Saturday, March 21, 2009

It's the NCAA Tournament -- it doesn't have to make sense

At least when it comes to the seedings, if you're a University of Louisville Cardinals fan.

For once, Cards fans have no beef with the men's selection committee. That happens when you're the No. 1 overall seed, and your potential first four games are within 150 miles of home -- opening two rounds in Dayton, Ohio, and Midwest Regional in Indianapolis. It doesn't get much better than that, especially when you throw in U of L's 6-0 record in NCAA Tournament games played in Indianapolis.

The women's selection committee, however, has some explaining to do in the eyes of Louisville fans.

First, how does a team ranked in the Top 10 in the polls and No. 4 in the Ratings Percentage Index drop all the way to a No. 3 seed in the tournament?

Second, why does a No. 3-seeded team have to travel 761 miles to play its first- and second-round games on the home floor of the No. 6 seed in its region, when there is a neutral site 113 miles away?

The seeding alone was enough of a slap in the face, especially when the committee chairperson's lame rationalization involved an early season loss at Nevada. But combined with the placement in Baton Rouge on No 6 seed LSU's home court, and No. 5 seed Tennessee taking the 229-mile trip to Bowling Green, U of L fans feel justifiably outraged.

In my experience, that kind of screwing usually involves at least a sit-down dinner at a two- or three-star restaurant, followed by a first-run movie or a live concert. This was strictly no dinner, no movie, no kiss, no K-Y. It reeks of committee shortsightedness, if not outright bias.

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