College Basketball: How to bring back BracketBusters in the non-conference

Consolation Games

To make this event important for resumes, each team will have three games apiece, making each game an opportunity to pad the metrics. Here’s just one scenario of how the consolation games would play out.

In the losers bracket, New Mexico State takes care of Illinois State and Western Kentucky beats Dayton. The seventh place game has the Red Birds leaving winless after falling to Dayton. Taking the fifth place spot is Western Kentucky after eliminating the Aggies, who would end in sixth place. The third-place game ends with Vermont squeaking one out against the FGCU Eagles.

At the end of this tournament here’s how the standings would look:

1. Saint Mary’s 3-0

2. Nevada 2-1

3. Vermont 2-1

4. Florida Gulf Coast 1-2

5. Western Kentucky 2-1

6. New Mexico State 1-2

7. Dayton 1-2

8. Illinois State 0-3

The Gaels are clearly the big winner here, picking up wins against Illinois State, Vermont, and Nevada, all likely top-100 teams. On the opposite end, the Red Birds striking out would make their performance in conference play all the more important.

Now, this is just a hypothetical scenario of these teams and can be turned anyway one chooses. But the main point remains how much these games could mean for everyone involved for this event. This could be a huge opportunity for Western Kentucky or New Mexico State to get potential top-50 wins against teams they can actually beat.

More competitive games that will have an impact can never the eyes of the viewers. There’s already a bunch of tournaments already, who says one more won’t hurt? The even talent among the competitions as well as the high stakes involved would eventually make this a top-tier tournament.