Amelia Island — After attending presentations and meetings laying out the analysis, formulas and metrics to get more ACC men's basketball teams into the NCAA Tournament, Florida State coaches leonard hamilton He came back with a simpler idea of his own.
“Please add more teams,” Hamilton said.
In fact, there are 60 more to get to 128 March Madness slots.
There are many ideas floating around about expanding the tournament, but it's clear that the scope of Hamilton's ideas is “absolutely radical”. But listen to him.
Non-conference games are a key factor in determining which bubble teams will and will not join the current 68-team field. For example, USF's restart was marred by losses to Central Michigan, Maine and Hofstra in November.
It makes sense to emphasize non-league games. This is his direct comparison of the two conferences. But because of the calendar, it is also incomplete, if not flawed. Most of those games take place early in the season.
“Naturally, we're going to be a different team in February than we were in November,” Hamilton said this week at the ACC Spring Meetings at the Ritz-Carlton.
His statement has always been true, but with the transfer portal and the speed of roster turnover, it's even more evident now. Hamilton said FSU could bring in up to nine new players this season. That much liquidity has meaningful and practical implications.
Let's assume the Seminoles add a transfer who spent two years elsewhere. My previous school coached players unilaterally. Hamilton will coach him differently. The systems and play styles are also different. What if a player's starting school prioritized slower set pieces and Hamilton wanted an uptempo offense with harder cuts and quick decisions?
“Now he has to come back and make adjustments,” Hamilton said. “It's not as easy as it seems.”
And that means that new players and other transferred players take time to understand the situation. Even if the shuffled roster and coaches don't hit home until January, it's too late to affect non-conference results. The same non-conference result will burst the bubble on Selection Sunday.
Hamilton's ideas solve problems. With a field of 128 teams, there will be plenty of room for late bloomers.
He also recognizes the growing push for player welfare, from new remuneration models to a focus on mental health. Furthermore, giving his 60 athletes the opportunity to compete in his one of the nation's biggest sporting events is one of the ways he is helping (beyond the additional income he anticipates).
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Hamilton envisions doubleheaders being set up across the country on the same days as the first four play-in games in Dayton, Ohio. Hamilton said the television situation can be complicated, but he said, “If we can send someone to the moon, I think we can figure it out.” Either way, the traditional Thursday tipoff will narrow the field to 64 teams. The remaining schedule for the tournament is likely to remain unchanged.
One criticism Hamilton has heard is that nearly doubling the field dilutes the regular season. Hamilton's response: Who cares?
You can see his point when you look at the unimpressive TV ratings for regular season games.
“If that's the only downside…” Hamilton said. “(The kids) have more money, more experiences, more opportunities. It makes it better for everything and everyone.”
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