July 12
The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee is moving in a positive direction with its decision to allow the top-seeded teams to play early NCAA Tournament games in their region of the country.

The committee deserves a pat on the back, but now it can go one step further.

For example, if UCLA is made the No. 1 seed in the East Region and Stanford is the No. 1 seed in the West, UCLA would play its first- and second-round games in a West subregional venue.

Look back to last year's tournament, when Maryland, Georgetown, George Mason and Hampton were all sent to a subregional in Boise, Idaho. A major dilemma became fan interest from the four schools. Think about the cost factor for students to travel cross country, especially if their favorite school got hot and moved on to the tournament regional.

The committee deserves a pat on the back. But now it can go one step further and do something I have been screaming about for years. Once the Final Four teams are determined, the committee should reseed the teams.

Instead of automatically saying the East regional champ plays the West champ, and the South plays the Midwest, the No. 1 team should play the No. 4 team, and the No. 2 should battle No. 3. Reseeding would make certain the best teams are rewarded for their success.