Selection Sunday Chatter

[The Game]

Yes, the CBI...I think its 16 teams and I think there is another one too this year

[The Game]

Basketball Gets Another Postseason Tournament
By Jack Styczynski
Do we really need a fourth postseason college basketball tournament?

Because it looks as if we may be getting one.

The Boston-based Web site CollegeInsider.com has announced the formation of a 16-team invitational tournament this March that “will be determined after the official announcements of the two existing tournaments.” It was referring to the N.C.A.A. tournament and the National Invitation Tournament without mentioning the 16-team College Basketball Invitational, which was initiated last year to limited fanfare.

Joe Dwyer, the site’s publisher, said in an e-mail interview that a number of coaches contacted him last season, suggesting the idea.

“The thought was that a team like I.U.P.U.I. with 26 wins should not be left out of the postseason,” Dwyer said of the event’s genesis. “We then explored the possibility with the N.A.B.C., later the N.C.A.A., and the tournament was born.”


Dwyer declined to name the coaches who contacted him, but said they were among those whose teams did not participate in the postseason. He listed 18 schools that had 19 or more wins and didn’t play in any of the three existing tournaments last year. The news release announcing the tournament named 10 former coaches on its selection committee, including Hugh Durham, Lou Henson, Gene Keady and Nolan Richardson.

The N.C.A.A. and N.I.T. tournaments are both run by the N.C.A.A. and incorporate a total of 97 teams into postseason play. The C.B.I., operated by the Gazelle Group marketing firm, increased the total to 113 last year. The CollegeInsider.com tournament would swell the number to 129 — well over a third of the teams in Division I — making college basketball’s postseason landscape look more and more like the bloated college football bowl season.

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference also distributed the press release to various members of the news media

[bryce]

Thanks Game!

[MarkLemke]

way to go out on a limb doug gottleib...all four #1's in the final four...wow!!!

[vols fan]

I'm with Mavs.Memphis might win it all.They shoot the 3 well,there well coached and they make free throws.They will beat Uconn if Uconn makes it

[mavskidd02]

I'm with Mavs.Memphis might win it all.They shoot the 3 well,there well coached and they make free throws.They will beat Uconn if Uconn makes it

damn straight Vols

[Three Jack]

There only three losses were to Xavier, Georgetown and Cuse. One of them in OT, by an average of 7 points per. They won 25 straight games, and haven't lost in 2009. Unless you want to invite them to the Big 12, or the SEC or something, don't blame them for playing in C-USA.

So who didn't deserve a #1 seed then?

[mavskidd02]

So who didn't deserve a #1 seed then?

The UCONN Huskies, plain and simple 3J

[Three Jack]

I hate UConn but I think they deserved a #1...much better SOS, better against top 50 teams and 2 of their 4 losses to another #1. That, imo, is a better resume than Memphis.

[GOLDENGREEK]

The teams that need to be eliminated are the conf that do not play games on the reg schedule such as the Patriot, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Southwestern Athletic Conference ,Atlantic Sun, Big South, Southland, and SummitNortheast Conference,. They should be relagated to Div 2 like in football.

These teams cant and dont compete with the big boys. This alone would have opened up 6 slots and allowed teams that were shafted in.

[mavskidd02]

I hate UConn but I think they deserved a #1...much better SOS, better against top 50 teams and 2 of their 4 losses to another #1. That, imo, is a better resume than Memphis.

So then what could Memphis have done to gotten a one??? Because by this logic, they couldn't have gotten one PERIOD. I don't want to beat this to death, but their simply getting punished because they play in (and dominate) C USA. They had a great non conf schedule. Like I said before, short of going undefeated, you are telling these kids they cant have a 1. I said this to another guy before, find me one CBB team in history, who has one 25 straight games, in any conference, at any point during the season, and hasn't gotten a one seed.

[Three Jack]

So then what could Memphis have done to gotten a one??? Because by this logic, they couldn't have gotten one PERIOD. I don't want to beat this to death, but their simply getting punished because they play in (and dominate) C USA. They had a great non conf schedule. Like I said before, short of going undefeated, you are telling these kids they cant have a 1. I said this to another guy before, find me one CBB team in history, who has one 25 straight games, in any conference, at any point during the season, and hasn't gotten a one seed.

I wouldn't say there out of conference was 'great'...it was decent...but, if I didn't overlook anyone, they went 3-1 against out of conf tournament teams, including Chattanoga...the CUSA has gotten no respect for years, and rightfully so...go get a better out of conf schedule. Look at the Zags...that is a GREAT out of conference schedule.

Bootom line, their SOS was 50th, far worse than the other 4 teams. Why should they get it over the other 4...because they won 25 straight against mostly mediocre teams? I think you are better served playing in a conf like the BE and getting out of it with only 4 losses on the season. Just my opinion.

[mavskidd02]

I wouldn't say there out of conference was 'great'...it was decent...but, if I didn't overlook anyone, they went 3-1 against out of conf tournament teams, including Chattanoga...the CUSA has gotten no respect for years, and rightfully so...go get a better out of conf schedule. Look at the Zags...that is a GREAT out of conference schedule.

Bootom line, their SOS was 50th, far worse than the other 4 teams. Why should they get it over the other 4...because they won 25 straight against mostly mediocre teams? I think you are better served playing in a conf like the BE and getting out of it with only 4 losses on the season. Just my opinion.

If they get a major conference invite, and they deny it, then bash em all you want. But they haven't and until then how can you blame 'em? The played Cuse, G'Town, Zaga, Tennessee and Xavier. Not to mention some other good yet less high profile teams. What do they have to do, schedule and beat UNC, Duke, Pitt, UCONN every year?

[Three Jack]

If they get a major conference invite, and they deny it, then bash em all you want. But they haven't and until then how can you blame 'em? The played Cuse, G'Town, Zaga, Tennessee and Xavier. Not to mention some other good yet less high profile teams. What do they have to do, schedule and beat UNC, Duke, Pitt, UCONN every year?

I am not bashing them at all....I think they are a very good team but a #2 seed.

G'town was not good this year, Tennessee was not a tourney team a week ago and Xavier?

If Gonzaga can get UConn, Maryland, Ok. St, Tenn.X2, Arizona, Wash St., UConn, Utah and Memphis on thier out of conference schedule, then, yes, Memphis can do better then Xavier.

And the thing I like about the committee is that while you may not agree with them putting Memphis #2...they were consistent in penalizing others, especially bubble teams, i.e. Penn St & Auburn, for playing crap out of conference schedules.

I jus tthink when you look at the body of work- SOS, RPI, Conf Strength, Top 25 & 50 games, Memphis is clearly the 5 best team in the country and what other criteria are they supposed to go by?

[10DimeBry]

the major conferences get way to much love IMO teams like maryland,ucla,michigan and a like have no chance to win let alone more then one game. Why not let a mid major like st marys or creighton get in?