(03-03-2016 09:48 AM)shabamon Wrote:  What about this:

Top two seeds get byes to the semifinals on Friday
Seeds 3 and 4 get byes to the quarters on Thursday
Seeds 5, 6, 7, 8 play first round games at campus sites on Monday
Bottom four finishers do not qualify for the conference tournament

For the women, the exact same thing except they play their first round on Tuesday. No games played on Wednesday for men or women.

This still heavily rewards the top four teams and but also better incentivizes not finishing in the bottom four (no postseason for you!). My biggest complaint with the previous system was the safety risk of playing four games in as many days. Injuries are no good and I'm sure the basketball product suffers when a fatigued team has to play a better, fresh team.

I knew a fmr. MAC coach who did NOT like this (Believe it was tried in the 90s). Too hard to motivate players on losing teams when there are no tourney possibilities.

I don't think either the current setup or the previous worked properly. I've been on the fence on what the tourney brackets should be. I certainly advocated for increased protection for the top of the conference, but the last format drained the life out of the tourney experience for too many.

What I don't like about the current setup is that it treats 4th place the same as first place and I don't think 4th place earns that kind of reward, or perhaps that the reward is not enough for finishing first. Also, it treats 5th place and 12th place the same. Ugh.

One of the issues is that the league insists on including all twelve teams. I wouldn't. But assuming they have to be included, here's what I would do:

•Double bye for #1 seed to the semi's.
•Single bye for #2-#4 seeds.

Monday: #12 @ #9 and #11 @ #10 campus sites.
Wed. at the Q--Triple header: 9/12 vs. 5, 8 vs. 7, 10/11 vs. 6.
Thurs.--Triple header: 5/9/12 winner vs. 4, 8/7 vs. 2, 6/10/11 vs. 3
Fri.--Semis (usual seedings continue, with no upsets it would 4 v 1 and 2 v 3.)
Sat. FINALS.

If it were up to me, I'd get rid of 11 and 12 and skip the Monday campus games and just start with 5-10 on Wed. It would eliminate anyone having to play 5 games, first off, and it would eliminate campus games among 9-12 that I can't imagine the 9 and 10 fans would be very interested in. But as ling as the league insists upon 12, I included them.

I love the Wed.-Thursday triple headers. and I think it brings back more interest than the previous format which held the best teams out until the end of the week. Of course, there is no perfect solution that satisfies everyone's niche biases. These are just mine: more reward for #1 and for conference season performance. I don't like the current format that says 1=4, and 5=12. There is a very big difference between finishing 5th and finishing last, and even between 1st and 4th, no matter how narrow some may perceive the margin to be. There are things a team can do to move up and have no complaints about any odd vagaries in the schedule.

(03-03-2016 06:35 PM)Rocket A Wrote:  The prior format was a sham, glad it has returned to the proper format, which also provides the best tournament environment.

i agree 100%!

(03-03-2016 11:09 AM)UofToledoFans Wrote:  

(03-03-2016 09:30 AM)NIU007 Wrote:  I think having more byes for the top teams is appropriate. If you want a higher seed there are plenty of chances to win games during the regular season, and there are enough games in basketball to get a good idea of who the best teams are.

So you think this log jam at 2nd place tie should be fixed by breaking a tie and giving the 2 seed an extra buy than the 3 and 4 seeds, and 2 more buys than the 5 seed who could also be tied with the 2 seeds record? I like the format as is in 2016.

I don't know. One of these days I just hope it makes a difference for NIU. I can see the argument about fewer byes, certainly. I'm just of the opinion that 18 games is a better determinant of who is the best vs. one or two games in March so I'm conflicted.

(03-04-2016 09:01 AM)axeme Wrote:  I don't think either the current setup or the previous worked properly. I've been on the fence on what the tourney brackets should be. I certainly advocated for increased protection for the top of the conference, but the last format drained the life out of the tourney experience for too many.

What I don't like about the current setup is that it treats 4th place the same as first place and I don't think 4th place earns that kind of reward, or perhaps that the reward is not enough for finishing first. Also, it treats 5th place and 12th place the same. Ugh.

One of the issues is that the league insists on including all twelve teams. I wouldn't. But assuming they have to be included, here's what I would do:

•Double bye for #1 seed to the semi's.
•Single bye for #2-#4 seeds.

Monday: #12 @ #9 and #11 @ #10 campus sites.
Wed. at the Q--Triple header: 9/12 vs. 5, 8 vs. 7, 10/11 vs. 6.
Thurs.--Triple header: 5/9/12 winner vs. 4, 8/7 vs. 2, 6/10/11 vs. 3
Fri.--Semis (usual seedings continue, with no upsets it would 4 v 1 and 2 v 3.)
Sat. FINALS.

If it were up to me, I'd get rid of 11 and 12 and skip the Monday campus games and just start with 5-10 on Wed. It would eliminate anyone having to play 5 games, first off, and it would eliminate campus games among 9-12 that I can't imagine the 9 and 10 fans would be very interested in. But as ling as the league insists upon 12, I included them.

I love the Wed.-Thursday triple headers. and I think it brings back more interest than the previous format which held the best teams out until the end of the week. Of course, there is no perfect solution that satisfies everyone's niche biases. These are just mine: more reward for #1 and for conference season performance. I don't like the current format that says 1=4, and 5=12. There is a very big difference between finishing 5th and finishing last, and even between 1st and 4th, no matter how narrow some may perceive the margin to be. There are things a team can do to move up and have no complaints about any odd vagaries in the schedule.

Nice format ... problem is the women have to be fit in there ... That has always been the biggest snafu. The woman say they want equal playing field ... but refuse to take their tournament to another site to sand on its own. Can't expect The Q to give up the whole week for the MAC.

We can and have expected that and they can and have done so.

WHEW!!!!!!!!!! that was close!!!!!!!

Bulls lose 5 of the last 8 but secure a bye tonight. They had a lot of help from a lot of teams getting here. I still think they can be dangerous, but there isn't a single team that isn't a threat to beat them. Still, great coaching job by Oats this year.

And here's your final seeding-

13-5 Akron

11-7 Ohio

10-8 Buffalo (4-0)
10-8 CMU (2-2)
10-8 Kent St (1-3, 1-0 v BSU)
10-8 Ball St (1-3, 0-1 v KSU)

9-9 NIU (1-1 h2h, 6-4 Div, ?*)
9-9 EMU (1-1 h2h, 6-4 Div, ?*)
*what is 3rd level tie breaker?

8-10 Toledo

7-11 WMU

6-12 Miami

5-13 BGSU

Third tiebreak is record against the top teams in the conference, from 1 on down until the tie is broken. NIU owns a win over Akron, so they get it.

(03-04-2016 09:38 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  And here's your final seeding-

13-5 Akron

11-7 Ohio

10-8 Buffalo (4-0)
10-8 CMU (2-2)
10-8 Kent St (1-3, 1-0 v BSU)
10-8 Ball St (1-3, 0-1 v KSU)

9-9 NIU (1-1 h2h, 6-4 Div, ?*)
9-9 EMU (1-1 h2h, 6-4 Div, ?*)
*what is 3rd level tie breaker?

8-10 Toledo

7-11 WMU

6-12 Miami

5-13 BGSU

Record vs best common opponent. NIU beat Akron and we didn't.

(03-04-2016 09:38 PM)perimeterpost Wrote:  And here's your final seeding-

13-5 Akron

11-7 Ohio

10-8 Buffalo (4-0)
10-8 CMU (2-2)
10-8 Kent St (1-3, 1-0 v BSU)
10-8 Ball St (1-3, 0-1 v KSU)

9-9 NIU (1-1 h2h, 6-4 Div, ?*)
9-9 EMU (1-1 h2h, 6-4 Div, ?*)
*what is 3rd level tie breaker?

8-10 Toledo

7-11 WMU

6-12 Miami

5-13 BGSU

it's my understanding that the division tie break is only used to determine a division champion. otherwise, in a case like this, Northern beat Akron and Eastern didn't so Northern gets the higher seed over EMU.

Not a stellar season for the Broncos, but sweeping the Chips takes some of the sting away.

interesting. thanks.

(03-04-2016 09:44 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  Not a stellar season for the Broncos, but sweeping the Chips takes some of the sting away.

CONGRATS!!!! AWESOME WIN, WESTERN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Broncos! If you would have told me before the season that Ohio would finish 11-7 and be the 2nd seed in the MAC tournament I would have laughed at you. Hope the Bobcats make a nice run in the tournament but no matter what Saul has done a nice job rebuilding quickly and Ohio should challenge next season!!!! Screw next season. Let's make a run this season!

Hopefully Ohio takes care of business on Thursday so I can make the trip north on Friday! OU-Oh Yeah!!

(03-04-2016 09:57 PM)GalliaCat Wrote:  Thank you Broncos! If you would have told me before the season that Ohio would finish 11-7 and be the 2nd seed in the MAC tournament I would have laughed at you. Hope the Bobcats make a nice run in the tournament but no matter what Saul has done a nice job rebuilding quickly and Ohio should challenge next season!!!! Screw next season. Let's make a run this season!

Hopefully Ohio takes care of business on Thursday so I can make the trip north on Friday! OU-Oh Yeah!!

YES! LOVE IT!! I am going up Thursday so hopefully you will be able to come up Friday and watch OUr Cats play!

Ohio 8-1 against its side of the bracket, 3-6 vs other side.

(03-04-2016 09:05 AM)bobcat_backer Wrote:  

(03-03-2016 06:35 PM)Rocket A Wrote:  The prior format was a sham, glad it has returned to the proper format, which also provides the best tournament environment.

i agree 100%!

Unfortunately, don't like Toledo's chances of even making it to Cleveland now.

Congrats to EMU on the win. With regards to the JT IV conversation of the last couple of weeks, the kid needs to grow up. He has had a real nice season, likely Freshman of the Year, and in the running for POTY. However, I am not a fan of his antics. A run in with Jon Jon Williams after the whistle. Knocking the ball out of play after a whistle. Slapping the floor. Making gestures toward the Toledo bench after he fouled out of the game. I just hope for his sake that he matures before next season, otherwise it takes a way from his overall game.

So it appears the MAC refs actually managed to shaft EMU out of a first round bye by handing a game to BSU. Glad that BSU did not get the bye that they did not earn.

Weird that CMU did get that spot though.