Should the NCAA Tournament expand to 72 teams?

Happy Friday Nova Nation! A quick note on our boys up in Chicago: they’re killing it. Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman both started for opposing teams in the first scrimmage of the day, and both were impressive. Way to represent Villanova guys!

But today we’re going to focus on the ACC proposal to expand the NCAA Tournament to 72 teams. The argument is to expand the “First Four” to 8 games and create a 2nd site somewhere further west so that every team doesn’t have to fly to Dayton.

Just a few weeks ago, my reaction would have been an instant “NOPE!” The NCAA Tournament is the greatest post-season event in all of sports, and there’s no reason to mess with a good thing. There’s maybe been one or two teams that missed the tournament in the past few seasons that should have made it, but in general the teams that should be there are already getting in.

But then gambling was legalized outside of Nevada, and within days the NCAA already lifted their ban on holding tournament games in states with gambling. In a rare smart move, the NCAA is actually capitalizing on what betting can bring to their sport: increased eyes on non-marquee games. This change in the law can be huge for a sport that features solid basketball outside of the elite tier, and that’s part of what makes the tournament so great.

That’s why I’m actually in favor of this increase. The NCAA tournament is great, and those three days between Selection Sunday and tipoff on Thursday SUCKS! If we can fill that with a few more games that have some meaning, I’m all for it. To be clear, I’m not calling for a 128 team field, but I think 72 makes sense.

In other “news”, Villanova is putting up great numbers at the combine, and Will Schreefer is changing hearts and minds. Enjoy!

NCAA tournament increase to 72 teams being proposed by the ACC | USA Today
More NCAA tournament games will be coming in the future if the Atlantic Coast Conference has its way. The league will propose expanding the field to 72 teams.

NCAA temporarily lifts ban to allow states with sports betting to host championship events | PennLive.com
Pennsylvania will or has host 53 championship events between now and the completion of the 2021-2022 season, according to the NCAA.

2018 NBA Draft: Combine Standouts, Buzz and the No. 1 Pick | SI.com
Which players impressed the most during the first day of scrimmages at the NBA draft combine? Could Luka Doncic really stay in Europe another year? The Front Office answers those questions and much more.

Draft Combine Measurements | NBA.com
Measurements and Data collected at each year's NBA Draft Combine with information dating back to the 2000-01 Season. Donte DiVincenzo proves white men CAN jump.

KU basketball: On NBA 3s, how Villanova is changing the game | The Kansas City Star
The Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team was a good "NBA three-point" shooting squad last season. Something else grabbed my attention, though, when I looked at the NCAA team numbers for those shots: The Villanova Wildcats were way ahead.