CBS: 50 things to know about the 2021-22 season (On St. Thomas: we are now at (a completely unnecessary) 358 men's D-I programs)

BleedGopher

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per CBS:

40. We have a new Division I member for 2021-22, so let's single it out. St. Thomas, a longstanding D-III power, joins the Summit League. This means that, after decades and decades of the state of Minnesota having just one Division I basketball men's program, there's now two. And we are now at (a completely unnecessary) 358 men's D-I programs.

31. Want the inverse? Here are the five youngest coaches in the seven major conferences: Cincinnati's Wes Miller (38), Oklahoma State's Mike Boynton (39), LSU's Will Wade (39 in November), Xavier's Travis Steele (40 in November) and Minnesota's Ben Johnson (40). Of course, Duke will have the youngest of the group in a year; Jon Scheyer will be 34 when he takes over.


Go Gophers!!
 

I can all but guarantee that UST will be a more successful DI men's basketball program, once it gets going, than some significant chunk of the bottom programs. Bottom 100? 150? We'll see
 



I think the point of the comment was that 358 teams is too many. Not that St. Thomas isn't worthy.

Exactly and I agree with that. Of the 358, there probably are fewer than 100 in a given year that would have a snowball's chance in hell of getting into the NCAA tournament round of 32. I really do believe that those 358 should be split into two divisions, like D1 football.
 


Why?

What does it "hurt" that there are an "extra" 100-150 teams that don't compete for championships? The only money that they "siphon off", is some revenue sharing from the NCAA men's bball tourny, and with the credits system it's not like the best aren't getting the lions share of pay day.


DII and DIII have similarly large numbers.
 

Why?

What does it "hurt" that there are an "extra" 100-150 teams that don't compete for championships? The only money that they "siphon off", is some revenue sharing from the NCAA men's bball tourny, and with the credits system it's not like the best aren't getting the lions share of pay day.


DII and DIII have similarly large numbers.

Yes, DII has about 300 basketball programs I think. I don't know how many DIII programs there are but DIII athletics are more of a vehicle for boosting school activities and male enrollment than for a serious pursuit of athletics competition. To a degree, so are DII athletics.
 

Yes, DII has about 300 basketball programs I think. I don't know how many DIII programs there are but DIII athletics are more of a vehicle for boosting school activities and male enrollment than for a serious pursuit of athletics competition. To a degree, so are DII athletics.
OK. So, for DI:

What does it "hurt" that there are an "extra" 100-150 teams that don't compete for championships? The only money that they "siphon off", is some revenue sharing from the NCAA men's bball tourny, and with the credits system it's not like the best aren't getting the lions share of pay day.
 

Exactly and I agree with that. Of the 358, there probably are fewer than 100 in a given year that would have a snowball's chance in hell of getting into the NCAA tournament round of 32. I really do believe that those 358 should be split into two divisions, like D1 football.
Why though? Does it really harm anything to have north Florida play against Gardner Webb?
 



OK. So, for DI:

What does it "hurt" that there are an "extra" 100-150 teams that don't compete for championships? The only money that they "siphon off", is some revenue sharing from the NCAA men's bball tourny, and with the credits system it's not like the best aren't getting the lions share of pay day.
Why though? Does it really harm anything to have north Florida play against Gardner Webb?

I can understand your points but this is more of a personal feeling. I believe that D1 football is more competitive in the non-conference season because D1 FBS teams cannot count more than one D1 FCS team victory toward the 6 win bowl eligibility floor.

As I mentioned previously, I think splitting D1 basketball into two divisions with separate tournaments would make those tournaments more competitive as well. Personally, I would like to see a return to something like a 48 team NCAA tournament and leave the rest to consolation invitationals. #16 University of Maryland- Baltimore County's win over #1 Virginia a few years ago didn't make all of the other pointless #16 v. #1 games throughout the tournament's history worth it. #15 hasn't won very often either (9-135 record all time). #14 seeds have won a little over 15% of the time. Those teams had their moments of glory but that glory might have continued a little longer in a different tournament.

What has been particularly aggravating is the NIT rule over the last decade or so of automatic qualifiers from regular season champions of conferences who didn't make the NCAA tournament. That was even interpreted to require co-champions of the lowliest conferences to be selected. They suspended that rule with the shortened NIT tournament last year so we'll see if that suspension remains in place. Those teams almost never won their games.
 
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As I mentioned previously, I think splitting D1 basketball into two divisions with separate tournaments would make those tournaments more competitive as well. Personally, I would like to see a return to something like a 48 team NCAA tournament and leave the rest to consolation invitationals. #16 University of Maryland- Baltimore County's win over #1 Virginia a few years ago didn't make all of the other pointless #16 v. #1 games throughout the tournament's history worth it. #15 hasn't won very often either (9-135 record all time). #14 seeds have won a little over 15% of the time. Those teams had their moments of glory but that glory might have continued a little longer in a different tournament.
Fair enough.

I don't think any of the NCAA, the power bball confs, or even the rest of the DI bball teams, care that a lot of the "cindarella" matchups are actually non-competitive.

I think the marketing aspect of March Madness, and the occasional cindarella upset, as well as every year you have 12, 13, 14 seeds winning, is too valuable to get rid of. That's what I think they think, anyway.
 

Fair enough.

I don't think any of the NCAA, the power bball confs, or even the rest of the DI bball teams, care that a lot of the "cindarella" matchups are actually non-competitive.
Of course they don't but I do. However, I'm under no illusions that my wishes will be implemented.
 

I can understand your points but this is more of a personal feeling. I believe that D1 football is more competitive in the non-conference season because D1 FBS teams cannot count more than one D1 FCS team victory toward the 6 win bowl eligibility floor.

As I mentioned previously, I think splitting D1 basketball into two divisions with separate tournaments would make those tournaments more competitive as well. Personally, I would like to see a return to something like a 48 team NCAA tournament and leave the rest to consolation invitationals. #16 University of Maryland- Baltimore County's win over #1 Virginia a few years ago didn't make all of the other pointless #16 v. #1 games throughout the tournament's history worth it. #15 hasn't won very often either (9-135 record all time). #14 seeds have won a little over 15% of the time. Those teams had their moments of glory but that glory might have continued a little longer in a different tournament.

What has been particularly aggravating is the NIT rule over the last decade or so of automatic qualifiers from regular season champions of conferences who didn't make the NCAA tournament. That was even interpreted to require co-champions of the lowliest conferences to be selected. They suspended that rule with the shortened NIT tournament last year so we'll see if that suspension remains in place. Those teams almost never won their games.
I mean if you’d rather see the 11th place big ten team in the NIT than a 3-4 loss team I guess we just disagree
 



I mean if you’d rather see the 11th place big ten team in the NIT than a 3-4 loss team I guess we just disagree

Big swing there from what I'm saying. No, I don't believe that at all. A 3-4 loss team from a mid-major conference has a fair chance of making the NCAA tournament as an at-large team and, if not, definitely deserves to be in the NIT. However, I do think that a 18-15 team from a power conference or a 23-10 mid major team that neither wins its conference regular season nor its conference tournament deserves to make the NIT over a team from a very lowly conference that has a 18-14 overall record and won its conference regular season but lost its conference tournament.
 

I'd rather have St. Thomas cash a check from the U of M and get smoked by 40 than some of the other teams in play over the years.

In addition, having ST here to schedule a few road kill games vs. name teams and once in a while getting one to show up here to play at the Xcel Energy Center will be sort of fun.

The next ten years of CBB in the area should more fun due to UST going D1, even if they are terrible for a while. Heck, even seeing Summit League teams Oral Roberts and all the SD, ND schools here all winter should be sort of fun as a diversion form the status quo. I'll pay $10 to see a game once in while.
 




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