Deep BE Tourney Run...or Sweet 16???

[GGGG]

So I was thinking about hypotheticals today regarding this team and its relatively short bench.  What would be more enjoyable for you as a fan?

Making a deep BE tournament run...say all the way to the championship game...but by playing four games in four days, we are too tired and bow out the first week in the tournament.  (This is roughly what Syracuse did a couple of years ago.)

Or, bowing out early in the BE tournament...say we lose in the quarters...but we get to the Sweet 16 and no further.  (For an Elite 8 run, I would happily lose in the first round of the BE tournament.)

Honestly, winning the BE tournament would be pretty darn fun no matter the affect it would have on our NCAA tournament run from a fatigue point of view.

[Ready2Fly]

Both would be awesome, but sweet sixteen no doubt. Much more national exposure, and the BET is ultimately used to determine NCAA seeding, not really an end in and of itself.

[HoopsMalone]

We need a Sweet 16.  I would definately rather have that.  Playing at the Garden is nice, but playing an extra weekend is better.  

[KipsBayEagle]

I think the big east championship game is a bigger stretch than the sweet 16.  I think that assuming we get in, I will pencil this team to the sweet 16 no matter who they play, and will mostly likely be able to keep a straight face if i tell someone I am putting them in the elite 8.  The Big east championship is a grind unlike any other tournament in the country.  A game every day, usually against a top 25 or fringe top 25 team, where winning a game can get you in and knock the person you are playing out.  To answer your question though,  I would take the big east championship cause it is harder, though I don't think the two are mutually exclusive.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

Sweet 16. We play at the Garden every season. We haven't played on the second weekend of the tournament in almost 7 years.

[GB Warrior]

I'd rather get a quality win or two in the BE tournament and then lose a close one against a quality opponent. The last thing I'd want, especially for this team and their short bench and their back to back to back overtime road stretch and all of the heart-pounding finishes,  is for us to expend all of our energy for the BE tournament and then be utterly and completely gassed by the time the real dancing begins.

[bobnoxious]

I'm gonna have to go with the sweet 16 as well even though both would be incredible

[TallTitan34]

Sweet 16.  I feel like conference tournaments mean nothing, but winning the Big East Tournament definately would be incredible.

[MarquetteFan94]

Sweet 16....hands down.

[KipsBayEagle]

I feel like a Big east Championship is a neccesity for this program.  It plants a flag that says "We are here, we are a player in this conference every year."  A sweet 16 is great, but 5 years from now, the only people that will care that Marq made the sweet 16 will be us, where as a big east tournament is something that stays around for a long time.  West Virginia and Notre Dame haven't even won one yet.  Winning a big East tournament brings us into the discussion with the big boys in the conference, and makes us a big east power, rather than simply a good team that makes a little noise every year.

[DCWarriors04]

I'd like to see us make it to the Semis in the BE and make a run at the Sweet 16 or even Elite 8...team appears to be peaking at the right time so anything is possible.

[Nukem2]

Easily Sweet 16...why even ask the question?

[tower912]

If we do the first, we won't have anything left do do the second.   Sweet 16, and it isn't close. 

[mu-rara]

I feel like a Big east Championship is a neccesity for this program.  It plants a flag that says "We are here, we are a player in this conference every year."  A sweet 16 is great, but 5 years from now, the only people that will care that Marq made the sweet 16 will be us, where as a big east tournament is something that stays around for a long time.  West Virginia and Notre Dame haven't even won one yet.  Winning a big East tournament brings us into the discussion with the big boys in the conference, and makes us a big east power, rather than simply a good team that makes a little noise every year.

Would Crean put up a banner?

I'm really sorry.  I couldn't help myself.


My preference is Sweet 16, easily.

[GoldenWarrior]

Give me the sweet 16 any day of the week in this scenario

[KipsBayEagle]

Would Crean put up a banner?

I'm really sorry.  I couldn't help myself.


My preference is Sweet 16, easily.

A big east tourny win deserves a banner.

[mu-rara]

A big east tourny win deserves a banner.

In Bloomington?

[AZWarrior]

Sweet 16.  In a heart beat.   

[KipsBayEagle]

In Bloomington?

Any school that wins a conference tournament puts up a banner.  And for the record, Marquette would be playing uab and marshall this weekend if Tom crean didn't coach marquette.

[mu-rara]

Any school that wins a conference tournament puts up a banner.  And for the record, Marquette would be playing uab and marshall this weekend if Tom crean didn't coach marquette.

Chill dude.  I apologized.  It's an addiction.  I need treatment.

[KipsBayEagle]

Chill dude.  I apologized.  It's an addiction.  I need treatment.

LoL, my bad, tiger got out of the cage for a sec.

[TJ]

I feel like a Big east Championship is a neccesity for this program.  It plants a flag that says "We are here, we are a player in this conference every year."  A sweet 16 is great, but 5 years from now, the only people that will care that Marq made the sweet 16 will be us, where as a big east tournament is something that stays around for a long time.  West Virginia and Notre Dame haven't even won one yet.  Winning a big East tournament brings us into the discussion with the big boys in the conference, and makes us a big east power, rather than simply a good team that makes a little noise every year.

I agree, but if they're not going to win the whole thing they might as well bow out early (1 win would be nice either way though).

[flash]

The exposure we would get for a deep Big East Tournament run would be amazing.  But when it comes down to it a sweet 16 would be just so much better for so many reasons.  Remember Syracuse in 2006 i think.  They were a bubble team like us and they won the Big East Tournament.  The committee gave them a 5 seed and they were so worn out from the deep Big East Tournament run that they were blown out by the 12 seeded Texas AM Aggies.  A sweet 16 would be so amazing for this team.  I think we have a legitamite shot at it. 

[Daniel]

Without any equivocation, doubt, uncertainty, ambiguity or hesitation,  I am going with the
SWEET SIXTEEN!

[gumbyandpokey]

Sweet Sixteen, and it's not even a contest.