematch at least has some potential entertainment value. I would be the first person to admit that we didn't play well saturday night at Firestone. However, neither did the 14 other schools who lost there this season, including UCLA. Pepperdine and LBS split their matches and LBS, along with every other school(UCLA included) who visited Pepperdine this season went home a loser. With the squirrely ceiling, for starters, it is a difficult place to play.
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Post by TheProfessor on May 3, 2005 0:34:34 GMT -5
Interesting how in 2000, when LBS entered the tournament ranked #1 in the country(not #4 like UCLA currently is), they lost in the first round(upset at home by the #8 seen, not the #7 seed like UCLA this year) and that loss had a lot to do with the fact that Jim Polster had severly sprained his ankled the day before the match(kind of like UCLA's setter this year with the broken finger).......Didn't see LBS going to the FF as the at-large then, but somehow the Bruins get to this year.....different years, same set of circumstances, different outcomes, but both times LBS got screwed. FU Scates and ditto for the spineless committee members from Ohio State and George Mason! What a shame! No, UCLA got the automatic bid. UCLA was like Pepperdine this year, they WON the MPSF tournament. You got a beef with Pepperdine this year for winning the conference tournament? But in addition, surely you must remember that the MPSF was split in 2 divisions back in 2000, right? In the Mountain Division, Pepperdine was 16-3 (20-4 overall) and UCLA was 14-5 (24-5 overall). In the Pacific Division, Long Beach State was 16-3 (23-4 overall) and USC was also 16-3 (21-4 overall). All of these records were before the MPSF tournament. So Pepperdine, UCLA, and USC all won their first round playoff game, while Loyola Marymount upset a Polster-less LBSU squad. UCLA beat LMU and Pepperdine beat USC in the semifinals. And then UCLA beat Pepperdine at Pepperdine in 4 games. So, the other contenders now had these records after the MPSF playoffs: Long Beach State, 23-5 Pepperdine, 22-5 USC, 22-5 Those overall records are extremely similar, aren't they? There's not a 5-match separation amongst them. Both Pepperdine and Long Beach State finished #1 in their respective divisions. The fact that Pepperdine got to the MPSF finals was, in effect, the tie-breaker, when both Long Beach State and Pepperdine finished the regular season 16-3 in conference play. It was more that with Polster in the entire season, the Beach could only equal Pepperdine's conference record. Out of conference, Pepperdine went 4-1, and Long Beach State went 7-1. Who did LBSU play out of conference that Pepperdine didn't? Were they quality teams? And did the NCAA Selection Committee really come out and say that the reason LBSU was left out was because of Polster's injury, or is that speculation on the part of Beach fans? Anyway, as for this year, if Long Beach State had only 6 or 7 losses, as opposed to UCLA's 5 losses, you'd have a much better case. But when your team has TWICE as many losses, and there's a difference between 2nd place and 5th place in the conference, and LOST the season series to the other team battling it for the at-large bid, can you still say the Beach had that good of a claim? This year's situation is not really like the 2000 situation at all, unless your beef was with Pepperdine and the evil Marv Dunphy for somehow manipulating the committee that year for selecting them over the Beach.
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Post by sistahsledge on May 3, 2005 8:32:57 GMT -5
Then they will most definetely cement their reputation as big-time CHOKE ARTISTS. This is Rooney's third, and last, chance at a national title. And with no "illegal" rosters in the final four, it should be a piece of cake. Pepp faces OSU in the semi's which should be an easy warm-up for them. The Buckeyes are decent but they aren't even the best team in the MIVA. They haven't played any team from the left coast this year and will face the biggest front line in NCAA history (Rooney, Hein, Winder). Hopefully they won't be shellshocked. I'd love to see a high-quality, close match...gotta get my money's worth!!! Penn State also shouln't be a problem. The Nitt. Lions had a tough time in their MPSF matches, splitting with BYU and losing to UCLA and Hawaii. Sure, they beat UCSD and USC but that's about as impressive as beating Harvard. If it's UCLA in the final, Pepp faces a program that has lost a lot of it's luster and mystique in the past five years. Nobody, including Scates, really knows who their starters will be. All the Bruin OH's have shown horrible flashes of inconsistency over the past few weeks. They can seem unstoppable one minute then go completely in the tank the next. Ironically, the one fly in the ointment that could ruin Pepp's chances is the prospect of playing a Bruin team in the Final Four, in their own Temple, with something to prove (that they deserved a berth in the FF).
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Post by sonofbarcelonabob on May 3, 2005 11:37:17 GMT -5
Silly people, don't you already realize UCLA has won this year's NCAA Championship in men's volleyball?
It's being played in Pauley Pavilion, end of story.
The whole gang will be there - Farting Al, Ken Taylor, Jon Martin, Marvin Hall, etc.etc. Heck, they may even coax old Wink to show up.
I mean, come on now, Farting Al and the gang haven't won one since 2000 - this is surely a reason for all those yahoos to CELEBRATE.
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