Opting out of this would be such a bad move. It's a game vs. a good mid-major every year on ESPN. C'mon man....
The top three bracketbuster games are..........
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 riksmits4prez |
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Posts: 145 (02/01/09 12:52 PM) |
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norbert |
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Posts: 3 (02/01/09 12:55 PM) |
It actually takes up two games every year with the return and limits our opportunities to schedule other things..
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BUcheer |
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Posts: 661 (02/01/09 12:57 PM) |
While most of us think of a Bracketbuster as a mid-major team sneaking in and taking the place of a middle-of-the-pack high major team, I think ESPN considers
the Bracketbuster a showcase for teams that could bust-your-bracket picks. Or at least that's how they've tried to explain the concept in an attempt to
keep it relevant.
Butler could never afford the exposure we are going to receive as a result of the match-up with Davidson. ESPN is in love with Steph Curry and the coverage we'll get is going to blow everyone's mind. It's another step foward in the national branding of Butler as a team that can't be ignored. While I agree a loss for Butler could/will hurt our seeding, it won't hurt as much as a loss to Siena (disclaimer: I think we will win.) And a win at Davidson will carry more weight than a W at Siena. I know...I know, for those of you that are hand-wringing over the RPI hit we'll take, let me point out, truer words have never been spoken: "Forget the RPI....because the selection committee will if it's convenient." WKT1955 It's about perception and IMO, Davidson is the best match-up we could have hoped for. Now before any of you starts to think that I like the Bracketbuster concept, you're wrong. But the reality is, we're participating and we will continue to do so until we've "outgrown" it.
"Butler is, well... Butler! After the program's multiple retoolings and consistent high level of play, it's now a
basketball synonym for "awesome." (As in, "That's a very Butler tie you're wearing, sir. Have a
Butler day!") --Kyle Whelliston
Last Edited By: BUcheer
02/01/09 05:01 PM.
Edited 1 times.
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norbert |
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Posts: 4 (02/01/09 01:01 PM) |
Well Said!!! It is fun to watch our team on ESPN--no matter who we play
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BMRadio99 |
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Posts: 211 (02/01/09 03:27 PM) |
Gonzaga got to where they are today by doing everything they could to get on TV. National exposure means everything in college basketball.
Why do better recruits go to lower-level power-conference teams? Because CBS has a deal with the SEC, etc. It's a recruiting tool. If Brad Stevens could say to a recruit, "hey, we've got ESPN in our pocket, you're going to be on national television 8 times a year for the pro scouts", what kind of players do you think we'd have a chance at landing? (I know, I know...BU recruits TEAM players...but there's gotta be some overlap there between top level recruits AND team players, a la Matt Howard.) |
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Butler seeds |
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Posts: 1809 (02/01/09 03:47 PM) |
BUcheer's argument is quite convincing. Well done...
BMradio has a good point as well, you never know what is going on in the coach's conversations with recruits. Being on ESPN often is a good thing for national recruiting. "Butler, which won its closing 11 Horizon League games last season (excluding the tournament), is 4-0 now. That's 15 in a row. It's not too
early to examine the schedule and consider whether Butler can surpass the league record of 21, set by Wisconsin-Green Bay from 1995-97. If Butler can make it
through January without another defeat, it would go for a record 22nd straight Feb. 2 against -- yep, Green Bay at Green Bay."
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 Duck on a Rock |
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Posts: 1314 (02/01/09 03:51 PM) |
WKT1955 wrote:Wishing Curry would stay for his senior year can be closely compared to commentary on the chances of Greg Oden staying for his sophomore year. Not happening, no way, no how. |
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Westfield Gutshot |
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Posts: 3344 (02/01/09 03:59 PM) |
norbert wrote: yes I would hate not to have any available dates the next time IU-South Bend comes calling... |
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Butler seeds |
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Posts: 1811 (02/01/09 03:59 PM) |
I agree with Duck. It's a pretty open secret.
But BUCheer's argument is a good one. The trade off in ESPN's exposure as they highlight Butler as a happening young team going from February Bracketbuster weekend to March tournament play would outweigh the RPI drop-off that would come from playing Davidson next year. Of course, it would be nice to win that game. It would impress the NCAA selection committee and justify giving Butler a high seed. "Butler, which won its closing 11 Horizon League games last season (excluding the tournament), is 4-0 now. That's 15 in a row. It's not too
early to examine the schedule and consider whether Butler can surpass the league record of 21, set by Wisconsin-Green Bay from 1995-97. If Butler can make it
through January without another defeat, it would go for a record 22nd straight Feb. 2 against -- yep, Green Bay at Green Bay."
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JRSmith122 |
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Posts: 503 (02/01/09 04:06 PM) |
Pretty sure Butler could opt out if they want. We didn't participate in 2003-2004 and Gonzaga doesn't participate even though the WCC does.
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KW76 |
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Posts: 9561 (02/01/09 04:11 PM) |
I think the Bracket Buster sucks wind, but it's obvious there are some in this league that need the help. For instance, would Green Bay have played Houston
Baptist THREE times, had they not had a bracket buster return game? It begs the question.
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wttn3 |
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Posts: 75 (02/01/09 05:05 PM) |
I wouldn't say that Curry going pro is a given. He seems to enjoy the college game and bringing the spotlight to the smaller school that he attends. It is
going to be tough for him to succeed in the pros, as he is going to have to be a PG and will be guarded by guys that are about 3-4 inches taller than him. He
creates fairly well, but that is one of the parts of his game that is lacking. He has no chance at being a SG in the NBA whatsoever. Also, if he doesn't
win the player of the year or his team doesn't advance very far in the tourney I could see it happening as well. He also may have a chance at the all time
scoring record, but I'm not even sure about the stat, he could be really far away, but it seems like he would have to be close with his scoring averages
the last 3 years.
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BUjet15 |
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Posts: 302 (02/01/09 05:51 PM) |
wttn3 wrote: Haha I'm sure a couple million will make him want to go pro |
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Staxawax |
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Posts: 3284 (02/01/09 06:08 PM) |
wttn3 wrote:I've only seen him play a few times, so I cannot make a fair judgement. Bob Knight, like him or hate him, has a great basketball mind. He states that Curry is the best passer he has EVER seen in the college game. THAT is why he will make it at PG in the pros. 
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NilDogg |
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Posts: 1644 (02/01/09 07:10 PM) |
thats a strong statement... best passer ever? Really?
2008 Horizon League Champs!
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BU720 |
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Posts: 1317 (02/01/09 08:28 PM) |
Better than Maravich?!?! Doubt it. Not even close.
"We've had a good program for the past 12 years, and we've never had an NBA player," said Butler sports information director Jim
McGrath. "Our pros are doctors and lawyers."
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Staxawax |
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Posts: 3286 (02/01/09 08:42 PM) |
Obviously the exact quote is up for debate. But don't lose sight of the purpose of the statement....... even if he is only the 20th best passer........
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wttn3 |
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Posts: 76 (02/02/09 10:47 AM) |
I think that is a very strong statement from Mr. Knight. While he may be a great scorer on the college level, he is far from being a great PG. He may have a
creative mind with his passing and make some spectacular passes, he does struggle with the raw numbers. He is 9th in assists, which is very good, but he
struggles to take care of the ball. Now, his lack of assists and such may be due to his inferior talent on his team or him shooting 25 times a game. I think I
could probably name 15-20 PG that are better than him at creating and distributing the ball just on the college level at the PG position. While he may be a
prolific scorer, he needs a serious improvement in those skills for him to be a sure fire NBA player. For being a great passer he sure doesn't take care of
the ball very well. 1.74 assist/TO ratio. At that rate I don't think he is even in the top 100 in the nation for those with at least 3 assists a game.
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willisbrown |
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Posts: 122 (02/02/09 12:48 PM) |
The concept is right about what a bracket buster really is. It would be pretty sweet to play it out like that, but you know and I know that not one of the big
6 conferences would want anything to do with that. It could do not one positive for those teams.
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downtownshooter |
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Posts: 1726 (02/02/09 03:18 PM) |
I am pretty sure the HL is now in a situation with ESPN (and the Bracketbuster) where we are forced to play. It was no secret that Lick could not stand the
concept of it, and wondered why it was necessary.
As for our matchup with Davidson, I don't care what their RPI is compared to Sienna or any other school. In the court of public opinion (and the Selection Committee), Davidson is the mid-major darling and a school proven to compete with the big boys. They are the one team (other than Butler) in this whole thing where a win against them would create a huge boost for us moving forward. As has been the case the past two years, a bad loss versus them, Sienna or any other school will drastically deflate our tournament seeding, regardless of RPI. |
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