Old School ball 50s - 70s

[Husky999]

To put some things into perspective here. There were 24 teams in the NCAA tournament when UCLA and Kentucky were winning all there titles back in the day. The top 7 teams got bye's into the Sweet 16. So you only had to win 2 games to get to the final 4 and most of the time the top teams got to play at home. Kentucky got to play at home up until the final 4 in 1958 then the final 4 was held in Louisville where they won the title. If you go back even further… in the 40's and early 50's the NCAA tournament was only an 8 team event. Everything before the 64 team tournament doesn't mean nearly as much to me. Apples to oranges.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

The other side of the small tourny coin. Is it was much more difficult to qualify for.
You had to win your conference or conference tournament if you had one. to even get in.
UConn wouldn't be in 2014. Nor would the 2009 fF team be in.
That's why the NiT was such a good event.
Actually prior to 1951 you could even opt out of the NCAA. After 1951, champions could no longer opt out.

 

[tzznandrew]

The other side of the small tourny coin. Is it was much more difficult to qualify for.
You had to win your conference or conference tournament if you had one. to even get in.
UConn wouldn't be in 2014. Nor would the 2009 fF team be in.
That's why the NiT was such a good event.
Actually prior to 1951 you could even opt out of the NCAA. After 1951, champions could no longer opt out.

There are reasons why those titles matter a little less: they aren't relevant to today's world, especially those in the pre-Civil Rights era.

But if they were so easy, you'd think UConn would have one, right?