The Big South Tournament started tonight.

The Atlantic Sun, America East, Horizon, Big Sky, MAAC, Missouri Valley, NEC, Patriot, Ohio Valley, SoCon, Summit, Sun Belt and WCC all start this week.

It will be worth keeping an eye on the MAAC (Iona), Ohio Valley (Murray State), Sun Belt (Middle Tennessee) to see if there are any possible at-large bids stolen.

Harvard is 10-2, should win out and go to 12-2. Pennsylvania is 9-2, but still hosts Yale (9-3) and at Princeton (7-4), so the Crimson should still clinch this week despite their loss to Penn on Saturday.

Why won't the Ivy League go to a tourny? Is it because there are only 8 teams? Or because they think they are just that much better than the rest of the country because they're smart?

wildcats20;1098412 wrote:Why won't the Ivy League go to a tourny? Is it because there are only 8 teams? Or because they think they are just that much better than the rest of the country because they're smart?

I would guess it's the 8 teams thing. I think it's a great move. They have a balanced schedule. True home/away round robin set-up. Much better determinant of the best team than a 3 game tourney would be.

Mulva;1098417 wrote:I would guess it's the 8 teams thing. I think it's a great move. They have a balanced schedule. True home/away round robin set-up. Much better determinant of the best team than a 3 game tourney would be.

I actually just looked it up. It has to do with the whole 14 game schedule is a better representation of who is the best.

I wonder if the NCAA would ever take away their auto bid......

I know most people hate the conference tournaments, but I really like them. If for no other reason, it's a TON of basketball every day lol.

Plus the little schools always have the best celebrations when they get that berth.

NCAA actually doesnt mandate the tourney winner gets the berth. The conferences themselves do. I wouldnt like it if other schools did what Harvard did, as March is March for a reason...the tournament(s). But I certianly would understand it. We would get the best teams in thats for sure. Probably would see a 16 over 1 in about half the time as we will if things dont change.

centralbucksfan says that Duke's 10 conf. tourney titles in 13 years is more impressive than Kansas' 8 reg. season conf titles.

So you guys are wrong when saying the conference regular season champion route would put the best teams in.

SportsAndLady;1098456 wrote:centralbucksfan says that Duke's 10 conf. tourney titles in 13 years is more impressive than Kansas' 8 reg. season conf titles.

So you guys are wrong when saying the conference regular season champion route would put the best teams in.

I dont mind CBF as much as a lot of you guys do. But I swear he thought it was reg season titles and then didnt want to admit it.

Laley23;1098446 wrote:NCAA actually doesnt mandate the tourney winner gets the berth. The conferences themselves do. I wouldnt like it if other schools did what Harvard did, as March is March for a reason...the tournament(s). But I certianly would understand it. We would get the best teams in thats for sure. Probably would see a 16 over 1 in about half the time as we will if things dont change.

Honestly didn't know it was the conferences that did that. I thought it was the NCAA.

Laley23;1098468 wrote:I dont mind CBF as much as a lot of you guys do. But I swear he thought it was reg season titles and then didnt want to admit it.

Honestly I just can't stand how he says luv instead of love

SportsAndLady;1098475 wrote:Honestly I just can't stand how he says luv instead of love

And aweful instead of awful. Are you really that dumb? I mean for real?

wildcats20;1098482 wrote:And aweful instead of awful. Are you really that dumb? I mean for real?

And scarey instead of scary

SportsAndLady;1098475 wrote:Honestly I just can't stand how he says luv instead of love

I also avoid altercations with him, for the most part. So that helps.

The only thing that really annoys me about him is how he never takes a stand, on an opinion based message board. Everything is "I think this, but I wouldnt be surprised if this.". Its as if he is afraid of being called out when/if he is wrong.

I mean, who cares? I am wrong all the damn time on here lol. Just gotta put BOOM! and quote stuff when your right. Then people forget

SportsAndLady;1098485 wrote:And scarey instead of scary

How dare you ever think an upset might happen. But never predict it.

Honestly, if anything, Duke and Kansas' runs are of equal excellence. Early during Duke's ACC tournament run of 10 titles in 13 years, Duke also reeled off five consecutive conference regular-season cloth awards (or, as they are known in other leagues, conference championships), an accomplishment that no other ACC team has duplicated. And, while the ACC might have been down the past couple of seasons, from '99 to '05, Duke, North Carolina and Maryland were in one combination or another all national title contenders pretty much every year.

Winning the ACC championship that many times is impressive anyway you cut it, especially considering that the conference has produced more national titles and Final Fours than any other conference over the 13-year Blue Devil stretch of tournament championships.

Conference tournaments are fun to watch, but mean very little. They are money makers, nothing more and nothing less.

Prescott;1098500 wrote:Conference tournaments are fun to watch, but mean very little. They are money makers, nothing more and nothing less.

The history of conference tournament champs winning the NCAA tournament disagrees.

It's over 60% if I'm not mistaken.

Prescott;1098500 wrote:Conference tournaments are fun to watch, but mean very little. They are money makers, nothing more and nothing less.

This is true. But that doesnt and shouldnt really matter to anyone. Stuff is still on the line for MANY schools going in. It is the best pre-curser to the tourney you can ask for.

Plus, a few OSU fans dont care about the regular season, only the NCAA tourney. I am still baffled by reading that (I think it was the MSU thread).

Yeah saying they mean very little is just not accurate.

Ask the little guys who upset the favorite in the championship game how much it mattered.

reclegend22;1098496 wrote:Honestly, if anything, Duke and Kansas' runs are of equal excellence. Early during Duke's ACC tournament run of 10 titles in 13 years, Duke also reeled off five consecutive conference regular-season cloth awards (or, as they are known in other leagues, conference championships), an accomplishment that no other ACC team has duplicated. And, while the ACC might have been down the past couple of seasons, from '99 to '05, Duke, North Carolina and Maryland were in one combination or another all national title contenders pretty much every year.

Winning the ACC championship that many times is impressive anyway you cut it, especially considering that the conference has produced more national titles and Final Fours than any other conference over the 13-year Blue Devil stretch of tournament championships.

Well my main gripe with cbf's argument is that he said the Big 12 is not good, and the ACC has UNC. But then just completely ignored the fact that only 4 (I think it was 4) of the 13 times did Duke and UNC actually play.

Also, it's just more impressive to win regular season titles than it is a 3-4 day tournament. Not taking ANYTHING away from Duke's conf. titles, as it's obviously an incredibly impressive feat. But to say winning 10 of 13 is more impressive than 8 straight is dumb. Saying winning a conf tourney is tougher than a regular season schedule is dumb. Saying the big 12 has been bad is dumb. Saying because Duke plays UNC makes it more impressive is dumb. Just so much wrong in his argument.

Trust me, it has nothing to do with Duke's accomplishment not being impressive.

If Duke had only won 3 ACC tournament titles in the past 13 years, Ahdonis' tune would be changed. He's a tune-changer. But that's ok.

Honestly the whole setup of the regular season coming to an end, quickly transitioned into conference tourneys, quickly transitioned into the greatest tournament in the world this side of the World Cup is just amazing.

That's why I don't think Conf. tourneys are important. They set up the NCAA Tournament.

reclegend22;1098528 wrote:If Duke had only won 3 ACC tournament titles in the past 13 years, Ahdonis' tune would be changed. He's a tune-changer. But that's ok.

College basketball didn't start in 1991. Just a heads up.

SportsAndLady;1098525 wrote:Well my main gripe with cbf's argument is that he said the Big 12 is not good, and the ACC has UNC. But then just completely ignored the fact that only 4 (I think it was 4) of the 13 times did Duke and UNC actually play.

Also, it's just more impressive to win regular season titles than it is a 3-4 day tournament. Not taking ANYTHING away from Duke's conf. titles, as it's obviously an incredibly impressive feat. But to say winning 10 of 13 is more impressive than 8 straight is dumb. Saying winning a conf tourney is tougher than a regular season schedule is dumb. Saying the big 12 has been bad is dumb. Saying because Duke plays UNC makes it more impressive is dumb. Just so much wrong in his argument.

Trust me, it has nothing to do with Duke's accomplishment not being impressive.

Yeah, I agree with pretty much everything you said here. I happen to think the accomplishments are equal -- and both are f*cking amazing -- but I think an argument could be made either way. As a fan of the ACC, though, I have always valued and loved the conference tournament more than the regular-season. But that's just because the tournament is held to a different standard in that area of the country.

wildcats20;1098531 wrote:College basketball didn't start in 1991. Just a heads up.

Then I guess Carolina should have won more tournaments before 1991. Then they'd be equal with Duke.