How do you define "deserve"? Did East Tennessee State deserve to be in? How about someone like Houston, they had a pretty craptacular year by most accounts, but they win their tournament and get in, did they really deserve it? That's a pretty subjective thing, some people will say yes some will say no.
64 or 96 NCAA Tournament teams
- Thread starter SC Cy
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Not sure I like the bowl game comparison. Football teams play 12 or 13 games ususally close to home. Basketball teams play 30 games all over the country during the season. The chance to travel to across the country to play a basketball game is not big deal. Plus bowl games are also a reward for the fans. Very few people go to NCAA tourney games since they are rarely in a decent location and are usually in terrible venues for basketball. The only people to benfit from expanded tournament are television networks.
It's all about greed, like most everything these days.
Too bad that they will choose to mess with the best sporting event that there is today. This will make the regular season next to meaningless.
And please, stop comparing it to football and the bowl games. As it is right now, only 2 teams have a chance at all to compete for the football championship. Even if they do someday expand that to some sort of a playoff system, it will likely not include more than the top 8 to 16 teams.
Does anyone really believe that the 96th best MBB team in the country should even have a shot at the national title? Really? It was bad enough when they expanded to 65......going beyond that is insane.
Too bad that they will choose to mess with the best sporting event that there is today. This will make the regular season next to meaningless.
And please, stop comparing it to football and the bowl games. As it is right now, only 2 teams have a chance at all to compete for the football championship. Even if they do someday expand that to some sort of a playoff system, it will likely not include more than the top 8 to 16 teams.
Does anyone really believe that the 96th best MBB team in the country should even have a shot at the national title? Really? It was bad enough when they expanded to 65......going beyond that is insane.
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At the beginning of each season every single team in every single conference knows going in that the only way that they can guarantee a trip to the NCAA Tournament is to win their conference tournament. That means that every single team in every single conference has a chance to earn their way into the NCAA tournament. If you can make a run through the conference tournament then you deserve to be in.
Did UNC deserve to be in the tournament this year? How about Virginia Tech? Mississippi State? Illinois?
But if you lose all your regular season games only to catch a streak in the tournament do you really "deserve" a chance at a championship? I'd say no, and that's kind of my point, it's very subjective.
I'd say Virginia Tech and Mississippi State could make good cases for deserving to be in, especially over some of the teams that got auto births.
I'd say Virginia Tech and Mississippi State could make good cases for deserving to be in, especially over some of the teams that got auto births.
But it won't be as difficult to get in. Many, many teams now with losing conference records will be getting in. There just will not be as much incentive to keep playing well through the entire season. If you are just slightly above .500, you will likely have a pretty good chance of getting in, which is not the case now. Sure, you might improve your seeding, but how many teams do you think really take that into consideration now? Do you think teams are really concerned about improving from say a 10 seed to a 7 seed? Really? Sure, if you are protecting a number 1 seed, you do not want to lose at the end of the year......but other than that......no one is really thinking about that. Plus, by the end of the season, the number 1 seeds are pretty well set. Look at Syracuse this year......they lost their last 2 games before the NCAA, and still got a no. 1 seed.
I agree it won't make it as exclusive, although I'd contend it's not all that exclusive when you look at some of the teams that get in, but that doesn't make the regular season meaningless. It would be much, much better for your team to win 30 games and get a high seed than to slack and win 18 just because you know you can still get in.
Not really. With 96 teams in the field it will come down to what conference you are from and your record. Virginia Tech is a prime example. They would have been in this year for sure. They played a D-II caliber non conference schedule. One of the easiest in the entire country. They were on the bubble while a team like Wichita State out of the MoValley was never even in the discussion to get in. Look at Illinois.... They played a fairly tough schedule and only had 19 wins and didn't make it. They were very close from all accounts. If the field expands there is no reason for them to play a tough schedule like that to build a resume for the tourney. They just drop the tough non conference games.... jump from 19 wins to 24 wins and they are in without question. The regular season will become boring as everyone will schedule as many weak opponents as they can find to make sure they pad the win column.
If you look at the teams that had the bubble burst for them this year who do you think had a legit gripe?
How many teams based on the current field size had a legit gripe?
My answer is 2. Illinois & Mississippi State.
Illinois had 19 wins and Mississippi State beat exactly 2 ranked teams (Fla?, and Vandy). These are the next best 2 teams to not make the 65 team field? If that is the best we can do for potential teams number 66 & 67 then what the hell are we going to get in teams 95 & 96? Colorado and Nebraska?
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You should really check out Virginia Tech's schedule. There is a reason they finished tied for 3rd in the ACC and had 4 ACC teams that finished behind them in the standings get at-large bids and they didn't.
Those 4 at large bids were Georgia Tech, Florida State, Clemson, and Wake Forest. Georgia Tech also had a 7-9 record in the ACC and still got picked ahead of them. :wideeyed:
1 last example....
This mid major team made the NCAA tournament by winning their conference tournament. They had an average 3-3 record during the regular season against other NCAA tournament teams with losses coming at the hands of 11 seed Minnesota, 7 seed Clemson, and 3 seed Georgetown (all of whom were bounced from the NCAA tourney in the 1st round).
Any guesses?
This mid major team made the NCAA tournament by winning their conference tournament. They had an average 3-3 record during the regular season against other NCAA tournament teams with losses coming at the hands of 11 seed Minnesota, 7 seed Clemson, and 3 seed Georgetown (all of whom were bounced from the NCAA tourney in the 1st round).
Any guesses?
NCAA Tourney Expansion
Just in on ESPN, the Big Ten commissioner says the NCAA tourney will probably expand. ( I didnt want to add on to the thread with a poll ) I really dont like that idea at all. Thoughts?
Just in on ESPN, the Big Ten commissioner says the NCAA tourney will probably expand. ( I didnt want to add on to the thread with a poll ) I really dont like that idea at all. Thoughts?
- Mar 27, 2006
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Re: NCAA Tourney Expansion
It's all about $$$. Simple as that. Like it or hate it, good for the game or bad, logical or not, it all comes down to money. The prospect of making more money is going to win out most of the time.
It's all about $$$. Simple as that. Like it or hate it, good for the game or bad, logical or not, it all comes down to money. The prospect of making more money is going to win out most of the time.
But you're ok with horrible teams getting in just because they win their tournament?Not really. With 96 teams in the field it will come down to what conference you are from and your record. Virginia Tech is a prime example. They would have been in this year for sure. They played a D-II caliber non conference schedule. One of the easiest in the entire country. They were on the bubble while a team like Wichita State out of the MoValley was never even in the discussion to get in. Look at Illinois.... They played a fairly tough schedule and only had 19 wins and didn't make it. They were very close from all accounts. If the field expands there is no reason for them to play a tough schedule like that to build a resume for the tourney. They just drop the tough non conference games.... jump from 19 wins to 24 wins and they are in without question. The regular season will become boring as everyone will schedule as many weak opponents as they can find to make sure they pad the win column.
If you look at the teams that had the bubble burst for them this year who do you think had a legit gripe?
How many teams based on the current field size had a legit gripe?
My answer is 2. Illinois & Mississippi State.
Illinois had 19 wins and Mississippi State beat exactly 2 ranked teams (Fla?, and Vandy). These are the next best 2 teams to not make the 65 team field? If that is the best we can do for potential teams number 66 & 67 then what the hell are we going to get in teams 95 & 96? Colorado and Nebraska?
Re: NCAA Tourney Expansion
Merge...
http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/general-college-sports/86547-64-96-ncaa-tournament-teams.html
Merge...
http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/general-college-sports/86547-64-96-ncaa-tournament-teams.html
Re: NCAA Tourney Expansion
I hate the idea. Who the hell wants to see the 4th place team from the Sun Belt conference duke it out with the 4th place team from the Horizon League (winner to play UK, KU, etc.) in the first round?
It's all about $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and for a supposed amateur organization like the NCAA to do this stinks to high heaven.
I hate the idea. Who the hell wants to see the 4th place team from the Sun Belt conference duke it out with the 4th place team from the Horizon League (winner to play UK, KU, etc.) in the first round?
It's all about $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and for a supposed amateur organization like the NCAA to do this stinks to high heaven.
