Double byes need to go bye-bye

After the NCAA, the most exciting and interesting college basketball tournament of the season is the Big East conference tourney.

This year’s version has been particularly entertaining, despite the conference’s effort to dilute the talent pool. Two seasons ago, the Big East made two big mistakes in changing the format of its postseason.

1. What once was a 12-team tournament grew to include all 16 teams in the conference.

2. To reward the teams that got the job done during the regular season, the top four teams were given two byes into the quarterfinals. Teams 5-8 get one bye.

What’s the point of the regular season if everyone gets to play in the tournament? In theory, at the beginning of the week, lousy teams like DePaul, Rutgers and your Providence College Friars had a chance to go to the Big Dance.

In reality, of course, those teams didn’t have a chance in hell, which again begs the question: Why were they invited to Madison Square Garden?

Providence’s season should have mercifully ended after Saturday’s loss to Seton Hall. Rutgers, DePaul didn’t belong, either. The only Big East bottom feeder to make the most of its opportunity was No. 13 seed St. John’s, which upset Connecticut in the first round.

Another flaw in this design is that the double byes don’t seem to be much of a reward. Of the four teams that had them, only West Virginia won in the quarterfinals. Last year, teams with double byes went 2-2 in the quarters.

One bye used to be just fine, and hopefully it will be again. Bringing all 16 teams is a waste of time, and basically guarantees the tournament won’t be worth watching until the second day.

But, by Sunday, all that first-round nonsense will be long forgotten. Because we’ve got three really good games left.