ADVERTISEMENT

Baylor-Most Recent Example Of Champion Who Had "Timely" Loss Right Before Postseason

gymman1031

Well-Known Member
Gold Member
Jan 24, 2008
16,481
640
113
Absolutely! As long as a team is hot and wins pretty much every other game soon before the postseason, what a "timely" loss can do is impressive. And Baylor's was to Oklahoma State in the conference tournament. My challenge to you is to name:

EVERY national title-winner over the years you can think of who DIDN'T win their conference tournament. I know there are loads.
 
Disagree

Think the Villanova game was more important.

It was Slater and not Samuels.
Slater power dunked the ball and put Villanova up by 6 or 7.
It had the opposite effect. This wasn't the only time this happened with Baylor...

Harder you pushed on Baylor the harder they would push back.
 
Absolutely! As long as a team is hot and wins pretty much every other game soon before the postseason, what a "timely" loss can do is impressive. And Baylor's was to Oklahoma State in the conference tournament. My challenge to you is to name:

EVERY national title-winner over the years you can think of who DIDN'T win their conference tournament. I know there are loads.
on top of mind, Kansas 1987-88. OU beat them in the Big 8 tourney, but lost to them in NCAA tourney final in KC.
 
Absolutely! As long as a team is hot and wins pretty much every other game soon before the postseason, what a "timely" loss can do is impressive. And Baylor's was to Oklahoma State in the conference tournament. My challenge to you is to name:

EVERY national title-winner over the years you can think of who DIDN'T win their conference tournament. I know there are loads.
I've already posted this twice on this board since the season began and I'm not doing it again.........
 
Happens all the time, actually. There are quite a few teams that lost in the conference tournament semifinals & later went on to win the national title.

2021: Baylor, lost in Semifinals
2019: Virginia, lost in Semifinals
2017: UNC, lost in Semifinals
2016: Villanova, lost in Finals
2015: Duke, lost in Semifinals
2014: UConn, lost in Finals
2012: Kentucky, lost in Finals
2009: UNC, lost in Semifinals
2005: UNC, lost in Semifinals
2003: Syracuse, lost in Semifinals
2002: Maryland, lost in Semifinals

11 of the last 19 National Champions lost in their conference tournament. 8 of those 11 schools lost in the Semifinals.
 
Last edited:
I think the 3 week break during the season probably helped.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wesr
Happens all the time, actually. There are quite a few teams that lost in the conference tournament semifinals & later went on to win the national title.

2021: Baylor, lost in Semifinals
2019: Virginia, lost in Semifinals
2017: UNC, lost in Semifinals
2016: Villanova, lost in Finals
2015: Duke, lost in Semifinals
2014: UConn, lost in Finals
2012: Kentucky, lost in Finals
2009: UNC, lost in Semifinals
2005: UNC, lost in Semifinals
2003: Syracuse, lost in Semifinals
2002: Maryland, lost in Semifinals

11 of the last 19 National Champions lost in their conference tournament. 8 of those 11 schools lost in the Semifinals.

That Syracuse team could not beat UConn that year with Okafor. Went 0-3. Coulda played 10 times and would have gone 0-10.
 
Absolutely! As long as a team is hot and wins pretty much every other game soon before the postseason, what a "timely" loss can do is impressive. And Baylor's was to Oklahoma State in the conference tournament. My challenge to you is to name:

EVERY national title-winner over the years you can think of who DIDN'T win their conference tournament. I know there are loads.
Florida lost like 3/5 games right before the conf tourney in 2007 (they went 35-5 in the end). They knew what the real goal was. Rest up get healthy and and repeat as champs.
 
Happens all the time, actually. There are quite a few teams that lost in the conference tournament semifinals & later went on to win the national title.

2021: Baylor, lost in Semifinals
2019: Virginia, lost in Semifinals
2017: UNC, lost in Semifinals
2016: Villanova, lost in Finals
2015: Duke, lost in Semifinals
2014: UConn, lost in Finals
2012: Kentucky, lost in Finals
2009: UNC, lost in Semifinals
2005: UNC, lost in Semifinals
2003: Syracuse, lost in Semifinals
2002: Maryland, lost in Semifinals

11 of the last 19 National Champions lost in their conference tournament. 8 of those 11 schools lost in the Semifinals.
A bit farther back but the '96 UK team lost in the Finals as well.
 
A bit farther back but the '96 UK team lost in the Finals as well.

I remember that game, actually. Dontae Jones was a beast. Such a dominating performance. That game legitimized his worth as a 1st Round draft pick. Thought he'd have a successful NBA career, but that prospect fizzled out quickly. '96 Kentucky team was loaded. 9 guys on that team made it to the NBA, 10 if you're generous and count Scott Padgett.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: lurkeraspect84
Some people make the argument that conference tournaments don't really mean anything. And perhaps they don't, especially to a school with a long history. Carolina's last 4 national titles have all lost in the ACC Tournament, after all.

I don't think dismissing the conference tournament altogether is a good idea, however. Reminds me of when Duke beat UNC in the finals of the 2001 ACC Tournament. After the loss Brendan Haywood said something along the lines of, "We don't really care about the ACC Tournament", implying that their sights were solely focused on the NCAAs. When Chris Duhon was confronted about Haywood's perspective, he responded, "That's what losers say." Duke went on to win the NCAA Tournament, while UNC lost in the 2nd Round. Yes, the ultimate prize is winning the NCAA Tournament, but great players and great teams don't ever want to lose.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sgrooms
ADVERTISEMENT