Joe Lunardi Interview

Enjoy ESPN bracket ecologist fill-in RD somebody was very busy in his bunker.

This time a year. So let's dive straight into it. NC State.

They lose to North Carolina for the second time this year, a week after Beaton Duke inside PNC arena. They do love the blue Devils left on the schedule but if NC State doesn't win in Durham, Joe, how many wins does NC State need for you to feel comfortable putting into the putting them into the field of 64. I'm not sure there's a report that they are going to feel comfortable short of winning the automatic bid in the 800 title or making a very deep run electric to the championship game.

You know, I recently have kind of late years experience.

Still staying and at this moment, as were you in a recording that it T number 68 which you know I get the good news is 13 number 68 and in the bad news is 13 number 68 right and that could change not just quick their own play, but you know the many comparable teams chasing them from behind who could, you know post to win at any point that even temporarily slides them ahead of the Wolfpack packets are great wins.

No question. But we also can see this year is the ACCs coattails as long as the Yuriko Joe Syracuse. They were firmly on the bubble and many feel the weight of meeting Duke was the difference in them getting in the course state as Beaton Duke already. So how much weight do you think that will carry this time around eight carried a lot of weight he got back in the field. You know, it could very well be that Syracuse was as far away from the field as as NC state was in in posting that when late we can remember not all are created equal. This is this is a really good duty.

It is not an elite team. I think you know we all saw that the other night so I wouldn't I wouldn't hang my hat solely on that when in terms of getting you went to Greensboro they were the first team left out your ago the Spartans lost Furman last night, which means there there not to get in as an at-large bid team but Wes Miller's team hope hope that they can win MD so contra to make the automatic bid there but East Tennessee State right now, which is a really strong team the best team in the so, if their next losses in the Southern conference tournament. Do you think the so con gets to teams, it certainly can.

Too early to know whether it should a loss against right Furman or UNCG or is it something earlier and more damaging be what else is going on among those last few teams in the mix. Whether it NC State or Stanford or Southern Cal or Richmond or you know I'm Northern Iowa baby losing inventory Valley dictate their other scenarios like that and we have to remember that while ETSU certainly looks like an at-large team. Not by a ton, but by enough at the moment. If they end up needing an at-large bid. It automatically needs there taking another law between now and when they would be evaluated with yet market so it's it's kind of a Catch-22 and proves the point of just how small the margin of error is 14 outside of the power, broaden things a bit by Gillie Nardi of ESPN had bracket ecologist that what did you learn from the way the NCAA tournament committee applied the net last year. That's worth remembering this time around a little bit, not on because we only have one year of it.

One thing we did learn is that at least at the cut line and depending on how bad it is your nonconference strength of schedule still matter a lot NC state prove that in the wrong direction, but they were in the conversation lived here because of the switch to net their RPI was in the eighth till had we been in that era still is the primary evaluation and see if it would not have even been really on the board or realistically consider that they were a year ago. Is this time that I think I'm starting to just say all this at your bringing up. I think this makes things maddening for you guys like you Joe to try and piece together what exactly the projection should be.

Is this one of the more difficult tournaments that you've ever had to try and piece together the differences between a one in a two-seater to it a three and who the heck makes this field. I appreciate your concern. I don't think that 10 people in the room or the NCAA staff are lying awake at night thinking about you know my welfare for the welfare of of of the other guys you know who like to do this and that's okay. You know, we adjusted last year.

I adjusted last year and and and had no I think by any reasonable measure. Pretty accurate run of it and I don't really see years is harder or easier than others you know and or the bubble is better or worse than other years.

Like everyone was the bubble's terrible well know the bubble is the bubble which is full of flaws. It seems that their best can look pretty good if if they were better than that. They wouldn't be on the bubble like we have to have a bubble and that's just the way it is but but overall, if you're looking at what we learned from that person. RPI I would I would stated in in layman's language. This way, RPI was primarily a measure of who you played three quarters of it was your strength of schedule and your opponent schedule. Net recent attempt to measure how you're playing, it's attempting to be a basketball measurement as opposed to a scheduling measurement which the RPI didn't think it was but clearly turned out so I think it's an improvement. But like any rating systems RPI net you know the barometer you need to be able to identify outliers and understand why there outliers and EEE I think the committee decent at that and I think the community of practicality is actually quite good at that and then a couple weeks we'll see how well the lineup Joe way the sun will come out on selection Monday July hope the bunkers stocked with snacks and drinks and that everything is good to go for the next couple weeks. We appreciate the time here in the Triad. You bet. Good luck