NCAA Tournament Selection Committee Back in Spotlight - Oregon State University Athletics

March 5, 1999

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Bob Frederick racked his brain for two days when asked what funny things had happened while he was NCAA selection committee chairman.

Finally, he had to admit it: "There weren't any."

It's probably little consolation to teams that get shipped to faraway cities or don't get into the NCAA tournament at all. But the nine people who select, seed and bracket the 64 teams every March are not holed up in that room laughing and having a good old time.

"There's just too much pressure on the task at hand," said Frederick, the longtime Kansas athletic director who was chairman from 1995-96.

The job is demanding, time-consuming and tense. It takes committee members away from their families and real work for almost the entire month.

The job can be thankless, too. The committee is open to second-guessers everywhere for its choices of which at-large teams get into the tournament and which don't or how they are all seeded.

But the critics are often uninformed.

Many might not know, for example, that if ACC champion Duke is made the No. 1 seed in the East Regional, no other ACC school can be assigned to the East unless a sixth team from that league is selected.

Others might incorrectly think that the committee selects the country's 64 best teams. Of course, its job is to select the best 34 at-large teams that go with the 30 automatic qualifiers.

Tired of being misunderstood, the committee made a 31-minute video this year explaining the process and how it works and mailed a copy to every Division I coach.

If there'd been enough money, a copy would go out to every fan.

"We're trying to show the world how these selections are made," said four-year committee member Craig Thompson, chairman of the newly formed Mountain West Conference.

"It's not haphazard. It's not the good old boy network.' There's a true method. There are checks and balances."

Helping to keep those balances are the other committee members: chairman C.M. Newton, Kentucky; Carroll Williams, Santa Clara; Mike Tranghese, Big East; Jack Kvancz, George Washington; Lee Fowler, Middle Tennessee State; Doug Elgin, Missouri Valley; Rudy Davalos, New Mexico; and McKinley Boston, Minnesota.

All are either commissioners or athletic directors whose day jobs are demanding in their own right. Yet, year after year they sacrifice to serve.

In addition to giving up almost the whole month, they meet around the country several times a year to go over the tournament, review procedures and inspect future tournament sites. And that doesn't include time spent during the season talking and reading basketball, watching games in person and on television.

"I sat down with my 7-month-old daughter one weekend and we watched 12 hours of basketball," Thompson said. "She must be wondering if this is all Daddy does."

There's really no extra money in it for committee members. Travel, hotels and meals are paid for, and they get a $75 per diem.

"We're not exactly lining our pockets," Thompson said.

So why do it?

Career advancement, for one. In the field of athletic administration, nothing dresses up a resume or provides better networking than a four-year term on the most prestigious committee in the system.

Plus, who wouldn't enjoy being an important part of the industry's most significant event? CBS pays the NCAA $1.75 billion for TV rights to the games. If there weren't an NCAA basketball tournament, there would not be an NCAA.

"It's a tremendous thrill," Frederick said. "You're right in the middle of the best event in sports. It's clearly the best professional experience that I've ever had."

Former committee members make up one of the most envied fraternities in sports, accorded special perks and privileges such as two Final Four tickets every year and a guaranteed room at the headquarters hotel. Every year at the Final Four, former members and their guests get together with various local and national bigwigs for dinner.

"This has been a career highlight for me. I can't imagine anything more satisfying," Thompson said. "You're helping your school and your conference, and you're helping college basketball. I doubt there's ever been anybody on the committee who did not love the sport."

But no matter how thorough they are, there'll always be critics.

"Every year somebody goes out and wins the NIT and says that proves we didn't know what the hell we were doing," former committee member Dave Hart said.

Members of the NCAA selection committee

Thumbnail sketches of the nine members of the Division I men's basketball committee:

C.M. Newton
Elder statesmen and chairman of the committee, Newton, 69, played on Kentucky's 1951 NCAA championship team and briefly was a pitcher in the New York Yankees minor league system. Began his basketball coaching career at Transylvania University in 1956-68, then spent 1969-80 as head coach at Alabama. Served as assistant commissioner at the Southeastern Conference 1980-81, then resumed coaching at Vanderbilt from 1982-89. Became Kentucky athletic director in 1989. Coaching record in 32 seasons, 509-375.

Rudy Davalos
Athletic director at New Mexico since Nov. 16, 1992, Houston AD before that for five years. A graduate of Southwest Texas State, where he captained the basketball team and was NAIA All-American when the school won the NAIA national title. Inducted into the NAIA basketball Hall of Fame in 1977. An assistant basketball coach at Georgetown College in Kentucky in 1962, then at Auburn 1962-70. Head basketball coach at University of the South 1970-73.

Mike Tranghese
The only member of the committee without any experience as a college athlete or coach. The first employee of the Big East Conference when it was formed in 1979. Succeeded Dave Gavitt as commissioner in 1990. Had been sports information director at Providence under Gavitt. Graduated in 1965 from St. Michael's College. Active in numerous NCAA affairs and well known as an innovator in TV sports marketing.

Jack Kvancz
In his fifth year as athletic director at George Washington University. Was AD at George Mason for 12 years and AD and head basketball coach at Catholic University for eight years. Also a former president of Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletics of America, governing body for track and field in the eastern United States. A 1968 graduate of Boston College where he was a starting guard for the basketball team. He led the Eagles to two NCAA tournament appearances, including a trip to the finals of the East Region in 1967.

Lee Fowler
In his fifth year as AD at Middle Tennessee State, which won three straight Ohio Valley Conference men's all sports trophies from 1996-98. A basketball standout at Vanderbilt 1971-74 when the school won a Southeastern Conference title and went 59-21, the best three-year span in Commodores history. Was an assistant basketball coach at Vanderbilt after graduation, then joined the Memphis State staff in 1979. As assistant AD at Memphis State, he helped lead a fund-raising drive that increased donations from $634,000 in 1985 to $3,059,000 in 1993.

Doug Elgin
Commissioner for 11 years of the Missouri Valley, which has undergone expansion in membership and incorporated women's programs under the conference's umbrella. A veteran of 24 years in athletic administration, Elgin spent three years at Virginia as sports information director before joining the Sun Belt Conference, where he spent five years as assistant commissioner. Graduated from Lafayette University, where he played football. Earned master's degree in sports administration at Ohio University, 1975.

McKinley Boston
After four years as Minnesota AD, became vice president for student development and athletics. Oversees programs that deal with social, recreational, physical and mental needs of students. Before coming to Minnesota, was AD at Rhode Island since 1988. Before that, was AD at Kean College in New Jersey for two years and director of students and assistant head football coach at Montclair State. Played two years with the New York Giants and two in the CFL before retiring in 1971. A three-year letterman as a defensive lineman for Minnesota, which won a share of the Big Ten title his senior year in 1967.

Carroll Williams
In his seventh year as AD at Santa Clara after serving as head basketball coach for 22 years. Since 1992-93, Santa Clara has won 18 West Coast Conference championships in seven sports. Also serves on the NCAA men's basketball officiating committee. From 1963-70 was assistant men's basketball coach at Santa Clara, leading the Broncos to three straight NCAA tournament appearances. Was 344-274 as head coach. Stills ranks as San Jose State's all-time leader in free throws attempted and made, and is third in free-throw percentage.

Craig Thompson
Became commissioner of the new Mountain West Conference. From 1991-98 was commissioner of the Sun Belt. Before that, was commissioner of America South Conference from 1987-91. Served as director of communications for the Metro Conference 1983-97. Was director of public relations for the NBA's Kansas City Kings from 1980-83. Graduated from Minnesota.

By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer