Elitist Jay Bilas

[MDZip]

Jay Bilas wrote a column for ESPN (it is an insider column but you can read the begining and get the gist of it), where he bascially is saying the NCAA would be even better if it just included the best 64 teams in the country and left out all of these "lower" leagues. He was responding to whether the tournament should be expanded. He also suggested that the "lower" (he doesn't specifiy who those are) leagues shouldn't be allowed to have a conference tournament so that only the regular season champ could be included and not take a bid away from a more deserving school (Jay, would you like to discuss Mississippi St., who by the way got the same seed as Akron? So I guess we should be proud of that, we got the same seed as the SEC champ!)No to Expansion, Yes to Quality<rant>Articles like this annoy me since it shows a lack of understanding of what the heart of this tournament (at the size that it is right now) is all about. It is about having the quintessential college expereince and about everyone having a chance to be involved and be interested. This tournament as it is set up right now just got another entire state (North Dakota) interested in it - do you think that would have happened if just the usual suspects had been included? As the tournament is now getting included is a heck of an accomplishment no matter who you are, whether a one or a 16 seed. More teams would dilute that and just including the "big boys" lessens the interest. The upsets mean something, they are what makes the initial part of the tournament fun. None of them will win it and a worthy champion will emerge (maybe not the best team but definitely a worthy champion) regardless. You have now involved over 300 schools in the process and because of their conference tournaments all of them have hope. If you count that as the preliminaries, then really all of the teams do make the tournament, it is just single elimination for all of the smaller schools along the way. I did see someone make a comment on ESPN of where do you think there was more excitement - at the Big East final where both UConn and Syracuse knew they were getting in or the America East final? I'd guess the latter. And besides none of the last few "bubble" teams are winning it all either anyway. </rant>

[Zip Watcher]

Bilas went to Duke, what do you expect?

[RootforRoo44]

I personally enjoy Jay Bilas as an sports announcer but from what it sounds he is very wrong in this article.Some people just dont get it.

[Zipmeister]

Jay Bilas wrote a column for ESPN (it is an insider column but you can read the begining and get the gist of it), where he bascially is saying the NCAA would be even better if it just included the best 64 teams in the country and left out all of these "lower" leagues. He was responding to whether the tournament should be expanded. He also suggested that the "lower" (he doesn't specifiy who those are) leagues shouldn't be allowed to have a conference tournament so that only the regular season champ could be included and not take a bid away from a more deserving school (Jay, would you like to discuss Mississippi St., who by the way got the same seed as Akron? So I guess we should be proud of that, we got the same seed as the SEC champ!)No to Expansion, Yes to Quality<rant>Articles like this annoy me since it shows a lack of understanding of what the heart of this tournament (at the size that it is right now) is all about. It is about having the quintessential college expereince and about everyone having a chance to be involved and be interested. This tournament as it is set up right now just got another entire state (North Dakota) interested in it - do you think that would have happened if just the usual suspects had been included? As the tournament is now getting included is a heck of an accomplishment no matter who you are, whether a one or a 16 seed. More teams would dilute that and just including the "big boys" lessens the interest. The upsets mean something, they are what makes the initial part of the tournament fun. None of them will win it and a worthy champion will emerge (maybe not the best team but definitely a worthy champion) regardless. You have now involved over 300 schools in the process and because of their conference tournaments all of them have hope. If you count that as the preliminaries, then really all of the teams do make the tournament, it is just single elimination for all of the smaller schools along the way. I did see someone make a comment on ESPN of where do you think there was more excitement - at the Big East final where both UConn and Syracuse knew they were getting in or the America East final? I'd guess the latter. And besides none of the last few "bubble" teams are winning it all either anyway. </rant>

You make a good point. Getting the entire state of North Dakota interested in the tournament is the same as getting 45% of Cuyahoga County interested. Now if we can just get South Dakota and Delaware interested they are really going to have an event on their hands.

[MDZip]

You make a good point. Getting the entire state of North Dakota interested in the tournament is the same as getting 45% of Cuyahoga County interested. Now if we can just get South Dakota and Delaware interested they are really going to have an event on their hands.

The point is not in the population numbers, but in the nationwide interest. North Dakota in itself might not have a lot of people but the more widespread the interest is, the more inclusive the tournament becomes thereby continuing to raise that level of interest. Delaware is already interested since the Blue Hens have made it before , but sadly South Dakota is still not part of it, having never sent a team to the tournament (in fact, the same is also true for only New Hampshire and Alaska, but Alaska does not have any D-1 basketball teams).

[Zipmeister]

You make a good point. Getting the entire state of North Dakota interested in the tournament is the same as getting 45% of Cuyahoga County interested. Now if we can just get South Dakota and Delaware interested they are really going to have an event on their hands.

The point is not in the population numbers, but in the nationwide interest. North Dakota in itself might not have a lot of people but the more widespread the interest is, the more inclusive the tournament becomes thereby continuing to raise that level of interest. Delaware is already interested since the Blue Hens have made it before , but sadly South Dakota is still not part of it, having never sent a team to the tournament (in fact, the same is also true for only New Hampshire and Alaska, but Alaska does not have any D-1 basketball teams).

It sounds like a vicious circle to me. I just hope for continuity sake that you were in favor of expanding the MAC on the other thread cause according to your logic the more teams we include the higher the interest in the conference will be. I say screw North Dakota and all them little black and green lizards that scurry across highway 2 along the Canadian border.

[GP1]

The tournament should either have fewer teams and force teams to win their conference tournament or keep it the way it is. I like it the way it is. Expanding is not the answer. In the end, the cream TENDS to rise to the top in the tournament. Teams that get left out always cry about it. South Carolina threw a fit and they lost to Davidson last night in the NIT. They would go nowhere in the NCAA tournament.

[vmd9]

I just feel like there are too many teams in division one. It should just be the bigeast, bigten, big12, sec, acc, pac10, mac, wcc, wac, and c-usa. I really don't care about schools like morehead state and steven f. austin? and i'm sure 75% of america feels the same way. It is nice to see a cinderella story but some of these teams that make it in are kind of a joke...like i go places where people don't know anything about akron sports, it's nice to now say that we had a strong team this year and made it to the tournament, then it kind of makes it seem insignificant when i see these small schools in it too, we would beat some of these schools by 50pts...

[GoZips]

The other evening these talking heads were ranting against Dick Vitale who very much wantsthe "lesser" schools to have more representation in the tournament.At one point they called on Bobby Knight to state his view. They quickly regretted that move. Knightsuggested expanding the tournament to 128 teams. With a surprise kicker ... play the first round atthe lower seed's house. That is, the #4 plays at the #13. I have made this argument for years. Be more inclusive and play the first round at the smallerschool from the smaller conference. Reverse RPI seeding if you will. Plenty of excitement, getsthe snot noses out of their ivory towers and kicks Jay Balless right in the crotch.