MUScoop
MUScoop => Hangin' at the Al => Topic started by: Benny B on February 11, 2016, 01:31:19 PM
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Since Myron hasn't crossed my bridge in a while, I decided to see what he was up to and came across this.
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/111246/ben-simmons-its-hard-to-appreciate-a-great-player-on-a-bubble-team
Apparently, the argument is that college basketball is missing out because Ben Simmons isn't playing on an NCAA tournament team ergo we won't be able to see him in a competitive tournament format. By that logic, you could apply the same sentiment to Henry.
Sure, Mickey doesn't have himself a seat on the NCAAT selection committee, but the mouse does have the TV rights to the NIT.
Yes, the NIT is a consolation prize to the NCAA, and it would suck if MU gets close to a bid but has to settle for the NIT... but assuming we've got a consensus that among the three options (i.e. excluding CBI, V16, etc.):
NCAA > NIT > Nothing
With a possible NIT bracket including LSU, MU, and California (Brown & Rabb) could anyone else see ESPN hyping the tournament along the lines of the battle of freshmen lottery picks? Heck, Vanderbilt is on the bubble right now and, though not freshmen, they might have two lottery picks (Jones & Baldwin) on that team.
I'm not saying the NIT is going to be must-watch TV, or even that it would approach the ratings of the first-round games... but imagine an NIT with six lottery picks including the overall #1... I don't think the NIT has ever had that kind of talent in the past 15 years, and I don't think ESPN is going to let that kind of promo slide by unnoticed. Granted, it wouldn't take much, but does anyone think that there might be even a touch of luster on the NIT this year, at least from the viewing public's perspective.
AFTERTHOUGHT: An NIT "final four" consisting of MU, Vandy, Cal and LSU would 1) likely have more 2016 first rounders than a Final Four(tm) consisting of any combination of the top 20 teams in the AP Poll right now and 2) possibly have more 2016 lottery picks than any other four teams in all of D-I, including Kentucky, Maryland, Duke and North Carolina combined.
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This reads like a summary of what is wrong with College Basketball. All the best players, aren't good enough to get into the tournament, huh?
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I'm not saying the NIT is going to be must-watch TV, or even that it would approach the ratings of the first-round games... but imagine an NIT with six lottery picks including the overall #1.
Wow ... you really think Michael Mache will be the overall #1 pick? I hadn't even heard him mentioned as top 10!!
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The NIT will be must watch TV for me, if MU is in it. Otherwise, I will not care who is in it and will not watch it.
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I am generally as interested in the NIT championship as I would be in a first weekend game between two teams I don't really have any vested interested in (esp like a 16 v 1 - who really cares/watches those - most are blowouts after the first 10 minutes). NCAA still a far better "result" but a deep run into the NIT would leave me very happy with this season.
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A trip to NYC at the end of a NIT run would make this season an unconditional success.
A+: NCAA bid
A-: NIT Final Four
B: NIT
C: Other postseason event
F: Failure to play postseason
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First, kudos, Benny. You took a fairly inane and tired article (how many times have we heard the "Simmons is too good for LSU" narrative) and actually extrapolated something compelling out of it.
The idea of the NIT having more potential lottery picks than the NCAA is pretty interesting. Considering how much ESPN has pushed Simmons already, the idea of them having as many as 6 lottery picks in the NIT would certainly seem to be worth pushing.
While it wouldn't match the NCAA Tournament for interest, I do think it'd bring in more casual fans that normal. Especially with the marketing machine behind it.
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It's an interesting thought. Unfortunately, the reality is, at least a couple of those teams are going to ultimately end up in the NCAA Tournamnet, which more or less collapses the premise.
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(http://img.pandawhale.com/post-58615-Chevy-Chase-no-math-SNL-gif-Im-IvKX.gif)
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It's an interesting thought. Unfortunately, the reality is, at least a couple of those teams are going to ultimately end up in the NCAA Tournamnet, which more or less collapses the premise.
Probably so. Hopefully with three at MSG, we'll be one of them. ;D
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It's an interesting thought. Unfortunately, the reality is, at least a couple of those teams are going to ultimately end up in the NCAA Tournamnet, which more or less collapses the premise.
You could argue that teams thought to be in the Dance now, we'll play themselves out, too. Teams perhaps equally compelling from a marketing standpoint.
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Something I've been wondering lately is, despite all of the talk about RPI and other things determining NCAA tourney selection, how much does having a Simmons or a Henry matter if you're a bubble team? All kinds of folks are now claiming LSU is firmly on the bubble, but I'm not convinced they have the resume for it right now (sure, they're in a three way tie for first in the SEC, but the SEC is not a great conference this year...). Would folks be pushing this if LSU didn't have Simmons? If (big if) Marquette is on the bubble, does having Henry help sway the committee?
Also, can you imagine the ESPN commentators if LSU is in the NIT? Every single game, regardless of who is playing: "X just made a free throw, but you know, in the last game Simmons had an incredible free throw..."
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A trip to NYC at the end of a NIT run would make this season an unconditional success.
A+: NCAA bid
A-: NIT Final Four
B: NIT
C: Other postseason event
F: Failure to play postseason
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A trip to NYC at the end of a NIT run would make this season an unconditional success.
A+: NCAA bid
A-: NIT Final Four
B: NIT
C: Other postseason event
F: Failure to play postseason
A+: NCAA bid and one win
A : NCAA bid
B+: NIT Championship
B : NIT Final Four
C : NIT bid and one win
D : NIT bid and first round loss
F : No NCAA or NIT bid
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I'm about as interested in the NIT as I am in a baseball game in late April in which the fifth starter on the Minnesota Twins is pitching against the fifth starter on the Seattle Mariners. And four of the everyday player for each team is sitting it our.
I'll go if I am in Seattle and don't have a client dinner and I've already eaten at my favorite Seattle restaurants and I don't have work to do and it's a nice night and I can walk from downtown to Safeco Field.... etc.!
I'm about as interested in the NIT as I was in watching replacement NFL players back in the 1980s!
I'm about as interested in the NIT as I am in watching an exhibition game between players who won't make the Green Bay Packers roster play against players who won't make the Chicago Bears rosters.
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Something I've been wondering lately is, despite all of the talk about RPI and other things determining NCAA tourney selection, how much does having a Simmons or a Henry matter if you're a bubble team? All kinds of folks are now claiming LSU is firmly on the bubble, but I'm not convinced they have the resume for it right now (sure, they're in a three way tie for first in the SEC, but the SEC is not a great conference this year...). Would folks be pushing this if LSU didn't have Simmons? If (big if) Marquette is on the bubble, does having Henry help sway the committee?
Also, can you imagine the ESPN commentators if LSU is in the NIT? Every single game, regardless of who is playing: "X just made a free throw, but you know, in the last game Simmons had an incredible free throw..."
It shouldn't help, but who knows what the committee will do? Inclusion should be based on getting the best teams in, not just good players on mediocre teams. Seems rare that there are this many potential lottery picks on the bubble or worse looking in, but honestly if a team like Butler or Creighton were left out for LSU or Marquette because of star power, I'd definitely feel they got screwed if the resume was clearly better.
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Being completely honest (as always): I will watch every minute of MU's games in the NIT but highly doubt I will watch even one second of any other team's NIT games.
I won't care if the games involve Ben Simmons or Richard Simmons or Simmons Bar Sinister ... if MU ain't playin', I've got better things to do than watch the N.O.T.