Last night was packed full of college basketball.  I fully expected the NCAA play-in game and the first round games of the NIT, but then I saw there was the CBI (in its second year) and the new CIT (what??).  Wait a second, did I count that right?  Four basketball tournaments going on at the same time?  I looked and that is correct.  But why?

With the four tournaments, there are a combined 129 teams playing for a trophy of some kind.  That is just overkill if you ask me.  With so many teams playing now, I think it is OK to go ahead and eliminate the 65th team from the NCAA tournament and skip the whole play-in game.  This would actually end up booting an at-large team from the field, but so what, they have three other chances to land in a tourney that they might actually be able to win.

Most fans of college basketball know the NCAA tourney and the NIT, but what are the CBI and the CIT?  The CBI is the College Basketball Invitational and as previously stated, is in its second year of existence.  They actually have a different twist on the championship, which I like.  There is a best-of-three series to determine the winner after a single elimination tournament of 16 teams.  Tulsa was the inaugural winner last year over Bradley. You can go here to check out the field for this year.  I'm picking UTEP to go all the way!!  One bad thing about this field....Oregon State (13-17) has a LOSING RECORD and they are still allowed in.  That isn't right at all.  Rewarding a losing record?  Why even play the regular season then?

The CIT, or College Insider Tournament, is in its first year and has some GREAT (sarcasm) teams in it.  I actually got tired of looking for a bracket for this tournament, so I just will settle on looking at the scores.  My question is this; why does there need to be a tournament full of 19-12 teams?  Why does a 16-15 team (I'm talking to you Idaho) feel like it should be playing post season basketball?  I'll give this tournament a maximum of three years before it is done away with.  I guess I'll put $10 on Oakland U!

Now that there are so many teams playing in some sort of tournament, who is the 130th team screaming, "We got screwed, we should be in the CIT!"  Looks like Hofstra will have to play a little harder next season!