From: jdt29225@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Jazzy J )
Subject: Re: The NCAA controls college basketball
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 19:19:25 GMT

gidi@Hilbert.Stanford.EDU (Gidi Avrahami) writes:
>Y'know, I like a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, but
>allow me to remind you of something: last year, the NCAA has gone
>completely out of its way to allow UNLV to defend its national title.
>You will recall that they have put UNLV on probation, which would have
>meant that they won't defend their title.  And after the probation was
>announced, they came up with that unheard-of idea of postponing the
>probation for one year.

>So what you're saying is this: First, the NCAA puts UNLV on probation,
>ending their repeat dream.  Then, they renege and allow them to play
>in the tournament -- and then they start fixing schedules and bribing
>referees so that UNLV will lose to Duke?  Wouldn't it have been
>simpler to just not allow them to postpone the probation?

        Well, I think the NCAA gave UNLV a second chance simply to, again,
        save some face.  Everybody knew that the probation was brought about
        against UNLV for allegations more than 10 years ago, and had almost
        nothing to do with the current set of players.  In other words, an
        unfair deal all around.  So, they give UNLV a chance, making them
        look like the "good guys".  As far as keeping the Rebels on
        probation, they could have -- but it would have made them look
        like the "bad guys" -- punishing a team for violations that occured
        years ago.  Not to mention the way it looked -- UNLV would have
        finished the season 30-0, and the NCAA Tourney would have gone on
        without the #1 team in the country.  National interest in the
        tourney would have been rather low, because everyone would be saying
        that the REAL #1 team was not in it.

>Anyway, everybody knows that the reason UNLV didn't repeat is that
>they tried to shave some points and went too far.  I mean, EVERYBODY
>knows that.

>Fix the brackets... nope.  First of all, the committee is made up of
>AD's -- the people who, as you yourself point out, are the sworn
>enemies of the NCAA's law enforcement arm.  Secondly, what are you
>going to do to stop UNLV?  Put the Chicago Bulls in their bracket?
>I mean, last year they gave them Syracuse as a #2 seed, and Syracuse
>went and lost to Richmond.  Does this look like a fixed bracket?
>With Syracuse?!

        Well, if U look back at the bracket, UNLV seemingly had the toughest
        route to the Final 4.  Knowing on how the Rebel game consisted of
        finesse and quickness, they loaded up their bracket with size and
        physical play.  After the obligatory 1st rounder (Montana), they
        had the second round matchup with, albeit mediocre, but BIG
        Georgetown (Mourning/Mutomno).  Then after that, there was either
        #4 seed Utah, or #5 seed Michigan State -- the latter of which would
        have been a rematch -- and in tourney play, rematches seem to be
        played on a higher scale, especially by the team that lost the 1st
        time (and in Michigan State's case, they had been smashed earlier in
        the season).  Then, the probable matchup in the regional finals was
        with either #2 Arizona w/ their HUGE front line (Williams, Rooks,
        & Stokes) -- or #3 Seton Hall, tournament champs out of the physical
        Big East.  As it turned out, the Runnin' Rebs had tough games in
        each game from the 2nd round on.  As far as the Final 4 was concerned,
        it's really a wildcard from then on out -- and Rebs just happend to
        face a Duke team out for revenge, so that's where the season ended.

        As far as Syracuse is concerned -- that was just basically your usual
        Orangemen choke (not as bad as vs. Navy in the Carrierdome in '86,
        but close)...

        Jazzy J

-- 
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|  "I am human and I need to be loved,            | Jazzy J                   |
|   just like everybody else does..." - The Smiths| jdt29225@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu | 
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Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college