WBB Valpo vs Detroit 3/9/13

[justducky]

I guess the biggest argument against the bye system (one, two or three byes) is that sometimes the difference between one team getting two byes and another team having to play 2 extra games is a tie-breaker that goes down to whether a third team beat one of the two teams or not. That's pretty thin criteria that decides whether a team gets two byes or not.

Many of us have believed that the double-bye with home court is massive and unnecesary overkill. Now the evidence looks like it might also be counterproductive. Who looked sharper last night, was it Detroit and Valpo or Wright St and Green Bay? What about last year? How did things work out for Valpo and Cleveland St? Even UWM came out pretty flat against both Valpo and Butler in 2011. So can we conclude that too much protection might not be a good thing?

Sorry that I hijacked this to mens BB but it seems like a single bye with home court might be the best compromise answer even if it might mean that certain bottom teams might not get to play in our unknown future 9, 10, 11, or 12 team formats.

[justducky]

Because, from a conference standpoint, it greatly matters to have the best team in the league reach the NCAA Tournament, without hurting it's RPI in the conference tournament.

This matter of RPIs dropping instead of rising in league tournaments is what needs to be addressed. As it stands now we have modified our tourney system in an attempt to keep the RPI guru geniuses from lowering our RPI (and seeding) if we were to use a simpler and more rational approach.

So you are saying that their flawed system requires all mid-major conferences  to adjust to one of the biggest weaknesses in their overall RPI methodology. Thats backwards! If their system throws out crap numbers (not to be confused with Collegiate RPI Analytical Prognosticator or CRAP numbers-which is brilliant) then they are the ones who should be forced to make the changes. Mid-major fans and teams could stand together and make this happen. Might have to ruffle a few feathers in the process but nothing is more fun in life than going jaw to jaw with folks who are giving you an unjust hoseing.

[chef]

The 1 and 2 seeds are a combined 18-4 in semi-final games since the double bye was implemented.