High Point head coach Flynn Clayman believes his team's win over Wisconsin proves that they have been one of the best teams in college basketball all season. He just wishes they had an opportunity to prove that before March Madness.
Feeding off the adrenaline of the victory, Clayman used his mic time to call out the college basketball system for leaving High Point out to dry. The 37-year-old begged for “something to be done” about non-conference scheduling after failing to secure early-season matchups against power-conference teams.
“It's pretty obvious to me that something needs to be done about this non-conference scheduling,” Clayman said in the post-game press conference. “High Point and Miami, Ohio, are 2-0 in Quad 1 games. We couldn't get games [against power conference teams]. They couldn't get games. Akron couldn't get games. UNCW couldn't get games. Belmont couldn't get games. We won 22 of our last 23 games and didn't move up one spot in the metrics, not one. We've won 25 games by double digits.
“That team right there [Wisconsin] is a fantastic team that beat five top-10 teams. If we can get games like this on some neutral courts and some home games, I think we'd know who's really the best teams. I'm proud of these dudes, and we're not just here to win one game; we're here to get to the Sweet Sixteen.”
Clayman's plea supports that of Miami head coach Travis Steele. Strength of schedule was the main argument against the Redhawks throughout the regular season, forcing Steele to reveal his relentless attempts to book marquee early-season matchups, only to be turned down.
Like Miami, High Point did not face a Quad 1 opponent in the regular season, resulting in its 12-seed in the March Madness bracket despite a gaudy 30-4 record. The Panthers were 0-57 all-time against power conference teams until their win over Wisconsin.
