NCAA tried to stop the CBI...

[SFP]

Here's an article on ESPN and I'm quite suprise that it is even on their site because they do not even have an update of the tournament since BU beat UVA.

"The tournament got off to a rocky start. The 16-team bracket didn't get finalized until after midnight on Selection Sunday, less than 48 hours before the first games were to be played.

Giles said one factor was a cease-and-desist letter that the NIT sent to the CBI a day earlier.

"That really got us all screwed up. They were telling teams, 'Don't play in this event. Don't talk to these guys," said Giles, the founder of The Gazelle Group, which operates the tournament."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=ncb&id=3328316

[Bravesfan]

Great article! I think the NIT/NCAA threat was touched upon in other threads previously, but this really drives the point home. I wonder what they are afraid of, that the little ol' CBI is going to cut into the NIT or NCAA money tree? Talk about paranoia!

[Da Coach]

Here is a nice article from Sports Illustrated about the CBI. Nice to see some of the major media paying some attention to the CBI. Some of the national sites have intentionally ignored it.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/ncaa/wires/04/03/2060.ap.bkc.cbi.future.1st.ld.writethru.0760/

[Bravesfan]

Here is a nice article from Sports Illustrated about the CBI. Nice to see some of the major media paying some attention to the CBI. Some of the national sites have intentionally ignored it.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ritethru.0760/

This is the same article that SF Pete posted above from ESPN.com. It is an AP article, so that maybe explains why ESPN.com posted it.

[MacabreMob]

I was very skeptical of this tourney. Was not sure what path they were gonna take.

Seems the path they have taken so far is one I like.

NIT just can't bring themselves to make an MVC team a 1 seed.

This tourney showed they desired interesting matchups to hope/help fill seats.

Friend told me he heard from somewhat reliable sources at the IHSA Tourney there were rumblings of UIUC is gonna be sent to Bradley in the CBI. I told him NO WAY would they send them here to get only 11,000 when they could get 16,000 down there. But it makes sense now. UIUC woulda maybe gotten 8,000 (just guessing and that is with about 1500 Bradley fans). Bradley/Peoria woulda packed in 11,000 plus for that matchup. Too bad UIUC didn't want to play. (honestly - as good as they were playing down the stretch, I think they mighta beat us.... nahhhh.... we woulda smoked 'em... but we will never know)

Anyway. This tourney IMO is about putting fans in seats, and if BCS fans think it is below them to attend a game, then they get sent on the road to an in-state type of rivalry where the "underdog" will draw more fans desiring the matchup.

I like it!

[Bravesfan]

I was very skeptical of this tourney. Was not sure what path they were gonna take.

Seems the path they have taken so far is one I like.

NIT just can't bring themselves to make an MVC team a 1 seed.

This tourney showed they desired interesting matchups to hope/help fill seats.

Friend told me he heard from somewhat reliable sources at the IHSA Tourney there were rumblings of UIUC is gonna be sent to Bradley in the CBI. I told him NO WAY would they send them here to get only 11,000 when they could get 16,000 down there. But it makes sense now. UIUC woulda maybe gotten 8,000 (just guessing and that is with about 1500 Bradley fans). Bradley/Peoria woulda packed in 11,000 plus for that matchup. Too bad UIUC didn't want to play. (honestly - as good as they were playing down the stretch, I think they mighta beat us.... nahhhh.... we woulda smoked 'em... but we will never know)

Anyway. This tourney IMO is about putting fans in seats, and if BCS fans think it is below them to attend a game, then they get sent on the road to an in-state type of rivalry where the "underdog" will draw more fans desiring the matchup.

I like it!

Well, you can thank the old fogies running the NIT for not having the guts to seed a Valley team #1 (though they did seed Air Force #1 last year. Go figure!). The CBI may be a crapshoot like the old NIT was, but at least it gives the mid-majors a shot at a #1 seed, even if they reseed like they did for the semifinals.

And as far as UIUC, well, that's their loss, though I feel sorry any of the players or fans that wanted their team to continue playing.

[BradleyBrave]

As I said in another thread a few weeks ago, if the NCAA doesn't like it and it is a thorn in their side, then that tells me that this is a good thing and the right thing to do. The positive press continues for BU in an otherwise lost season. It baffles me that we still find some naysayers regarding this tournament. I don't think anyone has delusions of graduer that this is anywhere close to the feeling or experience of the NCAA's. But for a team that never got a chance to show what it could be, and for a couple of seniors who helped put this program back on the map, it's been all we could ask for and more.

[ph]

Well, you can thank the old fogies running the NIT for not having the guts to seed a Valley team #1 (though they did seed Air Force #1 last year. Go figure!). The CBI may be a crapshoot like the old NIT was, but at least it gives the mid-majors a shot at a #1 seed, even if they reseed like they did for the semifinals.

And as far as UIUC, well, that's their loss, though I feel sorry any of the players or fans that wanted their team to continue playing.

Well, #2 was lucky in the other 3 NIT regions..

[jasonpeoria911]

I didn't see it mentioned anywhere else but the main Yahoo sports page had a little blurb on Bradley forcing a game 3 in the CBI. The story was on the right in the list of main sports stories after the game last night. I didn't see it listed yet on ESPN or CBS at the time.

Jason

[ifarania]

ESPN at least listed the score on the ticker, but they had it under "NCAAM." ... Interesting that they refuse to type "CBI."

[ser_solace]

ESPN at least listed the score on the ticker, but they had it under "NCAAM." ... Interesting that they refuse to type "CBI."

Before they listed it under the plain description "basketball," so I think "NCAAM" is a step-up. heh.

[mike radigan]

When the tourney started, weren't we a number 1 seed? Then they reseeded for the final four and weren't we moved down in seeding because we couldn't host? I THINK the final four seeding was mandated by who's hosting?

[thefish7]

That's exactly what happened with the seeding, Mike. I also think that the reseeding was done for the reasons you suggest, though that's just my theory, I don't have facts to back that part up.

[STLBrave84]

Since Disney's High School Musical overtook Carver when we were supposed to host, yes that is one reason we got reseeded...another is because they didn't want 2 C-USA teams playing each other, so that is why we got stuck with the #4 seed...but hey, it worked out for us!


GO BRAVES!!