MVC Tournament - Does it seem like more upsets happen in other conference tournaments?

[MDCowboy]

Is it just me, or does it seem like other conferences traditionally have more upsets than you see in the MVC Tournament every year? Very rarely do you not see the 1, 2, and 3 seeds make the semifinals every year in the MVC. Occasionally you get the 5 to beat the 4 seed.

If this is true, why do you think this is? I would think there is a lot of balance in the MVC and the 5th through 8th teams usually are pretty balanced and decent teams. The 1 and 2 seeds have a clear advantage in playing a team coming off a play-in game. BUT - other conferences award byes as well and it seems like more upsets happen.

Is it that the refs may favor the higher seeded teams in the MVC? Are the teams just better? And if that is the case, why doesn't that happen in other conferences (ie. Big East, Big 10, etc.)

[ph]

It does not help when the top team, like UNI, is fighting for a decent seed. And some were even questioning if UNI would be an at-large if they did not win. The BCS schools are more confortable about getting an at-large and/or a decent seed so those tourneys do not matter much for those upper teams.

If I recall correctly, Creighton and SIU got a few of their NCAA appearances by upsetting some in the MVCT.

The past 3 years have had a team dominate the regular season, and there is a reason they dominated and that reason continued through the MVCt

[Rusty 54]

Maybe the lower seeds of other conferences are closer to the top seeded teams then we have in the Valley. # 7 Georgia Tech beat#3 Maryland in the ACC. WSU was the 2 seed and played #7 Missouri State. GT in my opinion is a lot closer to the talent level of Maryland then MSU is to WSU this year, and I think the gap between the Valley's top seeds and bottom seeds is bigger then in the BCS conferences.

[jasonpeoria911]

I posted in another thread that it seems like the top teams in the BCS Tourneys are taking it easy so their middle of the pack bubble teams can get in. It was like that last yr as well. Sort of like in the pros when they take off the final week or 2 of the season so they are healthy for the playoffs. So far the following top teams crapped out....

-#3 Syracuse to #22 7th seed Georgetown
-#5 Ohio St on a last second prayer win over #8 seed Michigan
-#7 West Virginia barely by 3 points over 11th seed Cincinnati
-#7 West Virginia barely by 2 points over 8th seed Notre Dame
-#8 New Mexico to 4th seed San Diego St
-#10 Villanova to 5th seed Marquette
-#11 Michigan St to 6th seed Minnesota
-#13 Wisconsin to 5th seed Illinois
-#14 BYU to 3rd seed UNLV
-#16 Pittsburgh to 8th seed Notre Dame
-#18 Gonzaga to 2nd seed St. Marys in the champ. game
-#19 Maryland to 7th seed Georgia Tech

Most of these were in the 1st round of their BCS tourney, sure is a lot of ranked teams to be "upset".

Jason

[Bravesfan]

Is it just me, or does it seem like other conferences traditionally have more upsets than you see in the MVC Tournament every year? Very rarely do you not see the 1, 2, and 3 seeds make the semifinals every year in the MVC. Occasionally you get the 5 to beat the 4 seed.

If this is true, why do you think this is? I would think there is a lot of balance in the MVC and the 5th through 8th teams usually are pretty balanced and decent teams. The 1 and 2 seeds have a clear advantage in playing a team coming off a play-in game. BUT - other conferences award byes as well and it seems like more upsets happen.

Is it that the refs may favor the higher seeded teams in the MVC? Are the teams just better? And if that is the case, why doesn't that happen in other conferences (ie. Big East, Big 10, etc.)

Yeah, the MVC had several upsets over the earlier part of the last decade. It's just that the last three years the top team has dominated the rest of the league, and that does not bode well for upsets or at-large bids unless we have three or four strong teams like we did during the three year period from 2005 to 2007. I'm hoping we can get back to that type of configuration next year.

[real fan]

I said yesterday that it sure works out well for the big east and big ten that all these upsets will get more of their conference teams in the NCAA tour. which means more money for all of them, had UNI rolled over for Wichita the Valley would have gotten 2 in and more $$$$$

[Bravesfan]

Maybe the lower seeds of other conferences are closer to the top seeded teams then we have in the Valley. # 7 Georgia Tech beat#3 Maryland in the ACC. WSU was the 2 seed and played #7 Missouri State. GT in my opinion is a lot closer to the talent level of Maryland then MSU is to WSU this year, and I think the gap between the Valley's top seeds and bottom seeds is bigger then in the BCS conferences.

This was the way things were for the Valley from 2005 to 2007. We have to get back to that next year.

[Bravesfan]

I posted in another thread that it seems like the top teams in the BCS Tourneys are taking it easy so their middle of the pack bubble teams can get in. It was like that last yr as well. Sort of like in the pros when they take off the final week or 2 of the season so they are healthy for the playoffs. So far the following top teams crapped out....

-#3 Syracuse to #22 7th seed Georgetown
-#5 Ohio St on a last second prayer win over #8 seed Michigan
-#7 West Virginia barely by 3 points over 11th seed Cincinnati
-#7 West Virginia barely by 2 points over 8th seed Notre Dame
-#8 New Mexico to 4th seed San Diego St
-#10 Villanova to 5th seed Marquette
-#11 Michigan St to 6th seed Minnesota
-#13 Wisconsin to 5th seed Illinois
-#14 BYU to 3rd seed UNLV
-#16 Pittsburgh to 8th seed Notre Dame
-#18 Gonzaga to 2nd seed St. Marys in the champ. game
-#19 Maryland to 7th seed Georgia Tech

Most of these were in the 1st round of their BCS tourney, sure is a lot of ranked teams to be "upset".

Jason

Georgetown was most likely already in, Cincinnati and Michigan would have needed three or four wins anyway, and Notre dame, Marquette, UNLV and Georgia Tech were most likely in as well. However, San Diego St., St. Mary's, Illinois and possibly Minnesota have definitely benefited from their tourneys and are all most likely in now, which means they burst four bubbles. And two from this group. are from non-BCS conferences, so most likely one or two Big Ten teams benefited. Possibly Mississppi St. from the SEC as well may be in as well.

[Chico]

Always have thought there was something funny going on in conference tournaments. Could it be to get more teams in the big dance?

[Future Walk-On]

I agree with the argument of the conference tourneys not being as huge to the big school who know they are in.

Except examples of like Ohio State who is trying to be a number 1 seed.

[Bravesfan]

Always have thought there was something funny going on in conference tournaments. Could it be to get more teams in the big dance?

Well people probably thought the first place teams in the Valley were "throwing" games earlier in the decade when teams like #4 seeded Creighton or #5 seeded Indiana St. won the MVCT those years.

Maybe it's time we do what the BCS conferences are doing!

[Chico]

Well people probably thought the first place teams in the Valley were "throwing" games earlier in the decade when teams like #4 seeded Creighton or #5 seeded Indiana St. won the MVCT those years.

Maybe it's time we do what the BCS conferences are doing!

Always have been of the opinion that the conference regular season champ should get an automatic bid. Remember 1981-82? Not a big fan of conference tournaments, but realize they are money makers.

[patrick_o'brian]

Always have been of the opinion that the conference regular season champ should get an automatic bid. Remember 1981-82? Not a big fan of conference tournaments, but realize they are money makers.

EXCEPTION: Conference USA. There is NO WAY that tournament makes money.

[Da Coach]

Another upset-
9th seeded Ohio won the Mid-American Conference Tournament-

Ohio 81
Akron 75 in OT

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/boxscore?gid=201003130003

Freshman and former BU recruit D.J. Cooper had 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Former Indiana player Armon Basset had 25 points, 6 rebounds. 3 of Ohio's starters played all 45 minutes.

[MDCowboy]

Thanks Coach. I should be clear, I wasn't really just talking about BCS school tournaments. Look at the WAC, Big West, MAC, Conference USA, SWAC, and West Coast. All were won by someone other than the #1 seed. It also seems like it is possible for a lower seeded team to do better in other tourneys than the MVC.