Proposed Tourney Structure Looks Like A Good One

In case you missed this ....

MAAC administrators have proposed a new schedule of games for the post-season men's and women's basketball  tournaments that would ensure there are no more than four games on any day, and that games theoretically would not start so late to precipitate a well-past-midnight ending (as is often the case now).

The proposed structure would also preclude early morning games (9:30 a.m. starts) of tournament contests.

If the proposal is approved by presidents of conference schools in December, the new structure would begin in 2015.

Changes also include moving the two men's opening-round games from Friday to Thursday. The women's semifinal round would be moved from Saturday to Sunday.

"As you can see it's not a major change, but at the same time it does address the issue of game times late at night and relatively speaking early in the morning," MAAC associate commissioner Ken Taylor told the Albany Times Union newspaper.

The MAAC will maintain its current format for the nest two years (in Springfield, Mass.) in 2013 and 2015. The new structure, if approved, would be used at least from 2015 through 2018 and the site/sites for those years will be bid on next March.

If you'll allow for an opinion ... your Hoopscribe likes the proposed structure better than anything ever been done.

It is always difficult for teams playing in the morning games, particularly since teams like to start their pre-game routine at least three-to-three and a half hours before tipoff. That meant, often, 6 a.m. wake-up calls.

And, at the other end, the new structure ensures a team will not be playing well past midnght (as Siena-Manhattan did in their quarterfinal-round overtime game this past season) and, then, be right back at it in an early afternoon game the next day. That was the schedule Siena faced, and the Saints' legs were noticeably not there after short rest.

Here is the proposed schedule:

THURSDAY
Women's Game, No. 7 vs. No. 10 seed, 11 a.m.
Women's Game No. 8 vs. No. 9, 1:30
Men's Game: No. 8 vs. No. 9, 7 p.m.
Men's Game: No. 7 vs. No. 10, 9:30 p.m.
NOTE: The league's Post-Season Awards Show would be held at 4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY
Women's Game: No. 2 vs. 7-10 winner, noon.
Women's Game: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 2:30 p.m.
Women's Game: No. 1 vs. 8-9 winner, 6 p.m.
Women's Game: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY
Men's Game: No. 1 vs. winner of No. 8-9, noon.
Men's Game: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 2:30 p.mm.
Men's Game: No. 2 vs. winner of No. 7-10, 6 p.m.
Men's Game: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 8:30 p.m.

SUNDAY
Women's semifinal round game, 11 a.m.
Women's semifinal-round game, 2:30 p.m.
Men's semifinal-round game, 4:30 p.m.
Men's semifinal-round game, 7 p.m.

MONDAY
Women's championship game, noon.
Men's championship game either 7 or 9 p.m.