[Hoot Gibson]

DESERVE???? When did the NCAA D1 Tournament have ANYTHING to do with DESERVING to be in it? Is this tournament about who deserves to be in this 1/2 Auto Bid and 1/2 Selected team tournament???? Is this about crowning a champion? If so, why have we never seen one of these teams crowned the National Champion:

Albany
Florida Gulf Coast
Montana
Liberty
James Madison
Harvard
Creighton
New Mexico
Bucknell
Davidson
Northwestern State
South Dakota State
Western Kentucky
Southern
New Mexico State
LIU Broklyn

Why do we WASTE our time with allowing these teams into the tournament to crown the BEST team in the nation? Because they DESERVE IT?????? NO WAY!!!! Kentucky would beat each of those teams 9 times out of 10! Kentucky DESERVES to be in this tournament before ANY of those teams! Oh, we will get a Cinderella TEAM out of that group of teams, but that's it, we will bet ONE team that fascinates everyone and makes everyone FEEL GOOD because team got LUCKY. But NONE of those teams DESERVE to be considered in contention for BEST team in the Nation. So, if Kentucky, who is better than any of those teams is not DESERVING, then none of those teams are either!

If half of those 16 teams mentioned above make it to the Sweet 16 over teams from a Power Conference, then I will quit BGR forever!!!!

You're really going out on a limb there, Dusty!:biglmao:

This year's New Mexico team, which is on your list above, would be a favorite over this Kentucky team in Rupp Arena or at New Mexico. Creighton also has a much better team than UK and its seed will reflect that obvious fact. This is a very mediocre UK team that has not won a game ourtside of Rupp Arena since Nerlens Noel was injured. If UK gets an invitation this year, then the selection committee might as well just hold an auction next year and sell the seeds.

Your statement that each of the teams on your list would beat UK 9 out of 10 times is hilarious! UK would beat a projected 3 seed 9 out of 10 times? The Lobos may bow out in the first round, but they would have been heavily favored had they been matched up with the NIT-bound Wildcats.

Money is a factor in at-large bids, but Kentucky will not be the first defending champions who have not received a bid the following season.