Bowlsby: Momentum Important

March 12, 2005

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Bob Bowlsby, the UI’s director of athletics and the chairman of the NCAA’s selection committee for the 2005 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament made a brief appearance on national television Saturday, visiting with CBS-TV’s studio crew between the pair of Big Ten Conference semifinal games.

The questions were straightforward including the last which touched on the rule that a member of the committee leaves the room if his team is to be discussed.

“I’ve been out of the room a little already and expect to be out of the room a little more,” Bowlsby said with a smile.

“On the one hand, it’s a good thing. It means your team is under consideration. On the other hand, you’re out in the hall wondering what the discussion is.”

Bowlsby’s team – Steve Alford’s Iowa Hawkeyes – have won seven of their last 10 games, a streak that by Bowlsby’s own admission should catch the attention of the selection committee.

“We’re looking for teams that are on the upswing coming into the tournament,” said Bowlby. “We’re certainly looking for teams with momentum.”

Bowlsby said the seeding process for the 64-team field has already begun and will continue throughout the weekend’s conference tournament action. “It’s a changing environment and one that will continue to evolve throughout the weekend,” he said.

Asked about the fact that some final results of conference tournaments can’t be factored into the final equation, Bowlsby was frank, indicating that he represents one of those conferences (the Big Ten) and that the committee does what it can with the information it has at the time.

“We take every last shred of information available at the time into consideration,” he said.