Big West Tournament Journal
Day Two
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Game Day for the Matadors started with a 10am shoot around at The Dollar Loan Center, which has been home to the Big West Tournament for going on three years now. While I do enjoy both the facility and the vibe, it seems that the natural home for this tournament should be somewhere in Southern California. But then again, as a basketball guy, I was never wholly comfortable having the event in a hockey arena. Growing up in the Northeast, the Big East Tournament was held at Madison Square Garden, which although it does house an NHL team, is largely regarded as a basketball Mecca. But I digress.
First Round match-up for CSUN is the 6/7 match-up against UC Santa Barbara. The Matadors have never won a tournament game as a 7-seed, they're 0-4 overall and 0-2 in this current format. I don't like the double-bye with eight teams. It's designed to “protect” the top seeds, but you shouldn't have to do that. I understand the double-bye in leagues where there are 12 or 14 teams, but in the Big West, it's unnecessary tinkering. Just have a tournament. 1 vs 8, 4 vs 5, 2 vs 7, and 3 vs. 6. Make it a three-day event, where you can potentially see the best teams (and players) three times.
For the Matadors, it's been a long haul. My first year working with Alan Zinsmeister, we got to call a run to the Big West Final. As a five-seed, the Matadors, under then-Head Coach Reggie Theus, and fueled by Senior Guard Josh Greene, escaped in OT against Hawaii, and blitzed Long Beach State, a team that had kind of had their number, to reach the Final against seven-seeded Cal Poly. The rest, as they say, is history, as it was the Mustangs that advanced to the NCAAs that season.
You can join Alan and I on the radio call tonight, with Pre Game kicking us off at 820pm, and opening tip at 830pm, from The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, NV. Winner gets Hawaii, Thursday at 830pm, as well.
Excellent sir!