2015 Gavitt Tip-Off Games

[butlerguy03]

I'm hoping Butler gets paired with Michigan State or Wisconsin. Need those big name wins to boost the RPI.

[ivet]

Who the hell is making the matchups? Seriously?

Jim Delaney goes down to his basement, puts the names of Big Ten schools on darts and lays them out on the table. He then walks over to the dart board, puts names of Big East schools on their respected grid then walks over to get a blindfold. He blindfolds himself, grabs one dart at a time then throws it at the board. That's how match ups are determined.

[MUPanther]

Not apart of this but...
Villanova and Oklahoma will play a neutral site game in Hawaii on 12/7/15, sources told @CBSSports. Story: http://cbsprt.co/1CEPDT8

[FriarJ]

You can bet your last dollar that PC will be in the first years tournament and play at home. If PC is not playing at home on Dave Gavitt Court for the inaugural season of this then the schedulers are idiots. I also expect them to be up against Friar Alum Richard Pitino and Minnesota.

[Hoyas]

You can bet your last dollar that PC will be in the first years tournament and play at home. If PC is not playing at home on Dave Gavitt Court for the inaugural season of this then the schedulers are idiots. I also expect them to be up against Friar Alum Richard Pitino and Minnesota.

I agree with you that PC will be home 1st year... Don't think Minnesota will be in the challenge this year as they play in Puerto Rico starting that Thursday. With only being in the challenge like 4-5 times, don't think they would use Minnesota at all that week.

[billyjack]

Maybe for the first year anyway, the top teams in each conference would probably prefer to avoid a loss in the opening week, so Villanova-Nebraska makes sense.

The Big Ten could send Nebraska, Penn State, Northwestern and Rutgers to BE schools who are predicted to finish at the top (although PC would be locked into one of these home games).
Our predicted bottom 4 schools could play at the top Big Ten arenas.

The problem for the Big Ten is that the BE has good teams throughout.

[Hoyas]

Maybe for the first year anyway, the top teams in each conference would probably prefer to avoid a loss in the opening week, so Villanova-Nebraska makes sense.

The Big Ten could send Nebraska, Penn State, Northwestern and Rutgers to BE schools who are predicted to finish at the top (although PC would be locked into one of these home games).
Our predicted bottom 4 schools could play at the top Big Ten arenas.

The problem for the Big Ten is that the BE has good teams throughout.

1 thing to add to that is I think you're going to find that Michigan St(with already having a tough game in that champions classic- this year vs Kansas)- isn't going to want to play one of the Big East heavyweights as well.

[shupirate98]

Full announcement supposedly coming today. Seton Hall wasn't chosen to play because of a "scheduling conflict." Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

[Hoyas]

Full announcement supposedly coming today. Seton Hall wasn't chosen to play because of a "scheduling conflict." Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

You guys do play in Charleston Classic starting that Thursday. So that could easily be legit. Would kind of think Butler may then be the 2nd team out, as they play in San Juan starting on Thursday.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Hey guys, lets just forget this whole Big East/Big Ten challenge since one match up isn't what you wanted. Who needs the Big Ten, we can keep playing A-10 teams.

As a Nova fan I would absolutely love to "forget this whole thing," if this is how it is going to be. Honestly, I'd prefer we play anyone in the top half of the A-10 over Nebraska. Just zero juice whatsoever. It's like having a BE-ACC challenge and getting VA Tech or GA Tech. Playing an SEC challenge and getting Miss St or Missouri. I'm sure even if Izzo doesn't want to face a Nova or a Georgetown, Butler or Xavier, he wouldn't want to play our worst team. We need OOC wins vs. tourney teams, not just P5 teams. With the exception of maybe Rutgers (but even they make it mildly interesting b/c they are a former BE team), there is no team I'd want to play less in that conference. Absolutely brutal job by whoever came up with that...