BASKETBALL Conference Tournament
- Thread starter MidTennMtneer
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Its the best bracket for us in my opinion. If the good MT shows up we can beat Charlotte and beat FAU again. Then, who knows what will happen in the finals. The problem is we don't know what type of team shows up.
I think UAB takes FAU in the final, which would give CUSA two bids.
Agree this is the best draw we could get. Skill wise, MT is solid enough to take down the nets and take C-USA's automatic bid. It really wouldn't be a surprise. Would project us as a 15 seed if we do manage a three-game hot streak in three days. However, consistency is the colossal problem and could easily get bounced by Charlotte.
That said, my C-USA tournament projection (FWIW) is:
MT defeats Charlotte: 77-68
MT loses to Florida Atlantic: 64-69
North Texas vs Florida Atlantic in Championship with North Texas scoring the upset. North Texas is a 13 seed while FAU is a play in game at large selection as an 11 seed (and in the last four in the tournament).
Cant argue with this. We look like tarzan but play like jane.
That honestly is what I see too. We win one and out we go. And I don't see CBI after that either. Not at what would then be 19-14 in a pay for play tournament.
I too see UNT or even UAB winning it all and CUSA actually being a two bid league. Honestly the best thing for the conference would be for FAU not to win it all as they are in essentially no matter what.
Incredible up front comments from Stansbury today on his feelings about the Frisco venue for the CUSA TOURNAMENT. "Frisco is probably one of the worst venues I've ever been associated with. There's nothing about the venue that's good for college basketball. Is it easier for the people who put it on? Maybe so. If it's not the worst I'd like to see the worst."
That was a partial paraphrasing of his comments.
Obviously Rick must feel he's own his way out & doesn't give a damn at this time. So his feelings are "screw it & let the chips fall wherever they fall."
I don't care for anything WKU & never felt Rick did anything worthwhile with the talent he's had there, but I admit I'm not a Frisco fan either. Let it fly Rick!
That was a partial paraphrasing of his comments.
Obviously Rick must feel he's own his way out & doesn't give a damn at this time. So his feelings are "screw it & let the chips fall wherever they fall."
I don't care for anything WKU & never felt Rick did anything worthwhile with the talent he's had there, but I admit I'm not a Frisco fan either. Let it fly Rick!
Stansbury no fan of The Star
Western Kentucky men’s basketball coach Rick Stansbury did his best to be diplomatic about The Star in Frisco, Texas.
I think most of us would agree with him. It's honestly embarrassing that we play our conference tournament in a glorified shack. An NFL-level shack, but a shack nonetheless.
It's awful. The El cheapo middle school track stands and the awful beyond cheap curtain just make it worse. We will be playing Men and Women at the same time with just a curtain between in essentially a giant ball room.
It's second rate, & it's an embarrassing acknowledgement that all of CUSA's university presidents & athletic directors are totally fine with being part of a second rate decision made by their athletics commissioner.
It took years for our commissioner to recently get an improved media package for our conference, but it still doesn't forgive the embarrassment of Frisco in March.
So many better options. Just one for example, now that UAB will be out of the picture can't the top 4 seeds simply have a 1st round game at home followed by semi's & finals at a nice centrally located venue somewhere in Alabama? Mobile, Alabama & U of South Alabama as the host is close to the beach, or even Birmingham again would be fine again. Judy it's not that hard.
It took years for our commissioner to recently get an improved media package for our conference, but it still doesn't forgive the embarrassment of Frisco in March.
So many better options. Just one for example, now that UAB will be out of the picture can't the top 4 seeds simply have a 1st round game at home followed by semi's & finals at a nice centrally located venue somewhere in Alabama? Mobile, Alabama & U of South Alabama as the host is close to the beach, or even Birmingham again would be fine again. Judy it's not that hard.
Have to agree with Coach Stansbury. What the C-USA tournament venue shows is the token commitment that we place on men’s basketball. Seeing the Star on television looks like a AAU tournament that is sponsored by a soft drink company. How can we expect our 28-3 teams or teams with 5 losses of less earn at large bids with this type of arrangement? Setup makes us look low major. A few years ago, the Sun Belt had their tournament in Hot Springs, Arkansas and had court a/b setups at their convention center. It was cozier, but at least it seemed more professional than the Star. Legacy Arena in Birmingham or the Merrill Center in Katy, Texas is far better. Or, let some campus sites bid on hosting…like we hosted Sun Belt in 2006. About anything in a conventional arena (even ancient Municipal in Nashville) would be better.
With the new CUSA, a place like New Orleans or Birmingham (or Nashville) would be centrally located and ideal I would think (air connections, driveable-ish for most folks, lots to do). I'd lean towards Nashville or Birmingham since 6 of the schools will be east of the I-65 corridor, and SHSU/LT aren't far off. Plus - A REAL ARENA.
Why not try for New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center, home of the Pelicans? Big arena (17k seats), lots of folks will be interested in going to NOLA for a vacation and holiday in late winter. Make CUSA basketball mean something again. Heck, I'd even go down to watch the MT ladies play there for a few days and hopefully keep wiping the floor with the competition and the men have a shot to do the same.
Why not try for New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center, home of the Pelicans? Big arena (17k seats), lots of folks will be interested in going to NOLA for a vacation and holiday in late winter. Make CUSA basketball mean something again. Heck, I'd even go down to watch the MT ladies play there for a few days and hopefully keep wiping the floor with the competition and the men have a shot to do the same.
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I am of the opinion the Tournaments should be centrally located... Memphis (even though I don't care for visiting there), Huntsville, or Jefferson Center in Birmingham would fit that. It would also not be a homecourt advantage since it would not be UAB's home floor...
UAB won't even be in CUSA in a couple of months. I agree about the centrally located idea... that's why a place like New Orleans makes so much sense. Relatively central, very easy to get to via airplane, lot of hotel rooms, a big tourist area, plenty to do outside just the tournament.
I thought the contract between the conference USA in Frisco expired last year, so I’m a little confused on why we are there again this year
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Need to fire Judy and move the tournament from Frisco. Not the fan of New Orleans or Memphis neutral sites. Those places are vying with other notorious crime centers for the crime/murder capital of the south. Southhaven or Huntsville would be fine as a neutral location. I'm okay with the tournament including only four top teams in the conference.
Personally I think we should have tournament games back on campus. Award teams that do well in the regular season and at least there will be crowds.
I like top two teams getting byes to the semis. The OVC and WCC (Gonzaga/St Mary’s) both do that format and it’s a fun tournament to watch most years. I’d favor eight team vs. six team: 5-plays-8 and 6-plays-7 for the right to play 3 and 4 in quarterfinals (the single bye). Then those winners get to play the 1 and 2 seeds in the semifinals (double bye). Bottom teams below 8th don’t make post season conference tournament. Think the A-10 had 15th place team (Loyola Chicago) playing 10th yesterday (St Joseph’s) in their opening round…other than Sister Jean Schmidt’s press coverage, the opening game is probably forgettable and a formality.
Give credit for Stanz for telling like it is. Sounds like a coach who is on his way out the door. I think we are going to really like the tournament location next year….
Chip mentioned the Raiders have been 9-2 in neutral court games the last 2 years. That is pretty darn. With their big center Charlotte can be a very dangerous team. It will be difficult, but hopefully the men today can erase the memory of last week's bad Texas road trip.
Nothing surprising in the opening round. Three worst teams got knocked out. Let's hope it stays that way for us today.
Serves as an indictment of conference leadership including the university presidents who apparently think this is fine.
I'll give Judy a c for effort when she went this route a couple of years ago. It should have been disbanded.
Everytime I see that configuration, all I can see is our meltdown against Southern Miss.
Everytime I see that configuration, all I can see is our meltdown against Southern Miss.
Bush league. Looks like a setup for an AAU tournament.
For what it's worth, main CBI predictor HappeningHoops has us in the CBI now. Charlotte as well...and Marshall.
McDevitt sounded like the health of some players may lead to this game being the end of the season.
That arena in Southhaven would be great for the CUSA tournament, big enough but not too big where it feels like an empty warehouse. Last time I was there it was very nice too, and a lot of things like hotels and restaurants nearby to support the tourney.
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