Bracket Busters...

[ShockerExpress]

How does a possible top-50 Bracket Busters matchup look about right now? I never really understood all the heat that contest got around here.

Just was thinking this morning, another chance to prove ourselves on national TV against a top 50 or 100 team down the stretch sure seems like something I'd kill for.

Just sayin.

[Kel Varnsen]

Problem is that the team we usually played ended up being fringe Top 100, if that. There were a few exceptions, however.

[ShockerExpress]

What were the conferences that we would usually face? I can't remember, otherwise I would dig in and try to see who the best option would have been. Not that it matters, obviously.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

WSU scheduled plenty of NCAA bubble through CBI/CIT level teams this year in the non-con. NMSU is one such example. All bracket busters would do is take one of those away from WSU's scheduling department and replace it with an equal opponent mandated by someone else. Ironically, the weather moved NMSU into the old bracket busters portion of the calendar this year. Regardless, I don't think BB had or would now have as much influence, positive or negative, as some think. It was/would be just one more non-conf game against a good, but not great, opponent, and I don't think playing it in February instead of December matters all that much to the committee.

[ShockerExpress]

WSU scheduled plenty of NCAA bubble through CBI/CIT level teams this year in the non-con. NMSU is one such example. All bracket busters would do is take one of those away from WSU's scheduling department and replace it with an equal opponent mandated by someone else. Ironically, the weather moved NMSU into the old bracket busters portion of the calendar this year. Regardless, I don't think BB had or would now have as much influence, positive or negative, as some think. It was/would be just one more non-conf game against a good, but not great, opponent, and I don't think playing it in February instead of December matters all that much to the committee.

Except for the fact that we have almost no wins against teams of that quality...

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

For those curious, Valpo, St. Mary's, and Arkansas Little Rock would be the most likely teams for WSU to have been matched with. Remember that everyone was assigned home/road before the season, so even if WSU was #1, they might not have gotten #2.

This year would have probably been better than most as there would have likely been several 10-12 seeds in pool for WSU to play. On an average year, getting an NCAA level team would be less likely.

BBs ended in 2013. WSU was a 9 seed that year. Their BB opponent... NIT bound Detroit.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

Except for the fact that we have almost no wins against teams of that quality...

What is your point? How does replacing a WSU chosen NIT level opponent with a bracket busters chosen NIT level opponent help WSU get more quality wins?

[Play Angry]

We would have been a road team this year if the BB was still in existence.

Going to South Dakota State or Akron, to play a Super Bowl game the Committee wouldn't give us much credit for winning but still with a near 50/50 probability of losing, does not sound especially appealing.

[ShockerExpress]

What is your point? How does replacing a WSU chosen NIT level opponent with a bracket busters chosen NIT level opponent help WSU get more quality wins?

How come this game couldn't be in place of say... Newman or any other Patsy. Why does it have to replace a game vs. a sub 100 team? My point is - This whole thing was an extra opportunity for teams with so/so resumes to get another good win or look. That is exactly what Wichita State needs now.

[Dave Stalwart]

How does a possible top-50 Bracket Busters matchup look about right now? I never really understood all the heat that contest got around here.

Just was thinking this morning, another chance to prove ourselves on national TV against a top 50 or 100 team down the stretch sure seems like something I'd kill for.

Just sayin.

We were always the top 50 team that other teams GOT to face. The same would be true this year. We would be matched up against somebody about as good as Evansville in the hopes that THEY could get a nice win on their resume...while we just gain an opportunity for another regular win or average to bad loss.

Instead of bracket busters, there should be a new program called "pre NCAA tournament prove it or lose it" that is designed to force the top power 5 teams that have benefited from their name recognition all year to prove themselves against teams like Valpo. I'd say WSU, but I'm mad at our team still right now. :)

But yeah, let the KU's and Marylands and UNCs, etc. get forced into a made for TV game against whoever is on the top of the other conferences. Have it be designed for busting up the high seeds prior to the dance. If they win, they help lock in their high seeds. If they lose, they get tested ahead of time which should help prevent early upset exits. And if they lose and really just weren't that good, it helps fix the seedings ahead of time.

[Jamar Howard 4 President]

How come this game couldn't be in place of say... Newman or any other Patsy. Why does it have to replace a game vs. a sub 100 team? My point is - This whole thing was an extra opportunity for teams with so/so resumes to get another good win or look. That is exactly what Wichita State needs now.

WSU won't give up the yearly home buy games. Half of bracket busters was road games, so starting it back up would eliminate one of WSU's home-and-home series. Newman and the "patsies" would still be around. WSU is getting good at scheduling decent opponents for the home and homes. I'd prefer they be in control of those and not give one up for a forced opponent that might not be any better.

[shocker3]

For those that liked the Bracket Busters concept, they get their BB game tonight. I didn't like the concept and I really don't like the idea of playing NMSU tonight. I would rather play home and homes against teams like Utah, Seton Hall, Alabama, Tennessee, Tulsa and Oklahoma than teams like Austin Peay, Kent State, Detroit etc.

[wusphlash]

Bracket Busters served a purpose way back when but died an appropriate death. I am not really crazy about tonight's game being played with short rest and in the middle of, what has become, a critical stretch in our conference schedule. If this game somehow provides some positive energy to the team, great. I think I would have rather they got rested up physically and mentally refreshed.

[_kai_]

Bracket Buster only helped when you couldn't schedule bubble level teams in the non-con. WSU has been able to schedule up fairly well the last 2-3 years on their own. Once you eclipse the need for help in scheduling, it can hurt more than help because you're at the whim of ESPN or whomever decided on the match ups sans return games.

[XManCometh]

Bracket Busters served a purpose way back when but died an appropriate death. I am not really crazy about tonight's game being played with short rest and in the middle of, what has become, a critical stretch in our conference schedule. If this game somehow provides some positive energy to the team, great. I think I would have rather they got rested up physically and mentally refreshed.

I'd rather them get right back out there on the court and get out of the MVC for a game. Everyone in the MVC knows exactly what we run and how we run it. Playing someone outside of conference is exactly what this team needs right now imo.