The women are looking for school record win #25 tonight at UTSA and just the third undefeated regular season conference season in CUSA history. The bad news is that UTSA's 7-20 record (2-13 in CUSA play) will mean our RPI will drop for sure after the game, win or lose.

Rice has the #1 seed wrapped up, and has had so for some time now. I suspect we'll play the bench for quite a bit of the time tonight to rest up our starters for next week's CUSA tournament in Frisco. There are quite a few seeds up for grab today though in the rest of the conference women's games. Here's how everything stacks up currently.

(1) Rice 15-0
(2) UAB and MTSU 11-4
(4) WKU 10-5 (UAB is at La Tech tonight, MTSU is at WKU)

I'm pretty sure UAB will be the 2 or 3 seed for sure. If UAB loses and MTSU wins, then MTSU will be the 2 seed and UAB the 3 seed. If MTSU loses, UAB is the 2 seed regardless, and even if it's a 3-way tie for second, I think UAB is the 2 seed, MTSU the 3 and WKU the 4.

(5) ODU, Marshall and USM 9-6 (Marshall has the tough game out of this group playing at Charlotte; ODU and USM are playing the 2 Florida schools so I'm assuming they'll both go to 10-6 and ODU has the tie-breaker advantage if both teams are tied for 5th).

(8) Charlotte 8-7 (they don't have many tie-breakers so I'm thinking they will be either the 8 or 9 seed)
(9) North Texas 7-8 (at UTEP) (pretty sure they too are about locked in as an 8 or 9 seed)
(10) Louisiana Tech 6-9 (same thing - I'm pretty sure that they are going to be the 10 seed)

(11) UTEP (4-11) - locked in as the 11 seed

(12) UTSA, FIU & FAU (2-13) - barring any upsets, FIU & FAU will be tied I believe for the 12th spot and I have no idea how they would break the tie?

So my guess is the most likely outcome is Rice's side of the bracket will be #1 Rice, #4 WKU, #5 ODU, #8 Charlotte, #9 UNT and #12 FA/IU?? But feel free to correct any errors.

We get a first round bye, correct? If so, this means we get a full week of rest after tonight's game.

Yes, we'll play the winner of the 8-9 game next Thursday, and that winner will face the winner of the 4 vs 5/12 winner.

(03-07-2019 08:27 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Yes, we'll play the winner of the 8-9 game next Thursday, and that winner will face the winner of the 4 vs 5/12 winner.

That's actually not a great draw for us, as it could very well mean another rematch with UNT in Frisco. Aside from the defensive tussle with ODU, North Texas has given us the most trouble this year, and led most of the game in the Frisco game a couple weeks ago.

I actually would take Charlotte over UNT in the 8-9 match-up if that's what it ends up being, although I suppose UNT could get a minor home court advantage? Charlotte is playing well now with 4 straight wins, including 2 over ODU. They also played us strong earlier this year at Tudor. Either way, that 8-9 opponent is going to be decent for a conference that supposedly is no good.

BTW, I found out the 3rd tie-breaker for a potential tie for 12th place. It's based on RPI, so FAU's impressive RPI of 304 or so would beat out FIU's 317 or thereabouts.

Nothing says CUSA like a 2-13 team going to a tournament.

(and yes, I recognize this isn't limited to CUSA alone, but the woo-we-are-awesome for crap is emblematic of our conference)

(03-07-2019 08:30 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(03-07-2019 08:27 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Yes, we'll play the winner of the 8-9 game next Thursday, and that winner will face the winner of the 4 vs 5/12 winner.

That's actually not a great draw for us, as it could very well mean another rematch with UNT in Frisco. Aside from the defensive tussle with ODU, North Texas has given us the most trouble this year, and led most of the game in the Frisco game a couple weeks ago.

Denton. But, less than an hour away from one another.

(03-07-2019 04:19 PM)Antarius Wrote:  Nothing says CUSA like a 2-13 team going to a tournament.

(and yes, I recognize this isn't limited to CUSA alone, but the woo-we-are-awesome for crap is emblematic of our conference)

I disagree vociferously with this train of thought. The entire magic of March - conference tournaments and NCAA tournament alike - is the tiny possibility that some complete underdog can get hot and run the table. Sure, 2 win teams get destroyed in the first round for the most part. But "March Madness" is built entirely on the possibility of one of those teams playing spoiler and creating some magic.

(03-07-2019 05:28 PM)elw4796 Wrote:  

(03-07-2019 04:19 PM)Antarius Wrote:  Nothing says CUSA like a 2-13 team going to a tournament.

(and yes, I recognize this isn't limited to CUSA alone, but the woo-we-are-awesome for crap is emblematic of our conference)

I disagree vociferously with this train of thought. The entire magic of March - conference tournaments and NCAA tournament alike - is the tiny possibility that some complete underdog can get hot and run the table. Sure, 2 win teams get destroyed in the first round for the most part. But "March Madness" is built entirely on the possibility of one of those teams playing spoiler and creating some magic.

+1. Who thinks UMBC would’ve been over .500 in the ACC...

(03-07-2019 05:28 PM)elw4796 Wrote:  

(03-07-2019 04:19 PM)Antarius Wrote:  Nothing says CUSA like a 2-13 team going to a tournament.

(and yes, I recognize this isn't limited to CUSA alone, but the woo-we-are-awesome for crap is emblematic of our conference)

I disagree vociferously with this train of thought. The entire magic of March - conference tournaments and NCAA tournament alike - is the tiny possibility that some complete underdog can get hot and run the table. Sure, 2 win teams get destroyed in the first round for the most part. But "March Madness" is built entirely on the possibility of one of those teams playing spoiler and creating some magic.

Why bother playing a season at all? Just have a giant tournament with everyone and if someone gets hot, they can win. This basically reduces the regular season to nothing since 85% of the teams make the tournament. It's just like Bowl games in football. Make everyone feel special no matter how terrible you did all year.

In the EPL you get relegated, in the NFL you go home, in CUSA you go to the tournament!!!!

End of season conference tournament is not the playoffs. It's a tournament to get the autobid to the big tournament. I think it's a matter of course that most teams in your conference should be eligible to play. It is this way across every sport in the NCAA that had conference tournaments. Not sure why basketball should be any different.

(03-07-2019 06:13 PM)owl95 Wrote:  End of season conference tournament is not the playoffs. It's a tournament to get the autobid to the big tournament. I think it's a matter of course that most teams in your conference should be eligible to play. It is this way across every sport in the NCAA that had conference tournaments. Not sure why basketball should be any different.

1. If it isn't the playoffs, then why do we call it post season. Even nearly every team makes it, it is the season. The tournament is 100% part of the regular season at this point. Calling it "making the post season" is a way we justify a sub 0.500 conference team somehow being in the "post season" and celebrate.

2. Why even have a regular season? That isn't answered. If the tournament is the autobid, why not just have a preseason warm up and then a giant double elimination tournament? I can understand if you have an EAST and WEST division (or an AL/NL or AFC/NFC) that play each other, but other than that, why bother with a season at all?

3. no offense, but pointing to other sports mistakes isn't a valid justification. Ideally, ALL sports move to a common sense model without participation trophy tournaments.

IMO, we are justifying a terrible system by pointing to other sports and past decisions. Objectively, this simply doesn't make sense - and thats why NOWHERE else in the world, do they do this. For all the "any given sunday" talk in FBS football, the EPL truly is any and every given game; your whole body of work matters.

(03-07-2019 06:22 PM)Antarius Wrote:  1. If it isn't the playoffs, then why do we call it post season.

I presume that is because it comes after the end of the regular season. I would be OK with calling it the "Second Chance" tournament, as it gives a second chance and a glimmer of hope to teams that were out of the regular season race halfway through.

Quote:2. Why even have a regular season? That isn't answered. If the tournament is the autobid, why not just have a preseason warm up and then a giant double elimination tournament? I can understand if you have an EAST and WEST division (or an AL/NL or AFC/NFC) that play each other, but other than that, why bother with a season at all?

If we went directly to the tournament, it would leave a void of about 16 or so games to fill with OOC opponents, which would be scarce since they are busy playing their conference schedules.

Also, it gives teams a chance to qualify for at-large choice.

(03-07-2019 05:49 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(03-07-2019 05:28 PM)elw4796 Wrote:  

(03-07-2019 04:19 PM)Antarius Wrote:  Nothing says CUSA like a 2-13 team going to a tournament.

(and yes, I recognize this isn't limited to CUSA alone, but the woo-we-are-awesome for crap is emblematic of our conference)

I disagree vociferously with this train of thought. The entire magic of March - conference tournaments and NCAA tournament alike - is the tiny possibility that some complete underdog can get hot and run the table. Sure, 2 win teams get destroyed in the first round for the most part. But "March Madness" is built entirely on the possibility of one of those teams playing spoiler and creating some magic.

Why bother playing a season at all? Just have a giant tournament with everyone and if someone gets hot, they can win. This basically reduces the regular season to nothing since 85% of the teams make the tournament. It's just like Bowl games in football. Make everyone feel special no matter how terrible you did all year.

In the EPL you get relegated, in the NFL you go home, in CUSA you go to the tournament!!!!

The EPL is a pro league. So is the NFL. The entire allure of college basketball is the unpredictability of 18-22 year old kids giving everything they have for 5 weeks in March/April. It's cliche but it's true. For me personally, if you limit conference tournaments to just 4 teams, or teams with winning records, March becomes instantly less compelling. I'm not necessarily saying it's a good system, or a completely fair one, just the one that makes CBB unique and fun (for me at least).

The conference tournament is definitely not called the post season. When we went to the CBI tournament in Rhoades' 3rd, it was said to be the first time Rice had entered post season play since Morris Almond. As for the rest..I don't know what to tell ya..when I played high school sports there was still a conference tournament at the end for the right to compete at State. Seeding in the tournament mattered because in some tournaments the top 2 got to advance and the regular season determines seeding. #1 seed has earned the right to beat a creampuff in the first round.

Edit: And if you are saying that a competition structure organized into conferences where a regular season seeds you into a season ending tournament that feeds into a playoff structure is not a format used for Amateur competition worldwide, then I'm gonna have to call shenanigans. That is exactly how Little League baseball in Taiwan works.

Oddly sloppy start on defense (granted it's only a minute).

11-7 . 3 mins left in 1Q

Maybe our sloppiest first quarter in the last two months but we're still up 14-7. I have no data to back this up, but I always feel like the men and women struggle in UTSA's gym.

UTSA also running sharp offense predicated on some effective screening and cutting. A better team has more than 7 points with the looks they've gotten.

(03-07-2019 08:14 PM)elw4796 Wrote:  Maybe our sloppiest first quarter in the last two months but we're still up 14-7. I have no data to back this up, but I always feel like the men and women struggle in UTSA's gym.

Add the football team to that list too.

16-9. 1 min to go in 1Q

21-12 after one.