CBI bracket and teams

[Da Coach]

[Da Coach]

http://www.gazellegroup.com/cbi/news/cbi_080317.htm

March 17, 2008
Contact: Dan Loney (dloney@gazellegroup.com), 609-921-1300

PRINCETON, N.J. – The Gazelle Group is pleased to announce its 16-team field for the inaugural College Basketball Invitational. The tournament will get underway on Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19 with a total of eight Opening Round matchups:

East Regional
March 18th

(4) Richmond at (1) Virginia, 7 p.m. ET

March 18th
(3) Rider at (2) Old Dominion, TBD

Midwest Regional
March 18th

(3) Brown at (2) Ohio, TBD

March 19th
(4) Cincinnati at (1) Bradley, 7 p.m. ET

South Regional
March 19th
(4) Utah at (1) UTEP, TBD
March 19th

(3) Miami (Ohio) at (2) Tulsa, TBD

West Regional
March 18th
(3) Houston at (2) Nevada, 9 p.m. ET
March 19th

(4) Valparaiso at (1) Washington, 9 p.m. ET


Click here to view the entire bracket for the tournament.

The College Basketball Invitational is single-elimination, up until the Championship Series, with all games being played at campus sites. Prior to the semifinals, the four remaining teams will be re-seeded. The Championship Series will be a best of three series (home-away-home), in which the higher seed will get the first and last (if necessary) home games.
“I’m excited,” said University of Houston head coach Tom Penders. "This tournament is something a little different. It’s cutting edge. Our program has come a long way during the last four years, and this is a great opportunity to be a part of a prestigious new tournament. Given the choice between the two (the CBI and the NIT), I would much prefer the CBI. They are trying to get the best field they can possibly get. "
“We excited to have a chance to cotinue to play and that the CBI is giving us this opportunity to continue to play," said University of Washington head coach Lorenzo Romar. "My players have worked very hard and deserve this chance. And despite our record down the stretch, I think our team has been playing some of its best basketball of the year.”
Fox College Sports is the official broadcast home for the CBI, starting Tues., March 18 with the Virginia Cavaliers hosting the Richmond Spiders at 7 p.m. ET and the Nevada Wolf Pack hosting the Houston Cougars at 9 p.m. ET. Two more games will be aired on Wed., March 19 with the Cincinnati Bearcats visiting the Bradley Braves (7 p.m. ET) and the Washington Huskies hosting the Valparaiso Crusaders at 9 p.m. ET.
The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting, based in Princeton, N.J. Gazelle produces numerous nationally-recognized events, such as the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer, the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic and the Legends Classic. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit www.gazellegroup.com.

[BUFAN]

Thanks a lot coach, looks like you burned some midnight oil.

[Dallas Brave]

Does anyone know if the Illini received a CBI invitation.

With as well as they played in the B10 tournament, I would think the players would have loved a chance to win this tournament.

[Da Coach]

As we posted last night, and in the thread below, there are reports that the Illini let the CBI know they were not interested--

http://www.bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7632

[Dallas Brave]

As we posted last night, and in the thread below, there are reports that the Illini let the CBI know they were not interested--

http://www.bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7632

Well I was on-line last night ... but I couldn't keep up with all the posts
This site has become too popular!

[Da Coach]

Ticket sales at brisk at Tulas--

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080317_2__TheUn62533

And some are upset at Alabama that the AD turned down the opportunity to participate--

http://blog.al.com/tidecorner/2008/03/tide_basketball_turns_corner_t.html

[Rusty 54]

And some are upset at Alabama that the AD turned down the opportunity to participate--
http://blog.al.com/tidecorner/2008/0..._corner_t.html

That one really lights up the 'Bama AD. Glad we have an award-winning AD and that our seniors will be playing Wednesday!

[Dallas Brave]

Ticket sales at brisk at Tulas--

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080317_2__TheUn62533

And some are upset at Alabama that the AD turned down the opportunity to participate--
http://blog.al.com/tidecorner/2008/0..._corner_t.html

What the heck does he mean by this statement?
"If Bradley and UTEP can weather the financial storm to participate in the tournament, one would think Alabama could too."

But, back to his main point, it's hard to fathom that a $60,000 guarantee would be an issue for a team that averaged over 12,000 fans per game in 2007. Maybe Spring Break was an issue.

[Da Coach]

I think it's obvious what he means....if those backward hicks from Peoria and El Paso can pony up $60,000, why can't us civilized people at an advanced basketball powerhouse like Alabama afford to do so.

[Rusty 54]

I never thought I would see the day people from Alabama called people from Illinois hicks

[Dallas Brave]

I think it's obvious what he means....if those backward hicks from Peoria and El Paso can pony up $60,000, why can't us civilized people at an advanced basketball powerhouse like Alabama afford to do so.

Well, I guess our AD is a better money manager than their AD. Maybe in Alabama, they only deal in pork bellies and shrimp heads ... this dollar thing might have them baffled.

[VeveJones007]

I know that I'm getting WAY ahead of myself, but if Bradley makes the finals, would we have just one home game possible since we're on the bottom half of the bracket?

[MacabreMob]

I know that I'm getting WAY ahead of myself, but if Bradley makes the finals, would we have just one home game possible since we're on the bottom half of the bracket?

I think it all depends on who gets to the "Final 4"... which then gets re-seeded. For example, if Valpo, Mia-Oh, ODU and Bradley get to the Final 4.... we could be the top seed.

But of the #1 seeds, I would say (at best) we are the 3rd #1 over UTEP... but even then, that's a stretch.

So yea... if Bradley were to make it to the Finals, I'd say we would be looking at only 1 home game IMO.

[SaintLouBrave22]

I never thought I would see the day people from Alabama called people from Illinois hicks

Thats because there are 3 groups:

• hicks
• hillbillies
• rednecks

Hicks (us apparently) preside in the midwest and northern states

Hillbillies are mainly the Kentucky and Tennessee variety...

Those Bama people...they would be constituted as rednecks...


And yes, if your AD refuses a home game in the CBI because he thinks you would rather spend your money on cheap booze, lawn ornaments, and NASCAR....you might be a redneck