This is March Madness!

[revolution]

The Milwaukee Panthers at 10-23, 4-14 in Horizon League, are playing for a tournament berth tonight v. Northern Kentucky.  The Panthers finished dead last in their league with an RPI of 260, but now they are one more upset away from the Big Dance!

They won't be a bid stealer, because neither of the regular season co-champs of the Horizon has a high enough RPI to warrant an at-large berth.

Maybe situations like this would warrant the Tourney going to 96 teams so that small conference champs knocked off in their tournaments could still get an auto bid to the tournament. 

Nevertheless, I'm rooting for the Milwaukee Panthers tonight!  You know those guys are "living the dream!"

[Hawg Red]

I don't see a need to widen the field. If anything, they should give the auto-bids to the conference regular season champion and an NIT bid to the conference tournament winner (the inverse of what the current set-up is). I'd rather see the best teams possible in the tournament.

[hogsanity]

The Milwaukee Panthers at 10-23, 4-14 in Horizon League, are playing for a tournament berth tonight v. Northern Kentucky.  The Panthers finished dead last in their league with an RPI of 260, but now they are one more upset away from the Big Dance!

They won't be a bid stealer, because neither of the regular season co-champs of the Horizon has a high enough RPI to warrant an at-large berth.

Maybe situations like this would warrant the Tourney going to 96 teams so that small conference champs knocked off in their tournaments could still get an auto bid to the tournament. 

Nevertheless, I'm rooting for the Milwaukee Panthers tonight!  You know those guys are "living the dream!"

No, situations like this warrant conferences giving their auto bids to the conference regular season champ. That said, I will be pulling for the Panthers just because of the absurdity of having a 10-23 team in the NCAAT.

I have long thought they should do away with conf tournaments and expand the NCAAT to 256 teams. It would only take the Thur-Sun of this week to accommodate that. 16 sites with 16 teams, play each site down to 4 teams, then re-seed for the final 64. Then the NIT could take 32 teams out of the rest for their little side show.

[GuvHog]

I don't see a need to widen the field. If anything, they should give the auto-bids to the conference regular season champion and an NIT bid to the conference tournament winner (the inverse of what the current set-up is). I'd rather see the best teams possible in the tournament.

Frankly, I'd like to see the NCAA step in and limit every conference to a maximum of 7 bids to the NCAA Tournament. The ACC getting 10 or 11 teams in the big dance is just wrong.

[revolution]

I don't see a need to widen the field. If anything, they should give the auto-bids to the conference regular season champion and an NIT bid to the conference tournament winner (the inverse of what the current set-up is). I'd rather see the best teams possible in the tournament.

But these crazy upsets with everything on the line are what make the tournament special and unique.  It keeps fans interested and players invested even when the season has been a dud.  Plus the conferences usually make a good bit of coin on their conference tournaments. 

I do feel for those conference champs.  But if they go to 96 teams, the top 32 can get a bye into the second round, and the bottom 64 can play off one game to join them.  That would allow the inclusion of all conference champs upset in tournaments, plus retain the excitement of the little teams still having a chance to go Dancin'.  I know the idea has been kicked around, and it wouldn't even add a week to the tournament.  Just play all the first round games on Tues. and Wed. as currently doing with the First Four.

Just my thoughts.  I think the terrible teams putting together a run for the tournament is crazy fun!  Just seems really American to give the little guys one last chance!

[hogsanity]

Frankly, I'd like to see the NCAA step in and limit every conference to a maximum of 7 bids to the NCAA Tournament. The ACC getting 10 or 11 teams in the big dance is just wrong.

Why? Maybe they are 11 of the best 68 teams in college basketball, why exclude some just because their entire league is pretty good?

[Hawg Red]

But these crazy upsets with everything on the line are what make the tournament special and unique.  It keeps fans interested and players invested even when the season has been a dud.  Plus the conferences usually make a good bit of coin on their conference tournaments. 

I do feel for those conference champs.  But if they go to 96 teams, the top 32 can get a bye into the second round, and the bottom 64 can play off one game to join them.  That would allow the inclusion of all conference champs upset in tournaments, plus retain the excitement of the little teams still having a chance to go Dancin'.  I know the idea has been kicked around, and it wouldn't even add a week to the tournament.  Just play all the first round games on Tues. and Wed. as currently doing with the First Four.

Just my thoughts.  I think the terrible teams putting together a run for the tournament is crazy fun!  Just seems really American to give the little guys one last chance!

I don't think most fans care too much about conference tournaments, so I'm not on the same page with you. If you only won 10 teams, honestly, there's nothing you can do to really deserve a spot in the NCAA tournament. It becomes really gimmicky when you see underdogs that big. Even the regular season champ from that conference will be a huge underdog, so that element isn't going anywhere. But give us the best you go, not some perversion of the system with a 10 or less win team that probably won't make it out of the play-in game.

[cardsNhogs]

I like march madness just the way it is!! Keep everything the same!!

[razobak]

Frankly, I'd like to see the NCAA step in and limit every conference to a maximum of 7 bids to the NCAA Tournament. The ACC getting 10 or 11 teams in the big dance is just wrong.

So when the SEC gets 10 or 11 teams into bowl games, is that wrong?

[SPAL]

I don't see a need to widen the field. If anything, they should give the auto-bids to the conference regular season champion and an NIT bid to the conference tournament winner (the inverse of what the current set-up is). I'd rather see the best teams possible in the tournament.

Fair point. But, I really love conference tournaments. I've watched a lot of games the past few days that I wouldn't ordinarily care about otherwise.

If you want the best teams, your way is probably best. But I like the current setup.

[azhog10]

I like march madness just the way it is!! Keep everything the same!!

[Kevin]

john brannon former bama assistant is the nku jead coach

[NuttinItUp]

Frankly, I'd like to see the NCAA step in and limit every conference to a maximum of 7 bids to the NCAA Tournament. The ACC getting 10 or 11 teams in the big dance is just wrong.

It maybe should be a percentage (50%? 60%?) of the total membership instead of a set number since different leagues have different numbers of those competing. (Big East has 10 basketball members and the ACC has 15 for instance)

Then again, maybe the NCAA shouldn't step in at all and just let the best teams get at-large bids to the tournament without interference.

[NuttinItUp]

I do feel for those conference champs.  But if they go to 96 teams, the top 32 can get a bye into the second round, and the bottom 64 can play off one game to join them.

96 is way too much. I don't even like 68 with the "First Four" play in games. Those teams that lose in the "First Four" kind of get screwed by not having a chance to go to the "real" first round of the tournament.

[ShadowHawg]

I don't see a need to widen the field. If anything, they should give the auto-bids to the conference regular season champion and an NIT bid to the conference tournament winner (the inverse of what the current set-up is). I'd rather see the best teams possible in the tournament.

I was watching the ACC today. Greenberg actually had a great idea.

He said that the top seeds in these smaller leagues need to host the lower seed throughout the tournament. Then a team that has had a great season gets that season validated by having home court advantage in their bid to make the tournament. If they can't hold homecourt advantage, then they don't have a real complaint either.

I am sure it can be made better, but it's a start.

The problem I have with awarding regular season champs automatic post season berths is that the entire NCAA Championship is about there being a new season when the ball is tipped.

[Youngsta71701]

Frankly, I'd like to see the NCAA step in and limit every conference to a maximum of 7 bids to the NCAA Tournament. The ACC getting 10 or 11 teams in the big dance is just wrong.

They only deserve 8 this year not 10.

[ShadowHawg]

No, situations like this warrant conferences giving their auto bids to the conference regular season champ. That said, I will be pulling for the Panthers just because of the absurdity of having a 10-23 team in the NCAAT.

And you have the beauty as well as the spirit of March Madness all in this one response.

The regular season has NEVER determined the NCAA Basketball Champion in the modern era of basketball. The notion that a regular season champion be given the berth is not within the spirit of March Madness. Don't confuse that at one time regular season conference champions were the automatic qualifiers from most leagues  with how the actual NATIONAL champion was crowned.

A regular season champion not advancing to the tournament is a part of the foundations of the tournament as we see it today and should never be fully done away with. It is literally the genesis of March Madness as we know it today.

It used to be that only conference champions advanced to the national tournament. That championship could be determined by a round robin or tournament championship depending on the conference. Today these are almost exclusively won in tournament play aside from the Ivy League, etc. 

Teams like South Carolina's undefeated regular season ACC champion team got left at home. #2 ranked USC couldn't get past UCLA to get in the tournament. I think Maryland or NC State got left out after winning the regular season with great teams.

The field was expanded with the idea that excluding obvious top 10 type teams did not represent a true tournament for a championship. The regular season champion of the Sunbelt will rarely, if ever, fit the description of a contender on a national scale. If they do, they are still given an at large spot. This is March Madness as we know it today.

Winning a conference regular season is rewarded. Winning the conference regular season positions these teams with the top seed in the conference tournament and the easiest path to win it. If a conference uses a tournament to determine its' qualifier, that is all it should be good for. It's not like they don't know it going in.

The conferences themselves know this as well but still choose to play tournaments for the right to represent their conference in the NCAA Tournament field. If these teams don't like it, let them amend how their conference chooses its' representative on their own. Let's not mandate from on high how they determine their "champion".

[JONAS]

No, situations like this warrant conferences giving their auto bids to the conference regular season champ. That said, I will be pulling for the Panthers just because of the absurdity of having a 10-23 team in the NCAAT.

I have long thought they should do away with conf tournaments and expand the NCAAT to 256 teams. It would only take the Thur-Sun of this week to accommodate that. 16 sites with 16 teams, play each site down to 4 teams, then re-seed for the final 64. Then the NIT could take 32 teams out of the rest for their little side show.

I am for getting rid of the conference tournaments and increasing the field to 96 (getting rid of the NIT).  4 regions of 24 teams with the top 8 seeds getting a first round bye.

[NuttinItUp]

The Milwaukee Panthers at 10-23, 4-14 in Horizon League, are playing for a tournament berth tonight v. Northern Kentucky. 

Milwaukee needs to step up. Northern Kentucky is off to the early lead.

[ShadowHawg]

I am for getting rid of the conference tournaments and increasing the field to 96 (getting rid of the NIT).  4 regions of 24 teams with the top 8 seeds getting a first round bye.

If you're goal is to completely kill college basketball, I can't think of a better way.

[rude1]

This is what adds to to the excitement!!!! The ability to right the season in the conference tourney, go on a magical run and get the bid. Take that away and there is no point to conference tournaments, might as well start selection sunday as soon as regular season is over.

[NuttinItUp]

3 point game at halftime!

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

I am for getting rid of the conference tournaments and increasing the field to 96 (getting rid of the NIT).  4 regions of 24 teams with the top 8 seeds getting a first round bye.

Actually if you get rid of the conference tourney's just expand to 128.  You can start a weekend earlier and first round/weekend is on campus.  You have 64 games that weekend.  Spread them out over Thur-Sunday 16 games per day.

Auto bids can still go to the regular season champs but it would have teams playing the regular season to the bitter end. Fighting it out to improve seeding and get to host a first round game.

They can go ahead and seed the whole thing so that you actually know where you will be going to the regional even before your first round game.  So in theory you know 11 days in advance where you might be going for regionals instead of 4.

It would be a wild first weekend and the on campus games would be packed for the most part and amp up the excitement even more heading into the regional sites.       

[ShadowHawg]

Actually if you get rid of the conference tourney's just expand to 128.  You can start a weekend earlier and first round/weekend is on campus.  You have 64 games that weekend.  Spread them out over Thur-Sunday 16 games per day.

Auto bids can still go to the regular season champs but it would have teams playing the regular season to the bitter end. Fighting it out to improve seeding and get to host a first round game.

They can go ahead and seed the whole thing so that you actually know where you will be going to the regional even before your first round game.  So in theory you know 11 days in advance where you might be going for regionals instead of 4.

It would be a wild first weekend and the on campus games would be packed for the most part and amp up the excitement even more heading into the regional sites.       

Tournaments bring viewers. Regular season games pale in comparison. No one is watching these small time teams play regular season games. If it weren't for the drama of the tournaments I doubt anyone bothers ever watch these teams.

Right now, most people feel that the teams earn their way in. Open the field up much more and the college basketball post season  becomes as compelling as the bowls are now.

[BannerMountainMan]

They just hit a big shot! Getting tight

[hogsanity]

Had their chances.

[NuttinItUp]

good game

[passinghog]

The one thing they don't need to do is expand the field. 96 teams would be 2 opening rounds of unwatchable basketball

[Smalltownhog95]

March Madness is perfect the way it is. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

[revolution]

I hurt for Milwaukee. Shame on that Northern Kentucky team for taking away their one shining moment! That's what's wrong with this country,  everyone crushing the dreams of the underdogs!

[jbcarol]

[GolfNut57]

Frankly, I'd like to see the NCAA step in and limit every conference to a maximum of 7 bids to the NCAA Tournament. The ACC getting 10 or 11 teams in the big dance is just wrong.

Some would say the same about the SEC getting that many football bowl teams every year.

[Inhogswetrust]

The Milwaukee Panthers at 10-23, 4-14 in Horizon League, are playing for a tournament berth tonight v. Northern Kentucky.  The Panthers finished dead last in their league with an RPI of 260, but now they are one more upset away from the Big Dance!

They won't be a bid stealer, because neither of the regular season co-champs of the Horizon has a high enough RPI to warrant an at-large berth.

Maybe situations like this would warrant the Tourney going to 96 teams so that small conference champs knocked off in their tournaments could still get an auto bid to the tournament. 

Nevertheless, I'm rooting for the Milwaukee Panthers tonight!  You know those guys are "living the dream!"

Participation trophy's for everyone!

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Gonzaga looked good last night.  I know they aren't as "tested" by conference play as some, but they have great inside outside balance.  That big bearded center - I don't know his name but I was calling him Olaf - is immovable inside.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/BracketWAG/status/839292781453426688

[holeinthewall]

Frankly, I'd like to see the NCAA step in and limit every conference to a maximum of 7 bids to the NCAA Tournament. The ACC getting 10 or 11 teams in the big dance is just wrong.

And if Arkansas was the 8th deserving team from the SEC would you feel the same way?  ACC is hands down the best conference in basketball

[holeinthewall]

Actually if you get rid of the conference tourney's just expand to 128.  You can start a weekend earlier and first round/weekend is on campus.  You have 64 games that weekend.  Spread them out over Thur-Sunday 16 games per day.

Auto bids can still go to the regular season champs but it would have teams playing the regular season to the bitter end. Fighting it out to improve seeding and get to host a first round game.

They can go ahead and seed the whole thing so that you actually know where you will be going to the regional even before your first round game.  So in theory you know 11 days in advance where you might be going for regionals instead of 4. Roughly 350 teams.. So it would be 4 brackets of 88 with a few play in games.

It would be a wild first weekend and the on campus games would be packed for the most part and amp up the excitement even more heading into the regional sites.       

Actually if you get rid of the conference tournaments you put every D1 team in the field and do a blind draw for the brackets. No seeding's.   This would make for great games all throughout the event. 

[jbcarol]

 Matt Jones‏ @KySportsRadio 12h12 hours ago

Northern KY is playing either UK or UL in the First Round of the NCAA...that is all but certain

https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/839311622728478724

[HiggiePiggy]

This is a little off subject, but the question is what would you think of a program that always has a losing regular season, but wins the comference tournament and goes deep into the NCAA tournament every year.  Would you want to fire that coach?

[jbcarol]

 Matt Jones‏ @KySportsRadio 11m11 minutes ago

Jeff Ruby pledges to buy every NKU student a steak dinner if the Norse beat Kentucky http://dlvr.it/Nd9khR  #BBN