• Welcome to BradleyFans.com! Visitors are welcome, but we encourage you to sign up and register as a member. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Just click on the link to Register at the top right of the page, and follow instructions. If you have any problems or questions, click on the link at the bottom right of the page to Contact Us.

NCAA or NIT

Squirel, you would want Bradley to go to the College Basketball Invitational Tournament before the National Invitational Tournament?

Is it cause we got slighted in seeding last year that you want to stay away from NIT, or has NIT slipped so much in prestige that this new CBI tournament looks better.

Does anyone know anything about this CBI Tournament?

I stand corrected on the seeding. But my point still stands.

Mostly the seeding last year irked me. . .the new committee the NIT uses really slighted us IMO, and in the process disrespected probably its most prolific and more important, loyal participants.

I in no way want to jeopardize our relationship with the NIT, however, I think they sent a message to us last year that in spite of our tradition with them, they will favor BCS schools to an extent. We should have been a 1 or 2 last year. Instead we go on the road in the 2nd round, while DePaul (a team we were far superior to) gets a better seed and almost cruises all the way to Madison Square Garden.

If we get an unfavorable seed that puts us on the road in either the first or second round of the NIT, versus home court all the way to the finals in the CBI, in my mind its a no-brainer to take the latter. It would also be a wonderful way for local products Ruffin and Crouch to end their careers in front of their hometown fans.

As for no TV for the CBI, that's merely a luxury. While it was nice to have the 2nd round on ESPN last year, we made serious compromises and likely put ourselves at a disadavantage to get their early for the sake of TV. Also for the CBI, we can make our own TV arrangements versus likely not getting any TV at all.

I'm keeping an open mind about it.
 
The NIT committee is all sorts of crazy but they can't deny us if we post 11-7 in the MVC on the board.

Forget the NCAAs. We can do just enough to have our bubble burst, nothing more.

Don't count 'em out yet. I mean, an at-large is most likely out of the question, but you've gotta love our chances in St. Louis, considering we just knocked off the top team in the Valley and the 16 best team in the country, as well as absolutely slaughtering Creighton.
 
Can someone post a link or just more information about the CBI tournament? My dad follows college basketball almost as heavily as I do and he hadn't even heard of it until I told him yesterday there was a "new" tournament. I'd venture to say that the vast majority of college basketball fans across the country don't know what this tournament is all about ...
 
Don't count 'em out yet. I mean, an at-large is most likely out of the question, but you've gotta love our chances in St. Louis, considering we just knocked off the top team in the Valley and the 16 best team in the country, as well as absolutely slaughtering Creighton.

Drake isn't the 16th best team in the country. People need to stop thinking that the polls equal how good teams really are. Do you really think Louisville is two spots "worse" than Drake?
 
Drake isn't the 16th best team in the country. People need to stop thinking that the polls equal how good teams really are. Do you really think Louisville is two spots "worse" than Drake?

Maybe. Louisville has padded their record against teams like Hartford, Jackson St, Marshall, New Mexico St, Morehead St, Iona, and Rutgers (twice). They also lost at home to a terrible Cincinnati team. It's a slippery slope you're talking about 2006. If we start saying that the numbers don't matter, we're going down the Jay Bilas 'eye test' theory, and we all know how that goes. I think the rankings are somewhat biased, but I think over the course of 30 games or so they do mean a little bit.
 
Drake isn't the 16th best team in the country. People need to stop thinking that the polls equal how good teams really are. Do you really think Louisville is two spots "worse" than Drake?

I was very impressed with Drake last night. Their ranking is legit.

In the most simpleman's sense, This year's Drake = Last year's VCU. It is just VCU did not get major props unitl they proved it in the NCAA's.

Like VCU, Drake will do very well vs. any team that either relies on athleticism instead of solid skill, or any team that is somewhat weak taking care of the ball.
 
The thing that bothers me the most is we would not be having this conversation if Ruffin had played at home against N.Iowa,Wichita St. and Drake as I believe we would have won those games which in turn would put us at 19-9.
 
Drake isn't the 16th best team in the country. People need to stop thinking that the polls equal how good teams really are. Do you really think Louisville is two spots "worse" than Drake?

Well obviously not, I am a big fan of the Cards, and I think they are way underrated. But Drake is still a top 25 team. Let's say that Drake didn't lose to SIU, then you'd probably see them as the 16th best team. But they did. I still think Drake is among the best teams in the country. Top 25 at least. Plus, they have a very high RPI, can't argue there.
 
I'm not going to worry about which other Tourney we go to until after St. Louis. We have as good as a chance as anyone else to win it and head to the Big Dance. With the CBI we'll have a post season regardless and this will be valuable time for JL and coaches to evaluate and teach next year players.
 
Maybe. Louisville has padded their record against teams like Hartford, Jackson St, Marshall, New Mexico St, Morehead St, Iona, and Rutgers (twice). They also lost at home to a terrible Cincinnati team. It's a slippery slope you're talking about 2006. If we start saying that the numbers don't matter, we're going down the Jay Bilas 'eye test' theory, and we all know how that goes. I think the rankings are somewhat biased, but I think over the course of 30 games or so they do mean a little bit.

Well you also have to take into consideration what a huge blow to the team it was to have David Padgett sitting on the bench, not to mention the suspension of Derrick Caracter that didn't help things much either. The Cards will make a run in the tourney, you watch. Plus, I don't think Cincy is that bad, ever since they lost to ISU they've started to look better and better.
 
Well obviously not, I am a big fan of the Cards, and I think they are way underrated. But Drake is still a top 25 team. Let's say that Drake didn't lose to SIU, then you'd probably see them as the 16th best team. But they did. I still think Drake is among the best teams in the country. Top 25 at least. Plus, they have a very high RPI, can't argue there.

Is there anyone you aren't a big fan of? Illinois, Bradley, Louisville...
 
Well obviously not, I am a big fan of the Cards, and I think they are way underrated. But Drake is still a top 25 team. Let's say that Drake didn't lose to SIU, then you'd probably see them as the 16th best team. But they did. I still think Drake is among the best teams in the country. Top 25 at least. Plus, they have a very high RPI, can't argue there.

Is there anyone you aren't a big fan of? Illinois, Bradley, Louisville...

LOL!

laugh.gif
 
Is there anyone you aren't a big fan of? Illinois, Bradley, Louisville...

Alright, let me rephrase, I LIKE Louisville, I'm not a die hard like I am with Illinois and Bradley. I'm sure you all have teams that you like to see win, not necessarily favorite teams, but teams you like to see win. As I remember, MM LIKES Xavier.
 
Alright, let me rephrase, I LIKE Louisville, I'm not a die hard like I am with Illinois and Bradley. I'm sure you all have teams that you like to see win, not necessarily favorite teams, but teams you like to see win. As I remember, MM LIKES Xavier.

Eh, I guess. There are certain teams that I enjoy watching from time to time, and maybe pull for in the tournament if my team is out. But there aren't any other teams outside of BU (undisputed champion) and the Illini (only if BU isn't playing) that I would consider myself a fan of or buy merchandise of. I think you have one team and stick to 'em!
 
Hello all,

The NCAA is out of the question, barring a run to the MVC title in St. Louis. The NIT and all road games was looking like the option before the win over Drake and our end of season surge (8-2 over our last ten games). Now we might be able to work into one home game.

With a deep run in the MVC tournament and some upsets in the NIT, we could work into two home games in my opinion.

This "third" tournament is beginning to sound like the college football bowl system to me. There's no reason for more than a third of the teams in D-1 basketball to be playing in a post-season tournament (the 65 for the NCAA, the 32 (I think) for the NIT and another 32 (again, not positive) for the "CBI"), such as the bowl system does (over half of the 113 teams get to go to bowl game, which is ridiculous).

And what teams are going to make up this third tournament? Those that eked out a 15-14 record (or worse) and were at or below .500 in their respective conferences? Come on, no one wants to see that!
 
Every team has a 1 in 10 chance of winning the tournament. ;)

I disagree, those that play on Thursday do not! When you have to play more games your chance of making the final and winning dramatically changes. Statistically speaking what is the odd of a play in team to win the Valley Tourney? I can say a lot less chance than the rest.
 
CBI official site:

http://www.gazellegroup.com/cbi/index_splash.htm

They also include a mock bracket for last year.

Uhhh, I hate to burst your bubble regarding your theory of postseason home games squirrel, but if you look at this mock bracket you will see that every, and I do mean EVERY mid-major team got stuck with a road game in the first round.

Not saying that would necessarily happen this year, but if the CBI holds mid-majors in this "esteemed" regard, then I want no part of this tourney!
 
Back
Top