Personally, I like to steer clear of those “the rich get richer” columns on the state of college athletics, because I usually end up muttering a variation of “no joke, Sherlock.”
The Southeastern Conference is richer than the Sun Belt. The former league's schools invite the latter league's schools to serve as homecoming opponents in football. The SEC plays on ESPN/ABC, the Sun Belt plays on ESPN3.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
In basketball, the NCAA tournament provides the best commentary of the gap between the haves and have-nots — not necessarily in results on the floor, but in the selection and seeding process.
The Bracket Preview rolled out Saturday, giving bracketeers a chance to peek into the thoughts of the selection committee. Of major interest to me, and many others, is the treatment of 26-0 Gonzaga.
CBS Sports analyst Jerry Palm mildly criticized the committee for giving the top-ranked Zags the fourth and final No. 1 seed. Shoot, I'm impressed they're on a top line at all.
Of those not in one of those “Power 5” conferences (I apologize for using that term in a non-football context), defending national champ Villanova is a No. 1 seed and fellow Big East member Butler is a No. 4.
If you want to argue that the Big East is still the “power” conference it was before the league's breakup, I'll buy it. If so, that means 15 of the 16 top seeds are from the “haves.”
I'm not broken up by that. My general philosophy is that teams who have a beef with seeding can make their case on the floor.
(I hope the NCAA doesn't force teams to wear warm-up shirts with the same silly motto, something like “Always Be Reppin'.” Let the teams retain their characteristics, please.)
My mid-major beefs lie with the at-large selections, which seem to be more precious each year. As long as the field stays at 68, there are 36 at-large berths. That's not many.
If you're a Marshall fan wondering whether your team's league, Conference USA, will ever be a multi-bid league again in the current format — even occasionally — my answer is no.
Not even if Middle Tennessee wins out to the Conference USA tournament finals and gets toppled there. Yes, I am telling you here and now that the Blue Raiders would end up in the National Invitation Tournament at 29-5 — even with a higher Rating Percentage Index ranking of its current 37.
Even better, those septuagenarians on the NIT selection committee would stick them with a No. 2 seed in the 32-team bracket.
Such is life for the “have-nots.”
In the last bracket of ESPN's Joe Lunardi (before Saturday's games), he projects nine entrants from the Atlantic Coast Conference, seven each from the Big 12 and Big Ten, six from the Big East, five from the SEC and five from the Pac-12. That's 39 from the five uber leagues plus the Big East.
There are only three other multi-bid leagues in that bracket, the American, Gonzaga's West Coast and Atlantic 10.
That's tough to swallow. There were only three “other” multi-bid leagues last year, but the American got four, even with Southern Methodist on the sidelines, the A-10 three and the Missouri Valley two.
I concede the quality of competition in the five-plus-Big East, but those leagues get too many spots. I realize this is futile, but I stick to two reasonable principles:
n No conference, no matter how competitive, deserves more than half its members in the NCAA field.
That would limit the ACC to seven of its 15 teams, the Big 12 to five of its 10, the Big East to five of its 10 and the Big Ten 6 of 13 (I refuse to recognize Rutgers as a Big Ten member).
Using Lunardi's bracket as a base, I just freed up six spots!
n Nobody should be eligible if it cannot exceed .500 in conference play, league tournament games included.
For this, I'll go to Palm's bracket, also released before Saturday's games. No overriding reason, just doin' it.
In the ACC, after Saturday's play, I'm ditching Miami and Virginia Tech. In the Big East, Seton Hall. In the Big Ten, Minnesota. In the Big 12, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Texas Christian (yes, I'm THAT old-school about first references).
I tossed seven schools on that principle, or one additional after applying the first principle.
If the committee would have the scruples to do that, that would strike an acceptable balance between the “haves” and “have nots.” And it might create a few more deserving multi-bid conferences.
nnn
If you missed it, the Philadelphia 76ers unveiled a statue of the great Hal Greer at the team's practice facility in nearby Camden, New Jersey. That statue should be at the Sixers' home arena, but it's great that the 80-year-old Marshall alum was honored nonetheless.
Greer was honored before the 76ers' game Saturday against the Miami Heat. After Greer was introduced, Heat big man Hassan Whiteside went to midcourt and shook Greer's hand. As you likely know, Whiteside played one memorable, shot-swatting season with the Thundering Herd.
“Whe knew who I was,” Whiteside told the Palm Beach Post. “He was, like, 'Whiteside.' I was, like, 'Oh, man, you know who I am?” It was good, man.
An exchange of class gestures from Marshall stars of very different generations.
Contact Doug Smock at 304-348-5130 or dougsmock@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @dougsmock and read his blog at http://blogs.wvgazettemail.com/dougsmock/.