[jbock13]

Well part of it is that I've got tons friends at VMI. Plus I admire their mission and discipline. Which for the latter, I think we all it Liberty do.

[g-webb1994]

Have a hunch the game Saturday will be as ugly as the nightcap tonight. UNCA is focused.

[jcmanson]

Yeah I've felt all week that UNCA is just too good to lose this weekend. They are talented, experienced, and focused.

[ballcoach15]

It's great to see VMI in championship game. I was hoping for a LU-VMI matchup but that did not come to pass. Hopefully VMI will beat UNCA and get a bid into NCAA tournament, that would be good for Confernece and college basketball. I fUNCA wins, they will be just another team, winning their conference.

[g-webb1994]

Regardless of who wins tomorrow, they'll be in Dayton in the First Four again. I thought UNCA might have avoided it with a better bracketbuster game at Ohio a couple of weeks ago however.

[From the class of 09]

VMI has its first lead 28-26

[LUconn]

VMI basketball:
The Opposite of Liberty.

[Cider Jim]

VMI is only down by one point at the half.

[Purple Haize]

I didn't like that T

[Purple Haize]

SCAR > LaPhonso

[Cider Jim]

VMI went down fighting, but UNCA wins the tournament.

[olldflame]

As it should be. At least from a basketball perspective, UNCA was the class of the conference all year. I really see no reason why they should be in an opening round game.

[TIMSCAR20]

SCAR > LaPhonso

I got to hang with Phonz and Justin Kutcher this week. Good guys! Justin looks 12 and LaPhonso looks like he can still ball!

[TIMSCAR20]

As it should be. At least from a basketball perspective, UNCA was the class of the conference all year. I really see no reason why they should be in an opening round game.

I think they may still get an opening round game because there are 4 opening round games now. If VMI had won, Duggar told me he would let me go with the team. 3 championship appearances in 6 years is impressive IMO at VMI. Their players sleep on cots and get up early every morning like the rest of the student body. Not your typical College Basketball experience that's for sure.

Duggar said today that he is undefeated in Big South Conference Tournament games on neutral floors or home. All 3 championship appearances were on the road.

[jcmanson]

Of the 4 opening round games, only 2 are for 16 seeds. The other 2 are for the last at-large teams to make the field

[olldflame]

Of the 4 opening round games, only 2 are for 16 seeds. The other 2 are for the last at-large teams to make the field

Which means UNCA is only in that round if they are one of the 4 worst teams in the field. I really don't think they will be.

[Chris Lang]

Lunardi still has Asheville in one of the First Four games. Here's a quick sampling of the RPIs from teams from lower-level conferences. Asheville is now #115, according to ESPN.com's Daily RPI.

America East -- Vermont 157/Stony Brook 158
MEAC -- Norfolk State 131/Savannah State 185
SWAC -- Mississippi Valley State 162

And therein lies the problem. The top teams from traditional one-bid leagues like the Big Sky, Patriot, Southern, Summit, Ivy, MAAC, Northeast, Sun Belt, Ohio Valley and Big West all have their first-place teams square in the RPI top 100. Unless there is some chaos in those league tournaments, it's going to be tough for Asheville to get out of Dayton. In fact, this may be the year that committee's loathing to put both HBCU league champions in the opening round will be tested. Those teams are so far below everyone else that you'd have put a team like Weber State or Bucknell (both RPI top 100 teams) in the opening round over Norfolk or MVSU.

[TIMSCAR20]

Eddie wants to play in that game because he gets a much better chance to get a W. It sounds good when you can say you are 2-2 in the Tournament which is what Asheville is at this point.

[Purple Haize]

Eddie wants to play in that game because he gets a much better chance to get a W. It sounds good when you can say you are 2-2 in the Tournament which is what Asheville is at this point.

I have ALWAYS been a fan of the play in game. Would I rather see my programmed showcased on a night where MAYBE an NIT game is on OR be lost in the shuffle of the first Two full days of the tournament full of upsets and Cinderellas? I do know our league office does not feel the same way

[ballcoach15]

I think VMI would have won if game had bee on neutral court. the Big South needs to find a real tournament site. I don't think UNCA should have to play in some play in game ebcause they earned their bid by winning conference championship, teams in play in games should only be those who had to recrice an invitation from selection committee to get in.

[kingaling42]

I think VMI would have won if game had bee on neutral court. the Big South needs to find a real tournament site. I don't think UNCA should have to play in some play in game ebcause they earned their bid by winning conference championship, teams in play in games should only be those who had to recrice an invitation from selection committee to get in.

UNCA also beat VMI on their home court this year- your logic makes no sense as to why they would've won on a neutral floor.. Especially considering that UNCA was 8-1 on the road in conference play this year.

UNCA destroyed VMI in the paint all day long while VMI lived & consequently died by shooting the 3 ball- then again, you're the same guy that said UNCA would be just another team winning their conference tourney while VMI (had they won) would better for the tournament- now how you rationalize that statement is beyond me too unless you just loved the cinderella storyline.. otherwise it's clear that you prefer VMI but they simply weren't good enough & one would think our conference brethren would prefer to have the best team represent the conference but what do I know..

[Purple Haize]

I think VMI would have won if game had bee on neutral court. the Big South needs to find a real tournament site. I don't think UNCA should have to play in some play in game ebcause they earned their bid by winning conference championship, teams in play in games should only be those who had to recrice an invitation from selection committee to get in.

If it had been a 2 or 3 point game MAYBE I could agree with that. I thought UNCA's new digs looked awesome on TV, the students really came out in force it appeared. If UNCA had some mon conference wins of note they might have a case for not playing the First Four but without that, a weak Conference and barring massive upsets theywillprobably end up in Dayton.

[olldflame]

If I'm the BSC winner, unless I'm good enough to get at least a 14 seed, I'd rather be in the opening round too. Wider exposure and a chance to put a W on your resume, and your odds of pulling an upset in the first round are really no worse than if you went there directly as a 16 or 15 seed.

[ballcoach15]

The way Big South tourney is formatted, it appears they want the regular season champ to get NCAA bid over other schools. VMI was a better team at end of seson than they were when they played UNCA earlier in year.

[Chad4Life]

The way Big South tourney is formatted, it appears they want the regular season champ to get NCAA bid over other schools. VMI was a better team at end of seson than they were when they played UNCA earlier in year.

And maybe UNCA was a better team than when they played VMI earlier in the season. Keep in mind that the same VMI team who had played their way to the championship game had lost the previous Saturday in Lexington by 17 points to Coastal Carolina.

VMI deserves kudos for their run through the tournament, but they got beat by a better team.