West Virginia is in the CBI

[thebigabd]

Pretty weird watching a team that has been so good playing in a tournament that not only lacks prestige, but has negative prestige... However, sounds like Huggy Bear handled it the right way. He took a vote with the team on whether they wanted to keep practicing and playing games, and they unanimously voted to play in the CBI.

What do you guys think? Part of me thinks an OU team like this one shouldn't play in the CBI because you have 6 seniors... But if your team is a bunch of freshman, new players, etc I think it could be a good thing. The more games you play the better. WVU has a young team, so unless someone blows a knee out it could only be helpful.

They play Grand Canyon, coached by Dan Majerle. They are 20-13 and lost to every single good/decent team they played this year.

 

[oudna]

Play. Sports are fun.

 

[CoachTalk]

Bad take. Keep playing until there are no games to play.

 

[perryj74]

How about the fact that they bought their way into the tournament?

 

[AnotherSoonerInTX]

The CBI is a pay-to-play tournament. They don't care if a team has a losing record, as long as the check clears. Power conference teams have traditionally shied away from it and the CIT.

With that said, the CBI loves not only having a power conference team in WV, but they love that WV is willing to pay to host games.

WV has a young team, so they see value in playing extra games, and are willing to pay to play them.

I expect WV to do well in this tournament, if not win it outright.

 

[perryj74]

Thank you for the lesson this morning. I can go about my day knowing I've already learned something.

 

[thebigabd]

I didn't realize you had to pay to get in... thats weird.

 

[pnkranger]

Play to get better, not to win games. Not a championship tourney it’s a developmental tourney. Take it for what it is and have fun/get better.

People call themselves sports purists and then want players to decline options to play ball. Pffft.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

I didn't realize you had to pay to get in... thats weird.

Yep. That is new information to me also. We all learn something new every day.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports...on-tournament-invitations-20170309-story.html

In 2012, for instance, Maryland and first-year coach Mark Turgeon declined to continue its season when the Terps were not invited to the NIT. In his decision, Turgeon cited "the current financial situation in the athletics department." As of 2014, the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) was charging teams $50,000 to host early-round games.

https://www.sunherald.com/sports/co...of-southern-mississippi/article228087094.html

(March 18, 2019; Southern Miss) Rather than using the NIT’s practice of allowing the higher seed to host games, the CBI uses a bidding process to decide which teams have the right to host games in the first two rounds. Teams are required to pay $40,000 to host a game in the first two rounds.

USM interim athletic director Jeff Mitchell said Monday that the school agreed to host one of the first two CBI rounds, but it remains to be seen whether they will be rewarded a home game if they advance to the next round in the 16-team tournament.

“After the first two rounds, there is no more paying to host,” Mitchell said. “But the company takes your gate receipts. At the end of the day, it’s less about the money and more about providing you an opportunity to improve your program. With everything the men’s program has been through over the last 5 years, the program is taking some significant strides. It was in our best interest to continue to play. It’s absolutely a reward for our senior class. They deserve the opportunity to play.”

Read more here: https://www.sunherald.com/sports/co...ssissippi/article228087094.html#storylink=cpy

 

[sheepdogs1]

How about the fact that they bought their way into the tournament?

It' going to be someone. It tends to favor the schools who are willing to pony up the money thus the smaller less financially sound programs get left out. Tulsa partook in the tournament and won it. It was a positive experience for both the team and it's fans.

 

[61sooner]

Seems like the same in playing early Dec. FB bowl game where you have to responsible for selling a minimum amount of tickets. Teams usually lose money going to those games.

 

[Max Power]

You aren't allowed to practice unless you are in one of these tournaments so he basically had the school pay for the ability to have some practices. If you plan on keeping the coach you should be willing to spend some money to let him try to get his young guys better.

 

[thebigabd]

They won their first game... junior guard Jermaine Hailey continued his terror with 24 points and 4 rebounds. He is gonna be a very good player for them next year.

They move on to play the 16-16 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, lol.

 

[SoonerTraveler]

You aren't allowed to practice unless you are in one of these tournaments so he basically had the school pay for the ability to have some practices. If you plan on keeping the coach you should be willing to spend some money to let him try to get his young guys better.

Agreed.

Especially when one considers that $50,000 is the equivalent of one week's salary for some of these basketball coaches.

$50,000 x 52 weeks = $2.6 million.

In other words, an AD could look at forty or fifty thousand as money well spent to support their basketball program.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Agreed.

Especially when one considers that $50,000 is the equivalent of one week's salary for some of these basketball coaches.

$50,000 x 52 weeks = $2.6 million.

In other words, an AD could look at forty or fifty thousand as money well spent to support their basketball program.

the rumor is a big donor agreed to pick up the tab for them to play in the CBI

 

[SoonerTraveler]

the rumor is a big donor agreed to pick up the tab for them to play in the CBI

Must be nice!

Sometimes rumors are true.

If given the same circumstance, this could also happen at Oklahoma. There are some hard core OU basketball fans that attend many away games and fly there by private jet.