Even with win, BG can no longer gain bye. 5/6 seed only

[gmartin]

Even with the win this evening BG cannot secure the last bye. The following were the scenarios heading into tonight. However, BG could possibly spoil Buffalo from possibly being Co-Champs.

Current Standing

Akron 12-3
Buffalo 11-4
Ohio 10-5
Kent 10-5
EMU 9-6
BG 9-6
Toledo 6-9
WMU 6-9
Miami 5-10
Ball St 5-10
CMU 4-11
NIU 3-12


To earn the No. 4 seed for the MAC tournament and the bye, thus eliminating a first-round MAC tournament game next Monday at Bowling Green, there are several scenarios for the Falcons: • If BG beats both Miami and Buffalo, Kent State must lose both games (home vs. Ohio and home vs. Akron) and Eastern Michigan must lose one game (at Western Michigan and at Toledo); • If BG beats Miami and loses to Buffalo, Kent State and Eastern Michigan must lose both games, and Ohio must finish ahead of Buffalo in the standings; • If BG beats Buffalo and loses to Miami, Kent State and Eastern Michigan must lose both games. The final Ohio/Buffalo placement will not matter in this case. If BG does not get the bye, it will be the No. 5 or 6 seed and face either No. 11 Central Michigan or No. 12 Northern Illinois in the Stroh Center next Monday.

[gmartin]

If we could have beat either Akron or UB at the Stroh when we had them on the ropes we would have one more win, plus, a tie breaker. But maybe BG playing a home game at the Stroh will get this team rolling into Cleveland.

[Falcon137]

As of right now, would it be: Central @ BG winner gets OU?

[gmartin]

As of right now, would it be: Central @ BG winner gets OU?

No, I believe the BG/Central winner would play the 7/10 winner, and then that winner play the #3 seed Ohio.

[BGSU33]

Damn, EMU beat WMU by one hitting a shot with one second left. This new format for the MAC Tournament is huge. We're going to now have to win five games in the tournament to win it. We haven't won five consecutive games all season long....better late than never, right??? The top two seeds only have to win two games, the #3 & #4 seeds only have to win three games, and everyone else needs to win five games. Just goes to show how important the regular season and seeding is now. The seeding used to only set up the matchups, it now comes along with byes - which is way more important. Yes, those Akron and Buffalo homes losses (both by a combined three points) were killers. But at least we'll start the tournament with a home game instead of having to hit the road.

[Globetrotter]

Damn, EMU beat WMU by one hitting a shot with one second left. This new format for the MAC Tournament is huge. We're going to now have to win five games in the tournament to win it. We haven't win five consecutive games all season long....better late than never, right??? The top two seeds only have to win to games, the #3 & #4 seeds only have to win three games, and everyone else needs to win five games. Just goes to show how important the regular season and seeding is now. The seeding used to only set up the matchups, it now comes along with byes - which is way more important. Yes, those Akron and Buffalo homes losses (both by a combined three points) were killers. But at least we'll start the tournament with a home game instead of having to hit the road.

I think we are better off as the 6th seed because we play a team we have beaten in the case and avoid Akron until the Championship game. We are going to get 20 wins. Not sure if its a win next week then 3 in the playoffs or 4 in the playoffs though.

[gmartin]

A BG win at Buffalo and UT beating Eastern would make BG the #5 seed.

[BGFalconfromCincy]

Damn, EMU beat WMU by one hitting a shot with one second left. This new format for the MAC Tournament is huge. We're going to now have to win five games in the tournament to win it. We haven't won five consecutive games all season long....better late than never, right??? The top two seeds only have to win two games, the #3 & #4 seeds only have to win three games, and everyone else needs to win five games. Just goes to show how important the regular season and seeding is now. The seeding used to only set up the matchups, it now comes along with byes - which is way more important. Yes, those Akron and Buffalo homes losses (both by a combined three points) were killers. But at least we'll start the tournament with a home game instead of having to hit the road.

This new format is is going to be interesting for the top seeds, who are going to have a long layoff (a whole week for Akron and six days for the two seed) while the opponent has either a game or three under their belt during the week (granted if its a team with third games under their belt they'll be playing their third game in a row and fourth in five days).

[JWEIII]

It might sound like sour grapes - but this year's tournament format is garbage! A tripple bye!? A freaking tripple bye for the #1 and #2?! Then double byes for the #3 and #4! Shouldnt' the #5 and #6 get single byes then? Why not?

Holy crap! It's a 12 team league and you are giving 4 teams TEN free passes in the "tournament." I demand the term "tournament" be removed from this mess. This ain't no tournament. We could call it the "MAC Cluster F." Or "MAC Jolly Happy Fun Time." But tournament? Hardly.

It's one thing to reward a good regular season, but this is stacking the deck. Why not just have a 4 team tournament for the trip to the NCAA (isn't that what we are really doing here?). Giving 2 teams free trips to the semifinals is laughable and it looks desperate! And it sure as heck ain't no tournament.

[Lord_Byron]

. . . Why not just have a 4 team tournament for the trip to the NCAA (isn't that what we are really doing here?). . .

Yes, that's essentially what they are doing, and yes that's probably what should be done. But then it wouldn't be as big of a money grab.

It is kind of funny that no one over on the "Women's Hoops" board is complaining about the format.

[JWEIII]

Yes, that's essentially what they are doing, and yes that's probably what should be done.

What? Why? This is a weak effort to argue for an NCAA at large bid. Now in the back room on Selection Sunday we can say, "look at X team. They had 20 wins, were the #2 seed and made the confrence tournament semifinals. They should get in, right?" Never mind they had a bye to the semifinals. It's just silly. Is there any other conference that does this, at any level, for anything?

It is kind of funny that no one over on the "Women's Hoops" board is complaining about the format.

Same thing there. A tripple bye is very nice, but it kinda defeats the tournament concept. It's silly. I feel like the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference is pointing and laughing at us.

[Lord_Byron]

I just happen to think that a four-team merit-based tournament isn't so bad. Teams earn their way into the tournament, and it gives a better shot of the team with the best regular season record making the big dance.

Sure, it's fun when upsets happen and a 0.500 team wins the tournament, but then they get a 15 seed in the NCAA and get creamed. That does nothing for the conference or for recruiting.

The MAC's position should be to set things up to reward the regular season and facilitate the best team winning the tournament.

The Big East does it. They're a 200 team league, and the top four teams get byes into the quarters. The lower teams have to win five games in five days to win the tourney.

http://www.bigeast.org/portals/5/fls/19 ... racket.pdf

[hammb]

I absolutely love the new tournament format and think it's probably the smartest thing the MAC has done for hoops in a LONG time.

Reward the regular season. This conference needs to do everything in its power to ensure that the very best teams are the ones making the big dance. That's the only way we'll ever consistently win NCAA games (and that means way more money).

Personally, I'm quite fine with giving it to the tournament champ. Or just giving the top 4 teams in the regular season an entry into the tournament. I know those things will never happen because they make money on those games, but I'm for anything that rewards the best actual teams and NOT the team that gets most hot on 3 days in March.

[Globetrotter]

I absolutely love the new tournament format and think it's probably the smartest thing the MAC has done for hoops in a LONG time.

Reward the regular season. This conference needs to do everything in its power to ensure that the very best teams are the ones making the big dance. That's the only way we'll ever consistently win NCAA games (and that means way more money).

Personally, I'm quite fine with giving it to the tournament champ. Or just giving the top 4 teams in the regular season an entry into the tournament. I know those things will never happen because they make money on those games, but I'm for anything that rewards the best actual teams and NOT the team that gets most hot on 3 days in March.

20 wins

[gmartin]

. . . Why not just have a 4 team tournament for the trip to the NCAA (isn't that what we are really doing here?). . .

Yes, that's essentially what they are doing, and yes that's probably what should be done. But then it wouldn't be as big of a money grab.

It is kind of funny that no one over on the "Women's Hoops" board is complaining about the format.

No one on this board would be complaining either if we would have beat UB and Akron and EMU. All games we should have won. If we would have won those games we would have been a #2 seed and had a triple bye