Big East Tournament — roll call?

[drewm88]

As it turns out, Thursday it two sessions. Session 2 includes the early games which will be Nos. 1, 4, and 5 (along with the winner of 8/9). Session 3 includes Nos. 2, 3, 7/10 and 6/11. While I'm hopeful that MU will win out and win the conference, it's not unreasonable to think they'll finish 2 or 3. So, here's what I'm wondering: am I better off just buying Session 3 now (i.e., prices are lower before the brackets are set)? Or is there any chance tickets to Session 3 will be cheaper later? For example, on Wednesday will I be able to find disappointed fans of the teams that lose the 7/10 and 6/11 games?

I'll just buy them if that is the best approach, but I'm not sure the best way to do it. Also, if it should become necessary, will tickets be available for Friday and Saturday's games from the losing fans?

Short answer- this year I'd buy everything in advance.

Long answer-
Ticket availability on site will depend on the specific teams in question. That factors in distance, team quality, and general fan support.

Major players:
UConn, PC, Villanova -- Close, good teams, solid or better fan support. I'd expect them to have them to have the biggest crowds.

Medium players:
St. John's, Seton Hall, Creighton, Xavier

Blips:
DePaul, Butler, Georgetown

Friday is the hardest ticket because you have four invested fanbases trying to get tickets, plus the weekend vs. weekday element. If the final four is MU, Nova, PC, UConn, expect to pay a boatload. I suggest buying in advance this year given the likelihood of some/most of those teams advancing.

[Jay Bee]

Can someone share thoughts about BEast seeding? To me, looks like the 4 or 5 spot is likely... which is fine with me if Providence is #1. Good game times that free up the evening in NYC as well.

3 and 6 still in play... I think in the most likely scenarios we'll have a tiebreaker over Xavier if it's between us for 5/6... and be at 4 in a 3/4 battle w UCoNn..

I vote let's get 4 or 5 and have Providence sitting at 1

Nova/Prov & us at Creighton look big this week

[brewcity77]

Can someone share thoughts about BEast seeding? To me, looks like the 4 or 5 spot is likely... which is fine with me if Providence is #1. Good game times that free up the evening in NYC as well.

3 and 6 still in play... I think in the most likely scenarios we'll have a tiebreaker over Xavier if it's between us for 5/6... and be at 4 in a 3/4 battle w UCoNn..

I vote let's get 4 or 5 and have Providence sitting at 1

Nova/Prov & us at Creighton look big this week

I want Providence on our side and UConn on the other side. I think that sets us up for a nice weekend.

[BM1090]

Ideally we get to #3 and Nova wins out and wins the conference, pushing PC to 2.

Quarterfinal date with 6/11 winner, hopefully CU/Georgetown if we're getting greedy.

[StillAWarrior]

Can someone share thoughts about BEast seeding? To me, looks like the 4 or 5 spot is likely... which is fine with me if Providence is #1. Good game times that free up the evening in NYC as well.

3 and 6 still in play... I think in the most likely scenarios we'll have a tiebreaker over Xavier if it's between us for 5/6... and be at 4 in a 3/4 battle w UCoNn..

I vote let's get 4 or 5 and have Providence sitting at 1

Nova/Prov & us at Creighton look big this week

Gotta admit, as much as I'd like MU to be a 2/3, my ticket situation is much better if we're a 4/5. I've already got tickets for Session 2 on Thursday. If MU finishes 2/3, I'm going to have to pick up tickets for session 3.

[Scoop Snoop]

I'm going hat in hand to fellow scoopers on getting some help on understanding how exchanging and /or reselling tickets to the BET works. Many of you are seasoned pros at this but, being one of the older scoopers here, my wife and I have simply bought our tickets to the Marquette-Georgetown games with no need to consider reselling. When we went to the BET in '19 I correctly guessed the MU games so again, we did not need to deal with resale/exchange. Here are my questions (try to not laugh, OK?):

1) Is it better to have printed tickets or have them on your phone if you need to resell/exchange with another fan?

2) Assuming there are no laws in NYC (I know- no scalping!) against reselling directly to an individual rather than through the original issuer, how feasible is it to buy or sell tickets to another BE fan outside of the MSG or online?

3) How big of a hit do you usually take when reselling to the original issuer?

4) How much does the proximity to game time affect the pricing/value of the tickets?

5) How do you know if the seller is legit (not selling a fake ticket)?

Lastly, a question for Brew and other analysts: what is your best guess for MU's seeding?

[Scoop Snoop]

I'm going hat in hand to fellow scoopers on getting some help on understanding how exchanging and /or reselling tickets to the BET works. Many of you are seasoned pros at this but, being one of the older scoopers here, my wife and I have simply bought our tickets to the Marquette-Georgetown games with no need to consider reselling. When we went to the BET in '19 I correctly guessed the MU games so again, we did not need to deal with resale/exchange. Here are my questions (try to not laugh, OK?):

1) Is it better to have printed tickets or have them on your phone if you need to resell/exchange with another fan?

2) Assuming there are no laws in NYC (I know- no scalping!) against reselling directly to an individual rather than through the original issuer, how feasible is it to buy or sell tickets to another BE fan outside of the MSG or online?

3) How big of a hit do you usually take when reselling to the original issuer?

4) How much does the proximity to game time affect the pricing/value of the tickets?

5) How do you know if the seller is legit (not selling a fake ticket)?

Bump.

My wife and I will be buying tickets within 24 hours, so any help would be appreciated. I have my reasons for asking about resale, but they are personal. Thanks in advance to scoopers who share their wisdom about these things.

[dgies9156]

Any tips for airline/airport to fly into? I have never been to NYC before so would love some direction. Depending on cost/logistics, I may try to pull it off this year or next.

Depends on where you live but if it were me, I'd use Newark. It's a United hub with service by most other airlines as well.

Get off the plane, get on the Airtrain to the NJT/Amtrak station and catch the NJT to Penn Station.

Penn Station is underneath MSG. If you're staying in the area, you can walk.

It's a $7.50 fare and takes about 35 minutes.

[StillAWarrior]

Gotta admit, as much as I'd like MU to be a 2/3, my ticket situation is much better if we're a 4/5. I've already got tickets for Session 2 on Thursday. If MU finishes 2/3, I'm going to have to pick up tickets for session 3.

For Marquette to finish No. 3 in the conference (and play in Session 3 on Thursday afternoon), they have to finish ahead of both UCONN and Creighton since both of those teams hold tie breakers over MU.  Right now, the records are:

UConn 10-5 (remaining: V, @G, @C, DP)
Creighton 10-5 (remaining: @SJ, @P, UConn, SH)
Marquette 9-7 (remaining: B, @DP, SJ)

If MU loses again (I'd like to think they won't), they cannot finish No. 3 in the conference, right? In that case, the best they could do is a tie against the winner of the UConn/Creighton game. And, if MU wins out, UConn and Creighton would both need to go 1-3 down the stretch for MU to finish ahead of both.

At this point, I'm electing to not even entertain that "other" thing that would cause Marquette to play in Session 3.

[Jay Bee]

Feels like we're in the 4/5 game cause Creighton. I'm OK with that. Can go to a Broadway show Thursday night. MU w a guaranteed win as Dodds assured me it's very difficult to beat a team 3 times in 3 games

[StillAWarrior]

Feels like we're in the 4/5 game cause Creighton. I'm OK with that. Can go to a Broadway show Thursday night. MU w a guaranteed win as Dodds assured me it's very difficult to beat a team 3 times in 3 games

Yeah, I looked into that once. While it might be true in theory before you've played the first game, it's generally not true once you've already beaten them twice. That said, I like our chances against Creighton in another matchup.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I have not ran all the scenarios, but with Seton Hall, SJU and X all 1.5 games back of Marquette, if we win 2/3 we're all but guaranteed to avoid the 6 seed and a first round game, correct? 

[The Lens]

Dream...

We're the 4 or 5 and we advance to Friday night
We play PC and win
UConn takes out Nova in the 2/3 game
We get UConn on Saturday Night in the Garden, the rule of Dodds applies, we win the BET and Shaka joins KO, Deane-O, TC & Buzz as modern era coaches to hang a banner.

[Scoop Snoop]

I have not ran all the scenarios, but with Seton Hall, SJU and X all 1.5 games back of Marquette, if we win 2/3 we're all but guaranteed to avoid the 6 seed and a first round game, correct?

Not sure about that, but: SH vs.X 2/26 and X vs.St.J 3/2. Then MU vs. St. J 3/5. It's going to be tight but there are a few scenarios where the matchups help us secure the #5 seed. Let's just go 3-0 and then we do not have to worry about it.

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

Ran through some scenarios using T-Rank's projected scores.  If the favored team wins (obviously won't happen all the way thru), final standings would be as follows:

PC 14-3
Nova 16-4
UCONN 14-5
Marquette 12-7
Creighton 11-8
SJU 10-9
Seton Hall 9-9
Xavier 9-10
Butler 6-14
Depaul 4-16
Gtown 0-20

Worst case scenario SJU wins out including beating MU at home (which isn't impossible vs. CU, @DP, vs. X, @MU), and Creighton wins more than 1 game rest of the way in their gauntlet (@SJU, @PC, vs. UCONN, vs. Hall), I believe MU slides down to the 6 seed at 11-8 losing the three way tie breaker with Creighton and SJU at 0-3.

I believe all other realistic scenarios of MU winning 2/3 we still get the bye.

Moral of story: root for Creighton to beat SJU tonight.  And then in general root against those 2 the rest of the way (not that rooting matters!). Also, if MU just takes care of business and wins the games they're supposed to win (all of them rest of the way), should wrap up the 4 seed and face Creighton Thursday in NYC.

[Jay Bee]

I'm feeling pretty good that we'll be in the 4/5 game at 2:30 ET on Thursday — what show on Broadway should I see later that night??

Biggest thing for me... will Nova catch Providence? Hope not, but could see Providence losing one of their two home games (or both), and then Nova crushing them to take the 1 seed.

[wadesworld]

I'm feeling pretty good that we'll be in the 4/5 game at 2:30 ET on Thursday — what show on Broadway should I see later that night??

Biggest thing for me... will Nova catch Providence? Hope not, but could see Providence losing one of their two home games (or both), and then Nova crushing them to take the 1 seed.

Sheesh!  That's a long day of masking for you big guy.

[Miss Katie’s]

I'm feeling pretty good that we'll be in the 4/5 game at 2:30 ET on Thursday — what show on Broadway should I see later that night??

Biggest thing for me... will Nova catch Providence? Hope not, but could see Providence losing one of their two home games (or both), and then Nova crushing them to take the 1 seed.

Hamilton

[Jay Bee]

Sheesh!  That's a long day of masking for you big guy.

Don't think they're required inside MSG, and will sip a drink nonstop at the show. #NoMask #Freedom #Righteous #CovidSurvivor

[Warriors4ever]

NYC has a vaccine mandate and no indication that is going away, so masking is not required.

[wadesworld]

NYC has a vaccine mandate and no indication that is going away, so masking is not required.

Fake news. BeeJay gonna be masking for a while that day.

"The owners and operators of all 41 Broadway theatres in New York City will continue to require vaccinations for audience members, as well as performers, backstage crew, and theatre staff, for all performances through April 30, 2022. Masks will continue to be required for audiences inside the theatre, except while actively eating or drinking in designated locations."

[Warriors4ever]

I was referencing his comment about MSG. Theaters have their own mandates. Chicago theaters are keeping their vax and mask mandates as well.

[Jay Bee]

Seating in MSG.. any great sections... any awful ones to avoid?

[DoctorV]

I'm feeling pretty good that we'll be in the 4/5 game at 2:30 ET on Thursday — what show on Broadway should I see later that night??

Biggest thing for me... will Nova catch Providence? Hope not, but could see Providence losing one of their two home games (or both), and then Nova crushing them to take the 1 seed.

I don't hate the idea of playing Creighton in that 4/5 game, I actually prefer it to playing UConn or StJ at the garden despite their well documented pick and roll chops.

However, I absolutely HATE the idea of possibly losing to that team 3x in the same season. That's cringeworthy as heck, and can make a team doubt itself at the most critical point of the season when it comes to the importance of team confidence/cockiness.

Don't want those guys to head to the NCAA tourney with that burden.
So then I guess that becomes a must win?

[JamilJaeJamailJrJuan]

I don't hate the idea of playing Creighton in that 4/5 game, I actually prefer it to playing UConn or StJ at the garden despite their well documented pick and roll chops.

However, I absolutely HATE the idea of possibly losing to that team 3x in the same season. That's cringeworthy as heck, and can make a team doubt itself at the most critical point of the season when it comes to the importance of team confidence/cockiness.

Don't want those guys to head to the NCAA tourney with that burden.
So then I guess that becomes a must win?

Agreed.  Def not scared of Creighton.  Realistically tho, the guys just need to get whatever the heck they've been doing the last couple weeks out of their system.  Rattling off 4-5 in a row starting Saturday would a nice step in that direction.