conference tournies

[stever20]

From ESPN:
If not Villanova ...
Greenberg: I’d say it’s Providence. I’m big on coaches that connect with their teams, and Ed Cooley does that. Kris Dunn has had a terrific season and Cooley has brought along LaDontae Henton from a power forward to an elite scorer. Tyler Harris has embraced his role, Ben Bentil has really had a nice freshman season and Cooley has a calmness about him that his team responds to.
Fraschilla: Villanova has had a sensational season and is deservedly the heavy favorite, but this league has a number of teams that can catch fire over three days. The most likely, to me, are the Butler Bulldogs because they are an outstanding defensive team. They keep opponents off the glass and defend the 3-point shot extremely well.

My dark-horse pick is ...

Fraschilla: I wouldn’t rule out Ed Cooley’s Providence team, which won the Big East a year ago. The Friars have been very inconsistent down the stretch of their season but have the capability of catching fire like they did last year. This is Henton’s swan song, and he’s capable of carrying the Friars through a long tournament run.
Greenberg: Georgetown, because I like the mixture of youth and experience. It'll be hard for Josh Smith to play that many consecutive games over the weekend, but he’s different than anyone else in the league. L.J. Peak is a relentless guard, D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera makes shots, Jabril Trawick is a lockdown defender and this team has a toughness about it. I would not be shocked to see Georgetown win the tournament title.

How on earth can you consider the #2 seed a dark horse?!

Honestly the only dark horses in my mind would be one of the bottom 4 seeds. None of the other 6 would be shocking or qualify as dark horses.

I think because a lot of folks see Butler, St John's and PC as a lot more likely to make the run. It is bizarre to call a #2 seed a dark horse- but it does seem like it fits.

[Michael in Raleigh]

"While being excluded from “Power 5” status, the conference is currently ranked second in my system and is going to be well-represented in the NCAA tournament." -Ken Pomeroy

I really, really do not understand why "Power 5" is applied in basketball, especially by professional analysts who know better. Those five conferences have a tremendous, demonstrated, decisive advantage over the other five leagues in the FBS. In basketball, it's different.

Sure, the ACC, SEC, B1G, Big 12, and Pac-12 are multi-bid, power leagues in hoops compared with the majority of other leagues, but they are by no means alone in that status. I don't see a whole lot of difference between the American and the SEC. Some years, ,the SEC may get a lot of bids; the ceilings for Kentucky, Florida, LSU, Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee are all very high. Same goes for the AAC, with UConn, Cincy, Temple, Memphis, and SMU. Both leagues also can be rather unimpressive in a given year, save for one or two dominant teams like Kentucky this year or UConn or Louisville last year. Furthermore, the Big East is decidedly better than the Pac-12 not just this year, but should be for many years to come.

Maybe I'm just repeating something that has been said over and over here, but I think it makes no sense to use the term "Power 5" in basketball, and I wish it would stop.

[TheBall]

I don't think I have ever seen a building that large with so few people in it while an event is going on.

Lucky for them they put it in uconn's backyard so that people might attend some games.

This is what happens when you put a rag tag bunch of directional schools with no geographical or traditional connection together. What a band aid of a conference.

[stever20]

I don't think I have ever seen a building that large with so few people in it while an event is going on.

Lucky for them they put it in uconn's backyard so that people might attend some games.

This is what happens when you put a rag tag bunch of directional schools with no geographical or traditional connection together. What a band aid of a conference.

It may be a band aid of a conference, but it isn't going anywhere, and it's a top 8 conference along with the F5 ,BE, and A10. They'll get at least 3 in now and quite possibly 4.

[MUPanther]

On my second TV, because my main one has FS1 on, the Miami-ND game is a tied game with 90% of the 23,000 seat arena empty.

[TheBall]

The party in Broadway is the most exciting one. 60% of its team tourney quality, Gus Johnson with the call.

[GumbyDamnit!]

I don't think I have ever seen a building that large with so few people in it while an event is going on.

Lucky for them they put it in uconn's backyard so that people might attend some games.

This is what happens when you put a rag tag bunch of directional schools with no geographical or traditional connection together. What a band aid of a conference.

It may be a band aid of a conference, but it isn't going anywhere, and it's a top 8 conference along with the F5 ,BE, and A10. They'll get at least 3 in now and quite possibly 4.

This is going to be the big problem for the AAC moving forward. NO ONE showed up in Hartford. Can you imagine what that building will look like if Tulsa and SMU or Memphis make the finals. 5-6K at most maybe. Wow. That is not going to show well on ESPNU.

And if your goal is to be a Top 8 anything, then you have a loser mentality. I expect the BE to battle the ACC, the B1G and B12 every year for the #1 spot, not settle for top 8. Doesn't that embarrass you just saying that? That conference tourney is like an inner city hospital emergency room on a Saturday night. Some scarey sights for sure.

[stever20]

I don't think I have ever seen a building that large with so few people in it while an event is going on.

Lucky for them they put it in uconn's backyard so that people might attend some games.

This is what happens when you put a rag tag bunch of directional schools with no geographical or traditional connection together. What a band aid of a conference.

It may be a band aid of a conference, but it isn't going anywhere, and it's a top 8 conference along with the F5 ,BE, and A10. They'll get at least 3 in now and quite possibly 4.

This is going to be the big problem for the AAC moving forward. NO ONE showed up in Hartford. Can you imagine what that building will look like if Tulsa and SMU or Memphis make the finals. 5-6K at most maybe. Wow. That is not going to show well on ESPNU.

And if your goal is to be a Top 8 anything, then you have a loser mentality. I expect the BE to battle the ACC, the B1G and B12 every year for the #1 spot, not settle for top 8. Doesn't that embarrass you just saying that? That conference tourney is like an inner city hospital emergency room on a Saturday night. Some scarey sights for sure.

1st round games at a lot of tournaments are like what they had yesterday.

A top 8 conference means that's their floor. Some years they'll be in the top 3-4 easily. I mean, they're getting 3-4 in this year now almost certainly- and none of those are Memphis or UConn.

[Jet915]

Stever, if the Big East had a first round crowd that looked anywhere remotely like that pitiful American crowd you'd be ripping them a new one....

[stever20]

Stever, if the Big East had a first round crowd that looked anywhere remotely like that pitiful American crowd you'd be ripping them a new one....

definitely the crowd wasn't good. Think this will be the only time we see the AAC tourney in Hartford- probably will go back to Memphis I would think