Tom Izzo

[PSAL_Hoops]

You are usually pretty reasonable, so I am surprised at this. The “winner” from the three top conferences is completely irrelevant as the tournament winner wasn’t the best or highest seeded team from any of those conferences. I also don’t understand why you think removing autobids from small conferences would hurt the Big East (the Big East is a power conference, doesn’t need its autobid, and almost certainly would’ve been better off this year if there were no autobids). Finally, I don’t understand how this would supposedly help the Big Ten win a championship because any of the bottom teams of the top 64 would have virtually no chance of winning the championship.

I don’t like Izzo’s idea but literally none of the reasoning above makes sense to me.

I have no idea what the arguments were based on, but it’s probably fair to say that in any given bracket, the arrangement would on average probably benefit the 4-10 seeds and make things more difficult for for seeds 1-3. Whichever conferences historically have more teams in the 1-3 range would probably be disadvantaged and vice versa (no idea the actual breakdown).

The 7/10 and 8/9 games wouldn’t change. The 4/13 and 5/12 games wouldn’t be all that different either because you’d be replacing the very best mid-major teams with Next Four Out type bubblers. Similar first round match ups. The biggest difference would be in the 1/16 and 2/15 lines where the 15s and 16s typically don’t have a pulse now and instead you’d end up with much better quality teams than Grambling and Wagner who on a given day could pull off the upset more often than it currently happens.

 

[HallX2]

Izzo wants to do away with the automatic bid for smaller conferences. Time for Tom to retire . Kentucky/Oakland and a bunch of other great games don't happen if gets his way. Sorry Tom but the reason the Big 10 has not won a Championship in over twenty years is not because we need more teams from the bigger conferences. You need to do a better job recruiting and coaching.

https://www.si.com/college/2024/03/...eliminating-automatic-bids-mid-major-programs

He must have gotten that talking point from the SEC commish

 

[NickRU714]

I have no idea what the arguments were based on, but it’s probably fair to say that in any given bracket, the arrangement would on average probably benefit the 4-10 seeds and make things more difficult for for seeds 1-3. Whichever conferences historically have more teams in the 1-3 range would probably be disadvantaged and vice versa (no idea the actual breakdown).

The 7/10 and 8/9 games wouldn’t change. The 4/13 and 5/12 games wouldn’t be all that different either because you’d be replacing the very best mid-major teams with Next Four Out type bubblers. Similar first round match ups. The biggest difference would be in the 1/16 and 2/15 lines where the 15s and 16s typically don’t have a pulse now and instead you’d end up with much better quality teams than Grambling and Wagner who on a given day could pull off the upset more often than it currently happens.

Interesting point of this I never really considered.

An argument could be made that the top seeds have benefited from artificially “lowering” the floor of the tournament (Grambling and Wagner).
Yes upsets happen.
But as you correctly point out - if the floor was raised, the top seeds would likely get upset more often.

Question (in general, not for you): Has these easier 1st round matchups harmed the top seeds and subsequent rounds?
They are less prepared for Round of 32/Sweet 16?
Similar to “an easy OOC doesn’t prepare you for the grind of conference play”?

 

[fluoxetine]

Interesting point of this I never really considered.

An argument could be made that the top seeds have benefited from artificially “lowering” the floor of the tournament (Grambling and Wagner).
Yes upsets happen.
But as you correctly point out - if the floor was raised, the top seeds would likely get upset more often.

Yes, and this is one of the reasons the current format works well IMO

 

[friar10]

He must have gotten that talking point from the SEC commish

Yeah and you can just imagine how pissed they are now with getting their *** kicked. They will be pushing their agenda even more. If you can't beat them let's take our ball and go home.

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

Yes, and this is one of the reasons the current format works well IMO

Correct - right now - securing a 1 or a 2 seed is a huge advantage in round one as it should be. It would be far less of an advantage in Izzo’s model. On average - it might be actually true that the B10 fields very good but not great teams. So Izzo’s model might be beneficial to the BIG. But it’s not the right approach.

 

[Brisket and Bourbon]

Let the lil mid majors have their moment. Outside of basketball, no one cares or pays attention to anything they do…in like literally all other sports.

 

[e5fdny]

Let the lil mid majors have their moment. Outside of basketball, no one cares or pays attention to anything they do…in like literally all other sports.

It’s true.

Villanova won the 1AA national championship in Football and two of my family members, guys too, who went there had no idea. They did know what the MBB was doing.

 

[fatsam98]

Yeah we should definitely change it up. People hate it

 

[LotusAggressor_rivals]

No, not really.

Judging from some of the results, either the big conference teams are overrated or some of the small conference teams are underrated.

 

[ru66]

Think what you want but the powerful football leagues will determine the future of college sports and RU is part of that group -- thank goodness. The others even the Bigeast need to prepare for problems.

 

[fluoxetine]

Judging from some of the results, either the big conference teams are overrated or some of the small conference teams are underrated.

No, not really.

 

[NickRU714]

Ya we definitely don't need more "middling" major conference teams like NC State mucking up the tournament.

They don't bring any excitement at all.
A major conference team could never be a cinderella as an #11 seed.

Only schools in HS gyms generate any underdog excitement.

 

[bac2therac]

Ya we definitely don't need more "middling" major conference teams like NC State mucking up the tournament.

They don't bring any excitement at all.
A major conference team could never be a cinderella as an #11 seed.

Only schools in HS gyms generate any underdog excitement.

Really?

Odd post

Them getting to the final 4 is not an argument to get more of Syracuse, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas State, Memphis, Washington, Butler into the tournament

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

Really?

Odd post

Them getting to the final 4 is not an argument to get more of Syracuse, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas State, Memphis, Washington, Butler into the tournament

This 100%. May be exciting for NC State but this isn’t good for the sport. The regular season rendered completely pointless.

 

[RUtrumpet92_rivals498139]

Argument might be stronger if NC State wasn't the ACC tournament champion. They played their way in.

 

[bac2therac]

the same poster Nick said that smaller conferences shouldnt get bids, I dont know how he squares Florida Atlantic last season.

Reality is that every so often upstarts like Florida Atlantic, Butler, North Carolina State , George Mason, VCU, Loyola Chicago make the final 4

Thats what makes it so great, that a lower seed can go on a run.

 

[NickRU714]

the same poster Nick said that smaller conferences shouldnt get bids, I dont know how he squares Florida Atlantic last season.

Reality is that every so often upstarts like Florida Atlantic, Butler, North Carolina State , George Mason, VCU, Loyola Chicago make the final 4

Thats what makes it so great, that a lower seed can go on a run.

Yes I’d be fine with ALL conferences not having an AQ.
But also fine with all having an AQ.

I’m not the one who said nobody wants to see “middling” power conference teams and that they don’t deserve in the tournament.
Or they nobody would care about a “power conference” Cinderella. People only care if the Cinderella has a HS gym.

It’s the seed - not the school.

The irony is that teams like NC State are more likely to go on a run because they are better teams.

If you actually want lower seeds to make a “miracle run” then put in more good teams.

 

[bac2therac]

I dont think people want to see 4 11 seeds in final 4...1 works every so often

 

[PSAL_Hoops]

Argument might be stronger if NC State wasn't the ACC tournament champion. They played their way in.

Yes - they deserve to be there. That wasn’t my point. What I was saying is a system set up for 14 loss major conference teams like them to do this more often makes the regular season even less important that it already is. Regardless of how many clips you can find of NC State’s excitements and/or fans buying into them as a Cinderella.

 

[RUtrumpet92_rivals498139]

PSAL, we are on the same side of this discussion.