BU post-season

[MacabreMob]

It's not a magic win number when it takes you nearly 40 games to get there.

It's meaningless. Just like trying to be one of the Top 25 All-Time Winningest Programs in DI with all-time number of wins.

Btw - the NIT is not gonna happen for Bradley this year.

[Bravesfan]

Honestly don't think we have any chances. Always next year.

No. I absolutely disagree. We were 17-15 and got two CBI home games right off the bat last year. I think you forgot our "history" with the CBI already!

[Bravesfan]

It's silly to say we won't be playing in any postseason games. Here's how it looks to me:

- If we win our final 3 games and make it to the finals of the MVC tourney, that leaves us with a final record of 20-13. That's probably enough to earn us at least mild consideration for the NIT. We'd probably be one of the final teams in, but it's not out of the question.

- 3 wins and only one win in the MVC tourney would mean a 19-13 record. We'd still have an outside shot at the NIT and would pretty much be guranteed another CBI invite.

- If we lose one of our remaining regular-season games but still make the MVC tourney finals, that would mean we're 19-14 and still CBI-bound.

- Lose at least one regular-season and exit the MVC tourney before Sunday and we're look at 17-14 or 18-14. That's obviously not a pretty record, but you have to remember we went to the CBI last year with a 17-15 record, so we'd still be better than last year's team and since we made the CBI finals last year, I have to assume they'd want us back again.

On top of that, the CI.com tourney means that there are even more 3rd-tier tourney invites to be had. I'd be shocked if we didn't make one of them.

Absolutely correct. And we drew pretty well so I would think the CBI will reward us with at least one if not two home games.

[Fyrebyrd]

I don't know if this was stated (too lazy to read through the fluff), but the reason the CI.com tourney was created was because they felt that no team with atleast a .500 record should be left out of a tourney. We will be in a post season.

[Bravesfan]

If its not the NCAA or NIT then its tough. I mean, you dont really get "invited" to the CBI. If you pay the money, you play.

This team needs to progress, going to the CBI or the other made up tournament wouldnt be a step in the right direction. I would like to see the NIT this year.

I would like the NIT too. But playing in any postseason is better than sitting at home during march.

Hmmm, if we go by your logic of paying the money to play in the CBI, maybe they set up a home game against Coach Mo and Western Illinois with their 9-17 record!

[leebiddlecome]

I would like the NIT too. But playing in any postseason is better than sitting at home during march.

Hmmm, if we go by your logic of paying the money to play in the CBI, maybe they set up a home game against Coach Mo and Western Illinois with their 9-17 record!

Hey. That would be fun But I doubt BU would pay the money if WIU were the opponent and I doubt WIU would take the money for that game.

There would have to be about 148 postseason tourneys for WIU to "qualify" for one.

[Bravesfan]

IMO, I believe that we will be on the outside looking in when it comes to the postseason.

Unless we run the table over the remainder of the regular season and win the MVC tournament, I don't think our record will be good enough to warrant a postseason bid. Even if we only lose one of our remaining games and get deep in the MVC tournament, we don't have a standout victory and we haven't shown we can take on the "big" teams, with good sized losses to Butler, Florida and Michigan State on the record.

I don't mind playing in events like the CBI, but it was stated here earlier that it was more about $$ than your record. I would watch again if we were there, but I think we should maybe sit out a postseason just to get a bit hungry for that again.

Sitting out of a postseason when the opportunity is there is always a bad idea! Extra playing time for young players is always a good thing.

[mportsch]

I think Bradley just needs one more win to assure a postseason bid.

There are 129 postseason slots this season:

65 - NCAA
32 - NIT
16 - CBI
16 - CI.com

A few of those slots will go to teams that are actually worse than 129th in the country, simply because the NCAA gives slots to conference tourney champs (1 or 2 of which might be worse than 129th) and the NIT guarantees a spot for any regular season conference champ that loses in their conference tourney (1 or 2 of which might be worse than 129th). There probably won't be more than 4 crappy (sub-130th) teams stealing spots, so the bottom line is that the top 125 or so teams in the country should get postseason bids.

Best case scenario (short of winning the MVC Tourney) would be for Bradley to win out and lose in the MVC title game. This would result in a 19-13 record and an RPI around 80th. That might be enough for an NIT bid, depending on how much credit they'd give Bradley for a hot finish.

Worst case scenario (Bradley losing out and then losing in the first round of the MVC Tourney) would result in a 15-16 record and an RPI around 130th. It's still plausible that the Braves would sneak into the CBI or CI, but you'd think a 2-8 finish in the last 10 would force the tourneys to look elsewhere.

One more regular season victory for Bradley, followed by a loss in the first round of the MVC Tourney, would result in a 16-15 record and an RPI somewhere around 115th. That would seem to be enough to reach the CBI or CI field.

One way or another, I expect Bradley to be playing past the MVC Tourney. FWIW, I think the Braves have a good shot to win 3-4 more games before Selection Sunday.

For those that haven't heard, the CBI has struck a deal with HDNet to broadcast most of the CBI games in HD! I know that Dish HD customers can upgrade to receive this channel.

[Tulsa Brave]

I don't know if this was stated (too lazy to read through the fluff), but the reason the CI.com tourney was created was because they felt that no team with atleast a .500 record should be left out of a tourney. We will be in a post season.

Since there are going to be around 190 D-1 teams with a .500 or better record, a lot are still going to be left out. Do we really want to be in a tourney with Savannah State, Longwood, Chicago State, Long Island, Stony Brook, etc... all of whom have a great chance at finishing with a .500 or better record?

[Da Coach]

No, I and every other BU fan would rather be in the NCAA. Can we get that arranged?

If not, and if the NIT isn't available, then I would favor the CBI or the CollegeInsider.com tournament, as opposed to turning in the uniforms, and staying home. Bradley fans don't get the chance to attend spring football practice, or make plans for fall football, so any time we can play and enjoy more games, I would prefer that option as opposed to ending the season.

By the way- we played in the CBI last season, and I don't recall playing any teams like "Savannah State, Longwood, Chicago State, Long Island, or Stonybrook". I do recall some memorable games such as the home wins over Ohio U., Cincinnati, and the drubbing of Virginia, and the 3 great games against Tulsa.

[TheAsianSensation]

This is copied over from my bracketology. These are the types of teams Bradley will be surrounding themselves with in the lesser tourneys:

.com tournament!
Duqense (15-8 ), Mississippi St (15-9), Auburn (15-9), Bradley (13-10), Cleveland St (16-8 ), Houston (16-7), MiamiOH (15-8 ), VMI (16-5), Tulsa (16-9), UTEP (15-9), Wright St (16-10), Nevada (14-10), Niagara (21-6), Hofstra (16-9), Drexel (13-10), Portland (15-9)

CBI:
Vermont (19-7), Troy (16-10), Charleston (17-7), Tennessee-Martin (16-6), Washington St (13-12), TCU (12-12), St Louis (14-10), LaSalle (14-10), Central Florida (15-9), Evansville (13-10), Drake (14-11), Wisconsin-Milwaukee (12-11), New Mexico St (13-12), Fairfield (15-12), James Madison (17-10), Old Dominion (16-9)

Not bad, actually.

[BradleyBrave]

This is copied over from my bracketology. These are the types of teams Bradley will be surrounding themselves with in the lesser tourneys:






Not bad, actually.

Too many mids in there. The NCAA is going to use these kinds of tourneys to keep us out and eventually make it the BCS Invitational.

[Tulsa Brave]

No, I and every other BU fan would rather be in the NCAA. Can we get that arranged?

If not, and if the NIT isn't available, then I would favor the CBI or the CollegeInsider.com tournament, as opposed to turning in the uniforms, and staying home. Bradley fans don't get the chance to attend spring football practice, or make plans for fall football, so any time we can play and enjoy more games, I would prefer that option as opposed to ending the season.

By the way- we played in the CBI last season, and I don't recall playing any teams like "Savannah State, Longwood, Chicago State, Long Island, or Stonybrook". I do recall some memorable games such as the home wins over Ohio U., Cincinnati, and the drubbing of Virginia, and the 3 great games against Tulsa.

I used those teams in response to the post where supposedly one of these tourneys says they exist so EVERY team .500 or above plays in the postseason. That simply is not true, and should not be true, and that was my point.

[TheAsianSensation]

Too many mids in there. The NCAA is going to use these kinds of tourneys to keep us out and eventually make it the BCS Invitational.

That's the worry, yes. By going to a selection committee and automatic bids, the NIT did everything but actually stand up and give mid-majors the middle finger.

[Bravesfan]

This is copied over from my bracketology. These are the types of teams Bradley will be surrounding themselves with in the lesser tourneys:

.com tournament!
Duqense (15-8 ), Mississippi St (15-9), Auburn (15-9), Bradley (13-10), Cleveland St (16-8 ), Houston (16-7), MiamiOH (15-8 ), VMI (16-5), Tulsa (16-9), UTEP (15-9), Wright St (16-10), Nevada (14-10), Niagara (21-6), Hofstra (16-9), Drexel (13-10), Portland (15-9)

CBI:
Vermont (19-7), Troy (16-10), Charleston (17-7), Tennessee-Martin (16-6), Washington St (13-12), TCU (12-12), St Louis (14-10), LaSalle (14-10), Central Florida (15-9), Evansville (13-10), Drake (14-11), Wisconsin-Milwaukee (12-11), New Mexico St (13-12), Fairfield (15-12), James Madison (17-10), Old Dominion (16-9)



Not bad, actually.

Not bad at all. For example, you got a team like Cleveland St that's been on a tear lately and finally playing like the preseason Horizon League favorite that many picked them to be. If they fall just short of the NIT, teams like that will make for very competitive games and will be a tough out. That can only help tournaments like this.