CUSA REVAMPS BB SCHEDULE...New Concept

[billybud]

https://deadspin.com/conference-usa..._deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter

"Next season, C-USA’s men’s basketball schedule will look nothing like that of any other Division I conference. Instead of releasing a hard-set regular season conference schedule, C-USA will seed its teams after the opening 14 games of the conference slate. The conference will then face its best teams off against one another over the next four games, with the end goal of placing multiple teams in the NCAA tournament and securing higher seeds for those teams. It’s the old “iron sharpens iron” adage, basically, with some added strength-of-schedule boost built in."

 

[willie99]

Nice

 

[Jaybird65]

Downside is their good teams could knock one another off hurting some's chances

 

[Palatine]

Downside is the effect on attendance for the rest of the league.

 

[Purple Stein]

I like it -- innovative scheduling that should bring attention to their conference.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

How the hell do you sell tickets for this? Is attendance in that league so bad it doesn’t matter?

 

[pepband99]

A very interesting concept...

I doubt many of the majors could pull this off, though, due to scheduling. It's not like most of the CUSA gyms are hosting other events with the same frequency...

 

[mauconnfan]

Hate to be the 5th place team who had injuries early on and just won 7 in a row but is just out despite being better than 3 of those 4 teams.

 

[Dogdeacon]

C'mon don't piss in the cheerios. This is a great attempt at innovative concept and certainly encourages more competitiveness early on plus sets up for compelling games. There are always consequences, someone wins and someone loses - that is sports. I say bravo and will definitely be interested to see how it goes. Upped my interest in that conference for sure.

 

[cohenzone]

So a team or two just outside the top 4 have no chance to climb? Mid season? Injuries or return from injuries become insignificant? The majority of league members agree?

 

[navery12]

So a team or two just outside the top 4 have no chance to climb? Mid season? Injuries or return from injuries become insignificant? The majority of league members agree?

You'd still be able to climb, in fact it might even be more likely since the top 4 teams have to lose half the games playing each other.

 

[cohenzone]

You'd still be able to climb, in fact it might even be more likely since the top 4 teams have to lose half the games playing each other.

Seems screwy. So the rest of the teams are also scheduled but just against each other? If #5 is lots better than the other non top 4, they might have an edge over #4 which is maybe better than #5 but not nearly as good as 1-3? It's a twist, but maybe too inventive. Is there still a year end conference tournament so that #8 could still get the automatic bid?

 

[Dogdeacon]

Seems screwy. So the rest of the teams are also scheduled but just against each other? If #5 is lots better than the other non top 4, they might have an edge over #4 which is maybe better than #5 but not nearly as good as 1-3? It's a twist, but maybe too inventive. Is there still a year end conference tournament so that #8 could still get the automatic bid?

Win your early games and avoid being #5. Makes the early season schedule & games more competitive. There's likely a mid-season game with high stakes to determine 4 vs 5. Whereas I normally don't care about Conf USA, I might care about the game to determine #4. And then watch with interest what happens with that top-4. And whereas I might not normally care about the 5th place team in conference USA, I still won't

 

[cohenzone]

Win your early games and avoid being #5. Makes the early season schedule & games more competitive. There's likely a mid-season game with high stakes to determine 4 vs 5. Whereas I normally don't care about Conf USA, I might care about the game to determine #4. And then watch with interest what happens with that top-4. And whereas I might not normally care about the 5th place team in conference USA, I still won't

You care about #1?

 

[billybud]

I think that because they have not had an at large tourney pick in six seasons...they are willing to make some sacrifices to boost RPI for some...

“What we’re doing is we’re trying to insulate our best within our conference so they’re protected,” Selig said.

 

[Dogdeacon]

You care about #1?

I dunno, maybe. If the American did this I would definitely care, would definitely want UConn to be #1 and would be encouraged with more good games and opponents worth seeing.
Conf USA is acknowledging the following to make for a better conference (and I appreciate the candor):
1. Our conference is too big (so is almost every conference now)
2. The bottom of our conference sucks and it drags down the entirety of our membership
3. We only make money off the top teams and TV anyway so why not have more of that
4. NCAA success for those top teams is the ultimate goal, everyone else can suck it

 

[billybud]

Sooooo...the conference made a decision to boost the RPI's of the top programs at the expense of the others.

 

[auror]

14 games? So everyone plays one other team twice and the rest once before seeding? How is that fair?

 

[Austin316]

 

[kobe]

any time i read news about C-USA I just get sad