It's easy to sit here and say that playing in a lower-tier tournament like the CBI is beneficial for teams who get an opportunity to practice longer than 200+ other teams in the country. And this year, the post-season fates of teams that participated in last season's CBI don't lie: Four 2009 CBI teams are playing in the NCAA tournament, and five have accepted NIT bids.
The teams headed for the NCAA tournament feature three teams that the Beavers defeated en route to their 2009 CBI Championship: UTEP, Houston, and Vermont. Richmond, who fell to UTEP in the tournament Semifinals, is also headed to the big dance.
Where Last Year's CBI Field is Headed:
NCAA (4): UTEP, Houston, Vermont, Richmond
NIT (5): Wichita State, Nevada, Northeastern, St. John's, Troy
CBI (2): Oregon State, Green Bay
CIT (1): Charleston
No postseason (4): Stanford, Boise State, Buffalo, Wyoming
UTEP is a 12-seed and will play Butler on Thursday, and qualified for the tournament after winning the Conference USA regular season title and finishing second place in the conference tournament. Houston defeated UTEP in the Conference USA title game, and finishes the season with a 19-15 record. They're in the tournament for the first time in eighteen years. Vermont won the America East conference and gets a first-round date with Syracuse. Vermont defeated Boston U to clinch the automatic bid, the team Oregon State will play first in the CBI. Richmond qualified as an at-large out of the Atlantic-10 conference, and carries a 26-8 record into the tournament.
Overall, nine teams from last years CBI made upward progress in the post-season spectrum, while two teams (OSU included) stayed constant, and four teams failed to qualify or accept a tournament bid.
--Jake | (jake.buildingthedam@gmail.com)
You only have a few days left to fill out your bracket in the Building the Dam Readers bracket competition. What are you waiting for!?! The smack talk has already started.