Big East may eliminate tourney byes

[MARQKC]

Could happen, apparently. One of several news reports out there:

http://www.projo.com/college/content/big_east_09.c55db82c.html

Lots of pros and cons.

[mu_hilltopper]

That will last until one of the 13-16s knock off a 1-4.

Then the BE will come up with a new scheme.

[Brewtown Andy]

You'd think DePaul suddenly winning a game in the BET would end that discussion quickly.

[chapman]

I'd rather they just went back to the old format.  Just because one of the teams pulled an upset of a team that wasn't very good to begin with doesn't justify letting everyone play.  You earn your seed (and previously your place in the tournament itself) by playing well over the 18 game season, not by winning one game in the BET.

[Nukem2]

Problem is that there is no excitement on Day 1 now.  Given that all 16 are going to be in the BET due to coaches desires and that the tourney is going to be in the Garden, the proposed plan sounds good to me.

[TJ]

I didn't understand why they didn't just do a normal 16 team bracket in the first place.

[mu_hilltopper]

That's an easy one.  Way too hard to get 8 games on Day 1, which would be required if you had all 16.  Plus, it's just damn hard to win 4 games in a row in the BE, so the bye is given to those top 4.

[TJ]

That's an easy one.  Way too hard to get 8 games on Day 1, which would be required if you had all 16.  Plus, it's just damn hard to win 4 games in a row in the BE, so the bye is given to those top 4.

It's the same number of games either way.  Just break up round 1 into day 1 and day 2, but have every team play with no byes.

Point 2 - of course it's hard.  That's why you get a prize if you can do it.  Give the top 4 seeds day 1 games so they get the benefit of a day off after what should be a cupcake game.  Then it could still be 3 games in 3 days to win for the top 4 teams.

[Nukem2]

It's the same number of games either way.  Just break up round 1 into day 1 and day 2, but have every team play with no byes.

Point 2 - of course it's hard.  That's why you get a prize if you can do it.  Give the top 4 seeds day 1 games so they get the benefit of a day off after what should be a cupcake game.  Then it could still be 3 games in 3 days to win for the top 4 teams.

I can guarantee you that this will never ever happen.  Too many negatives just to be fair to the bottom feeders not to mention dragging out the tourney one more day.

[jmayer1]

I can guarantee you that this will never ever happen.  Too many negatives just to be fair to the bottom feeders not to mention dragging out the tourney one more day.

Isn't that what they are suggesting will happen in the article?

[TJ]

I can guarantee you that this will never ever happen.  Too many negatives just to be fair to the bottom feeders not to mention dragging out the tourney one more day.

What negatives?

Also, the change doesn't add one more day.  The BET is currently a 5 day tournament - it added a day this year when they expanded the tournament to include all 16 teams.  The proposal just changes the structure of the bracket to something that makes more sense.

2008 Big East Championship - 4 days - Wednesday March 12 - Saturday March 15 http://www.bigeast.org/ViewArticle.dbml?&SPSID=92555&SPID=11228&DB_OEM_ID=19400&ATCLID=1394567

2009 Big East Championship - 5 days - Tuesday March 10 - Saturday March 14 http://www.bigeast.org/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=19400&ATCLID=3666348

The proposed new tournament structure - 5 days
Tuesday - round of 16: games 1-4
Wednesday - round of 16: games 5-8
Thursday - round of 8
Friday - round of 4
Saturday - Championship game