Friendly Reminder

[Eric15]

The NCAA and some coaches (one of whom we won't mention) would like to see the tournament expand to 96.

Here is the opinion of the coach that we won't name here.

When those coaches go to a bar, do they ask the bartender to give them their drink "extra watered down?"

 

[Cowtown]

The front-end loading of more weaker teams, combined with byes for the stronger teams, will mean only that the round of 16 will be made up of the same 25-30 teams it usually is. When the fans figure it out and don't buy nosebleed $250 tickets to watch Broken Snowshoe State play East Gopher Ankle A&M, who will absorb the lo$$e$?

 

[cuse522]

A

The front-end loading of more weaker teams, combined with byes for the stronger teams, will mean only that the round of 16 will be made up of the same 25-30 teams it usually is. When the fans figure it out and don't buy nosebleed $250 tickets to watch Broken Snowshoe State play East Gopher Ankle A&M, who will absorb the lo$$e$?

It just depends how it's marketed. Right now the First Four isn't nearly as interesting as a bigger play-in could be. Just going to 76 would make it a lot better IMO. Imagine taking the Last Eight In/First Four Out and the four best second place teams from all of the auto-bid conferences (or first place team if there was a conference tournament upset) by a set metric (RPI or whatever) and having them do play-in games for eight spots. Eight games, four locations (Let's say Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, West) , pod style on one night.

Right now, off Lunardi's bracket, that would be:

SOUTHEAST
1 Virginia Tech
16 College of Charleston (67th RPI)

8 Vanderbilt
9 Georgia Tech

NORTHEAST
2 Syracuse
15 UNC-Asheville (65th RPI)

5 Seton Hall
12 Georgia

WEST
3 Southern Cal
14 Valparaiso (64th RPI)

4 California
13 New Mexico State (62nd RPI)

MIDWEST
7 Marquette
10 Wake Forest

6 Providence
11 Rhode Island

The ratings would be good - you're going to get some good games in there, and every single team in this field is a threat to make the Sweet 16 if they win their play-in; they're all top-100 in RPI... That's in a down year for the bubble, too. It also takes away some of the punishment toward bigger schools from conference re-alignment, which is good for college basketball financially.

You don't think people would pay to go see any of those pods? Three of them would be sold out IMO. The Midwest might not because of the geographical locations of the teams.

 

[kirbivore]

I don't think we HAVE to win one more. I thought going into the last three we either needed Duke, Louisville or two. We got Duke, so I think we're squarely on the bubble if we lose out (50/50ish). If we win one more, we've got at least a 90% shot of making the tournament.

rather not sweat out selection Sunday this year

 

[AZOrange]

I fully expect us to get blown out by GA Tech and then win the ACCT handily...

 

[kirbivore]

I fully expect us to get blown out by GA Tech and then win the ACCT handily...

 

[two3zone]

Ga Tech is absolutely a MUST win to get. We re going to get a terrible seed in ACCT. Likely the 8/9 game against a good team like Virginia or VaTech. The winner gets UNC which would not only be a certain loss for us but a lopsided butt kicking. Not a good look. Beat GaTech.

If we were better last year and a 11 not sure how we get a 8 or a 9 this year.

 

[Madbiker]

If we were better last year and a 11 not sure how we get a 8 or a 9 this year.

ACC Tourney seeding.