JayMo4

March 11th, 2014 at 9:46 AM ^

I like that we've played in a lot of these early season tournaments since Beilein took over.  Adds a little more drama to the non-con slate.

Raoul

March 11th, 2014 at 1:46 PM ^

There used to be a two-in-four-years restiction on participating in "exempt" tournaments. Now, you can play in a "multi-team event" every year, but you cannot play in the same event twice in a four-year period. This is from a 2012 Indy Week article:

Welcome to the world of NCAA Bylaw 17.3.5.1.1, aka the "qualifying regular-season multi-team event" (MTE).

While early-season and holiday tournaments are nearly as old as college basketball itself, their present-day iteration was forged by a 2006 adjustment to the rule governing such so-called "exempt" tournaments, allowing up to four games played under the auspices of a single MTE to count as just one against the NCAA-prescribed maximum of 28 regular-season games. (Teams not participating in an MTE can play a total of 29 regular season contests.)

Formerly, schools were limited to no more than two exempt tournaments every four years. The 2006 rule change loosened those restrictions, permitting schools to participate in an MTE every year if they like, as long as they don't play in the same tournament twice per four-year period. With a larger supply of eligible schools every season, plus a greater demand for tournaments to choose from per quadrennial, an explosion of MTEs has taken place over the ensuing six years: Battle 4 Atlantis, Puerto Rico Tip-off, the EA Sports Maui Invitational, the Old Spice Classic near Disney World and more.

The restriction on foreign tours is once every four years. That last Michigan trip was in 2010, so I wonder if they might set one up for this summer.

jtmc33

March 11th, 2014 at 9:50 AM ^

We are experiencing first hand what a tough non-conference schedule, which includes pre-season tourneys and nuetral game match-ups, can do for your team's developement for long term success.

(Right Tom Crean????)

jtmc33

March 11th, 2014 at 10:18 AM ^

IU had the easiest non-conference schedule in the B1G;  when they were on the bubble (so, so long ago) the "experts" pointed to their sub-par scheduling as the reason they were on the outside looking in.  That was before they lost a lot of games in conference and made it all irrelevant. 

Tom Crean ruined Tom Crean's program....

Hagen

March 11th, 2014 at 10:22 AM ^

I live in NYC and have been to the M games at the Barclays center the past two years (vs. WVU and Stanford) as well as the M games at the Garden (vs. Pitt and I think it was Kansas State, but my memory is failing me).

The M fans have been roughly 85-90% of the crowd for all games except for the Pitt game, and even there it was roughly 2/3rds Michigan.  These tournaments are great for the NYC area fans as well as provide some great exposure to a national audience (when compared to, say the Charlotte games or Puerto Rico tournament) for our team early on in the season.

LSAClassOf2000

March 11th, 2014 at 9:56 AM ^

I like the host choices - that regional round on November 16-20th could be a fun set of games to watch really. Of course, having now seen Oregon's court while a game was being played on it, I can only say that, even on television it is disorienting and requires Dramamine. I can't imagine what sort of relief it would require in person, or indeed if you are a player. 

Leaders And Best

March 11th, 2014 at 10:02 AM ^

I think the regional round of games are just going to be home game filler. The 4 teams host the games and don't travel for it. Even if one of the teams loses one of those games, they still advance to the semis at Barclays.

I think the reason these regional games exist is so the teams can maximize the number of allowed games for a preseason tournament. This year Michigan could have had an additional home game with Northeastern for the Puerto Rico tournament but passed on it.

Wolverine Devotee

March 11th, 2014 at 10:09 AM ^

The last time Michigan was in the Legends Classic, 3/5 of the Fab Five were honored at halftime.

I think this summer, it's now or never for Chris Webber to just apologize. Doesn't his documentary/book come out soon? 

And I'm one of the people sick and tired of hearing about the Fab Five, but let's just get this over with already.

Jon06

March 11th, 2014 at 10:18 AM ^

I don't see why Webber should apologize when the NCAA is in the middle of getting its ass kicked in court precisely because people like Webber were unjustly prevented from, or punished for, taking money in the first place. There's pretty much no chance this conversation is going to be productive, though.

Bluemandew

March 11th, 2014 at 10:59 AM ^

What video game did the ncaa put Webber in? Pretty sure that is what that whole case is about. Haven't heard any mention of jerseys. He knew the rules and chose to break them. His whole I couldn't even buy a pizza line is bs. He was from a middle to upper middle class family not dirt poor like Jalen.  If Webber doesn't want to apoloze fine I could really care less. But people who think the university should kiss his ass and beg him to come back without any acknowledgment that he did anything wrong at all are living in a Webber fan boy dream world. Michigan doesn't need Webber the program is doing great without his involvement at all.

APBlue

March 11th, 2014 at 11:54 AM ^

Dude, the NCAA is not getting its ass kicked in court because it doesn't let kids take money from boosters.  

You're either mistaken about what Webber did or mistaken about the court case.  

Either way, Webber can stay gone forever.  That'll be fine with me.  

Sometimes, you gotta let that old girlfriend go.  She moved on.  It's time you do the same.  

Raoul

March 11th, 2014 at 10:41 AM ^

From the Barclays Center site:

Tickets for the Championship Rounds of the Legends Classic men's basketball tournament at Barclays Center in Brooklyn will go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 14 at 10 a.m. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.barclayscenter.com or www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the American Express® Box Office at Barclays Center starting Saturday, March 15 at noon.

Nitro

March 11th, 2014 at 3:51 PM ^

This means two games against good-to-top level teams to go along with the visit to Tuscon and whoever we draw in the ACC/B1G (which I'm guessing will be one of Syracuse, Louisville, and UNC).

Fill me in if there's any other good non-conf games I'm missing.

goblue16

March 11th, 2014 at 10:55 PM ^

This is something I love about Beilein never shys away from a big matchup. A good nonconference schedule always prepares u for march!