Mike and Bri have both posted notes about preseason tournaments.  I would agree
with the idea that a preseason tournament would be fun (provided it gets some
national exposure, e.g. the pre-season NIT or the new Great 8 tournament in
hoops) to see, unless they screw us all and stick it on Prime.
 
I would like to see more of a tournament where the sites rotate among three or
four venues throughout the country (e.g. Met Center, Joe Louis, Madison Square
Garden, Shawmut Center) and where the teams rotate.  One from each conference
would be nice to see, but like Mike has stated, the pre-season favorites would
not be known until a few weeks before the season begins.  I think a system where
any of the top 5 teams or so from each conference could be picked to participate
(such that we won't always see the same teams year after year after year) would
be better to give more variety and give some of the "weaker" (no offense to any-
one intended) teams more of a chance at interconference competition.  This gives
a "selection committee" more time to find teams and gives them enough notice
that they will be participating.
 
Whether these would be considered exhibition games or not is questionable.  From
my limited knowledge, it doesn't seem that preseason NIT games count against a
team's maximum allowed in basketball (mainly because it's single elim., meaning
nobody knows how many games they're going to play).  The rules might be side-
stepped by making it a 4 (or an 8) team single elimination tournament.
 
G. M. Finniss
Michigan State University
WVU '87, UTenn '92, MSU who the hell knows when?
one of many closet Canuck fans (or maybe that's out-in-the-open Ranger haters?)
anyuway, go Vancouver....