It's that time of year again. The NCAA tournament is set to begin on Thursday afternoon. For the first time in as many years, I think that every team that was selected to participate in the tournament as an at-large bid deserves to be there.
???The only problems I have with the field are where certain teams are playing their games and seeds for certain teams.
???First, it's important to talk about who did not make the tournament. Some may argue that Arizona State or Virginia Tech should be in the tournament, but there is really no room for them. With the Georgia Bulldogs pulling off an incredible run in the SEC Tournament and San Diego State winning the West Coast Conference tournament, those are two at-large bids that are gone.
???Arizona State had a weak non-conference schedule in the beginning of the season. Sure, they went 9-9 in the PAC 10, arguably the best conference in the nation. But when you play cupcake opponents early on, that's not what the committee is looking for.
???The Sun Devils did not play any top 25 teams other than Xavier. Every team in the NCAA tournament can beat teams like Cal Poly, Florida Gulf Coast, and Delaware State. Another factor that will haunt Arizona State is finishing the season 5-10 and losing four of five games to teams that made the field of 65.
???Virginia Tech should not be complaining about not making the tournament because they have 13 losses. That is too many in a weak ACC this season. The Hokies also went 0-6 against the top 25 teams and 1-7 versus tournament teams. Like the old saying goes, "To be the best, you have to beat the best."
???Arizona deserves to be in the tournament with the 10 seed. The out-of-conference schedule that they played was one of the toughest in the nation. They traveled to Kansas and Memphis, two number one seeds. They also faced Texas A&M and San Diego State, two teams that made the tournament, early in the season and defeated both of them.
???Now, let's look at some of the teams that were snubbed with a bad seed and face tough games in the first round.
???I understand Indiana struggled after head coach Calvin Sampson was fired. But, they do have a 25-7 overall record and finished in third place in the Big Ten conference. There is no reason to give them an eight seed and face UNLV in the first round and then North Carolina in their home state in the second round.
???How can the committee give a team that went 29-3 a number seven seed? That is totally ludicrous. The Butler Bulldogs won the Horizon League regular season conference and post-season conference tournament and end up facing a tough South Alabama team in Birmingham, Ala.
???That is a tough game for Butler. The Bulldogs should put on their blue road jerseys and leave their white ones at home. I understand South Alabama is a small school, but as one of the last teams into the tournament, there is no way they should be playing in their home state against a mid-major school like Butler.
???I hate how there are so many mid-major teams facing off against each other this year. That's what makes "March Madness" what it is, with the small schools hitting those buzzer beaters to knock off the schools that are rich in tradition.
???Who will ever forget Valparaiso defeating Mississippi with the long baseball pass down the court to hit a three pointer as time expired? How about Hampton, a 15 seed, beating Iowa State, the two seed in 2001 with six seconds left in the game?
???The best game out of any in the first round might be the sixth seeded USC Trojans against the 11th seed Kansas State Wildcats with two stud freshman players in O.J. Mayo of USC and the Wildcats' Michael Beasley going up against one another. That is going to be an intense showdown between two of the best young kids in the sport.
???All 65 teams that are battling for a championship may not be the best teams in the nation, but they are all qualified to be there. The at-large bids are all well deserving and no other team can make a valid argument as to why they should replace one of them.
???It should be an exciting tournament. Let the madness begin.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
