Coach Dement has clout

[Jim Rome]

The USAToday/ESPN Coaches Poll is based on votes by assorted head coaches throughout the land. Mike Dement is on the list, but will that help when it comes time to dish out tournament bids, assuming we're on the bubble?

All are members of the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

The 2002-03 board:
Dana Altman, Creighton
Eddie Biedenbach, North Carolina-Asheville
Jim Boeheim, Syracuse
Tim Carter, Texas-San Antonio
Barry Collier, Nebraska
Joe Cravens, Weber State
[deleted] Davey, Santa Clara
Mike Dement, Southern Methodist
Fran Dunphy, Pennsylvania
Jessie Evans, Louisiana-Lafayette
Rob Evans, Arizona State
Steve Fisher, San Diego State
Pat Flannery, Bucknell
Tom Green, Fairleigh Dickinson
David Henderson, Delaware
Dan Hipsher, Akron
Bob Huggins, Cincinnati
Gene Keady, Purdue
Jim Kerwin, Western Illinois
Bob McKillop, Davidson
Joe Mihalich, Niagara
Ron Mitchell, Coppin State
Dave Odom, South Carolina
Oliver Purnell, Dayton
Rick Samuels, Eastern Illinois
Kirk Speraw, Central Florida
Bob Thomason, Pacific
Perry Watson, Detroit Mercy
Davey L. Whitney, Alcorn State
Gary Williams, Maryland
Dennis Wolff, Boston University

[PX]

I'm going to have to say No, for a couple of reasons. First, no one on that list is on the NCAA selection committee. Secondly, the USA Today poll has never been a criteria for the selection committee. If you look back through history, the RPI and Sagarin ratings are much better predictors for at-large bids and seeding. Its not the BCS, the polls put together by media or coaches votes arent important. Lastly, I dont see any reason to think we will be on the bubble or in that poll this year.