The Case for William and Mary

As I am warranted to do since I work a law school (though I am not a lawyer nor do I have a legal background - IT administrator folks), each year right before Selection Sunday, I make a case for a team that's not getting the at large consideration/love they deserve.

This year, it's William and Mary. So without further ado, here's my case which I am bringing in front of the NCAA Committee Chairman, Dan Guerrero.

Your honor, I submit the following statistics of five teams under consideration for one of the last spots in the NCAA Tournament, and the team I am stating a case for, one William and Mary. I have hidden the names of each of the teams to protect the innocent..until further down the page.

Team 1 - RPI 34, Non Conf SOS 112, Record vs Top 25 RPI 1-3, Record vs. 26-50 RPI 1-2, Record vs 51-100 RPI 1-1, Last 12 games - 9-3

Team 2 - RPI 41, Non Conf SOS 32, Record vs Top 25 RPI 0-4, Record vs 26-50 RPI 2-0, Record vs 51-100 RPI 4-2, Last 12 games - 7-5.

Team 3 - RPI 58, Non Conf SOS 27, Record vs. Top 25 RPI 2-0, Record vs. 26-50 RPI 1-3, Record vs 51-100 RPI 3-4, Last 12 games 8-4.

Team 4 - RPI 49, Non Conf SOS 49, Record vs. Top 25 RPI 2-2, Record vs 26-50 RPI 0-0, Record vs. 51-100 RPI 4-3, Last 12 games 9-3.

Team 5 - RPI 74, Non Conf SOS 124, Record vs. Top 25 RPI 3-4, Record vs. 26-50 RPI 1-4, Record vs. 51-100 RPI 1-2, Last 12 games 6-6.

Team 6 - RPI 46, Non Conf SOS 56, Record vs. Top 25 RPI 0-3, Record vs 26-50 RPI 2-2, Record vs. 51-100 RPI 5-0, Last 12 games 9-3.

Your honor, I submit these six teams records as Exhibit A. Three of these teams are considered the last few teams in the NCAA Tournament based on Joe Lunardi's March 10 Bracketology. Two of these teams are considered "First Four Out". The other team is my client, your honor, who is not even in the category "Next Four Out".

Now when you look at these six teams, your honor, I submit to you that Team 3's overall statistical profile is as good or I believe for the most part, better than the other five teams' statistical profiles. Team 3 has the strongest non conference SOS, has the best record vs. Top 25 RPI teams and next to Team 6, has the most wins vs. Top 100 RPI teams in the country with six.

Team 3 of course your honor is William and Mary. The three teams considered to be in at the moment are Team 1 - San Diego State, Team 5 - Illinois and Team 6 -Memphis (Update - Memphis may now not be after losing to Houston). The two teams considered part of the "First Four Out" are Team 2 - Rhode Island and Team 4 - Washington.

If that's not enough evidence, your honor, I submit Exhibit B- Best Wins

San Diego State - BYU (home), UNLV (home), Arizona (home)
Rhode Island - Oklahoma State (neutral), Dayton (home), Northeastern (home)
William and Mary - Maryland (road), Richmond (home), Wake Forest (road)
Washington - Texas A&M home, California (home), Arizona State (home)
Illinois - Clemson (road), Michigan State (home), Wisconsin (road)
Memphis -UAB (home and road), Marshall (road)

Of the six teams, other than William and Mary, only Illinois and Memphis had two of their three best wins as road wins. And your honor, only Illinois' road wins compare to William and Mary's.

Now your honor, the argument against my client is that William and Mary had very bad losses to teams that are at the bottom of the RPI, specifically Towson, UNCW and James Madison, all conference losses.

Now I submit to you, exhibit C, your honor which shows that all these teams had what many would consider bad losses. San Diego State lost to Wyoming. Rhode Island lost to St Bonaventure and UMass. Washington lost at home to Oregon, USC twice and UCLA. Illinois lost to Utah and Georgia. Memphis has lost to UMass and SMU (and now Houston). I subject to you your honor that their losses are as relatively as bad as my client's.

Finally, your honor, Exhibit D. My client made its conference tournament final before losing to a team that many considered already an at large team, Old Dominion. That included beating the #2 seeded team in the semifinals, Northeastern, a team with a higher RPI than Illinois.

Your honor, we don't know the fate of the others, but what if they don't make their conference finals? Will that be brought into consideration?

I submit to your honor that William and Mary be of high consideration by you and your fellow committee. And if I must, I will play the "Mercy card" that William and Mary is only one of five teams that have never made the NCAA Tournament. To deny my client of such resolution in a year where they clearly have shown merit, would bring about more ill repute to this court than it already has in the court of public opinion.

I rest my case.