2021 WCC Games

Snus Junction wrote:I dont know whats in it for UP or WCC. How does UP benefit from the tournament. Maybe an extra game? TV $$?
Zags and BYU are locks and could reflect well on WCC if they do well.
If they are bombed out by COVID WE - and the WCC lose.
Lets spend the time looking for a new Coach and to extent allowed on recruiting.
Do we have a scout in Syria?

Teams get an escalating scale of tournament money for each round they are advance to. The numbers can be quite astonishing as you get higher in the tournament.
In 2020 the takes would have been 282,100 for six years for each ‘tournament unit’. You get a unit for getting into the tourney and a unit for each win.
Getting to the final four can be worth $8.5 million over six years. In the case of Gonzaga, they have gotten 50+ units over the last 21 years
If a second team gets in they also acrue units.


Years ago the WCC voted to share that money among all the teams in the conference, after actual tournament expenses.

It’s the biggest source of income for UP basketball. Everyone should send Mark Few a bouquet.

But the gravy train is closing. In 2019 the zags struck a deal with the conference to get a bigger share, and they will likely demand more as time goes on. It’s what all the noise about them going to the Big East was about.
If UP doesn’t start getting better, there won’t be enough to fund a D3 team. And it’s why Scott can’t screw up this next hire.

DoubleDipper wrote:BYU and UP are still the only WCC teams that have NOT had to pause for COVID...

Turns out BYU is so proud of their avoiding a COVID pause they have decided to “permit a limited number of spectators” to their final two games of the season.  

“Spectators will be physically distanced by household around the lower bowl of the Marriott Center with a small section of the band.”

In his always understated way, Coach Mark Pope said:

“We are losing our minds at the prospect of getting to play in front of fans in the stands this week. It’s not going to be everybody, but it’s going to be some people, and that is a massive step in a positive direction. We’re so grateful to our administration, medical staff and all others involved for finding a way to do this safely. We can’t wait to share a little bit of Marriott Center magic with the fans this week.”

I miss attending the games. Somehow watching our butts kicked live is better than watching it on tv.
Hope to buy season tickets and attend games next year.
Best of luck to Scott on finding a new coach and team.
I dont know about D3 but does/has the WCC ever dropped a member for inability to compete?

In one of the uglier games I've watched this season, SMC "upset" PU at home to get its 3rd WCC win of the season, but it was probably not enough to move them ahead of LMU or PU into the top-4 in the WCC (KenPom will not do another WCC ranking until Friday).

SMC lost to PU nine days earlier after a 3-week COVID pause.

For Pilots fan(s) there is no doubt the position UP will finish this season...and it means they will begin the WCC Tournament on Thursday March 4 at 9pm vs. the #7 seed.

Snus Junction wrote:I dont know about D3 but does/has  the WCC ever dropped a member for inability to compete?

Well, not yet...

There have been a number of realignments over the years (Geezer probably has a handle on that better than I), but they have generally been for the financial benefit of the institution or for better geographical and academic compatibility.

And face it, MBB is an outlier when it comes to UP athletics, as the school is competitive in all other sports.  However, MBB is where the money is.

Many institutions are dropping various sports due to "COVID financial hardship," but UP has not dropped any sports and 14 of its 16 teams are participating this year despite the COVID restrictions.  The only sports that are "grounded" are men's and women's indoor track.

Snus Junction wrote:I miss attending the games. Somehow watching our butts kicked live is better than watching it on tv.  
Hope to buy season tickets and attend games next year.
Best of luck to Scott on finding a new coach and team.

Yes, I hope we can attend next year, if for no other reason than to let the kids on the team know we appreciate their effort and abilities regardless of the outcome.

Scott has been interviewing virtually, and although I don't know any names, I understand he has interviewed D1 head coaches and assistants...most, if not all, from the west coast.

DoubleDipper wrote:

Snus Junction wrote:I dont know about D3 but does/has  the WCC ever dropped a member for inability to compete?

Well, not yet...

Going to pile on...

To my knowledge: no. DD is right about the membership being predicated on other university characteristics.

But, the reverse has happened recently. The University of St. Thomas in Minnesota was effectively kicked out of its conference by its D3 peers for being too good! Then St. Thomas asked for the unique opportunity to jump straight to D1 rather than try their luck at finding another D3 conference or elevating to D2. They have been invited to the Summit League.

With the exception of the bottom two teams the WCC had generally been a pac12 level conference the last couple years. And the 9th place uncompetitive team has rotated from year to year while the pilots sit at the bottom. The climb from where the pilots are (in a position that works out them at the bottom of the WCC when it was much worse) to where they need to be to be competitive is as large as it's ever been. Getting to 6th likely requires a team as good as the 2008/9 team that finished 3rd.

https://portlandpilots.com/news/2021/2/25/portland-mens-basketball-put-on-covid-related-pause.aspx

That's all folks! See you back here for the coach announcement.

Dean Murdoch wrote:That's all folks! See you back here for the coach announcement.

Would loved to have seen Ben get a couple more chances for his first D1 win as a head coach...

Perhaps a fitting end to ignominious season...

One more chance, apparently:

#7 SCU vs. #10 UP at 9pm on Thursday March 4 in Orleans Arena.  

My TV listings for Comcast in the Portland area shows the game will be televised on Root Sports NW.

Dean Murdoch wrote:https://portlandpilots.com/news/2021/2/25/portland-mens-basketball-put-on-covid-related-pause.aspx

That's all folks! See you back here for the coach announcement.

haha just kidding

https://www.upbeacon.com/article/2021/03/mens-basketball-will-play-in-wcc-tournament-after-false-positive

WCC Honorable Mention

DoubleDipper wrote:#7 SCU vs. #10 UP at 9pm on Thursday March 4 in Orleans Arena.  

My TV listings for Comcast in the Portland area shows the game will be televised on Root Sports NW.

The four men's games from Las Vegas that were originally listed as being televised on ROOT, are NO LONGER LISTED.

Anyone wanting to watch the men's games on Thursday and Friday will have to rely on streaming via Stadium on the WCC Network. https://wccsports.com/index.aspx

The Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday games are all on one of the ESPN networks.

Las Vegas is currently showing SCU as 13.5 point favorites, but most expect Vrankic and Caruso to dominate the Pilots insides and run away by 25 points...

DoubleDipper wrote:
WCC Honorable Mention

...and expected to be back in the lineup tonight.

Pilots +900 on the M/L

YOLO!

Down by only 1 at the half after scoring 45 and going right at Vrankic to get him in foul trouble with 3.

What a difference good coaching has made in this team, but someone besides Ali and Davis is going to have to step it up to keep it close at the end...

Another loss, but IMO it was the best performance versus a WCC opponent all season until they ran of gas.

Disappointing Coach Johnson didn't get a D1 win, but he should land on his feet somewhere...his short time as the head coach showed his ability to lead and also the potential of the Pilot players.

Final score: 95-86. SCU was favored by 13.5, the o/u was 144.

It was a fun game to watch, reminded me of the Pilots 5+ years ago. Finally got excited during a game. I didn't expect us to win, but we made a great showing. I doubt it will happen, but it showed that Johnson ought to be considered as Porter's replacement. Damn shame they didn't pull the plug on Terry a long time ago to give Johnson some real time as coach.

Pepperdine led virtually the entire game before losing to BYU in OT, 82-77, tonight.

BYU looked ragged, something like 18 turnovers, and the curiosity of the game was the number of offensive fouls heading to the basket...there must have been at least 8.

BYU and GU for the WCC Tournament title on ESPN at 6.

So..

Down 12 at the half. Does a loss cost the zags a 1 seed?

The question is moot.