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NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 12, 2007

Gary Walters

DAVE WORLOCK: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to this afternoon's media teleconference with Gary Walters, director of athletics at Princeton University, and the chair of the Division I Men's Basketball Committee.
Gary, you've made your way to Dayton, where our championship begins tomorrow night with the opening-round game between Florida A&M and Niagara. Let's start off today with some remarks about that game, and then ask you to follow up with your comments and observations about the bracket now that you've had nearly 24 hours to digest everything and examine the good work of the committee.
GARY WALTERS: Thank you, David. Obviously, we're all excited about getting March Madness kicked off tomorrow evening. We're looking forward to the games. Let the games begin.
When I reflect back, just looking at this not quite 24 hours after we had done our work, it was clear to me from a conceptual standpoint, or at least it appeared clear to the committee from a conceptual standpoint, we were going to have two very, very tough tasks going into this past week.
The first one basically related to what was going to happen to the first two or three lines because there was an incredible amount of fluidity, as everybody knows, in the three weeks leading up to the selection week with the upsets taking place within any number of respective conferences throughout the country. That was a concern.
I think the second issue, which I talked about quite a bit also, was the fact that I thought we were going to be struggling more this year with trying to shoehorn more and more teams into the final spots because of the issue of parity that has been trending now for the last four or five years.
It turns out that my original concern, and I think that of the committee as it related to the first four lines in particular of the seed list, we think worked out pretty smoothly and we were quite happy, given the fact that the leaders in the clubhouse at sort of the beginning of the last round ended up performing quite well in their conference tournaments, thus embellishing their resumés and being able to qualify for first- and second-round seeds. So that part turned out to be a little bit easier than we first thought it would be.
However, the concern we had about shoehorning teams into the tournament at the end, indeed, turned out to be correct. It was very, very difficult, not an easy process, took up a lot of time on the part of the committee. We worked really arduously at it.
However, having said all that, I think we're pleased with the results of our work and we look forward to getting on with March Madness.
DAVE WORLOCK: We'll open it up to questions.

Q. Since you are at the opening-round game, you did say and have said that you have to be sensitive to the historically black colleges. I want to know how the committee looks at Niagara in there over Jackson State. With that being said, if you can look at those last couple lines of how some of that seeding went down, for example, Albany being a 13 equal to a New Mexico State?
GARY WALTERS: First of all, I think we are, as you know, sensitive to the historically black colleges. I think one of the things that we looked at in seeding the last four lines, as we did with seeding the top four lines, was whether or not teams had not only won their regular-season conference but also whether or not they won the conference tournament. Obviously, for most of these teams, the conference tournament determines who gets in.
In the case of Niagara, they didn't win their regular season, so given a number of teams, and understanding again we have compression down there just as we have in the middle of the bracket, the decision was made to put Niagara in that spot.

Q. What about the Albany equal 13, America East equaling a WAC?
GARY WALTERS: Again, you have to understand there are any number of bracketing principles that are at work where we sometimes may have to slide a team a line or two in order to conform with our bracketing principles so that teams from the same conferences are not meeting until the regional semifinal or whatever have you.
In certain cases, and I can't remember whether that was actually the case related to Albany State, because you're compressing so much activity into such a short period of time, I can't actually remember some of the changes that were made. Suffice to say it's likely that something may have happened there.

Q. Obviously the hottest coach among those left out is Syracuse' Jim Boeheim. I know you spoke about the numbers issues. You've had a day to step back and digest the bracket. How strong do you feel about the numbers for Syracuse as opposed to whether or not this team was not one of the 34 best remaining teams to put into the tournament?
GARY WALTERS: At the end of the day, notwithstanding whatever personal opinion I have, it was the consensus of the committee that Syracuse wasn't among the 34 best at-large teams in the country. We have group decision making. We have 10 opinions around the table. People are making evaluations.
However, as I mentioned on an earlier call, one of the things that's been going on, and I have enormous respect for Jim Boeheim, Jim has been quoting any number of statistics. The only reason when I talked to Darrel, talked about some of the quantitative issues, it's only because the quantitative data that we had in front of us, one can use to either support or detract from an argument. You've heard me say from time to time if you torture the numbers long enough, you can get them to confess to anything.
Understand that we're looking at a series of different issues, and they're not just quantitative, they are also qualitative.
While I understand Syracuse's disappointment, also understand that we think we made good decisions.

Q. There's a lot of consternation in Niagara's inclusion in this game. I understand it's not between the two lowest 16 seeds, and bracket concerns can did dictate who sends up in it, but there's still no apparent reason given why they're on the 16 line. Finished second in their league, 22 wins, finished 11-0. And you just said they didn't win their league and that hurts them, which strikes me as silly when teams that are four, five, six in their leagues get in routinely as at-larges. There's a lot speculation in our area that the committee actually penalized them for their early season suspensions, rather than saying they were 20-5 when their star player returned. You said yesterday they were taken into account. You were not clear on this point. Here is the question. Were they penalized for their suspensions? And if not, what specific portion of their resumé dictated they would be a 16 or in this game at all?
GARY WALTERS: Again, we're parsing issues here and vetting this almost as far as I'm concerned too carefully. We have teams on the 16th line that are good teams. We have people across the country that have -- I mentioned, we have 104 teams across the country that won 20 games. Just think, that's literally almost 40 teams with over 20 wins that aren't even in the tournament. So the idea that a team wins 22 games doesn't automatically mean that it's not on the 16th line.
This was a decision that was made by consensus with the committee. I don't think that anybody was out to penalize anybody. Of course, one of the constructive outcomes of Niagara playing in the opening-round game here at Dayton is, unlike many of the teams that end on the 16th line, they have a chance to win the opening-round game and move on into the tournament. Not too many 16th seeds get a chance to win a game in the NCAA.

Q. I understand you're not going to answer the part of the question about their resumé. You were asked yesterday; you didn't answer it. You were asked again now; you didn't answer it. Given that, what is your response to the theory that the committee simply caved to the concerns of the HBCU's in wake of the Washington Post article?
GARY WALTERS: I don't know what article you're referring to.

Q. You're not aware of the article in the Washington Post the date of the selections about the HBCU's not wanting to be in first-round games?
GARY WALTERS: I am not. We're sequestered in a room, working hard, doing our jobs.

Q. You clearly heard those concerns issued before you went in the room even if you didn't see the article, true?
GARY WALTERS: We have been for five or six years sensitive about the historically black conferences. That's been known out there. That's public knowledge. But I have no knowledge of any article that appeared in the Washington Post.

Q. You have no comment or no answer on what portion of my --
GARY WALTERS: I've already given my answer to your question.

Q. Could you elaborate a little on what criteria did go into determining who plays in tomorrow night's game.
GARY WALTERS: We look at those teams and basically where we feel there's a certain amount of equality what we'll try to do is rotate some of those games around. But, you know, the bottom line is we are looking at the last four lines on the basis of their overall RPI, all the kinds of criteria that go into evaluating the top four lines.
I know that playing in the 64th and 65th game is an issue that ends up being somewhat controversial because of the sensitivity about the historically black colleges. But we're really looking at conference champions, we're looking at conference RPI, we're looking at tournament champions, we're looking at the conference monitoring information that we get back from the people on the committee that actually monitor those conferences and provide feedback to the general committee when we make the decisions.

Q. You seem to imply teams should look at this as a positive rather than a negative?
GARY WALTERS: I would think so. You're in the NCAA tournament. Absolutely. Only 65 teams in the tournament.

Q. Do you sense any committee feeling or possibility in the near future of expanding the bracket? If you did that, would it just bleed out the difficult decisions to a 72nd or 73rd spot up for grabs?
GARY WALTERS: We as a committee looked at this issue, studied this issue very carefully this past summer. We came to the conclusion that if it isn't broken, why fix it. It seems to me there really has to be compelling and convincing reasons to change the tournament.
I'm personally convinced that if we expanded the field, you would still have the same kind of issues that arise with regard to bubble teams who are either in or out. People that are on this committee are committed to doing the best possible job they can. It's a labor of love. We have 10 people that represent conferences from around the country. Six are from Division I-A conferences, I-AA, two from Division I-AAA. There's also representation across divisions. So you have a group of people that are diverse coming together for a common cause to try to select the 34 best teams, then seed the bracket and create the best national tournament we can.
I for one just applaud the efforts of the people in the room.

Q. Could you just address what sort of feedback you've had since yesterday evening after you appeared on CBS and the call.
GARY WALTERS: Well, you rarely hear what's good. I think that people feel, by and large, this is the feedback we've gotten, is that we've gotten very, very good marks for in particular seeding the first four lines, and I think for seeding the tournament more generally, the criticisms we've gotten basically stem from the East in general which relates to Syracuse's omission and Drexel's omission from the tournament. Seems to me those are where most of the disappointment lies, although there's also some disappointment out in Kansas with regard to Kansas State not getting in the tournament.

Q. You've talked about a number of factors that you look at when you're trying to pick the teams. When you look at mid-majors, do you also look beyond the numbers and try and see more general things like how many seniors they've got, if they have post-season or tournament experience, things that might help make them successful?
GARY WALTERS: Well, you know, I for one think that if you have a lot of seniors, it could be reflected in your play. Nobody ever equated one's position on the graduation pecking order with talent.
While I think it's absolutely true that many of the so-called "mid-majors" are able to keep around their players perhaps for four years and develop a sense of cohesiveness, that enables them to perform effectively, and that is maybe the edge that they have. Conversely, you have with some of the major conferences conferences that can bring in talented young people, help to mold them, and also create very, very competitive teams.
I don't know that I would give either one of those an edge. I think what we have to do and what we do is we really don't consider conference affiliation when we're comparing and contrasting teams. We are looking across a set of categories of criteria that we have to evaluate and compare and contrast. We do that with an incredible amount of effort. It's such an iterative process.
Also, as I've said before, we have robust and rigorous debate about teams. Those discussions can get quite heated at times. But at the end, these are consensus decisions. By and large, I think the most important thing that I can say is the integrity of the process determines the integrity of the result. I firmly believe that. The product you get is the best effort of a group of committed people.

Q. Does the committee take into account things like time zones? I know the pod system has made that more simple. What sort of place does that have when determining where a team is going to end up playing?
GARY WALTERS: Yeah, I mean, one of the things we really do track is mileage. Obviously we're trying to protect the first five lines from playing at a home-court disadvantage, and we're also trying to advantage the top seeds as it relates to initially how far they have to travel as well. Certainly time zones are also taken into effect.
Understand that we have a very, very sophisticated bracketing technology that basically is run by Greg Shaheen. Greg is really the driver of that whole process, does a phenomenal job for any of you writers that actually had a chance to participate in the bracketing process.
For example, we started that process yesterday. We didn't start it till 4:40 and we finished at -- we started at 4:20 and didn't finish till about 5:40. We were at it for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Once we had the seed list done, sliding all those teams as it relates to where they were going to go for first- and second-round sites as well as regional sites.
We're doing an awful lot of work in an intense, short period of time. Fortunately the computer has a number of red flags if certain things come up where we're in violation of certain bracketing principles. But we couldn't get that done unless we had the sophistication of that computer and the knowledge that Greg possesses as to how to apply it.

Q. Is the team traveling the furthest, is that Winthrop going to Spokane? Do you know off the top of your head?
GARY WALTERS: Off the top of my head, I couldn't tell you. That does sound like a pretty good trip. I couldn't tell you that.

Q. Not specific to Drexel, but obviously related to them. In having to consider a team like that against a team from the power conferences and so forth, which you inevitably had to do here, is there any even back-of-the-mind subtle feeling you got to keep in mind the old mid-major lament that power conference teams won't play them on their home floor and it's just difficult for them to put together a schedule?
GARY WALTERS: Well, having played at Princeton and having been an assistant coach at Princeton once upon a time, now being the athletic director at Princeton, I can assure you I am well-versed in where teams play. While we've struggled this past year, I can also tell you that in my 13 years as director of athletics, we've had a heck of a tough time getting teams to come to Princeton to play us or to go a step further even offering to play on away courts.
So, yes, I think there is sensitivity in the room as it relates to mid-major schools and where they play the games. I think there was tremendous sensitivity, by the way, as it related to Drexel. I think Drexel was probably among the top two or three teams under at-large consideration that we really struggle with and was right there. Unfortunately, as I said, we're trying to shoehorn a certain number of teams in, and they just missed.
Again, I have respect for Drexel. I think one of the -- we looked at any number of criteria there. I think people know that Drexel was 1-5 against the top three other teams in the league. They came in fourth in their league. When the votes were taken, they just missed out.
One of the interesting things, by the way, which we have no involvement with directly or indirectly is the NIT selection process. One of the things that we hear all the time is that we ought to have more coaches on our committee. Well, as you know, the NIT selection committee is comprised I believe of all former coaches. In their seeding list, they actually have Drexel as a third seed.

Q. Drawing on that coaching and playing experience, as you know, this is the 20th anniversary of the inclusion of the three-point shot. Could you maybe address how it's changed the game.
GARY WALTERS: Well, I think it's clearly changed the game. Offensively you see much less post play. You see more penetrate and kick where people are penetrating and kicking out for three points. In fact, you're even seeing that in the pros. If you have a team that's got a couple really good guards, people can drive you crazy with penetration and kick offense. It seems to me that has really happened.
I think the other issue is, I'm one of those people that really supports widening the lane. I do believe that we probably should move the three-point line back and also widen the lane. I think that would be really helpful for the game.
I think we've evolved to a point where I hope we can effect that kind of change. We tried to get that done two or three years ago and we were almost there but just weren't able to get the requisite votes to get it done. Hopefully that will happen in the near future.

Q. You just said you don't consider conference affiliation when comparing and contrasting teams, but then in the Drexel explanation you said they were 1-5 against others in their conference. Sometimes it seems to your critics how teams do in their conference, if they don't do well in the mid-majors, hurts more than the power conferences where teams finish farther back.
GARY WALTERS: I don't know that that's necessarily the case. Again, I think what happens is, for example, as the chair of the committee, as I speak, I think sometimes when I make a comment or anybody else in a position such as mine, people tend to seize on one category. I think that's unfortunate.
We really do look at the full resumé. We look at and evaluate these teams across any number of criteria: how have you done against the top 25, against the top 50, against the top hundred. What is the strength of your schedule, what is the strength of your conference schedule. I mean, you know, I could go on and on and on.
One of the issues as the chair, I think probably every chair that's been on these kind of conference calls probably is repeating the same mantra as those from the past, but it is true. I mean, you go in there and we have all this data, we're looking at it. I think one of the issues is that we have to be careful that we don't suffer from information overload and that we can see the forest for the trees.
But I don't personally think mid-majors are disadvantaged necessarily by losing in their league.

Q. You mentioned earlier that you don't want to pars the Niagara decision. You told us quite a bit of information about Drexel and many of the other cases. Isn't there anything you can tell us about the Niagara decision beyond that it was a consensus?
GARY WALTERS: Well, you know, they didn't play anybody in the top hundred. They played two teams from 50 to a hundred. They beat Holy Cross. They lost to Akron. But their entire schedule was in the third and fourth quadrants.
I don't struggle with the decision that we made as it relates to what's happened with (indiscernible). They had four losses in the last quadrant.
I guess the point is that, again, when you talk about parsing, the reason I brought that up is I just don't -- I don't understand why there's such concern about Niagara playing in the opening-round game. I think it's an honor to play.

Q. What would you say to teams who play in this game who feel it cheapens their bid into the tournament; that they're not getting the true NCAA tournament experience?
GARY WALTERS: There are 260 teams that I assume would love to be playing in the opening-round game tomorrow night.

Q. One of the SEC coaches today, he didn't mean this as a complaint, he was just short of jokingly make an observation, a serious observation, that he sometimes thinks teams seeded eight and nine are difficult teams to quantify, they're not among the elite and they're not among the teams that just barely get in, so they're just sort of lumped into that spot and told to just fight it out and go from there. I wondered what you thought of that.
GARY WALTERS: You know, I don't know what to think. You have to be seeded someplace. What we're trying to do is we're basically trying to seed on what we think is the relative strength of those teams compared to everybody else.
I'm not quite sure what's implicit in his question.

Q. I'm not sure I am either. You've probably been asked this, but Texas A&M coming all the way to Lexington, playing as a better seed, playing Louisville which is only 80 miles away. How does that strike you from a fairness point of view?
GARY WALTERS: Are you sure you have that right? Aren't they playing Stanford?

Q. They could meet in the second round.
GARY WALTERS: We only protect teams in the first round. That's our bracketing principle.
DAVE WORLOCK: Thank you again, everyone, for participating on this afternoon's call. We hope you enjoy the tournament. Safe travels as you go on the road to cover this championship.

End of FastScripts

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