In just five days, the fate of nearly 80 teams will be decided upon by a roomful of men in coats and ties, surrounded by facts and figures from each team. The numbers will range from the obvious-win-loss record and conference standings to the mundane-like the number of times a team has won on a Tuesday. And among all of the mess, one list of numbers will shine-the Rating Percentage Index standings.
And like every year, ESPN, CBS and every other station that has something to say on the selection show, will follow the show with an analysis of the teams that didn't make the tourney, the "on-the-bubble" teams that will have to settle for a trip to the NIT. With that analysis will come the age old argument that the NCAA Tournament should have the best 64 teams in the nation, a status that could be determined by the RPI standings.
For the uneducated college basketball fan, the RPI standings have been used by the NCAA since 1981 to fill the numerous at-large bids to the tourney. The tournament already has numerous slots spoken for by the winners of various conference tournaments across the nation. The conferences range from the powerful Atlantic Coast Conference to the virtually unknown Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, but in the eyes of the NCAA, each champion deserves a bid to the Big Dance.
To many fans, the problem occurs when there are upsets in the conference tournaments that result in teams that weren't expected to get a bid receiving one. For example, Canisius, the No. 5 seed in the MAAC, won their tournament on Sunday by knocking off Fairfield. With an overall record of 17-10 and an RPI standing of 92, the Golden Griffins were nowhere near being one of the top 64 teams. But they are in. So is UNC-Greensboro. The Big South champions may have an impressive 20-8 record, but their RPI rating of 120 is nearly twice the limit of 64. They too are going to the Big Dance, one of three smaller schools the Blue Devils faced during the easy pre-conference season that will be in the tournament. South Carolina State and Western Carolina are the other two.
Joining Canisius and the other small schools is Central Florida, a team with even more pathetic credentials for an invitation to the Big Dance. The Knights had an RPI ranking of 230, but by winning the Trans America Athletic Conference title, they became the first team this year in the NCAA Tournament with a losing record. It took 10 wins, 18 losses and a little luck, but UCF is in.
"How in the world could a team with 18 losses be allowed in when there are teams with 18 wins that are left out?" the reformer of current NCAA policy asks. It just isn't fair.
No, maybe from one point of view, it's not fair. Every Division I team tries its hardest each game in hopes of actually living through March Madness instead of watching it on television. And by wins alone, it looks as if a team like Drexel, with a 22-3 record, deserves a shot at the tournament before Central Florida.
But is it fair that Central Florida, Canisius and tons of other small-name schools from no-name conferences never get to be on television, because most of the country wants to see the ACC or Pac 10 or Big East? Those teams are trying just as hard, why don't they get a chance to shine once in a while?
With the small-conference bids, those teams get that chance. And no one is asking for Central Florida to get a high bid. For it and many of those small teams, receiving a No. 16 seed may be the biggest thing to happen to the school's program. Every year, there is a new school that is making its first tournament appearance. The NCAA Tournament means that for a few days, you are among the center of attention for most of the sporting world. And if you're lucky, a near-upset will earn you a few extra minutes in CBS' March Madness coverage.
Those small teams have led to some magical NCAA moments. Who can forget watching No. 16 Princeton in the mid 1980s use its slow-down offense to almost knock off top-seeded Georgetown? Or two years ago, when North Carolina A&T , then coached by Jeff Capel, Sr., stayed with eventual national champion Arkansas until there were five minutes in the game?
For every close call, there has been a game where the lower seed does come out on top. Sure, the win usually only delays check-out time from the hotel for a few days. But for a few moments, you are on top of the world. Just ask Santa Clara, who pulled off the nearly impossible when it defeated No. 2 seed Arizona 64-61 in the 1993 Tournament. Yes, the Wildcats have the reputation of choking in the tournament. But that doesn't diminish the magnitude of the win for Santa Clara.
And of course, let's not forget the office pools that are run this time of the year. The people at Kinko's probably get a little annoyed seeing all of those NCAA Tournament brackets. Everywhere-from the office to your psych class to your grandmother's retirement home-someone will have an NCAA pool. You pay your five bucks, get a blank sheet, and for a few moments you get to play God. You decide who you think will win. Among that fun is the chance to pick the upsets-the No. 14 seed that has the toughness to knock off the No. 3 seed. or that No. 11 team who may just make it into the Sweet Sixteen.
The NCAA Tournament is unique to all of sports. No other sporting event brings so many teams together from across the nation to vie for one national title. No other tournament is arranged where one game can cost a team its chances at glory. And no other event provides the chance for the Davids among the Division I teams to knock off the Goliaths atop the national rankings. That's what makes March Madness so exciting. And that's why the tournament format shouldn't be changed.
John Seelke is a Trinity senior and an associate sports editor of the Chronicle. His Final Four consists of Canisius, Central Florida, Western Carolina and S.C. State.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.