Indianapolis — He is not calling for a revolution or even suggesting major surgery. He is not asking for an all-comers free skate or even proposing a major increase in the number of participants. But Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim does want the NCAA Tournament field expanded.

"This year, more than ever, has proven that there are teams that might not get in, or might just barely get in, that can win games," he said Thursday. "In the past, years ago, I think there were always teams who wanted to get in, but you really knew they couldn't win any games if they did.

"But in college basketball today, the quality of teams has increased so much, if it wasn't a logistical problem, I think we would have expanded the tournament a long time ago. We have to get by that somehow ... (and) as long as we've waited and as many quality teams that there are, we really should be thinking eight or 10 more teams."

Now there can be arguments over those or any other numbers, yet there is no disputing the soundness of Boeheim's suggestion. It is logical, and it is overdue, and it finally may get some serious consideration thanks to George Mason, the gate crasher at this weekend's Final Four.

The Patriots now are society's darlings, the poor urchins who somehow got invited to the ball and then dazzled all with their ability to dance. But remember Selection Sunday? That afternoon their invitation was roundly scorned and their qualifications were questioned, demeaned and denigrated.

"George Mason could easily have been left out," Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said, and he was right. "In that league (the Colonial Athletic Assn.) alone, where you have Hofstra, they beat George Mason twice in 10 days. If you expanded, they're in. Old Dominion (which lost to Michigan in an NIT semifinal), the same way. It's obvious you have more teams that can make a run in this tournament, so why wouldn't you expand?"

It certainly would make it more up-to-date, which is a style that often eludes the NCAA. The NCAA is a slow-moving behemoth rife with politics, pretense and special interests, yet here it should move on Boeheim's suggestion.

It managed that once, history shows, beginning back in the mid-'70s. That's when the tourney field grew from 25 (1974) to 32 (1975). Then in 1979 the number was bumped to 40, and to 48 in 1980. It stayed there until it went to 52 in 1983, to 53 in 1984 and to 64 in 1985.

That was six changes in just 11 years. Since then there has been only the one change that expanded the field to its current 65. But between 1985 and the present, the number of teams playing Division I basketball grew by 44, and nine more currently are in transition, moving up from a lower division.

This means a lower percentage of teams is making the field, and that only is part of the argument. As this spring showed, as the coaches all say, there also are more capable teams out there, anonymous teams talented enough to topple the Big Ten tournament champ (Northwestern State over Iowa), the Big East tournament champ (Texas A&M over Syracuse) and the Big 12 tournament champ (Bradley over Kansas).