Tom Izzo: Automatic bids for mid-major programs in NCAA Tournament 'got to be looked at'
Even with an inconsistent season, the Michigan State Spartans are back in the NCAA Tournament for the 25th consecutive season, but head coach Tom Izzo thinks there needs to be some changes in how tournament teams are selected.
The Spartans were on the bubble for a tournament spot, and with so many bids stolen in conference tournaments, it wasn't a certainty that Izzo's team would extend the active record for most consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Michigan State wound up being safe as a No. 9 seed, but Izzo said ahead of his team's matchup with Mississippi State on Thursday he feels for the teams that didn't get into the tournament because of automatic bids.
"I'm not sure I understand why, but the conference tournament things, you can go and like Purdue go 17-3 and dominate the conference and then lose. It's okay if it's the second place team, but I think that makes it hard, why some teams will get left out. I don't know if something could be fixed there," Izzo told the media.
"There's getting to be more parity, there's getting to be more unknowns, there's getting to be more upsets, there's getting to be more of these, what, 20 of the 32 conferences, the regular season champ did not − it just doesn't happen like that. So I think it needs to be taken a serious look at."
People have been vocal about changes to the NCAA Tournament selection process, notably SEC commissioner Greg Sankey. He recently told ESPN the tournament is "giving away highly competitive opportunities for automatic qualifiers (from smaller leagues)," suggesting automatic qualifiers in mid-major conferences be taken away in favor of power conference teams. When asked about Sankey's comments, Izzo said it could be worth considering.
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"I'm a Division II guy, you know, so I'm always looking for the little guys. I'm not very big myself, so I always have an appreciation, and maybe that would be a reason to expand. I just think what's happening now, everybody likes the upsets in the first weekend, but I'm not sure moving on that's what's best for the game. I think it's got to be looked at seriously," he said.
Tom Izzo suggest changes on tournament selection committee
Changes to how the teams are chosen for the NCAA Tournament wasn't the only thing Izzo discussed about the selection committee. After St. John's didn't make the tournament, head coach Rick Pitino said on social media the committee could benefit from having former coaches on it. Izzo agreed with Pitino's idea, pointing at how the College Football Playoff committee has former coaches.
"Listen, no insult to anybody on the committee, but you look at the football committees more, they've got former players sometimes, they have former coaches," Izzo said. "I agree that there should be something to that. You've got Jim Boeheim, you've got Jay Wright, you've got Roy (Williams) and Mike (Krzyzewski).
"Like I said, I'm appreciative of being in, and I wouldn't have felt any different if I was out. I just think it would be best that people who have been in the game that have been around so you know when you lose a game because something happened or what happens when you play three tough games in a row and all that stuff."