I wish ESPN would put up money for an event somewhat like the old Bracketbusters, but instead of two mid-majors, they would have name schools go to mid-majors for a weekend.

Like GoldenBears said, for a lot of those places, games like Kentucky @ Middle Tennessee or Michigan St @ South Dakota or Villanova @ Vermont or Duke @ Belmont would be the event of the month and be a hell of an atmosphere.

It's the worst thing about college bball in nov/dec. College bball needs some bigtime home and homes. Calipari ending the IU/UK series because he wouldn't go back to Assembly Hall. IU has the Gavitt Games and the ACC/BIG Challenge so they get good games year luckily. They have a home/home/neutral with Louisville currently and a home/home/neutral with Arizona coming up. Archie is supposed to be beefing up the schedule, he loses bonus money if any teams they play in gtd home games end up sub 250 RPI I think.

Also agree with those that say there are way too many teams. If there were half as many teams, the Syracuses of the world would have to schedule harder by default. The number needs to be closer to 200 and honestly some of the lowest tier conferences like the MEAC or whatever could probably be completely culled.

I don't agree there are too many teams at all. The lower conferences couldn't exist without a similar amount of teams as we have now and without those conferences we lose the auto-bids and the drama of Cinderella stories in the tournament.

Think you need to check the numbers and use a different team as your example.

Syracuse has had several years where they don't leave the state of NY until conference play. So I doubt I need to pick another example even without looking. They are pretty close to the poster boy of play a garbage NC go 11-1 and then make the tourney by being sub .500 in conference resume team over the last decade.

ETA-
For fun I went back and looked through their OOC schedule
2017-2018 they played 1 road game @ Georgetown
2016-2017 they played 1 road game @ Wisky (forced into it by B10/ACC challenge)
2015-2016 they played 2 road games @ Georgetown, @ St. Johns
2014-2015 they played 2 road games @ Michigan (forced into it by B10/ACC challenge), @ Nova
2013-2014 they played 1 road game @ St. Johns
2012-2013 they played 1 road game @ Arkansas
2011-2012 they played 1 road game @ Nc State
2010-2011 they played ZERO road games
2009-2010 they played 1 road game @ UNC
2008-2009 they played 1 road game @Memphis
2007-2008 they played 1 road game @Virginia


For those scoring at home that is 12 total road games in the last 11 years. Only 10 of which they actually elected to play. So ya Syracuse is basically exactly what I am talking about. They don't play road games, they schedule mostly cupcakes in the non-con and then benefit from playing in the ACC where 8-10 will get them in with the 10+ wins they get with their cupcake non-con.

we get porter tomorrow, adds a bit of interest.

What's w/ these awful camera angles in the ACCT? When they go to a normal angle the camera is like another 15 meters further back than normal. Almost unwatchable at times.

NCSU trying to play themselves into a First Four game I see.

I think that Arizona/Zags home and home was played in Seattle.

anyone have a list of bubble teams?

i assume ncst is in regardless and bc isnt close

inb4 DGBG bitches at that blocking call.

Game is lit

They did a home/home /neutral

14/15 - Tuscon
15/16 - Spokane
16/17 - LA

Arizona won the first two, Gonzaga took the 3rd.

lol... wolfies pull a Chris Webber.

never change Pack. never change.

would be a hoot if NCSU isn't even announced on Selection Sunday.

Keatts was wrong that NC State **** still exists

I'll bet up to 1k of my money your pipedream won't come true, what odds you giving me?

Speaking of teams that wont be announced on selection sunday

Lolarizona state

Life comes at you fast

too bad crean had so many bums on the roster this year Archie couldn't bring a Dayton commit along with him. He ended up at Colorado. Frosh PG McKinley Wright has 20 pts, 10 ass, 8 rebs, and only 2 turns. 8-14(2-3). PG play a big zero at IU this year

arizona st not making the tournament after beating xavier on a neutral court and at kansas by double digits is going to be a sight to behold

Wow it's like you're conveniently leaving out all the neutral site games they played. And ignoring the fact the play in one of if not the best conferences in the country and get plenty of quality road games there.

NC State / BC ending was hilarious and entertaining

Yeah this would be rowdy as ****, I would watch it for sure

CBB struggles with mid-season viewing, I think this would be a smash hit

In CFB, I get why people play so many cupcakes, but it just doesn't seem necessary in CBB. People can look past the raw record and actually look at metrics. I get that teams turn over a lot year to year, and you want to give your team a few games against cupcakes to gel, and you want some games where you can clear the bench and give dudes PT.

But, would really increase early season viewing

Saint Johns: hold my beer

He's not ignoring it. He's saying that teams like Cuse think that because they play a tough tourney in the early season and a tough ACC slate, they can play utter air in their noncon.

The general gist of this line of discussion, is that it'd be cooler if teams played tougher noncons, and what can we do to incentivize that / what is preventing that

OK well I disagree with the utter air comment.

Guess I'm in the minority but I feel like we get plenty of good match ups in the non conference. There's so many tournaments to open the year now it's hard to keep track.

I do wish we could get some late year non conference match ups. But with conferences playing so many games now it seems impossible.