NCAA Tournament Format
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My feelings on the NCAA tournament. This is in no way because of our record in the tournament. These have been my thoughts on the tournament for several years. The NCAA Tournament makes no sense. It is watered down, and teams are not rewarded for having a good season. This format is designed to create interest and generate revenue. There is no way in the world that teams with a 15-17 record should ever be allowed in the NCAA Tournament. Period. I do not care if a team wins their Conference Tournament. What was the point of the regular season? The regular season should be designed to “weed out” the least deserving teams and reward the most deserving teams. How many teams should be in the NCAA Tournament. In my opinion 48 teams seems fair. Award Major Conferences. Award deserving Mid Major Conferences. Treat the NIT like a tournament and not a consolation prize.
When I look at a team like Kansas, I see a team with 10 consecutive Big XII Titles that is constantly forced to get fired up for inferior competition. To me this a no win situation. The NCAA Tournament should be about the best teams in the country playing one another. I think no more that two teams from each Conference should be allowed. This would make the NIT a tournament and not the consolation prize that it has turned into. Finishing 3rd or 4th in a Conference is nothing to feel bad about, it would make for much better competition in another tournament. How many great teams would be in the NIT?
I would love to get your thoughts on the subject. I know some would say that not qualifying for the 48 NCAA Tournament would feel like a consolation for those that don’t make it. I say it would increase the value of regular season play and create interest in the NIT.
I believe teams should be rewarded for having a great regular season. If it were school we were talking about, would it be fair to not do anything the entire semester, and then get an A for scoring high on the Final Exam?
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There is one thing and one thing only that I absolutely loathe about the tournament: the team not coming out mentally focused.
We’ve witnessed it so many times, and each time we’ve watched the game while pulling our hair out.
Why can’t Self focus them? The team takes on the attitude of the coach, and if he isn’t focused, then the team sure isn’t going to be.
I never mind losing. I hate losing when I don’t give my best effort.
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@KansasComet Well, it’s never going to happen. The tournament is so popular, in part, because so many teams have a chance to be the giant slayer. I don’t think many teams with a .500 record have ever done very much damage. In theory, the team that has a good season is rewarded with a high seed. This gives them an advantage, which, often, is offset by the fact that the highly seeded team is the one with all of the pressure on them. The underdog often succeeds because they have nothing to lose…they play free and easy. The higher seed then plays tight.
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Interesting discussion to me. If you want to find the true national champion you’ve got to follow the model of NCAA football. You think about it. Everyone seems to have hated the BCS, but, there is no other sport that has consistently delivered the two best teams to the championship game better than NCAA football. Even the new playoff begins to water it down slightly. The fourth team in I assume will play the 1st seeded team. Might that 4th seed with maybe one or two losses be able to surprise the 1 seed? Of course, and it will happen. And I assume that greed will rule the day and they’ll add another layer or two and all of the sudden you’ll have 16 seeds playing 1 seeds and upsets will rule it just like in basketball.
I think it’s fun to see teams like Wichita and Butler and VCU make a name for themselves. On the other hand I don’t think it’s fun to see teams like UConn of a few years back go 9-9 in the league and win the national championship. Of course it was fun to see us be a bubble team in 88 and then win it all!
If you think about it, every conference tournament means every team is in the NCAA tournament. Win the tournament and you’re in. But I agree with you Comet. The regular season should be rewarded over the conference tournament.
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Conference champions only, 3-game format: home and away and the tiebreaker game at Sprint Center.
Hello, domination!
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Keep the format the same, so that the “Cinderellas” can have their 15 minutes.
Only difference - to determine the National Champion, have the final two teams play a three game series. (Or two, if that’s all that’s needed)
And give Kansas an automatic berth in the Championship game every year for having the best fan website.
Rock Chalk KUBuckets !!
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@nuleafjhawk great post! We can only hope that fan support would be one of the deciding factors.
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@wissoxfan83 Thanks. I like that you said “true” champion. That’s what the NCAA Tournament should be about. The Cinderella stories would make for an awesome NIT!
