After the conference Spring Meetings, a press release announced the following:

Quote:Originally, the Conference USA basketball tournaments were going to have the top 12 of 16 teams in the tournament, but now it looks like all 16 will participate.

1 - Having all 16 teams for men's and women's basketball participate in the C-USA Basketball Championship, making it a five-day format.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/...sprin.html

Today's UAB press release announcing the 2013-14 conference schedule states:

Quote:The upcoming C-USA schedule culminates with the 2014 Conference USA Tournament, which will be played in El Paso, Texas on March 12-15. The top 12 teams in the league will receive a bid to this year's tournament, with the top four earning a first-round bye.

http://www.uabsports.com/sports/m-baskbl...13aaa.html

So, the question is 12 or 16? If 12, why the reversal of the May announcement?

If it's 16, it better be a double-bye format.

It should be 12. If you can't finish in the top 12 of a 16 team conference, it is safe to say you're a really bad team.

i like 12...just because you are in the conference, doesn't mean you get to play in the tourney...you've got to weed out the really bad teams so as to not make it a week long tourney...12 is enough...

Anything official on this from the conference office?

If I had my pick, I'd make it 8 with a double bye format similar to the OVC. The two division winners get a double bye, the next two best teams overall get a bye, and the next four teams make the tournament.

It protects the regular season's best teams and gives all teams something to play for down to the final weekend. I know having half the teams doesn't sell hotel rooms, so it won't happen.

(07-29-2013 02:55 PM)NTTHOR Wrote:  i like 12...just because you are in the conference, doesn't mean you get to play in the tourney...you've got to weed out the really bad teams so as to not make it a week long tourney...12 is enough...

Me too. This also prevents a major problem that doesn't really get brought up. The conference tournaments are the last chance for our best teams to prove themselves to the selection committee. Having our best team play the 16th place team(let's say RPI 250) is an absolute lose-lose for that team and the conference. Narrowing it down to 12, the top 4 get bye, and the 1 seed gets the 8-9 seed, which I would guess will be in the RPI 100-150 range most years. Still not a great game, but not an RPI killer either. Our conference tournament needs to be set up in a way that gets our top teams the most shots possible at each other.

(07-29-2013 02:47 PM)Niner National Wrote:  It should be 12. If you can't finish in the top 12 of a 16 team conference, it is safe to say you're a really bad team.

Not only that but I'm sure the ADs of those bottom schools would rather not have to spend any money on a lost cause. Keep it at twelve.

It should be 12. There needs to be a reward for finishing in the top 4.

(07-29-2013 03:09 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  Me too. This also prevents a major problem that doesn't really get brought up. The conference tournaments are the last chance for our best teams to prove themselves to the selection committee. Having our best team play the 16th place team(let's say RPI 250) is an absolute lose-lose for that team and the conference. Narrowing it down to 12, the top 4 get bye, and the 1 seed gets the 8-9 seed, which I would guess will be in the RPI 100-150 range most years. Still not a great game, but not an RPI killer either. Our conference tournament needs to be set up in a way that gets our top teams the most shots possible at each other.

Very well said.

(07-29-2013 04:50 PM)Fatalisk Wrote:  It should be 12. There needs to be a reward for finishing in the top 4.

but the problem is you reward teams that might not deserve it as bad as these divisions have been since we went to the division format. Teams out west were getting to play 330 ranked Rice twice and multiple 200+ teams while in the east teams got top 30 Memphis and USM twice. Skewed up crap. Nothings ever apples to oranges in these conference anymore and some team that may have been better might have played in the tougher division and not eve make it to the tourny at 12 teams.

(07-29-2013 02:57 PM)49RFootballNow Wrote:  Anything official on this from the conference office?

nothing that I can find

16.

All 16 schools' fan bases deserve the chance to visit and enjoy El Paso.

(07-29-2013 02:33 PM)MTowho Wrote:  If it's 16, it better be a double-bye format.

You would still only get to the semi finals....

(07-29-2013 05:19 PM)mistabinks Wrote:  16.

All 16 schools' fan bases deserve the chance to visit and enjoy El Paso.

Are you in the hotel or restaurant business by chance?

I think that 12 teams is good.

Let's make predictions of the 4 that don't make it. ECU, Marshall, LA Tech, and Rice.

I assume that it would have been 15 instead of 16 since FIU is ineligible due to APR stuff.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketb...tional-apr

I have a problem with that. It seems to punish academic integrity and looks the other way with what are becoming athletic diploma mills. Just pass them all "the Carolina way" and then be holier than thou and self-righteous about your phony graduation rate:

http://deadspin.com/5961550/unc-academic...d-cheating

I'd love for the 16 format just so FAU can make it into a postseason.

You can go ahead and pencil in my Mean Green at number 16.

(07-29-2013 07:33 PM)MemTGRS Wrote:  I assume that it would have been 15 instead of 16 since FIU is ineligible due to APR stuff.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketb...tional-apr

I (don't) have a problem with that. It seems to (push) punish academic integrity and (doesn't) look(s) the other way with what are becoming athletic diploma mills. Just (don't) pass them all "the Carolina way" and then (don't) be holier than thou and self-righteous about your phony graduation rate:

http://deadspin.com/5961550/unc-academic...d-cheating

I really don't think MemTGRS meant to say that f_us are diploma mills!

And I corrected his post for him.

(07-29-2013 08:22 PM)drex Wrote:  You can go ahead and pencil in my Mean Green at number 16.

dude...i'm no benford supporter, but they will be nowhere near the 16 seed...single digit seed dude...