A Sea Of Red

Since our hoops program's credibility is rising, I think it would be cool if the powers that be would start a tournament that would feature faith based universities (In name or true faith based) it could be a four team or eight team tournament. here are my picks:

four team
Liberty
BYU
Notre Dame
Loyola-Chicago

eight team
Liberty
BYU
Notre Dame
Loyola-Chicago
ORU
Cal Baptist
Grand Canyon
Baylor/De Paul/Valparaiso

what would be your selctions?

Liberty
Wake Forest
Dallas Baptist (if they are D1)
Baylor

DBU is D2 for hoops.

Basically can consider most of the BIG EAST. That can also help with recruiting as well as showing some depth/continual growth of our program in that region.

There are several directions you could go with this. One example would be to put together a field of 4 schools who are actually unapologetic in being based on Evangelical Christianity. I couldn't think of 4 who were D1, so one of them is a nationally ranked NAIA program, which I think would actually be pretty cool for an early season or holiday tournement, which is what this would be.

Liberty
ORU
Grand Canyon
The Master's University

If there is another truly like-minded D1 program I didn't think of (don't give me Wake, Baylor or a Catholic school) we could plug that in instead of Master's.

Truth be known, there are only 2 schools who are actually faith based, in my opinion. Liberty and BYU.
A lot of schools were founded as faith based, but they have gone backwards.

ballcoach15 wrote:Truth be known, there are only 2 schools who are actually faith based, in my opinion. Liberty and BYU.
A lot of schools were founded as faith based, but they have gone backwards.

We may not agree with some of their theology, but ORU is certainly faith-based. Grand Canyon doesn't have quite the Christian emphasis they once did, but they still qualify IMHO. Notre Dame in many ways operates as a secular institution, but they are still run by Catholic clergy.

ballcoach15 wrote:Truth be known, there are only 2 schools who are actually faith based, in my opinion. Liberty and BYU.
A lot of schools were founded as faith based, but they have gone backwards.

ORU isn't faith based to you?

cruzan_flame13 wrote:Basically can consider most of the BIG EAST. That can also help with recruiting as well as showing some depth/continual growth of our program in that region.

As is the case with ND, those Big East Catholic schools, while they are for the most part owned and run by the Catholic church, pretty much operate as secular institutions.

thepostman wrote:

ballcoach15 wrote:Truth be known, there are only 2 schools who are actually faith based, in my opinion. Liberty and BYU.
A lot of schools were founded as faith based, but they have gone backwards.

ORU isn't faith based to you?

But BYU is.
Actually, I think they both are, despite the fact that Mormanism is clearly a cult.

I'm amazed how easy it is for some to troll others on this board with idiotic statements. I try to block trolling contributors, but their posts continually end up in quoted conversations.

bigsmooth wrote:Since our hoops program's credibility is rising, I think it would be cool if the powers that be would start a tournament that would feature faith based universities (In name or true faith based) it could be a four team or eight team tournament. here are my picks:

four team
Liberty
BYU
Notre Dame
Loyola-Chicago

eight team
Liberty
BYU
Notre Dame
Loyola-Chicago
ORU
Cal Baptist
Grand Canyon
Baylor/De Paul/Valparaiso

what would be your selctions?

I love your 8 team lineup. A good mix and would provide interesting matchups.

thepostman wrote:

bigsmooth wrote:Since our hoops program's credibility is rising, I think it would be cool if the powers that be would start a tournament that would feature faith based universities (In name or true faith based) it could be a four team or eight team tournament. here are my picks:

four team
Liberty
BYU
Notre Dame
Loyola-Chicago

eight team
Liberty
BYU
Notre Dame
Loyola-Chicago
ORU
Cal Baptist
Grand Canyon
Baylor/De Paul/Valparaiso

what would be your selctions?

I love your 8 team lineup. A good mix and would provide interesting matchups.

I forgot that California Baptist is now D1 (and off to a great start there BTW).

After being reminded that California Baptist is now a D1 program competing in the WAC, here's my updated 4 team Evangelical school tourney:

Liberty
ORU
Grand Canyon
Cal Baptist

I actually kinda liked having the Master's U in there because they are a really good NAIA program who could spice things up with an upset, but this probably makes more sense. Should actually be pretty competitive as well (although if it were held this year, I would like our chances).

SumItUp wrote:I'm amazed how easy it is for some to troll others on this board with idiotic statements. I try to block trolling contributors, but their posts continually end up in quoted conversations.

I respond because it gives me joy. Don't rob me of this.

HBU would have to be on the list before some of the others liek Cal Baptist.

hard to do something like this, becuase there are a lot of "Faith bBased" schools...

Libscomb's not on your list?

I would exclude Lipscomb because we play them in conference

Lipscomb, Belmont, Mercer, SMU, Baylor ... all could fall into the category on broad-based perspective. Some of these schools would have student bodies surprised to find themselves in this category. Some more than others.

Grand Canyon would make a bunch of sense.

thepostman wrote:

bigsmooth wrote:Since our hoops program's credibility is rising, I think it would be cool if the powers that be would start a tournament that would feature faith based universities (In name or true faith based) it could be a four team or eight team tournament. here are my picks:

four team
Liberty
BYU
Notre Dame
Loyola-Chicago

eight team
Liberty
BYU
Notre Dame
Loyola-Chicago
ORU
Cal Baptist
Grand Canyon
Baylor/De Paul/Valparaiso

what would be your selctions?

I love your 8 team lineup. A good mix and would provide interesting matchups.

I thought so too. Im thinking I would go De Paul for my last team. From a major conference with a decent known name but not that good. lol

Sly Fox wrote:HBU would have to be on the list before some of the others liek Cal Baptist.

forgot about them. They would certainly qualify.

Having hung around the GCU campus I had no idea it was “Faith Based” until after I left my first visit. So I would strike them from the list. People still think of Baylor as a Baptist School despite everything so you could go with them. BYU and ORU are no brainers. So my 4 Team Tournament would be:

Liberty
Baylor
BYU
ORU

8 teams would be a little more difficult but I like the idea of throwing a D2 or NAIA a school for grins and giggles
ND
Georgetown
Valpo
Masters/Azusa/Cal Baptist/Houston Baptist/Anything Baptist

I'd definitely keep Grand Canyon on there. Theirs is a different approach, but the more I learn about them the more I like them.

Mount St. Mary’s is still heavily influenced by the Catholic Church. The seminary is technically separate, but still-on-campus and the most powerful entity.

Cal Baptist actually has a win over ORU this year and is 11-10. Houston Baptist is 7-14, in what is arguably a weaker conference.