Our brain points us back to yesterday's post on the conference call with the NCAA selection chair and the Gophers' chances of getting in the Big Dance win or lose today. Basically we made a (hopefully) convincing argument that Minnesota was in no matter what. And in the context of what happened today -- a buzzer-beater loss to a team that is deemed "quality" in the eyes of the NCAA -- nothing should have changed. Minnesota is not even close to the bubble yet, or even really a play-in game in our mind. The Gophers will likely be a No. 10 seed, maybe a No. 11.

The shouty guy inside us, though, looks at other numbers -- three consecutive losses, seven of the last 10, 11 of the last 16, including some real clunkers -- and can't help but wonder how this team deserves that berth even if their body of work and their numbers suggest they do.

Is there a place for both the heart and the mind in this NCAA deliberation? Your thoughts, please, in the comments.