Big East tourney, implications from the past week’s play

[HuskyNan]

Nan, it would be great, but the women's game isn't there yet. After giving blocks of tickets to every team in the tournament, even with the UConn fans willing to travel to NYC, MSG will look woefully empty. The look at Mohegan sun for the non-UConn games isn't good. The sad fact of the matter is that people are not going to go to NYC (not a cheap place) unless they have a lot of emotion invested in most or all of the games.

Well, to be fair, I did call it a first step towards a tourney in MSG. I realize the women’s game isn’t at the level it needs to be yet, attendance-wise

 

[meyers7]

Why do they even have this tournament? Didn't we just spend 3 months playing all of these teams twice? Isn't that enough torture?

TV revenue, maybe?

Cha-Ching!

 

[The deacon]

Vegas would have a better turn-out then MSG because of the lower costs, weather, and other stuff that can be done on tournament off days.

Ha, MSGRET, we have different tastes in entertainment, I guess. I agree the cost factor would be significant in NYC, but there are few places, if any, that offer more things to do on basketball off-days than New York City, regardless of the time of year.

 

[MSGRET]

Speaking of TV, I believe that FOX is broadcasting all of the Big East tournament games. Did I understand that correctly?

FOX, FS1 and FS2.

 

[MSGRET]

Ha, MSGRET, we have different tastes in entertainment, I guess. I agree the cost factor would be significant in NYC, but there are few places, if any, that offer more things to do on basketball off-days than New York City, regardless of the time of year.

You haven't been to Vegas have you? Yes there is gambling but there is a lot more other things that you can do. Las Vegas actually has more shows and live entertainment than NYC nightly and by named music stars, Katy Perry, Shania Twain, Chicago, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Grand Funk Railroad, Smokey Robinson and more. Also they have varity shows, to include Broadway shows, all types of entertainment. They have some of the best restaurants in the world, last year they had more 5 star restaurants in Vegas then in any other city in the World. Then if it's outdoor adventures, you have Red Rock and it's many walking trails, Mt Charleston and it's ski resort, Lake Mead (the water is a little low), the Grand Canyon and Death Valley are less than a days drive. I know I'm from Vegas, but I bet you could ask some others like @Carnac what they think of Vegas to get someone else's opinion.

 

[HuskyNan]

You haven't been to Vegas have you? Yes there is gambling but there is a lot more other things that you can do. Las Vegas actually has more shows and live entertainment than NYC nightly and by named music stars, Katy Perry, Shania Twain, Chicago, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Grand Funk Railroad, Smokey Robinson and more. Also they have varity shows, to include Broadway shows, all types of entertainment. They have some of the best restaurants in the world, last year they had more 5 star restaurants in Vegas then in any other city in the World. Then if it's outdoor adventures, you have Red Rock and it's many walking trails, Mt Charleston and it's ski resort, Lake Mead (the water is a little low), the Grand Canyon and Death Valley are less than a days drive. I know I'm from Vegas, but I bet you could ask some others like @Carnac what they think of Vegas to get someone else's opinion.

Las Vegas isn’t a stop on the Metro North line.

 

[Carnac]

All I want to see is UConn playing and getting a win on Sunday. That's my birthday and I'll be there for the game (and Saturday's).

But in terms of seeding I want UConn to have the easiest path possible. So hoping that UConn gets the 9 seed and some upsets (or at least OT) happen. At this point I think UConn CAN win the BE tourney, but I know there's some teams I'd rather they didn't play again.

Agreed! Anytime one undertakes a journey, the path of least resistance is ALWAYS preferable. The path to the national championship WILL have formidable obstacles on it. It always does. There are no "cakewalks" to the NC. If you're lucky/fortunate enough to make it to the championship game and emerge victorious, they will have achieved greatness with their hard work, and win the NC similar to how John Houseman admonished us about how Smith Barney earned their fees........



Those last 3 games are hard to win. All of the at-large and mid-major teams are gone after round two. IMHO, the tournament begins in earnest with game 3 of the second weekend. For top-ranked teams like UConn, the first weekend games are merely a "tune-up" for what's to come.

Happy birthday, maple. UConn Nation hopes you get your wish!

 

[Rowdy831]

Why play the league tournament? For a couple teams it gives them a chance to get into the NCAA Tournament but for UCONN it gives them a shot at solidifying their #1 seed. It will be difficult for them but Indiana, Stanford and LSU all have tournaments too and if they stumble then UCONN could move up a spot or two.

The conference tournament might be better off playing at a smaller venue. Then you have a better crowd experience for the players and a better look for TV. Even the men's tournament has challenges filling big venues for the conference tournament games that aren't the big name schools.

 

[Carnac]

You haven't been to Vegas have you? Yes there is gambling but there is a lot more other things that you can do. Las Vegas actually has more shows and live entertainment than NYC nightly and by named music stars, Katy Perry, Shania Twain, Chicago, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Grand Funk Railroad, Smokey Robinson and more. Also they have varity shows, to include Broadway shows, all types of entertainment. They have some of the best restaurants in the world, last year they had more 5 star restaurants in Vegas then in any other city in the World. Then if it's outdoor adventures, you have Red Rock and it's many walking trails, Mt Charleston and it's ski resort, Lake Mead (the water is a little low), the Grand Canyon and Death Valley are less than a days drive. I know I'm from Vegas, but I bet you could ask some others like @Carnac what they think of Vegas to get someone else's opinion.

You know I'm NOT impartial. I love Las Vegas!!! A short 3 hour drive from my home, and always lots to do and see when you get there. Our oldest granddaughter is a graduate of UNLV, and loved every minute of it, and so did we when we would visit her every 4-6 weeks. I would love for the NCAA to schedule a west coast regional in Las Vegas.

Regardless of what kind of entertainment you like, there's something for EVERYONE in Las Vegas. You can spend a little or a lot depending on your level of taste and comfort needs. Some folks are comfortable at Motel 6, while others prefer a 5 star hotel. Vegas has plenty of both, and plenty of great restaurants. I would attend as many games as I could whether UConn was there or not.

 

[CL82]

The men have a tournament that’s wildly popular. The women are moving in that direction and as @Longtime fan said, this could be an exciting first step. Wouldn’t it be great to have back to back tournaments at MSG?

Theoretically. At the current level of interest and participation, playing the tournament at Mohegan Sun is a better choice. I suspect it is one of the better locations for a woman’s basketball conference tournament, given the accessibility of accommodations and restaurants. Also, the UConn fanbase pretty much guarantees a good turn out.

 

[MSGRET]

Theoretically. At the current level of thin interest and participation, playing the tournament at Mohegan Sun is a better choice. I suspect it is one of the better locations for a woman’s basketball conference tournament, given the accessibility of accommodations and restaurants. Also, the UConn fanbase pretty much guarantees a good turn out.

I betcha that the experience at the Mohegan Sun is less expensive for the fans then it is being held in Chicago or NYC also.

 

[DefenseBB]

Why do they even have this tournament? Didn't we just spend 3 months playing all of these teams twice? Isn't that enough torture?

First off, all the conferences (32 of them) decided a conference tournament would determine who gets the automatic bid to the NCAAT.
Second, as I have posted numerous times, the Big East Women's Tournament has had a great average attendance (when at Hartford or Mohegan Sun) and usually out performs all but the SEC attendance.
Third, Fox is broadcasting Sat, Sun and Monday either on FS1 or FS2, not the Friday games. UConn games will all be on FS1.
Fourth, the BET is a nice event but to say it will be one of the most exciting is still a stretch. Other than the SEC where SC is the prohibitive favorite, the BET with UConn has the next shortest odds. Heck, even the PAC12 and BigTen are more of a tossup than the BET and they are not really expected to have any title changes other than Stanford or Indiana. Can an upset happen, of course but statistically speaking, probably not.

 

[Littlemin]

Did not want to put it in a separate thread but FWIW, a friend of mine (fellow St. John’s MBB fan) just called me to tell me there is a “a lot” of twitter chatter that Uconn is moving to the ACC. Just thought I would throw it out there.

 

[CL82]

I betcha that the experience at the Mohegan Sun is less expensive for the fans then it is being held in Chicago or NYC also.

And arguably “better” if your primary purpose is seeing the games.

 

[MSGRET]

First off, all the conferences (32 of them) decided a conference tournament would determine who gets the automatic bid to the NCAAT.
Second, as I have posted numerous times, the Big East Women's Tournament has had a great average attendance (when at Hartford or Mohegan Sun) and usually out performs all but the SEC attendance.
Third, Fox is broadcasting Sat, Sun and Monday either on FS1 or FS2, not the Friday games. UConn games will all be on FS1.
Fourth, the BET is a nice event but to say it will be one of the most exciting is still a stretch. Other than the SEC where SC is the prohibitive favorite, the BET with UConn has the next shortest odds. Heck, even the PAC12 and BigTen are more of a tossup than the BET and they are not really expected to have any title changes other than Stanford or Indiana. Can an upset happen, of course but statistically speaking, probably not.

All of Fridays games are on SNY according to the Big East Tournament website, below is the following SNY schedule on March 3rd, all times are Eastern Time.

Game 1 - 11:00 A.M. 9th Seed vs 8th Seed

Game 2 - 1:30 P.M. 10th Seed vs 7th Seed

Game 3 - 4:00 P.M. 11th Seed Xavier vs 6th Seed

 

[HuskyNan]

Did not want to put it in a separate thread but FWIW, a friend of mine (fellow St. John’s MBB fan) just called me to tell me there is a “a lot” of twitter chatter that Uconn is moving to the ACC. Just thought I would throw it out there.

AD Benedict has been pretty upfront in stating UConn would be a good fit for the ACC. He’s also said he’s “working on it”.

@triaddukefan @CamrnCrz1974 Maybe we’ll get to play a couple times a year

 

[MSGRET]

AD Benedict has been pretty upfront in stating UConn would be a good fit for the ACC. He’s also said he’s “working on it”.

@triaddukefan @CamrnCrz1974 Maybe we’ll get to play a couple times a year

I see Maryland, Notre Dame and maybe Louisville not liking this.

 

[Puppy Love]

I bought tickets to the Friday games…thought it would be fun to watch some games that didn’t stress me out so much.

 

[Zanzman]

I see Maryland, Notre Dame and maybe Louisville not liking this.

Maryland is in the big 10 or am i missing something

 

[BobbyJ]

I see Maryland, Notre Dame and maybe Louisville not liking this.

Why Maryland. They're in the Big 14.

 

[MSGRET]

Maryland is in the big 10 or am i missing something

Brain Fart I meant to say Boston College, because of the lawsuits. I don't know why I said Maryland.

 

[Carnac]

Did not want to put it in a separate thread but FWIW, a friend of mine (fellow St. John’s MBB fan) just called me to tell me there is a “a lot” of twitter chatter that Uconn is moving to the ACC. Just thought I would throw it out there.

I sure hope so. THAT is exactly where we belong. UConn is the only "ranked" top 10 team NOT in a power 5 conference. THAT needs to be corrected!! If this rumor has any legs, I'm sure we'll more about it in detail during the summer. It sure would provide plenty of "fodder" for us to chew on this summer.

I sure hope this comes to pass in the very near future. Thinking "positively...I'll say that WHEN it happens, it will negate the need for Geno to schedule a killer preseason schedule to compensate for the lack of top 50 ranked programs in their current and previous conferences.
This is the best news I've heard since August 1 of last year.

 

[MSGRET]

Wonder how many coaches in the Big East are secretly praying that this happens?

 

[hoopsfan22]

I sure hope so. THAT is exactly where we belong.

UConn belongs in a southern conference?

 

[MSGRET]

UConn belongs in a southern conference?

Actually an Atlantic Coast Conference, except for ND, Louisville and Pitt, all of the other teams are in a state that is on the Atlantic Coast, just like UConn would be.