Re: WCC Tournament 2022

by DoubleDipper Sun Mar 06, 2022 9:19 am

Sound Voltex wrote:Jason and J-Mo think our season isn't quite over yet...

DoubleDipper wrote:At least one win in Las Vegas will be huge for the Pilots in terms of recruiting and continuing the development of the current roster.

I am counting on the Pilots continuing their season and development beyond Las Vegas...and not just because the team deserves a couple more games after BYU and SCU did not come to the Chiles Center, but because they and their coaches are so darned entertaining to watch.

Burying last night's loss and reflecting on the season, the Pilots exceeded expectations of almost all, and just that ONE win in Las Vegas and the expectation of postseason play is apparently already helping recruitment and development...

by up7587 Sun Mar 06, 2022 2:41 pm

Not playing on Thursday, and winning a game on Friday are huge steps for our program. A lot of the top players in the conference are done this year, and I am hopeful next year will be even better for the Pilots.

And the year after that the conference should be able to skip the Sunday off, making the Vegas trip better yet.

by up7587 Sun Mar 06, 2022 2:46 pm

Pilots finish the year KenPom #175, and NCAA Net #178. I think those were within the hopeful range of the optimistic fans.

by up7587 Sun Mar 06, 2022 3:05 pm

@NickC_V wrote:Great first season @PortlandMBB! Fun to see their growth and evolution-the best is ahead! @CoachLegans @BigShotBob90
@CoachLip23 @CoachJPope @PortlandPilots

@CoachLegans wrote:Thank you coach and please thank your team @PortlandMSOC for showing up and showing support! It means a lot that @PortlandPilots show up for each other!! #WeArePortland #PILOTfamily #GOpilots

FYI, the entire Pilot MBB team came to the women's game against LMU and stayed for the first half. Some stayed the whole game. Coaching staff there too. Asked them how different was it to watch a team that substitutes.

by dholcombe Sun Mar 06, 2022 3:09 pm

up7587 wrote:Pilots finish the year KenPom #175, and NCAA Net #178. I think those were within the hopeful range of the optimistic fans.

200 was my expectation for a good year with 150 being wildly successful.

There's still a long way to go to get into the top 4 in conference which I believe will take a 2 digit number more years than not.

by up7587 Sun Mar 06, 2022 3:14 pm

dholcombe wrote:
up7587 wrote:Pilots finish the year KenPom #175, and NCAA Net #178. I think those were within the hopeful range of the optimistic fans.
200 was my expectation for a good year with 150 being wildly successful.

There's still a long way to go to get into the top 4 in conference which I believe will take a 2 digit number more years than not.

Well, they basically cut the initial KP rating in half throughout the season. So a good goal for next year is the 75-99 range. And in two years someone's got to take the top 4 spot BYU has been holding. Why not us?

by up7587 Sun Mar 06, 2022 4:04 pm

@WillMaup wrote:Santa Clara jumped 7 spots in KenPom for beating Portland last night. 74 to 67. For beating Portland. Times have changed.

by Sound Voltex Sun Mar 06, 2022 6:42 pm

It’s likely Portland will have a chance to add to its win total, as the Pilots have been invited to play in the CBI and College Basketball Classic (formerly CIT). Legans said he is interested in playing. The Pilots lost some scheduled regular-season games due to COVID, they have a young roster, and there’s reason to give an improving team meaningful game situations.

https://www.oregonlive.com/pilots/2022/03/portland-pilots-wcc-run-ends-with-a-91-67-loss-to-santa-clara-but-hopeful-to-keep-going-in-a-postseason-tourney.html

So, assuming the front office approves, is this confirmation of postseason play? I don't know how the process of invitations to and creating of brackets for lower tournaments works.

by dholcombe Sun Mar 06, 2022 7:36 pm

If you've got a winning record you're invited to pay to play. No idea how seeding works though.

by DoubleDipper Sun Mar 06, 2022 10:53 pm

Sound Voltex wrote:So, assuming the front office approves, is this confirmation of postseason play? I don't know how the process of invitations to and creating of brackets for lower tournaments works.

dholcombe wrote:If you've got a winning record you're invited to pay to play. No idea how seeding works though.

Haha, I am very sure the front office will approve...basketball is big on The Bluff with the addition of Legs and company.

The three "alphabet" postseason tournaments are easy to confuse, but the Basketball Classic (formerly the CIT) does NOT require payment to play like the CBI in Daytona Beach does.

Hard to say what the brackets will be, but to save on expenses, I would imagine there will be some regional games at the beginning...like UC Riverside that I speculated on last week.

Best guess is the Pilots will play at home this coming week, but not on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday to avoid conference tournament finals...so that would probably leave Wednesday or Thursday for the first game. Bring on the Highlanders...or whomever. bounce

by dholcombe Sun Mar 06, 2022 11:25 pm

My understanding is in the CIT the host team has to pay, but not every team

by DoubleDipper Mon Mar 07, 2022 8:35 am

DoubleDipper wrote:Best guess is the Pilots will play at home this coming week, but not on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday to avoid conference tournament finals...so that would probably leave Wednesday or Thursday for the first game. Bring on the Highlanders...or whomever.

Looking at all the conference tournaments that are still going on and the teams available to play in the Classic, perhaps I jumped the gun on the early beginning of this tournament.

There is also off campus talk of the Pilots going to Daytona Beach to play in the CBI which does not begin until March 19th...

I dunno, I guess it could happen, but that is an expensive multi-stop place to go for not just your average fan, but the team too.

Instead of continuing to speculate, I'll just wait until there is an announcement. Rolling Eyes

by up7587 Mon Mar 07, 2022 9:51 am

DoubleDipper wrote:Instead of continuing to speculate, I'll just wait until there is an announcement.

What's the point of an internet forum if you're going to do that?

by Dean Murdoch Mon Mar 07, 2022 4:24 pm

up7587 wrote:What's the point of an internet forum if you're going to do that?

I’m here for the baseless speculation, memes, and low-grade analysis!

by Dean Murdoch Mon Mar 07, 2022 4:35 pm

Hello from Day 5 of my Vegas trip!

It’s fun, but it’s an incredibly long time commitment. Mrs Deaner left today just because we both couldn’t commit to being away for a whole 7 days.

Suggestions for the WCC:

- Stay at 9 teams when BYU leaves
- 16-game double round robin schedule. If you’re going to keep a tournament format that heavily rewards regular season success, make it even across the board.
- I am just fine with the tournament format in principle. Keep the double bye with the top two seeds, make it a 4 day bracket. Either chop the 9 seed from the tournament entirely, or have an 8/9 play-in at the 8 seed’s gym on Tuesday. Keep it to 4 days here in Vegas.

Off to go cheer for USF and SMC!

by dholcombe Mon Mar 07, 2022 5:10 pm

Woohoo. Somebody else wants to chop the 9. If byu leaves you could play Thursday-Sunday such seems better for TV and if a low seed gets hot further protects the high seeds by ensuring they be exhausted Sunday if that's a goal.

From the "BYU Notes" thread over in the WCC section.

dholcombe wrote: Tue Mar 01, 2022 10:22 am

Regarding replacements my opinion is Seattle or nobody. And in any case I think only the top 8 should be in the mbb conference tournament. The 9 can stay home or 9 and 10. If they want to keep a 5 day tournament just have the 5 vs 8 game winner play the 6 vs 7 game winner and have the winner of that play the 4 vs 5. Then have a normal bracket where 1 plays whoever comes out of the 4-8 gauntlet and a 2 vs 3 game. This better protects the 3 seed by getting them a bye to the semi finals compared to the current format and seems more likely to result in additional tournament bids for a 3 on the bubble. Gonzaga still gets their bye to the semi finals to keep them happy.

by Geezaldinho Mon Mar 07, 2022 5:21 pm

I think you have any even number of teams
Top 8 get in the tournament.

Who are we kidding? the bottom teams aren’t going anywhere.

by ExpatPilot Mon Mar 07, 2022 6:30 pm

DoubleDipper wrote:I dunno, I guess it could happen, but that is an expensive multi-stop place to go for not just your average fan, but the team too.

If they went to Daytona, they would have at least one fan (hopefully)!

Reflecting on both the men's and women's seasons, it's quite the time for Pilot basketball! I can't remember being this optimistic about BOTH teams at the same time. On the one hand, the men completely surpassed my expectations (I remember the ribbing I got about suggesting 4 WCC wins is the floor Razz

), and I feel that we are moving forward. On the other hand, the women posted another incredible season even despite the slide at the end. If we keep everyone we need to keep for both teams, the next season looks good!

I'm curious what the conference will look like without BYU: more of the same back when we had 8 teams, or does it open up the competition a bit?

by Snus Junction Mon Mar 07, 2022 9:38 pm

BYU leaving?

by up7587 Mon Mar 07, 2022 10:01 pm

Last night SCU was 13-27 on 3's. Tonight so far they are 2-7. Due to two games in two nights?

by up7587 Mon Mar 07, 2022 10:44 pm

Dean Murdoch wrote:Off to go cheer for USF and SMC!

Congrats to canadagael. Hope he didn't give the points.

by DoubleDipper Mon Mar 07, 2022 11:10 pm

Santa Clara certainly seemed the better team than BYU...and I suspect both will be heading to the NIT. I am sure the WCC would be happing to take the Tournament units/money after BYU bolts, but they are not deserving of a Tournament bid from the play I watched.

Where were the St. Mary's fans sitting? Easy to see the SCU fans by the bench, but just a few Gael fans were visible.

IMO, the Broncos would be in the Tournament if they had not lost those close games early in the season when Vrankic was injured.

by Dean Murdoch Mon Mar 07, 2022 11:33 pm

Santa Clara is better than BYU and to be frank, it’s not particularly close.

SMC fans were scattered throughout, I was sitting in the middle of a pretty strong contingent to the right of where the cameras are on that same side. All SCU fans were behind their bench so probably looked like they had the stronger crew.

by up7587 Mon Mar 07, 2022 11:39 pm

Dean Murdoch wrote:Santa Clara is better than BYU and to be frank, it’s not particularly close.

SMC fans were scattered throughout, I was sitting in the middle of a pretty strong contingent to the right of where the cameras are on that same side. All SCU fans were behind their bench so probably looked like they had the stronger crew.

How was 'drunk Steve Nash' tonight?

by Dean Murdoch Mon Mar 07, 2022 11:58 pm

up7587 wrote:How was 'drunk Steve Nash' tonight?

Shirtless, mostly.