Pearl on last year’s USC team
More from today’s SEC teleconference, this time from Bruce Pearl.
The Tennessee coach, when asked about the possible expansion of the NCAA tournament to 96 teams, said he was in favor of it and cited South Carolina last year as an example.
“How can a team that won 10 games in the league and shared the division crown be left out?” Pearl said. “Well the reason is because they weren’t, by the way the thing was picked, they weren’t one of the top at-large teams. Well that’s not fair, for the kind of year they had. It’s not that they were treated unfairly, by the numbers they were just out. But there’s no way a team like that should miss the tournament.”
This continues a trend where it seems most coaches – and suits at the NCAA and the TV networks – favor expansion, while almost all media and fans (except, perhaps, of teams like the Gamecocks last year) are against it.
5 Comments to “Pearl on last year’s USC team”
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State newspaper sports writer Seth Emerson blogs on University of South Carolina basketball and baseball.
I am very much in favor of expanding the tournament. Unless they divide the number of Division 1 teams, thereby eliminating some of the smaller schools who now get in, I want the tournament expanded. I’d be in favor of expanding to 128 teams.
It’s not broke, why are they trying to fix it?
And if they do, good lord they will be some serious hypocrits! No football playoff b/c it takes away from class time. Expand the NCAA tourny? Sounds like a good idea!! They cry that its all about fairness. No, expanding the tourny adds another weekend to the big dance which means CBS has to pay more $$ to the NCAA to broadcast the games. These presidents that tout the “student-athlete” is a joke too. They will poop on the student-athlete as quick as they can if it means more money to the schools. The NCAA is a joke!
Going to 96 teams adds ONE GAME for 64 teams; not exactly a hardship, or a threat to academic success.
Leave the NCAA Tournament the way it is. Please don’t anyone try to tell me we can’t pick a National Champ out of a 64 team field. The tournament is already watered down in talent due to all the so-called “midmajor” conference champs. Please stop the ridiculous talk about making a tournament invitation meaningless.
` take all conference regular season champs, and all tournament winners,then committe in the rest of 64,maybe by a vote of the coaches.take next 48 and put them nit just like now.