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Drexel’s Bruiser Flint: ‘I won 19 in a row. What do you want me do to?’

James "Bruiser" Flint

In this Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012 photo, Drexel coach James “Bruiser” Flint speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Philadelphia. The Dragons are on a 16-game winning streak entering Saturday’s game at Old Dominion. They hope their record is strong enough to earn NCAA tournament consideration. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

AP

Bruiser Flint has already started his media campaign to try and convince the public and at-large -- and, I guess, the Selection Committee -- that his Drexel Dragons deserve a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

“We won 27 games. We lost in the championship. We won the regular season. I think our resume, our stuff, speaks for itself,” Flint said after the Dragons’ lost to VCU in the CAA title game despite a valiant comeback. “What do you want me to say? Can we beat teams in the Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12, Big East? Of course we can. No question about that. I think our league proves that every time we get into the NCAA tournament.”

“Should we be in? You win 27 games - what do you want me to do? I won 19 in a row. What do you want me to do? If you can’t get in with that, it’s pretty hard. It’s pretty hard.”

And he’s got a point. Obviously, VCU and George Mason made the Final Four out of the CAA in 2011 and 2006, respectively. But there’s more. Old Dominion beat Notre Dame in the first round in 2010 and lost to Butler on a buzzer-beater last season. George Mason beat Villanova in the first round of the tournament last year.

Put all of that together with what Drexel has done the last three months, and its easy to say this team is good enough to deserve a bid.

The problem is that we don’t give out bids based on whether a team is good enough. We give them out based on whether their resume is good enough. And the fact of the matter is that Drexel’s resume just isn’t all that impressive. They played a weak schedule. That is indisputable. They only played VCU and George Mason once -- both at home, both in early January -- until the CAA title game. They lost to Norfolk State. They scored only 35 points against Virginia and lost to Delaware and Georgia State.

Those aren’t opinions. Those are facts.

And unfortunately, what the NCAA Selection Committee deals in is fact.

I want Drexel in the NCAA Tournament. They are better than the teams currently above them on the bubble, and having better teams in the tournament makes the tournament a better product.

I just don’t think it is going to happen.

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.