I mean really, having the Lady Volunteers as a #2 seed in the same region as over #1 UNC? Oh wait, I’m sorry, I slipped into a parallel universe where I cared at all about the womens tourney. OK, back to reality.
Craig Littlepage, the chairman defended the 10 member selection committee against Billy Packer and everyone who jumped all over them. The committee does have its share of screw ups (Why is Air Force even in the tournament? Watch them get to the sweet 16 now.) but Billy Packer is an asshole. Don’t forget in 2004 ago when Bill Packer said St Joes didn’t deserve to be a top seed and then had the Hawks dispatch his alma mater, Wake Forest, to reach the Elite Eight.
Packer criticized the committee for having too many mid-major schools. If it were up to Billy Packer, the ACC would just get all the top seeds and then every other power conference would get the rest. The reason why March Madness is so great is that a team like Vermont can knock off Syracuse. The NCAA selection committee isn’t perfect but as long as Duke doesn’t get all the calls in the tournament, March Madness will still be the best 3 weeks in sports.
Here are some national and blog opinions:
- [USA Today]: Conference called on tourney carpet
- [Fox Sports]: Were these seeds made under the influence?
- [Chris’s Sports Blog]: Every bit of criticism going the committee’s way until Thursday (because, let’s face it, nobody’s going to care whether Missouri State got in once the Tournament tips-off) will be self-inflicted. They screwed up big-time.
- [Orange44]: Is it possible that the NCAA Men’s Basketball Selection Committee could be considered even more inept?
- [Alan, Esq.]: The NCAA Basketball Selection Committee was apparently under the effects of crack cocaine yesterday when it selected several of its at-large bids.
- [Two Four One]: The NCAA Selection Committee has to go. It’s not even a question. The entire process has become colluded by politics and no one cares about RPI, Quality Wins or strength of schedule.
One reply on “Everyone hates the NCAA selection committee”
I get mad every year… — about the selections for about ten minutes. Then I toughen up and dive into the brackets like a person with no life. I will say that the committee seems to do a worse job every year and it’s why the Louisville’s still go to the Final Four as four(!) seeds when they were in the top 5 nationally. Besides the Dartboard Theory, I can only think that they want to get the hell out of that room and go home ’cause it’s Sunday, and they had already predetermined the teams about, say, right before Duke and UNC tipped off at Cameron. Believe me, though, I’m not complaining that Pitt was a 5th seed. Here’s my solution, and this goes against my “I absolutely hate the play-in game” policy; but maybe they should have 4 play-ins (shudder). Actually, the more I think about it, it could work. Have two games on Tuesday and two on Wednesday, with a day off between for the winners before they meet their slaughter. That way, we could bet on more games, er, I mean another four teams that didn’t bother to beat Northern Iowa at home in December can stop whining and the Oral Robertses of the world could actually win a game.The field of 68? Why not? Screw the NIT, by the way.