Gavitt Games Announced

[stever20]

Michigan St isn't ducking the National Champions. They have the Champions Classic on Tuesday night, and Nova is playing in Charleston starting on Thursday. That's not ducking anything.

[David HD]

Michigan St isn't ducking the National Champions. They have the Champions Classic on Tuesday night, and Nova is playing in Charleston starting on Thursday. That's not ducking anything.

Michigan State isn't ducking it. It's that the game isn't being scheduled because of this four day window that they feel they have to fit every game into. Dave Gavitt was a master at finding ways to make things work. Well, one of the ways to make this work is to simply play the game at a different time. We're not talking about just any game. We're talking about a top ten match up of huge national interest that would not only be the signature match-up of the event, but one of the signature OOC match ups in all of college basketball. That's great for Michigan State, Xavier (or Nova), the Big Ten, the Big East, and Fox. Yet, it's not happening. The only reason it's not happening is because the decision was made to not schedule it. They easily could have. Just play it either earlier or later.

[NJRedman]

I don't think "outrage" is the right word, but it's certainly disappointing. It should be disappointing for everyone involved.

The whole point of these "Challenges" is to create intrigue. It gives us showcase games at a point in the season where they're aren't many of them, which is good for the teams, the conferences, and the sport itself.

They had a chance to create a likely top ten match up, which would maximize the amount of intrigue, wouldn't you say? Yet, they didn't do it. Michigan State should be playing Xavier. Even if they couldn't make it happen in the Tuesday through Friday window, they could have made it happen a day or two sooner or later. The goal shouldn't be to get all the games into a four day window and work backwards from that. The goal should be able to create the best match ups possible, and work backwards from that. If you have to play it a day or two sooner or later, then so be it. Two not match up two top ten teams when you absolutely had the chance to do it because "the scheduling didn't work" is ridiculous! It's a self sustained boundary. So...why not make an exception and get the game scheduled??

Because X isn't a special snowflake and these leagues aren't working just to get X the best team every year.

X as well as every other team was going to have to miss this a few times, we still have YEARS left in this deal. The goal isn't to give X the best team in the B1G every year. Get over it, it's not a big deal. This isn't the A10. You want a high seed? Blow through your OOC and win the Big East. This whole series is about that 4 day window. You guys couldn't fit into that window because of your tourny. No big deal, move on. Neither conference is doing this specifically to help X.

[David HD]

Because X isn't a special snowflake and these leagues aren't working just to get X the best team every year.

X as well as every other team was going to have to miss this a few times, we still have YEARS left in this deal. The goal isn't to give X the best team in the B1G every year. Get over it, it's not a big deal. This isn't the A10. You want a high seed? Blow through your OOC and win the Big East. This whole series is about that 4 day window. You guys couldn't fit into that window because of your tourny. No big deal, move on. Neither conference is doing this specifically to help X.

I'm not a Xavier fan. I'm not a Michigan State fan either. I understand that the goal isn't to get Xavier the best game possible. The goal is to get the best games possible, period. They had a chance to match up what would have likely been two top ten teams at a time in the season where a game like that would have generated far more interest than any other college basketball game that week. Whether it was Nova v Michigan State or Xavier v Michigan State, it should have been scheduled. None of the current games have anywhere close to the national appeal that game would have.

X is not a special snowflake in and of themselves. But, a match up between two top ten teams is. That's why it should have been scheduled.

[stever20]

Because X isn't a special snowflake and these leagues aren't working just to get X the best team every year.

X as well as every other team was going to have to miss this a few times, we still have YEARS left in this deal. The goal isn't to give X the best team in the B1G every year. Get over it, it's not a big deal. This isn't the A10. You want a high seed? Blow through your OOC and win the Big East. This whole series is about that 4 day window. You guys couldn't fit into that window because of your tourny. No big deal, move on. Neither conference is doing this specifically to help X.

I'm not a Xavier fan. I'm not a Michigan State fan either. I understand that the goal isn't to get Xavier the best game possible. The goal is to get the best games possible, period. They had a chance to match up what would have likely been two top ten teams at a time in the season where a game like that would have generated far more interest than any other college basketball game that week. Whether it was Nova v Michigan State or Xavier v Michigan State, it should have been scheduled. None of the current games have anywhere close to the national appeal that game would have.

X is not a special snowflake in and of themselves. But, a match up between two top ten teams is. That's why it should have been scheduled.

Hyperbole much? Maybe Nova vs Michigan St would have generated as much interest as the champions classic. But wouldn't say that would generate far more interest than the champions classic- or even the Indiana/Kansas, Arizona/Michigan St double header in Hawaii(another reason why Michigan St isn't playing).

It's tough to call out Michigan St when they play Arizona, Kentucky, Battle 4 Atlantis, and ACC/Big Ten challenge in the first 3 weeks of the season.

[NJRedman]

Because X isn't a special snowflake and these leagues aren't working just to get X the best team every year.

X as well as every other team was going to have to miss this a few times, we still have YEARS left in this deal. The goal isn't to give X the best team in the B1G every year. Get over it, it's not a big deal. This isn't the A10. You want a high seed? Blow through your OOC and win the Big East. This whole series is about that 4 day window. You guys couldn't fit into that window because of your tourny. No big deal, move on. Neither conference is doing this specifically to help X.

I'm not a Xavier fan. I'm not a Michigan State fan either. I understand that the goal isn't to get Xavier the best game possible. The goal is to get the best games possible, period. They had a chance to match up what would have likely been two top ten teams at a time in the season where a game like that would have generated far more interest than any other college basketball game that week. Whether it was Nova v Michigan State or Xavier v Michigan State, it should have been scheduled. None of the current games have anywhere close to the national appeal that game would have.

X is not a special snowflake in and of themselves. But, a match up between two top ten teams is. That's why it should have been scheduled.

No, you're wrong about the mission of these games. The purpose is to get each conference some good OOC games, it's not about getting the best match ups possible. Get over it.

[David HD]

No, you're wrong about the mission of these games. The purpose is to get each conference some good OOC games, it's not about getting the best match ups possible. Get over it

Oh, well then! My mistake! If the idea is to get each conference some good OOC games, but to not include the two teams that could have given you the best match up and the most national interest, then I guess they did a good job.

I don't really need to get over it because I'm not all that mad or upset about it. I just think it's a missed opportunity, particularly for the two conferences and for the networks. Don't mistake me looking at them like they're nuts for not doing it as me being upset about it. I'd be much more bothered by it if I worked for Fox or for either conference's league office, but since I don't then I really don't care.

[stever20]

totally disagree redman. The goal of it should be to get the best matchups. Every other challenge currently going tries to do that. Why you saw Kansas and Kentucky in the Big 12/SEC challenge last year. You don't see Kansas going to play at a South Carolina.

[jfan]

On a side note, after Creighton v Wisconsin was announced, someone put up a link on the Bluejay Underground to a Wisconsin site. On the site someone made a comment about the State's mid-majors and included Marquette in that group. Two people took that comment to task, one stating that the BE had 5 in the tournament, two #2 seeds with two teams in the top ten all year and the National Champ. They said it was "silly" to call the BE a mid -major with that type of resume. Some people will still want to take shots, but it is virtually impossible to justify that type of statement now.

[NovaBall]

No, you're wrong about the mission of these games. The purpose is to get each conference some good OOC games, it's not about getting the best match ups possible. Get over it.

Exactly. Some people are really overthinking this.

The purpose of these games is to give the schools convenient early season out of conference match ups without having to scramble for a bunch of games while building some familiarity from within the conferences members (and that means all of the members). It is not about always matching the best team from each conference against each other.

There are other opportunities for the best v. best match ups. Pre-conference play tournaments, coaches v. cancer or the pearl harbor type games, the Indiana cross state shootout games, the crosstown shootout and big five games, or just regularly scheduled OOC games.


I am excited to play Purdue. Nova should be a top 5 team, and Purdue a top 20 team. At their place, that sounds like a point spread that should be within a basket and a 60/40% chance for the favorite. What's wrong with that?

I love the Georgetown v. Maryland action heating up.

At Iowa is a perfect chance for Seton Hall to try to pick up a road win.

If Bentil returns then PC has a chance at a road win too.

I think Creighton and Butler will be favored in their games, which is big too. Remember, the ultimate goal is to notch some wins for our bubble teams, and I think we might grab a pair there.


And regarding Xavier: The Xavier AD should get on the phone and start calling other schools if they need a game. Heck, offer a one time road game to a middle of the road major conference team if they are really hurting for a slot. X is going to be a top 10 team, any other school with an open slot would hop on that chance. Call Memphis, call UConn, call some random Pac 10 schools. There are games that can be set up when a top 10 team calls.