The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee does a great job in sifting through teams to come up with the field of 65. The charge is to select the best 34 teams in the country, after the automatic qualifiers are known, and extend at-large bids to those 34 teams. Records are an indication of how good a team is, but records do not tell the whole story.

Based upon the records and RPI numbers, the committee is in for an absolute nightmare the week of Selection Sunday. There are a ton of teams out there with similar resumes that have not distinguished themselves from each other. The unwashed masses of college basketball will be desperately trying to win games against quality competition, and refrain from losing to the bottom dwellers of Division I before Championship Week rolls around.

That is why I think it is imperative that the committee look very closely at the quality of wins and losses of each team. There is such a thing as a quality loss, and those that dismiss such losses are taking the easy way out.

An example: How would the committee differentiate between Memphis, Seton Hall and Michigan State in the "Sweet Suite" in Indianapolis?

Seton Hall is 12-9 and No. 38 in the RPI; Memphis is 16-5 and No. 40 and Michigan State is 14-9 No. 36. Sounds like a close call, huh?

Seton Hall has beaten Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Miami and Georgetown twice. The Pirates have lost to some quality opponents, but have been beaten badly by Texas, Louisville and Syracuse. The Hall has also lost to Ohio State, Manhattan and St. John's. If you take away wins against teams ranked outside of the RPI Top 100, Seton Hall is only 2-9.

Memphis has beaten Syracuse, Illinois, Villanova, Ole Miss and Arkansas. The Tigers are 4-3 in road/neutral games, but, other than its blow out loss at Missouri, were beaten by some average teams like Austin Peay in overtime, South Florida by one, and Southern Miss. Four of the Tigers' five losses came against teams ranked outside of the RPI Top 60. If you take away wins against teams ranked outside of the RPI Top 100, Memphis is 5-5.

Choosing between Memphis and Seton Hall, the committee would take Memphis.

Michigan State has won at Kentucky and swept Indiana. It's also beaten Virginia and Ohio State. The Spartans have lost close games at Oklahoma (by two), against Oklahoma State (by 3), at Michigan (by 2) and at Iowa (by 4 when Iowa was healthy). The only bad loss is to Toledo. Take away Michigan State's wins against teams ranked outside of the RPI Top 100, Michigan State is 6-9. Only two of the Spartans' nine losses have come outside of the RPI Top 55.

As between Michigan State and Memphis, the committee has to take the Spartans. Michigan State has played a better schedule, won more games against it, and has had far more quality losses than Memphis.

This is just a small example of the calls the committee has to make, and it is a Reader's Digest view of the scrutiny each team must receive. It is a tough job, and those on the committee do great work.

Back off the Refs
Speaking of tough calls, can we officially get off of the officials, already?

Referees have the toughest job in basketball, and all they get is grief over the job they do. The vast majority of officials I know are hard working, honest, and take their work seriously. They are fair-minded, and would like nothing more than to go unnoticed by the masses, and especially talking heads like me. Of the officials I know, they want one thing above all else, to get it right. Every time.

Here is the rub. The powers that be in the game want the game to be more finesse than power, and to take the weight room out of contention as being the primary place that games are won or lost. The elimination of rough play, especially in the post area, has been a major point of emphasis for officials. That is a noble goal, and it is one that is worthy of being pursued. However, many officials are stuck between being able to administer a game according to their own judgment, and doing it the way they are being told by their superiors.

Referees get evaluated by their superiors just like the rest of us, and assignments and tournament slots depend upon how they ply their trade. Meanwhile, coaches are yelling at officials at the top of their lungs for an entire 40 minutes, announcers are second-guessing them with super slo-mo on every play, and studio shows are dissecting plays like it's the Zapruder film.

Referees are professionals, and need to be able to use their own judgment in game situations. There is a difference between rough play and touch fouls, and between contact and improper contact. Not every play can be boxed into some neat little rule. Let the officials use their judgment, and let the players play. If there is rough play, call the rough play. If there is a touch foul that gives no advantage or disadvantage, let the referees let it go.

Here is what I think should happen. Coaches should sit down and coach their teams. There is no reason for a head coach to be up and out of the coaching box as often as coaches currently are. That rule should be enforced, even though it seems rigid and silly. It is a violation for a player to step out of bounds, it should be a violation for a coach to do so as well. Assistant coaches should stay seated and silent toward officials during all game action. Coach your own team and pipe down. If a trainer spouts off at a referee, his yap should be taped shut.

Coaches need to quit moaning about officials in public. If you have evidence that an official is incompetent, bring it forward to your conference office, and handle it the right way. This public bitching and moaning is unseemly, and it needs to stop. And quit complaining about late whistles. A late whistle is more likely to be right than the anticipatory whistle we so often hear.

Players need to pipe down. Players have no business talking back at an official. The referees are the law on the court, and no amount of yapping is going to get an official to change a call. Shut up and play. You actually will play better by concentrating on your own job rather than the job of the officials.

Fans need to cheer for their teams instead of against the referees. A little good-natured ribbing is OK with the refs, but some of the venom that is spewed their way is uncalled for. That is where school administrators need to step in and demand decorum from their fans. This is college basketball, not World Wide Wrestling, for crying out loud.

Lastly, those in charge of officials need to let the officials do their jobs without constant interference. Referees should be evaluated, sure. But there are not as many absolutes in officiating as people are led to believe. I think the officials do a damn good job. Are there some bad ones? Sure. Are some arrogant? You bet. I would guess that there are just as many, if not more, bad and arrogant coaches and players out there as there are bad and arrogant officials.

Lighten up and play.