In preparation

I just want to post this now on Tuesday, March 11 in preparation of the upcoming controversy. I don't want it to seem like after-the-fact b*tching if a certain Big East team from upstate New York doesn't make the NCAA field of 65 for the second consecutive year.

I'm probably not going to have much of a basis for my arguments, but I want to point out a couple of things prior to selection Sunday.

First, there are a number of teams who are considered "bubble" teams this year who probably don't deserve to be there. Most of the bubble teams have some serious holes in their tournament resumes. You can point to specific games during the year where teams didn't play their best games, or certain numbers (ie RPI or SOS) that are less than appealing. It seems like the teams that should be feeling the urgency and playing their best ball in order to impress the committee are doing the exact opposite.

Also, some of this is coming from reading mock brackets and listening to different analysts discuss these things on TV. All that really means nothing because the only thing that matters is what 65 teams are put on the board around 6:30 on Sunday evening. That is why I am avoiding citing specific teams and situations.

The one thing I will say is that I've heard people say that it's a good year to be a mid-major because it doesn't seem like the big conferences are going as deep as they usually do with tournament quality teams. I think a lot of people like to see the mid major teams in the tournament and are intrigued by them. People love George Mason making a run to the Final 4 a couple years ago, Gonzaga winning a couple games in previous years, Albany giving UCONN all they could handle in a 1 vs 16 matchup. That's part of the joy of the NCAA tournament. Gus Johnson yelling "the slipper still fits" is great. Watching the players from Hampton lifting their coach off his feet after they upset Iowa St. is great theater, but we shouldn't forget the real goal of the NCAA tournament.

The NCAA tournament is set up to determine the best team in the college basketball, and it may not always end up being the best team, but the hottest, but it's usually still one of the elite teams that ends up cutting down the nets. For every George Mason, how many North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Kentucky's are there. With all that being said, the #1 job of the NCAA tournament selection committee should be to find the 34 best teams in the country after all the at-large bids have been determined. That should mean that all teams are judged the same way and use the same criteria. Teams should be judged on who they played, where they played them, and ultimately how they preformed over the entire season. If one team gets credit for a "quality win" against a certain team, any other team that beat that same team should also get credit for a "quality win." They are technically beating the same team, aren't they?

I also realize that I may be in the minority on this subject. Maybe that stems from my overwhelming interest and love in college basketball, but I enjoy an NCAA tournament more if it is competitive and when there are intriguing, well-played games. I realize people like the stories and the pageantry that goes with cinderalla teams, and the moments that get remembered are Bryce Drew diving on the ground and getting piled on by his teammates, but that only lasts so long. In 2006, when George Mason went to the final four, it was one of the most boring final fours ever. They were severely over matched by Florida (maybe they finally felt the wear of playing their fifth game in succession in a high intensity atmosphere against a quality opponent) and the LSU-UCLA game was just flat out boring.

Sunday evening and Monday morning there will be debates and arguments all over the place by everyone regarding their favorite team being left out of the tournament. Every year there is going to be a 66th and 67th team and they are always going to have beef with the committee and sometimes it will be more warranted than others, but I just hope that all the teams are judged the same way when the committee members are locked in that room and they're discussing the last few teams to get into the field.

Full tournament preview to come next week.