ESPN Men's Basketball

I have been projecting NCAA Tournament brackets, in one forum or another, since 1995. In those years -- a baker's dozen, if you can believe it -- I generally have regarded what comes from the NCAA selection committee as gospel. Even in periodic disagreement, I have voiced my (and, by extension, your) concerns and then pretty much moved on to the next season.

But do we really -- I mean, really -- hold the committee accountable? Oh sure, there is the national gnashing of teeth on Selection Sunday and Monday, along with the requisite coach or two or three who plays the sympathy game. Some are magnanimous; others less so. But we hear pretty much the same stories, with only the names changing from year to year.

And then the Tournament begins. And most everyone forgets about who was or was not selected. Or how poor seeding decisions might have an impact on the competitive balance of the Tournament. Or that travel and geography, not always properly considered, can have a tangible impact on the outcome of games.

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