Does the Bye help or hurt a team?

[muwarrior69]

3 of the 4 teams that got byes are out. Sometimes I feel its good to get those first game jitters out of the way. Next season the bottom 8 play with the top 8 getting a bye. The the winners play 5-8 with the top 4 getting another bye. Sometimes I think its just better to play.  Would be better if all the teams had to win 4 to be champs. Your thoughts.

[CTWarrior]

I think it hurts them in their first game and is beneficial from there on out.  I don't think it was much of a factor in the MU-ND game, though.  We actually played pretty poorly in the first half and played great in the second, when you'd expect the opposite. 

We just match up really well with them.  Our quickness outduels their size and shooting.

Hopefully our depth will be the difference tonight against Pitt.

[BrewCity83]

Our depth should be a magnified strength tonight with both teams playing 3 games in 3 days.  I see Pitt getting worn down faster in the 2nd half.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I believe having a bye benefits a team later. Four games in four games is a heck of a lot, especially when you consider a team like Georgetown would be very well rested in the finals.

[77fan88warrior]

PRN happens to be right on this matter I believe. I like having a game under your belt in the 2nd round of tournament but by the fourth round you are gassed.

[NavinRJohnson]

I would agree. If we happen to win tonight and play Georgetown on Saturday, I would put our chances of winning at a very low percentage. If WVU wins on the other hand...

[chapman]

I agree that it is significant later on and doesn't help in the first game.  In 2006 and 2008, teams with byes went 1-3 in their first games.  In 2007 they went 4-0.  So overall a team with a bye wins half the time.  Considering these teams are given a bye because they are supposed to be better teams, it would be reasonable to say the bye hurts a team in their first game.  

It would make sense that the teams playing their 3rd or 4th game are more gassed, while the teams with one less game aren't as tired but have a game or two under their belt.  However, the only semifinal or final game in the past three years under this scenario was Pitt defeating Villanova in 2006 despite being on their 3rd game to Nova's 2nd.  We'll see how WVU looks against Georgetown tonight.  However, two teams without a bye played twice in 2006: Syracuse defeating Georgetown in the semifinals, and Syracuse defeating Pitt in the finals.  This year we get Marquette and Pitt.