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Big 10 Tourney thoughts

bumper52

HR All-State
Nov 25, 2019
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I’ll probably get ripped for my opinions on the BIG tourney. I have never been a proponent of it. I’m looking at it from a player’s perspective. We beat up on each other for 20 games. And then you want the players to continue to do so for another extended weekend? They are physically and mentally drained. I’ve talked to some past players (no, I won’t mention names...don’t ask), but that is the general consensus. They would rather have the time to rest to prepare for the dance Or their team isn’t going anywhere, and they are done. They could care less with playing more games. This isn’t the case for everyone, obviously. For the life of me what good is the tournament. For the top teams, win the thing, or lose your first game, it usually has very impact on seeding for the NCAA. Sure there are some teams, let’s say MSU this year, that with a couple of wins, can earn a spot. Certainly, if you win the thing, it’s something you can hang your hat on. But without looking it up, who won it 3 years ago? It’s all about money....that’s it. I’ll watch it and enjoy it, but when all is said and done, it really has very little impact who goes to the Dance and where you are seeded. I’m a college basketball junkie, but the tournament is overkill. By the way, these opinions are base on the major power conferences, not the mid majors. Those kids have everything to play for if they win their conference tourney.
 
I don't get why they exist. I mean outside of the obvious reason of more games, higher stake, and more money. Outside of an upset in what world is Michigan not B1G champs.
 
In a year like this, maybe. However, the atmosphere at the BTT (at least when it’s in Chicago and I’ve gone) is awesome with all of the different teams’ fans. For some teams, it’s their last chance to dance and for others it’s another opportunity to elevate their NCAA seed in a way that might just be the difference between a Sweet Sixteen and a Final Four. I used to be “meh” about it, but I love it!
 
I love the BTT. One more chance to see all the teams I have been watching all season. Lots of competitive matchups.
And a possibility of seeing 3 Hawk games in a weekend
BB is a sport made for tournaments...
 
For power conference teams, it’s a bit unnecessary. For mid-majors who don’t have the ability to build strong tournament resumes, it may be their only route into the dance. It’s those mid-majors who get hot late in the season and become Cinderella’s in the tournament that make March Madness so fun to watch imo (at least when Iowa isn’t playing)
 
I love the BTT. One more chance to see all the teams I have been watching all season. Lots of competitive matchups.
And a possibility of seeing 3 Hawk games in a weekend
BB is a sport made for tournaments...
Small Possibility :)
2014 lost to 11 seed
2015 lost to 13 seed
2016 lost to 12 seed
2017 lost to 10 seed
It's a good time for fans if your team is winning. Sux if beat in first round.
 
I went to the first BTT in Chicago and had great seats for the whole thing through a friend of a friend type deal. The Ricky Davis led Hawks bowed out in their first game at 11:00 AM. That stunk, but the whole vibe with all the teams is pretty cool.
Fran era teams have given us absolutely nothing to enjoy the last decade so its hard to get too pumped up about it, even with this team.

If you're on the bubble and need to play your way in it creates a cool opportunity. This year, I hope to get a double bye, hopefully win a game and make sure we finish with no injuries or anything like that. .
 
One of the few things Knight was 100% right about. It’s a money grab that is not in the best interest of student athletes, and it hurts rather than enhances the league’s chances to go deep in the national tourney.

Has it ever even once resulted in an extra bid for a B1G team? The set up since the move to 14 teams makes it even less likely.

I hate it.

but I’ll watch it. Damn it.
 
I have more disdain for CFB conference championship games...mainly because it was just an obvious money grab.

Now it is painfully obvious that something will have to give if they are going to expand their playoff format.
 
One of the few things Knight was 100% right about. It’s a money grab that is not in the best interest of student athletes, and it hurts rather than enhances the league’s chances to go deep in the national tourney.

Has it ever even once resulted in an extra bid for a B1G team? The set up since the move to 14 teams makes it even less likely.

I hate it.

but I’ll watch it. Damn it.

How does it hurt the league’s chances to go deep in the big dance?
 
When they created the BTT one main reason was poor showings in the Big Dance. The BTT would sharpen the competitive edge with the sudden death specter in each game.
I would like to see a poll of Hawk players today to see if they would rather rest than play....I suspect that like most BB players at all levels they would prefer playing games to practicing.
I hate to think that the Dance has become so much the focus of college BB that the 3 months leading up to the Dance are meaningless other than preparing for 1 to 6 games in late March.
Guess I am old school and just find entertainment value in all 27-30 games before the Dance.
 
I don't get why they exist. I mean outside of the obvious reason of more games, higher stake, and more money. Outside of an upset in what world is Michigan not B1G champs.

They exist purely for the $$$. Outside of that, there is no reason for them. And honestly, I'd prefer they didn't exist, but they'll never go away because cash cow.
 
How does it hurt the league’s chances to go deep in the big dance?

because much more than other conferences big 10 teams beat the living hell out of each other all season long then they unnecessarily beat the living hell out of each other in the week leading up to the national tourney so they’re more fatigued.
 
BTT is a lot of fun to watch, but unless you are a bubble team, meaning you kind of sucked in league play during the regular season, it doesn't benefit the top teams much, except financially. I enjoy it and don't want it to go away, but I think it is stupid for leagues to make the winner of their tourney the automatic qualifier for the dance. I consider the regular-season B1G championship to be much more important.
 
I’ll probably get ripped for my opinions on the BIG tourney. I have never been a proponent of it. I’m looking at it from a player’s perspective. We beat up on each other for 20 games. And then you want the players to continue to do so for another extended weekend? They are physically and mentally drained. I’ve talked to some past players (no, I won’t mention names...don’t ask), but that is the general consensus. They would rather have the time to rest to prepare for the dance Or their team isn’t going anywhere, and they are done. They could care less with playing more games. This isn’t the case for everyone, obviously. For the life of me what good is the tournament. For the top teams, win the thing, or lose your first game, it usually has very impact on seeding for the NCAA. Sure there are some teams, let’s say MSU this year, that with a couple of wins, can earn a spot. Certainly, if you win the thing, it’s something you can hang your hat on. But without looking it up, who won it 3 years ago? It’s all about money....that’s it. I’ll watch it and enjoy it, but when all is said and done, it really has very little impact who goes to the Dance and where you are seeded. I’m a college basketball junkie, but the tournament is overkill. By the way, these opinions are base on the major power conferences, not the mid majors. Those kids have everything to play for if they win their conference tourney.

What a an absolute loser’s mentality. Beat up? They are playing basketball, they are fine and 99% of players want to play and enjoy doing so. The pussifiication of America continues, so pathetic...
 
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because much more than other conferences big 10 teams beat the living hell out of each other all season long then they unnecessarily beat the living hell out of each other in the week leading up to the national tourney so they’re more fatigued.

This is an absolute joke and not even remotely true. It’s a false narrative that has been created and perpetuated for years due to Frans inability to recruit athletic players.
 
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Yep. Beat Michigan State in the Quarterfinals putting Iowa in. The same wouldve happenend in the Teddy V game a few years back.
The 2001 season is the year he was talking about.

Iowa won the tournament and took itself off the bubble and squarely into the Dance. They had lost 7 of their final 8 games of the regular season (sound familiar?......), and were essentially on the outside looking in with an 18-11 overall record and a losing 7-9 mark in conference play.

However, Iowa went on its historic run beating Northwestern and then previously-ranked Ohio State by identical 72-55 scores. That put them back in the bubble conversation, and then when they beat Penn State, it was probably enough for the committee to sneak them in had they lost, but there were still some in the media who believed that Iowa needed to win the whole tournament to even have a chance at reaching the NCAAs.


Then, we almost repeated the feat the following year, but this time we absolutely needed to win the B10 tournament to get in. Unfortunately, Ohio State shot like crazy from 3 in that game if I remember correctly.

Of course we repaid them in 2006......
 
The 2001 season is the year he was talking about.

Iowa won the tournament and took itself off the bubble and squarely into the Dance. They had lost 7 of their final 8 games of the regular season (sound familiar?......), and were essentially on the outside looking in with an 18-11 overall record and a losing 7-9 mark in conference play.

However, Iowa went on its historic run beating Northwestern and then previously-ranked Ohio State by identical 72-55 scores. That put them back in the bubble conversation, and then when they beat Penn State, it was probably enough for the committee to sneak them in had they lost, but there were still some in the media who believed that Iowa needed to win the whole tournament to even have a chance at reaching the NCAAs.


Then, we almost repeated the feat the following year, but this time we absolutely needed to win the B10 tournament to get in. Unfortunately, Ohio State shot like crazy from 3 in that game if I remember correctly.

Of course we repaid them in 2006......

Agreed, but Iowa needed to beat Michigan State in the Quarters in 05 or they weren't getting in as well. Horner and Brunner's jr year. They beat Purdue, which didnt help, but needed the MSU win and got it. This was the year Alando Tucker threw in the bank shot against Iowa in the semis
 
I love the BTT, intense basketball for 3-4 days straight. Some of my fondest memories are watching the Alford teams win it twice. Just Glorious. All of college basketball is about money, so I'm not sure why that is a criticism specific to the BTT.
 
Agreed, but Iowa needed to beat Michigan State in the Quarters in 05 or they weren't getting in as well. Horner and Brunner's jr year. They beat Purdue, which didnt help, but needed the MSU win and got it. This was the year Alando Tucker threw in the bank shot against Iowa in the semis
I was sitting in Frenchys Rockaway Grille on Clearwater beach when that shot went in.
 
Agreed, but Iowa needed to beat Michigan State in the Quarters in 05 or they weren't getting in as well. Horner and Brunner's jr year. They beat Purdue, which didnt help, but needed the MSU win and got it. This was the year Alando Tucker threw in the bank shot against Iowa in the semis

One of Jack Brownlee's finest moments.
 
Today's games is why you play conference tourneys...BB is a great sport for tourneys.
Like Luka said after the game.
.post-season BB is a whole different sport than regular season. Every game is like the 7th game of the NBA Finals in single elimination.play
 
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