LutherRackleyRulez
05-25-2010, 03:08 PM
Per Andy Katz/ESPN...
Coaches experiment with mock bracket
Over the past three years, the NCAA has muted some of the criticism levelled at the tournament selection process by conducting mock bracket exercises with members of the media.
But Division I coaches still had gripes over the lack of transparency in the process.
So the NCAA confronted the problem by bringing a mock bracket exercise to the executive board meeting of the National Association of Basketball Coaches two weeks ago in Indianapolis.
The result: the NCAA has been able to convert some of the coaches about the process with the hope that they'll pass on their critiques and observations to their brethren in the biz.
"It was the most fascinating thing I've done in the past 15 years," said Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli. "It was stunning to me."
That's saying something because Martelli works with ESPN.com Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, who serves as an analyst on Hawks radio broadcasts and is a communications director for the university.
***Bobo mentioned:
Martelli said committee member Mike Bobinski, athletic director of Xavier, briefed the A-10 coaches at its league meetings about the ways in which to bump up the tournament from 65 to 68 teams. One option is to have four opening-round games pitting 16- vs. 17-seeds against each; another would have the last eight at-large schools play for different seed lines so that their first-round opponent in the tournament would know it was playing one of two teams as opposed to one of eight teams.
Martelli said he suggested that they go with the first option of 16 vs. 17 games, but ensure that the conferences play those championship games a week earlier so there isn't a rush from playing Sunday to playing Tuesday.
"You need them to enjoy being league champion for a week," Martelli said. "I know [the NCAA is] sensitive to it being the same eight leagues."
The consensus seems to be that the opening-round games would remain in Dayton, Ohio. But Martelli said Saint Joe's athletic director Don DiJulia suggested that they move them to historical buildings like the Palestra in Philadelphia or Phog Allen in Lawrence, Kan., to give the games even more meaning.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/5217698/coaches-experiment-mock-bracket
Coaches experiment with mock bracket
Over the past three years, the NCAA has muted some of the criticism levelled at the tournament selection process by conducting mock bracket exercises with members of the media.
But Division I coaches still had gripes over the lack of transparency in the process.
So the NCAA confronted the problem by bringing a mock bracket exercise to the executive board meeting of the National Association of Basketball Coaches two weeks ago in Indianapolis.
The result: the NCAA has been able to convert some of the coaches about the process with the hope that they'll pass on their critiques and observations to their brethren in the biz.
"It was the most fascinating thing I've done in the past 15 years," said Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli. "It was stunning to me."
That's saying something because Martelli works with ESPN.com Bracketologist Joe Lunardi, who serves as an analyst on Hawks radio broadcasts and is a communications director for the university.
***Bobo mentioned:
Martelli said committee member Mike Bobinski, athletic director of Xavier, briefed the A-10 coaches at its league meetings about the ways in which to bump up the tournament from 65 to 68 teams. One option is to have four opening-round games pitting 16- vs. 17-seeds against each; another would have the last eight at-large schools play for different seed lines so that their first-round opponent in the tournament would know it was playing one of two teams as opposed to one of eight teams.
Martelli said he suggested that they go with the first option of 16 vs. 17 games, but ensure that the conferences play those championship games a week earlier so there isn't a rush from playing Sunday to playing Tuesday.
"You need them to enjoy being league champion for a week," Martelli said. "I know [the NCAA is] sensitive to it being the same eight leagues."
The consensus seems to be that the opening-round games would remain in Dayton, Ohio. But Martelli said Saint Joe's athletic director Don DiJulia suggested that they move them to historical buildings like the Palestra in Philadelphia or Phog Allen in Lawrence, Kan., to give the games even more meaning.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/5217698/coaches-experiment-mock-bracket