2020 CAA Men's Basketball Tournament

[Wags]

Those kids deserve better than this. Geez that sucks.

Yeah.

I know it's "only basketball" in the grand scheme of what's going on, and certainly, everyone's health matters most.

But, I can't help but feel really bummed right now about not seeing my favorite event of the year, not seeing Hofstra in that event and especially, never getting to see Buie and Pemberton get their chance in that event when they earned the right to have one.

If there's one silver lining, it's that when they won on Tuesday night, I was thinking about next year, and how it would still be great if they won then, but not as special after such a long wait. But now, next year suddenly matters as much as this year did. Now, because of this situation, we'll be waiting 20 years instead of 1.

[Wags]

https://twitter.com/ElijahPemberto1/sta ... 2691259396

[triplec2195]

For what its worth saw an interview with John Calipari and he was lamenting on how the cancellation is totally devastating for all the players throughout the country so much so that there should be a consideration to get players another year of eligibility. How about this suggestion for the NCAA wouldn't that open up major weird scenarios???

[Mikey77]

Triplec - if the Duke lax players a decade or so ago who got railroaded but whose hands were not entirely clean (after all they did hire the strippers) got another year if I recall, then these kids who ran into a worldwide pandemic should get the same relief.

[Wags]

Triplec - if the Duke lax players a decade or so ago who got railroaded but whose hands were not entirely clean (after all they did hire the strippers) got another year if I recall, then these kids who ran into a worldwide pandemic should get the same relief.

I get the sentiment here, but that also cuts into what would've been other guys' roles, who wouldn't get another chance to be seniors.

For instance, as much as I'd love to see Buie and Pemberton play again next year, it's supposed to be Ray's time and Coburn's time to lead as seniors next year. Is it fair for them to take a back seat and never have that kind of opportunity in the only senior year they'll likely ever have, because seniors who would've otherwise left, come back? I don't think it is. So, there's more to consider here than just the players who are unfortunately being denied the chance of playing in the NCAAT, especially when they did otherwise have practically their full senior years.

[Mikey77]

Wags: True, but any injustice (for lack of a better word) visited on players like Ray and Coburn is, in my view, far less than that suffered by players like Desure and Eli. Everything is a balancing act. The scholarship issue is a problem but that's just money and can be massaged some way.

[Wags]

Wags: True, but any injustice (for lack of a better word) visited on players like Ray and Coburn is, in my view, far less than that suffered by players like Desure and Eli. Everything is a balancing act. The scholarship issue is a problem but that's just money and can be massaged some way.

I am still numb that this happened and that we won't get to see this team, with Desure and Eli leading it, play in the NCAAT.

But if we're talking about fairness with this, I see the imbalance as skewed completely the other way. Unless they would've pulled an NCAAT upset, we could easily be talking about only ONE more game that Desure and Eli were denied vs. an entire senior SEASON in which Ray and Coburn would have to take a back seat when it should be their time to come to the forefront as the team leaders.

Either way, it's a moot point. The NCAA isn't going to give back an entire year for so many players when they played almost the whole season.

[Wags]

So, the NCAA just announced it's granting eligibility for seniors in spring sports.

That could be one domino to fall to lead to fall sports, including basketball.

[Mikey77]

Wags, I suspect if you asked Ray and Coburn they'd be all aboard with playing another year with Desure and Coburn.

[Wags]

Wags, I suspect if you asked Ray and Coburn they'd be all aboard with playing another year with Desure and Coburn.

Yeah, was thinking about that earlier. About to talk to Joe about that in a few minutes. I think he will say the same.

It's different in this case since Ray and Coburn were already key starters - but on other teams, you might have junior non-starters who could've stepped into bigger roles as seniors, which could make it tricky.

[Mikey77]

The more I think about this the more it just sucks. I mean Hofstra got screwed in 2006 with Pecora's NIT team, then overtime and other close loses in the CAA finals, then a god damn pandemic. you can't make this stuff up.

[Captain]

I think we are all making a lot of assumptions here;
1)That the NCAA would make exceptions for the teams that excelled the most (and lost a chance to play at least one game in the big dance) This would involve giving top teams extra scholarships for the following year...the rich get richer. (Would Hofstra be willing to renege on the LOIs for next year...not cool, not ethical.)

2)That Desure Buie would want a 6th year and Eli Pemberton a fifth year of eligibility...Maybe they want to start making a living...Desure is a father, Desure and Eli may want to start a pro career. I am sure they and the rest of the team are incredibly disappointed and we as fans wish that we can ease their (and our) pain, but as time goes by I think they will want to move on with their careers.
Desure and Eli raised their games to a new level this season. What a treat to watch them throughout their careers and particularly this season.
No one can take away their tremendous accomplishment this year. They did what a lot of great HU players could not do.
Good luck with whatever is next and we hope that there is a pipeline of quality newcomers that will ensure that HU basketball is a force year in and year out. Roll Pride!

[HofstraHockey]

I think we are all making a lot of assumptions here;
1)That the NCAA would make exceptions for the teams that excelled the most (and lost a chance to play at least one game in the big dance) This would involve giving top teams extra scholarships for the following year...the rich get richer. (Would Hofstra be willing to renege on the LOIs for next year...not cool, not ethical.)

2)That Desure Buie would want a 6th year and Eli Pemberton a fifth year of eligibility...Maybe they want to start making a living...Desure is a father, Desure and Eli may want to start a pro career. I am sure they and the rest of the team are incredibly disappointed and we as fans wish that we can ease their (and our) pain, but as time goes by I think they will want to move on with their careers.
Desure and Eli raised their games to a new level this season. What a treat to watch them throughout their careers and particularly this season.
No one can take away their tremendous accomplishment this year. They did what a lot of great HU players could not do.
Good luck with whatever is next and we hope that there is a pipeline of quality newcomers that will ensure that HU basketball is a force year in and year out. Roll Pride!

The only thing about that is that the "rich" teams rarely rely on seniors. If you're talking about the Dukes/Kentuckys/Kansases of the basketball world, those guys are going to be gone anyway. If you make it all four years there, you're probably not an impact player anyway.

[Captain]

As for my "rich get richer" as far as the CAA goes, only HU would profit...the year was over for all other CAA teams. Other leagues that crowned a champ before the cancellation would also qualify as rich...defending conference champs. Extending some extra year to players still involved post season tourneys seems more unlikely. For most teams, 95% of the season was played. It's over..
Unless a team was paying for the CBI tournament, their season had ended. The only CAA victim of the cancellation is Hofstra.

My attitude towards SPRING sports is completely different, their seasons were not yet INTO Conference play...give them all an extra year if they want it and maybe increase the number of scholarship dollars to accommodate the incoming frosh with the additional 5th year seniors.

[daHUPride]

What a week.
For us - A Tale of Two Cities.
First - as we all are - incredibly proud of our BB team. It’s is devastating for these kids to not be able to put the cherry on top of this season and playing in NCAA Tourney - but lets not forget they left no questions; no and if or buts that we were the conference champs of the CAA and earned or spot in the 64. (Couldn’t image if we did not close it out on Tuesday with a win if we were one of the conferences that did get to play their own tourney-image how unfulfilled we have felt without wining/beating NE)
As for another year - as previously mentioned- I am ok with spring sports getting that eligibility; but not winter sports - could you image the transfers that would go on if that was permitted?!?!? Mayhem! I also think of the new freshman coming in playing behind a plethora of talented senior I, seniors II, juniors, sophomores plus their own freshman class would be so unfair (an example would be a guy like our Burress - having to play behind DB another season)
Next year NCAA has to do some thing for these guys that got shortchanged - as guests a free all expenses paid trip to any team that made it for the 2019-20 to the NCAA in 2021.
Also immediately award the towns/cities that are snubbed this year the winning cities for the next available open/undecided year.

[triplec2195]

Maybe I'm just a "pie in the sky dreamer" but I just don't think the cancellation of this tourney is etched in stone. There has to be a lot of pressure to play some kind of post season tournament maybe mostly money driven but while we lament for our Alma mater there are other schools who are getting short changed. The one that comes to mind is BU who knocked off Colgate. They were last in the NCAA's in 2011. Our scenario is worse but it seems to me that the NCAA could put together a tournament before the start of the next basketball season. Never say never they should find a way to make it happen. Points were made here that not all players in the tournament would be seniors but even so don't you think these players whether freshmen, sophomores or juniors would want to have the opportunity of a lifetime to play in this tournament. Even if they are players ready to move on to the professional level this is a very special experience for these kids. Everyone talks about Eli and Buie but don't you think that Kante, Coburn and Ray are big time disappointed. Will we get back to the dance before they all graduate? Considering the 19 years who knows. I really don't like the lets move on kind of philosophy people should protest this all over the country!! Everybody safety is of paramount importance but it doesn't preclude this tournament from happening.

[Wags]

Maybe I'm just a "pie in the sky dreamer" but I just don't think the cancellation of this tourney is etched in stone. There has to be a lot of pressure to play some kind of post season tournament maybe mostly money driven but while we lament for our Alma mater there are other schools who are getting short changed. The one that comes to mind is BU who knocked off Colgate. They were last in the NCAA's in 2011. Our scenario is worse but it seems to me that the NCAA could put together a tournament before the start of the next basketball season. Never say never they should find a way to make it happen. Points were made here that not all players in the tournament would be seniors but even so don't you think these players whether freshmen, sophomores or juniors would want to have the opportunity of a lifetime to play in this tournament. Even if they are players ready to move on to the professional level this is a very special experience for these kids. Everyone talks about Eli and Buie but don't you think that Kante, Coburn and Ray are big time disappointed. Will we get back to the dance before they all graduate? Considering the 19 years who knows. I really don't like the lets move on kind of philosophy people should protest this all over the country!! Everybody safety is of paramount importance but it doesn't preclude this tournament from happening.

If you read the quotes from NCAA president Mark Emmert, look at the video below from Dan Gavitt (detailing logistical problems with contingency plans), and note that they didn't even bother to go through with Selection Sunday today, it's not happening. We don't have a "let's move on" philosophy because we want to move on, we're just being realistic and begrudgingly accepting it. It's just the reality of the situation. As much as you may want something, you can't simply wish it into existence.
https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status ... 3325582342

[Wags]

Cool stuff on Hofstra's season from CAA Basketball:
https://spark.adobe.com/page/OTMWGaK9qiseb/

[Wags]

https://twitter.com/HofstraMBB/status/1 ... 0647221248

[HUSID74]

https://twitter.com/HofstraMBB/status/1 ... 0647221248

This was AWESOME! Well done Hofstra! Something for the kids and us to cherish for a LONG TIME!