2022-23 College Basketball

[jazzcyclist]

Under Coach K Duke won 5 NCAA titles. Of those, I can definitely think of at least 2, maybe 3, where they were not the best team in the nation - not close even. But there are a couple other years when they were the best team in the nation - easily, and they didn't win (1986, 1989, 1997). That's how the tournament works. If you want to always choose the best team, you play a best of 7 series, but that's not possible in college and for the NCAA tournament.

7-game series may be impractical but the 64-team NCAA baseball tournament is much better - double-elimination tournament followed by best 2 out 3 followed by double-elimination tournament followed by best 2 out of 3

[TN1965]

Baseball and softball use double elimination format because the single game outcome is less predictable. (It heavily depends on the form of starting pitchers.)

The single game outcome of basketball is supposed to be more predictable than those two.

[jazzcyclist]

Baseball and softball use double elimination format because the single game outcome is less predictable. (It heavily depends on the form of starting pitchers.)

The single game outcome of basketball is supposed to be more predictable than those two.

I respectfully disagree that there's that much difference between the predictability of basketball and baseball. IMO basketball is closer to baseball than it is to football when it comes to predictability. That's why the NBA and the WNBA don't use the single-elimination format. However, there's no doubt that the double-elimination format would lead to more predictable outcomes than the single-elimination format.

[bambam1729]

I respectfully disagree that there's that much difference between the predictability of basketball and baseball. IMO basketball is closer to baseball than it is to football when it comes to predictability. That's why the NBA and the WNBA don't use the single-elimination format. However, there's doubt that the double-elimination format would lead to more predictable outcomes than the single-elimination format.

Disagree, jazzy. At the pro level a really good baseball team wins 60% of its games. A really good basketball team wins 75% of its games. I suspect the numbers are different at college level but there is still a difference between baseball and basketball.

[DrJay]

Does college baseball play back-to-back games during the post-season? Harder to do with basketball. I love college basketball and the tournament, but double elimination would be something I might favor. The difficulty is that the tournament would go on forever if they had a rest day between games. And a tourney of that length would surely interfere with the academics of these "student"-athletes. 🙄

[jazzcyclist]

Disagree, jazzy. At the pro level a really good baseball team wins 60% of its games. A really good basketball team wins 75% of its games. I suspect the numbers are different at college level but there is still a difference between baseball and basketball.

Of course, basketball is more predictable than baseball but what I'm saying is that it's not predictable enough to warrant the single elimination format and it's CLOSER to baseball than football.

[TN1965]

I respectfully disagree that there's that much difference between the predictability of basketball and baseball. IMO basketball is closer to baseball than it is to football when it comes to predictability. That's why the NBA and the WNBA don't use the single-elimination format. However, there's no doubt that the double-elimination format would lead to more predictable outcomes than the single-elimination format.

I did not say anything about football. (I have zero interest.) I said baseball and softball are less predictable than basketball. And those are the only two NCAA sports that use double elimination. No NCAA team in baseball or softball has ever gone undeeated for the season. There will be another one in basketball in two weeks.

Is basketball less predictable than soccer, field hockey, ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse or volleyball, all of which use single elimination in NCAA Championships?

[dukehjsteve]

Take away single elimination, and March Madness loses its mystique.

( And gee, I'm glad Hayward's shot did not go in... )

[Conor Dary]

Does college baseball play back-to-back games during the post-season? Harder to do with basketball. I love college basketball and the tournament, but double elimination would be something I might favor. The difficulty is that the tournament would go on forever if they had a rest day between games. And a tourney of that length would surely interfere with the academics of these "student"-athletes. 🙄

It's never going to happen....

[Conor Dary]

Baseball has double elimination because teams can easily play 2 games in a single day. So why not.

[jazzcyclist]

I did not say anything about football. (I have zero interest.) I said baseball and softball are less predictable than basketball. And those are the only two NCAA sports that use double elimination. No NCAA team in baseball or softball has ever gone undeeated for the season. There will be another one in basketball in two weeks.

Is basketball less predictable than soccer, field hockey, ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse or volleyball, all of which use single elimination in NCAA Championships?

Softball and baseball play twice as many games as basketball. Of course those sports have fewer undefeated seasons than basketball. Football has more undefeated seasons than basketball but that's not a good metric for the same reason. I don't know enough about those other sports to give an informed opinion.

[jazzcyclist]

Does college baseball play back-to-back games during the post-season? Harder to do with basketball.

They do in the conference tournaments, and even the NBA which plays 48 minutes, plays back to back in the regular season.

[Conor Dary]

Does college baseball play back-to-back games during the post-season?

Of course.....

[DrJay]

They do in the conference tournaments, and even the NBA which plays 48 minutes, plays back to back in the regular season.

True, though the conference tourneys aren't for all the marbles, three games for the better teams that got byes (up to five for the poor slobs that had a bad regular season, their fault) then a four or five day break before the NCAA starts. If they did best-of-threes, maybe three days in a row then two or three days before the next round, six rounds would take 30 to 35 days and that won't happen, at least not until the ruse about them also being students fades away. Six weeks (counting the conference tourneys) of nothing but basketball. Us fans would love it, though.

[Conor Dary]

True, though the conference tourneys aren't for all the marbles, three games for the better teams that got byes (up to five for the poor slobs that had a bad regular season, their fault) then a four or five day break before the NCAA starts. If they did best-of-threes, maybe three days in a row then two or three days before the next round, six rounds would take 30 to 35 days and that won't happen, at least not until the ruse about them also being students fades away. Six weeks (counting the conference tourneys) of nothing but basketball. Us fans would love it, though.

What's this us? The present March Madness is hugely popular. The only ones complaining are the losing fans who think their team should be allowed to win every year.

https://nycsportsnation.com/2023/02/09/the-popularity-of-march-madness-its-more-than-you-think/