96-Team Bracketology: Would BC Make an Expanded Tournament Field?
by Brian Favat on Mar 6, 2010 10:43 PM EST
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PrintMuch of the talk surrounding this year's NCAA Tournament revolves around the idea of tournament expansion from 65 to 96 teams. We all know that BC isn't making this year's tournament as an at-large, and their only hope of Dancing is by earning the ACC Tournament Championship automatic berth.
While BC won't receive an at-large bid in a field of 65, would they make a field of 96?
The short answer is yes. No wonder Al Skinner has come down in favor of tournament expansion ...
Using the latest version of SB Nation's bracketology as a starting point, we constructed a 96-team bracket .... and BC is in the field of 96. BC would receive a 16 seed and play in the #16 vs. #17 matchup against St. John's. This, of course, is a realistic scenario as the Tournament selection committee loves to goad BC by pairing the Eagles with old Big East conference foes.
The winner of the #16 vs. #17 game then get their ass handed to them by #1 Kentucky.
Here's a closer look at what a 96-team tournament field would look like. (Caution: if you were previously in favor of an expanded, 96-team tournament field, read on at your own peril).
MIDWEST REGION
(16) Murray State vs. (17) Virginia Commonwealth
(1) Kansas vs. (16/17) Winner
(9) Louisville vs. (24) Jackson State
(8) California vs. (9/24) Winner
(12) Mississippi vs. (21) Louisiana Tech
(5) Butler vs. (12/21) Winner
(13) Arizona State vs. (20) Portland
(4) Michigan State vs. (13/20) Winner
(11) Notre Dame vs. (22) Weber State
(5) Texas A&M vs. (11/22) Winner
(14) Siena vs. (19) Northwestern
(3) West Virginia vs. (14/19) Winner
(10) UTEP vs. (23) Morgan State
(7) Clemson vs. (10/23) Winner
(15) Minnesota vs. (18) Marshall
(2) New Mexico vs. (15/18) Winner
SOUTH REGION
(16) BOSTON COLLEGE vs. (17) St. John's
(1) Kentucky vs. (16/17) Winner
(9) Georgia Tech vs. (24) Quinnipiac
(8) Oklahoma State vs. (9/24) Winner
(12) Dayton vs. (21) Nevada
(5) Wisconsin vs. (12/21) Winner
(13) Seton Hall vs. (20) Southern California
(4) Gonzaga vs. (13/20) Winner
(11) Old Dominion vs. (22) Sam Houston State
(6) Baylor vs. (11/22) Winner
(14) Cornell vs. (19) Alabama
(3) Pittsburgh vs. (14/19) Winner
(10) Wake Forest vs. (23) Winthrop
(7) Richmond vs. (10/23) Winner
(15) UAB vs. (18) Kent State
(2) Ohio State vs. (15/18) Winner
EAST REGION
(16) North Carolina vs. (17) Tulsa
(1) Syracuse vs. (16/17) Winner
(9) Northern Iowa vs. (24) Lehigh
(8) Florida State vs. (9/24) Winner
(12) Connecticut vs. (21) Wofford
(5) Maryland vs. (12/21) Winner
(13) Mississippi State vs. (20) Arizona
(4) Temple vs. (13/20) Winner
(11) St. Mary's vs. (22) Oakland
(6) Texas vs. (11/22) Winner
(14) Memphis vs. (19) Charlotte
(3) Vanderbilt vs. (14/19) Winner
(10) Utah State vs. (23) ETSU
(7) Missouri vs. (10/23) Winner
(15) Illinois vs. (18) Texas Tech
(2) Purdue vs. (15/18) Winner
WEST REGION
(16) Wichita State vs. (17) South Florida
(1) Duke vs. (16/17) Winner
(9) UNLV vs. (24) Stony Brook
(8) Marquette vs. (9/24) Winner
(12) San Diego State vs. (21) Virginia
(5) Tennessee vs. (12/21) Winner
(13) Washington vs. (20) Northeastern
(4) Villanova vs. (13/20) Winner
(11) Florida vs. (22) Winthrop
(6) Xavier vs. (11/22) Winner
(14) Rhode Island vs. (19) N.C. State
(3) Brigham Young vs. (14/19) Winner
(10) Virginia Tech vs. (23) UC Santa Barbara
(7) Georgetown vs. (10/23) Winner
(15) Cincinnati vs. (18) Miami Fla.
(2) Kansas State vs. (15/18) Winner
Last four in: Arizona, Virginia, Louisiana Tech, Nevada
Last four out: Wright State, William & Mary, Saint Louis, Missouri State
Next four out: Harvard, Iona, Akron, IUPUI
By Conference: Big East (13), Atlantic Coast (12), Big 12 (8), Big Ten (7), SEC (7), Atlantic 10 (6), Conference USA (5), Pac 10 (5), Mountain West (4), Colonial (3), WAC (3), West Coast (3), Missouri Valley (2), America East (1), Atlantic Sun (1), Big Sky (1), Big South (1), Big West (1), Horizon (1), Ivy (1), MAC (1), Metro Atlantic (1), Mid-Eastern (1), Northeast (1), Ohio Valley (1), Patriot (1), Southern (1), Southland (1), Southwestern (1), Summit (1), Sun Belt (1)
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Aghhhhh!!!!!
Too many teams!!!!! Lol
by Jiftastic on Mar 7, 2010 12:18 AM EST via mobile reply actions
bad
this would be the worst thing for the ncaa…this expansion idea is horrible…every team from the acc gets in, hows that at all making the season better?
Proof Tourney Expansion is Useless
Even as a BC fan, and I don’t think I’m the only one on this, I’d be severely disappointed in any post-season selection that thought our lovely squad deserved to be included. This season has been memorably forgettable.
Moving to 96 teams in the field is the equivalent of letting everyone schedule 4 OOC football games with FCS schools and still keeping the bar at 6 wins for a bowl. It’s a travesty. And don’t say it makes it more excite. I mean, those 16-1 upsets happen so often (read: never). I think it’s more justified to say it’s already too big. Either let everyone in if you want it to be more inclusive or shrink it. Jeez, why don’t we just go by little league rules and give everyone trophies.
There is a lot of mediocrity on this list.
I’m against expansion but I thought it was funny that Northwestern (my current grad school) – famous for being the only major conference team to never make the NCAA Tournament – gets in as a #19 seed.
BC Interruption, a Boston College sports blog
Basically
The reason NCAA is better than the NBA is because you feel you NEED to win every time you play so you can make that tournament, expanding to 96 makes the tournament worse and the season even more worse
by Jiftastic on Mar 7, 2010 2:06 PM EST via mobile reply actions
This is a crazzzzy looking list and I really do think it may be more teams than the NCAA needs to put into the tourney. It is ridiculous when you start talking about putting teams into the tournament that have lost more games than they have won (excluding teams that have won their tourney and earned the right to get there).
I think in the day and age of having participation awards, this fits right along, but I don’t necessarily think it is the best thing for college basketball. At the end of the day we have to remember that this is a business and the more basketball there is means more money for the NCAA and CBS/ESPN.
Wake Forest '12
Mother So Dear
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