A Perfect Final Four
OK, I will acknowledge something off the bat, I am not sure any Final Four is 100% perfect, but from taking a look at this year’s field, each and every team offers a unique storyline that will make this one of the more interesting Final Fours in my opinion.
Duke (The team everyone loves to hate)
As soon as the field was released two weeks ago, I immediately got a text and a facebook message that Duke was being gift-wrapped a Final Four with all the teams that were placed in their regions. Now, I do agree that Duke’s field may have been the weakest of the group; however, a team still has to go out and win their games. Remember when everyone said Kansas was given a tough field with having to deal with Ohio State, Georgetown, Maryland, Michigan State, etc? Well, they did not even get by Northern Iowa. So, Duke still had to win their games, and they knocked off teams from the Pac 10, Big 10, and Big 12 to earn their 12th Final Four under Coach K. Now, I know there is a lot of Duke Haters who hate seeing them succeed, but one must note that Duke has not been in a Final Four since 2004 (an eternity for them) and have not won The National Championship since 2001. Heck, Duke has only won one National Title since 1992. So, having Duke in the field adds a little more spice, and The Final Four could always use a little more spice. Baylor’s a nice story (considering where they came from), but they aren’t quite as exciting to watch as The Dukies.
West Virginia (Bob Huggins shot at a title)
For Bob Huggins, this is his second final four appearance (1992 Cincinnati). However, this time around, Huggins is leading his alma mater and the team he played for to Indianapolis for a shot at the title. Huggins has done a tremendous job coaching the Mountaineers this year in leading West Virginia to their First Final Four since 1959, especially since the team lost starting Point Guard Truck Bryant to injury during a practice right before The Sweet 16. His decision to play a 1-3-1 zone against Kentucky worked perfectly, and led to the upset of the considered tourney favorite once Kansas was dethroned in the second round. This may not be Huggins best team ever, as his 2000 team with the ill-fated injury of Kenyon Martin was probably the best; however, this is his toughest team, and there would be nothing sweeter for Huggins then to lead his alma-mater to The National Championship.
Michigan State (The team that Duke Haters probably need to hate more)
With all the hate out there for Duke, I wonder where all the hate is for Michigan State. Did you know this is the 6th Final Four appearance in the last 12 years for Tom Izzo and Michigan State? That’s one final four appearance every two years. That’s pretty damn good, considering how easy it is for a team to play a bad game and get run out of the NCAA Tournament. Heck, that’s pretty good considering how tough it has been for some NCAA teams out there to even MAKE the tournament lately (uhh, Nebraska, hello?) Izzo again has showed why he is a genius this tournament as he was able to lead The Spartans to The Final Four without their star Point Guard Kalin Lucas, who was injured during their 2nd round game against Maryland. Had Michigan State been able to cash in more than one title during this run, perhaps they would get that Duke hate, but for now, they’ll get all cheers should they face Duke on Monday Night.
Butler (The host school)
Never in the history of the NCAA Tournament has the host school reached the Final Four until this year. Now, some people may try to drop that Cinderella story on Butler; however, this is no Cinderella story. Butler earned a #5 seed in this year’s tournament, posting quality non-conference wins and running through The Horizon League. George Mason on the other hand snuck into the tournament as an 11 seed, gaining one of the last at-large spots available. This team deserves to be there and it would not be a surprise to anyone at this point to see Butler playing for it all, just 7 miles from their home arena on Monday Night. Should they get to Monday Night and should they win, it would mark the first time a team outside a power conference won the title since UNLV in 1990. If they do so, they would score wins against the SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, and either The Big East or ACC along the way. Look for a decent home court advantage in terms of crowd support for The Bulldogs this weekend.
Predictions
Well, I’ve acknowledged to many people I stink at making predictions (I picked Ohio State, Kansas State, Kentucky, and Baylor to make it before last weekend); however, I will give it a shot.
I’ll take Michigan State over Butler in a close game, with Michigan State pulling away at the end.
I’ll take Duke, because I think they’ll shoot and defend the perimeter better than Kentucky did against West Virginia.
And on Monday Night…..well, I’ll wait for the actual matchup to make that prediction….
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Sweet 16 preview
I can't recall the last time that 11 different conferences were represented in The Sweet 16. The most amazing part of it is that The Big Ten leads all conferences with 3 teams represented heading into the games on Thursday and Friday Night. The Big East, Big 12, and SEC each have two representatives, while the remaining teams hail from the ACC, Pac-10, A-10, Ivy League, West Coast, Missouri Valley, and Horizon leagues. So, who's got the easiest road to Indianapolis? Let's take a look.
East (Syracuse)
#1 Kentucky vs #12 Cornell
#2 West Virginia vs #11 Washington
Kentucky got good news this week when they learned that potential Elite 8 opponent West Virginia lost starting PG Darryl Bryant. Before they can think about that, they must face Cornell, led by 8 seniors, to go against Kentucky and their fabulous four freshman. Cornell also has the luxury of playing 50 miles from home, but keep in mind, if any team travels well, its Kentucky, and their fans will be at the Carrier Dome in full force. Washington is one of the hottest teams entering the sweet 16, as they have won 9 straight games, including the disposing of #3 seed New Mexico in the second round last weekend. Don't count out Washington in this game; however, regardless of the outcome, I fully expect Kentucky to be heading to Indianapolis at weekend's end.
South (Houston)
#1 Duke vs #4 Purdue
#3 Baylor vs #10 Saint Mary's (CA)
I loved Baylor coming out of this region from the beginning. I thought they had a fairly easy draw in rounds 1 and 2, with having to either deal with an overseeded Notre Dame, or Old Dominion in round 2. Now the Bears head home to Texas to play in Houston for The Sweet 16. While Omar Sahman of Saint Mary's may be one of the tournaments two cinderella players, I don't think he will have as much success this time around, as Baylor has good size to defend him in the post. Saint Mary's will have to shoot the three ball well in order to get to the Elite Eight.
Most people didn't expect Purdue to advance past Siena in round one, let alone Texas A&M in round two, this of course due to the fact that Robbie Hummel is out for the year and Purdue got blown out of The Big Ten tournament by Minnesota. Purdue has shown they are the toughest team in the tournament, and don't count them out against the Dukies. In the end, I expect Baylor to beat Duke on Sunday and head to Indianapolis to take on Kentucky.
West (Salt Lake City)
#1 Syracuse vs #5 Butler
#2 Kansas State vs #6 Xavier
Syracuse will once again be without Arine Onuaku for their game against Butler on Thursday, leaving just 7 guys to fill the 5 spots on the floor. Now, if Wesley Johnson and Andy Rautins shoot tomorrow like they did on Sunday, Butler has no chance. What further hampers Butler (who is not a Cinderella story btw) is that they only shoot 34% as a team from three, and they will need to shoot the three against the Syracuse 2-3 zone. Shelvin Mack and Willie Veasley are the Bulldogs best bet from three.
If you refer to Xavier as a "mid-major", you deserved to get punched in the face. Led by Indiana transfer Jordan Crawford (who dunked over Lebron btw last summer), the Musketeers have not skipped a beat under Craig Mack, who took over for Sean Miller who bolted for Arizona. The obvious keys for Xavier to win this game are to stop Jacob Pullen (34 points against BYU) and Dennis Clemente. In a prediction that will make the stomachs of Kansas fans turn, I fully expect Kansas State to be playing basketball on Saturday afternoon against Syracuse, and I'll take Kansas State and Jacob Pullen and Jamar Samuels ability to shoot the three, to take down Syracuse.
Midwest (Saint Louis)
#9 Northern Iowa vs #4 Michigan State
#6 Tennessee vs #2 Ohio State
Perhaps the most wide open field, despite the fact that Ohio State is led by Junior guard Evan Turner, who at 6-8, is Ohio State's tallest player (that operates as their PG). Tennessee somehow was able to recover during the year after Tyler Smith was kicked off the team for his role in a January 1, 2010, arrest involving four basketball players. 8th year player Wayne Chism (it seems that long anyway) was on the team that blew a 21 point first half lead to Ohio State in the 2007 Regional Semifinals so you know that revenge will be on his mind Friday night. It doesn't matter, too much Evan Turner, and the Buckeyes move on.
As a graduate and season ticket holder to Creighton, I have seen Northern Iowa play many times this year, including once in person. It does not surprise me that they knocked off Kansas; however, i never in my right mind expect it to happen. The theme of Northern Iowa all year was a new player stepping up each game and Ali Farokanamesh certainly did that against Kansas, hitting the shot of the tournament so far to put Northern Iowa up by 4 with 26 seconds left. With Michigan State needing to replace star PG Kalin Lucas, who tore his achillies heel, I would normally go ahead and pick Northern Iowa to win in this case. However, I learned this week that Northern Iowa will be featured on this week's cover of Sports Illustrated. For that sole reason alone, I'll take Michigan State. I'll take Ohio State though come Sunday.
So there you have it. I expect to see Ohio State, Kansas State, Kentucky, and Baylor in Indinapolis next weekend.
East (Syracuse)
#1 Kentucky vs #12 Cornell
#2 West Virginia vs #11 Washington
Kentucky got good news this week when they learned that potential Elite 8 opponent West Virginia lost starting PG Darryl Bryant. Before they can think about that, they must face Cornell, led by 8 seniors, to go against Kentucky and their fabulous four freshman. Cornell also has the luxury of playing 50 miles from home, but keep in mind, if any team travels well, its Kentucky, and their fans will be at the Carrier Dome in full force. Washington is one of the hottest teams entering the sweet 16, as they have won 9 straight games, including the disposing of #3 seed New Mexico in the second round last weekend. Don't count out Washington in this game; however, regardless of the outcome, I fully expect Kentucky to be heading to Indianapolis at weekend's end.
South (Houston)
#1 Duke vs #4 Purdue
#3 Baylor vs #10 Saint Mary's (CA)
I loved Baylor coming out of this region from the beginning. I thought they had a fairly easy draw in rounds 1 and 2, with having to either deal with an overseeded Notre Dame, or Old Dominion in round 2. Now the Bears head home to Texas to play in Houston for The Sweet 16. While Omar Sahman of Saint Mary's may be one of the tournaments two cinderella players, I don't think he will have as much success this time around, as Baylor has good size to defend him in the post. Saint Mary's will have to shoot the three ball well in order to get to the Elite Eight.
Most people didn't expect Purdue to advance past Siena in round one, let alone Texas A&M in round two, this of course due to the fact that Robbie Hummel is out for the year and Purdue got blown out of The Big Ten tournament by Minnesota. Purdue has shown they are the toughest team in the tournament, and don't count them out against the Dukies. In the end, I expect Baylor to beat Duke on Sunday and head to Indianapolis to take on Kentucky.
West (Salt Lake City)
#1 Syracuse vs #5 Butler
#2 Kansas State vs #6 Xavier
Syracuse will once again be without Arine Onuaku for their game against Butler on Thursday, leaving just 7 guys to fill the 5 spots on the floor. Now, if Wesley Johnson and Andy Rautins shoot tomorrow like they did on Sunday, Butler has no chance. What further hampers Butler (who is not a Cinderella story btw) is that they only shoot 34% as a team from three, and they will need to shoot the three against the Syracuse 2-3 zone. Shelvin Mack and Willie Veasley are the Bulldogs best bet from three.
If you refer to Xavier as a "mid-major", you deserved to get punched in the face. Led by Indiana transfer Jordan Crawford (who dunked over Lebron btw last summer), the Musketeers have not skipped a beat under Craig Mack, who took over for Sean Miller who bolted for Arizona. The obvious keys for Xavier to win this game are to stop Jacob Pullen (34 points against BYU) and Dennis Clemente. In a prediction that will make the stomachs of Kansas fans turn, I fully expect Kansas State to be playing basketball on Saturday afternoon against Syracuse, and I'll take Kansas State and Jacob Pullen and Jamar Samuels ability to shoot the three, to take down Syracuse.
Midwest (Saint Louis)
#9 Northern Iowa vs #4 Michigan State
#6 Tennessee vs #2 Ohio State
Perhaps the most wide open field, despite the fact that Ohio State is led by Junior guard Evan Turner, who at 6-8, is Ohio State's tallest player (that operates as their PG). Tennessee somehow was able to recover during the year after Tyler Smith was kicked off the team for his role in a January 1, 2010, arrest involving four basketball players. 8th year player Wayne Chism (it seems that long anyway) was on the team that blew a 21 point first half lead to Ohio State in the 2007 Regional Semifinals so you know that revenge will be on his mind Friday night. It doesn't matter, too much Evan Turner, and the Buckeyes move on.
As a graduate and season ticket holder to Creighton, I have seen Northern Iowa play many times this year, including once in person. It does not surprise me that they knocked off Kansas; however, i never in my right mind expect it to happen. The theme of Northern Iowa all year was a new player stepping up each game and Ali Farokanamesh certainly did that against Kansas, hitting the shot of the tournament so far to put Northern Iowa up by 4 with 26 seconds left. With Michigan State needing to replace star PG Kalin Lucas, who tore his achillies heel, I would normally go ahead and pick Northern Iowa to win in this case. However, I learned this week that Northern Iowa will be featured on this week's cover of Sports Illustrated. For that sole reason alone, I'll take Michigan State. I'll take Ohio State though come Sunday.
So there you have it. I expect to see Ohio State, Kansas State, Kentucky, and Baylor in Indinapolis next weekend.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Random Thoughts-Sunday Night
Random Thoughts, never thought today I'd have to talk about Tiger Woods.
I thought I had a lot to blog about prior to today; however, now I am not sure I can cover all my thoughts. I guess first things first, Tiger Woods. Out of nowhere today came the report that Tiger spent 5 minutes with ESPN and The Golf Channel. Now, of course, unless those interviews were going to be with Erin Andrews or Lauren Thompson, I don’t care. I did watch anyway and nothing alarming came out of the interviews. At this point, I just want to know how he is going to perform on the course, and what the next tournament he is going to play after The Masters. My money is on The Players Championship in Mid-May.
This morning, the collective groan you heard from the north were Minnesota Twins fans reacting to the news that their closer, Joe Nathan, would undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the season. I am not surprised one bit, considering the first thing I thought of when I heard of “Joe Nathan” and “elbow discomfort” about two weeks ago were the words “Tommy John.” Now, Twins fans should not panic too much. I know Nathan has been the second best closer in baseball outside of Mariano Rivera the last couple years, but if there is any organization that can develop someone into any position, it is the Twins. Jon Rauch will likely be the closer, as he has some experience at the role, but knowing the Twins, they could always go with someone else.
This evening, the collective cheer you heard from the north were Minnesota Twins fans reacting to the news that their catcher, Joe Mauer, agreed to an 8 year deal worth $184 million with a no-trade clause. As I pointed out in an earlier blog post, it was essential this deal get done as Joe Mauer needs The Twins and The Twins need Joe Mauer. More details of the deal will be released tomorrow but I have to wonder just how much of this money is deferred and whether or not it includes an ownership option later in Joe’s life. Mauer is only 26 now so he will only be 34 or 35 when this contract is up. If Mauer is still the hitter he is then as he is today, a position change could be in order, and may already have happened by the time the contract is up.
This goes back a little bit, but Oregon suspended star QB Jeremiah Masoli for his role in a burglary this offseason. Masoli was not kicked off the team, and will have an opportunity to return to the team in 2011. This is a stunning blow to Oregon, as they were predicted to be a top 10 team this year. That likely will not happen now. The question is, do Oregon fans want Masoli back? They might, but should they want him back? His poor decision making off the field will end up costing Oregon on the field and it may take a long time for him to receive the forgiveness of the Oregon faithful.
The first four days of the NCAA Tournament…. where to start, why not just ask some questions.
Why did it take Kansas 37 minutes to press Northern Iowa?
How unconscious is Ali Farokmanesh, and how many national radio shows is he going to be on starting tomorrow?
Is anyone going to remember that Kansas State lost to Kansas three times in the regular season? After all, Kansas State is in The Sweet 16 and Kansas is now back in Lawrence.
Are the Florida Gators still having nightmares of Jimmer Frederette just schooling them for 30 minutes on Thursday?
How in the hell did Texas blow an 8 point lead in overtime with 2:30 remaining?
Out of all the buzz-beaters/last second shots, why on earth was GUS JOHNSON not involved in ANY of them? Someone should get fired for that! Bad placement!
Why were most of the buzz-beaters/last second shots on Thursday and Saturday? (Actually, that may answer the Gus Johnson question)
Do I owe the Pac-10 an apology? Sort of, good job Washington, fair effort California
Why were Notre Dame and Marquette given 6 seeds? They were over-seeded by at least two slots and it showed during their first round matchups? That being said, what happened to the Big East?
Can Michigan State continue to win without Kalin Lucas? Can Purdue continue to win without Robbie Hummel?
Could you please visit this twitter link? Someone wants to say hi to the world. http://twitter.com/OmarSamhan
Does the NCAA know their secret plan to have non-power conference teams knock each other out of the tournament this year failed in three instances? The NCAA likes to pit two-non power conference teams against each other with the winner facing a power-conference team in the second round. Perhaps we deserve more first round matchups between power conference and non-power conference teams after what happened this year.
1. #9 seeded Northern Iowa defeated #8 seeded UNLV en route to beating #1 seeded Kansas.
2. #10 seeded Saint Mary’s (CA) defeated #7 seeded Richmond en route to beating #2 seeded Villanova.
3. #12 seeded Cornell defeated #5 seeded Temple en route to beating #4 seeded Wisconsin.
4. Honorable mention, #5 Butler defeated #12 seeded UTEP. #4 Vanderbilt would have been the opponent, but they lost to #13 seeded Murray State. So in the end, the NCAA plan that I allege, did not happen.
Oh yeah, I guess on an entertainment note, Dancing With The Stars begins tomorrow night. I will tune in to see how Erin Andrews and Chad OchoCinco perform. However, if you actually call and vote for Kate Gosselin tomorrow after her performance, to keep her on TV another week, you are a giant scumbag.
Coming up later this week (or tomorrow for that matter), a preview of the Sweet 16 and UFC 111, which airs March 27, 2010, live on Pay-Per-View
I thought I had a lot to blog about prior to today; however, now I am not sure I can cover all my thoughts. I guess first things first, Tiger Woods. Out of nowhere today came the report that Tiger spent 5 minutes with ESPN and The Golf Channel. Now, of course, unless those interviews were going to be with Erin Andrews or Lauren Thompson, I don’t care. I did watch anyway and nothing alarming came out of the interviews. At this point, I just want to know how he is going to perform on the course, and what the next tournament he is going to play after The Masters. My money is on The Players Championship in Mid-May.
This morning, the collective groan you heard from the north were Minnesota Twins fans reacting to the news that their closer, Joe Nathan, would undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the season. I am not surprised one bit, considering the first thing I thought of when I heard of “Joe Nathan” and “elbow discomfort” about two weeks ago were the words “Tommy John.” Now, Twins fans should not panic too much. I know Nathan has been the second best closer in baseball outside of Mariano Rivera the last couple years, but if there is any organization that can develop someone into any position, it is the Twins. Jon Rauch will likely be the closer, as he has some experience at the role, but knowing the Twins, they could always go with someone else.
This evening, the collective cheer you heard from the north were Minnesota Twins fans reacting to the news that their catcher, Joe Mauer, agreed to an 8 year deal worth $184 million with a no-trade clause. As I pointed out in an earlier blog post, it was essential this deal get done as Joe Mauer needs The Twins and The Twins need Joe Mauer. More details of the deal will be released tomorrow but I have to wonder just how much of this money is deferred and whether or not it includes an ownership option later in Joe’s life. Mauer is only 26 now so he will only be 34 or 35 when this contract is up. If Mauer is still the hitter he is then as he is today, a position change could be in order, and may already have happened by the time the contract is up.
This goes back a little bit, but Oregon suspended star QB Jeremiah Masoli for his role in a burglary this offseason. Masoli was not kicked off the team, and will have an opportunity to return to the team in 2011. This is a stunning blow to Oregon, as they were predicted to be a top 10 team this year. That likely will not happen now. The question is, do Oregon fans want Masoli back? They might, but should they want him back? His poor decision making off the field will end up costing Oregon on the field and it may take a long time for him to receive the forgiveness of the Oregon faithful.
The first four days of the NCAA Tournament…. where to start, why not just ask some questions.
Why did it take Kansas 37 minutes to press Northern Iowa?
How unconscious is Ali Farokmanesh, and how many national radio shows is he going to be on starting tomorrow?
Is anyone going to remember that Kansas State lost to Kansas three times in the regular season? After all, Kansas State is in The Sweet 16 and Kansas is now back in Lawrence.
Are the Florida Gators still having nightmares of Jimmer Frederette just schooling them for 30 minutes on Thursday?
How in the hell did Texas blow an 8 point lead in overtime with 2:30 remaining?
Out of all the buzz-beaters/last second shots, why on earth was GUS JOHNSON not involved in ANY of them? Someone should get fired for that! Bad placement!
Why were most of the buzz-beaters/last second shots on Thursday and Saturday? (Actually, that may answer the Gus Johnson question)
Do I owe the Pac-10 an apology? Sort of, good job Washington, fair effort California
Why were Notre Dame and Marquette given 6 seeds? They were over-seeded by at least two slots and it showed during their first round matchups? That being said, what happened to the Big East?
Can Michigan State continue to win without Kalin Lucas? Can Purdue continue to win without Robbie Hummel?
Could you please visit this twitter link? Someone wants to say hi to the world. http://twitter.com/OmarSamhan
Does the NCAA know their secret plan to have non-power conference teams knock each other out of the tournament this year failed in three instances? The NCAA likes to pit two-non power conference teams against each other with the winner facing a power-conference team in the second round. Perhaps we deserve more first round matchups between power conference and non-power conference teams after what happened this year.
1. #9 seeded Northern Iowa defeated #8 seeded UNLV en route to beating #1 seeded Kansas.
2. #10 seeded Saint Mary’s (CA) defeated #7 seeded Richmond en route to beating #2 seeded Villanova.
3. #12 seeded Cornell defeated #5 seeded Temple en route to beating #4 seeded Wisconsin.
4. Honorable mention, #5 Butler defeated #12 seeded UTEP. #4 Vanderbilt would have been the opponent, but they lost to #13 seeded Murray State. So in the end, the NCAA plan that I allege, did not happen.
Oh yeah, I guess on an entertainment note, Dancing With The Stars begins tomorrow night. I will tune in to see how Erin Andrews and Chad OchoCinco perform. However, if you actually call and vote for Kate Gosselin tomorrow after her performance, to keep her on TV another week, you are a giant scumbag.
Coming up later this week (or tomorrow for that matter), a preview of the Sweet 16 and UFC 111, which airs March 27, 2010, live on Pay-Per-View
Sunday, March 14, 2010
My Bracket
In creating these match-ups, there are two big rules I had to keep in mind. The first is that teams are not allowed to play a conference opponent until the regional final, unless there is more than 8 bids in a given league. The second is that BYU for their own reasons does not play on Sunday, so I had to place them in a regional that plays on Thursday and Saturday and the NCAA will have to also take that into account for their first and potential second round match-ups.
My overall #1 seed is Kansas and they would play #4 overall seed Duke if they made it to the final four. My #2 overall seed is Kentucky and they would play #3 overall seed Syracuse if they made it to the final four. Also, Syracuse is hosting the East Regional this year, making them ineligible to play in their home building. Regardless of whether Minnesota wins the Big 10 tourney or not, I have them in my field.
So, I can’t figure out a way to upload a bracket onto this, but here are the match-ups. I’ll try posting a link to my bracket at NCAA.com if they allow me.
The Condensed Version
1. Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke
2. Ohio St, Kansas State, Georgetown, West Virginia
3. New Mexico, Villanova, Purdue, Baylor
4. Pittsburgh, Maryland, Michigan St, Wisconsin
5. Tennessee, Texas A&M, Butler, Temple
6. Xavier, Richmond, Vanderbilt, BYU
7. Oklahoma St, Clemson, Northern Iowa, Gonzaga
8. UNLV, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Marquette
9. Florida St, Old Dominion, Texas, Saint Mary's
10. Louisville, San Diego St, Missouri, Wake Forest
11. UTEP, California, Washington, Florida
12. Minnesota, Murray St, Utah St, Siena
13. Oakland, Wofford, Cornell, New Mexico St
14. Sam Houston St, Ohio, Houston, Montana
15. North Texas, Vermont, Morgan St, UC Santa-Barbara
16. East Tenn St, Ark Pine Bluff/Winthrop, Robert Morris, Lehigh
Midwest Bracket
1. Kansas
16. East Tennessee St
8. UNLV
9. Florida State
5. Tennessee
12. Minnesota
6. Xavier
11. UTEP
3. New Mexico
14. Sam Houston State
7. Oklahoma State
10. Louisville
2. Ohio State
15. North Texas
West Bracket
1. Duke
16. Lehigh
8. Marquette
9. Saint Mary’s (CA)
5. Temple
12. Siena
4. Wisconsin
13. New Mexico St
6. BYU
11. Florida
3. Baylor
14. Montana
7. Gonzaga
10. Wake Forest
2. West Virginia
15. UC Santa Barbara
East
1. Kentucky
16. Winthrop/Arkansas Pine Bluff
8. Notre Dame
9. Old Dominion
5. Texas A&M
12. Murray St.
4. Maryland
13. Wofford
6. Richmond
11. California
3. Villanova
14. Ohio
7. Clemson
10. San Diego St
2. Kentucky
15. Vermont
South
1. Syracuse
16. Robert Morris
8. Georgia Tech
9. Texas
5. Butler
12. Utah St
4. Michigan St
13. Cornell
6. Vanderbilt
11. Washington
3. Purdue
14. Houston
7. Northern Iowa
10. Missouri
2. Georgetown
15. Morgan St.
My overall #1 seed is Kansas and they would play #4 overall seed Duke if they made it to the final four. My #2 overall seed is Kentucky and they would play #3 overall seed Syracuse if they made it to the final four. Also, Syracuse is hosting the East Regional this year, making them ineligible to play in their home building. Regardless of whether Minnesota wins the Big 10 tourney or not, I have them in my field.
So, I can’t figure out a way to upload a bracket onto this, but here are the match-ups. I’ll try posting a link to my bracket at NCAA.com if they allow me.
The Condensed Version
1. Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke
2. Ohio St, Kansas State, Georgetown, West Virginia
3. New Mexico, Villanova, Purdue, Baylor
4. Pittsburgh, Maryland, Michigan St, Wisconsin
5. Tennessee, Texas A&M, Butler, Temple
6. Xavier, Richmond, Vanderbilt, BYU
7. Oklahoma St, Clemson, Northern Iowa, Gonzaga
8. UNLV, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Marquette
9. Florida St, Old Dominion, Texas, Saint Mary's
10. Louisville, San Diego St, Missouri, Wake Forest
11. UTEP, California, Washington, Florida
12. Minnesota, Murray St, Utah St, Siena
13. Oakland, Wofford, Cornell, New Mexico St
14. Sam Houston St, Ohio, Houston, Montana
15. North Texas, Vermont, Morgan St, UC Santa-Barbara
16. East Tenn St, Ark Pine Bluff/Winthrop, Robert Morris, Lehigh
Midwest Bracket
1. Kansas
16. East Tennessee St
8. UNLV
9. Florida State
5. Tennessee
12. Minnesota
6. Xavier
11. UTEP
3. New Mexico
14. Sam Houston State
7. Oklahoma State
10. Louisville
2. Ohio State
15. North Texas
West Bracket
1. Duke
16. Lehigh
8. Marquette
9. Saint Mary’s (CA)
5. Temple
12. Siena
4. Wisconsin
13. New Mexico St
6. BYU
11. Florida
3. Baylor
14. Montana
7. Gonzaga
10. Wake Forest
2. West Virginia
15. UC Santa Barbara
East
1. Kentucky
16. Winthrop/Arkansas Pine Bluff
8. Notre Dame
9. Old Dominion
5. Texas A&M
12. Murray St.
4. Maryland
13. Wofford
6. Richmond
11. California
3. Villanova
14. Ohio
7. Clemson
10. San Diego St
2. Kentucky
15. Vermont
South
1. Syracuse
16. Robert Morris
8. Georgia Tech
9. Texas
5. Butler
12. Utah St
4. Michigan St
13. Cornell
6. Vanderbilt
11. Washington
3. Purdue
14. Houston
7. Northern Iowa
10. Missouri
2. Georgetown
15. Morgan St.
Updated Field of 65
Updated Field of 65 (4p.m. est, selection sunday)
Big East (8): Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame
Big 12 (7): Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma St
ACC (6): Duke, Maryland, Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, Georgia Tech
Big Ten (5): Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue, Minnesota
SEC (4): Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida
Mountain West (4): New Mexico, BYU, UNLV, San Diego St
Atlantic 10 (3): Xavier, Temple, Richmond
Pac 10 (2): California, Washington
C-USA (2): Houston, UTEP
WAC (2): New Mexico State, Utah St
WCC (2): Saint Marys, Gonzaga
One Bid Leagues (20)
American East Vermont
Atlantic Sun East Tenn St
Big Sky Montana
Big South Winthrop
Big West UC Santa Barbara
Colonial Old Dominion
Horizon Butler
Ivy Cornell
MAAC Siena
MAC Ohio
MEAC Morgan State
Mo Valley Northern Iowa
NEC Robert Morris
Ohio Valley Murray State
Patriot Lehigh
Southern Wofford
Southland Sam Houston St
Summit Oakland
Sun Belt North Texas
SWAC Arkansas Pine Bluff
Last Four In: UTEP, Utah St, Minnesota, Florida (in order)
First Four Out Mississippi St, Virginia Tech, Illinois, Seton Hall (in order)
Big East (8): Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame
Big 12 (7): Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma St
ACC (6): Duke, Maryland, Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, Georgia Tech
Big Ten (5): Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue, Minnesota
SEC (4): Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida
Mountain West (4): New Mexico, BYU, UNLV, San Diego St
Atlantic 10 (3): Xavier, Temple, Richmond
Pac 10 (2): California, Washington
C-USA (2): Houston, UTEP
WAC (2): New Mexico State, Utah St
WCC (2): Saint Marys, Gonzaga
One Bid Leagues (20)
American East Vermont
Atlantic Sun East Tenn St
Big Sky Montana
Big South Winthrop
Big West UC Santa Barbara
Colonial Old Dominion
Horizon Butler
Ivy Cornell
MAAC Siena
MAC Ohio
MEAC Morgan State
Mo Valley Northern Iowa
NEC Robert Morris
Ohio Valley Murray State
Patriot Lehigh
Southern Wofford
Southland Sam Houston St
Summit Oakland
Sun Belt North Texas
SWAC Arkansas Pine Bluff
Last Four In: UTEP, Utah St, Minnesota, Florida (in order)
First Four Out Mississippi St, Virginia Tech, Illinois, Seton Hall (in order)
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Updating the field of 65
After yesterday's action, I am thinking right now there are at most 4 open spots available for at-large teams. This assumes there are no surprises in conference tournaments and there is that possibility out there. So for now, here is my updated field, which I will begin seeding here today.
Updated Field of 65
Big East (8): Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame
ACC (7): Duke, Maryland, Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech
Big 12 (7): Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma St
SEC (5): Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida, Mississippi
Big Ten (5): Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue, Illinois
Atlantic 10 (3): Xavier, Temple, Richmond
Mountain West (4): New Mexico, BYU, UNLV, San Diego St
Pac 10 (2): California, Washington
WCC (2): Saint Marys, Gonzaga
One Bid Leagues (22) (clinched spot in bold, projected team non-bold)
American East Stony Brook
Atlantic Sun East Tenn St
Big Sky Montana
Big South Winthrop
Big West UC Santa Barbara
Colonial Old Dominion
Conference USA Utep
Horizon Butler
Ivy Cornell
MAAC Siena
MAC Kent State
MEAC Morgan State
Mo Valley Northern Iowa
NEC Robert Morris
Ohio Valley Murray State
Patriot Lehigh
Southern Wofford
Southland Sam Houston St
Summit Oakland
Sun Belt North Texas
SWAC Jackson State
WAC Utah State
Last Four In: Virginia Tech, Illinois, Florida, Mississippi
First Four Out: Rhode Island, Seton Hall, Minnesota, Mississippi St
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Thursday Night Wrap-Up
Georgia Tech did not clinch a bid with its 62-58 win over North Carolina tonight; however, they avoided the disaster that Memphis and UAB suffered earlier today. Tough year for the Tar Heels. I don’t even think they are NIT quality at this point and Roy Williams will have to decide on whether or not to accept a CBI bid, if they are fortunate enough to get one.
San Diego St barely survived an upset attempt today at the hands of Colorado State but held off The Rams 72-71. The win keeps the Aztecs in the conversation; however, they are not guaranteed a bid as of yet.
The Cinderella story of Cincinnati ended at Madison Square Garden tonight as Da’Sean Butler hit a 3 pointer at the buzzer (off the backboard) to help West Virginia to a 54-51 victory over West Virginia. They will move on to the semifinals while Cincinnati heads to the NIT. Gotta feel for Deon Dixon of Cincinatti, who turned the ball over with 3.1 seconds left, allowing West Virginia to get the final shot.
Florida has not been to the NCAA Tournament since they won back to back titles in 2006 and 2007 and they have not clinched a bid yet. I still think Florida is on the right side of the bubble and they secured that status with a 78-69 win over Auburn. The Gators get no brownie points for beating Auburn, but they don’t lose anything by beating them either.
Barring a miracle, it is this bracketologist’s opinion that the Pac-10 will have at most two teams in the NCAA Tournament. Stanford defeated Arizona State 70-61, who finished 2nd, in the Pac-10 standings, in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Tournament. While Arizona State finished 22-10, they only have 1 top 50 RPI win (San Diego State) and lost both games to conference champion California. Their RPI (53) and Strength of Schedule (75) also do them no favors. I post this with no idea what will happen with Washington tonight, but they need to defeat Oregon State tonight to keep their tourney bubble a-float.
Updated Field of 65 (assuming Washington wins tonight)
Big East (8): Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame
ACC (7): Duke, Maryland, Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech
Big 12 (7): Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma St
SEC (5): Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida, Mississippi
Big Ten (4): Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue
Atlantic 10 (3): Xavier, Temple, Richmond
Mountain West (4): New Mexico, BYU, UNLV, San Diego St
Conference USA (2): UTEP, Memphis
Pac 10 (2): California, Washington
WCC (2): Saint Marys, Gonzaga
One Bid Leagues (21) (clinched spot in bold, projected team non-bold)
American East Stony Brook
Atlantic Sun East Tenn St
Big Sky Montana
Big South Winthrop
Big West UC Santa Barbara
Colonial Old Dominion
Horizon Butler
Ivy Cornell
MAAC Siena
MAC Kent State
MEAC Morgan State
Mo Valley Northern Iowa
NEC Robert Morris
Ohio Valley Murray State
Patriot Lehigh
Southern Wofford
Southland Sam Houston St
Summit Oakland
Sun Belt North Texas
SWAC Jackson State
WAC Utah State
Last Four In: Washington, Mississippi, Memphis, San Diego State
First Four Out: San Diego State, Seton Hall, Illinois, Dayton
San Diego St barely survived an upset attempt today at the hands of Colorado State but held off The Rams 72-71. The win keeps the Aztecs in the conversation; however, they are not guaranteed a bid as of yet.
The Cinderella story of Cincinnati ended at Madison Square Garden tonight as Da’Sean Butler hit a 3 pointer at the buzzer (off the backboard) to help West Virginia to a 54-51 victory over West Virginia. They will move on to the semifinals while Cincinnati heads to the NIT. Gotta feel for Deon Dixon of Cincinatti, who turned the ball over with 3.1 seconds left, allowing West Virginia to get the final shot.
Florida has not been to the NCAA Tournament since they won back to back titles in 2006 and 2007 and they have not clinched a bid yet. I still think Florida is on the right side of the bubble and they secured that status with a 78-69 win over Auburn. The Gators get no brownie points for beating Auburn, but they don’t lose anything by beating them either.
Barring a miracle, it is this bracketologist’s opinion that the Pac-10 will have at most two teams in the NCAA Tournament. Stanford defeated Arizona State 70-61, who finished 2nd, in the Pac-10 standings, in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Tournament. While Arizona State finished 22-10, they only have 1 top 50 RPI win (San Diego State) and lost both games to conference champion California. Their RPI (53) and Strength of Schedule (75) also do them no favors. I post this with no idea what will happen with Washington tonight, but they need to defeat Oregon State tonight to keep their tourney bubble a-float.
Updated Field of 65 (assuming Washington wins tonight)
Big East (8): Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame
ACC (7): Duke, Maryland, Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech
Big 12 (7): Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma St
SEC (5): Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida, Mississippi
Big Ten (4): Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue
Atlantic 10 (3): Xavier, Temple, Richmond
Mountain West (4): New Mexico, BYU, UNLV, San Diego St
Conference USA (2): UTEP, Memphis
Pac 10 (2): California, Washington
WCC (2): Saint Marys, Gonzaga
One Bid Leagues (21) (clinched spot in bold, projected team non-bold)
American East Stony Brook
Atlantic Sun East Tenn St
Big Sky Montana
Big South Winthrop
Big West UC Santa Barbara
Colonial Old Dominion
Horizon Butler
Ivy Cornell
MAAC Siena
MAC Kent State
MEAC Morgan State
Mo Valley Northern Iowa
NEC Robert Morris
Ohio Valley Murray State
Patriot Lehigh
Southern Wofford
Southland Sam Houston St
Summit Oakland
Sun Belt North Texas
SWAC Jackson State
WAC Utah State
Last Four In: Washington, Mississippi, Memphis, San Diego State
First Four Out: San Diego State, Seton Hall, Illinois, Dayton
Bubble Brutality Thursday
Thursday Afternoon Summary-BUBBLE BRUTALITY!!!
Coming into today, I had 2 Conference USA teams among my “Last Four In”, Memphis and UAB. After today, I am not sure what in the world to think as both Memphis and UAB fell in the quarterfinals of the C-USA tournament. Houston defeated Memphis 66-65 on a last second shot and UAB looked disinterested and unorganized as they were waxed by Southern Mississippi 58-55. I had Memphis ahead of UAB on the bubble line today so if anyone is going to get booted from my field tonight (likely will happen) it will be UAB.
If you have been reading my blog, you know I have been down on Marquette; however, I can no longer be on the hate side of the Golden Eagles. Marquette downed Villanova 80-76 in the quarterfinals of The Big East tournament. With the way the bubble has been exploding at the bottom, there is no doubt in my mind that Marquette is now a cinch for Selection Sunday. Georgetown held off Syracuse 91-84 in a game which featured Syracuse’s Arizne Onuaku leaving the game late with an injury. Despite the loss to Georgetown and potential loss of Onuaku, I still expect Syracuse to land a #1 seed in either the South or West region come Sunday.
Both Texas Tech and Nebraska fell in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament. Since all remaining teams are locks for the tournament, the only thing being played for at that tourney is seeds in the NCAA Tournament and a Big 12 Title Trophy.
California defeated Oregon in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Tournament 90-74 in front of an empty arena at the Staples Center (I’m not kidding, it was empty). It would be very surprising to see California get left out of the field at this point, even without a potential top 50 RPI win, which has only happened once (Air Force, 2006) in the history of the NCAA Tournament (from an at-large status perspective).
Back tonight with a recap of the night session games and an updated field of 65.
Coming into today, I had 2 Conference USA teams among my “Last Four In”, Memphis and UAB. After today, I am not sure what in the world to think as both Memphis and UAB fell in the quarterfinals of the C-USA tournament. Houston defeated Memphis 66-65 on a last second shot and UAB looked disinterested and unorganized as they were waxed by Southern Mississippi 58-55. I had Memphis ahead of UAB on the bubble line today so if anyone is going to get booted from my field tonight (likely will happen) it will be UAB.
If you have been reading my blog, you know I have been down on Marquette; however, I can no longer be on the hate side of the Golden Eagles. Marquette downed Villanova 80-76 in the quarterfinals of The Big East tournament. With the way the bubble has been exploding at the bottom, there is no doubt in my mind that Marquette is now a cinch for Selection Sunday. Georgetown held off Syracuse 91-84 in a game which featured Syracuse’s Arizne Onuaku leaving the game late with an injury. Despite the loss to Georgetown and potential loss of Onuaku, I still expect Syracuse to land a #1 seed in either the South or West region come Sunday.
Both Texas Tech and Nebraska fell in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament. Since all remaining teams are locks for the tournament, the only thing being played for at that tourney is seeds in the NCAA Tournament and a Big 12 Title Trophy.
California defeated Oregon in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Tournament 90-74 in front of an empty arena at the Staples Center (I’m not kidding, it was empty). It would be very surprising to see California get left out of the field at this point, even without a potential top 50 RPI win, which has only happened once (Air Force, 2006) in the history of the NCAA Tournament (from an at-large status perspective).
Back tonight with a recap of the night session games and an updated field of 65.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Bracketology 101 Update
So far during Championship Week, most teams needing to win to help build their NCAA resume have not done a very good job. Now, there is still 4 days left of basketball and a lot can change as more than half of the conference tournaments have yet to be completed but there were a few changes I did make to my field of 65.
BIG EAST
#7th seeded Notre Dame defeated 10th seeded Seton Hall 68-56 during the quarterfinals of The Big East Tournament. I have decided to move Notre Dame from the “Bubble” list to “Teams that are Close” but let’s face it, Notre Dame is likely getting a bid to the NCAA Tournament today after that win. I did not have Seton Hall in the field before the game and I don’t after it. They finish the year 18-12 with a 6-12 record over the top 100 RPI. Things could always change (my mind that is) before Selection Sunday.
Marquette is about as close of a lock as you can get after barely holding off St. Johns 57-55, as Marquette has now won 12 total games in The Big East, the toughest conference in basketball.
Cincinnati held off Louisville 69-66 to advance to the quarterfinals of The Big East Tournament. The Bearcats had a bad finish to the year and may need wins in both the quarterfinals and semi-finals to get back in the conversation for an at-large berth. Louisville is also likely going to the tourney.
BIG 12
Barring any upset winner, the top 7 teams in the Big 12 tournament are heading to the NCAA Tournament. Even 5th seeded Missouri, who suffered a humiliating 75-60 defeat at the hands of last place Nebraska. The only teams that can steal a bid in the Big 12 right now are Texas Tech and Nebraska; who, I do not think have the staying power to stay in the tournament.
NEC
Robert Morris defeated Quinnipiac 52-50 on Quinn Pac’s home floor to win their conference’s automatic bid.
BIG SKY
Led by Anthony Johnson’s 42 points, Montana defeats Weber State 66-65 to win the league’s automatic berth.
Tomorrow’s Key Bubble Implication Games
ACC
North Carolina (16-15, 5-11) vs. Georgia Tech (19-11, 7-9)
Wake Forest (19-9, 9-7) vs. Miami (18-12, 4-12)
Big East
Marquette (21-10, 11-7) vs. Villanova (24-6, 13-5)
Notre Dame (22-10, 10-8) vs. Pittsburgh (24-7, 13-5)
Cincinnati (18-14, 7-11) vs. West Virginia (24-6, 13-5)
Big Ten
Penn State (11-19, 3-15) vs. Minnesota (18-12, 9-9)
Conference USA
Houston (16-15, 7-9) vs. Memphis (23-8, 13-3)
Southern Miss (19-12, 8-8) vs. UAB (23-7, 11-5)
Mountain West
Colorado St (16-14, 7-9) vs. San Diego State (22-8, 11-5)
Utah (14-16, 7-9) vs. UNLV (23-7, 11-5)
Pac-10
Stanford (13-17, 7-11) vs. Arizona State (22-9, 12-6)
Oregon St (14-16, 8-10) vs. Washington (21-9, 11-7)
Oregon/Washington St vs. California (21-9, 13-5)
SEC
Auburn (15-16, 6-10) vs. Florida (20-11, 9-7)
BIG EAST
#7th seeded Notre Dame defeated 10th seeded Seton Hall 68-56 during the quarterfinals of The Big East Tournament. I have decided to move Notre Dame from the “Bubble” list to “Teams that are Close” but let’s face it, Notre Dame is likely getting a bid to the NCAA Tournament today after that win. I did not have Seton Hall in the field before the game and I don’t after it. They finish the year 18-12 with a 6-12 record over the top 100 RPI. Things could always change (my mind that is) before Selection Sunday.
Marquette is about as close of a lock as you can get after barely holding off St. Johns 57-55, as Marquette has now won 12 total games in The Big East, the toughest conference in basketball.
Cincinnati held off Louisville 69-66 to advance to the quarterfinals of The Big East Tournament. The Bearcats had a bad finish to the year and may need wins in both the quarterfinals and semi-finals to get back in the conversation for an at-large berth. Louisville is also likely going to the tourney.
BIG 12
Barring any upset winner, the top 7 teams in the Big 12 tournament are heading to the NCAA Tournament. Even 5th seeded Missouri, who suffered a humiliating 75-60 defeat at the hands of last place Nebraska. The only teams that can steal a bid in the Big 12 right now are Texas Tech and Nebraska; who, I do not think have the staying power to stay in the tournament.
NEC
Robert Morris defeated Quinnipiac 52-50 on Quinn Pac’s home floor to win their conference’s automatic bid.
BIG SKY
Led by Anthony Johnson’s 42 points, Montana defeats Weber State 66-65 to win the league’s automatic berth.
Tomorrow’s Key Bubble Implication Games
ACC
North Carolina (16-15, 5-11) vs. Georgia Tech (19-11, 7-9)
Wake Forest (19-9, 9-7) vs. Miami (18-12, 4-12)
Big East
Marquette (21-10, 11-7) vs. Villanova (24-6, 13-5)
Notre Dame (22-10, 10-8) vs. Pittsburgh (24-7, 13-5)
Cincinnati (18-14, 7-11) vs. West Virginia (24-6, 13-5)
Big Ten
Penn State (11-19, 3-15) vs. Minnesota (18-12, 9-9)
Conference USA
Houston (16-15, 7-9) vs. Memphis (23-8, 13-3)
Southern Miss (19-12, 8-8) vs. UAB (23-7, 11-5)
Mountain West
Colorado St (16-14, 7-9) vs. San Diego State (22-8, 11-5)
Utah (14-16, 7-9) vs. UNLV (23-7, 11-5)
Pac-10
Stanford (13-17, 7-11) vs. Arizona State (22-9, 12-6)
Oregon St (14-16, 8-10) vs. Washington (21-9, 11-7)
Oregon/Washington St vs. California (21-9, 13-5)
SEC
Auburn (15-16, 6-10) vs. Florida (20-11, 9-7)
Bracketology 101: Updated Field
Updated Field of 65
Big East (8): Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame
ACC (7): Duke, Maryland, Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech
Big 12 (7): Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma St
SEC (5): Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida, Mississippi
Big Ten (4): Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue
Atlantic 10 (3): Xavier, Temple, Richmond
Mountain West (3): New Mexico, BYU, UNLV
Conference USA (3): UTEP, Memphis, UAB
Pac 10 (2): California, Washington
WCC (2): Saint Marys, Gonzaga
One Bid Leagues (21) (clinched spot in bold, projected team non-bold)
American East Stony Brook
Atlantic Sun East Tenn St
Big Sky Montana
Big South Winthrop
Big West UC Santa Barbara
Colonial Old Dominion
Horizon Butler
Ivy Cornell
MAAC Siena
MAC Kent State
MEAC Morgan State
Mo Valley Northern Iowa
NEC Robert Morris
Ohio Valley Murray State
Patriot Lehigh
Southern Wofford
Southland Sam Houston St
Summit Oakland
Sun Belt North Texas
SWAC Jackson State
WAC Utah State
Last Four In: Memphis, UAB, Washington, Mississippi
First Four Out: San Diego State, Arizona State, Illinois, Dayton
Big East (8): Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame
ACC (7): Duke, Maryland, Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech
Big 12 (7): Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma St
SEC (5): Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida, Mississippi
Big Ten (4): Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue
Atlantic 10 (3): Xavier, Temple, Richmond
Mountain West (3): New Mexico, BYU, UNLV
Conference USA (3): UTEP, Memphis, UAB
Pac 10 (2): California, Washington
WCC (2): Saint Marys, Gonzaga
One Bid Leagues (21) (clinched spot in bold, projected team non-bold)
American East Stony Brook
Atlantic Sun East Tenn St
Big Sky Montana
Big South Winthrop
Big West UC Santa Barbara
Colonial Old Dominion
Horizon Butler
Ivy Cornell
MAAC Siena
MAC Kent State
MEAC Morgan State
Mo Valley Northern Iowa
NEC Robert Morris
Ohio Valley Murray State
Patriot Lehigh
Southern Wofford
Southland Sam Houston St
Summit Oakland
Sun Belt North Texas
SWAC Jackson State
WAC Utah State
Last Four In: Memphis, UAB, Washington, Mississippi
First Four Out: San Diego State, Arizona State, Illinois, Dayton
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Bracketology 101-Tuesday Night Update
FYI, I have made no changes to the bracket field I posted last night.
BUBBLES BURST!!!!
If Connecticut basketball was a publicly traded company, traders at the New York Stock Exchange would have been attempting to sell the team short today as UCONN’s small hopes for getting an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament were decimated today at the hands of St. John’s in a 73-51 blowout, up the road from the NYSE at Madison Square Garden. While UCONN fans will wonder if its team will accept an NIT berth just one year after going to the Final Four, they will mostly be concerned whether or not Jim Calhoun and his ailing health will be back for another year.
Scratch off UNC-Charlotte from teams hoping to get an at-large berth in the Atlantic 10 conference. The 49ers failed to hold off Massachusetts on its home court in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 tournament. Charlotte finishes the season at 19-12 and a 9-7 record in a stronger than normal A-10 conference; however, their RPI sits in the mid 70’s with an overall record of 3-8 against the top 50 RPI and 4-10 vs. the top 100 RPI.
BUBBLES A-FLOAT
This is very simple. None of these teams clinched a bid to the NCAA Tournament today; however, they are still in the conversation and will need to win their next game to help keep their conversation going.
Dayton 70 George Washington 60
Rhode Island 87 St. Josephs 76
Seton Hall 109 Providence 106
BIDS CLINCHED
Butler avoids making another bubble team sweat and dismantles Wright State to win the Horizon League Tournament Championship.
North Texas defeated Troy 66-63 to win the Sun Belt Tournament.
Oakland defeated IUPUI 76-64 to win the Summit League Tournament.
GAMES TO WATCH TOMORROW WITH BUBBLE IMPLICATIONS (Central Time)
The Atlantic 10 tournament takes a day off as teams gather for the quarterfinals beginning on Thursday; however, all four games in the Big East tournament have bubble implications for every team playing with the exception of Georgetown, who is definitely locked in. Things will really start to pick up on Thursday.
South Florida (20-11, 9-9) vs. #22 Georgetown (20-9) (10-8) (11a.m. ESPN)
Saint Johns (17-14, 6-12) vs. Marquette (20-10, 11-7) (1:30 p.m. ESPN)
Seton Hall (19-11, 9-9) vs. Notre Dame (21-10, 10-8) (6p.m. ESPN)
Cincinnati (17-14, 7-11) vs. Louisville (20-11, 11-7) (8:30p.m. ESPN)
BUBBLES BURST!!!!
If Connecticut basketball was a publicly traded company, traders at the New York Stock Exchange would have been attempting to sell the team short today as UCONN’s small hopes for getting an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament were decimated today at the hands of St. John’s in a 73-51 blowout, up the road from the NYSE at Madison Square Garden. While UCONN fans will wonder if its team will accept an NIT berth just one year after going to the Final Four, they will mostly be concerned whether or not Jim Calhoun and his ailing health will be back for another year.
Scratch off UNC-Charlotte from teams hoping to get an at-large berth in the Atlantic 10 conference. The 49ers failed to hold off Massachusetts on its home court in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 tournament. Charlotte finishes the season at 19-12 and a 9-7 record in a stronger than normal A-10 conference; however, their RPI sits in the mid 70’s with an overall record of 3-8 against the top 50 RPI and 4-10 vs. the top 100 RPI.
BUBBLES A-FLOAT
This is very simple. None of these teams clinched a bid to the NCAA Tournament today; however, they are still in the conversation and will need to win their next game to help keep their conversation going.
Dayton 70 George Washington 60
Rhode Island 87 St. Josephs 76
Seton Hall 109 Providence 106
BIDS CLINCHED
Butler avoids making another bubble team sweat and dismantles Wright State to win the Horizon League Tournament Championship.
North Texas defeated Troy 66-63 to win the Sun Belt Tournament.
Oakland defeated IUPUI 76-64 to win the Summit League Tournament.
GAMES TO WATCH TOMORROW WITH BUBBLE IMPLICATIONS (Central Time)
The Atlantic 10 tournament takes a day off as teams gather for the quarterfinals beginning on Thursday; however, all four games in the Big East tournament have bubble implications for every team playing with the exception of Georgetown, who is definitely locked in. Things will really start to pick up on Thursday.
South Florida (20-11, 9-9) vs. #22 Georgetown (20-9) (10-8) (11a.m. ESPN)
Saint Johns (17-14, 6-12) vs. Marquette (20-10, 11-7) (1:30 p.m. ESPN)
Seton Hall (19-11, 9-9) vs. Notre Dame (21-10, 10-8) (6p.m. ESPN)
Cincinnati (17-14, 7-11) vs. Louisville (20-11, 11-7) (8:30p.m. ESPN)
Monday, March 8, 2010
Bracketology 101-Monday Night Update
Siena earned the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) bid with a 72-65 Overtime win over Fairfield. Siena trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half before completing their third straight comeback victory in as many days. Siena had the benefit of hosting their own conference tournament and they needed every bit of their home crowd to earn their 3rd straight NCAA bid. Even with an RPI of 37, Siena would have been on the outside looking in on Selection Sunday without an automatic bid due to a poor Strength of Schedule and 0 quality wins to show for it. In fact, they would have been 26-7 with 0 top 50 wins. Sounds familiar, right Creighton of 2009?
While the MAAC was not a bubble buster, the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) could have been; however, Old Dominion wrapped up the league’s auto bid by defeating William & Mary 60-53. Old Dominion will be a very tough 10-12 seed to face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Saint Mary’s was among my “last four in” when I released my field of 65 last night. Now, Saint Mary’s is safely in and will not have to sweat out Selection Sunday for the second straight year after a dominating 81-62 victory over Gonzaga tonight in the finals of the West Coast Conference Tournament. Gonzaga moves from auto-bid status to “lock” status on my sheet and I’ll replace Memphis with Saint Mary’s on my last four in list. So, nobody moves out of my field today; however, I expect that to change tomorrow.
And not to be left out, because you never what team will win an NCAA Tournament game, Wofford defeated Appalachian State 56-51 to win the Southern Conference Tournament.
Tomorrow’s Games to Watch with Bubble Implications (all times Central)
Horizon League Championship: #12 Butler (27-4, 18-0) vs. Wright State (20-11, 8-6), 8p.m. Central, ESPN.
Should Butler not be able to defeat Wright State, the Horizon League will earn two bids. Butler holds two victories over Wright State this year and won by 12 points each time.
Big East Tournament
DePaul (8-22, 1-17) vs. South Florida (19-11, 9-9) (11a.m., ESPN)
Saint Johns (16-14, 6-12) vs. UCONN (17-14, 7-11) (1p.m. ESPN)
Providence (12-18, 4-4) vs. Seton Hall (18-11, 9-9) (6p.m. ESPNU)
Basically South Florida, UCONN, and Seton Hall all need wins, otherwise their tourney hopes are likely over.
Atlantic 10 Tournament
Saint Josephs (11-19, 5-11) vs. Rhode Island (21-8, 9-7) (6p.m.)
George Washington (16-13, 6-10) vs. Dayton (19-11, 8-8) (8p.m.)
Just like The Big East teams listed above, both Rhode Island and Dayton can ill-afford to lose these games.
Realtimerpi.com updates their site once a day and you can view team RPI’s there. Keep in mind that RPI is not the sole factor in deciding who makes the tournament
While the MAAC was not a bubble buster, the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) could have been; however, Old Dominion wrapped up the league’s auto bid by defeating William & Mary 60-53. Old Dominion will be a very tough 10-12 seed to face in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Saint Mary’s was among my “last four in” when I released my field of 65 last night. Now, Saint Mary’s is safely in and will not have to sweat out Selection Sunday for the second straight year after a dominating 81-62 victory over Gonzaga tonight in the finals of the West Coast Conference Tournament. Gonzaga moves from auto-bid status to “lock” status on my sheet and I’ll replace Memphis with Saint Mary’s on my last four in list. So, nobody moves out of my field today; however, I expect that to change tomorrow.
And not to be left out, because you never what team will win an NCAA Tournament game, Wofford defeated Appalachian State 56-51 to win the Southern Conference Tournament.
Tomorrow’s Games to Watch with Bubble Implications (all times Central)
Horizon League Championship: #12 Butler (27-4, 18-0) vs. Wright State (20-11, 8-6), 8p.m. Central, ESPN.
Should Butler not be able to defeat Wright State, the Horizon League will earn two bids. Butler holds two victories over Wright State this year and won by 12 points each time.
Big East Tournament
DePaul (8-22, 1-17) vs. South Florida (19-11, 9-9) (11a.m., ESPN)
Saint Johns (16-14, 6-12) vs. UCONN (17-14, 7-11) (1p.m. ESPN)
Providence (12-18, 4-4) vs. Seton Hall (18-11, 9-9) (6p.m. ESPNU)
Basically South Florida, UCONN, and Seton Hall all need wins, otherwise their tourney hopes are likely over.
Atlantic 10 Tournament
Saint Josephs (11-19, 5-11) vs. Rhode Island (21-8, 9-7) (6p.m.)
George Washington (16-13, 6-10) vs. Dayton (19-11, 8-8) (8p.m.)
Just like The Big East teams listed above, both Rhode Island and Dayton can ill-afford to lose these games.
Realtimerpi.com updates their site once a day and you can view team RPI’s there. Keep in mind that RPI is not the sole factor in deciding who makes the tournament
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Bracketology 101-picking the field
Here is my field of 65, not seeded yet. Auto winners in Bold. Bubble subject to change as conference tournaments play out.
ESPN and ESPN 2 will air the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) and Metro Atlantic Association Conference (MAAC) title games tomorrow. If Old Dominion and Siena were to fall, it could throw even more chaos into an already chaotic bubble. If Saint Marys wins their Semi-final game tonight, they will play Gonzaga for the WCC Championship tomorrow. Should Saint Mary’s lose tonight, I will remove them off my list and onto the “first four out” list.
Auto-Bids
ACC Duke
American East Stony Brook
Atlantic 10 Temple
Atlantic Sun East Tenn St
Big 12 Kansas
Big East Syracuse
Big Sky Weber St
Big South Winthrop
Big Ten Ohio State
Big West UC Santa Barbara
Colonial Old Dominion
C-USA UTEP
Horizon Butler
Ivy Cornell
MAAC Siena
MAC Kent State
MEAC Morgan State
Mo Valley Northern Iowa
Mountain West New Mexico
NEC Quinnipac
Ohio Valley Murray State
Pac 10 California
Patriot Lehigh
SEC Kentucky
Southern Wofford
Southland Sam Houston St
Summit Oakland
Sun Belt North Texas
SWAC Jackson State
West Coast Gonzaga
WAC Utah State
At-large (21 locks, 3 teams close, 6 bubbles, 4 (last in)=34
LOCKS 21
Maryland
West Virginia
Villanova
Pittsburgh
Georgetown
Wisconsin
Ohio State
Michigan State
Kansas State
Baylor
Texas A&M
Missouri
Texas
Oklahoma State
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Brigham Young
Temple
Richmond
Clemson
Wake Forest
TEAMS CLOSE 3
Marquette
Louisville
Florida State
BUBBLE 6
Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech
UNLV
Memphis
Notre Dame
Florida
LAST FOUR IN (IN ORDER) 4
St Marys
UAB
Washington
Mississippi
FIRST FOUR OUT (IN ORDER) 4
San Diego State
Arizona State
Mississippi State
Dayton
NEXT LIST OUT
Seton Hall
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Charlotte
Illinois
Sunday Night Bubble Update
Wake Forest just wrapped its bid in my mind with a 70-65 win over Clemson. They were already on my “teams close” list so they are not taking a bid away from any bubble team that I will list a little bit later here tonight.
Northern Iowa defeated Wichita State 67-52 to wrap up the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship. More than likely, in fact, most likely Wichita State will not get an at-large berth to the tournament so the Bubble teams can rest easy for a night that a bid was not stolen away by the Valley.
Florida and Illinois were not eliminated from Bubble contention today; however, they missed opportunities to gain huge victories over Kentucky and Illinois.
Now the fun part of the night.. I have 20 teams in bubble contention for 10 spots. By the way, what that means is that the bubble sucks this year and there is not a lot of standout teams at the bottom of the at-large lists. If someone loses their spot this year to a surprise conference tournament winner I will not lose sleep over it. My first “field list” will be posted later tonight along with “Games to Watch Tomorrow” as there are still some games going on right now to determine those matchups.
Northern Iowa defeated Wichita State 67-52 to wrap up the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship. More than likely, in fact, most likely Wichita State will not get an at-large berth to the tournament so the Bubble teams can rest easy for a night that a bid was not stolen away by the Valley.
Florida and Illinois were not eliminated from Bubble contention today; however, they missed opportunities to gain huge victories over Kentucky and Illinois.
Now the fun part of the night.. I have 20 teams in bubble contention for 10 spots. By the way, what that means is that the bubble sucks this year and there is not a lot of standout teams at the bottom of the at-large lists. If someone loses their spot this year to a surprise conference tournament winner I will not lose sleep over it. My first “field list” will be posted later tonight along with “Games to Watch Tomorrow” as there are still some games going on right now to determine those matchups.
Bracketology 101-Sunday Morning Update
Bracketology 101 Update-Sunday Morning, March 7, 2010
Nobody was a bigger winner in the bubble race yesterday than the Louisville Cardinal, who closed down Freedom Hall by defeating #1 Syracuse 78-68. At the beginning of the day, Kyle Kuric, little known in College Basketball, was a Twitter Trending Topic after delivering a 22 point performance on 9-11 shooting. Now, Louisville does a fairly good paper resume. They have a record of 20-11 (11-7 in conference) with an RPI of 30 and Strength of Schedule (SOS) rating at 4. However, there is that glowing record of 2-8 versus the Top 50 RPI (both against Syracuse) and an under .500 record against top 100 RPI teams (8-10). Now, in the year of a very weak bubble, Louisville is probably in, considering going into today there are some fish hacks out there who think Notre Dame deserve a bid. As of now, I won’t call Louisville a “lock” as stranger things of happen, but they would be on the right side of the bubble, and probably near the top of the list if the season ended today.
Forgive me if I am missing something here, but what in the world is the love of affair with Marquette? I fail to see how they are a “lock” at this point to make the NCAA Tournament. Now, if the field was selected today, I would probably give Marquette a bid. Similar to Louisville, they have an overall record of 20-10, and a conference record of 11-7. The also boast a 4-8 record against top 50 RPI teams and an 8-8 record against top 100 RPI teams. That is good enough to finish in a tie for 5th in the Big East conference. In a year that The Big East is considered to be the greatest conference in college basketball, it would be hard to believe that any team with a winning record in conference would be left out. However, the average RPI rank of a team Marquette beat in conference is 88. The average RPI rank of a team that beat Marquette in conference is 43. If you take out Marquette’s loss to DePaul, the average RPI rank of a team that beat them is 15 (Marquette did beat Georgetown (14) at home in January. Their marquee non-conference win came against Xavier on a neutral court and they played several teams with RPI’s in the 300. Should Marquette make the field, and one win in The Big East Tournament should solidify that, I will not be picking them to go very far in the tournament.
Congrats to the following teams who picked up automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The fourth team listed below is not one that someone seeded between 3 and 5 is going to want to see as their opponent in two weeks.
East Tennessee St (Atlantic Sun)
Winthrop (Big South)
Cornell (Ivy League)
Murray State (Ohio Valley)
TODAY’S GAMES TO FOLLOW
Missouri Valley Conference Championship (1p.m. Central, CBS)
Top seeded Northern Iowa, who has earned an at-large bid regardless to the NCAA Tournament will take on 2nd seeded Wichita State for the league tourney title. Wichita State has been attempting to build up its own resume as of late, but a Bracket Buster Saturday loss to Utah State hurt Wichita State severely in their attempt. A win over Northern Iowa gets them the auto-bid, but I just do not think they have done enough to warrant an at-large status. Bubble teams will closely be watching this game today and hoping Northern Iowa takes care of the job. The two teams have met twice this year with Northern Iowa winning 59-56 on their home court and Wichita State winning 60-51 on their home court.
#17 Wisconsin at Illinois (1p.m. Central, ESPN)
Despite having an RPI in the 70’s, and an overall record of 18-12, the Illinois Fighting Illini is still in line to get an at-large berth. A win over a top 25 RPI will go a long way to helping Illinois but it won’t guarantee them a bid. A loss may require Illinois to win at least three games in the Big Ten tournament to get themselves back in the conversation.
Tonight’s Update will include a new updated look at the field and my first “Last Four in” and “Last Four Out” projections
Nobody was a bigger winner in the bubble race yesterday than the Louisville Cardinal, who closed down Freedom Hall by defeating #1 Syracuse 78-68. At the beginning of the day, Kyle Kuric, little known in College Basketball, was a Twitter Trending Topic after delivering a 22 point performance on 9-11 shooting. Now, Louisville does a fairly good paper resume. They have a record of 20-11 (11-7 in conference) with an RPI of 30 and Strength of Schedule (SOS) rating at 4. However, there is that glowing record of 2-8 versus the Top 50 RPI (both against Syracuse) and an under .500 record against top 100 RPI teams (8-10). Now, in the year of a very weak bubble, Louisville is probably in, considering going into today there are some fish hacks out there who think Notre Dame deserve a bid. As of now, I won’t call Louisville a “lock” as stranger things of happen, but they would be on the right side of the bubble, and probably near the top of the list if the season ended today.
Forgive me if I am missing something here, but what in the world is the love of affair with Marquette? I fail to see how they are a “lock” at this point to make the NCAA Tournament. Now, if the field was selected today, I would probably give Marquette a bid. Similar to Louisville, they have an overall record of 20-10, and a conference record of 11-7. The also boast a 4-8 record against top 50 RPI teams and an 8-8 record against top 100 RPI teams. That is good enough to finish in a tie for 5th in the Big East conference. In a year that The Big East is considered to be the greatest conference in college basketball, it would be hard to believe that any team with a winning record in conference would be left out. However, the average RPI rank of a team Marquette beat in conference is 88. The average RPI rank of a team that beat Marquette in conference is 43. If you take out Marquette’s loss to DePaul, the average RPI rank of a team that beat them is 15 (Marquette did beat Georgetown (14) at home in January. Their marquee non-conference win came against Xavier on a neutral court and they played several teams with RPI’s in the 300. Should Marquette make the field, and one win in The Big East Tournament should solidify that, I will not be picking them to go very far in the tournament.
Congrats to the following teams who picked up automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The fourth team listed below is not one that someone seeded between 3 and 5 is going to want to see as their opponent in two weeks.
East Tennessee St (Atlantic Sun)
Winthrop (Big South)
Cornell (Ivy League)
Murray State (Ohio Valley)
TODAY’S GAMES TO FOLLOW
Missouri Valley Conference Championship (1p.m. Central, CBS)
Top seeded Northern Iowa, who has earned an at-large bid regardless to the NCAA Tournament will take on 2nd seeded Wichita State for the league tourney title. Wichita State has been attempting to build up its own resume as of late, but a Bracket Buster Saturday loss to Utah State hurt Wichita State severely in their attempt. A win over Northern Iowa gets them the auto-bid, but I just do not think they have done enough to warrant an at-large status. Bubble teams will closely be watching this game today and hoping Northern Iowa takes care of the job. The two teams have met twice this year with Northern Iowa winning 59-56 on their home court and Wichita State winning 60-51 on their home court.
#17 Wisconsin at Illinois (1p.m. Central, ESPN)
Despite having an RPI in the 70’s, and an overall record of 18-12, the Illinois Fighting Illini is still in line to get an at-large berth. A win over a top 25 RPI will go a long way to helping Illinois but it won’t guarantee them a bid. A loss may require Illinois to win at least three games in the Big Ten tournament to get themselves back in the conversation.
Tonight’s Update will include a new updated look at the field and my first “Last Four in” and “Last Four Out” projections
Friday, March 5, 2010
Bracketology 101
With the main part of my 1st semester of graduate school behind me, I've decided to take the CBS Sportsline Bracketology challenge and try to predict and accurately seed the field of 65.
While I won't post an actual bracket until selection Sunday, I will update everyone right now on who I believe should be in the field of 65. As most know, the field consists of 31 automatic bids (from the winners of conference tournaments) and 34 at-large bids. As of my 2p.m. Central Update on Friday March 5, I believe there are currently 20 at large locks, 5 teams that are close to being in and would be if the field was selected today, and approximately 20 teams fighting for 9 "bubble" spots.
Keep in mind that should certain teams lose in their conference tournaments, they would move to "lock" or "teams that should be close" status and potentially take away another bubble spot.
For leagues that would get only 1 bid unless their champion loses in the conference tournament, teams in bold would move to "lock" and teams italic owuld move to "teams that should be close."
So for now, here we go. This will be today's only update as Northern Iowa is going to hold off and beat Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinals
ACC Duke
American East Stony Brook
Atlantic 10 Temple
Atlantic Sun Lipscomb
Big 12 Kansas
Big East Syracuse
Big Sky Weber St
Big South Coastal Carolina
Big Ten Ohio State
Big West UC Santa Barbara
Colonial Old Dominion
C-USA UTEP
Horizon Butler
Ivy Cornell (no conference tournament)
MAAC Siena
MAC Kent State
MEAC Morgan State
Mo Valley Northern Iowa
Mountain West New Mexico
NEC Quinnipac
Ohio Valley Murray State
Pac 10 California
Patriot Lehigh
SEC Kentucky
Southern Wofford
Southland Sam Houston St
Summit Oakland
Sun Belt North Texas
SWAC Jackson State
West Coast Gonzaga
WAC Utah State
LOCKS 20
Maryland
West Virginia
Villanova
Pittsburgh
Georgetown
Wisconsin
Ohio State
Michigan State
Kansas State
Baylor
Texas A&M
Missouri
Texas
Oklahoma State
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Brigham Young
Temple
Richmond
Clemson
TEAMS CLOSE 5
Marquette
Louisville
Wake Forest
Georgia Tech
Florida State
BUBBLE 9 (Random order, no preference yet)
Virginia Tech
Connecticut
Notre Dame
Cincinnati
Seton Hall
Minnesota
Illinois
Washington
Arizona State
Florida
Mississippi
Mississippi State
San Diego State
Rhode Island
Dayton
Charlotte
St Marys
Memphis
UAB
UNLV
While I won't post an actual bracket until selection Sunday, I will update everyone right now on who I believe should be in the field of 65. As most know, the field consists of 31 automatic bids (from the winners of conference tournaments) and 34 at-large bids. As of my 2p.m. Central Update on Friday March 5, I believe there are currently 20 at large locks, 5 teams that are close to being in and would be if the field was selected today, and approximately 20 teams fighting for 9 "bubble" spots.
Keep in mind that should certain teams lose in their conference tournaments, they would move to "lock" or "teams that should be close" status and potentially take away another bubble spot.
For leagues that would get only 1 bid unless their champion loses in the conference tournament, teams in bold would move to "lock" and teams italic owuld move to "teams that should be close."
So for now, here we go. This will be today's only update as Northern Iowa is going to hold off and beat Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinals
ACC Duke
American East Stony Brook
Atlantic 10 Temple
Atlantic Sun Lipscomb
Big 12 Kansas
Big East Syracuse
Big Sky Weber St
Big South Coastal Carolina
Big Ten Ohio State
Big West UC Santa Barbara
Colonial Old Dominion
C-USA UTEP
Horizon Butler
Ivy Cornell (no conference tournament)
MAAC Siena
MAC Kent State
MEAC Morgan State
Mo Valley Northern Iowa
Mountain West New Mexico
NEC Quinnipac
Ohio Valley Murray State
Pac 10 California
Patriot Lehigh
SEC Kentucky
Southern Wofford
Southland Sam Houston St
Summit Oakland
Sun Belt North Texas
SWAC Jackson State
West Coast Gonzaga
WAC Utah State
LOCKS 20
Maryland
West Virginia
Villanova
Pittsburgh
Georgetown
Wisconsin
Ohio State
Michigan State
Kansas State
Baylor
Texas A&M
Missouri
Texas
Oklahoma State
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Brigham Young
Temple
Richmond
Clemson
TEAMS CLOSE 5
Marquette
Louisville
Wake Forest
Georgia Tech
Florida State
BUBBLE 9 (Random order, no preference yet)
Virginia Tech
Connecticut
Notre Dame
Cincinnati
Seton Hall
Minnesota
Illinois
Washington
Arizona State
Florida
Mississippi
Mississippi State
San Diego State
Rhode Island
Dayton
Charlotte
St Marys
Memphis
UAB
UNLV
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