The unofficial online home for fans of the Kent State University Golden Flashes. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Thanks Danny!

Turned out to be a trek out west for the team started in Tennessee, then Texas and now Arizona. That's some quality team bonding right there!

(03-23-2015 10:09 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Turned out to be a trek out west for the team started in Tennessee, then Texas and now Arizona. That's some quality team bonding right there!

What is funny to me is teams like UMASS, Memphis, and several others act like there is no benefit to playing in these tournaments. If you don't think this is valuable for guys like Jimmy Hall, Ortiz, Spicer, Davis, Lawrence (granted the last 4 are minimal contributors this year, but next year, who knows?) I say you are nuts.

(03-23-2015 10:07 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Thanks Danny!

Anytime Jim!

I was hoping for Cleveland State, but they're out

(03-23-2015 10:12 PM)dannyb73 Wrote:  

(03-23-2015 10:09 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Turned out to be a trek out west for the team started in Tennessee, then Texas and now Arizona. That's some quality team bonding right there!

What is funny to me is teams like UMASS, Memphis, and several others act like there is no benefit to playing in these tournaments. If you don't think this is valuable for guys like Jimmy Hall, Ortiz, Spicer, Davis, Lawrence (granted the last 4 are minimal contributors this year, but next year, who knows?) I say you are nuts.

Then I guess I'm nuts. To me it's just like a second non conference season. Fun but not all that important. Coaches love it because it's more practice time though.

(03-23-2015 10:09 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Turned out to be a trek out west for the team started in Tennessee, then Texas and now Arizona. That's some quality team bonding right there!

Maybe teams that don't want to pay for home games are forced to travel farther?

(03-24-2015 06:59 AM)burden Wrote:  

(03-23-2015 10:09 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Turned out to be a trek out west for the team started in Tennessee, then Texas and now Arizona. That's some quality team bonding right there!

Maybe teams that don't want to pay for home games are forced to travel farther?

6 road teams won in the last round which means they either had to convince teams to pay and play home games or give them away. Kent State wasn't paying to host 1st round. 2nd round clashed with MAC gymnastics tourney, and for this round they didn't really want to compete with the NCAA tourney in Cleveland. I don't know of any conflicts should we win Friday night.

It made some sense: they were already in Corpus Christi, it's spring break, and it's an opportunity for the team to see and experience some things they wouldn't otherwise. It's a great time to be in Arizona! Maybe a trip to the Grand Canyon? I would have volunteered for that, too.

(03-24-2015 06:58 AM)burden Wrote:  

(03-23-2015 10:12 PM)dannyb73 Wrote:  

(03-23-2015 10:09 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Turned out to be a trek out west for the team started in Tennessee, then Texas and now Arizona. That's some quality team bonding right there!

What is funny to me is teams like UMASS, Memphis, and several others act like there is no benefit to playing in these tournaments. If you don't think this is valuable for guys like Jimmy Hall, Ortiz, Spicer, Davis, Lawrence (granted the last 4 are minimal contributors this year, but next year, who knows?) I say you are nuts.

Then I guess I'm nuts. To me it's just like a second non conference season. Fun but not all that important. Coaches love it because it's more practice time though.

So this is the basketball equivalent to going to a minorish bowl game. You get extra practice, bonding time, celebrate a season, and see some new places (potentially) for a set of essentially exhibition games.

I don't see this as a bad thing if the team wants to do it and this team seems to like the experience so more power to them!

(03-24-2015 07:21 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 06:58 AM)burden Wrote:  

(03-23-2015 10:12 PM)dannyb73 Wrote:  

(03-23-2015 10:09 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Turned out to be a trek out west for the team started in Tennessee, then Texas and now Arizona. That's some quality team bonding right there!

What is funny to me is teams like UMASS, Memphis, and several others act like there is no benefit to playing in these tournaments. If you don't think this is valuable for guys like Jimmy Hall, Ortiz, Spicer, Davis, Lawrence (granted the last 4 are minimal contributors this year, but next year, who knows?) I say you are nuts.

Then I guess I'm nuts. To me it's just like a second non conference season. Fun but not all that important. Coaches love it because it's more practice time though.

So this is the basketball equivalent to going to a minorish bowl game. You get extra practice, bonding time, celebrate a season, and see some new places (potentially) for a set of essentially exhibition games.

I don't see this as a bad thing if the team wants to do it and this team seems to like the experience so more power to them!

Except for the trophy at the end of the whole thing.

(03-24-2015 08:13 PM)AlphaFlash Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 07:21 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 06:58 AM)burden Wrote:  

(03-23-2015 10:12 PM)dannyb73 Wrote:  

(03-23-2015 10:09 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Turned out to be a trek out west for the team started in Tennessee, then Texas and now Arizona. That's some quality team bonding right there!

What is funny to me is teams like UMASS, Memphis, and several others act like there is no benefit to playing in these tournaments. If you don't think this is valuable for guys like Jimmy Hall, Ortiz, Spicer, Davis, Lawrence (granted the last 4 are minimal contributors this year, but next year, who knows?) I say you are nuts.

Then I guess I'm nuts. To me it's just like a second non conference season. Fun but not all that important. Coaches love it because it's more practice time though.

So this is the basketball equivalent to going to a minorish bowl game. You get extra practice, bonding time, celebrate a season, and see some new places (potentially) for a set of essentially exhibition games.

I don't see this as a bad thing if the team wants to do it and this team seems to like the experience so more power to them!

Except for the trophy at the end of the whole thing.

This is not exhibition basketball. The teams who did not have the heart and/or commitment are long gone. The teams remaining are serious about winning something that is meaningful. Whether it is the NCAA, NIT, or CIT, it is basketball. Belittling the tournament is petty.

(03-24-2015 08:13 PM)AlphaFlash Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 07:21 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 06:58 AM)burden Wrote:  

(03-23-2015 10:12 PM)dannyb73 Wrote:  

(03-23-2015 10:09 PM)thanksjim Wrote:  Turned out to be a trek out west for the team started in Tennessee, then Texas and now Arizona. That's some quality team bonding right there!

What is funny to me is teams like UMASS, Memphis, and several others act like there is no benefit to playing in these tournaments. If you don't think this is valuable for guys like Jimmy Hall, Ortiz, Spicer, Davis, Lawrence (granted the last 4 are minimal contributors this year, but next year, who knows?) I say you are nuts.

Then I guess I'm nuts. To me it's just like a second non conference season. Fun but not all that important. Coaches love it because it's more practice time though.

So this is the basketball equivalent to going to a minorish bowl game. You get extra practice, bonding time, celebrate a season, and see some new places (potentially) for a set of essentially exhibition games.

I don't see this as a bad thing if the team wants to do it and this team seems to like the experience so more power to them!

Except for the trophy at the end of the whole thing.

At least some if not all bowl games have a trophy or something similar for the winner of the game. For instance here is the Go Daddy Bowl trophy

(03-24-2015 08:38 PM)flash77 Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 08:13 PM)AlphaFlash Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 07:21 PM)Sultan of Euphonistan Wrote:  

(03-24-2015 06:58 AM)burden Wrote:  

(03-23-2015 10:12 PM)dannyb73 Wrote:  What is funny to me is teams like UMASS, Memphis, and several others act like there is no benefit to playing in these tournaments. If you don't think this is valuable for guys like Jimmy Hall, Ortiz, Spicer, Davis, Lawrence (granted the last 4 are minimal contributors this year, but next year, who knows?) I say you are nuts.

Then I guess I'm nuts. To me it's just like a second non conference season. Fun but not all that important. Coaches love it because it's more practice time though.

So this is the basketball equivalent to going to a minorish bowl game. You get extra practice, bonding time, celebrate a season, and see some new places (potentially) for a set of essentially exhibition games.

I don't see this as a bad thing if the team wants to do it and this team seems to like the experience so more power to them!

Except for the trophy at the end of the whole thing.

This is not exhibition basketball. The teams who did not have the heart and/or commitment are long gone. The teams remaining are serious about winning something that is meaningful. Whether it is the NCAA, NIT, or CIT, it is basketball. Belittling the tournament is petty.

I actually was not trying to belittle the tournament. I like that we are playing it and that we are winning. I am just saying this tournament is similar to a bowl game. We are playing a set of games (in football it is just one but you play less football games than basketball games so it fits) to win for our pride and other benefits, however just like most bowl games this tournament has little effect on your national rankings and will not lead to a national championship no matter how well you do.

Just like a bowl game I think these are potentially fun and worthwhile for a basketball team and their fans.

You said it a heck of a lot better than I. A nice reward for the players if they want to play, a reward for some fans but not a path to next years championship. That stuff is promoted by ESPN trying to get you to watch the NIT.