Gotta say no to Knight's idea of adding teams to the NCAA Tournament

Robert Montgomery Knight. Chairs fear him. Whips are close friends. He can be a bit surly at times and sometimes has a bedside manner that makes the Nazis look like Carmelite nuns. He wins, I will grant him that. He knows the game of basketball, for that he'll get points from me.

He advocated (or almost advocated) yesterday on ESPN that the NCAA Men's Tournament field be expanded, doubled to 128 teams. This is where we cross swords. I think this is a bad idea for four good, if not compelling, reasons.

1. Logistics. Most teams do not play their games on campus. Cases in point: Georgetown, Memphis, Southern California and Memphis. They share arenas with NBA teams that may be using the facility on the nights when these teams are playing. It's also a nightmare for fans that have to travel great distances to see their teams play.

2. It would interfere with the NIT.

3. A tournament of this nature would be a scheduling nightmare, not just for the schools but for the networks that want to cover the games. Plus, most schools are out for Spring Break during this time. Plus, officials from neutral conferences would have to work the games.

4. The NCAA was forced to change from the old 48 team format to 64. It's not broken, coach. Please don't fix it.

I say the 64 (er, 65) team field is just fine. If anything, the selection process needs to be tweaked and if that means kicking the RPI to the curb, then so be it. I never understood it anyway. It makes the infield fly rule sound simple.

Yes, Coach Knight, you can drive 65. (Apologies to Sammy Hagar.)

Cornfed78Draft Pick

640 days ago

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Are you seriously saying Bobby Knight is worse than the Nazis? That is completely asinine.

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Cougar2000All-American

640 days ago

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I'm saying that sometimes his demeanor could be dicatorial in some aspects. Remember that incident he had with an NCAA official when he was at Indiana or the whip incident? Coach Knight is not a Nazi but some feel that he acts like one at times, Cornfed. It's not an attack on him.

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Cornfed78Draft Pick

640 days ago

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If "some feel" stands for you feel then you should say so. Dicatorial makes him Nazi-like, ok must have missed that day in history class. So then Belichick, LaRussa, Dusty Baker, Jerry Jones, Bill Parcells, and numerous others are Nazi like too. And Josh Jarboe is the same as Eric Harris, Steven Kazmierczak, Cho Seung-Hiu, and Dylan Klebold. Got it.

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Sj-hypocycloidAll-American

640 days ago

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I wonder if Knight would advocate this idea as an active coach?

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Cougar2000All-American

640 days ago

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He probably would be laughed out of the room. These teams already play bascially a 30-game schedule, including in-season tournaments in Alaska and Hawaii, a full conference schedule and then a conference tournament (except for the Ivy League, which does not have a tournament). If the NCAA would find a way to make it workable, I would be in favor of it. Also, Knight wanted to make it all home games in the arenas where these schools play.

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TerGreLittle Leaguer

640 days ago

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I think this allows for everyone to have a fun March and everyone can watch their team play another game with 128 teams I think we should even add more teams so that everyone who doesn't suck gets in and it can be like 2 months of madness

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KelsdadAll-Star

640 days ago

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I actually agree with him. Eliminate the automatic bids. And seriously, who gives a flying fack about the NIT? If adding another 64 teams to the tournament eliminates the NIT altogether college basketball would be better off.

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Cougar2000All-American

640 days ago

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If you eliminate the automatic bids, then what is the point of having conference games? Remember, not all teams have their own facilty. Case in point: South Alabama, who for years played their home games at the Mobile Civic Center, which made us nomads when I was going to school there. Now they have the Mitchell Centre on campus. Not all schools are that lucky. Yes, you do have a good arguement against the NIT. Ask Florida and Ohio State, as well as Virginia Tech, who should have been in the group of 65. The NIT is sort of the red-haired stepchild, Kels. Now if coach Knight were to make a compelling argument for 128 teams, I would be on the bandwagon. But it would have to be compelling and all the ducks would have to be in a row, quacking and waddling from bill to tail.

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Cornfed78Draft Pick

640 days ago

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If Florida, Ohio State and VT won more games they would be there, period.

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KelsdadAll-Star

640 days ago

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Eliminating automatic bids eliminates teams from getting in who shouldn't. Conference tournaments still are important, just ask Pittsburgh or Villanova, (and Syracuse for that matter). How well a team does in their conference tournament would go a long way in helping the selection committee with seeding.

Arizona State can bitch and whine all they want about getting left out, but if they're schedule was stronger they would be in, and despite their schedule, had played better in the Pac-10 tournament would be in as well.

I don't see where having a facility is all that important, to be honest. You named four teams in your article who don't have on campus facilities and that doesn't seem to hamper them, so...

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Leeweihan4687Varsity Captain

640 days ago

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I don't think USC plays at Staples, but Galen which is on campus

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Cougar2000All-American

640 days ago

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They used to at one time. You may be right about that.

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Tyrone BriggsHall of Famer

640 days ago

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Vegas must be comping Knight.

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