NCAA chairman defends decisions

Associated Press

The coaches handled the snubs with class.

The pundits weren’t nearly as kind.

And not surprisingly, the man responsible for what is widely regarded as one of the worst NCAA tournament at-large fields ever defended the decisions and predicted another fantastic version of March Madness.

“When I reflect back, I feel good about the work we did and the field we put out there,” Dan Guerrero, chairman of the NCAA selection committee, said Monday.

A combination of factors led to this field, which has been roundly panned by commentators and columnists.

Down years by five traditional powerhouses — UCLA, Connecticut, Arizona, Indiana and defending national champion North Carolina, all out of the tournament in the same season for the first time since 1966.

A terrible year in the Pac-10, which placed only two teams in the tournament and none seeded above No. 8.

Fast starts, followed by sudden downfalls of Texas and Purdue, two serious title contenders that are now considered long shots, at best.

Upsets in conference tournaments by Houston and New Mexico State that compelled the committee to use at-large bids on UTEP and Utah State, a pair of regular-season champions from conferences that otherwise would have received only one bid.

“I’m not really sure what the general consensus is,” Guerrero said. “I do know that any time a field is put forward, there are always going to be teams elated when the process is completed, and always going to be teams disappointed because they didn’t make the cut.”