Sixth seed in NIT

[rock70]

Check out what Alan Cutler, a Cincinnati sportscaster, had to say about UD not playing WSU. He has some pretty harsh words for UD.

Saw this headline in Dayton and I went off...
www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/ud/2008/03/05/ddn030608audible.html

RIVALS SHOULD PLAY. I STARTED THE CAMPAIGN TO GET LOUISVILLE AND KENTUCKY TO PLAY.

DAYTON ISN 'T TOO GOOD THAT THEY SHOULDN'T PLAY WSU. IT'S DUMB....IT'S SELFISH. IT'S INSECURITY AT IT'S HIGH SNOBBISH FORM.

SPORTS ARE FOR FANS...NOT COACHES AND OR ADMINISTRATORS WHO EITHER THINK THEY ARE BETTER THAN SOMEONE ELSE.....OR......HIDE BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID IF THEY START LOSING TO A RIVAL THEIR JOB WOULD BE ON THE LINE.

BE HONEST...WHICH COACH CAN LEAVE AND GET A BETTER JOB TOMORROW...DAYTONS OR WSU.

GET TOGETHER....SIGN A TEN YEAR CONTRACT...PLAY EVERY YEAR.........THE ENERGY AND EXCITEMENT WOULD BE GREAT !

Players want to play....Fans want to see it....PLEASE..


www.1530homer.com/pages/onair_alancutler.html

[theleewmowen]

rock70 said:

Check out what Alan Cutler, a Cincinnati sportscaster, had to say about UD not playing WSU. He has some pretty harsh words for UD.

Exactly.

[raiderrunt]

Click on Cutler's 1530 Homer web page and read a few of the comments, they are good.

[Tipp City Raider]

Raiders can only wait
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer

Sunday, March 09, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS — By 9:15 the morning after, Wright State coach Brad Brownell and assistant Billy Donlon were out the front door of their hotel on the way to an Indiana high school basketball game for a recruiting trip Saturday, March 8.

The rest of the coaches and team stayed behind, ensconced only two hours away from home because of poor road conditions from Friday's snowstorm. They expected to try returning home today.

The storm — yeah, it was snow, not Valparaiso — was twofold. Not only blizzard-like weather, but Valpo upset the Raiders 72-67 in a second-round Horizon League game played at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday. It ended the hopes of WSU making it to a second straight NCAA tournament, jeopardizing even a shot at an NIT berth.

That could still happen, but it would be a long shot when brackets are made March 16. Wright State is 21-10, which in a power conference earns immediate consideration, if not an automatic bid. In the Horizon League, selectors often want more proof.

Wright State won the HL last year, both the regular season and tournament. A first-round NCAA loss to powerful Pittsburgh was disappointing, but the experience was cherished.

"When you go to the NCAA," WSU senior Jordan Pleiman said, "anything less isn't as good. This wasn't as good as last year.

"You never want to go out on a poor note, although it doesn't mean your season wasn't an overall success just because you lost."

As happened so many times during the regular season for the Raiders, the game was decided in the final seconds.

Wright State trailed by a point with 1:01 to go and missed two free throws. The Raiders trailed by three with 12 seconds to go and missed a 3-point shot.

An otherwise successful season came to a bitter end.

"That's how it happens," junior guard Will Graham said. "They're a good team. Any team that can beat you three times in a year, that's the sign of a good team."

Other teams had Valpo's number. After all, the Raiders ended up 12-6 in league play, tied for second behind Butler. Valpo was part of a four-team 9-9 scrum in the middle of the pack. Loyola of Chicago — a team WSU beat twice — beat Valparaiso twice. Valpo also lost twice to Butler and Cleveland State, two teams WSU beat once each.

Graham reflected on a second straight 20-win season, a first in the 21 years of WSU Division I basketball.

"We had an 11-game winning streak during the season, with a relatively young team (only two seniors)," Graham said. "That's a fact that's going to be remembered."

www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/03/08/ddn030908wsubb.html

[Tipp City Raider]

WSU has shot at another tourney
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer

Sunday, March 09, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS — While the NCAA tournament appears out of the question for Wright State, and the NIT is a long shot, there is still one other postseason tournament that might be a possibility.

It's a 16-team event run by The Princeton, N.J.- based Gazelle Group called the College Basketball Invitational, beginning March 18-19.

The event will be single-elimination until a best-of-three championship series, with all the games being played at campus sites. The championship series would be March 31, April 2 and April 4. Some games will be broadcast by Fox College Sports.

"We know about it and we're looking into it," WSU Athletic Director Mike Cusack said. "We've talked about it at the league level, but I'm not sure at this time if we're interested."

While the CBI is not officially sanctioned by the NCAA, there are no rules against participating. The CBI also says it hopes to compete with the NIT for teams that do not make the NCAA field.

A third postseason tournament would not be unprecedented. In 1974, Indiana won the Collegiate Commissioners Association tournament when the NCAA field was much smaller and conference runner-up teams didn't receive bids. In 1975, the last year of the tourney, Drake won.

www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/03/08/ddn030908wsubbtourney.html

[Raider Country]

They put us the CGI tournament.

tcaa.puretecmo.com/nit06.html

[Wolf]

Dayton vs. Wright State? Please, just say it ain't so
By Marc Pendleton
Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 11, 2008

No doubt, you've heard this one: UD vs. WSU in the NIT.

The challenge is putting a new spin on a tired story. After 40 years living here, I'm overly qualified to weigh in on our story that won't die.

UD 55, Holy Cross 53.

Here's why UD and WSU should never, ever play: Just because.

That makes about as much sense as the wretched RPI drivel I keep hearing about.

Here's what the team on the hill should do: Take its ball and go home. Oh, wait, they did, ending the charity-based Gem City Jam in 1997.

UD 68, High Point 54.

We all get that UD-has-nothing-to-prove and WSU-has-everything-to-gain, thing. Yawn.

Let's just all pretend to be amicable and go our separate ways.

Oh, wait, that is what has happened.

UD 66, Coppin State 34.

Two WSU home games for one at UD. Not a chance.

Sacrificing two 12,000-plus home crowds to hurdle the moat and pack the other house is beyond the call of charity.

UD 63, American 56.

Strength of schedule. Good one. No way can an NCAA bubble-tub team take a chance on dipping among the loathsome.

It's been said all the team named for those brothers has to do is ratchet up its worthiness. Who knew?

UD 91, Loyola (Md.) 74.

I've seen men go ballistic about UD-WSU. I've seen a woman huff, puff and scream while defending her beloved school.

I like that unhinged passion. But for the good of college basketball, I propose you follow my lead and do your part to make certain the two shall never, ever play again.

I wouldn't wish that kind of

madness on any city.

www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/03/11/ddn031108audible.html

[Tipp City Raider]

Raiders want chance to play on
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Probably for the first time in their men's basketball history, there will be some drama tonight, March 16, for the Wright State Raiders, who will learn their postseason fate without any idea what it might be.

Oh, they know they likely won't be chosen to participate in the NCAA tournament, but the NIT is a real possibility and the fledging College Basketball Invitational is out there, too.

"If we get in (one of the tournaments), we'll be happy," WSU senior Jordan Pleiman said. "If we don't get in, we'll be happy with our accomplishments."

Both previous times the Raiders made the postseason in Division I, they had automatic bids, in 1993 and last season. In all their other seasons, they did not appear to be candidates for either the NCAA or NIT.

This year, they are 21-10, finished in a tie with Cleveland State for second in the Horizon League and were ousted in the second round of the league tournament. They played a competitive schedule, at one point winning 11 straight games and beating nationally ranked Butler.

They also lost their last three regular-season games — all on the road — and four of their last five.

"I'd love to play in the NIT," Pleiman said. "That would be fun. I've heard rumors we could play Dayton. That would be great."

The NCAA brackets (with 65 teams) will be announced on CBS beginning at 6 p.m. today. The 32-team NIT field and pairings will be announced on ESPN2 beginning at 9 p.m. After that, the CBI begins its 16 selections.

Wright State has already informed the CBI people it would accept a bid, but would not host a game. The CBI is asking host teams to guarantee a $60,000 gate, with proceeds beyond that to be split between the teams.

"That's too much," WSU Athletic Director Mike Cusack said of the guarantee. "But we felt it would be good for the players if we played in a tournament. We think the players want to play."

Scottie Wilson, WSU's other senior, says that's true, and while he'd favor an NIT bid, he wouldn't mind the CBI, either.

"It's postseason," Wilson said. "We just might be the first champions of the whole thing. Who knows, 20 years from now, that could be THE tournament, and we'd be the first to win it."

What the WSU players want is a chance. They'll find out if they have one tonight.

www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/03/16/ddn031608wsubb.html

[Jazzfan]

The 2008 MasterCard NIT field will be announced on ESPN2 and ESPNU.

March 16, 2008


NEW YORK -- The 32-team field for the 2008 MasterCard National Invitation Tournament (NIT) will be announced on Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU and ESPN2.

The NIT Selection Committee, chaired by Basketball Hall of Fame member, C.M. Newton, has been meeting in Indianapolis this week. In addition to Newton, the NIT Selection Committee includes Rudy Davalos, Don DeVoe, Gene Keady, Reggie Minton, Jack Powers and Carroll Williams.

ESPN will provide television coverage for every game of the Master Card NIT, which is played regionally for the first three rounds before playing the semi-finals and final round in New York's Madison Square Garden, the tournament's home since 1938. The championship doubleheader is slated for April 1 followed by the championship game, April 3rd.

[Big D]

WSU didn't make the NIT. CSU got matched up with UD.

[Big D]

blitzdorsey said:

I wonder when we'll find out about the CBI. Surprised WSU turned down a home game for that tournament -- $60K doesn't seem like that much to guarantee especially if it would give the team a better chance to advance in the tournament and get some more exposure.

60K is a lot to guarantee for an unknown tournament. We would have to get 4000 full price paying customers to attend to cover the cost. Take away our student section (who won't come if it isn't free) and corporate season ticket holders and we don't cover that amount most nights.

[rock70]

Just saw on channel 12 out of Cincinnati that UC will play Virginia in the CBI. Apparently the bracket is done but their website still is not showing it.

www.gazellegroup.com/cbi/index_main.htm

[Willie]

Valpo accepted:

valpofans.proboards28.com/index.cgi?board=valposports&action=display&thread=1205728617

[Big D]

CBI bracket:

www.gazellegroup.com/cbi/cbi_bracket08.pdf

[Deleted]

raiderd said:

blitzdorsey said:

I wonder when we'll find out about the CBI. Surprised WSU turned down a home game for that tournament -- $60K doesn't seem like that much to guarantee especially if it would give the team a better chance to advance in the tournament and get some more exposure.

60K is a lot to guarantee for an unknown tournament. We would have to get 4000 full price paying customers to attend to cover the cost. Take away our student section (who won't come if it isn't free) and corporate season ticket holders and we don't cover that amount most nights.

4,000 full price paying customers (@ $15 per ticket) would only cover the cost of the guarantee. There are other costs beyond the $60K that would go into hosting a tournament game. When you consider the administrative and event costs, complimentary tickets for family & friends, and student tickets, we’d need an announced attendance of closer to 7,000 just to break even. To top that off, we’d only have 48-72 hours to promote the game.

We played 3 of the teams in the CBI tournament. Our attendance for those games were 3,382 (Bradley), 4,189 (Valpo), and 3,813 (Miami, OH). It’s probably a good thing that we told the CBI to take their guarantee and shove it. Our athletic department has my respect for saying “no” to the CBI’s bad deal.