Head coach Chad Holbrook of the College of Charleston expressed significant frustration with the NCAA selection committee after his team was left out of the 64-team tournament bracket announced on Monday afternoon. Despite an impressive season, Charleston was not included, sparking a passionate response from Holbrook during his appearance on SportsTalk Tuesday night.
“I’m grateful for my team. And I’m so proud of them, and how they handled the news we received yesterday that we obviously didn’t agree with. We had a really special team, a special group of kids,” Holbrook said, voicing both pride and dismay. “I’m still mad, I’m gonna be mad and feel slighted and no one will change my mind on that.”
Charleston boasted 41 wins, 21 conference victories, and an RPI of 44, along with a regular-season conference championship. Holbrook highlighted these achievements, stating, “Our last 33 games we were 28 and five. We won as many games in our last 33 games as 41 in the entire regular season.” He pointed out the perceived inequities in the selection process, adding, “It’s a subjective process when it comes to selecting the at-large teams. I think the committee finds it hard to leave out a 28-27 Florida, a team just one game over 500. But because they’re in the SEC, they have a hard time passing on them.”
A key issue for Holbrook was the lack of representation in the selection room. “The only metric we fell short in is that we didn’t have a voice in the room. And we didn’t have anyone in my room fighting for us,” he lamented, emphasizing the need for fair representation. “Every team should have a voice in the room. I mean, every conference should have someone in there fighting for their representatives. We didn’t, and ultimately, that’s why we were left out.”
Holbrook drew comparisons with other teams that made the cut, asserting, “Compare our resume to James Madison. Compare our resume to UConn. Compare our resume to Coastal Carolina’s.” He underscored Charleston’s strong finish, “We performed well in the conference tournament, and we performed at an incredible level our last 33 games.”
Despite the disappointment, Holbrook remained steadfast in his support for his team. “It was one of the best, if not the best, dugouts I’ve ever been in, and I’m grateful for that. I’m so appreciative of that. I’m so proud of our team,” he remarked. “I’m not going to let a committee that never saw us probably throw one single pitch tell me or convince me otherwise.”
In summary, Coach Holbrook’s segment on SportsTalk was a heartfelt and impassioned defense of his team’s accomplishments and a critique of the NCAA’s selection process. His comments reflected both pride in his players and frustration with perceived injustices, emphasizing the need for fair representation and recognition of their achievements.
When merit in sports is discounted….Welcome to Biden, AOC America !