Conference Tournaments

[Wander]

The smaller conference tournaments are one of my favorite parts of the season. May have flown under the radar a bit, but they're starting this weekend.

Murray State, which won a game last year in the NCAA tournament and returned most of their good players, was upset yesterday and is out of the brackets this year.

Tonight Belmont will play North Florida for the first 2011 tournament bid. They nearly had one of the biggest upsets in tournament history before Gerald Henderson saved us from embarrassment, and are 29-4 this year. Three of those four losses are single-digit road losses to Tennessee (twice) and Vanderbilt. They're also ranked by kenpom as a Top 25 team. Make of that what you will.

[Bob Green]

Big South Championship Game: UNC-Asheville 60, Coastal Carolina 47.

[juise]

It looks like Butler is moving to the Horizon final. I'd like to see them keep winning for Duke's SOS.

Also, Belmont's in the dance. Bad memories.

[Wander]

Morehead State won the tournament that Murray State could not. This gives one of the country's most underrated players, possible lottery pick Kenneth Faried, a chance to play in the NCAA tournament. He's the leading rebounder in the country and put up good numbers against Florida and Ohio State. That's a hell of a 14 or 15 seed to have to play (first round upset of Carolina, anyone? ).

[Wander]

Wichita State was upset in the Missouri Valley tournament. MVC teams have a recent history of doing well in the tournament, from knocking off Kansas last year to putting two teams in the Sweet 16 in 2006 to having Southern Illinois be a consistent tournament member for quite a few years (remember the "Saluki hangover" from that SIU fan on here?).

The game is 2 PM on CBS, and I think it's fair to say that the MVC tournament is widely considered to be one of the three best conference tournaments to watch, along with the ACC and Big East. Missouri State is 15-3 in their conference but probably can't get an at-large bid if they lose to Indiana State. Still, Missouri State, Belmont, and Morehead State would I think compose an unusually excellent set of early bids - if this trend continues, the better teams could be in more trouble than usual in the early rounds.

[throatybeard]

Poor Missouri State, one possession. And Lunardi has them first four out.

I'd like to thank everyone all over the Midwest for pouring their discretionary income into Saint Louis during Arch Madness. Now to get the NCAA Wrestling Championship back from Omaha. (2012, I think).

Why did Belmont play Tennessee twice?

[Bob Green]

I'd like to thank everyone all over the Midwest for pouring their discretionary income into Saint Louis during Arch Madness.

Duh! I feel kind of dumb right now. One simple sentence from you explains what I couldn't figure out while watching the game...why is the "M" missing? St. Louis + Arch = Obvious.

[gofurman]

Duh! I feel kind of dumb right now. One simple sentence from you explains what I couldn't figure out while watching the game...why is the "M" missing? St. Louis + Arch = Obvious.

so who is in?

unc - a
Belmnt
Morehead State
others?

[Bob Green]

so who is in?

unc - a
Belmnt
Morehead State
others?

Indiana State via the Missouri Valley Conference automatic bid.

[Rogue]

One that I follow closely is the CAA,, UNCW use to do well , till they decided basketball coaches aren't part of the reason a team is successful ( Brad Brownell, now at Clempson was the UNCW coach that had great success, but the AD thought it wasn't important lol ) anyway, they play for their championship Monday evening on ESPN( 2 ? ) and it's VCU vs ODU,, actually one of that conferences best rivals.. George Mason, the No 1 seed, was beat soundly by VCU ( playing 2 miles from campus,, no home court advantage though LMAO ) and this, could put 3 CAA teams in the NCAA's if VCU wins,, ODU has some nice wins, rpi sos,, so does Mason.. I'll watch this one,, great mid major rivals,, 90 miles apart maybe.

[Wander]

Poor Missouri State, one possession. And Lunardi has them first four out.

Why did Belmont play Tennessee twice?

Not sure if it actually means anything, but might be worth noting that Missouri State currently has the record, in 2006, of team with the best RPI left out of the NCAA tournament.

Re Belmont, the first meeting was part of an early season tournament.

[Wander]

Vermont (13-3 in America East) and Fairfield (15-3 in MAAC) were both upset in their semi-finals today. Whenever a 16 seed eventually beats a 1, it's going to be as much about avoiding these results as it is about having a weak crop of 1 seeds.

[crote]

Poor Missouri State, one possession. And Lunardi has them
Why did Belmont play Tennessee twice?

Once during the NIT Season Tip Off (or whatever that tournament is called now), once during a regular non-conference game.

[throatybeard]

Duh! I feel kind of dumb right now. One simple sentence from you explains what I couldn't figure out while watching the game...why is the "M" missing? St. Louis + Arch = Obvious.

I know no one is gonna believe this, given that the schools are mid-majors, but this tournament matches the buzz and atmosphere, here, locally, of the ACCT. Especially given how most years, the ACC Final is Duke or UNC (not Duke versus UNC) against some other school and most other people have left town.

It's hott. The losing schools' fans tend to stick around throughout. And they hold it in the Scottrade Center (Blues arena, 2009 WBB FF) instead of the football stadium (2005 MBB FF, 2010 MBB Region Final). So it's a real basketball/hockey arena, like the GSO Coliseum. I'm like, why are all these White baby boomers--the most intensely averse demo in history to mass transit and traditional neighborhood development--why they riding the metro? They don't do that, normally. How odd. Oh, there's Arch Madness, and they're from Illinois or Iowa and they're staying at the airport. Rock on.

Still, I like the Wrestling Championships more. Instead of 10 schools you get, I don't even know, 25, 30? I have some stories to tell about that.

[throatybeard]

Not sure if it actually means anything, but might be worth noting that Missouri State currently has the record, in 2006, of team with the best RPI left out of the NCAA tournament.

Re Belmont, the first meeting was part of an early season tournament.

Currently at 37. Maybe the committee will throw them a lifeline...not that I'm endorsing the RPI as a metric.

This illustrates the differences between the power conferences and the others. We whine about how the ACC is being disrespected in favor of the BE. But we never have to worry about the stuff [erstwhile SW] Missouri State, regular season champ, one-poss loser in their conference tourney final, though they are in a good conference, does. They killed their conference, but they lose by basically one possession, and they're competing with VT for the last spot.

The greatest moment in the history of my sports attendance occurred in 1999 in the Charlotte 1R and 2R in that hideous dark arena. We played Tulsa and [SW]MS played...Wisconsin? I don't remember. But they played the William Tell Overture, and the Bear slapped his own glutes repeatedly. It was art. If you weren't there, you don't know.

[Wander]

Throaty, going to the MVC tournament is definitely on my bucket list of sports.

We have four bids to hand out today. One goes to the winner Iona vs St Peter's. I don't have much to say there, other than Iona was the last winless team a few years ago so that's a nice turnaround.

Another is VCU vs Old Dominion. VCU has a win over UCLA, Old Dominion over Clemson. So they can beat power conference teams.

The WCC got their dream match-up in Gonzaga vs St Mary's. They've both made the Sweet 16 recently.

The last one is Wofford vs College of Charleston. Charleston is of course the team that really started UNC's downward spiral last year, and they played them tough again this season (losing by 5 in Chapel Hill). Wofford very nearly beat Wisconsin in the first round last year as a 13 seed, but lost on a last second shot by I believe Leuer.

[Bob Green]

Old Dominion just defeated Virginia Commonwealth, 70-65, to earn the Colonial Athletic Association automatic bid. Am I a bad person because I rooted for VCU to lose?

The West Coast Conference Championship is starting now with St. Mary's vs Gonzaga. I think both teams will make the Field of 68. I've watched a couple of WCC games this year and will be pulling for the Gaels.

[Bob Green]

I'm no expert, but it appears to me Steven Gray may be in need of stitches. That's an ugly cut above his left eye. It appeared to be caused by his teammate's knee landing on his face.

[Rogue]

Old Dominion just defeated Virginia Commonwealth, 70-65, to earn the Colonial Athletic Association automatic bid. Am I a bad person because I rooted for VCU to lose? .

No lol, not at all,, and if truth be known,, you'd root for ODU to lose also.. Those two schools hate one another and bring out the best thugery ( new word lol ) in that conference.
Yes, Manor from VCU,, was it Buffaloe NY where that game was played.. yes,, hating on VCU is kewl,

[Bob Green]

Final Score: Gonzaga 75, St. Mary's 63. It was a good game and a lot closer than the final score. These two rivals went at each other like a couple of prize fighters in a physical but never dirty game. Gonzaga secures the West Coast Conference automatic bid, but I believe St. Mary's is safely in the NCAAT as well. Lunardi has both teams as 10 seeds in his latest Bracketology.