Coaches for Cancer NEOhio tip-off next year?

[ysuindy]

Listening to Coach Slocum's post game press conference.  Talked about wearing purple to support Dan Peters. 

He mentioned that instead of doing a Coaches vs Cancer banquet next year, talk of a tip off tournament with the four NEO schools.  Said Cleveland State is the hold up right now.

I think that would be a great idea and should happen every year with the schools alternating against teams from the other league.  It would be great to do it at the Q, but even if it happens at Kent or Akron (centrally located) that would be fine.  Similar to the Crossroads Classic in Indy each year where Butler and Notre Dame play Purdue and Indiana each year.

[ValleyTalk]

Listening to Coach Slocum's post game press conference.  Talked about wearing purple to support Dan Peters. 

He mentioned that instead of doing a Coaches vs Cancer banquet next year, talk of a tip off tournament with the four NEO schools.  Said Cleveland State is the hold up right now.

I think that would be a great idea and should happen every year with the schools alternating against teams from the other league.  It would be great to do it at the Q, but even if it happens at Kent or Akron (centrally located) that would be fine.  Similar to the Crossroads Classic in Indy each year where Butler and Notre Dame play Purdue and Indiana each year.

I suppose CSU has some early season tournaments or games already set.

[DoubleE]

Listening to Coach Slocum's post game press conference.  Talked about wearing purple to support Dan Peters. 

He mentioned that instead of doing a Coaches vs Cancer banquet next year, talk of a tip off tournament with the four NEO schools.  Said Cleveland State is the hold up right now.

I think that would be a great idea and should happen every year with the schools alternating against teams from the other league.  It would be great to do it at the Q, but even if it happens at Kent or Akron (centrally located) that would be fine.  Similar to the Crossroads Classic in Indy each year where Butler and Notre Dame play Purdue and Indiana each year.

They do this in Iowa with Iowa, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, and Drake

[ysuindy]

Coach Slocum also indicated that he better stop talking about it and he had probably said too much. 

Right after that the Horizon League feed of the presser went dark.  From reading the paper, I know some players followed Coach at the presser.

[IAA Fan]

Coach went last Indy. They cut him out after he finished his game comments. After that he spent about 3 minutes talking about Peters. I just think the HLN moved on.

[Lets_Talk]

NEO tip-off idea is nice, and no reason it cannot happen. I like this even better, but doubt this will ever happen.

http://www.bannersontheparkway.com/2014/1/3/5268684/the-ohio-cup-basketball-xavier-cincinnati-ohio-state-dayton

..."First things first: OSU, X, UC, and UD get placed into the eight-team bracket right away. No Abilene Christian-style warmup games for these programs, because they're the big boys of Ohio basketball. To make the math work, I need a fifth team. I chose OU, because I think they have the best chance of not being abject in any given year. Besides, they just "feel" the next biggest, at least to me.

Next, six teams play on Sunday or Monday to fill the other three spots in the bracket. Youngstown State plays Kent State ("The Battle for Northeast Ohio!"), Cleveland State plays Akron ("The Other Battle for Northeast Ohio!"), and Toledo plays Wright State ("The I-75 Classic!"). The winners take the other three spots. The three losers play round-robin with each other to fill out their weekend schedule. You'll notice that having five teams already in the eight-team bracket means two of the seeded teams will square off in the first round"...

[IAA Fan]

A couple issues:

1. Since when OU relevant in MBB ...at least when compared to Kent State? I mean one is a perennial post-season player ..."and it ain't OU".

2. Who wants to open with a conference game?

Cinci, St. X, OSU and Kent are basketball in Ohio. None are in the same conference ...that's that.

I would rather pick up an OVC or MVC opponent. Besides it will be so much more difficult to find an OOC opponent late in the season to make up for the CSU and/or WSU game later in the season.

[Lets_Talk]

1AA, did you read the entire article? Also, this is not something set in stone. It is an idea a person had and wrote about, and one I think could make for some exciting OOC games.

As for the possibility of teams from same conference playing each other, that was listed as one of the negatives. If 2 teams from the same conference played each other in this event, it would count as an OOC game.

As far as the description of OU, who cares? Having KENT in with YSU, CSU and Akron makes sense, and the writer likely never considered having any of these 4 schools not pooled together. And, as for OU, they are not exactly a slouch program in the MAC.

Head-to-head, OU leads the series 90-44..OU has won 4 of last 5 against KENT, including both games last year, and at KENT this year.

OU has won 6 MAC Tournament Titles since Tournament started in 83. Most recent was in 2012. Also 2 runner-up finishes, most recent last season....KENT has won the tourney 5 times, and been runner-up 5. KENT last won tourney in 2008

* OU has been in NCAA Tournament 13 times. Only school with more appearances is Miami(17). OU has record of 7-14. OU first made tourney in the 1960 season, and last appeared in 2012 when advancing to Sweet 16
* KENT has been in Tourney 5 times, with record of 4-5... All 5 trips for KSU were from 99-08..KENT made Elite 8 in 99 and 02

KENT has more trips to NIT(9), than OU(4).... However, OU is only MAC team to ever win Pre-Season NIT, doing so in 1993 be beating OSU in title game. OU last played in post season NIT last season. KENT in 2011

Entering this season, OU has all time record of 1,426-1,064 in 106 years...541-447 in MAC(66 years)..MAC Tourney record, 37-26... KENT all time 1,116 - 1,163 in 97 years... 437-491 in MAC(62 years)..MAC Tourney record 34-25

OU won 9 regular season MAC Titles, before MAC split into 2 divisions... KENT won NONE .... Since splitting into divisions in 97-98, KENT has won MAC East 8 times... OU has NEVER won MAC East.

[jjysuwin]

OU has always been relevant in basketball. Idk why anyone would say otherwise.

[IAA Fan]

Cannot agree with OU over Kent. In fact you are right, I would consider Miami more historically relevant that OU. I have nothing against OU & realize they have had success ...just think it is funny that the author (a basketball fan) would see things that way.
It is precisely that OOC tally for a conference match-up that I do not like. That being said, I am in favor of the NEO tournament ...and against the all-Ohio tourney. Unless they guarantee OSU or Cinci (maybe St. X) ...and a corresponding single-game payout.

[Lets_Talk]

1AA Fan, you are entitled to your opinion, even though you are wrong  (SARCASM!!!!!!)

Miami is definitely the first team I think of when I think of success in the MAC, but then I am in my mid 40's. The Miami of today is not the Miami of the pre 2000's.

KENT is a solid program now, and has been since Waters. But, over the long run, OU has been much better and more consistent. But, again, we can agree to disagree.

As for this tip off tournament in the article, I think it has zero chance of happening. Too many schools involved to please all of them, plus some will not be willing to play a conference team as an OOC game. That being said, the NEO Tipoff makes perfect sense, and hopefully it will happen. Think it would be fun for the teams and the fans.

Also think that this type of thing could be done in the Southern part of Ohio given the number of D1 programs. There could be a "classic" of some kind with Xavier, Cincy, OSU and Miami or Wright State. None of the teams are in the same conference, and they could even do this on a rotating basis with the 5 schools filing 4 spots. Could even include OU, and either have 4 of the 6 schools play in a given year, or have a triple-header.

[ysufan0505]

Akron and OU have become top dogs in the MAC... Kent is starting to become the little brother to Akron... In basketball at least.