Busting Brackets
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NCAA Basketball: 5 major problems with a conference-only 2020-21 season

By Caleb Hightower

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 22: A view of the NCAA logo during a game between the Albany Great Danes and the Duke Blue Devils during the second round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Wells Fargo Center on March 22, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 22: A view of the NCAA logo during a game between the Albany Great Danes and the Duke Blue Devils during the second round of the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at the Wells Fargo Center on March 22, 2013 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 03: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils calls a play next to of Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 03: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils calls a play next to of Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Why the handling of the NCAA Tournament is key

Problem #5: The Division 1 Men’s Basketball Committee’s handling of the NCAA Tournament, could seriously affect how the National Invitational Tournament Committee (NIT) CollegeInsider.com Tournament Committee (CIT), and College Basketball Invitational Committee (CBI) treat their tournaments.

And lastly, what about postseason tournaments such as the NIT, CIT, and CBI? Every team is on a 5-month long mission to reach the NCAA tournament when the season begins(and hopefully win it when they get there), but sometimes they merely fall short, and have to come to terms with playing, what many people would consider “consolation games”, in one of the three tournaments mentioned above.

I know that a lot still has to be decided right now, but I can’t help but feel like if the Division 1 Men’s Basketball Committee screws up the seeding, selection, and bracketing of teams, The NIT Committee, CIT Committee, and CBI Committee may end up following in their footsteps. Assuming that these tournaments even exist this season, I have a strong feeling that if the NCAA tournament is botched, the other three committees may randomly dump teams into their tournaments, who do not make the big dance. This would be the result of the Division 1 Men’s Basketball Committee setting the bar exceptionally low for them, which they may try to take advantage of.

And yes, I understand that the NIT, CBI, CIT, and NCAA tournaments may not be on level playing fields, but for seniors, and teams in general that didn’t accomplish their ultimate goal, these tournaments are opportunities for them to stretch out their seasons. Putting little to no effort into making these tournaments seem meaningful to disappointed teams, is frankly disrespectful to them, and anyone who cares deeply about college basketball. I get that these committees would normally be overjoyed to have a few hidden gems in their tournaments, but this season it probably wouldn’t mean as much to them, because for many fans (but not all) it is NCAA Tournament or bust.

I’m not insinuating that the three committees will definitely treat these tournaments as such, but with the main focus being on the status of the 2021 NCAA tournament, I simply don’t see them attempting to make up for the Division 1 Men’s Basketball Committee’s potential errors if they know that it will not be a requirement. This puts more pressure on the Division 1 Men’s Basketball Committee to get the NCAA tournament right, and if they don’t deliver, the possible mistakes made by the other committees would be the result of their own blunders.

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