A few posters on the OU board are noting that the MAC Tourney has never been this up for grabs. I surely can't think of one in the last 10-12 years. Kent's recent collapse, along with Miami's quiet, solid season probably makes the Redhawks the favorites -- especially considering Charlie's MAC Tourney success.
However, I wouldn't be surprised to see any of about 8 or 9 teams cutting down the nets in the Gund. NIU, CMU, Kent, Miami, WMU, BSU, Marshall, even OU all could make a run. It'll surely be a fascinating 3 days in Cleveland.
BTW...huge OOC game in Athens tonight. UVa @ OU. 'Cats are early 5 pt underdogs, but look for the Bobcats to put together their best performance of the season and beat the struggling Cavs.
<!--EDIT|BobcatFan|Feb 26 2003, 12:16 PM-->
Huge OOC game?
How about almost completely meaningless OOC game, except for diehard OU and UVA fans? Not that there's anything wrong with that....
Really, the game means next to nothing to almost anyone else in the country except fans, like me, who will watch anything. This is not to my credit.
I do hope that you represent a bit tonight, though I'd
bet the Bob fans will get an early jump on downtown about halfway through the second half.
If you twisted my arm, I'd have to lay the 5.
Good luck! Chance for Hunter to improve his national profile!
I know they took the game off ESPN, do you know if they moved it to Full Court?
axeme Wrote:Huge OOC game?
How about almost completely meaningless OOC game, except for diehard OU and UVA fans? Not that there's anything wrong with that....
I know, it doesn't match the frenzied excitement induced by a Hawaii vs. Kent game, but this is still pretty big. When does an ACC team ever travel to a MAC school, much less in mid-February? The MAC gets very few chances to take on a quality major conference squad on its home court. Anytime it happens, its a huge game.
Further, UVa, while struggling of late, is still #58 in the RPI, and firmly on the bubble with their wins over UK, Wake, and @Maryland.
Just because your Golden Flashes have folded, returning Kent to its rightful place as the MAC's biggest overall $#!thole of a university, doesn't mean you have to get snippy here.
This is a big game for the MAC.
The game is on Fox Sports Ohio...I don't know about FullCourt.
<!--EDIT|BobcatFan|Feb 26 2003, 12:59 PM-->
Seriously, Bobcat Fan, in whose eyes will an OU win tonight matter, except to OU fans and some MAC hoops fans like myself? In what tangible or other way will the MAC benefit? No more than our conferences other wins against the big 6 conferences this season which have long since been offset by our losses OOC.
I didn't intend to be insulting, though I see how you could mistake my tone--just teasing a bit.
But a game between a 6-9 MAC team and a 5-8 ACC UVA team is not a marquee matchup except in some very small circles. There is no one calling UVA a bubble team anywhere that I can see, except, as I said before, diehard Cav fans.
And you can downgrade KSU all you want--our record speaks for itself and we are a whole half game out of first place in the conference. But when you do it, it further highlights the mediocrity of OU athletics over the last few years. Though I wasn't going to bring that up.
Yes, Big game.
Most people know that the top MAC teams can play anywhere. I think it's even more important to show that even a struggling MAC team can play with an ACC squad.
The Hoos have struggled, but have won AT Maryland and AT Kentucky this season. Not many teams can say that over a lifetime.
axeme Wrote:Seriously, Bobcat Fan, in whose eyes will an OU win tonight matter, except to OU fans and some MAC hoops fans like myself? In what tangible or other way will the MAC benefit? No more than our conferences other wins against the big 6 conferences this season which have long since been offset by our losses OOC.
After the MAC's complete embarassment in the Bracket Buster, we need all the positive OOC wins we can muster. As Roberto Gato noted, a victory by one of the MAC's basement dwellers over a mid-level ACC team will show that the MAC is a strong conference...that it's not just our top 2-3 teams that can compete on a national level.
I maintain that these type of home games are rare enough for the MAC that they are ALWAYS a big deal. It would be a huge win for our program. I still hear mention every once in a while of OU's win last year versus UNC during a non-MAC telecast. Granted UNC sucked, but for most of the national press the MAC beating the ACC is a big deal.
Sure this might not have a huge, tangible, national impact. But outside of an NCAA run, when does an OOC victory ever have a "tangible benefit" for the MAC? I'm not even sure what that means.
<!--EDIT|BobcatFan|Feb 26 2003, 01:55 PM-->
"tangible"=increasing MAC teams' chances of post season play this or any year.
"or other"= any other benefit.
Enjoy the game guys! I'm sure it's a big deal in Athens tonight. Ain't that enough?
And it will be very nice if you win. Big kudos all around if that happens.
It was less than a week ago, I was looking for the UVA at Ohio game to possibly solidify the MAC's chances for an at-large bid. Then the #(!# hit the fan, i.e.,
Bowling Green lost to UIC
Ball State lost to WKU
Kent lost to Hawaii
Marshall lost to Illinois St
Kent lost to Marshall
Western Michigan lost to Toledo
Northern Illinois lost to Central Michigan
Central Michigan lost to Akron
Northern Illinois lost to Miami
Talk about your Domino Effect!!!
Now the UVA at Ohio game comes down to...
1) restoring at least a little bit of pride in the MAC; and
2) having the satisfaction of screwing up an ACC team's chances of an at-large.
Meanwhile, back at the Gund....
I hope ALL OF TEAM'S fans get fired up. I see ANY of the eight teams having a chance of winning the MACC, thus being our only entry into the Big Dance.
It was less than a week ago, I was looking for the UVA at Ohio game to possibly solidify the MAC's chances for an at-large bid. Then the #(!# hit the fan, i.e.,
Bowling Green lost to UIC
Ball State lost to WKU
Kent lost to Hawaii
Marshall lost to Illinois St
Kent lost to Marshall
Western Michigan lost to Toledo
Northern Illinois lost to Central Michigan
Central Michigan lost to Akron
Northern Illinois lost to Miami
Talk about your Domino Effect!!!
Now the UVA at Ohio game comes down to...
1) restoring at least a little bit of pride in the MAC; and
2) having the satisfaction of screwing up an ACC team's chances of an at-large.
Meanwhile, back at the Gund....
I hope ALL OF TEAM'S fans get fired up. I see ANY of the eight squads having a chance of winning the MACC, thus being our only entry into the Big Dance.
"I know, it doesn't match the frenzied excitement induced by a Hawaii vs. Kent game, but this is still pretty big. When does an ACC team ever travel to a MAC school, much less in mid-February? The MAC gets very few chances to take on a quality major conference squad on its home court. Anytime it happens, its a huge game."
For some reason UVA must play a lot of away games against weaker conferences. I remember them playing in Huntington in the early 90's and MU was in the Southern Conference back then.
<!--EDIT|HerdKixButt|Feb 26 2003, 10:09 PM-->
BobcatFan Wrote:However, I wouldn't be surprised to see any of about 8 or 9 teams cutting down the nets in the Gund. NIU, CMU, Kent, Miami, WMU, BSU, Marshall, even OU all could make a run. It'll surely be a fascinating 3 days in Cleveland.
Nah. Don't let our fluke November wins fool you. We're dismal. The Broncos won't even make it out of the campus-site first round, let alone cut nets down in Cleveland. Thankfully, the season will be mercifully ending soon.
Nice quality win by the Bobcats tonight!!
Good win last night, Bobcats! Don't listen to Kent State fan - he's just bitter because he knows the only chance the Flashes have to make the Dance is to win the MAC Tourney, which is a long shot the way they've been playing of late. The ACC is a tough bball conference, and that was a solid win for Ohio and the MAC.
Does it benefit the conference? No. Kent had a chance to do that last weekend when they laid an egg on national TV by losing to powerhouse Hawaii AT HOME. After the pathetic display by Kent and the MAC in the Bracket Busters, no OOC wins are going to improve the stature of the conference at this point in the season. But it's still a quality win that should be recognized in what has been a pretty down year in MAC basketball.
axeme Wrote:Enjoy the game guys! I'm sure it's a big deal in Athens tonight. Ain't that enough?
And it will be very nice if you win. Big kudos all around if that happens.
What I said.
:withstupid:
I thought you guys played possibly the best game you have played all season , though I obviously haven't seen all your games. You looked like a quality team. Can I get some of the drug Esterkamp was on? :D Where has he been? Looked like a team in sync for a change. I don't think you played anywhere near that well when you beat us. But a team doesn't have to play that well to beat us lately.
I enjoyed the game. Nice win. Go MAC.
(Not to drag up yesterday's quibbling about the relative importance of the game, though I am, but your game with UNC last year was on the road, and was on ESPN so was featured on their highlights the next day and got some good press. You look today at the national media CBB wrapups from last night and there were so many other games being played they deem important, this game was completely lost. That was my point--nobody would be paying attention, no matter the outcome.)
Good luck this weekend with the HERD--see you next Saturday at the MACC.
Here's to all MAC teams playing their best from here on out!
Sorry, I can't leave this tread without commenting on Kent Fan's laughable statement to Bobcat fan:
" And you can downgrade KSU all you want--our record speaks for itself and we are a whole half game out of first place in the conference. But when you do it, it further highlights the mediocrity of OU athletics over the last few years. Though I wasn't going to bring that up."
One fluke year in the elite 8, and suddenly Kent fan finds himself in the postion to speak down to OU fan and the "mediocrity of OU athletics over the last few years". You've got to be sh**ting me! Isn't this the same Kent State that is going to lose their D I-A football status after the NCAA attendance requirements go into effect in '04? Which really isn't a big deal considering that Kent football realistically already plays at the I-AA level, what with their impressive 12 - 44 record over the last 5 years.
So please, Kent fan, regale us all with the success stories of Kent athletics (besides basketball) in the past few years that would put you in a position to call OU athletics mediocre.
Quote:So please, Kent fan, regale us all with the success stories of Kent athletics (besides basketball) in the past few years that would put you in a position to call OU athletics mediocre.
I'll help with this.
I'm not defending the mean spirit of that assessment of Ohio U. sports, but the facts are:
1. Bobcat football is horrible right now and usually isn't very good. They may pull out of it. They had a good run a few years ago. But this isn't exactly a selling point for the athletic program. Usually, it isn't.
2. The basketball team, while historically strong, is underachieving to a degree previously only thought possible in Huntington, W.Va.
As for Kent State:
1. The basketball has been strong for several years now. They could be looking at their third (or is it fourth?) league title in a row.
2. Womens basketball, historically, is strong.
3. Baseball, historically, is strong.
4. Other Kent State fans can fill in the blanks on other strong nonrevenue sports. Kent State has quite a few.
It was based on basketball and nonrevenue sports that SI did indeed judge Kent State the MAC's best athletic program.
It was wrong headed for a Kent State fan to insult Ohio U. athletics. But the case can be made that, overall, Kent State's athletic program is one of the better ones in the MAC.
RochesterFalcon Wrote:It was wrong headed for a Kent State fan to insult Ohio U. athletics. But the case can be made that, overall, Kent State's athletic program is one of the better ones in the MAC.
I'll fess up to that. We were having a pissy dialogue here about the relative importance of last night's game and I reacted to the insult of KSU. Hey, we've had nationally ranked teams in 7 sports in recent years! Usually don't get involved in the pointless "My U is better than your U" arguments. My bad.
Through it all, I was still pulling for the MAC team last night.
I choose not to respond to the uneducated Bronc guy who seems to want to start a flame.
Over the past five years, Kent probably has had the best women's sports programs in the MAC, although I would infer that the Trunk Broncie doesn't give a ****** about that. In addition, to the best of my knowledge, Kent is the only MAC school ever to host an NCAA national championship (in field hockey last fall).
Bagging on Kent without recognizing those successes is like dumping on EMU's "athletic program" without taking account of their phenominal track and cross country teams. If you profess to discuss "athletics," please remember that MAC schools sponsor more than two sports.
Anyway, back to the original topic--with there being so much "parity" (i.e. mediocrity) in the MAC this year, when has first game seeding been more important?
It's so hard to win four in row, espeically if you start on the road that the 9-13 spots are very much to be avoided. Obviously it's a big advantage to skip the first game, but once things hit the Gund I think it's going to come down to matchups more than talent. Avoid the teams that best exploit your weaknesses and you have a much smoother path to the end. ANd those teams differ for everyone, since we lack a truly dominent team.