NIT Bracketology: Feb 10

[RushmoreAcademy]

Creighton is a 2 seed here. Georgetown a 2 seed.  We have 3 remaining games against those teams.  That's our 2 seed!!!!   Postseason home game!

[Benny B]

I disagree Benny.  That team 2 years ago had been picked to win the BEast, was Senior laden, and Buzz had a full step out the door.  It was time to move on.  There was absolutely no benefit to be gained.  This year is 180 degrees different.  And it'll be a helluva lot cheaper than Italy.  I'd guess they'd go in a heartbeat if invited to the CBI or Vegas.  But let's shoot for the NCAA and cheer like h*ll if they get a home game in the NIT as a consolation.

Certainly, that played a role.  But I think you already hit upon one big detraction - that Italy trip wasn't cheap, and MU's basketball budget is already one of the largest out there.  I disagree that there's something to be gained by going to the Vegas 16, if there was a chance that playing in Vegas might convince HE to stay another year, then sure, 180 degrees... but let's be realistic here.  At most, I'll give it 90 degrees, because if the point is to help the core of players further develop as a team, you're not really doing that in Vegas because the very core of your corps this year won't be in the core next year. 

Not to mention, the pre-season and holiday stuff... those are events they can sell to recruits, and so call that a cost of doing business.  But I guarantee nobody on this team was promised a Vegas 16 tournament during recruitment, so by turning it down, you're not going to be breaking any hearts.

Also, keep in mind that MUBB doesn't fly commercial... they need a few boosters to subsidize the cost of the charter, and frankly, I think Easter in Vegas is going to be a tough sell.  I'm not sure that MU is going to want to pick up a $50,000 tab just to fly back and forth to a no-name, start-up tournament with no exposure (at least some of the CBI games are buried on a cable channel or ESPN3 somewhere).

[RushmoreAcademy]

Davidson also in there....... rematch would be good.  I think winning that game used up all the karma for about 3 or 4 years and we are still catching up.

[Eye]

First I've heard of this. Do they expect teams to pick this over the NIT, or is this more of an alternative to the CBI?

From what I gathered reading a handful of stories about it last night (1st I'd heard of it, too), they're thinking of this as definitely ahead of CBI in the postseason pecking order. A mix of .500 or slightly better teams from top 6 leagues and teams around 20 wins in the better mid-majors. Kind of the teams that used to make the back-side of the NIT before they started letting the small schools that won their conference regular season but not post-season tourney into the NIT.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Certainly, that played a role.  But I think you already hit upon one big detraction - that Italy trip wasn't cheap, and MU's basketball budget is already one of the largest out there.  I disagree that there's something to be gained by going to the Vegas 16, if there was a chance that playing in Vegas might convince HE to stay another year, then sure, 180 degrees... but let's be realistic here.  At most, I'll give it 90 degrees, because if the point is to help the core of players further develop as a team, you're not really doing that in Vegas because the very core of your corps this year won't be in the core next year. 

Not to mention, the pre-season and holiday stuff... those are events they can sell to recruits, and so call that a cost of doing business.  But I guarantee nobody on this team was promised a Vegas 16 tournament during recruitment, so by turning it down, you're not going to be breaking any hearts.

Also, keep in mind that MUBB doesn't fly commercial... they need a few boosters to subsidize the cost of the charter, and frankly, I think Easter in Vegas is going to be a tough sell.  I'm not sure that MU is going to want to pick up a $50,000 tab just to fly back and forth to a no-name, start-up tournament with no exposure (at least some of the CBI games are buried on a cable channel or ESPN3 somewhere).

I don't siagree with your point here, but I don't know how you could say the core of this team won't return. Every single player could return! Sure Henry's probably gone, but the entire rest of the team returns. There would definitely be something to gain by playing as many games as possible this year.

[jsglow]

As it pertains to CBI/Vegas, that's like refusing to participate in a December 15th football bowl game.  2 extra weeks of full fledged practice.  More games together as a team for EVERYONE with the possible exception of HE. And all for the estimated $50K?  Plus remember that Vegas is purportedly working out some TV money to offset some of that cost.  Yeah, I think they go.

But let's not get there okay?  NCAA or more likely NIT.  Let's do that.