Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83 based; site hou2b.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!ihnp4!houxm!hou2b!sims From: sims@hou2b.UUCP (J.SIMESTER) Newsgroups: net.sport.hoops Subject: Re: NCAA Tourney and the Home Court Message-ID: <245@hou2b.UUCP> Date: Tue, 27-Mar-84 17:25:50 EST Article-I.D.: hou2b.245 Posted: Tue Mar 27 17:25:50 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 28-Mar-84 07:06:11 EST Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 74 Russ: In reply to your reply comments. First, regarding the placement of teams in a regionally logical sense for early round games to promote fan interest and attendance, witness the following for the first two rounds: EAST: Charlotte, NC Temple, St. John's, Auburn, Indiana (#3 seed) East Rutherford, NJ VCU, Virginia, Arkansas (#2 seed) MIDEAST: Milwaukee, Wis BYU, Tulsa, Villanova, Marshall, Morehead St. Birmingham, Ala BYU, Oregon St., West Virginia, Maryland (#3 seed) MIDWEST: Memphis, Tenn Oral Roberts, Purdue, Fresno St. Lincoln, Neb Ill. St., Alabama, Alcorn St., Wake Forest (#4), DePaul (#1) WEST: Pullman, Wash SMU, Nevada-Reno, Miami (Ohio), Duke (#3), Georgetown (#1) Salt Lake City, Utah Princeton, LSU, Dayton, Oklahoma, UTEP (#4) Not quite 2 teams in each region have any real natural local drawing power. I'm well aware of the fact some of these locations don't have many local teams, but there are still too many displacements for the "Keep 'em home for the local fans" theory to wash. In fact, for quite a number of years now, the tournament committee has puposely juggled the regions in an attempt to achieve a better balance. As I said in my original note, I just don't believe that ANY games would have a bad draw for the regional semis and finals (too many roundball nuts out there!) > I guess you are saying that five years ago, when Lexington got the > bid for this years regionals, the committee knew that Kentucky would > be one of the top teams? Come on, give us a break. I don't hear you > complaining that Virginia had the home court advantage when they > played Indiana. They were playing in an ACC town (Atlanta). Maybe > you don't like Indiana so you don't care if that game was fair. No, I am NOT saying any such thing. What I DID say was that the committee knew the Mideast regional was set for Lexington and that they thought enough of Kentucky to seed them first. Ergo, they expected the Wildcats to make the regional finals. They thereby in effect granted Kentucky the home court advantage, which I feel is absolutely WRONG!! In this case, it would have been just as easy to put DePaul in the Mideast and Kentucky in the Midwest (Lexington-St. Louis is only about 40 miles further than Chicago-St. Louis). BTW, Virginia playing in Atlanta just ain't the same as Kentucky playing at Rupp - the question here is home COURT, not home region. As far as the fouls are concerned, I never said Illinois was called for too many. It was simply my observation that the officials were sufficiently intimidated by the location that they made some bad calls (or no calls) at several critical points in the game. This is (unfortunately) rather common - how many real basketball fans out there can honestly say they haven't seen close games won or lost based upon home-influenced officiating? That is my gripe - in the NCAA tournament, the refs should not be put in the position where a home (note, a truly HOME) crowd and arena might have an effect on the way they call the game. And the only way to do that is to keep teams off of their home courts!! > The bottom line is that Kentucky is going to win the tournament this > year. Not beacuse North Carolina is out of it or DePaul is out of > it, but because Kentucky plays good enough to win, and thats all you > can ask. No, if Kentucky wins the tournament, it will because they had their regional final given to them by its location and the resulting officiating. The best team did not win. -- Jim ..!houxm!hou2b!sims