NCAA College Basketball Talk

[VUGrad1314]

Beautiful new arena for James Madison. Maybe they're gearing up for a significant move for their athletics program. FBS? (CUSA? Sun Belt? MAC?) A10? AAC?

https://csnbbs.com/thread-910067.html

[wh]

May Madness: Rick Pitino calls on NCAA to delay basketball season

https://apple.news/AueWLC4jZRmictaH3tEYSzg

[bbtds]

Received this email from the NCAA yesterday:


Due to health and safety concerns, the Division I Men's Basketball Committee has decided to relocate the 13 sites previously chosen to host preliminary rounds of the 2021 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

Despite the challenges the pandemic continues to present to our country, March Madness will take place in 2021. The environment in which we live is drastically different, which means the tournament will clearly have a different feel to it, but we will safely conduct this event despite the obstacles we are facing. It was determined that the most effective way of doing so is to stage the event in one city, using multiple venues. The NCAA is in preliminary discussions with the state of Indiana and the city of Indianapolis to conduct the entire championship in the metropolitan area. No decision has been made regarding fan attendance at any NCAA tournament game. However, the NCAA committee and staff will remain in communication with nation and local experts from within the medical field to decide the best course of action.

At this time, there are no changes to the field size of 68 or the dates March Madness is typically held. The original key dates include Selection Sunday® on March 14, the tournament start date on March 16 and the National Championship on April 5.


It's not bad when thinking about how it would be if Valpo made the NCAA tournament how you would travel during the pandemic safely to the tournament sites and the NCAA decides to bring the whole tournament to your home town. Of course fan attendance isn't guaranteed and playing it in and around Indy is not a given yet.

For more info on this years (2020-21) NCAA Div. I Men's Basketball Tournament look at this website

https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-11-16/ncaa-relocating-2021-division-i-mens-basketball-championship-sites?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MBB_20201116_March%20Madness%20Relocation_Public

"My committee colleagues and I did not come lightly to the difficult decision to relocate the preliminary rounds of the 2021 tournament, as we understand the disappointment 13 communities will feel to miss out on being part of March Madness next year," said Mitch Barnhart, chair of the Division I Men's Basketball Committee and University of Kentucky athletics director. "With the University of Kentucky slated to host first- and second-round games in March, this is something that directly impacts our school and community, so we certainly share in their regret. The committee and staff deeply appreciate the efforts of all the host institutions and conferences, and we look forward to bringing the tournament back to the impacted sites in future years."

The committee emphasized the importance of conducting the championship in a manageable geographic area that limits travel and provides a safe and controlled environment with competition and practice venues, medical resources and lodging for teams and officials all within proximity of one another.

"We have learned so much from monitoring other successful sporting events in the last several months, and it became clear it's not feasible to manage this complex championship in so many different states with the challenges presented by the pandemic," said Dan Gavitt, NCAA Senior Vice President of Basketball. "However, we are developing a solid plan to present a safe, responsible and fantastic March Madness tournament unlike any other we've experienced."

"The committee and staff have thoughtfully monitored the pandemic to develop potential contingency plans," said Mark Emmert, NCAA President. "The Board of Governors and my top priorities are to protect the health and well-being of college athletes while also maintaining their opportunity to compete at the highest level. These principles have guided the decision-making process as we continue to assess how to have a fair and safe championship experience."

Here are the sites I can think of around Indy:

Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler
Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indy
Indiana Farmers Coliseum at the State Fairgrounds (IUPUI)
Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indy


If fan attendance is not an issue than many more could be added:

Skillman Court at Nicoson Hall (UIndy Greyhounds)
Southport High School and other Indy high schools
IUPUI Gym (on campus next to the Natatorium)
Incrediplex (off of Pendleton Pike on northeast side) https://www.google.com/maps/@39.8655492,-85.9727033,3a,15y,270h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1snpCpwZpo9EWxga8AeDJ76w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Physical Education Center (Marian University Knights/on campus)

[EddieCabot]

I really doubt the NCAA will want to play NCAA tournament games on 84 foot high school courts, but I may be wrong.

[bbtds]

I really doubt the NCAA will want to play NCAA tournament games on 84 foot high school courts, but I may be wrong.

As I said "if fan attendance is not an issue." They won't need that much seating, much like the way the NBA played their games at Disney in the Orlando Area. The NCAA can redraw the court lines or bring another floor to put over the existing court and move the baskets around. Without need for seating the bleachers will not need to be pulled out and there will be more room for the longer NCAA courts.

If seating is an issue then the NCAA would probably have to bus some teams to West Lafayette (Purdue), Bloomington (IU), Muncie (Ball State), Terre Haute (Indiana St), possibly New Castle High School, possibly the Joyce Center (Notre Dame) etc.

[VUGrad1314]

Pretty significant realignment news...

https://twitter.com/KendallRogers/status/1328417201167233026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1328417201167233026%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcsnbbs.com%2Fthread-910801-page-2.html

Confirmed by no less than Jeff Goodman so this is probably pretty credible even likely to happen...

https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1328431532437073921

[valpotx]

The OVC has been a very stable conference, so it is surprising to see 2 schools leaving.  Maybe that benefits the MVC with Murray State and Belmont?

[VU2014]

 

https://twitter.com/haslametrics/status/1331650202353197062?s=21

[valpo64]

I thought King Kampe had finally learned his lesson on scheduling but I guess not,  I think he is one of the most over rated mid-major coaches around,  The only thing about him that is not over rated is his ego.  Sure, he had a few "good" years but so do most other coaches.  I know that alot of Valpo people think he is something special but I think the facts sure don't show it in the long run.  He has always admired the VU program and has said a number of times that he would like to have a program like ours.  But the fact is he has never come close.  "Long live the King"! 

[valporun]

Drake is going to pull the upset on Kansas State. I didn't watch the full game, but I can watch it later. The final score will be Drake 80-70. Drake will next play South Dakota at Manhattan on Friday.

[justducky]

Drake is going to pull the upset on Kansas State. I didn't watch the full game, but I can watch it later. The final score will be Drake 80-70. Drake will next play South Dakota at Manhattan on Friday.

Bradley over Toledo 61-59. They play Xavier tomorrow- then Oakland. Illinois St lost big to Ohio St.

[VUGrad1314]

Word is that a massive shift is occurring out west in the low major\mid major\FCS football world that is unlikely to affect the MVC but it will likely make the WAC a stronger conference and possibly cause more dominos to move: Former conference foe Southern Utah (to this day it still feels weird to type that sentence but such was life back in the 90s-2000s for us) has an invite to the WAC and rumor has it that four schools in Texas will be bolting the Southland for the WAC. They are: Abeline Christian Sam Houston State Stephen F Austin and Lamar. Some speculation that another school could be added (possibly from D2) and that Chicago State will be leaving the conference with the Horizon OVC and MEAC mentioned as possibilities according to the message board speculation. With Central Arkansas also rumored to be leaving for the A-Sun, I wonder what the Southland will do to build back up after this massive exodus. My guess is they will talk to D2 schools and see if they can convince them to move up.

[valpotx]

Why in the world would SUU move from the Big Sky to the WAC?  The Big Sky was their dream conference for many reasons

[bbtds]

Why in the world would SUU move from the Big Sky to the WAC?  The Big Sky was their dream conference for many reasons

I don't know if you remember or you might have even participated in a trip to Cedar City, Utah. You had to fly to Las Vegas and then take a 3 hour bus ride through a canyon to Cedar City. On one of IUPUI's trips to Cedar City their bus actually caught on fire because the driver of the bus caught the brakes on fire by riding the brakes. Ron Hunter told the story on one of Indy's sports radio stations. For those who know Indy radio stations it's the one with JB. Hunter said the fire department was called but took over an hour to get there because they were in this canyon and the highway winds around and the speed limit goes down to 25 mph in some spots. The IUPUI bus actually shut down the highway for 2 to 3 hours and this is the only way from Cedar City to Las Vegas. Ron Hunter loved telling this story on the radio and if you know Ron Hunter you know he loved to get animated.

Anyway the road trips from Cedar City, Utah are difficult no matter where they are traveling to for a game. So I don't believe travel is a consideration for Southern Utah when choosing a conference. I'm not sure why SUU wants the WAC but it was most likely for their football team.

[valpotx]

Why in the world would SUU move from the Big Sky to the WAC?  The Big Sky was their dream conference for many reasons

I don't know if you remember or you might have even participated in a trip to Cedar City, Utah. You had to fly to Las Vegas and then take a 3 hour bus ride through a canyon to Cedar City. On one of IUPUI's trips to Cedar City their bus actually caught on fire because the driver of the bus caught the brakes on fire by riding the brakes. Ron Hunter told the story on one of Indy's sports radio stations. For those who know Indy radio stations it's the one with JB. Hunter said the fire department was called but took over an hour to get there because they were in this canyon and the highway winds around and the speed limit goes down to 25 mph in some spots. The IUPUI bus actually shut down the highway for 2 to 3 hours and this is the only way from Cedar City to Las Vegas. Ron Hunter loved telling this story on the radio and if you know Ron Hunter you know he loved to get animated.

Anyway the road trips from Cedar City, Utah are difficult no matter where they are traveling to for a game. So I don't believe travel is a consideration for Southern Utah when choosing a conference. I'm not sure why SUU wants the WAC but it was most likely for their football team.

Oh yes, regardless of sport, SUU was always a tough win on the road, because of what you mention.  Most teams stayed in Las Vegas, and bused in on gameday. 

[VUGrad1314]

I like what this does for WAC basketball. The other programs are no great shakes (Abeline Christian certainly has some potential) but SFA is a fantastic get which should make NMSU very happy. Now if CBU can keep ascending and GCU can get its act together that's the makings of a strong top of the conference that could be comparable with any other league's top 4. I understand that football drives the bus but this is a good forward thinking move by all the schools involved but SFA in particular.

[bbtds]

I understand that football drives the bus

As long as the bus brakes don't catch fire in the Virgin River Canyon football should be just fine. :-)

[VUGrad1314]

https://twitter.com/ChrisVannini/status/1346181580348399618

They gone.

So football is going to the AAC

The only question is where they are parking their Olympic sports. WAC? Big West? Big Sky? WCC?

Either way this is a blow to Mountain West basketball. They could backfill with New Mexico State and pretty much not skip a beat.

But I have to wonder if perhaps this isn't the only move the AAC will be making. If Boise State is gone I could see other desirable MWC schools reaching out to the AAC (San Diego State and Air Force come to mind).

We'd better hope that the unlikely possibility of the AAC creating a western pod of schools because if it's only Boise (FB only) then the AAC will likely take an A10 team on the basketball side (VCU Dayton SLU) and if the A10 loses a school Loyola could be a prime candidate to get called up to replace the departed school. 

If the MVC loses Loyola would Murray State still be interested? It would be very disappointing that it would take losing Loyola to get them in because all that is is a one for one. We wouldn't gain or lose in that scenario. Just tread water.

[VU2014]

If we had invested in ARC renovations maybe we'd get to host a tournament game or two...

https://twitter.com/mattnorlander/status/1346123501057544192?s=21

[bbtds]

If we had invested in ARC renovations maybe we'd get to host a tournament game or two...

https://twitter.com/mattnorlander/status/1346123501057544192?s=21

I would guess that the facilities at Notre Dame, Indiana State and the Allen County Coliseum in Fort Wayne would be used well before the ARC would be used by the NCAA even if Valpo had made improvements to the ARC.

[VUGrad1314]

Don't forget Evansville's Ford Center as well...

[bbtds]

Don't forget Evansville's Ford Center as well...

Yes, from my house I can get down to the Ford Center on newly finished I-69, at least from south of Martinsville, through Bloomington, down to Eville in 2 1/4 hours. It's still the old highway 37 with a few stoplights from I-465 in south Indy to south of Martinsville, 19 miles. It would be closer from NCAA headquarters in downtown Indy to the Ford Center in Eville than downtown Indy to the ARC in Valpo.

[FWalum]

I would guess that the facilities at Notre Dame, Indiana State and the Allen County Coliseum in Fort Wayne would be used well before the ARC would be used by the NCAA even if Valpo had made improvements to the ARC.

Don't forget Evansville's Ford Center as well...

I know that Allen County and the Memorial Coliseum are hosting the DIII tournament and I believe that the Ford Center is hosting the DII tournament.

[VUGrad1314]

WAC FCS league to be announced soon possible plans to possibly go FBS within the next decade.

https://kslsports.com/450237/report-wac-plans-to-announce-fcs-league-including-southern-utah-dixie-state/

Sounds like Chicago State might be leaving as well. Sad for them if true but probably the right decision.

https://twitter.com/AshlyElamSports/status/1346862340822720519

Speculation on EKU's board that the A-Sun expansion (EKU Jacksonville State and Central Arkansas) will be announced sometime this month. I wonder what that does for Murray State and Belmont if the they (and the MVC) have more mutual appetite to make a move.

[valpotx]

I just don't get why Lamar, SFA, and Sam Houston State would make this move.  I guess that they feel that the Southland is now diluted, or they feel that the WAC has more FBS potential eventually.  I understand ACU and Tarleton (Farmerville) State.