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St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Sport
Ben Frederickson

Ben Frederickson: March Madness would be far less magical if conference tourneys are scrapped or watered down

Imagine, for a moment, if the NCAA Tournament bracket didn’t have to include conference tourney winners.

Bombastic broadcaster Dick Vitale would not have had to follow through on his promise to stand on his head after Austin Peay stunned Illinois.

Jim Valvano’s “Cardiac Pack” probably would have missed the NCAA Tournament altogether in 1983, robbing the sport of one of its most inspiring national champions.

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