Big East Tournament 8/9 Winner

[MUMonster03]

I probably wouldn't have cared as much if we lost yesterday but how did the Big East get this tournament format past the AD's?

The 8/9 game was at 7 last night and now they have to turn around and play 15 hours later. The closest I have come to seeing anything similar is the Big Ten with Penn St playing at 4:30 yesterday and playing at 2:30 today. Every other game in the Big East tournament the teams get at least 20 hours rest if not more.

I understand trying to maximize revenue by having the 1 and 2 seeds in different sessions today but at least make the 8/9 v 1 the 2:30 start so these kids get a little more time to recover. They also could have moved yesterdays start times to 6 and 8. With those two little changes it would have given the 8/9 winner 18:30 hours rest and evened the playing field at least a little bit. This shortened rest also increases the likelihood of injuries since the shortened timeline gives almost no time for injury treatment no matter how major or minor.

[CTWarrior]

When you finish 8th or 9th in a 10 team league you don't deserve any special consideration.  I do agree with you that it makes sense to have the winner play at 2:30 rather than noon the next day.  But I think primary consideration should be giving advantage to the team that won the conference over an 18 game schedule.  Assuming the 1 seed wins on Friday, why should they get less time to prepare for the winner of the 4/5 game?

[MUMonster03]

When you finish 8th or 9th in a 10 team league you don't deserve any special consideration.  I do agree with you that it makes sense to have the winner play at 2:30 rather than noon the next day.  But I think primary consideration should be giving advantage to the team that won the conference over an 18 game schedule.  Assuming the 1 seed wins on Friday, why should they get less time to prepare for the winner of the 4/5 game?

If the reason the 1 seed losses to a 4/5 seed just because of 2 hours of prep when you have already played every team twice you have bigger issues than that. Plus the team that won the conference is already getting the advantage by getting to play the lower seeds.

[GGGG]

When you finish 8th or 9th in a 10 team league you don't deserve any special consideration.  I do agree with you that it makes sense to have the winner play at 2:30 rather than noon the next day.  But I think primary consideration should be giving advantage to the team that won the conference over an 18 game schedule.  Assuming the 1 seed wins on Friday, why should they get less time to prepare for the winner of the 4/5 game?

I agree.  A team that finishes 9th in the conference has no room to complain.  Just have to play the games in front of you.

[Windyplayer]

Villanova doesn't play a frenetic brand of ball, so we're not going to be gasping for breath out there. It's just about staying focused with a quick turnaround. Have to, repeat, have to defend the perimeter with a hand in their faces at all times. And Nova is susceptible to bad stretches--see first half at Wells Fargo this year--so we have to take advantage of those (unlike in Philly). 

[warriorchick]

I am sure TV also has a role in the decision for game times.

Of course you  want the two games on Wednesday to be in prime time.  On Thursday, you would want the most competitive games to be in prime time.  Few casual basketball fans are going to tune into an assumed blowout of  8/9 vs. 1.

[GGGG]

I don't think fatigue will be a problem today.  If we manage to win today, it might be a problem tomorrow however.

[brewcity77]

Villanova doesn't play a frenetic brand of ball, so we're not going to be gasping for breath out there. It's just about staying focused with a quick turnaround. Have to, repeat, have to defend the perimeter with a hand in their faces at all times. And Nova is susceptible to bad stretches--see first half at Wells Fargo this year--so we have to take advantage of those (unlike in Philly). 

Ugh...I remember watching that game and thinking if we had played well we would have been up by 10-15. We went something like 1/12 from the field after getting a 4-0 lead with 4 turnovers and still had a 1-point lead. They took the lead, Carlino tied it with back-to-back threes, then they finished the half on a 24-7 run.

[MUMonster03]

I am sure TV also has a role in the decision for game times.

Of course you  want the two games on Wednesday to be in prime time.  On Thursday, you would want the most competitive games to be in prime time.  Few casual basketball fans are going to tune into an assumed blowout of  8/9 vs. 1.

I'm sure it does but is 7/10 vs 2 at 7 any more appealing to the casual fan? I would answer no and think that a college bball fan would be more likely to tune into a potential #1 tournament seed game then the 2 v 7/10 game. Just my opinion.

Even though I love the round robin scheduling this entire point will be mute when the conference expands to 12 and 1-4 get a bye.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I agree on the game times...would make sense to have the 4/5 game first today. But as other said, 9 seeds have no room to complain.

I actually think MU playing yesterday gives them some advantage. Get any butterfly's out of the way, and hopefully the Carlino we saw yesterday shows up today, cause that dude can win us this tournament.

[GooooMarquette]

I'm sure it does but is 7/10 vs 2 at 7 any more appealing to the casual fan? I would answer no and think that a college bball fan would be more likely to tune into a potential #1 tournament seed game then the 2 v 7/10 game. Just my opinion.

Even though I love the round robin scheduling this entire point will be mute when the conference expands to 12 and 1-4 get a bye.

The question isn't whether you put 7/10 vs 2 or 8/9 vs 1 at 11 am.

The question is whether you put 8/9 vs 1 or 4 vs 5 at 11 am.  This is because the "top half of the bracket" games are played in one session today, and the "bottom half" in the other (evening) session.  And that, in turn, is done so that Thursday's winners have relatively the same amount of rest before their Friday games.

Going back to the original question (8/9 vs 1 or 4 vs 5 at 11 am), I'd bet that ratings generally go up throughout the day, and Fox considered 4 vs 5 to be more worthy of the later time slot.

And before you ask why the "top half" is the early session and the "top half" is late...it's because the expected bottom half matchup (7 vs 2) looks better on paper than the expected top half matchup (8 vs 1).

In the end, I don't think it matters to MU.  Either we're totally gassed and outplayed and we lose regardless...or we continue to play like there's no tomorrow, and have a chance.  A couple of hours won't change that....

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

TV drives everything, but you should play your 1 seed in the earliest game and then allow them to get later as the tourney moves forward.  Give them the most rest possible.