Sunbelt Conference Tournament bracket
- Thread starter bthaunert
- Start date
For low/mid major conferences I actually like it. The regular season should be heavily weighed over the 4-5 day tournament. This gives the conference's best team 1 game to refresh, shake the rust of the break off, and then win just 2 games to make the NCAAT they worked really hard to make. One weekend tournament shouldn't undo 2-2.5 months of conference play.
Will one of those 2 best teams always make good on this advantage? No, but they earned that advantage.
Will one of those 2 best teams always make good on this advantage? No, but they earned that advantage.
Was a 4 way tie for first place the difference for the 3rd/4th place tiebreaker teams got them an extra game.
That is what it sucks.
Arkansas State is probably the best team (they won at Memphis) and the tie breaker got them the 4th seed and the extra game and a semi-finals vs what is likely the 2nd best team #1 seed South Alabama who they lost to twice which is why they got the 4th seed.
That is what it sucks.
Arkansas State is probably the best team (they won at Memphis) and the tie breaker got them the 4th seed and the extra game and a semi-finals vs what is likely the 2nd best team #1 seed South Alabama who they lost to twice which is why they got the 4th seed.
Imagine having to win 7 games in 7 days to make the big dance.
Sucks, but a the same time.....don't want to have to do that? Win your regular season games.
Now, this bracket is overkill however. Dear Sunbelt.....do better.
So what arena wants to host this for a week? Lol seems like that's more trouble than it's worth.
For lower conferences I like it from the standpoint of getting the best team in.
For lower conferences I like it from the standpoint of getting the best team in.
Great for small conferences who want the best school to go. Terrible idea for bigger conferences that want to replicate the NCAA tourney or make money.
I don't mind 1 and 2 getting a head start. Especially conference of that level. But no reason that 5 and 6 get a triple bye. They should've flattened out some of that. My guess motivation is more to provide ESPN with more night games than "fairness".
SEC is doing it right for P5.
SEC is doing it right for P5.
I've always felt small conferences should just send their regular season champ but I guess they make too much $ from a tournament. I have no problems with the Sun Belt going with this format. If you are a low ranked team you basically have to do Mortal Kombat to win.
There's not a chance in hell those teams without a bunch of byes is making it through this thing.
They could have just limited the number of teams in the conference tournament to the top four or so if they wanted to go this route lol.
They could have just limited the number of teams in the conference tournament to the top four or so if they wanted to go this route lol.
I wonder about that because I always watch the championship games of these things and for the most part, very little people in attendance
Honestly, the autobid team SHOULD be the winner of the regular season championship.
That's a truer reflection on who the best team is in conference instead of some one and done tournament.
That being said, I understand why we have conference tournaments.
That's a truer reflection on who the best team is in conference instead of some one and done tournament.
That being said, I understand why we have conference tournaments.
Especially if the top team has aa player miss the tournament or 2/3 days of it. I think regular season should factor wayyyy more than tournament results. If a team goes like 15-1 or something like that during the regular season (in a one bid conference) and have bad luck of their top player getting injured and being out a few games (not the year just the tournament), that would suck. They proved they are the best team in the conference all year, not for 1 game.
I do not want to see the 12-18 record, 10th seed in the tournament steal a bid from the #1 team in the conference because their best player was injured. Not to mention the NCAA tournament hurts because of it as there is a LOT less chance the 12-18 team from a one bid conference could upset a team in the big dance.
I will use the MVC for example. Drake is 17-3 in conference and 27-3 overall and has a NET ranking of 60. Say a team like Evansville who is 8-12 and 11-20 overall upsets them. Drake more than likely wouldn't get a at large because of the power conference bubble teams have higher Net ranking and quality wins. Instead you have Evansville who is 11-20 overall and a NET ranking of 243 in the tournament and no chance of competing in the tournament.
Drake beat Kansas State and Vandy, but also lost to (15-16) Murray State and (17-13) Illinois-Chicago so a at large is not happening.
JMO.
Kind of embarrassing to look at that bracket. We have 16 teams in the SEC. No one should get a bye. Everyone should get a you play the same amount of games and once you lose you get to say bye
May the teams with the best NIL be given even more of an advantage. 7 games in seven days is nuts. Nobody is going to watch the first five days and fans that might have traveled to a three or four days event aren't coming at all. They should just cancel the tournament and go with the regular season champ. I would hope they are at least having all those first five days play at the higher speeds gym.
I like it for mid majors. Benefits the teams who had the best seasons in a one-bid league.
Don't like it for P5 teams because if, say Auburn, gets knocked out in the SEC quarterfinals, the loss means nothing and they'll still be a 1 seed, but if 26-4 UC San Diego is upset in the Big West conference quarters, they're screwed.
Don't like it for P5 teams because if, say Auburn, gets knocked out in the SEC quarterfinals, the loss means nothing and they'll still be a 1 seed, but if 26-4 UC San Diego is upset in the Big West conference quarters, they're screwed.