Buzz Williams comments on the committee regarding A&M

[Houstonvol1]

“It has caused me to lose all respect and faith in the system and those that are in it,” Williams said, fighting back tears. “What has transpired is wrong. … The process is obviously flawed, and it is apparent that there is way more included that is unseen and unknown in the selection of the 36 at-large teams than what the public is made aware of.

“Until there is complete transparency and accountability the system will stay broken, and this will continue to happen.”

Williams also distributed nine pages of his own research of why A&M deserved an NCAA berth.

“It defies logic that we’re not in the NCAA Tournament,” he said.

Texas A&M's Buzz Williams lost 'all respect and faith' in system after NCAA snub

 

[VOLifornia]

Just watched the presser post Akron and the emotion he displayed is genuine. Based on the response on twitter the college basketball world and fans feel the same. Very emotional and heartfelt from Buzz and his composure to not let his rage spill over is commendable.

 

[DC_Vol]

“It has caused me to lose all respect and faith in the system and those that are in it,” Williams said, fighting back tears. “What has transpired is wrong. … The process is obviously flawed, and it is apparent that there is way more included that is unseen and unknown in the selection of the 36 at-large teams than what the public is made aware of.

“Until there is complete transparency and accountability the system will stay broken, and this will continue to happen.”

Williams also distributed nine pages of his own research of why A&M deserved an NCAA berth.

“It defies logic that we’re not in the NCAA Tournament,” he said.

Texas A&M's Buzz Williams lost 'all respect and faith' in system after NCAA snub

This year’s brackets are not good. Maybe the process has been flawed all along, but circumstances this year have shined a light on how unserious the committee takes the job of selecting and ranking the most deserving teams for the tournament.

The only way to restore faith in the process is to replace the entire committee and make the selection process more transparent. As with many things in life, there is an art (subjective) and a science (objective) to narrowing down the field to the tournament teams. The objective part should be defined in advance and known by all; the committee can defend the subjective part.

There will rarely be a year without a bit of controversy, but the NCAA needs to understand how important this event is for a basketball program. I hope this year’s mess will result in some positive changes that provide more confidence in how the selection process works going forward.

 

[Jimmy Football]

are correct.

 

[ZZ13]

I kept saying this but no one is listening (that’s ok). The tournament is first and foremost a TV show to generate revenue. Just as contestants are specifically chosen on any other reality show to generate interest and ratings, so is the NCAAT field. Accept that and you’ll be at peace.

 

[BruisedOrange]

This year’s brackets are not good. Maybe the process has been flawed all along, but circumstances this year have shined a light on how unserious the committee takes the job of selecting and ranking the most deserving teams for the tournament.

The only way to restore faith in the process is to replace the entire committee and make the selection process more transparent. As with many things in life, there is an art (subjective) and a science (objective) to narrowing down the field to the tournament teams. The objective part should be defined in advance and known by all; the committee can defend the subjective part.

There will rarely be a year without a bit of controversy, but the NCAA needs to understand how important this event is for a basketball program. I hope this year’s mess will result in some positive changes that provide more confidence in how the selection process works going forward.

Well articulated, DC_Vol.

It is more important than ever for the public to demand accountability from all the "powers that be" whether they are public sector or private, because that distinction is being muddied. The result is that we have fewer rights, less accountability--even to our wallets--in every area of life.

It's hard for us to imagine--those of us who grew up thinking we had influence through the free market and over our elected representatives--but we are no longer the "demand" part of supply & demand. We are now the resource, the strip mine of behavioral data to be mined, processed, and then released as a proprietary product to executives in both the private and public sectors.

If we have any leverage left today, it would be over the pipelines, the conduits of entertainment and information. There may still be some competition there.

 

[BruisedOrange]

I kept saying this but no one is listening (that’s ok). The tournament is first and foremost a TV show to generate revenue. Just as contestants are specifically chosen on any other reality show to generate interest and ratings, so is the NCAAT field. Accept that and you’ll be at peace.

I think your post is accurate, and it's true--you'll be at peace. Except that it's more than just sports. News and commentary, the lifeblood of any democratic republic, are also chosen/edited/created to generate specific interest, ratings and responses.

We need to keep demanding integrity, because you do not want to live in that world without it. There's little difference between rules and results determined in secret, and truth determined in secret.

 

[VOLtaism]

There should be an ongoing process beginning in February that is an official update of where teams stand. Each coach needs to know what his team needs to do to make the tournament or to increase their seeding. There is already enough money in the event to avoid trying to get a team close to home. Just throw them out there by merit and lets the chips fall.

 

[peerless98]

A 23 win season in the SEC including making the tournament championship game should be an automatic trip to the NCAA tournament. Michigan got in with 17 wins in a weaker top to bottom conference.

 

[overseasorange2]

There should be an ongoing process beginning in February that is an official update of where teams stand. Each coach needs to know what his team needs to do to make the tournament or to increase their seeding. There is already enough money in the event to avoid trying to get a team close to home. Just throw them out there by merit and lets the chips fall.

Yeah what is the point of the conference Tournaments? It seems the NCAA tournament committee made up their minds about who makes it/or seed number before the conference tourneys. Did they even watch the SEC tourney? Did they not see that both UK and AU did not even make the final, and that A&M did. Did they not know UT won, but still gave them a 3 seed? If I was UT, I would skip the SEC tourney next year. No use risking an injury before the big dance.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

I kept saying this but no one is listening (that’s ok). The tournament is first and foremost a TV show to generate revenue. Just as contestants are specifically chosen on any other reality show to generate interest and ratings, so is the NCAAT field. Accept that and you’ll be at peace.

That is the same kind of sellout justification that so far has protected these guys that put out the brackets. The whole of athletics is based on pursuing sportsmanship, fairness, and everything playing out in plain view on fields and courts and other venues. There is always in impact of the imperfections of humans on the outcomes, but there has to be limits. It appears to me that this year has shown for certain that these guys should be required to show their work in presentation form along with the brackets.

As bad as I did not like the BCS era in football, something similar should be considered for the stratification of the the field for March madness. Define the elements to be used and use the outcome to define the sequence that teams are placed in the bracket. The top 36 non automatic qualifiers remain in view and the balance are removed from consideration so that 64 teams remain. Top 4 are your 1 seeds, last 4 are the 16's, forget the playin games. Maybe give the committee the ability to apply geographic, rematch and other considerations within each seed group of 4. Not perfect either, but it would at least basically remove bias from major impacts. Use of mulitple agreed upon polls and analytic rankings in the model should make it as objective as possible. The guys in the room apparently had more faith in their eye tests and have eliminated faith in that process altogether. They had to selectively use the different elements to fit their agendas.

 

[ZZ13]

That is the same kind of sellout justification that so far has protected these guys that put out the brackets. The whole of athletics is based on pursuing sportsmanship, fairness, and everything playing out in plain view on fields and courts and other venues. There is always in impact of the imperfections of humans on the outcomes, but there has to be limits. It appears to me that this year has shown for certain that these guys should be required to show their work in presentation form along with the brackets.

As bad as I did not like the BCS era in football, something similar should be considered for the stratification of the the field for March madness. Define the elements to be used and use the outcome to define the sequence that teams are placed in the bracket. The top 36 non automatic qualifiers remain in view and the balance are removed from consideration so that 64 teams remain. Top 4 are your 1 seeds, last 4 are the 16's, forget the playin games. Maybe give the committee the ability to apply geographic, rematch and other considerations within each seed group of 4. Not perfect either, but it would at least basically remove bias from major impacts. Use of mulitple agreed upon polls and analytic rankings in the model should make it as objective as possible. The guys in the room apparently had more faith in their eye tests and have eliminated faith in that process altogether. They had to selectively use the different elements to fit their agendas.

So are you going to take it on? The only way you’ll make a dent is to not feed it with your money and go on a full time campaign to get others to not feed it with their money. Are you going to not watch any of the games this year? Are you going to not click on any internet links that talk all about brackets and odds of winning and such?

I’m fine with it as is and will watch it because it entertains me. I choose not to take it on. “ Reforming” Big time college sports is outside my energy level, interest level and time availability.

 

[golfballs]

TAMU, even with their wins didn't have a great resume. Still better than some other at-large teams. But regardless his comments regarding the process are still spot on.

 

[BruisedOrange]

I went to ESPN's site to see how they responded to Buzz Williams. After their video of his statement, there followed an ESPN foursome discussing it.

IMHO, what I heard was a quick statement of the official company line ("...but those 9 straight losses.." without acknowledging why those losses) and then IMMEDIATELY all four started talking about Tennessee's 3-seed as the real injustice.

Frankly, I'd love to see every SEC team's fans who are attending the tournament start chanting "Where's Texas A&M?"
But the announcers would just say they're chanting 'Go Brandon!'"

 

[VOLtaism]

Yeah what is the point of the conference Tournaments? It seems the NCAA tournament committee made up their minds about who makes it/or seed number before the conference tourneys. Did they even watch the SEC tourney? Did they not see that both UK and AU did not even make the final, and that A&M did. Did they not know UT won, but still gave them a 3 seed? If I was UT, I would skip the SEC tourney next year. No use risking an injury before the big dance.

I know they didn't consider the SEC tournament at all, but you know if UK had won it they would be a 1 seed. Thats what pisses me off.

 

[CAVPUT]

A 23 win season in the SEC including making the tournament championship game should be an automatic trip to the NCAA tournament. Michigan got in with 17 wins in a weaker top to bottom conference.

It's all about drawing viewers. They're going with the "name" programs and markets. Michigan will generate more interest than aTm. Duke will draw more viewers than UT. It's not so much a blue blood bias as it is a need to max ratings to gather in more money from TV. Just business.

 

[Sudden Impact]

Bottom Line Seeding Sucked TxAM got screwed, we got screwed.
For Us, now, it will be all be about the Officiating.

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

So are you going to take it on? The only way you’ll make a dent is to not feed it with your money and go on a full time campaign to get others to not feed it with their money. Are you going to not watch any of the games this year? Are you going to not click on any internet links that talk all about brackets and odds of winning and such?

I’m fine with it as is and will watch it because it entertains me. I choose not to take it on. “ Reforming” Big time college sports is outside my energy level, interest level and time availability.

If enough people with Buzz's profile will make enough noise maybe things will change. I will support him, just like I did our coach with his pointed comments about skipping the tournament if you have a spot slotted already. I know he was not serious, but the prospect of not being able to fill all the game slots for the TV money has to be a bit of an attention getter. I hope he continues to question this bracket every time they put a mike in front of his face. Maybe 50 Bracket Stinks signs in the stands by Vol fans for our first game would help too.

 

[driscokid]

A 23 win season in the SEC including making the tournament championship game should be an automatic trip to the NCAA tournament. Michigan got in with 17 wins in a weaker top to bottom conference.

Yeah how Michigan got in I'll never know. 17 wins? Come on now

 

[Delmar]

Yeah how Michigan got in I'll never know. 17 wins? Come on now

But, but, but it’s the Big 10….moaning and whining in the background.

 

[iKrager]

It's all about drawing viewers. They're going with the "name" programs and markets. Michigan will generate more interest than aTm. Duke will draw more viewers than UT. It's not so much a blue blood bias as it is a need to max ratings to gather in more money from TV. Just business.

IDK Texas A&M has a HUGE market in Texas. Maybe not more than Michigan or Duke, but definitely more than Iowa State. Even Alabama got in and they arguably played horrible basketball at the end of the year.

 

[ZZ13]

If enough people with Buzz's profile will make enough noise maybe things will change. I will support him, just like I did our coach with his pointed comments about skipping the tournament if you have a spot slotted already. I know he was not serious, but the prospect of not being able to fill all the game slots for the TV money has to be a bit of an attention getter. I hope he continues to question this bracket every time they put a mike in front of his face. Maybe 50 Bracket Stinks signs in the stands by Vol fans for our first game would help too.

I’m pretty excited to hear Buzz’s statement. But I have this feeling his raw data may never make it to the public.

 

[Chemvol]

TAMU, even with their wins didn't have a great resume. Still better than some other at-large teams. But regardless his comments regarding the process are still spot on.

Since the committee has basically admitted that how you end your season doesn't matter (unless you're a blue blood), A&M was saddled with their meh OOC schedule and that losing streak in the middle of the season. Given those "metrics", they had no chance.

I think Buzz's comments about the process are spot on, too. It has token transparency and zero accountability.

 

[JelloPuddinPup]

I agree with Buzz.

That being said, curious what the NIT organizers feel like about TAM being in their tourney and openly stating they wanted to be in the other one.

Tough being the little brother now.

 

[vollygirl]

Time to drop the NCAA tournament altogether, and a collective of colleges and universities agree to put on a tournament on their own. Problem solved.