Self-Serving Coach Nonsense on ESPN

[CTWarrior]

Listening to these coaches like Greenberg and Bob Knight really tick me off. 

Here are some of the things they said.

1.  They should expand the tournament to 128 teams.

Some of the rationale:  That way you're guaranteed the top 64 teams will be in.  If football can have all these bowls, why can't basketball let more teams in.

Well, I'll tell you why.  You have the NIT.  If that isn't at least the equvialent of the Poulan Weedeater Bowl, I don't know what is.  Besides, who says the best 64 have to make the tournament?  Under the current scenario, I think we can agree that at least the top 40 teams all make it.  I can't get too upset if the 42nd best team misses the tournament and the 48th best team makes it.  Neither one is gonna win the tournament, anyway.  Also, if you expand to any number, the next 4 or 5 teams will all be moaning anyway.  The 130th teams will argue that they were better than the 128th team.  If you think its hard to separate the 34th best at large team from the 35th, try separating the 88th from the 89th.

2.  No automatic bids.  You should just have the 64 best teams.

I hate this one, too.  I guess I just don't understand why we should bend over backwards to make sure that the 6th place team in some big conference gets in the tournament.  The most fun conference tournaments are from the one-bid leagues.  If you're going to do this, you might as well go the Division I, Division IA route.

[TJ]

I wouldn't mind seeing a 128 team tournament myself, but I agree completely about the second idea.  It's a terrible idea to take away cinderellas from the tournament completely.

[Mayor McCheese]

the only thing that upsets me is that its 65 teams, and they stick two teams to play to get into the big dance... why should Mount St Marys and Coppin St play to get into the tournament, again, they already won their way in from conference tournaments.  Honestly, I could go without the 34th best at-large team to allow these teams to have their glory, and Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday is not glory.

[CTWarrior]

the only thing that upsets me is that its 65 teams, and they stick two teams to play to get into the big dance... why should Mount St Marys and Coppin St play to get into the tournament, again, they already won their way in from conference tournaments.  Honestly, I could go without the 34th best at-large team to allow these teams to have their glory, and Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday is not glory.

I always thought that if they were going to insist on a play-in game, they should have the last two at large teams play for a 12 or 13 seed.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Well self-serving or not, they should expand the tournament...not to 128 but more like to 80 or 88.

There are now almost 350 DI teams and we haven't expanded since 1985...23 years ago when there are far far far fewer teams.

[WarriorFan78]

its not like you are forced to watch ESPN. there are about 500 other channels.

And i think expansion would be goof. to to 68 teams but the 4 play-in games would be for 12 seeds. so this year: Illinois State vs Villanova....Syracuse vs St Joes...Syracuse vs. Kentucky...Arizona State vs. Baylor....winners go in as 12 seeds and losers go home.