Conference Tourney Title - We're Due

[RJax55]

It has been 20 years now since Deane & Co. won the CUSA tournament title with a 4-day blitz in St. Louis. This was MU's last conference tournament title.

Given the quality of program that MU has had during most of the past 20 years, it is hard to believe that we have only played in one conference title game since (A loss in '02 vs. Cincy, Wade's first year). Frankly, with the talent, success and seeds we have had, one can a make a very strong argument that no program has underachieved more in their conference tourney during this time-frame than MU.

Crean had one finals trip in CUSA ('02) and reached the semi-finals once in the Big East. The furthest Buzz went was a trip to the semi-finals in '10. Amazingly, Buzz had more NCAA tourney wins (8) than BEAST conference tourney wins (5) during his MU tenure.

Now, I know that conference tournament play has little bearing on tourney success. MU is just one example of that point. But, it would be cool to see this team play in the tournament final for no other reason than it has been so long (and never in the Big East). And, I have to think that MU is due here to make a run. 20 years is a long time.

[wadesworld]

Ceiling is semifinals this year.

[warriorchick]

You are just mad that the women's team is showing up the guys. 

[tower912]

Beating Villanova on a neutral court?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Ceiling is semifinals this year.

Disagree. We have the capability of beating Nova. We've shown it already. I wouldn't say its likely (not even close) but certainly possible.

[muwarrior69]

You are just mad that the women's team is showing up the guys. 

It's really hard for the guys to break that glass ceiling you know.

[fjm]

Disagree. We have the capability of beating Nova. We've shown it already. I wouldn't say its likely (not even close) but certainly possible.

If we were on the bottom of the Bracket we would have a decent road to the championship game.
I think IF we make it to nova, we have a 20% chance of beating them.

[Clam Crowder]

If we beat Hall I am happy, If we beat Nova I am thrilled, if we win the Big East ship I know we lose in the first round of the NCAA's.

I honestly would be quite pleased with just a win over Hall and a good showing vs Nova. Hall makes as locked up as possible, a win over Nova just may push us up a seed.

[naginiF]

If we were on the bottom of the Bracket we would have a decent road to the championship game.
I think IF we make it to nova, we have a 20% chance of beating them.

You should be an odds maker.....this site gives us ~17% chance on getting to the championship game which is lower than our chance of beating Nova because of the 38% chance SH takes us out.
https://www.teamrankings.com/ncb/conference-tournaments/big-east-bracket/

[RideMyBuycks]

Ceiling is semifinals this year.

Ceiling is the roof, ay?

[Benny B]

One man's ceiling is another man's floor.

[Coleman]

I'll be thrilled with a win over Hall and respectable loss (less than 10 points) to Villanova in the Garden, and the NCAA tournament seed it would bring us. Not expecting anything more than that.

Hall is playing fantastic basketball. This will be a hell of game. 

[Marcus92]

If we beat Hall I am happy, If we beat Nova I am thrilled, if we win the Big East ship I know we lose in the first round of the NCAA's.

If we're seeded between 8 and 11, there's a good chance we lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament anyway — regardless of how we do in the Big East tourney. If the selection committee does it's job, that would mean we're facing a team at least as good as we are, probably even better.

I'd be thrilled to win the whole thing at Madison Square Garden. It'd be great for the program, no matter what happens after.

[Windyplayer]

I'll be thrilled with a win over Hall and respectable loss (less than 10 points) to Villanova in the Garden, and the NCAA tournament seed it would bring us. Not expecting anything more than that.

Hall is playing fantastic basketball. This will be a hell of game.

Jumbo shrimp.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

If we're seeded between 8 and 11, there's a good chance we lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament anyway — regardless of how we do in the Big East tourney. If the selection committee does it's job, that would mean we're facing a team at least as good as we are, probably even better.

I'd be thrilled to win the whole thing at Madison Square Garden. It'd be great for the program, no matter what happens after.

Sure, but when you look at the teams between the 5 and 10 line, no one exactly scares me.  Sure, we could lose to pretty much any of them if we aren't shooting the ball well, but we could also beat any of them without playing our best game.  Avoiding the 8/9 and avoiding Kansas or UNC in the round of 32 would be ideal.  Give me the Zags all day long.  They're a better team than we are, but we beat that team 4/10 times on a neutral court, IMO.  7/10 isn't much better as I don't like how we match up with really any of the potential 2's in Louisville, UCLA, Arizona, Oregon, and Baylor.  But after that, man, things really open up.  There are really only 8-10 really, really good teams this year.

11 seed would be ideal, but I think that ship has sailed, honestly.  I think a 6 is possible if we win the BET.  I wouldn't be shocked if the committee already has us around the 7/8 cut off due to our stack of top 50 wins, and the Nova win.  Another Nova win would certainly push us up. 

[brewcity77]

If we beat Hall I am happy, If we beat Nova I am thrilled, if we win the Big East ship I know we lose in the first round of the NCAA's.

I honestly would be quite pleased with just a win over Hall and a good showing vs Nova. Hall makes as locked up as possible, a win over Nova just may push us up a seed.

Well, I'd rather win the Big East and go one and done in the tourney than lose the Big East Final and get knocked out in the Elite 8, so I'd be willing to take our chances of winning the final.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Well, I'd rather win the Big East and go one and done in the tourney than lose the Big East Final and get knocked out in the Elite 8, so I'd be willing to take our chances of winning the final.

WHAT?  That makes no sense.  I'd take a 2-1 record in the BE tournament and an Elite 8 appearance ALL DAY EVERY DAY over a BET championship.

It's not a real life trade, but c'mon, you take the Elite 8 every time. 

[MU_CHI]

Well, I'd rather win the Big East and go one and done in the tourney than lose the Big East Final and get knocked out in the Elite 8, so I'd be willing to take our chances of winning the final.

This is ridiculous. Going to the Elite 8 with Buzz was far and away more memorable and better for the program than a Big East Championship would have ever been.

[KampusFoods]

Well, I'd rather win the Big East and go one and done in the tourney than lose the Big East Final and get knocked out in the Elite 8, so I'd be willing to take our chances of winning the final.

Yeah this is crazy

[wadesworld]

Our E8 was a much more memorable experience than winning the BE regular season title.  And winning the BE regular season title was far, far, far better than what winning a BET title would be.

[Bocephys]

Well, I'd rather win the Big East and go one and done in the tourney than lose the Big East Final and get knocked out in the Elite 8, so I'd be willing to take our chances of winning the final.

This seems backwards.  I'd take any amount of NCAA tourney success over BEAST Tourney success.  No one cares about conference tournament championships.

[GoldenDieners32]

This seems backwards.  I'd take any amount of NCAA tourney success over BEAST Tourney success.  No one cares about conference tournament championships.

True

[warriorchick]

True

[Marcus92]

Sure, but when you look at the teams between the 5 and 10 line, no one exactly scares me.

No disagreement here. I think MU is playing its best ball, and has a good chance to beat anybody we'd face in a first-round NCAA matchup. But if we are seeded in the 8-11 range, history says we're no better than a 50-50 proposition:

6 seeds are 96-52 (64.9%) against 11 seeds
7 seeds are 92-60 (60.5%) against 10 seeds
8 seeds are 80-72 (52.6%) against 9 seeds

If we manage to beat Seton Hall, Nova and Butler to win the Big East tourney, we'd be 22-11. Against the current KenPom Top 50, we'd be 8-5 — including wins over Nova (home and neutral court), Butler (neutral), Creighton (home and away), Xavier (home and away) and Vanderbilt (neutral).

Would that be enough to get us a 6 or 7 seed? We'd probably have to leapfrog teams like Iowa State (20-10, RPI 28, 10-8 versus the KenPom Top 50 headed into the Big 12 tourney), Notre Dame (23-8, RPI 50, 8-7 vs. KenPom Top 50), Michigan (20-10, RPI 46, 7-8 vs. KenPom Top 50), Oklahoma St. (20-11, RPI 35, 8-10 vs. KenPom Top 50) or Wisconsin (23-8, RPI 38, 8-6 vs. KenPom Top 50).

[Coleman]

Well, I'd rather win the Big East and go one and done in the tourney than lose the Big East Final and get knocked out in the Elite 8, so I'd be willing to take our chances of winning the final.

Uh, no


99% of the country doesn't care about the Big East tournament or who wins it. Almost everyone notices deep runs in the NCAA. And I personally enjoyed our Elite 8 run more than any satisfaction a conference tournament title would bring.