The First Four - why keep this thing around?

[mywayorcyway]

I wish they would just make it the 64 best teams and stop with the auto qualifiers.

That's an interesting take, and one I didn't expect to see. Would this tournament be any fun without Cinderella teams?

I think the committee does an excellent job of getting the right at-large teams into the tourney. There are snubs, but I've never seen a snub that didn't have some significant blemishes on their resumes. The small schools have a clearly defined path with no selection criteria - win and you're in. In my opinion, that is how it should be.

 

[Judoka]

I wish they would just make it the 64 best teams and stop with the auto qualifiers.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Bring the eight teams closest to the bubble to Dayton, ask for "one more data point," pair them up somehow, and let them play each other to make the dance.

Not half-and-half. It makes the brackets look asymmetric.

Cage match! Eight go in, one comes out!

 

[alarson]

I wouldnt stop with auto-qualifiers like someone else said, but i do disagree with those that said the 15\16 seed autos 'did everything they should' to avoid a play in game.

Year in and year out look at the teams on those 15 and 16 seed lines. Those aren't teams that 'did everything' to avoid being in a play in game. Those are teams that generally have a good number of awful losses on their schedule. You have to earn that 15 or 16 seed through poor play. If you're a team with a weak schedule but you still managed to take care of business, you're not going to be worried about being on that 15\16 seed line.

In an ideal world, all the play-in games would be the 15\16 seed teams as they have done the least (as proven by their seed) to prove that they belong. And with any seeded tournament, the lowest seeded teams should generally face the longest, toughest road.

 

[CloneGuy8]

I'm okay with it, just don't expand it anymore. It does seem most people view the winner as making the tourney and the loser as not. St Bonnie made the tournament this year, UCLA did not.

 

[Gerbs]

I think it is unfair to the teams that win their conf tournament that they don't really get to play in the NCAA Tourney

 

[RonBurgundy]

Yeah, and it's a fun event too. I've been before and really liked it.

I don't have a problem with the first four and enjoy watching it, but I'd wish they'd make all the play in teams be at large teams. I don't think AQs should have to be in it

Agree. The AQ earned their way in. The PIG ought to be the bubble teams. And no, you did not make the tourney unless you win the PLAY IN GAME. That is why it should go back to being called PIG.

 

[Sigmapolis]

Eight bubble teams probably gets your more attendance and more TV eyeballs than four/four or eight teams playing a de facto #16 versus #17 game, too.

You go right out of Selection Sunday into the final bubble judgment on the court.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I don't mind seeing a couple of potential 11 seeds play each other but the idea of two 16's battling it out for the opportunity to get their *** kicked by a 1 seed is just stupid.

 

[cyclones500]

Bring the eight teams closest to the bubble to Dayton, ask for "one more data point," pair them up somehow, and let them play each other to make the dance.

Not half-and-half. It makes the brackets look asymmetric.

This wins.

 

[cyclones500]

Also, if they insist on the 16/17 games, at least get it right.

Texas Southern vs. NC Central is correct for one of the two 16-First Fours. Radford should've been a 15 seed.

(Taking it a step further, Penn is a 15, not a 16).

 

[Dandy]

OP Question: Why keep this thing around?

Answer: $$$$$$$$.

 

[VeloClone]

Agree. The AQ earned their way in. The PIG ought to be the bubble teams. And no, you did not make the tourney unless you win the PLAY IN GAME. That is why it should go back to being called PIG.

I don't think teams that get hot and win their conference tournament earned their way in any more than the team that out played them all season and won the regular season conference title but got upset in one game in their tournament so are sitting at home. Quite to the contrary, in fact.

 

[mywayorcyway]

I don't think teams that get hot and win their conference tournament earned their way in any more than the team that out played them all season and won the regular season conference title but got upset in one game in their tournament so are sitting at home. Quite to the contrary, in fact.

I agree, but at the least it is a clearly defined way to get in with no question. I would prefer the regular season champ get in as well. Hard to argue that the championship games for smaller conferences aren't exciting, though. I like watching them more than most regular season games for the bigger schools.

 

[VeloClone]

I agree, but at the least it is a clearly defined way to get in with no question. I would prefer the regular season champ get in as well. Hard to argue that the championship games for smaller conferences aren't exciting, though. I like watching them more than most regular season games for the bigger schools.

True, that is the rule.

While many are complaining that they never really make the tourney, they still as a 16 seed get a much better chance of getting an "NCAA win" for their record books - something that was next to impossible for most of these smaller conferences before when they were almost exclusively facing 1, 2 or 3 seeds in their first games every year.

 

[cyclones500]

•2017: Employers lost at least $615M/hr
/QUOTE]

Not questioning your sourcing or negating your overall point (and this is a separate subject), but has this ever been proven, and how is it even possible to calculate? Why don't we see similar analysis and seasonal reports about such things as Christmas holiday week, college football bowl games, Black Friday, "wedding season" or anything else?

The lead-up and first Thursday/Friday of NCAA tournament week, I'll buy there could be a productivity dip. Everything after that is prime-time/weekend.

 

[SuperTrooper]

My idea:

Last 8 bubble teams throw them in a hat to be drawn out one at a time during the selection show. You find out your are in the tournament and find out your random opponent from those 8 teams at the same time. Committee still determines the teams but the match ups are random.

 

[Gunnerclone]

is there anything worse on the 2nd weekend of the tourney that early timeslot that only two days ago was filled with meaningful basketball is now filled by the women’s tournament and the D3 championship? Freaking hated that when I was kid.

 

[Gunnerclone]

I don't think teams that get hot and win their conference tournament earned their way in any more than the team that out played them all season and won the regular season conference title but got upset in one game in their tournament so are sitting at home. Quite to the contrary, in fact.

The beauty of basketball vs say football has always been the way basketball is tailored to the compressed tournament format. That’s what made AAU ball so fun growing up everything was a tournament. Multiple games a day multiple days in a row. The true mark of basketball greatness is tournament format greatness.

 

[SerenityNow]

I'm not a huge fan of it, but the first time ISU is in one of those play-in games I'll be the biggest supporter and believer in it. I'd like to think we'll never be on the bubble that much, but that's not realistic. So, I'm ok with it.