which would you take right now

[jaybilaswho?]

I dont mean to jinx anything here, but I feel like in these big conference tournies, unless you have a two game bye, if you are a team like MU right now, you have to make a decision: go for the conference title (depending on seeding 3-5 games in the same amount of days) and run out of gas for the NCAA's or look to exit the conference tournament and prepare for the dance.

'What do you do?

[boyonthedock]

gotta whole week to rest. and you want to get that seed better. of course you try to win. o

[21Jumpstreet]

Have to keep playing hard.  Take your foot off the gas, someone gets hurt.  Guys are young and energized, they will not be tired. 

[jaybilaswho?]

gotta whole week to rest. and you want to get that seed better. of course you try to win. o

first round starts on Thursday. You have a three to 4 days rest period. Is that enough?

[WildBill77RT]

Of those 2 options, I would take the sweet sixteen.  However, if the choice were winning the conference tourney versus the second weekend of the ncaa's, I would have a tougher time answering.

[MUEng92]

As of next Tuesday, I won't care who won the Big East tournament, even if it was MU (OK, maybe a little).  Next week, and the following weeks are all that matters.

If you have the connections to guarantee MU a second round NCCA win if they lose tomorrow...give me a GT t-shirt! Go Hoyas!

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

You guys are nuts! Winning the Big East tournament would be an accomplishment only a step below a FF appearance! It'd much, much more impressive than a Sweet 16 appearance!

[BrandonA]

Losing anything to rest for something else is something losers say when they don't have a chance of winning.  

If you're a winner, you try to win everytime you compete. End of Story.

[jaybilaswho?]

Of those 2 options, I would take the sweet sixteen.  However, if the choice were winning the conference tourney versus the second weekend of the ncaa's, I would have a tougher time answering.

tough to answer. My basis for the poll is because i think that winning the tourny takes a great run and gases you which in my opinion puts you at a disadvantage to be on top of your game come thursday and friday.

think of this. Once the NCAA tourny is over, how would you rather MU's season have finished: with a conference championship or a second round win?

[Dawson Rental]

first round starts on Thursday. You have a three to 4 days rest period. Is that enough?

Yes, at their age.  If we get a Friday game, Buzz will probably try to work one hard practice in.

You can't "look to exit" from the conference tournament without seriously messing with the team's Mojo.

[21Jumpstreet]

You play to win the game.

[Wade4Life]

Most of these kids played 4 or 5 games in 3 days during their AAU days. No worries, they can handle it.

[jaybilaswho?]

You can't "look to exit" from the conference tournament without seriously messing with the team's Mojo.

I am not saying you throw it, but would you necessarily be that unhappy with a negative result?

[hairy worthen]

Not sure how a competitive team dosen't play to win all the time, especially this team. Winning the BET is a big thing and it would give them more tournament experience and confidence going forward.

[jtsanto]

I was debating this with a friend...if MU has a 7 seed right now and they don't move up at all with a win tomorrow then I want to lose. I remember Cuse making a run two years ago and being out of gas come the big dance. There is never a guarantee with anything so right now play as hard as they can then let's see.


The question I have is what would we get if we win out---I think it is no better than a 4....on a side note I am really liking BUZZ as a coach and think he is doing a better job than I ever imagined, Crean would have blown this game big time

[Pago Warrior]

Conference Championship = higher NCAA seed = increased chance of 2nd round game in the dance.

Full speed ahead!

[21Jumpstreet]

I am not saying you throw it, but would you necessarily be that unhappy with a negative result?

That is a more likely scenario.  You can't throw it, but a loss is not a killer.  These guys will be ready regardless of how the BET turns out.  I'm just happy we are playing well and have a chance to open some more eyes in the tourney.  Good times!

[TallTitan34]

If they aren't playing games they are practicing anyway.  Why not win?

Also in a game 5 players play 40 minutes. In practice every player plays an hour plus I'd assume.

It's not like they can begin preparing for their first round opponent.

[Peoples_Republic_Warrior]

Has it occurred to anyone that that 'Cuse team of '05 (I think?) maybe didn't run out of gas, and just wasn't that good. They weren't even going to be in the tournament before the big east tournament, and then Gerry Mcnamara pulled some crazy shots out of his ass and they played out of their minds for a few games and earned a 5 seed. Syracuse has always been notorious for either going deep in the tourney or getting upset very early. Just because they lost that first game doesn't mean they were out of gas.

[Dawson Rental]

I am not saying you throw it, but would you necessarily be that unhappy with a negative result?

I didn't take your meaning to be "throw it", but more along the lines of: "Hey, this would be a great opportunity to see how Junior does with extended minutes with the starters", or "Let's give Mbao some pressure minutes and see how he does."  It'd be like the Colts protecting their "important" players in the second half of the last game prior to the playoffs.  It can work with Pros, but I think, you can really lose a college team that's gotten excited about what their doing.

[Dawson Rental]

I was debating this with a friend...if MU has a 7 seed right now and they don't move up at all with a win tomorrow then I want to lose. I remember Cuse making a run two years ago and being out of gas come the big dance. There is never a guarantee with anything so right now play as hard as they can then let's see.


The question I have is what would we get if we win out---I think it is no better than a 4....on a side note I am really liking BUZZ as a coach and think he is doing a better job than I ever imagined, Crean would have blown this game big time

Amen, brother.  Buzz is out coaching Crean, and he's out recruiting him too!  (Before the "big man" issue rears its ugly head; Crean couldn't get a "big" either.  Merritt the one exception in his first year.  Robert Jackson, admittedly awesome, was a one year eligible transfer who came back home after he was kicked off the Mississippi State (?) team.  I believe that Crean moved to Indiana, hoping that the school's prestige could do the recruiting for him because he was too tired of doing the "heavy lifting" himself.

[Dr. Blackheart]

You guys are nuts! Winning the Big East tournament would be an accomplishment only a step below a FF appearance! It'd much, much more impressive than a Sweet 16 appearance!

+1
Plus, it is a banner we can rightly display in the BC

[Bling]

Hands down win in Sweet Sixteen over Big East Tourney Championship, no doubt whatsoever.  That is all that matters in my opinion.  That will be remembered much more and have much more significance because that is mostly what college basketball teams are judged by. 

[rocky_warrior]

Has it occurred to anyone that that 'Cuse team of '05 (I think?) maybe didn't run out of gas, and just wasn't that good. They weren't even going to be in the tournament before the big east tournament, and then Gerry Mcnamara pulled some crazy shots out of his ass and they played out of their minds for a few games and earned a 5 seed. Syracuse has always been notorious for either going deep in the tourney or getting upset very early. Just because they lost that first game doesn't mean they were out of gas.

Thanks - I was about to post the same thing.  That Cuse team just wasn't that great.  They had a great run in the tourney, but they we out of the NCAAs without that run.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Hands down win in Sweet Sixteen over Big East Tourney Championship, no doubt whatsoever.  That is all that matters in my opinion.  That will be remembered much more and have much more significance because that is mostly what college basketball teams are judged by. 

I cannot believe how misguided you are. Other than the NCAA itself, there is no more prestigious prize in all of college basketball than the Big East tournament. Period. You just don't get it.

The only schools who care about Sweet 16 appearances are schools that rarely get there...like Marquette. The Big East tournament is much, much bigger than winning 2 games and a helluva lot more difficult.