So I'll be the first one to comlain about this...

[champs99and04]

UConn and Michigan play at 9:30 (EST) Wednesday night. Syracuse and Charlotte play at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon. The winners play at 3:30 Thursday afternoon.

I get that the tournament wants to maximize their ratings potential for a Wednesday night game (though from the sounds of it, most people don't get the channel), but this puts the winner of the Michigan/UConn game at a significant disadvantage, IMO. The game might not end until around midnight eastern time Wednesday night, meaning the winner will have 15 hours between games. That leaves time for a bus ride back to the resort and a full nights sleep.

The winner of Syracuse/Charlotte can enjoy an afternoon in Atlantis and put their feet up watching the Michigan/UConn game as they doze off.

Keep in mind that this is not a UConn complaint, it is a basketball/common sense complaint. I know none of us are looking past the Michigan game (and it is telling that this is what I'm worried about rather than having to carve out two hours to watch the game in the middle of Thanksgiving).

 

[mauconnfan]

So important they win so we can watch on ESPN Thanksgiving Day instead of listening to Joe D - huge game for so many reasons.

 

[Penfield]

I noticed this also. Just common sense to have winners of first two games play in the first game the next day and winners of second set of games play second. Also wouldn't mind if the semi finals were later in the day.

Also to maximize viewership wouldn't you not want to have Zags vs UW tipping at 9 am PT?

 

[Gringo]

I noticed this as well, but didn't make a post. This is some of the worst scheduling I've seen.

 

[joober jones]

All I can think of is that AXS tv must have paid a huge fee for this game considering how few people are going to be able to see it.

 

[Jaker]

Probably had to work around the schedule of the Rock Legend and the Big Interview. ;(

 

[99NCAA]

All I can think of is that AXS tv must have paid a huge fee for this game considering how few people are going to be able to see it.

DirecTv channel 340... If you don't have it, any legit sports bar will. No reason to listen to Joe D (ever)

 

[Jerry1714]

it is stupid planning by the tournament but will no effect, these kids play multiple tournament games on the same day during AAU they are not going to be tired.

 

[champs99and04]

it is stupid planning by the tournament but will no effect, these kids play multiple tournament games on the same day during AAU they are not going to be tired.

Big difference between AAU and high-major D1 ball. I take your point though and largely agree with it.

 

[jleves]

Nobody can win 5 tournament games in 5 days!

 

[Kembacity]

Good, it's a good thing because if Cuse got the scheduling shaft they'd probably sue the Bahamas. We have a deep bench, we have a number of ways to hurt an opposing team, I'll take this subject as the chip on our guys' shoulders that gives them the edge.

Do you guys think that Ollie and the rest of the coaching staff sells the team on Cuse hate? I know these kids aren't 12 but I don't know how much of the old big east history they know, and I feel like it helps to motivate the team to know that the fans would be watching a UConn-Cuse game with a little more tenacity than a UConn-Texas A&M game

 

[aceboon]

Big difference between AAU and high-major D1 ball. I take your point though and largely agree with it.

Yea, if anyone needs a refresher on if college kids get tired, just go back to the AACT games last year. The game against Cincy that Friday ended somewhere close to midnight, then they had to come back out for what I believe was a 5pm game against Tulsa the next day. They were dead tired and ragged all game before a late surge pulled them through.

 

[joober jones]

Make them watch the 6OT game and they'll be sufficiently anti-Syracuse.

 

[champs99and04]

Yea, if anyone needs a refresher on if college kids get tired, just go back to the AACT games last year. The game against Cincy that Friday ended somewhere close to midnight, then they had to come back out for what I believe was a 5pm game against Tulsa the next day. They were dead tired and ragged all game before a late surge pulled them through.

That's a good point, and then on top of that they had to play an afternoon game against SMU the next day and it was just as slow out of the gates. This stuff definitely matters, fortunately we have more depth this year to combat quick turnarounds.

 

[tcf15]

That's a good point, and then on top of that they had to play an afternoon game against SMU the next day and it was just as slow out of the gates. This stuff definitely matters, fortunately we have more depth this year to combat quick turnarounds.

Speaking of depth, Syracuse has 5 players playing 29+ minutes a game and 4 playing 12 minutes or less:

We may be tired, but like you said, we have more depth this season, and compared to Syracuse, that should work in our favor.

 

[champs99and04]

Speaking of depth, Syracuse has 5 players playing 29+ minutes a game and 4 playing 12 minutes or less:
View attachment 11218

We may be tired, but like you said, we have more depth this season, and compared to Syracuse, that should work in our favor.

Ha...was gonna bring that up but didn't want to be accused of looking ahead. There is a whole thread on the Syracuse board dedicated to the fact that Boeheim only trusts like five guys to play minutes in the second half...against Elon. If anybody thought the scholarship reductions weren't going to effect Syracuse, that's pretty solid evidence that it will.

 

[UConnSean]

Speaking of depth, Syracuse has 5 players playing 29+ minutes a game and 4 playing 12 minutes or less:
View attachment 11218

We may be tired, but like you said, we have more depth this season, and compared to Syracuse, that should work in our favor.

Trevor Cooney is still in school?

 

[Kembacity]

Trevor Cooney is still in school?

well... still playing basketball but you might have to wait a decade to find out if he's actually in school

 

[tcf15]

Ha...was gonna bring that up but didn't want to be accused of looking ahead. There is a whole thread on the Syracuse board dedicated to the fact that Boeheim only trusts like five guys to play minutes in the second half...against Elon. If anybody thought the scholarship reductions weren't going to effect Syracuse, that's pretty solid evidence that it will.

Can't help myself lol.

Wonder if they are just controlling Coleman's minutes right now since he is returning from a couple of knee injuries or if the injuries have turned him into a ~15 mpg kind of player. Either way, if their primary front court is Roberson and Lydon, can't help but feel confident going up against that.

 

[aceboon]

Joseph and Howard can't play more than 10 minutes a game for Cuse? Is Joseph hurt, didn't he start for them last year? Boeheim seems to have issues with rotations scholarship reductions or not, that year they jumped out that undefeated stretch with Ennis he was barely going beyond 6-7 guys.

 

[intlzncster]

Yea, if anyone needs a refresher on if college kids get tired, just go back to the AACT games last year. The game against Cincy that Friday ended somewhere close to midnight, then they had to come back out for what I believe was a 5pm game against Tulsa the next day. They were dead tired and ragged all game before a late surge pulled them through.

Only the 2011 team didn't get tired.