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Navy on the bubble for a berth

By Patrick Stevens
May 2, 2008

Navy coach Richie Meade is not sure his Midshipmen will be invited to the NCAA tournament when the 16-team field is announced, not with a resume likely to require some help this weekend to keep the team's season alive.

Even with the uncertainty, he still will have a close eye on Sunday night's selection show.

"It's my professional responsibility," Meade said. "I don't want to get calls from all you guys saying 'Congratulations' and having to say 'What are you talking about? I have SpongeBob on here.' "

Indeed, Meade will possess the remote control rather than one of his three young daughters when Navy (9-5) discovers whether its solid RPI (15), decent strength of schedule and victories over Maryland and Ohio State will merit a fifth consecutive tournament appearance.

Results-driven performance accounts for 50 percent of the selection's committee criteria, with RPI (30 percent) and strength of schedule (20 percent) also considered.

Unlike the last four years, when the Mids possessed the Patriot League's automatic berth, there is uncertainty about the immediate future. Navy, which ended the regular season with a 12-9 loss to Colgate in last week's Patriot semifinals, plans to send coaches to scout games this weekend just in case of an invitation.

There are seven automatic qualifiers, and seven of the nine at-large berths — Cornell, Duke, Johns Hopkins, Maryland, North Carolina, Syracuse and Virginia — seem safely accounted for entering the final weekend.

Georgetown (9-3) can probably be penciled into an at-large slot with a victory at Penn State (6-7) tomorrow. The Hoyas possess a lower than usual strength of schedule but also enjoy a sound RPI (eight) and own this season's holy grail — a victory over Duke — as part of their solid resume.

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