Postseason - WCC Tourney March 7-12, Las Vegas

NoPoNeighbor wrote:I love the poetic justice here... GU blackmails the conference into an unfair, unbalanced schedule and a tournament format explicitly designed to prevent GU from playing lower-ranked teams. In the first year of the new system, the 7 and 8 seeds advance to the semi-finals. I hope somehow the NET drops GU a spot just from the strength-of-schedule hit they take by playing Pepperdine.

In defence of Gonzaga, the scheduling changes didn't come around until late March last year and it's my understanding that teams generally have most or all of their schedules set by that time. I'm wondering if Gonzaga will go back to what they'd do a few years back and schedule a premier non-conference game midway through WCC play. They did this with SMU, Butler, and at least four separate times with Memphis. Could see them going back to this with more time to set the schedule this year.

If you delve even further than just Gonzaga's NET, last night was terrible for their resume. They were definitely rooting for USF (#66) and BYU (#77) given that any road win over a top-75 team counts as a Q1 win. BYU is now #85 and that win is now definitely Q2, and USF fell to #73 and that road win over the Dons is in danger of becoming Q2 as well if they fall just three more spots.

And obviously, what could have been another Q2 game in the semifinals against USF is now a Q3 game against Pepperdine which is meaningless in Gonzaga's context. Triple whammy for our friends from Spokane.

Dean Murdoch wrote:In defence of Gonzaga, the scheduling changes didn't come around until late March last year...

You're right, in terms of giving Gonzaga the benefit of the doubt regarding replacing games against UP and Pepperdine with a couple of terrible non-conference opponents. The proof will be in the pudding as we see GU's non-conference schedules for coming seasons.

But the question of what Gonzaga does with its two extra non-conference games is separate from the fact that the WCC changed the conference schedule (and tourney format) in the first place, after being blackmailed by Gonzaga. And that is why I think it is just beautiful that the #7 and #8 seeds have advanced to the semifinals, which is exactly what Gonzaga was trying to prevent with the new conference format.

I wholeheartedly agree with others who have argued that the last two seeds should be left out of the conference tournament. I'm also fine with the top two seeds advancing directly to the semi-finals.

First round: 5 v 8; 6 v 7
Second round: 3 v 6/7; 4 v 5/8
Third round: 1 v 4/5/8; 2 v 3/6/7
Finals: 1 v 2

NoPoNeighbor wrote:First round: 5 v 8; 6 v 7
Second round: 3 v 6/7; 4 v 5/8
Third round: 1 v 4/5/8; 2 v 3/6/7
Finals: 1 v 2

I'm in 100% agreement with you on this.

Not only would it shorten the ridiculous length of the tournament, it would also make league play a lot more exciting as the "bottom teams" will have to fight/scrap/claw their way to Las Vegas instead of just coasting the latter part of the season, hoping for the opportunity to get hot at the Orleans Arena.

bobtcat2 wrote:Dave Rose could be available after this.  67-25 with 12 minutes left!  insane, one of the worst showings I can remember by anyone let alone BYU.

I was off the grid this weekend.  How did BYU go down 46-19 in the first half?!  The Pilots actually played them closer, when USD had fresh legs.  I'm scared to look at Cougar Board.

#7 and #8 making the semi-finals?
That's four teams with very unhappy fan bases, and two teams with hardly any fan bases going on a run.  Crazy.  I wonder what the hit will be to LMU, SCU, USF and BYU for the NIT and CBI tourneys.  They may drop down or out.

Thoughts from the WCC power rankings guy on the quarterfinal games: wcc-tournament-quarterfinal-recap

GU had no problem with PU tonight, leading by 40 before winning 100-74.
USD gave SMC all they wanted, but made a few mistakes and key misses, to lose 69-62.

Go Gaels!

I know the odds aren't great, but I'd love to see Goliath get taken down tonight.

Dean Murdoch wrote:Go Gaels!

I know the odds aren't great, but I'd love to see Goliath get taken down tonight.

I am expecting a rout.

If I read this right, BYU had an unfair disadvantage of having to play a team playing their third game in three nights, because they weren't warmed up to the arena and used to shooting there.

https://www.ksl.com/article/46508262/is-the-wcc-tournaments-new-schedule-set-up-to-favor-lower-seeds

Yeah, that's why they were down 40 plus points.

up7587 wrote:If I read this right, BYU had an unfair disadvantage of having to play a team playing their third game in three nights, because they weren't warmed up to the arena and used to shooting there.    

Maybe another area in which SouthCarolinaPilot can gather some empirical data, but it has been my observation that BYU players, fans, and coaches can be the whiniest people I've ever had the dissatisfaction of being around....or maybe it's just me.  

i guess we also get shiny new logo



https://wccsports.com/news/2019/3/12/general-west-coast-conference-reveals-new-brand.aspx

up7587 wrote:If I read this right, BYU had an unfair disadvantage of having to play a team playing their third game in three nights, because they weren't warmed up to the arena and used to shooting there.  

That and they were out rebounded and didn’t play a lick of defense.

I don't hate it! Will take me a while to get used to that teal color though (the 90's are so hot right now!)... the WCC has been red/white/blue for as long as I can remember.

I like the use of the chevrons... I'm guessing those will be a major graphic element in all the collateral.

The real reason Gonzaga doesn’t want to be in the WCC....

I really like the new look. Much cleaner. The current one with the star is hideous, IMO, and a substantial downgrade from the previous block lettering with the Pacific coastline.

Back to the discussion on the conference tournament, where . . . WOAH NOW.

I don’t think I’m a big fan of the teal BY GAWD THE GAELS WON

VillaGorilla wrote:I really like the new look.  Much cleaner.  The current one with the star is hideous, IMO, and a substantial downgrade from the previous block lettering with the Pacific coastline.

Back to the discussion on the conference tournament, where . . . WOAH NOW.

Bring back the coastline.

Dean Murdoch wrote:I don’t think I’m a big fan of the teal BY GAWD THE GAELS WON

This makes me so, so, so very irrationally happy. Zags were ranked #1 too. I LOVE IT!!!

60-47? 47 is a Pilotesqe score. GU was 2-17 from 3Pt, including 1-13 for the starters. Norvell 1-11 overall, and Perkins 4-14 overall. SMC had a 18-6 run over the last 9:17 to close it out after it was 42-41.

Wait for it, it is the league's fault for being so weak that they weren't prepared for tournament play. Or maybe it was having to play two games in two nights. Zags should get a bye to the finals.

"Irrationally happy" kind of describes where I'm at too. Huge tip of the hat to SMC and what Coach Bennett has done with them. Supposed to be a "rebuilding" year but had them on the bubble all year long, and then got it done tonight when they needed to. Very impressive for him and his players.

That knocks Gonzaga out of any discussion for the #1 overall seed and quite possibly drops them to a #2 seed. That loss killed them...a 5-2 Q1 record obviously would have looked a hell of a lot better than the 4-3 they'll go into Selection Sunday with.

SMC will be an interesting case to see where the selection committee puts them, given their great metrics (now 29 in Kenpom after the win) but underwhelming tournament resume. They look like a #11 or #12 seed to me, but what do I know?

Dean Murdoch wrote:That knocks Gonzaga out of any discussion for the #1 overall seed and quite possibly drops them to a #2 seed. That loss killed them...a 5-2 Q1 record obviously would have looked a hell of a lot better than the 4-3 they'll go into Selection Sunday with.

Yeah, maybe not #1 overall using the NET that was released a few minutes ago, but with a number of conference tournament finals yet to be played, including the ACC with #1 Virginia, #3 Duke, and #7 UNC, the now #2 Bulldogs should still be a #1 seed if the seeding is to be based purely on the NCAA's NET.

Hard to say where SMC will be seeded, but their NET moved from #37 to #34 with tonight's win, and they are one of 32 automatic bids out of 68 total.

A tough couple of days in Las Vegas for Gonzaga, the women lost two of their players to knee injuries in their 2OT win over SMC yesterday, but lost to BYU today.

Ranked #12 coming into the WCC Tournament, Gonzaga should easily make the NCAA Tournament field along with BYU, the automatic bid.

DoubleDipper wrote:A tough couple of days in Las Vegas for Gonzaga, the women lost two of their players to knee injuries in their 2OT win over SMC yesterday, but lost to BYU today.

Ranked #12 coming into the WCC Tournament, Gonzaga should easily make the NCAA Tournament field along with BYU, the automatic bid.

While skimming through tweets, I believe I read that on top of that, their head coach had to leave during the fourth period due to a family emergency.

Sound Voltex wrote:While skimming through tweets, I believe I read that on top of that, their head coach had to leave during the fourth period due to a family emergency.

Ah, that's why her husband, assistant coach Craig Fortier, was running the show at the end of the game...had to be doubly tough for him.

EDIT: After watching tape of the game, it appeared both Lisa and a Craig Fortier departed the court together for a family emergency.....sometimes we need to step back and remember basketball is just a game.
EDIT 2: Craig Fortier did return to the bench, but Lisa had a car waiting to take her to a local Las Vegas hospital where her brother was/is under treatment.

Stonehouse wrote:I don't hate it! Will take me a while to get used to that teal color though (the 90's are so hot right now!)... the WCC has been red/white/blue for as long as I can remember.

Seems to me Sonny Crockett was nearly kicked out of the Miami-Dade Police force for wearing teal back in the late 80's...


But I guess if it works for Sound Voltex….