Bracket Buster Home/Away Teams Announced

[rjl]

WSU is not too good for Bracket Busters. We haven't exactly been dominate in the thing, so until we demonstrate that our level of play has exceeded the design and concept of BB, then I say we should continue to play the games.

That's not the point.

Bracket Busters has never been a key part of our season; our post-season opportunities have NEVER hinged on our performance in the Bracket Busters game.

We don't need it. It's holding WSU in the perception we'd like to get out of.

What is that perception?

Well, every BB game we've lost, we've turned around and won the following year. That would lead one to believe that a lot of the teams we face in the BB are more along the lines of a one year wonder than a sustained presence.

[wu_shizzle]

We don't need it.

I agree we don't need it, but do you think we'd get ESPN prime time eyes without it? BB hasn't done us any harm, if anything it's given us greater visibility.

Which leads me to:

It's holding WSU in the perception we'd like to get out of.

No, losing these games has held WSU to the perception we'd like to leave behind. Beat George Mason and App St. and we actually back up the talk that WSU and the Valley can run with just about anybody. When we start winning these by 20 and are concerned about the RPI hit, then I might be a little more persuadable.

Wouldn't that be a great problem to have?

[rjl]

It's holding WSU in the perception we'd like to get out of.

No, losing these games has held WSU to the perception we'd like to leave behind. Beat George Mason and App St. and we actually back up the talk that WSU and the Valley can run with just about anybody. When we start winning these by 20 and are concerned about the RPI hit, then I might be a little more persuadable.

Wouldn't that be a great problem to have?

Yeah, because beating Miami of Ohio, GMU, or App State would have really put WSU in the minds of households nationwide.

For the last 4 or 5 years, we've been in a situation where BB's can only hurt us, with the exception of last year, when it couldn't do anything for us either way.

[vbird53]

Both sides of the argument make a good point. On the one hand, we haven't exactly been tearing up the teams we've been matched up with, and consequently can't argue that we're getting horrible competition from playing down with other leagues. On the other hand, why play the game at all?

A WAC/A-10/Moutain West/Conference USA/Valley match-up would probably serve us better. Prove which is the best tweener league? Will we ever take the spot of the big 12, or other power conference--no. Therefore, why not continue on our path of trying to lure BCS schools to Koch, and give us a decent non-con matchup in Feb. with a decent tweener league school.

[The Mad Hatter]

It's holding WSU in the perception we'd like to get out of.

No, losing these games has held WSU to the perception we'd like to leave behind. Beat George Mason and App St. and we actually back up the talk that WSU and the Valley can run with just about anybody. When we start winning these by 20 and are concerned about the RPI hit, then I might be a little more persuadable.

Wouldn't that be a great problem to have?

Yeah, because beating Miami of Ohio, GMU, or App State would have really put WSU in the minds of households nationwide.

For the last 4 or 5 years, we've been in a situation where BB's can only hurt us, with the exception of last year, when it couldn't do anything for us either way.

That is my problem with BB. If you win, no one is willing to give you any credit, because, even if people later realize that at team like George Mason is really good (after getting to the Sweet 16), they wouldn't have thought anything of us beating them. If you lose (as we actually did), then people act like you lost to a mediocre opponent. The original impression of the loss will not be voided by the same team doing well later.

No one nationally is impressed by a win, even if they should be, and loses are used as excuses to exclude teams from at-large bids or diminish seeds. The risk-reward ratio is not a good one for teams in the Valley that don't need much in the way of a RPI boost.

[1972Shocker]

I would generally have to agree with most of the anti-BB postiions and logic.

On the other hand, it did give us a higher quality non-con opponent than we have been able to attract when left to our own efforts.

The best way to avoid the negative aspects of a BB loss is to win the darn games. Something that we haven't been able to do on a consistent basis.

It will be interesting to see how HCGM approaches scheduling and what he is able to accomplish that Coach Turgeon could not, if anything.

[rayc]

The name of the event tells you all you need to know – Bracket Busters.

If you honestly feel that the top teams in the MVC are no better than bubble teams, i.e. not deserving of being ranked higher than 40th or 50th or so, then we belong in Bracket Busters, if not, then we don’t.

Wins in the NCAA tournament are the ones that change public perceptions, not Bracket Busters, and I can’t think of a single MVC team that Bracket Busters has helped get into the NCAA tournament, not one.

[rrshock]

Wasn't it UNI that lost to UL Lafayette a couple of years ago and it cost them a trip to the dance? If not, it was another MVC school. I agree with the argument that it does nothing but hurt the MVC. If a Valley team wins, well then everyone says "they should have won". If they lose, then it was the "They were overrated anyways" kind of crap.

Butler is a good program. There are a few others in this thing, but the majority of the teams aren't gonna be in the post season, don't have a chance in hell of being in the post season, and an even smaller chance of winning their conference.

VBird53 has a good idea with the combo of the 4 or 5 conferences that are viewed as the true Mid-Majors in this country. The other 100 or so teams participating in this BB thing are not even close to being of Mid-Major status. Keep the little guys away and let the guys trying to keep up with the bigger boys gain a little ground. ESPN would be better served by just having those 4 or 5 conferences in the BB.

Since we are an MVC member, does that mean we have to participate? If so, what's the penalty for not? If WSU can trade this game for a game with say LSU or a Big 12 opponent, wouldn't the MVC benefit from that more, even if it means possibly the top team doesn't participate in the MVC versus everyone else tourney?