ESPN BubbleWatch: Marquette

[Aughnanure]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bubblewatch?id=99

Marquette  [13-8 (4-5), RPI: 58, SOS: 27] The overall record (13-8) is mediocre, but the Golden Eagles cannot be ignored. After beating UConn on the road over the weekend, Marquette has three top-50 wins (beat Georgetown by three and Xavier by 10). But it's the close calls that lead us to believe this can be an NCAA tourney team if it can just close games out. The Eagles lost to Villanova twice by a combined four points, lost at Syracuse by five and lost by one point to both West Virginia (road) and Florida State (neutral). The losses to NC State (home) and DePaul (road), however, don't help the cause.

[war1980rior]

Cracks me up that Florida State is considered a neutral court.  Only about 200,000 alums and current students living within 25 miles of that game.  MU .... probably around 1,000 at best.

[Mayor McCheese]

Cracks me up that Florida State is considered a neutral court.  Only about 200,000 alums and current students living within 25 miles of that game.  MU .... probably around 1,000 at best.

It's the same idea that Bucky can play at Milwaukee in the NCAA tournament and be considered neutral.

Or how UNC or Duke ALWAYS plays in Greensboror for the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.  Should be a requirement that you can't play a first weekend game in the NCAA tournament in state.

[mwbauer7]

It's the same idea that Bucky can play at Milwaukee in the NCAA tournament and be considered neutral.

Or how UNC or Duke ALWAYS plays in Greensboror for the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.  Should be a requirement that you can't play a first weekend game in the NCAA tournament in state.

Not to mention 'Nova last year at their 2nd Arena...

[Brewtown Andy]

Not to mention 'Nova last year at their 2nd Arena...

I think the rule is as long as you don't play more than 5 games in a building, you can play there for the NCAAs.

[TJ]

I think the rule is as long as you don't play more than 5 games in a building, you can play there for the NCAAs.

It's a bad rule, but that, or something very similar is the rule.  There is also a stipulation that the host institution cannot play at the site.

Or how UNC or Duke ALWAYS plays in Greensboror for the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.  Should be a requirement that you can't play a first weekend game in the NCAA tournament in state.

I find it ridiculous that the NCAA grants a first round site to a city in North Carolina EVERY year.  I think it should be a distance requirement though, as some schools straddle borders and could play "out of state" 30 miles away from home.

[GOMU1104]

Nova played the game exactly  right last year. They knew they had a good team and a chance to play their 1st and 2nd round games at the Wachovia Center.

So....they scheduled the maximum number of allowable games at that arena, and just played more at the Pavillion (and the Palestra).

Genius if you ask me.

[Brewtown Andy]

I find it ridiculous that the NCAA grants a first round site to a city in North Carolina EVERY year.  I think it should be a distance requirement though, as some schools straddle borders and could play "out of state" 30 miles away from home.

Is it ridiculous that the NCAA found a way to sell 45,000 tickets (3 sessions of games per site) every single year?

[77fan88warrior]

It's a bad rule, but that, or something very similar is the rule.  There is also a stipulation that the host institution cannot play at the site.
I find it ridiculous that the NCAA grants a first round site to a city in North Carolina EVERY year.  I think it should be a distance requirement though, as some schools straddle borders and could play "out of state" 30 miles away from home.

The North Carolina site is a joke. I have never figured out why NC and Duke can play there or why one plays there almost every year. Why can't New York, Chicago or LA have a site every year?

[chapman]

The North Carolina site is a joke. I have never figured out why NC and Duke can play there or why one plays there almost every year. Why can't New York, Chicago or LA have a site every year?

Letting them play that close is a joke.  It's such a home court advantage that it is nothing short of a home game.  In the NCAA tournament there is little or no difference in a homecourt advantage to Duke or UNC playing Winstom-Salem than if Wake got to play there on their homefloor, yet they only prevent the "home team" from playing at the site.  Not that I have a problem with the NC teams hosting (they actually aren't this year); it's college basketball heaven, tremendous support and great venues to watch the games.  It's just that the fanbases of those teams are so strong that it actually makes more economic sense to send them off elsewhere: the fans will travel and fill an arena anywhere, and they'll still pack the local arena to watch other teams play.

[Jacks DC]

The pod system was set up to give the top seeds an advantage.  I have no problem with that.  Every sport awards the highest seeds with the home field.  It was also designed to prevent even more ridiculous situations where you had top seeds essentially playing road games.

By the way UW looks awesome.  Not surprised they would win but they are blowing out MSU.

[TJ]

Is it ridiculous that the NCAA found a way to sell 45,000 tickets (3 sessions of games per site) every single year?

They do that regardless.  Those games are sold out long before Selection Sunday.  The only place that's a reasonable argument is North Carolina because the NCAA has been catering to Duke and UNC so long that they can just expect to have one of the two playing at whatever NC site is chosen for that year.