Looie Carnesecca Invitational?

From the NY DN. I like this idea. Maybe have it at Alumni Hall, and invite local crap like Fordham, Iona, Hofstra, Manhattan and Stony Brook.

Give them a chance to kill each other before earning the right to get blown out BE style on our own court. I think the locals deserve a chance to play us, and they also deserve a chance to lose by a large margin, so that they will question whether or not they want to play us again.

"There's been some talk about elevating it to bring in more top-tier schools," he said. "Maybe fashion a Lou Carnesecca Tradition tournament like the John Wooden Tradition that's already out there."

You have to have it at the Garden - this could make a little money for the school.

But I think with all the schools in the NY-area - and with the money the schools are spending on coaches to FINALLY get some school in the area either some national recognition or at least into the NCAA Tourney - I think it should be a local tourney.  No farther than mid-Jersey.  Would be a great way to build the profile of the area, if the games are good.  I'd like to note that watching Hofstra/ St. John's last year was not compelling basketball... NYC-area ball ahs a ways to go.

This would be a great idea if any of the NY metro area teams deserved to be on the court with us, but thats not the case. A weekend of blowouts, no thanks.

couldnt there only be one team from each conference in the tourny? I would like us from the big east, hofsta, fordham, and either iona or manhattan if there gonna keep it local. if not why not make it a big tourny at the garden. us and three other bcs schools

I think the NY teams will be better.  Some combination of Cluess/ Pecora (who's on his staff?)/ Welsh/ Hurley/ Lavin has to make the games better; I think LIU could be interesting; Fairfield could join in the fun, and they're very competitive; Stony Brook was pretty good last year.

But that's a good point.  Considering St. John's handled Stony Brook with their D game last year, allowed Chris Gaston to go buck wild through Carnesecca but still beat their Ram pants off, there is some distance between the teams (that we hope will be greater with Lavin).

But they went back and forth in a battle against Hofstra - that could be a matchup.

Don't discount the locals, IF a LC tournament became a local tradition (THINK PHILLY BIG 5) the motivation for the locals to beat up on each other would grow annually. The kids at IONA, Fordham, Hofstra, Stoney Brook, LIU, St. Francis & Wagner(How many are involved would depend on the format) who have that "under recruited chip" on their shoulders would be psyched each year. SJU would be like the Yankees with everyone wanting to beat goliath. We'd all like to think SJU would dominate annually, but it may take Coach Lavin a season or two of BIG Time recruiting to make that the reality it should be. Either way fans of NYC hoops would benefit.

He aint talkib bout Fordham, LIU or whatnot.

He talkin big time national schools like what the Holiday Fest used to be all about.

You get schools in here wit juice. You get on the ESPN. You get the Garden fill. You get yo SOS explodin come March. You get ready fo the Big East by playin real comp.

And most important... you give peeps a reason to go to the game.

Who in His name wants Stoney Brook when you gettin Michigan, GTech, Kentucky, Kansas like I used to see come Christmas time in years gone by?

That's juice.

That's what I thought they were talking about too, Choz.  Honestly I'm fine with one other big name in the Holiday each year if you're also going to play in a decent early tourney as well as play Duke, UCLA and another high major team each year.  But having a final against a big name team is heckuva lot better draw than a Cornell.  Last ranked team I can remember in the Holiday was UNC in 2003 but we met them in the consolation game.  The win over Hodge and NC State was a good one though.

That's what I thought they were talking about too, Choz.  Honestly I'm fine with one other big name in the Holiday each year if you're also going to play in a decent early tourney as well as play Duke, UCLA and another high major team each year.  But having a final against a big name team is heckuva lot better draw than a Cornell.  Last ranked team I can remember in the Holiday was UNC in 2003 but we met them in the consolation game.  The win over Hodge and NC State was a good one though.

I think that was the year that IONA beat Carolina and Manhattan College beat St Johns to advance to the championshiip,