Why Indiana basketball coach Darian DeVries views NCAA Tournament expansion 'like the portal'
Indiana basketball has lived on the bubble of March Madness recently. Here is what their coach said about a possible expanded NCAA Tournament field.
BLOOMINGTON — Darian DeVries said Thursday he welcomes any opportunity to take his Indiana basketball team to the NCAA Tournament, but emphasized he’s concerned only about working within whatever parameters the rules provide. Asked Thursday during a wide-ranging Zoom session with reporters about the potential for tournament expansion, DeVries said “we love the opportunity to get in there. ” More fundamentally, though, he affirmed that he’s comfortable with whatever format the NCAA settles on.
“Expansion, if it indeed does happen, which it looks like it’s headed that way, it’s kind of like the (transfer) portal,” DeVries said. “We just roll with what they tell us the rules are. ” Reports circulated last week that the NCAA is strongly considering expanding its men’s and women’s tournaments by eight teams to 76.
The move has long enjoyed the support of association President Charlie Baker , who spoke with assembled media, including IndyStar, on the subject during a February roundtable. Baker in February: Why NCAA president wants to see basketball tournaments expand “I would like to see it expand,” Baker said then. Baker declined to revisit the topic during a scrum at the Final Four last month , but moves since have underscored his — and presumably his membership’s — desire to see those fields expand.
As recently as Wednesday, ESPN reported the NCAA is “pushing through the final steps” in that process, with confirmation of the move possible as early as Thursday. The jump to 76 would be the tournament’s largest expansion since it moved to 64 teams in 1985. The eight additional bids are expected to prompt an expanded opening round, with 24 of the field’s 76 teams playing either on Tuesday or Wednesday of the first week of the tournament.