Fairness Questioned...WaPo

[triaddukefan]

How many times have Duke and UNC mens teams played in Greensboro?

UNC has played in a regional in Greensboro one time. Duke has never played in a men's regional here. The Duke women have played in Greensboro twice. Once in 1999 defeating TN to advance to the Final 4 for the first time. The other time in 2007... and I'm not gonna talk about what happened that time. NC State WBB played in the 2019 regional losing to Iowa. NC State MBB won the National Title in the 1974 Final 4 which was held in Greensboro. Wake Forest has never played a regional in Greensboro, neither has East Carolina or Charlotte.... or High Point.

 

[oldude]

This is only an issue because the size CT is about 54 times smaller than Texas.

Yes, but UConn’s passionate fan base extends well beyond CT’s border. I would venture to guess that UConn WBB enjoys a plurality of fan support, if not an outright majority, throughout New England, NY, NJ, PA & DE. Not sure if there is a single school in the football frenzied state of TX that can boast a fan base even close to UConn WBB.

 

[Kaizen]

Bridgeport is selected even before the games started.
#1-#8, #2-#7, #3-#6 and #4-#5 are also standard game policy.
UConn rank #6, plays #3. where is unfair?

Like she said:
Nina King, the selection committee chairwoman and the athletic director at Duke, praised Connecticut for having “all the pieces, all of the team playing and also a team that’s on an upward trajectory.” She said N.C. State and Connecticut sharing a region was simply the way “it fell this year.”

 

[CL82]

Here are the things that leap off the page to me from the article:

If Connecticut is one of the four best teams in the nation, with the second best likelihood of winning the entire tournament, why aren’t they a one seed? If they were the one seed in Bridgeport, no one has an issue.

For what it’s worth, on the Men’s side Duke and North Carolina have been playing in Greensboro for years. Where was all the outrage then?

 

[HuskyNan]

Maybe, but quotes like this are somewhat deceiving:
View attachment 74394
How much do you want to bet that Connecticut scores more points than average on the road as well? I’ll bet all the top eight seeds, at least, “score more than an average team.”

Yeah, that’s an average “adjusted for strength of schedule”. What’s the real number?

 

[CL82]

Yeah, that’s an average “adjusted for strength of schedule”. What’s the real number?

Great point.

 

[triaddukefan]

Here are the things that leap off the page to me from the article:
View attachment 74395 View attachment 74396
If Connecticut is one of the four best teams in the nation, with the second best likelihood of winning the entire tournament, why aren’t they a one seed? If they were the one seed in Bridgeport, no one has an issue.

For what it’s worth, on the Men’s side Duke and North Carolina have been playing in Greensboro for years. Where was all the outrage then?

Good gosh man.... for the third time this thread... there is a difference in playing first and second round games in Greensboro as opposed to having regionals. NC has had two men's regionals in the past 30 years. 1998 and 2008. One in Greensboro, one in Charlotte. Duke appeared in neither. The 1994 FInal Four was held in Charlotte.... Duke appeared in that one. The 1974 Final Four was in Greensboro... NC State cut down the nets.... ending UCLA's string of championships. One thing people have failed to mention... two of the three times that Duke MBB have played in NC since 2010.. 2012 in Greensboro, and 2014 in Raleigh, they have lost in the first round... some home court advantage.

 

[LoboDays]

I don’t think it’s fair that any team in the Tournament has home games. I don’t think it’s fair that any team in the Tournament doesn’t have to leave their own state before the Final Four. It’s wrong and should be corrected.

 

[JordyG]

Yes, it is fair.

It was earned - not given!

 

[oldude]

Good gosh man.... for the third time this thread... there is a difference in playing first and second round games in Greensboro as opposed to having regionals. NC has had two men's regionals in the past 30 years. 1998 and 2008. One in Greensboro, one in Charlotte. Duke appeared in neither. The 1994 FInal Four was held in Charlotte.... Duke appeared in that one. The 1974 Final Four was in Greensboro... NC State cut down the nets.... ending UCLA's string of championships. One thing people have failed to mention... two of the three times that Duke MBB have played in NC since 2010.. 2012 in Greensboro, and 2014 in Raleigh, they have lost in the first round... some home court advantage.

So what’s the over/under on the number of times you will need to correct someone on the BY on this misperception? I got $20 on 9 times.

 

[CL82]

Good gosh man.... for the third time this thread... there is a difference in playing first and second round games in Greensboro as opposed to having regionals. NC has had two men's regionals in the past 30 years. 1998 and 2008. One in Greensboro, one in Charlotte. Duke appeared in neither. The 1994 FInal Four was held in Charlotte.... Duke appeared in that one. The 1974 Final Four was in Greensboro... NC State cut down the nets.... ending UCLA's string of championships. One thing people have failed to mention... two of the three times that Duke MBB have played in NC since 2010.. 2012 in Greensboro, and 2014 in Raleigh, they have lost in the first round... some home court advantage.

So you’re saying an advantage is not an advantage when the advantaged teams don’t take advantage?

Respectfully disagree.

 

[JordyG]

So what’s the over/under on the number of times you will need to correct someone on the BY on this misperception? I got $20 on 9 times.

You're wrong.

 

[mbr33ct]

It's only Monday, not even one day after selection Sunday...this tourney is going to be a very long one.

 

[oldude]

I don’t think it’s fair that any team in the Tournament has home games. I don’t think it’s fair that any team in the Tournament doesn’t have to leave their own state before the Final Four. It’s wrong and should be corrected.

And if the NCAA and its member schools lose millions of dollars each year on travel costs for WBB games in arenas that are sparsely attended, is that OK?

 

[CL82]

It's only Monday, not even one day after selection Sunday...this tourney is going to be a very long one.

NAH, it always flies by. It is the best time of year for a college basketball fan.

 

[oldude]

You're wrong.

Wrong about 9 times, or wrong about the misperception that UNC & Duke frequently play in the Greensboro region?

 

[JordyG]

I don’t think it’s fair that any team in the Tournament has home games. I don’t think it’s fair that any team in the Tournament doesn’t have to leave their own state before the Final Four. It’s wrong and should be corrected.

To quote Steven A. Smith "Fair is a place where they judge pigs".

 

[triaddukefan]

So what’s the over/under on the number of times you will need to correct someone on the BY on this misperception? I got $20 on 9 times.

The thing is... anyone who lives in NC and follows College Basketball knows that if the early round games are held in NC or SC.... and UNC and Duke are in the same building... its a disadvantage for Duke. Duke fans would rather have Duke play early round games in Tampa or Portland Oregon than have to share a sub-regional location with the Tar heels anywhere in the Carolinas. But anyway... don't want to hi-jack this thread with MBB talk.... so I'll stop.

 

[Cornell Lt]

I don’t think it’s fair that any team in the Tournament has home games. I don’t think it’s fair that any team in the Tournament doesn’t have to leave their own state before the Final Four. It’s wrong and should be corrected.

Until the Women's tournament is in a financial position such that major metropolitan areas see value in bidding to host NCAA WBB regionals your going to continue to see smaller cities in the vicinity of major WBB programs bid to host.

 

[visitingcock]

View attachment 74398

Tell Nan.

JK.

 

[JordyG]

Wrong about 9 times, or wrong about the misperception that UNC & Duke frequently play in the Greensboro region?

Sorry. I guess my humor wasn't apparent enough. I should have said, "You're wrong. I've got 10 times".

 

[CL82]

The thing is... anyone who lives in NC and follows College Basketball knows that if the early round games are held in NC or SC.... and UNC and Duke are in the same building... its a disadvantage for Duke. Duke fans would rather have Duke play early round games in Tampa or Portland Oregon than have to share a sub-regional location with the Tar heels anywhere in the Carolinas. But anyway... don't want to hi-jack this thread with MBB talk.... so I'll stop.

So you’re saying that Carolina fans prefer UNC to Duke substantially?

 

[Plebe]

But Albany & Bridgeport are hardly alone in their efforts to fill the stands with fans from a nearby school. Ft Wayne, IN has done the same with ND in mind. Unfortunately, the last time Ft Wayne held a regional, ND stumbled and didn’t even make the tournament.

 

[FairView]

This discussion shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, although I am surprised where this article appeared. Don't see how they care enough to pick this topic with all the others available on the tourney.

It's not that UConn is in Bridgeport, it's that they are #2 in Bridgeport. Wouldn't be an issue if they were #1 – that happens all the time. But #2 has happened with others. I can't remember who and I don't care enough to look it up, but this conversation has happened with other teams in previous years. Perhaps a Notre Dame, Louisville thing? I can't remember. The head of the committee addressed it on the Selection show last night. It follows the procedure and that whole S curve thingie.

As other posters state, UConn travels well anywhere. My wife and I went to the Pittsburgh Regionals in 2001. They played at what used to be called the Igloo in the center of town. Throughout the weekend, the streets were filled with UConn fans. We took over the town. It was actually really neat. My wife and I decided to venture away from the city and took one of the Inclines up into a neighborhood. We walked into a very blue-collar neighborhood bar with out UConn shirts on and we were treated like celebrities. They heard we had "taken over" the downtown to watch a "girls basketball" team and they were intrigued – and extremely friendly. It was pretty fun. And since the games were attended by predominantly UConn fans, they were like home games. I also remember there was an information exchange hotline in the ladies room. My wife was six months pregnant at the time and taking more trips to the ladies room than usual. Every time she came back, she had met a players mother or relative with news. I believe Shea's mom broke the news that Tennessee was going down in another regional. The entire weekend was really a blast. Drove to the R&R HoF on the off day. Just a blast!

Go Huskies. Winners, win or lose, wherever they play.

 

[Charliebball]

I don’t think it’s fair that any team in the Tournament has home games. I don’t think it’s fair that any team in the Tournament doesn’t have to leave their own state before the Final Four. It’s wrong and should be corrected.

any UConn game played in the New England or Middle Atlantic states would be a home game............that's what happens when you are really, really good for a long time..........