76 Hoopsters in the Big Parade

I'm bradley and it's my job to keep you from being the sucker at the table.

Why are they stopping at 76?

In case you missed it,  the NCAA recently announced it's expanding their field of 68 who qualify for the post season basketball tourney to 76 teams.

That's one out of almost every 5 D-1 teams that will qualify for the dance.

But why stop there? 

The NCAA tourney used to be about the best college players showcasing their talents before they were to be drafted by the NBA. Then, it became a one and done for underclassmen who were trying to start their NBA careers while still in their teens.

So let me be the one to ask the question - if college football players refuse to play in bowl games before they're going to be drafted to prevent injury, why would an 18 year old who's already making NIL money want to play in at least 6 meaningless games just for the chance to cut down a net or two when huge pro dollars are awaiting him?

I mean, how many play-in games does a field of 76 include? And seriously - is there any chance a 76th ranked team is going to advance where the games start to really count and make sense?

The NCAA has two priorities - stay relevant and keep the money machine printing. As long as there's bracketology, they'll be interest in the tourney. 

I also wonder if this is the death knoll of the NIT. Founded in 1938, the NIT was once the crown  jewel of college basketball. But thanks to the point shaving scandal of 1951 and  smart management by the NCAA, the NIT lost it's luster and became a step-child to the NCAA tourney in the 60's. So the NIT is going to have to really scrape the barrel, starting with the 77th best team in the country, to fill its brackets. What a mess.

The NCAA  used to be home to some of the greatest college basketball on the planet. But now, because underclassmen are allowed to jump right to the pros, you're mostly dealing with teenagers whose games are underdeveloped and devoid of fundamental skills. That's not to say some teens and young adults in their 20's can't just step right into the pros and make an impact. It's saying the majority can't. So instead of watching epic battles between great players from many different programs (and thus, offering the chance for a 'cinderella' to sweep into the later rounds), you're stuck with a lot of pretenders who build their resumes in weak or non competitive leagues and then get trashed when they hit the tourney. The only 'cinderellas' these days are the ones who have their four year seniors together and have better team chemistry than the one and done mercenaries.

Truly, the only thing holding this tournament together is bracketology. It's basically the same thing saving pro football. Pro football has its fantasy leagues that keep fans engaged. College fans have their - and hope.

Otherwise, this tournament would have been chasing its best days a long time ago.

The NCAA is squeezing the golden goose so tight, it's head is starting to come off at the neck. It's just a matter of time before they squeeze too hard and kill it for good. Then, we'll all have to find ourselves a new game to bet on.

Water polo anyone?

I'm bradley and this is where you'll find the one guy who'll make sure you don't become the sucker at the table.