Musketeer Madness

This article seems to think so.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball ... fchampions

Four of the last five national champions have been automatic qualifiers and last year all four Final Four participants were conference tourney champs.

I always want X to win the A-10 tourney just for seeding purposes, although with the championship game on Selection Sunday morning the seeding is probably already locked in. I have never bought into the lose early and rest theory but of course I've never had to play 3 games in 3 days either.

Yeah it gives you momentum by going into the tournament on a winning note. I like what Doug Gottlieb said "Everyone goes into the NCAA Tournament with a loss, except those who represent their conference by winning their tournament."

Xavier is the only team that represents this conference in the NCAA by advancing to the next weekend, this year we should go into the NCAA Tournament as regular season and conference tournament champions. Go X!

Pittsburgh would argue the point.

If you are a small school, like Univ. of Nothern Colorado (10K Undergrad 2.2k Grad) and can't punch your ticket to the dance without winning a conference tourney, that's one argument. Now folks in Greeley have something other than cattle to talk about.

On the other hand, if your school has an at large bid, assured of a favorable seed, sewn into its coat pocket before the conference tourney even begins, why is winning so important? Sure, your seed may improve, or you may lose your star player to injury like Nova did. It just doesn't matter, especially if that school already is the de facto champion by its seasonal record.

It doesn't hurt though and we fans are going to love it when X cuts down the nets again in AC!

For Xavier, no.

Ask the players that question.You know, the ones that do all the work.

It has bailed us out twice in the 00's but other than that, I look at it as extra games before the ones that really count.

as I have said here, many times before, Xavier does NOT win the conference tournament when they win the season championship . No need to...if they are in the Dance and their seed is set at 5 or 6 or 7...Xavier will lose the first game or the second game for sure. Sure glad I did not go to Atlantic City ...had planned to go , but then said to myself....why go...Xavier is going to lose early and go home and rest up for the Dance .

Yeah, Xavier lost to Dayton 68-67 on purpose so they could rest up for NCAA rather than play for pride which athletes are known for and in order to improve their seed. They even cleverly disguised their "throwing the game" by mounting a furious & energy depleting comeback to take the lead before finally going into the tank. But with the coaches, managers & players all conspiring to lose the game how do they keep it secret?

I dont buy into this. to me a national championship team is very good and therefore would be superior to other teams in thier league and therfore win the tourney.