Conference Tourney Thread

[waborat]

Always a nice appetizer to the main course...

Horizon, Ohio Valley & Big South all start tomorrow...

CSU tips off @ 7 vs Loyola (ILL)

[waborat]

Complete schedule of the championship games for automatic bids:

BIG SOUTH - 3/6, ESPN2, 3 pm, at highest seed
First round: Mar 2 at campus sites
Semifinals: Mar 4 at Conway, SC

ATLANTIC SUN - 3/6, ESPN2, 5 pm, at Macon, Ga
Opening rounds: Mar 3-5 at Macon, Ga

OHIO VALLEY - 3/6, ESPN2, 7 pm, at Nashville, Tenn
Quarterfinal: Mar 2 at campus sites
Semifinal: Mar 5 at Nashville

MISSOURI VALLEY - 3/7, CBS, 1 pm, at St. Louis
Opening rounds: Mar 4-6, at St. Louis (FSN)

COLONIAL ATHLETIC - 3/8, ESPN, 6 pm, at Richmond, Va
Opening rounds: Mar 5-7 at Richmond

METRO ATLANTIC - 3/8, ESPN2, 6 pm, at Albany, NY
Opening rounds: Mar 5-7 at Albany

WEST COAST - 3/8, ESPN, 8 pm, at Las Vegas
Opening rounds: Mar 5-7 at Las Vegas

SOUTHERN - 3/8, ESPN2, 8 pm, at Charlotte, NC
Opening rounds: Mar 5-7 at Charlotte

SUN BELT - 3/9, ESPN2, 6 pm, at Hot Springs, Ark
Opening rounds: Mar 6-8 at Hot Springs, Ark

HORIZON - 3/9, ESPN, 8 pm, at highest seed
First round: Mar 2 at campus sites
Quarterfinals & semifinals: Mar 5-6 at Indianapolis

SUMMIT - 3/9, ESPN2, 8 pm, at Sioux Falls, SD
Opening rounds: Mar 6-8 at Sioux Falls

NORTHEAST - 3/10, ESPN2, 6 pm, at higher seed
Opening rounds: Mar 4 and 7, at campus sites

BIG SKY - 3/10, ESPN2, 8 pm, at Ogden Utah
Opening rounds: Mar 6 and 9 at Ogden, Utah

PATRIOT - 3/12, ESPN2, 3:45 pm, at higher seed
Opening rounds: Mar 3 and 7, at campus sites

CONF USA - 3/13, CBS, 10:30 am, at Tulsa, Okla
Opening rounds: Mar 10-12 at Tulsa

AMERICA EAST - 3/13, ESPN2, 11 am, at highest seed
Opening rounds: Mar 4-7 at Hartford, Conn

MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC - 3/13, ESPN2, 1 pm, at Winston-Salem, NC
Opening rounds: Mar 9-12, at Winston-Salem

SOUTHLAND - 3/13, ESPN2, 3 pm, at Katy, Tex
Opening rounds: Mar 10-11, at Katy, Tex

BIG 12 - 3/13, ESPN, 5 pm, at Kansas City, Mo
Opening rounds: Mar 10-12 at Kansas City, Mo (Big 12 Network)

PAC-10 - 3/13, CBS, 5 pm, at Los Angeles
Opening rounds: Mar 10-12 at Los Angeles (FSN)

MID-AMERICAN - 3/13, ESPN2, 5 pm, at Cleveland
First round: Mar 7, campus sites
Quarterfinals & semifinals: Mar 11-12 at Cleveland

MOUNTAIN WEST - 3/13, VERSUS, 6 pm, at Las Vegas
Opening rounds: Mar 10-12, at Las Vegas (The MTN)

BIG WEST - 3/13, ESPN2, 7 pm, at Anaheim
Opening rounds: Mar 10-12 at Anaheim

SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC - 3/13, ESPNU, 7:30 pm, at Shreveport, La
Opening rounds: Mar 10-12, at Shreveport

BIG EAST - 3/13, ESPN, 8 pm, at New York City
Opening rounds: Mar 9-12 at New York City

WESTERN ATHLETIC - 3/13, ESPN2, 9 pm, at Reno, Nev
Opening rounds: Mar 11-12 at Reno

ATLANTIC 10 - 3/14, CBS, Noon, at Atlantic City
First round: Mar 9, campus sites
Opening rounds: Mar 12-13 at Atlantic City, NJ (CBSC)

ACC - 3/14, ESPN, Noon, at Greensboro, NC
Opening rounds: Mar 11-13 at Greensboro, NC (ESPN2)

SOUTHEASTERN - 3/14, ABC, Noon, at Nashville, Tenn
Opening rounds: Mar 11-13 at Nashville

BIG TEN - 3/14, CBS, 2:30 pm, at Indianapolis
Opening rounds: Mar 11-13 at Indianapolis

IVY - no tournament
Regular season ends Mar 9
Playoff (if necessary) Mar 11 and 13

No automatic NCAA berth
GREAT WEST - 3/13, 8:30 pm, at Orem, Utah
Opening rounds: Mar 10 & 12, at Orem

[skatingtripods]

Cornell, not shockingly, already got the auto berth from the Ivy League Conference.

Love conference tournaments. The championship games are usually pretty awesome.

[waborat]

Cornell, not shockingly, already got the auto berth from the Ivy League Conference.

Pretty sure they still need to win 1 more game to make it official?

[skatingtripods]

Cornell, not shockingly, already got the auto berth from the Ivy League Conference.

Pretty sure they still need to win 1 more game to make it official?

Good catch. Brown and Yale left. Harvard has Penn and Princeton.

Either way, Cornell probably beats Brown by 15.

[waborat]

Vikes take care of bidness while shooting lights out...

Tougher matchup Friday vs UW/MIL @ 8 pm...

Bulldogs waiting in the wings

[neoleo]

Vikes take care of bidness while shooting lights out...

Tougher matchup Friday vs UW/MIL @ 8 pm...

Bulldogs waiting in the wings

One of the better games of the season for CSU tonight. Hopefully its the start of something special. Former walkon Tim Kamczyc (from Strongsville) has really played well the last four games as a starter filling in for normal starter Trevon Harmon (who returned tonight from injury but came off the bench). Tim is 6-6 and gives the Vikes a more balanced lineup than the four guards they had gone with the 2nd half of the season. With Harmon back tonight and producing off the bench and with 7 footer Joe Latas giving some big minutes off the bench as well, the Vikings actually played pretty big for much of the night.

Milwaukee has been a tough matchup this year (we split in two close games) and they definitely have more size than us.

Besides the bigger lineup today, I also noticed the Vikes looked to push the ball more than normal. If Waters can get this group to find a nice balance by playing big for stretches to help match up but also pushing the tempo to utilize the quickness advantage, he might be on to something.

[jack_tors]

Vikes take care of bidness while shooting lights out...

Tougher matchup Friday vs UW/MIL @ 8 pm...

Bulldogs waiting in the wings

One of the better games of the season for CSU tonight. Hopefully its the start of something special. Former walkon Tim Kamczyc (from Strongsville) has really played well the last four games as a starter filling in for normal starter Trevon Harmon (who returned tonight from injury but came off the bench). Tim is 6-6 and gives the Vikes a more balanced lineup than the four guards they had gone with the 2nd half of the season. With Harmon back tonight and producing off the bench and with 7 footer Joe Latas giving some big minutes off the bench as well, the Vikings actually played pretty big for much of the night.

Milwaukee has been a tough matchup this year (we split in two close games) and they definitely have more size than us.

Besides the bigger lineup today, I also noticed the Vikes looked to push the ball more than normal. If Waters can get this group to find a nice balance by playing big for stretches to help match up but also pushing the tempo to utilize the quickness advantage, he might be on to something.

Nice to see more production out of guys like Woods and James. I really like James in the little I have seen of him and hope he can play more of a role next season. Although talented, this team is so streaky its hard to know what we will get out of them in the next game.

[jb]

Cornell, not shockingly, already got the auto berth from the Ivy League Conference.

The Nard Dog is stoked.

[waborat]

First crummy team going to the dance this evening in the Atlantic Sun Final...

Mercer vs East Tennessee State...

Who woulda thought? Break out the cigars for the winnah...

Also on tap for ticket punches today:

Big South: Coastal Carolina vs Winthrop...seems like Winny's been in this thing for the last decade? Always liked Cliff Ellis, Go Chanticleers!

Ohio Valley: Moorehead State vs Murray State...Wish both these schools could make it

[neoleo]

My two favorite non-Ohio teams, Murray State and ETSU, have a chance to get in! (Uncle played at Murray, dad works at ETSU).

[skatingtripods]

Winthrop punches their ticket to the dance.

And I hit my +375 underdog.

[jordan kramer]

i love how the Ohio Valley Conference doesn't have any teams from Ohio in it, thats pretty rich

[jordan kramer]

can anyone tell me where the state of Morehead is? i would really like to move there

[Triple-S]

can anyone tell me where the state of Morehead is? i would really like to move there

It's capital is Craven.

learned that on jeopardy.

[waborat]

My two favorite non-Ohio teams, Murray State and ETSU, have a chance to get in! (Uncle played at Murray, dad works at ETSU).

Raise The Flags

[neoleo]

My two favorite non-Ohio teams, Murray State and ETSU, have a chance to get in! (Uncle played at Murray, dad works at ETSU).

Raise The Flags

Pretty cool. I've never had a chance to see a game at Murray but ETSU plays in a tiny little dome right in the middle of campus (it used to house the football games too before they dropped the program). It's a great atmosphere and the basketball team is the center of attention on campus.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I can't stand Confrence Tournaments. Every year some 16-14 slug gets in because they get hot in some podunk tourney.

What's the point of having a regular season champion?

Maybe they can just expand the field so everybody gets in the NCAA Tourney.

[waborat]

I can't stand Confrence Tournaments. Every year some 16-14 slug gets in because they get hot in some podunk tourney.

What's the point of having a regular season champion?

Maybe they can just expand the field so everybody gets in the NCAA Tourney.

It's a great extension to the whole March Madness mystique...

Who cares if ya get another "slug" in the tourney? There's already a ton of em...You play the regular season for seeding...It's not like any of the majors get knocked out and sometimes it gives a couple teams from a mid some recognition...

If not? Then they go play in the NIT...

In the big scheme of things, does it really matter if Campbell or East tennessee State get in from the AS?

Now if only the Ivy League would wise up

[skatingtripods]

I can't stand Confrence Tournaments. Every year some 16-14 slug gets in because they get hot in some podunk tourney.

What's the point of having a regular season champion?

Maybe they can just expand the field so everybody gets in the NCAA Tourney.

It's a great extension to the whole March Madness mystique...

Who cares if ya get another "slug" in the tourney? There's already a ton of em...You play the regular season for seeding...It's not like any of the majors get knocked out and sometimes it gives a couple teams from a mid some recognition...

If not? Then they go play in the NIT...

In the big scheme of things, does it really matter if Campbell or East tennessee State get in from the AS?

Now if only the Ivy League would wise up

Exactly. I love the conference tournaments. If you go roll through the best in your conference when it really counts, you deserve to be in March Madness. Many of these non-major conference teams with 20+ wins have at least 3, sometimes more, wins over non-Div. 1 schools. Take Coastal Carolina for example. They beat a couple local D-3 schools. They got bounced by Winthrop who played their asses off in that title game and have gone dancing before.

The conference tournaments also determine who gets in from the power conferences. Unless UConn or Notre Dame win at least a game or two in the Big East tourney, they're both out. There's some bubble SEC and ACC teams too that need a good showing.

I like the conference tourneys and I think they're a great idea to producing what March Madness is all about.

[waborat]

Four more schools go in tonight...

Recent regulars Old Dominion & Siena got good chances for a longer schedule...

Wofford/App State in the Southern are fighting for a #15 seed...

Annual Zaga/Gails game @ 9:00...


Sidenote: Been feast or famine in the Big 11 this year...You probably got the only four schools in the conference that will get in the tourney ranked in the top 13 overall

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I can't stand Confrence Tournaments. Every year some 16-14 slug gets in because they get hot in some podunk tourney.

What's the point of having a regular season champion?

Maybe they can just expand the field so everybody gets in the NCAA Tourney.

It's a great extension to the whole March Madness mystique...

Who cares if ya get another "slug" in the tourney? There's already a ton of em...You play the regular season for seeding...It's not like any of the majors get knocked out and sometimes it gives a couple teams from a mid some recognition...

If not? Then they go play in the NIT...

In the big scheme of things, does it really matter if Campbell or East tennessee State get in from the AS?

Now if only the Ivy League would wise up

Ugh.

It's a money grab and a chance for a weak team to get hot and get into a tournament they have no business being in.

If you want to have Purdue and OSU play one more game to determine the out right winner, that's fine. But giving Illinois or Northwestern a chance to hurt these teams' chance to get #1 seed is stupid.

[skatingtripods]

St. Mary's just proved why conference tourneys need to stay. They just took a bid away from a major conference by stomping Gonzaga in the WCC title game.

Gonzaga's gotta be a 5 or 6 now in my opinion. They're vulnerable in the first round. What do you make St. Mary's? A 10? A 9?

[waborat]

St. Mary's just proved why conference tourneys need to stay. They just took a bid away from a major conference by stomping Gonzaga in the WCC title game.

Gonzaga's gotta be a 5 or 6 now in my opinion. They're vulnerable in the first round. What do you make St. Mary's? A 10? A 9?

Nice to see St Mary's finally get the monkey off their back...

I hafta believe they're easily a 9 or 10? They're gonna have to play a perfect game like last night to move on though...

Zag's are no better than a #6 now, maybe lower? If Frodo doesn't show up, they could be done before the weekend starts...

I'm officially announcing my '10 team to be the Terriers from Wofford!!!! Love it when a newbie gets in

[waborat]

On tap tonight:

Butler should role in the Horizon...

TROY/N TEX in the SunBelt...

OAK/IUPUIUPIUPUIPIU in the Summit...got a buddy who went & works @ Oakland, he said watch out for Keith Benson tonight

[skatingtripods]

OAK/IUPUIUPIUPUIPIU in the Summit...got a buddy who went & works @ Oakland, he said watch out for Keith Benson tonight

My junior and senior year roommate did his undergrad at Oakland.

Butler made me a little cash last night.


How about the Seton Hall-Providence game. 109-106, Seton Hall led 76-47 with about 13 minutes left in the 2nd half.

[peeker643]

OAK/IUPUIUPIUPUIPIU in the Summit...got a buddy who went & works @ Oakland, he said watch out for Keith Benson tonight

My junior and senior year roommate did his undergrad at Oakland.

Butler made me a little cash last night.


How about the Seton Hall-Providence game. 109-106, Seton Hall led 76-47 with about 13 minutes left in the 2nd half.

And Providence had a good look at a 3 to tie it as time expired. That game was nuts.

[waborat]

OAK/IUPUIUPIUPUIPIU in the Summit...got a buddy who went & works @ Oakland, he said watch out for Keith Benson tonight

My junior and senior year roommate did his undergrad at Oakland.

Butler made me a little cash last night.


How about the Seton Hall-Providence game. 109-106, Seton Hall led 76-47 with about 13 minutes left in the 2nd half.

And Providence had a good look at a 3 to tie it as time expired. That game was nuts.

Most exciting game so far in the post-season...

Shocked to find out Mizzou went down today...

Northeast slot up for grabs tonight

[skatingtripods]

Mizzou and Marquette were disappointing today.

[skatingtripods]

This Justin Rutty kid for Quinnipiac is a monster.

[skatingtripods]

The Northeastern Conference is embarrassingly sad. This has been a really awful championship game.

Whatever #1 gets one of these teams is going to slaughter them by 45.

[neoleo]

The Northeastern Conference is embarrassingly sad. This has been a really awful championship game.

Whatever #1 gets one of these teams is going to slaughter them by 45.

A traditionally bad conference. Saw Robert Morris up close and personal this year at CSU and they were very unimpressive against a so-so CSU team. Can't believe they won 20+. Both their starting C and PF are under 200 pounds.

[waborat]

How about the Seton Hall-Providence game. 109-106, Seton Hall led 76-47 with about 13 minutes left in the 2nd half.

And Providence had a good look at a 3 to tie it as time expired. That game was nuts.

Most exciting game so far in the post-season...

I'm changing my pick to the Montana/Weber St game...

Wow, Anthony Johnson was unstoppable in the 2nd half...

Performance was up there with the '08 version of SCurry...

At least Weber St didn't lay down and die, unlike Louisville last night...Pitino couldn't have wanted that kind of performance going into next week...

Big 11 starts today, plus Akron @ 2:00 & KSU @ 7:00

[Cease]

I'm changing my pick to the Montana/Weber St game...

Wow, Anthony Johnson was unstoppable in the 2nd half...

Performance was up there with the '08 version of SCurry...

At least Weber St didn't lay down and die, unlike Louisville last night...Pitino couldn't have wanted that kind of performance going into next week...

Big 11 starts today, plus Akron @ 2:00 & KSU @ 7:00

Great game by Johnson, scoring 42 of his teams 66 points. He was so zoned in during the second half while playing the final minutes with 4 fouls. Down 22 in what was really a home game for Weber. If it was a big east game, it would be game of the century instant classic. IMO, it's just as compelling to watch a finish like this between Montana and Weber State vs larger schools. Actually more compelling b/c the skill levels are closer to the average rec league player than those of the bigger schools.

For any negatives associated with conference tournaments, the raise in the level of play brought on by win-or-go-home competition makes up for it.

[waborat]

Does 'Cuse keep their #1 seeding?

Opens the door for several teams to take a stab at it...

Hard to imagine a Big East school not being in the top 4

[skatingtripods]

I don't think anybody in the Big East deserves a #1. If Ohio St. or Purdue win the B10 title, one of them should be #1.

Quite frankly, I don't think Duke's worthy of a #1 either. But, this year is shaping up to have a real cinderella or two. The top teams are all very vulnerable. Very, very vulnerable.

[waborat]

I don't think anybody in the Big East deserves a #1. If Ohio St. or Purdue win the B10 title, one of them should be #1.

Quite frankly, I don't think Duke's worthy of a #1 either. But, this year is shaping up to have a real cinderella or two. The top teams are all very vulnerable. Very, very vulnerable.

Orange deserved it until this past week...Losing Onuaku for any length of time will hurt...

I agree with the Big 10 teams, although the committee could look at the loss of Hummel and keep them at a #2 no matter what they do?

Duke? Rather see New Mexico there...

Glad to see Memphis finally done...

Hawkeyes starting to show some life vs MICH

[skatingtripods]

Orange deserved it until this past week...Losing Onuaku for any length of time will hurt...

That lackluster loss to Louisville hurt them. Couple that with giving up 91 points to Georgetown. I don't see how you can validate them as a #1.

I agree with the Big 10 teams, although the committee could look at the loss of Hummel and keep them at a #2 no matter what they do?

I don't think Purdue will win the B10 tourney anyway. I think it'll be Wisconsin or OSU.

Duke? Rather see New Mexico there...

Agreed. I watched them against BYU and that was an awesome game.

Glad to see Memphis finally done...

They cost me money, so fuck them. There should have been a tech on Houston with .8 left. Guy came off the bench onto the floor to celebrate. It was a 1 point game too.


Of course I easily hit Texas Tech +17.5 earlier. And then Memphis has to piss on it.


Akron's on their way to covering and Wake Forest is dicking me, considering they're down 18 and I have them -4.

I started March 13-4-1. I'm 2-6 in my last 8.

[waborat]

I started March 13-4-1. I'm 2-6 in my last 8.

Your singing to the choir 3Pod...

I've won & lost every way imaginable in my lifetime...

Years ago, we were out in Vegas for the first weekend of the tourney...Hit 29 out of my first 34 wagers on Thursday & Friday...Way up, world was my oyster...lost my next 14 out 16 (while pressing) and came home with no parking money and a pissed off wife

[skatingtripods]

I started March 13-4-1. I'm 2-6 in my last 8.

Your singing to the choir 3Pod...

I've won & lost every way imaginable in my lifetime...

Years ago, we were out in Vegas for the first weekend of the tourney...Hit 29 out of my first 34 wagers on Thursday & Friday...Way up, world was my oyster...lost my next 14 out 16 (while pressing) and came home with no parking money and a pissed off wife

Damn. That is brutal.

After today, I'm thinking about sitting on what I have until March Madness starts next Thursday. The major conferences are too hard to tell. I made my money off the small/mid-major conferences.

[skatingtripods]

I'll tell you what, there's a huge difference between the refs who work the major conferences and the ones in the smaller conferences. Enormous difference. There's no consistency at all in some of these games.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Look at Winthrop's record and tell me they should be in the NCAA Tournament.

[skatingtripods]

Look at Winthrop's record and tell me they should be in the NCAA Tournament.

Probably not, but nobody wants to see Miami in there at 18-12 with a 4-12 conference record.

Let the mid-majors get some exposure. It's the only time anybody cares about them.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Look at Winthrop's record and tell me they should be in the NCAA Tournament.

Probably not, but nobody wants to see Miami in there at 18-12 with a 4-12 conference record.

Let the mid-majors get some exposure. It's the only time anybody cares about them.

They can get exposure by not finishing 3rd in their crappy confrence.

The only people who watch these 3rd rate teams play are degenerate gamblers.

[skatingtripods]

The double bye is the kiss of death in the Big East tourney. Wow.

Love Buzz Williams. I'm pulling for Marquette.

[idoctribefan]

Lafayette @ Lehigh. 4:45pmET Friday: Patriot League Championship on ESPN2

A good friend of mine is an assistant coach for Lehigh and I drove out to Bethlehem and caught their Senior Night game against Holy Cross. After the game we had a dinner with all the players and their families. Great group of kids they have there and I'll be pulling for them to go to the Big Dance. If they win, I'm hoping they get placed in Buffalo so I can head up there and check out a #1/#16 matchup.

Keep an eye on CJ McCollum from Glen Oak High in Canton: Patriot League POY as a freshman this year.

[waborat]

The double bye is the kiss of death in the Big East tourney. Wow.

Love Buzz Williams. I'm pulling for Marquette.

I'll laugh my ass off if PIT & WV go down tonight...

Then ESPN will tell us that everyone in the BE deserves to get in

[skatingtripods]

The double bye is the kiss of death in the Big East tourney. Wow.

Love Buzz Williams. I'm pulling for Marquette.

I'll laugh my ass off if PIT & WV go down tonight...

Then ESPN will tell us that everyone in the BE deserves to get in

PITT is vulnerable. I think WVU beats Cincy by 7 or 8.

Notre Dame's clicking right now.

[skatingtripods]

Holy shit. What a game in the MAC quarters. EMU hits a 3 with 6.5 left in OT, McNees runs down with no timeouts and buries a 3 of his own on a step back.

We're going 2OT.

[waborat]

New Mexico just had a scare from Air Force...

Fouls did them in..

Akron/E MICH in the 2nd OT right now