Sue Guevara believes Central Michigan 'absolutely' deserves NCAA Tournament bid
Winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament means an automatic ride to the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, others are left to only hope for an at-large bid.
Up until last year, only one team from the MAC went to the Big Dance. Then, both Central Michigan and Buffalo made it. It's looking like more of the same this season, just in a role reversal.
The Chippewas won the MAC Tournament in 2018 and followed it up with a run to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Even though CMU hoped for repeat success in 2019, the Bulls upset the No. 1-ranked Chippewas, 82-77, in the semifinals on March 15 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
However, CMU coach Sue Guevara still believes the Chippewas will get an at-large bid for their efforts throughout the entire campaign.
"I'm not on the committee, but I know this team is one of the best teams in the country," Guevara said after losing to Buffalo. "Do I think we deserve to be in? Absolutely."
Even though he's not on the committee, ESPN women's basketball bracketologist Charlie Creme has CMU penciled in as "safe" for a spot in the tournament.
"An RPI in the 20s with a couple of nice (nonconference) wins, especially Miami, and playing Louisville so tough, is more than enough," Creme told Tony Paul of the Detroit News.
The Chippewas defeated No. 19 Miami in the nonconference, 90-80, back on Dec. 30. Just 10 days prior, Guevara's team kept up with No. 5 Louisville until the final minute, eventually falling by four points.
CMU's RPI, which measures a team's wins, losses and strength of schedule, is high atop the MAC at 27th in the country. All of that mixed with a MAC regular season crown should be all the Chippewas need to go dancing.
"We won the regular season and that's a grind, and we've played really well," Guevara said.
Just before Guevara took the microphone, Buffalo coach Felisha Legette-Jack and her top two players – senior guard Cierra Dillard and junior forward Summer Hemphill – were talking with the media at their press conference.
The NCAA Tournament question was posed to them as well. Dillard, who leads the MAC in scoring, said she believes the Bulls will also make the tournament regardless of the MAC Tournament championship game outcome.
"I do believe that," Dillard said of getting at least an at-large bid. "I also believe we have to focus another 40 minutes and we want something other than an NCAA Tournament bid, we want a MAC Championship."
So, even if Buffalo loses to Ohio on March 16, Dillard sees her squad making the NCAA Tournament.
If Ohio wins, the Bobcats snag an automatic bid to the Big Dance, leaving Buffalo and CMU remaining, which means there could be a situation where three teams from the MAC make the NCAA Tournament.
But after all, it's only up to the committee.
"I think the only team in the MAC that knows they're a lock is if they win the tournament," Guevara said. "We talk about this all the time."
