NCAA Basketball: UCLA’s rise, overrated Texas Tech, and more takeaways

8) Merrimack and the NCAA’s unnecessary rule

We close this week’s Rauf Report by taking a look at Merrimack, who has been one of the best and worst stories of the college basketball season all at the same time.

Why is it the best? This is Merrimack’s first year as a Division I program after making the Division II Tournament each of the last three years. All they’ve done is win 20 games and go 14-4 in the NEC, claiming the conference’s regular-season title by beating Central Connecticut on Thursday.

That’s right – they won a conference championship in their first season playing D-1.

So why is it the worst? By virtue of getting the No. 1 seed in the NEC Tournament, the Warriors will enter as the favorite. The winner of the conference tournament will be the only team from the NEC to play in the Big Dance, so having that advantage is key.

Expect it doesn’t matter.

Due to the NCAA’s transition rule, schools making the leap from Division II to Division I are subject to a four-year transition period in which, while they’re eligible for conference championships, are ineligible for NCAA championships. The purpose of the rule is to give programs the opportunity to adjust to competing at a higher level.

That’s all nice and dandy, but some of the programs making the transition – in this case, Merrimack – have proven they’re able to compete right away. And this rule is actually hindering Merrimack’s athletic department, as they’ll miss out on the notoriety and validity that comes with playing in the NCAA Tournament.

Of course, this will be a moot point if the Warriors lose in the NEC Tournament, which could be the case as St. Francis (PA), Robert Morris, and Sacred Heart all finished within two games of Merrimack. But if they do win it, it will be a negative on the sport.