Mayor's Cup: Let's play two - Tulsa World (1-23-10)

[darrenj]

It is not a bad loss for ORU. It is considered a bad loss for TU by the fans and coach.

Pretty level playing field right now for both teams even if Tulsa won't admit it.

I do think ORU fans give Scott more rope than Woj has there; however that could be due to him leading the team to 3 NCAA bids.

[theeagleman5]

Geez....TheEagleman just listened to the post game interview with Wojcik....what a tool......throwing players under the bus like that....even if the kid had a bad game, he's still a student/athlete not a professional.....I have also seen Sutton when he's not happy but he doesn't act like that....TU players must really love this guy....they are probably praying he goes to Arkansas.....

[Old Titan]

I've got my own dysfunction, but most of it centers around spending too much time with the RPI.

For those who haven't seen it, ctt8410 does an almost daily post on the TU message board, detailing which TU opponents are in action that night, who they're playing, the spread, and their RPI's, with a synopsis of where TU stands overall in terms of RPI, their opponents' records, etc. - it's pretty awesome.

[theeagleman5]

By the way....see what happens when TU and Wojcik (tool) go on the road and face some decent competition like tonight at UAB?.....they lose.....the Hurricane battled back valiantly in the 2nd half against the #25 ranked team but came up a little short, 65-55....what a shame...

[tmh8286]

Doug Wojcik had another bad day yesterday. Here's the post-game interview after the UTEP game last night:

Interview

Rick Couri needs to wear body armor when he ventures into the locker room after the games! "They were trapping the ball. Did you guys report that???"

[theeagleman5]

TheEagleman watched some of the 2nd half of TU-UTEP....too bad TU lost....

[Old Titan]

Doug Wojcik had another bad day yesterday. Here's the post-game interview after the UTEP game last night:

Interview

Rick Couri needs to wear body armor when he ventures into the locker room after the games! "They were trapping the ball. Did you guys report that???"

Yeah, you can hear the exasperation in his voice: he knows if TU doesn't make the NCAA tournament by winning the C-USA championship in Tulsa in a few weeks, he's stuck for at least another year in a job he had no intention of keeping this long.

Rumor has it his representation has already made inquiries into the opening at DePaul, but the Blue Demons are reportedly wanting alum Rod Strickland, or Southern Illinois' Chris Lowery. Wojcik has looked into several coaching jobs over the last three seasons, but with no luck.

He sure doesn't seem to be having much fun this year, a season that was supposed to be a breakout year for him and the program. Still, I would make TU the odds-on favorite to win the C-USA tournament, since it's here at the BOK. They're pretty tough in front of their own fans, just not very good at all on the road.

[oruvoice]

OK. I'll give you Tulsa and I'll take the field. How much?

[Old Titan]

OK. I'll give you Tulsa and I'll take the field. How much?

I never said TU was a lock - I said they would be the "odds-on favorite".

There are four teams that could win that tournament, if they got hot: UAB, Tulsa, UTEP and Memphis, with Marshall and even SMU good enough to play the spoiler role on a given night.

If you want to take Memphis, with me taking Tulsa (as far as who advances the farthest in the tournament), for a BBQ lunch at the winner's choice of local joints, you're on...

[oruvoice]

OK. Deal.

Although, I could see a scenario where both teams lose in the semifinals....and what a DISASTER for TU (now to be known as NITU) and the city of Tulsa, to have UTEP vs. UAB in the finals, with 2,000 fans in the BOK Center.

Even with a TU-Memphis final (dream match-up for the conference), do they sell it out? Do they get over 10,000?

[Old Titan]

Just suffered through Wojcik's weekly interview with Al Jerkins and Chris Lincoln on "The Sports Animal"

Coach could best be described as "prickly".

Personally, I would define his attitude as "abusive".

You could tell his aggresive behavior was really getting under Al's skin - Lincoln tried to play referee, but it got pretty awkward.

Jerkins was defending his position that the NCAA tournament should stick with 64/65 teams; Wojcik was adamant that it should go to 96 teams, using Northwestern of the Big 10 (???) as an example of the sort of team that could/should get in, if the format was changed.

When Jerkins (to his credit) refused to back down, Wojcik's final word on the matter was, "Look, all I know is that Mike Krzyzewski at Duke and Bobby Knight think they should expand it, and they know more about basketball than you or me, so that's good enough for me."

Ooooh-kay...

[SOLO_Gold]

I have absolutely no tolerance for the argument of expanding the tournament. Anyone who subscribes to that idea is probably working on the premise that it's not fair when teams that "should" get in, don't make the tournament in the current 64/65 field format; nothing is life is guaranteed, and you'll never be able to "fix sports" so that everyone is happy. Yes it's sad that certain teams who "deserve it" don't get it, but isn't that more motivation to come back next year and eliminate the question all together?

IMHO - If you're interested in everyone walking away with a trophy, go coach tee ball.

[Dr. Cornelius]

When Jerkins (to his credit) refused to back down, Wojcik's final word on the matter was, "Look, all I know is that Mike Krzyzewski at Duke and Bobby Knight think they should expand it, and they know more about basketball than you or me, so that's good enough for me."

Ooooh-kay...

Ah yes, the appeal to authority.

TU's AD is lobbying for the first round of the 96 round tournament to be played on campus sites and not on neutral floors... similar to the CBI. Hmmm...

This would probably be funnier if it wasn't true:

[ORUJason]

I have to agree with OT's take on Doug Wojcik. I have not heard him in the past be so aggressive to the point of being rude in trying to make his point in an interview that should be lighthearted and a positive reflection of your program. It was somewhat bizarre how worked up Doug was getting about this issue. It seems clear from his response that he is under MAJOR PRESSURE to make the NCAA tournament very soon.

I can see both sides of the argument, but it seems that they should only expand to 96 teams if both tournament winners and regular-season champions get auto-bids. This would certainly allow another 5-10 mid-major teams to make the tournament, but I assume it would also decrease the $ that go to each conference for each team that makes the tournament.

If that change was made, then it would cause mid-major conference commissioners to change from rooting for the regular season champion (normally the best representative for the conference) to win their conference tournament and would instead be rooting against the regular season champions so that their conference could have 2 representatives.

[theeagleman5]

Good point there, Jason....TheEagleman is fairly certain that Summit League refs could take care of your last issue.....

[Old Titan]

Don't think for a minute that, from the BCS schools' point of view, expansion has anything to do with making the field more fair, or diverse.

This is about them getting more of the tournament pie with the new TV contract up for bid. The BCS conferences do not want any more George Mason's earning a mid-major conference millions of dollars by making a run to the Final Four.

What I worry is the BCS schools wanting the bottom 64 seeds playing "play-in" games, where the loser's conference does not get a share of the tournament money, while the top 32 teams in the bracket (99% BCS schools) get byes into the "first" (next) round.

I would only be in favor of expanding IF:

1. All 96 participants' conferences qualify for AT LEAST a 1/96th share of the money (which is still less than the 1/64th share they get now, but better than just travel expenses if you lose in a "play-in" game)

2. Regular season and tournament champions OF ALL CONFERENCES get automatic bids.

[oruvoice]

Even at 96, the field of 'postseason' participants would be a smaller percentage than other sports. SInce the move to a 64 team field, there has been a pretty big increase in the number of D-1 teams.

Pesronally, I like the idea of expanding the field...as long as some provisions (like OT's above) are included. Heck, I would mind a field of 128, with the first round being at home sites. Other than the college bowl system...pretty much every other sports playoffs are held on someone's 'home court/field'.

[Cris Belvin]

Expansion CANNOT include home sites. That would totally change the complexion of the tournament and almost totally remove the possibility of David beating Goliath, which is what makes the current tournament so appealing in the first place.

[theeagleman5]

TheEagleman agrees that if the tournament expands to 96....regular season and tournament winners of ALL conferences must get automatic bids....and first round games must always be at neutral sites...that is the beauty of the NCAA tournament...heck, TheEagleman didn't think it was fair that last year Villanova got to play their first two games at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia where they play 4-5 home games per season....I understand that teams will often have earned the right to play in a favorable local venue but it should never be a place where they have played multiple "home games" during the season....for instance, If TU or ORU gets assigned to the MIdwest regional in Tulsa at the BOK, it's fine because neither team plays home games there....

[oruvoice]

Expansion CANNOT include home sites. That would totally change the complexion of the tournament and almost totally remove the possibility of David beating Goliath, which is what makes the current tournament so appealing in the first place.

I hear you, but disagree. If the #70 seed plays AT the #26 seed, the possibility of upset still exists. Other than the top 15-20 teams in the nation, there isn't a huge dropoff from #25 to #75, in my humble opinion.

[Cris Belvin]

But there's a huge drop off from 25 to 26? Statistically speaking, home teams win between 75 and 80 percent of their home games.

[ManiacAlum]

Wouldnt this just blow up the regular season? I'm sure the BCS schools wouldnt mind that... I'd almost rather they create a Division I-AA, or at least continue the freeze on expansion.

I'd like to see them ask about 100 current non-competitive D-I schools to drop.

[ORUTerry]

If they drop those schools, who would the BCS schools play in their non-conference games?

[bballmangc]

The last teams in the tournament rarely make a run to the Elite Eight or Final Four (Seeds 60-65 and At-large bids #31-34), do some deserving teams get left out? sure every year, but really they didn't have a chance at winning it all and they should have won more games during the regular season. I think the tournament is big enough now...it would only serve to let more mediocre power schools in, and a few more mid-majors. Basically we would just see the NIT merge with the NCAA tournament and the CBI would become the NIT, do we really need that?

[ORUTerry]

This is being driven by TV and money. If they (TV and NCAA) think that expanding the field and playing more games will generate more income - it will happen. The goal of the BCS schools is to marginaize the 'md-majors' and cut them out of a share of the money.