Dumbest thing to come out of a rodent fan's mouth....

[shaquilvaine]

It's rivalry week.  Forget the loss.  Plenty of possibilities out there.  I'll start....

"Big Ten Championships are more important than going to the Final Four."

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

Probably a way you can determine that numerically ... how often has the winner of the Big Eleven regular season or the tournament gone past the Final Four (to the Championship game)?

[MUfan12]

"It's not boring, it's fundamentally sound basketball."

[MUSF]

I know most of you will hammer me for this but what the hell.

I don't think that point of view is too far off.  I wouldn't go as far to say more important than final fours but conference championships and regular season records deserve more recognition than they often get.  Getting to a final four requires a hefty dose of luck.  Who you draw in the tournament, upsets resulting in lesser opponents in later rounds, and teams having hot/cold nights all play a major factor in tourney success.  Conference championships and good regular season records show consistently good basketball over a long period of time.

That said, what conference you play in and what your regular season schedule looks like are important things to look at when determining how good a team or program is.  I would argue that the Big Ten champ over the past 3-4 seasons would be comprable to the 4th-6th place team in the Big East, with the 05-06 OSU team as the one exception.

[shaquilvaine]

"Recruit X didn't cross off UW, Bo cooled on him."

"Recruit X is the perfect fit for the swing."

[wadesworld]

I don't think that point of view is too far off.  I wouldn't go as far to say more important than final fours but conference championships and regular season records deserve more recognition than they often get.  Getting to a final four requires a hefty dose of luck.  Who you draw in the tournament, upsets resulting in lesser opponents in later rounds, and teams having hot/cold nights all play a major factor in tourney success.  Conference championships and good regular season records show consistently good basketball over a long period of time.

Not when you get to the Final Four.  Winning in the first or second round I will agree with, but once you get to the Sweet Sixteen and keep winning it's more impressive than a conference championship.

[MUSF]

Not when you get to the Final Four.  Winning in the first or second round I will agree with, but once you get to the Sweet Sixteen and keep winning it's more impressive than a conference championship.

Impressive? Maybe, but it is not the sole indicator of an excellent basketball team or program.  George Mason was not a better team than UConn.  They had a better night and a better month but they weren't the better team.  UConn's season should not be deemed a failure because they lost to George Mason in one game on a neutral site.

[ecompt]

especially when that conference championship is won by getting every call in every game all season. When is the Big Ten/Ivy League challenge?

[TallTitan34]

I think it all depends on the conference.  Winning the Big East this year I believe would be more impressive than a Final Four. 

Memphis winning C-USA really isn't impressive at all but their trip to the Final Four is.

As for the winning the Big Ten, in my opinion a trip to the Final Four would be more impressive.

[CTWarrior]

I know most of you will hammer me for this but what the hell.

I don't think that point of view is too far off.  I wouldn't go as far to say more important than final fours but conference championships and regular season records deserve more recognition than they often get.  Getting to a final four requires a hefty dose of luck.  Who you draw in the tournament, upsets resulting in lesser opponents in later rounds, and teams having hot/cold nights all play a major factor in tourney success.  Conference championships and good regular season records show consistently good basketball over a long period of time.

I agree that the NCAA tournament is now too much the be all and end all that everything else is undervalued.  It is a common feeling on this board and in general that it is OK to lose in the conference tournament because the team will be more rested for the NCAA tournament, etc.  Some people go so far as hoping for a loss.  I don't get that thinking.  The NCAA tournament is the best thing, but it is not the only thing. 

[jutaw22mu]

"My history classes are harder than Organic Chemistry and Physics."



ooooo really????

[RawdogDX]

I think it all depends on the conference.  Winning the Big East this year I believe would be more impressive than a Final Four. 

Memphis winning C-USA really isn't impressive at all but their trip to the Final Four is.

As for the winning the Big Ten, in my opinion a trip to the Final Four would be more impressive.

+1, my thoughts exactly.

[Fullodds]

Coaches who would rather win the Big 11 rather then go to the Final Four have never gone to the Final Four.

Another way to think about this:  you can win the NCAA without winning the Big 11 but impossible to win the NCAA without making a Final Four.

This talk of winning the Big 11 is a good way to distract the Badger faithful from the fact that Bo has never made it there nor even beaten a seed higher than a 9 seed. 

[reinko]

Getting back to the topic at hand.

"Are these sneakers buy 1 get 7 free?"   

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

Impressive? Maybe, but it is not the sole indicator of an excellent basketball team or program.  George Mason was not a better team than UConn.  They had a better night and a better month but they weren't the better team.  UConn's season should not be deemed a failure because they lost to George Mason in one game on a neutral site.

And if I recall correctly, that game was played at the MCI/Verizon Center in DC, which is only a few miles from GMU's campus in suburban Virginia. Far from a neutral site.

[Silky]

This is Marquette's Super Bowl
Bo lets his players decide if they will redshirt or not
Losing to North Dakota State is great for basketball!

[IAmMarquette]

This is Marquette's Super Bowl

Please tell me you made this up.

[Silky]

Please tell me you made this up.

Read it on the Badger board!

[BrewCity83]

Read it on the Badger board!

Link?

[dsfire]

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=193&f=2565&t=3517103

Fran's post, about halfway down.

[ChicosBailBonds]

From Swenson

http://buckyville.yuku.com/topic/13778/t/Marquette-unis.html


He's a big college hoops fan from the state but he never knew our unis were powder blue at one time?

[BrewCity83]

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=193&f=2565&t=3517103

Fran's post, about halfway down.

Not only the Super Bowl, but...

"for the extreme majority of their fans, especially their alums, this is the World Series, the Superbowl and the World Cup all rolled into one.

[Phi Iota Gamma 84]

I put the badjerk game behine Louisville, Georgetown, and Pitt for sure, tomorrows game is nothing compared to those three in importance

[BrewCity83]

I put the badjerk game behine Louisville, Georgetown, and Pitt for sure, tomorrows game is nothing compared to those three in importance

Agreed.  The reason I always want to beat the BADgers is because all of the commies around here won't shut up about it if they ever win.

[ecompt]

They are the scum of the earth, the George Steinbrenners and Scott Borases of college athletics. I want annihilation.