CBS Sportsline: Coaches want tournament doubled, but...

[MacabreMob]

http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/9525770/rss

This offends me:
"Motivated in part by George Mason's remarkable Final Four run last season, coaches will urge the NCAA to expand its most lucrative championship event during the men's and women's basketball committee meetings in Orlando, Fla., this week."

Do they (the 'drive-by media') think we are so stupid to believe Geo Mason's run fueled this discussion, suggesting (in disguise) if more Mid-Majors were allowed in under an expanded field, we'd see more Mid-Majors in the Sw16, Elite8 and Final4?

What a joke!

Majors don't like losing out to quality Mids so they want the tourney expanded to include 9 B10, 12 BE, 7 ACC, etc instead of 5 MVC and 4 Patriot teams - and God forbid 2 from the MAC.

My question still stands.... does NW'rn State still upset Iowa in the 'first' round after upsetting and getting by a Maryalnd? Does Bradley get to the Sweet16 by defeating Kansas and Pitt after beating a Michigan, Cincinnati or Louisville???

Do WE ALL really want this expansion - for the reasons the BCS supported 'fly-by media' tries to make us think we do?

I'd rather they be honest about it. They don't like upsets from teams outside the BCS. They want to expand the tourney in hopes to give non-BCS teams one more game to get by in a 'miracle performance'.

Curse the 'Evil Empire' - the NCAA!

[chitownBUB]

One of the lame excuses I heard offered by some coaches was that if more teams got into the NCAA then maybe it might save some coach's job and there'd be fewer coaches fired.

[BuBraves55]

if you ask me, pathetic idea- you should earn your way to the 'Dance' but if this happened, big deal if you make it. right now this is the best post-season in all of sports, why change it?

[brainiac]

For argument sake, let's say they would take the top 128 teams in RPI.

Here are a couple teams that would be in:

--2006: Mississippi State (15-15, 113 RPI), Auburn (12-16, 116 RPI), Drexel (15-16, 128 RPI)
BUT THEN Georgia Southern and Birmingham Southern would both get left out with records of 18-9 and RPI's of 159, 161 and there'd be an uproar!!

--2005: Tennessee (14-17, 106 RPI), Nebraska (14-14, 111 RPI), just missing out USC (12-17, 130 RPI)
BUT THEN Texas A&M Corpus Christi would get left out with 16-8, RPI 173 and they'd complain!!

--2004: Fresno State (13-15, RPI 102), Northwestern (YEAHHH!) (14-15, 105 RPI), Arkansas (12-16, 111 RPI), Texas Christian (12-17, 120 RPI), and Wyoming (11-17, 126 RPI)
BUT THEN, Mississippi Valley State at 21-6 might get left out because they are 134 RPI, and there'd be complaints!!

I am not sure going to 128 is a very good idea.
Guarantee there'd still be complaints.

[BuBraves55]

right you are

[MacabreMob]

For argument sake, let's say they would take the top 128 teams in RPI.

Here are a couple teams that would be in:

--2006: Mississippi State (15-15, 113 RPI), Auburn (12-16, 116 RPI), Drexel (15-16, 128 RPI)
BUT THEN Georgia Southern and Birmingham Southern would both get left out with records of 18-9 and RPI's of 159, 161 and there'd be an uproar!!

--2005: Tennessee (14-17, 106 RPI), Nebraska (14-14, 111 RPI), just missing out USC (12-17, 130 RPI)
BUT THEN Texas A&M Corpus Christi would get left out with 16-8, RPI 173 and they'd complain!!

--2004: Fresno State (13-15, RPI 102), Northwestern (YEAHHH!) (14-15, 105 RPI), Arkansas (12-16, 111 RPI), Texas Christian (12-17, 120 RPI), and Wyoming (11-17, 126 RPI)
BUT THEN, Mississippi Valley State at 21-6 might get left out because they are 134 RPI, and there'd be complaints!!

I am not sure going to 128 is a very good idea.
Guarantee there'd still be complaints.

See... the denial is already there.

In your comments, you have made the assumption based on record that these teams could not compete for a national title. Therefore, they would create unattractive games and be unattractive in the NCAA Tournament.

Just looking at 2006:
For starters, the Tourney had 4 teams as automatic qualifiers outside of 128 in the RPI. So you only need to go to 124 if you ONLY want to look at RPI for selection.

And just remember, Albany lead #1 seed UConn 50-38 with 8 1/2 minutes to go in the game. UConn: 27-3, RPI 3, SOS 43. Little old school in little old America East ... Albany: 21-10, RPI 119, SOS 248.

Now let's look at the teams you wouldn't want in (Miss St, Auburn, and Drexel)
- Miss St: 15-15, RPI 113, SOS 53 Boasting Wins over SEC NCAA teams Arkansas and Alabama. The SEC had a pretty good showing in the post season, by the way. OH, did I mention Miss St BEAT George Mason - a FINAL 4 team! Ok, up and down with a lot of ugly losses, but hey - I'd put them in the top 128 field that would have the potential to play with about anybody.

- Auburn: 12-16, RPI 116, SOS 20. Another SEC team in a conference that proved it was better than most of us all thought. However, only win over NCAA tourney teams is Winthrop by 2 - but Winthrop gave SEC East Champ quite a scare in the first round of the Tourney. Wow - maybe things are closer from Top 25 to Top 150 than most people think.

- Drexel: 15-16, RPI 129, SOS 84. OK, they are from the weak Colonial Conference (Geo Mason) - and didn't do all that well. Can I just remind you that 4 teams that got automatics were out of the top 128 - so I guess we don't even need to discuss Drexel.

[BUBraves06]

The Tourney field is going to stay at 65. I think this is great news as it would have been a big mistake to expand it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2504515

[MacabreMob]

The Tourney field is going to stay at 65. I think this is great news as it would have been a big mistake to expand it.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2504515

On one hand I want to see expansion. On the other hand, I know expansion means Missouri would have gotten a bid over Missouri State last year. (I'm kidding - but also trying to prove a point... expansion would benifit the BCS conferences 1st for a few years before the non-BCS began poking their way in)

So I guess I am glad to hear this news.

And then I think about it.... Littlepage tried to send a message to the Fl St's out there this year. Basically change your scheduling from winnable buy games vs cupcakes to winnable home and home games vs other BCS schools. IMO, Littlepage wants time to see results of his suggestion. So keep the Tourney at 65 and in a couple years make it 31 automatics, 34 at larges with 32 or 33 at larges going to BCS schools (due to in-bred high RPI's for all BCS teams). He likes his power and control and wants to make this his 'boys club' of BCS teams by the time he is done, while hoping the next Chairman follows his 'brilliant' lead.