Niagra And Other 16s

Just watched Niagra College beat a pretty pathetic Florida A&M team in the play in game of the NCAA.

I can safely say that Kansas need not worry, and perhaps need not even dress their starters. Unless of course Niagra uses the strategy that the Florida A & M player used, which was an apparent “stomp on the manhood”. I know it was an accident but that didnt look very comfortable.

I am from Rochester, NY, most my college sports were against UB, Buff State, Niagra, Oswego and other state teams. Niagra’s purple people eaters are like my backyard and I have alot of love for my home area and teams like this.

I was pulling for Niagra last week to make it this far, and was pulling hard tonight, But, this Florida A&M team was bad, and still the game was close.

Niagra shot great from the field and looked OK, not bad at best, but Kansas is my pick to win it all right now. Kansas just downed Texas on a Neutral court and Kansas has 11 straight wins which have been in the Big 12 conference and tournament.

Niagra has 12 straight wins right now which is a worthy accomplishment, but not in the same league. I can safely pull for Niagra but know they can be valiant losers only with a chance of reducing the garbage time in this game.

Here’s to hoping and praying that the entire Kansas team pulls a Thurman Thomas and forgets their sneakers. I would say in their street clothes this would be a close game coming up.

Now for some issues I have about tonights game.

It is not fair that the “play-in” game be comprised of league champions. If you get the honor of winning your spot by being champion of your conference you should not be in this game.

This “ghetto-game” just to get in the tournament needs to be comprised of two at large bids.

I know the at large bids ae much better than these two teams, and I know Kansas wouldn’t want to have to start against an at large team, but at-large is the charity spot.

At large teams are getting the handouts, and conference tournament winners have earned a legit spot in the tournament, and not this play in game.

This will not be a year of the 16 beats a one, nor a 15 over a 2. I do see 14’s and 13’s that can win a game this year, but the top seeds are stronger than usual.

In my Bracket I have UNC losing in the round of 16, but the rest making it to at least the 8. This is clearly not the year of the 16 and Niagra reminded me that tonight as I watched undersized power forwards chasing rebounds against guards. I will throw in that Niagra had some great agressive rebounders getting put backs (props).

The irony is that the true fanfare tonight began when the NIT tourney coverage came on. The NIT is clearly the “Not In Tournament” tournament. Normally the NIT is one step above the Women’s tournament, which is one shade above infomercials.

This year has been the year of the snub, and the NIT is actually the best game in town tonight. With teams like Drexel, Syracuse, West Virginia, Florida State and surging NC state playing tonight in the NIT, the consisted of the best teams on TV, and likely the best teams that will play until someone seded above a 9 or 10 plays. I am shocked that Cuse got left out, sad that West Virginia did and baffled how Drexel drew NC State in the very first game.

This years snubs realy are making a case for expansion to a field of 96 in the future, which I am for. I think 96 may be too many but a few more deserve it when 34+ spots are lost to conference champions and locks.

I belive the NIT champion should be uatenteed a spot in the next year’s NCAA event despite the next years outcome. Perhaps a stipulation like they must be above .500, but that seems obviously likely to happen anyhow. This would equate to the “all star game gets home field” strategy which puts a little bit of value into a sporting event which lacks value, like the NIT.