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Ole Miss Basketball: NCAA Tournament Proving Rebels Deserved a Bid

By K. L. Williams

Feb 18, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Ole Miss Rebels guard Deandre Burnett (1) dribbles the ball as guard Terence Davis (3) looks on in the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated Mississippi 98-80. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Ole Miss Rebels guard Deandre Burnett (1) dribbles the ball as guard Terence Davis (3) looks on in the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated Mississippi 98-80. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee has proven that selecting teams for tournament is not an exact science. This year it seems that the Ole Miss basketball Rebels deserved an at-large bid.

There is an old adage that says the winner of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is the 69th best team in the country. Although that is a comical saying, it is invariably untrue. Every year the NCAA Tournament expose teams that should not have made the cut. While the NIT shows teams that are better suited for the “Big Dance”. Ole Miss basketball is obviously that team.

Ole Miss basketball has played well during their run through the NIT. They went to New Jersey and knocked off a talented Monmouth team which was itching to defeat a team from a major conference. However, the most impressive win for the Rebels was their victory over Syracuse. The Orangemen were believed to be the first team out of the NCAA Tournament. Therefore, the Rebel’s win was impressive.

Best Performance Goes To….

The Rebels played one of their best games of the season, as they went to the Carrier Dome and came out with an 85-80. Ole Miss is positioning themselves to be the team to beat in the NIT. However, it leads you to wonder whether they are participating in the correct tournament.

The selection of the teams that make up the at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament is not an exact science. A few guys sit around a table, glancing at papers with names and numbers on them. After discussion and a few taps on the computer, they decide which 36 teams deserve to be playing for a national title.

However, anyone that knows sports will also know, the true talent of a team isn’t just what’s in the win/loss records. I believe Ole Miss could have defeated a few of those ‘at-large’ teams on a neutral court.

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