No Whining

Check it out, it’s my 100th post. It only took me 9 months to get here. Pretty impressive if I do say so myself. I have so many memories from the last year. Like remember that time I predicted great things for Portland? Or when I said LSU would get an at-large berth? Good times. Good times, indeed. I look forward to bigger and better things in the next century of posts. At some point I may even select a presentable name for this thing as well. What I can promise is that I will continue to fight the injustices and misconceptions surrounding college hoops. I am super-blogger.

For instance, it’s time for mid- and low-major schools to stop whining about how hard it is to schedule quality teams. I don’t think there’s a better time to be a “have-not” with respect to scheduling.

First, there’s the fabulous Bracket Buster developed by ESPN. If you’re a quality mid-major come February, you automatically get the opportunity to play a quality non-conference opponent. And then you get that game returned next season.

Second, the so called 2-in-4 rule has benefited the smaller schools. The fat cats can no longer play in exempt tournaments every year, opening the door for the little guys to get a chance. Last year, there were multiple events that had to dip into the non-D1 pool to fill their field. So clearly there is an opportunity for the less fortunate D1 schools to match up with a decent team or two on a neutral court in these events.

Finally, schools should follow the creative lead of Western Kentucky…

[WKU Athletics Director Wood Selig] included a clause in former coach Dennis Felton’s contract that would require any team from a high-major conference that hired him to play a four-game, home-and-home series with the Hilltoppers. That series begins this year at Georgia. (Bowling Green Daily News 8/26/04)

That’s one way to get back at the big boys.