Bonus game schedule.

[dml7007]

http://conferenceusa.com/news/2020/2/16/mens-basketball-c-usa-bonus-play-schedule-announced.aspx?path=mbball
 

 

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

[Andrew]

No Thursday games and no consistent home and home weeks. Bonus play seems like a great idea, but I’m having a hard time wanting to back this idea. Sunday at 1 is a horrible time for a game and Wednesday night? Weird. 

[bstnsportsfan3]

Dang, I am going to be out of town next weekend for the la tech game 

[Shark84]

I don't like being off 10 days before the first conference tournament game. We won't be sharp and that could get us beat against a team like UTSA or Old Dominion. Last time we had a week between games, we lost to Rice and didn't play well. It is what it is. Let's go win the regular season title!

[Mean Green Matt]

22 minutes ago, Shark84 said:

I don't like being off 10 days before the first conference tournament game. We won't be sharp and that could get us beat against a team like UTSA or Old Dominion. Last time we had a week between games, we lost to Rice and didn't play well. It is what it is. Let's go win the regular season title!

Not a ton better, but it’s only 8 days isn’t it? 4th to 12th. 

[outoftown]

40 minutes ago, Shark84 said:

I don't like being off 10 days before the first conference tournament game. We won't be sharp and that could get us beat against a team like UTSA or Old Dominion. Last time we had a week between games, we lost to Rice and didn't play well. It is what it is. Let's go win the regular season title!

There is indeed 0 advantage to having the by in the last round. Weird that this happens to the 1 seed.

Also not good for making it interesting concerning the championship. For that, it might have been smartest to have number 2 at nmber 1 on the last evening, now it is way less likely to coming down to the wire. In fact, it could easily all be over after the third round. That can't be good for raising interest on tv. Way for C-USA to hose itself

Edited February 16, 2020 by outoftown

[MeanGreenHoops]

8 minutes ago, outoftown said:

There is indeed 0 advantage to having the by in the last round. Weird that this happens to the 1 seed.

Also not good for making it interesting concerning the championship. For that, it might have been smartest to have number 2 at nmber 1 on the last evening, now it is way less likely to coming down to the wire. In fact, it could easily all be over after the third round. That can't be good for raising interest on tv. Way for C-USA to hose itself

While on the surface I had the same thought, I think the reason was to get that big 1 v 2 matchup on CBS Sports on Sunday.

[outoftown]

25 minutes ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

While on the surface I had the same thought, I think the reason was to get that big 1 v 2 matchup on CBS Sports on Sunday.

Ok I hadn't thought of that. Still probably a disadvantage for NT to have its by on the last day.

Edited February 16, 2020 by outoftown

[Mean Green Matt]

Before the conference tourney, our rest days before each game are 7, 5, 3, 3, 8. This team really should be able to stay sharp enough to not get bounced in game one. I know everyone is tired of me talking about crowds, but having a big one for that first game of the CUSA tourney may help give the team an extra  adrenaline Boost to zone in after a longer than usual layoff. 

[Wag Tag]

Congrats to all! GMG 

[FirefightnRick]

8 hours ago, Shark84 said:

I don't like being off 10 days before the first conference tournament game. We won't be sharp and that could get us beat against a team like UTSA or Old Dominion. Last time we had a week between games, we lost to Rice and didn't play well. It is what it is. Let's go win the regular season title!

Yes, time off is never a good thing for any North Texas team.

 

Rick

[RiseUNT]

18 minutes ago, FirefightnRick said:

Yes, time off is never a good thing for any North Texas team.

 

Rick

That's old new Denton. This is new new Denton.

[Greenrex]

I am not a fan of this Bonus Game system because to me it is more about leveling the field than it is bolstering the possibility of getting more than one team in the NCAA tournament. In the very best of circumstances, the chance of C-USA getting more than one team in that tournament are slim to none. It may, in fact even be detrimental to getting a team in the NIT.
Our scheduled first game is with a very solid team, third place LT, and our second game is at FIU that has lost one game at home! Then we get a very good  second place WKU before playing the fourth game at another one-loss-at home, Charlotte! So, we get to roll into the C-USA tournament after an 11 day hard run and possible bullet ridden record. How does that make for higher quality basketball...for us or any of our conference mates?

[CMJ]

4 hours ago, Greenrex said:

I am not a fan of this Bonus Game system because to me it is more about leveling the field than it is bolstering the possibility of getting more than one team in the NCAA tournament. In the very best of circumstances, the chance of C-USA getting more than one team in that tournament are slim to none. It may, in fact even be detrimental to getting a team in the NIT.
Our scheduled first game is with a very solid team, third place LT, and our second game is at FIU that has lost one game at home! Then we get a very good  second place WKU before playing the fourth game at another one-loss-at home, Charlotte! So, we get to roll into the C-USA tournament after an 11 day hard run and possible bullet ridden record. How does that make for higher quality basketball...for us or any of our conference mates?

It's not really boosting a chance of getting a second team in this year, though it is boosting the potential seeding for whoever wins the league (IMHO).

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

1 hour ago, CMJ said:

It's not really boosting a chance of getting a second team in this year, though it is boosting the potential seeding for whoever wins the league (IMHO).

But the main reason they did this was to get 2 bids which is stupid

[Green Lantern]

16 minutes ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

But the main reason they did this was to get 2 bids which is stupid

I feel like the year or two before bonus play started that there was a MTSU/WKU scenario where they both could have made the NCAA tourney if they hadn't been playing RPI killing teams down the stretch which is what happened.  Bonus play is an interesting experiment but I doubt it will continue moving forward.  The CUSA coaches seem to dislike it.

[MeanGreenTexan]

18 minutes ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

But the main reason they did this was to get 2 bids which is stupid

I suppose we could be a 2-bid conference, or at least have a very serious bubble team.

Consider a scenario like:
WKU wins out in pod play, with our lone loss coming against them.   They get the 1 seed in the C-USA tourney due to tiebreakers, so we're the 2 seed.  Both NT & WKU win their tourney games to meet in the final, where NT eeks out a win.  You have a strong conference champion in NT (24-10), and a strong WKU squad (24-9) with tourney history.  It's possible!

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

Bonus games  .. no count games ..???  Seems weird ... Why try..? .. Does anyone else do this?? I wondered why conf play ended so soon.

Edited February 17, 2020 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[RiseUNT]

All I know is it worked out this year because we get Western Kentucky at the pit.

If it were a regular schedule. We would be at UTEP and UTSA and host La Tech and So. Miss. 

[MeanGreenTexan]

9 minutes ago, SCREAMING EAGLE-66 said:

Bonus games  .. no count games ..???  Seems weird ... Why try..? .. Does anyone else do this?? I wondered why conf play ended so soon.

They're not "bonus games".  It's still regular-season. 
It's just that these are scheduled after 4/5 of the season is over so the final 4 games have more weight. 
I don't know of any other conferences that do this, but I think it's a good idea to strengthen the top-tier teams' resumes.
Conference play has not ended yet. 

[greenminer]

25 minutes ago, SCREAMING EAGLE-66 said:

Bonus games  .. no count games ..???  Seems weird ... Why try..? .. Does anyone else do this?? I wondered why conf play ended so soon.

Only CUSA.  This is Year 2 of this system.  What you get is a top tier of teams that have to play each other at the end of the year.  Without this, we might play anyone in the conference, including the bottom feeders.

Conference officials feel this gives their post-season contenders a late season chance to bolster their NET/RPIs, and thus get higher seedings/more at-large bids.

[MeanGreenHoops]

4 hours ago, NorthTexasSportsNetwork said:

But the main reason they did this was to get 2 bids which is stupid

The reason they did this was to increase strength of schedule for the top teams which this does. It could lead to more teams getting in, or a better seed for the team that does get in (depending on the season). Not sure why anyone would be against the idea.

[keith]

4 hours ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

I suppose we could be a 2-bid conference, or at least have a very serious bubble team.

Consider a scenario like:
WKU wins out in pod play, with our lone loss coming against them.   They get the 1 seed in the C-USA tourney due to tiebreakers, so we're the 2 seed.  Both NT & WKU win their tourney games to meet in the final, where NT eeks out a win.  You have a strong conference champion in NT (24-10), and a strong WKU squad (24-9) with tourney history.  It's possible!

I think this is the only realistic scenario where 2 get in...at least that includes us.  We get an auto-bid with the tourney win and WKU as the runner-up gets in on their pedigree.  I suppose it *could* be someone else with the auto-bid and WKU, but I don't see anyone else getting the nod as the second bid from C-USA if WKU wins the tourney.

[Shark84]

2 hours ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

The reason they did this was to increase strength of schedule for the top teams which this does. It could lead to more teams getting in, or a better seed for the team that does get in (depending on the season). Not sure why anyone would be against the idea.

Don't think it will get 2 teams in the tournament but it does make for some exciting games the next 2 week's.