More than 2,100 miles to the northeast, in the inviting confines of the New York Marriott Marquis, the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Committee began the process Wednesday of determining teams that are candidates for the Final Four.
It’s real now.
Eleven schools already are in as automatic conference qualifiers for the NCAA Tournament that culminates in Glendale. And on Wednesday, the 10 members of the committee submitted ballots with teams they believe should be immediately added to the the field.
“It's important to stress that today, March 8th, is Day 1 of Selection Week,” Mark Hollis, committee chair and director of athletics at Michigan State, said in a conference call.