MWC Tournament Location Discussed
You knew the question was coming again, it was just a matter of when it would be asked.
The Mountain West Conference holds its conference tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center, which obviously provides UNLV with a decided homecourt advantage.
The conference coaches weighed in with their opinions on this morning's conference call.
New Mexico head coach Steve Alford is new to the routine after spending time in the Big Ten Conference. The Big Ten held its tournament in cities close to some of its member school locations, but always on a neutral court.
Alford said combining an already good UNLV program with their home rims and locker rooms is unfair.
"That is a big difference, a huge difference in a home game and a neutral game," Alford said. "Even if you are in the same city, there is a huge difference."
"I am just a big proponent (of the tournament being on a neutral floor), especially when the NCAA says the automatic qualifier comes from the league tournament," Alford continued. "In that being the future, than the league tournament needs to be at a neutral site so it's fair for everybody. In my opinion, there is not a lot of fairness right now for the other eight schools."
BYU head coach Dave Rose hesitated before issuing a response saying "that is a pretty difficult question." Rose said most of the coaches will toe the company line publicly, but they probably have some individual opinions that differ.
Rose believes the location of a conference tournament reflects on the overall view of a conference.
"I would like to move maybe more towards the way some of what we could call the power conferences do theirs if that would be possible," Rose said.
Utah coach Jim Boylen, in his first season in the MWC, has no issues with the current arrangement.
"I think that is what is best for the league to have it in Vegas right now. I think that is where our league is at," Boylen said. "I am not going to make a big deal about it. I have gotten 40-50 requests from people I know around the country who want to come see us play in the tournament and I think a big reason for that is that it's in Vegas. I am not going to be negative about it. Is it an ideal situation for everybody? Maybe not. Is it ideal for the league and where it's at right now? I think it is."
UNLV coach Lon Kruger agreed Las Vegas is a place where people want to come, and said the "ideal scenario" might be "another facility here where you could come to Vegas and not play at the Thomas & Mack."
"It may work out that way in the long run, I don't know," Kruger said. "But it is kind of a moot point. The tournament is going to be here for three of four more years."
SDSU head coach Steve Fisher said the topic will probably be on the agenda when the coaches meet in Phoenix in May.
"I would like to have it at Cox Arena if we could," Fisher joked. "That would be better for me."
****
Short shots:
- Alford is casting his MWC Player of the Year vote for his own guy - senior J.R. Giddens. "I don't know a more valuable player to his team than what J.R. has been to us."
- Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds recruited BYU freshman forward Chris Collinsworth and said "I know he is a good player. I think he has a tremendous upside." Reynolds called BYU guard Jimmer Fredette "a very solid freshman."
The Mountain West Conference holds its conference tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center, which obviously provides UNLV with a decided homecourt advantage.
The conference coaches weighed in with their opinions on this morning's conference call.
New Mexico head coach Steve Alford is new to the routine after spending time in the Big Ten Conference. The Big Ten held its tournament in cities close to some of its member school locations, but always on a neutral court.
Alford said combining an already good UNLV program with their home rims and locker rooms is unfair.
"That is a big difference, a huge difference in a home game and a neutral game," Alford said. "Even if you are in the same city, there is a huge difference."
"I am just a big proponent (of the tournament being on a neutral floor), especially when the NCAA says the automatic qualifier comes from the league tournament," Alford continued. "In that being the future, than the league tournament needs to be at a neutral site so it's fair for everybody. In my opinion, there is not a lot of fairness right now for the other eight schools."
BYU head coach Dave Rose hesitated before issuing a response saying "that is a pretty difficult question." Rose said most of the coaches will toe the company line publicly, but they probably have some individual opinions that differ.
Rose believes the location of a conference tournament reflects on the overall view of a conference.
"I would like to move maybe more towards the way some of what we could call the power conferences do theirs if that would be possible," Rose said.
Utah coach Jim Boylen, in his first season in the MWC, has no issues with the current arrangement.
"I think that is what is best for the league to have it in Vegas right now. I think that is where our league is at," Boylen said. "I am not going to make a big deal about it. I have gotten 40-50 requests from people I know around the country who want to come see us play in the tournament and I think a big reason for that is that it's in Vegas. I am not going to be negative about it. Is it an ideal situation for everybody? Maybe not. Is it ideal for the league and where it's at right now? I think it is."
UNLV coach Lon Kruger agreed Las Vegas is a place where people want to come, and said the "ideal scenario" might be "another facility here where you could come to Vegas and not play at the Thomas & Mack."
"It may work out that way in the long run, I don't know," Kruger said. "But it is kind of a moot point. The tournament is going to be here for three of four more years."
SDSU head coach Steve Fisher said the topic will probably be on the agenda when the coaches meet in Phoenix in May.
"I would like to have it at Cox Arena if we could," Fisher joked. "That would be better for me."
****
Short shots:
- Alford is casting his MWC Player of the Year vote for his own guy - senior J.R. Giddens. "I don't know a more valuable player to his team than what J.R. has been to us."
- Air Force coach Jeff Reynolds recruited BYU freshman forward Chris Collinsworth and said "I know he is a good player. I think he has a tremendous upside." Reynolds called BYU guard Jimmer Fredette "a very solid freshman."
11:41 AM
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8 Comments:
Babies. Vegas is the perfect place for the tournament. They've tried SLC and Denver, and those were disasters. Keep it in Vegas, man up, and go beat those Rebels. You all exist for our entertainment, and we have repeatedly shown preference for Vegas.
BYU always has the 2nd largest fan base in Vegas after the Rebs, so they shouldn't be too unhappy.
Finally, you can't compare this conference to the Big10 because there is no city in Big10 country that is comparable to Vegas in draw. Oh wait, I forgot about Detroit. Never mind.
There is the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas that already hosts a basketball tournament. There's no reason (other than $$) why it couldn't be held there and make most everybody happy.
But why not maximize the profits??? Just so UNLV plays with different rims? Does anyone other than paranoid coaches really think the rims make that much of a difference?
The whole point of a conference tourney is to make $$$.
The fact the tournament is played at the T & M is a JOKE. Did you watch the championship game last year? I saw it on tv and the camera was literally shaking after crowd-rousing UNLV plays. At one point during a timeout, you couldn't even hear the commentators through the "REEEBLES...REEBLES" chants. Neutral court? Yeah right. But with no viable alternative, I still say keep the tourney in Vegas, but with a major modification.
If you're going to play in Vegas at the T & M at least allocate the tickets equally between the two schools in the championship game. LV is a second home for BYU fans, you can't truthfully tell me that crowd last year was 50/50. That wouldn't completely do away with UNLV's advantage, but it would be a nice start.
So, home court advantage is ok as long as it favors BYU too?
A Conference tournament should not give one team a huge advantage year after year by playing on that team's home court. Making money is a consideration but fairness and a level playing field are the real issue. The only answer is to find a site that does not favor any one team or move the championship around from year to year to suitable sites. These are things other Conferences do. Jefe, once again, is way off base.
Does it really matter? The MWC is not a one bid league. Win the regular season and you're good to go. Weird things happen in conference tournaments regardless of where they are held. The tournament when held in Denver was a complete disaster!
UNLV is a member of the MWC only because it is in Las Vegas. When the MWC was formed, UNLV basketball was nothing to write home about and the football program is and always has been abysmal. Not even the legendary John Robinson could turn it around.
The city of Las Vegas is an asset of the MWC and it should use it to its fullest. Do you remember how quickly the WAC jumped in the tried to hold its conference tournament their when the MWC went to Denver? Las Vegas is an asset and everyone knows it. Nope, it's not fair to the other 8 teams, but life isn't fair. Besides, have you been to the Thomas and Mack with a full house? It's awesome baby!
The MWC is the only league in the nation that holds it's tourney on the same members floor every year. It's ridiculous. And why on earth is Vegas important to the MWC?!?? If the tourney was held in SLC, it would draw just as many fans. This is just another reason why Hair Thompson should be fired.
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