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[QUOTE="FrancoPizza, post: 5017543, member: 5195"]
I think you have to step back and ask [I]why [/I]schools are moving to D1.   It all gets back to money in one form or another; one thing we can agree on, it's not because a school like LeMoyne is sitting on a hotbed of athletes just looking for an opportunity to compete at the highest level.   There isn't a seismic shift across the country where kids are putting down their video games and spending all afternoon in their driveway practicing and improving their skills.  The high school ranks are not being flooded by better basketball players.

The primary driver of these so-called Cinderellas that you mentioned is the now-constant attrition and talent skimming at the highest levels of D1.  These newcomer schools are more competitive simply because there is more parity and less stability with the P4 conferences; it's [I]not [/I]because we're adding talent-rich new schools.  There's a reason a 16 finally beat a 1.  When you look at it like that, the tournament expansion is just a celebration of mediocrity and the glorification of TV money.   You just have to be mediocre, tread just above .500 in a P4 conference and you'll punch your ticket.   Making the dance will feel like making a bowl game.  Meh, whatever.  Everyone makes it.   Losing games in the regular season will take on less and less importance.  It's just another kick in the nuts to what used to make college basketball unique and cherished.

Participation trophies.  Everyone's a winner.
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