Tuesday’s Conference Tournaments | ||
Atlantic Sun–1st Round –Campus Sites | ||
Home | Visitors | Spread |
Central Arkansas | Stetson | -0.2 |
Kennesaw St. | Eastern Kentucky | 3.7 |
Florida Gulf Coast | North Alabama | 10.0 |
Lipscomb | North Florida | 1.3 |
Horizon League–1st Round–Campus Sites | ||
Home | Visitors | Spread |
Oakland | IUPUI | 23.1 |
Detroit | Green Bay | 11.3 |
Youngstown St. | Robert Morris | 7.4 |
Milwaukee | Illinois Chicago | -1.1 |
Patriot League–1st Round–Campus Sites | ||
Home | Visitors | Spread |
Holy Cross | American | 0.8 |
Lafayette | Bucknell | 4.4 |
Regularly Scheduled Games | ||
Home | Visitors | Spread |
Villanova | Providence | 9.2 |
Georgia | Tennessee | -16.2 |
Richmond | Dayton | 0.6 |
Kentucky | Mississippi | 17.1 |
Ohio St. | Nebraska | 15.2 |
Manhattan | Saint Peter’s | -4.0 |
Maine | Vermont | -19.6 |
Stony Brook | NJIT | 8.8 |
UMass Lowell | New Hampshire | 3.1 |
Albany | Hartford | 2.8 |
Maryland Baltimore Co. | Binghamton | 5.2 |
Oklahoma | West Virginia | 4.6 |
Eastern Michigan | Western Michigan | 4.9 |
Bowling Green | Ohio | -7.4 |
Ball St. | Akron | -3.7 |
Buffalo | Toledo | -0.4 |
Central Michigan | Miami (O) | -2.3 |
South Carolina | Missouri | 7.8 |
TCU | Kansas | -6.3 |
Pittsburgh | Duke | -15.1 |
Northern Illinois | Kent St. | -7.9 |
Michigan | Michigan St. | 3.2 |
VCU | St. Bonaventure | 3.7 |
Vanderbilt | Florida | 0.3 |
Wisconsin | Purdue | -2.6 |
Houston | Cincinnati | 15.6 |
Montana St. | Southern Utah | 2.8 |
Virginia Tech | Louisville | 10.2 |
Boise St. | Nevada | 10.6 |
Air Force | San Jose St. | 4.9 |
UC Santa Barbara | Cal St. Northridge | 15.2 |
USC | Arizona | -5.4 |
March 1, 2022
PiRate Ratings College Basketball–Tuesday, March 1, 2022
March 2, 2020
PiRate Ratings Basketball Conference Tournament Update: March 2, 2020
Championship Fortnight is 24 hours away! Can you believe it is Meteorological Spring already? Some of you reading this may be saying that it has been Spring where you live for most of Winter, and if you are like us on the PiRate Ship in Nashville, we wonder if we need to get those instructions for building an ark. The Captain’s back yard has a new little lake that has developed and basically stayed there since November. It figures to increase in size this week as severe thunderstorms return.
With the weather being so wet, it just makes it easier to stay indoors and watch basketball until one can close his or her eyes and still see the ball bouncing up and down.
Starting Tuesday night, four conferences begin tournament play. Three more conferences start on Wednesday, two more begin on Thursday, and one begins on Friday. Four conferences wait until Saturday to begin.
Let’s take a look at the pairings for the tournaments that start between Tuesday and Friday (Saturday’s tournament information will be published Friday.
Every day there is conference tournament action, there will be a publication here with updated results and schedules.
TOURNAMENTS STARTING TUESDAY, MARCH 3
Atlantic Sun Tournament |
|||
Quarterfinals |
March 3 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
1 Liberty (27-4) |
8 NJIT (9-20) |
7:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
4 Stetson (15-16) |
5 North Alabama (13-16) |
7:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
3 Lipscomb (14-15) |
6 Florida Gulf Coast (10-21) |
7:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
2 North Florida (20-11) |
7 Jacksonville (14-17) |
7:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
|
|||
Semifinals |
March 5 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
Liberty/NJIT |
Stetson/North Alabama |
TBA |
ESPN+ |
N Florida/Jacksonville |
Lipscomb/FGCU |
TBA |
ESPN+ |
|
|||
Championship |
March 8 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
3:00 PM |
ESPN |
Liberty can move up to as high as a #11 seed if they win this tournament, but the Flames are most likely NIT-bound if they lose in this tournament.
North Florida split with Liberty during the regular season, while Lipscomb enters this tournament as the hottest team.
Big South Tournament |
|||
1st Round |
March 3 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
7 USC Upstate (12-19) |
10 High Point (9-22) |
7:00 PM |
ESPN3 |
6 UNC-Asheville (14-15) |
11 Campbell (15-15) |
7:00 PM |
ESPN3 |
8 Charleston Sou. (13-17) |
9 Presbyterian (10-21) |
7:00 PM |
ESPN3 |
|
|||
Quarterfinals |
March 5 |
at #1 Seed Radford |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
2 Winthrop (21-10) |
USC-U/High Point |
12:00 PM |
ESPN3 |
3 Gardner-Webb (15-15) |
UNCA/Campbell |
2:00 PM |
ESPN3 |
1 Radford (20-10) |
Chas Sou./Presbyterian |
6:00 PM |
ESPN3 |
4 Longwood (14-17) |
5 Hampton (13-18) |
8:00 PM |
ESPN3 |
|
|||
Semifinals |
March 6 |
at #1 Seed Radford |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
2/7/10 Seed |
3/6/11 Seed |
6:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
1/8/9 Seed |
4/5 Seed |
8:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
|
|||
Championship |
March 8 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
1:00 PM |
ESPN |
Radford and Winthrop split their two regular season games with both teams winning on the other team’s home floor. It would be a major surprise if these two teams failed to meet up in the Championship Game.
Number three seed Gardner-Webb and number four seed Longwood ended the season on four-game winning streaks, and in GWU’s winning streak was a road upset of Radford.
Horizon League Tournament |
|||
1st Round |
March 3 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
4 Illinois Chicago (14-17) |
9 IUPUI (7-24) |
8:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
5 Youngstown (17-14) |
8 Milwaukee (12-18) |
7:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
6 Oakland (13-18) |
7 Cleveland St. (11-20) |
7:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
|
|||
Quarterfinals |
March 5 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
3 Green Bay (16-15) |
Lowest Remaining |
8:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
Highest Remaining |
Second Lowest Remaining |
7:00 or 8:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
|
|||
Semifinals |
March 9 |
Indianapolis |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
1 Wright St. (25-6) |
Lowest Remaining |
7:00 PM |
ESPNU |
2 Northern Kentucky (21-9) |
Highest Remaining |
9:30 PM |
ESPN2 |
|
|||
CHAMPIONSHIP |
March 10 |
Indianapolis |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
7:00 PM |
ESPN/ESPN2 |
Wright State and Northern Kentucky have been alternating as regular season and conference tournament champion for three years. The last team other than these two to win the Horizon League Tournament was Green Bay in 2016. The Phoenix are the number three seed in this year’s tournament, but the top two appear to be far more talented than the rest of the league, and a WSU-NKU championship game would be a good one for the league.
If one of the top two teams wins this tournament, they could move up to a 14-seed if there are some mid-major upsets, but they are most likely looking at a 15-seed.
Patriot League Tournament |
|||
1st Round |
March 3 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
7 Bucknell (12-19) |
10 Holy Cross (3-28) |
7:00 PM |
Pat League Network |
8 Lehigh (10-20) |
9 Loyola (MD) (15-16) |
7:00 PM |
Pat League Network |
|
|||
Quarterfinals |
March 5 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
2 American (16-13) |
Bucknell/Holy Cross |
7:00 PM |
Pat League Network |
3 Boston U (18-13) |
6 Navy (14-15) |
7:00 PM |
Pat League Network |
4 Army (15-14) |
5 Lafayette (18-11) |
7:00 PM |
Pat League Network |
1 Colgate (23-8) |
Lehigh/Loyola (MD) |
7:00 PM |
Pat League Network |
|
|||
Semifinals |
March 8 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
American/Bucknell/HCU |
Boston/Navy |
12 or 2 PM |
CBSSN |
Colgate/Lehigh/Loyola |
Army/Lafayette |
12 or 2 PM |
CBSSN |
|
|||
Championship |
March 11 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
Higher Seed |
Lower Seed |
7:30 PM |
CBSSN |
This figures to be a wide-open affair. Colgate will get to host every game they play in the Patriot League Tournament, but the Raiders are not overpowering. Having to play a possible quarterfinal game with fourth-seeded Lafayette will be quite interesting as the Leopards swept the Raiders in two close games.
There is one caveat to the above statements: Colgate was a little weaker in 2019 than they were this year, and the Raiders romped to the Patriot League Championship with three double-digit wins in the tournament. They followed that up by taking number one Tennessee to the last few minutes in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
TOURNAMENTS STARTING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4
Mountain West Tournament |
|||
1st Round |
March 4 |
Las Vegas (Thomas & Mack Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
8 Fresno St. (11-18) |
9 Air Force (11-19) |
3:00 PM |
Mountain West Net. |
7 New Mexico (18-13) |
10 San Jose St. (7-23) |
5:30 PM |
Mountain West Net. |
6 Colorado St. (20-11) |
11 Wyoming (7-23) |
8:00 PM |
Mountain West Net. |
|
|||
Quarterfinals |
March 5 |
Las Vegas (Thomas & Mack Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
1 San Diego St. (28-1) |
Fresno St./Air Force |
2:30 PM |
CBSSN |
4 UNLV (17-14) |
5 Boise St. (19-11) |
5:00 PM |
CBSSN |
2 Utah St. (23-8) |
New Mexico/San Jose St. |
9:00 PM |
CBSSN |
3 Nevada (19-11) |
Colorado St./Wyoming |
11:30 PM |
CBSSN |
|
|||
Semifinals |
March 6 |
Las Vegas (Thomas & Mack Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
SDST/Fresno/Air Force |
UNLV/Boise St. |
9:00 PM |
CBSSN |
Utah St./N. Mexico/S J St. |
Nevada/Col St/Wyoming |
11:30 PM |
CBSSN |
|
|||
Championship |
March 7 |
Las Vegas (Thomas & Mack Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
5:30 PM |
CBS |
San Diego St. most likely secured a one-seed by finishing 17-1 in the league and 28-1 overall in the regular season. Utah St. is squarely on the Bubble, and the Aggies need to get to the Championship Game to lock up an at-large bid.
Nevada, UNLV, Boise State, and Colorado State have enough talent to make a run in this tournament, but the Aztecs look like a near lock to cut the nets.
Northeast Tournament |
|||
Quarterfinals |
March 4 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
1 Robert Morris (17-14) |
8 St. Francis (NY) (13-17) |
7:00 PM |
http://necfrontrow.com/ |
2 St. Francis (PA) (20-9) |
7 Bryant (15-16) |
7:00 PM |
http://necfrontrow.com/ |
3 Sacred Heart (19-12) |
6 Mount St. Mary’s (11-20) |
7:00 PM |
http://necfrontrow.com/ |
4 Long Island (14-17) |
5 Fairleigh-Dickinson (11-18) |
7:00 PM |
http://necfrontrow.com/ |
|
|||
Semifinals |
March 7 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
Highest Remaining Seed |
Lowest Remaining Seed |
12 or 2 PM |
ESPN3 |
2nd Highest Remaining Seed |
3rd Highest Remaining Seed |
12 or 2PM |
ESPN3 |
|
|||
Championship |
March 10 |
at Higher Seed’s Home Court |
|
Home |
Visitor |
Time (ET) |
TV |
Higher Remaining Seed |
Lower Remaining Seed |
7:00 PM |
ESPN2 or ESPN3 |
This is one of the most wide open tournaments of the season. Unfortunately, the best team in this league is not eligible for the NCAA Tournament (or NIT) and will not play in this conference tournament. First-year Division 1 member Merrimack became the first team ever to move from Division 2 to Division 1 and win their conference in the first season. The Warrior will be allowed to play in the CIT Tournament.
So, which team is the second best team in the NEC? St. Francis of Pennsylvania finished tied for second place with Robert Morris, with RMU winning the tiebreaker. Number three seed Sacred Heart and number five seed Fairleigh-Dickinson finished the season on three-game winning streaks. FDU beat Robert Morris twice, but they didn’t show up against SF (PA) or Long Island.
No matter which team wins this tournament, they will be a 16-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and barring some big upsets in other mid-major conferences, the NEC Champion will probably be faced in a play-in game in Dayton.
Ohio Valley Tournament |
|||
1st Round |
March 4 |
Evansville, IN (Ford Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
5 Tennessee St. (17-14) |
8 Morehead St. (13-18) |
7:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
6 Eastern Illinois (16-14) |
7 Jacksonville St. (13-18) |
9:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
|
|||
Quarterfinals |
March 5 |
Evansville, IN (Ford Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
4 Eastern Kentucky (15-16) |
Tenn St./Morehead St. |
7:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
3 Austin Peay (20-11) |
E. Illinois/Jacksonville St. |
9:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
|
|||
Semifinals |
March 6 |
Evansville, IN (Ford Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
1 Belmont (24-7) |
EKU/Tenn St./Morehead St. |
8:00 PM |
ESPNU |
2 Murray St. (22-8) |
APSU/E. Ill./Jax St. |
10:00 PM |
ESPNU |
|
|||
Championship |
March 7 |
Evansville, IN (Ford Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
8:00 PM |
ESPN2 |
The OVC has become something of a little ACC. Murray State plays the role of North Carolina. Belmont is the league’s Duke, and Austin Peay is the league’s Virginia. Murray is the long-time dominant team in this league, while Belmont is the more recent dominant team. Austin Peay found a great coach a few years ago and plays excellent defense and smart offense.
So, which one of these three teams will win the conference tournament? Most likely, it will be either Belmont or Murray State, because the OVC’s tournament format gives the top two seeds byes to the semifinals.
Belmont must be considered the odds-on favorite to win the tournament, as the Bruins have won 10 games in a row by an average score of 79-67.
A potential second night match between Eastern Illinois and Austin Peay might be the best game of the tournament. The Panthers have the best inside game in the league, and if the Governors don’t hit from the outside, EIU could be the surprise team in the semifinals. EIU beat Murray State and Austin Peay down the stretch to give Belmont the OVC Championship.
TOURNAMENTS STARTING THURSDAY, MARCH 5
Missouri Valley Tournament (Arch Madness) |
|||
1st Round |
March 5 |
St. Louis (Enterprise Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
8 Drake (18-13) |
9 Illinois St. (10-20) |
7:00 PM |
MVC TV Network |
7 Valparaiso (16-15) |
10 Evansville (9-22) |
9:30 PM |
MVC TV Network |
|
|||
Quarterfinals |
March 6 |
St. Louis (Enterprise Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
1 Northern Iowa (25-5) |
Drake/Illinois St. |
1:00 PM |
MVC TV Network |
4 Bradley (20-11) |
5 Southern Illinois (16-15) |
3:30 PM |
MVC TV Network |
2 Loyola (Chi.) (21-10) |
Valpo/Evansville |
7:00 PM |
MVC TV Network |
3 Indiana St. (18-11) |
6 Missouri St. (15-16) |
9:30 PM |
MVC TV Network |
|
|||
Semifinals |
March 7 |
St. Louis (Enterprise Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
UNI/Drake/Ill St. |
Bradley/Southern Illinois |
3:30 PM |
CBSSN |
Loyola/Valpo/Evansville |
Indiana St./Missouri St. |
6:00 PM |
CBSSN |
|
|||
Championship |
March 8 |
St. Louis (Enterprise Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
2:10 PM |
CBS |
Arch Madness has ended with Cinderella cutting down the nets quite often in the last several years. Bradley won the Tournament last year after going 9-9 in regular season conference play.
Northern Iowa has played a tough enough schedule so that three more wins in St. Louis could boost the Panthers up to as high as a number 10 seed. Yet, at the same time UNI is not an overwhelming favorite to win the tournament, and if another team can pull off the upset, The Missouri Valley could get two teams into the Dance at the expense of a Bubble team.
Keep an eye on Indiana State. The Sycamores won eight of their final 11 games, including wins over the top two seeds. ISU played a tough out-of-conference schedule, including games against Dayton, Louisville, and Wright State. They narrowly lost to Dayton and beat Wright State, so this team has the firepower to win three games in three days.
Missouri State is the mystery team in this league. The Bears can dominate inside and control the glass at both ends, but they disappear for long stretches at a time. They were blown away twice by Northern Iowa, but in a tournament scenario on a neutral floor, don’t count them out until they are.
West Coast Tournament |
|||
1st Round |
March 5 |
Las Vegas (Orleans Arena) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
8 Loyola Marymount (10-20) |
9 San Diego (9-22) |
9:00 PM |
BYUtv |
7 Santa Clara (19-12) |
10 Portland (9-22) |
11:30 PM |
BYUtv |
|
|||
2nd Round |
March 6 |
Las Vegas (Orleans Arena) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
5 San Francisco (20-11) |
Loyola Marymount/San Diego |
9:00 PM |
BYUtv |
6 Pepperdine (15-15) |
Santa Clara/Portland |
11:30 PM |
BYUtv |
|
|||
Quarterfinals |
March 7 |
Las Vegas (Orleans Arena) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
4 Pacific (23-9) |
USF/LMU/San Diego |
10:00 PM |
ESPN2 |
3 Saint Mary’s (24-7) |
Pepperdine/Santa Clara/Portland |
12:30 AM |
ESPN2 |
|
|||
Semifinals |
March 9 |
Las Vegas (Orleans Arena) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
1 Gonzaga (29-2) |
Pac/USF/LMU/USD |
9:00 PM |
ESPN |
2 BYU (24-7) |
SMC.Pepp/SCU/Portland |
11:30 PM |
ESPN2 |
|
|||
Championship |
March 10 |
Las Vegas (Orleans Arena) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time (ET) |
TV |
9:00 PM |
ESPN |
Gonzaga could lose this tournament and still be the number one seed in the West or at worst the East. The news in this year’s WCC get-together will be whether or not three league teams can receive bids to the Dance.
BYU is squarely in the Field, but Saint Mary’s is vulnerable. The Gaels need to definitely win their first tournament game, and they might need to knock off BYU to be guaranteed a spot in the field.
Fourth-seeded Pacific and fifth-seeded San Francisco must be considered dark horses to contend for the Conference Tournament Championship. They are likely going to meet in the quarterfinal round with the winner advancing to meet Gonzaga. The Bulldogs handled both with relative ease during the season, but USF was a pest in their two games.
TOURNAMENT STARTING FRIDAY, MARCH 6
Southern Tournament |
|||
1st Round |
March 6 |
Asheville, NC (Harrah’s Cherokee Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time ET |
TV |
8 Samford (10-22) |
9 VMI (8-23) |
5:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
7 Wofford (16-15) |
10 The Citadel (6-23) |
7:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
|
|||
Quarterfinals |
March 7 |
Asheville, NC (Harrah’s Cherokee Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time ET |
TV |
1 East Tennessee St. (27-4) |
Samford/VMI |
12:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
4 Mercer (17-14) |
5 Western Carolina (18-11) |
2:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
2 Furman (25-6) |
Wofford/The Citadel |
6:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
3 UNC Greensboro (23-8) |
6 Chattanooga (19-12) |
8:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
|
|||
Semifinals |
March 8 |
Asheville, NC (Harrah’s Cherokee Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time ET |
TV |
ETSU/Samford/VMI |
Mercer/Western Carolina |
4:00 PM |
ESPN+ |
Furman/Wofford/Citadel |
UNCG/Chattanooga |
6:30 PM |
ESPN+ |
|
|||
Championship |
March 9 |
Asheville, NC (Harrah’s Cherokee Center) |
|
Team |
Team |
Time ET |
TV |
7:00 PM |
ESPN |
Of the early tournament starting this week, The SoCon may be the deepest. Six teams are talented enough to win this tournament. There are two shelves here. East Tennessee State, Furman, and UNC Greensboro are the upper crust, while Mercer, Western Carolina, and Chattanooga are the second tier of the top six.
If East Tennessee wins the tournament championship, the Buccaneers could move up to a single-digit seed. ETSU enters this tournament riding a nine-game winning streak, and the Bucs have wins against LSU and Little Rock out of conference.
Western Carolina just lost by a point at East Tennessee after being up double digits in the first half. The Catamounts might be a tough out in a potential semifinal game against ETSU.
March 10, 2019
PiRate Ratings College Basketball For Sunday, March 10, 2019
Today’s PiRate Ratings Spreads
Home |
Rating |
HCA |
Visitor |
Rating |
Spread |
Lipscomb |
109.0 |
3.0 |
Liberty |
105.9 |
6.1 |
Radford |
102.7 |
2.5 |
Gardner-Webb |
99.3 |
5.9 |
Hofstra |
106.5 |
0.0 |
James Madison |
93.8 |
12.7 |
William & Mary |
97.6 |
0.0 |
Delaware |
94.7 |
2.9 |
Northeastern |
105.6 |
0.0 |
UNC Wilmington |
94.7 |
10.9 |
Charleston |
103.4 |
1.0 |
Drexel |
95.2 |
9.2 |
Siena |
95.4 |
2.5 |
Iona |
97.7 |
0.2 |
Canisius |
95.1 |
0.0 |
Monmouth |
93.3 |
1.8 |
Northern Iowa |
99.1 |
0.0 |
Bradley |
99.5 |
-0.4 |
Colgate |
102.1 |
2.5 |
Navy |
92.8 |
11.8 |
Bucknell |
101.4 |
2.5 |
Lehigh |
100.3 |
3.6 |
Wofford |
112.9 |
0.0 |
East Tennessee St. |
106.6 |
6.3 |
UNC Greensboro |
105.5 |
0.0 |
Furman |
107.9 |
-2.4 |
North Dakota St. |
97.5 |
0.0 |
Oral Roberts |
92.8 |
4.7 |
South Dakota |
97.4 |
1.0 |
Purdue Fort Wayne |
98.7 |
-0.3 |
Cincinnati |
111.8 |
3.0 |
Houston |
114.5 |
0.3 |
Penn St. |
109.9 |
2.5 |
Illinois |
106.5 |
5.9 |
Indiana |
110.4 |
3.0 |
Rutgers |
106.3 |
7.1 |
East Carolina |
93.7 |
2.5 |
Connecticut |
105.2 |
-9.0 |
Nebraska |
110.5 |
3.0 |
Iowa |
110.8 |
2.7 |
South Florida |
103.5 |
3.0 |
SMU |
103.8 |
2.7 |
Ohio St. |
110.3 |
3.0 |
Wisconsin |
115.5 |
-2.2 |
Conference Tournaments Update
America East Conference |
|||
All games at home floor of higher seeds |
|||
Quarterfinals–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
Md.-Baltimore Co. |
62 |
Albany |
54 |
Vermont |
73 |
Maine |
57 |
Binghamton |
73 |
Stony Brook |
71 |
Hartford |
78 |
UMass Lowell |
70 |
Semifinals–Tuesday, March 12 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
1 |
Vermont (25-6) |
7 |
Binghamton (10-22) |
3 |
Maryland-Baltimore Co. (20-12) |
4 |
Hartford (18-14) |
Atlantic Sun Conference
*** Championship Game–Sunday, March 10 *** |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
1 |
Lipscomb (25-6) |
2 |
Liberty (27-6) |
Big South Conference
*** Championship Game–Sunday, March 10 (at Radford) *** |
|||
Seed |
Home Team |
Seed |
Visitors |
2 |
Radford (22-10) |
4 |
Gardner-Webb (22-11) |
Colonial Athletic Association |
|||
Site: North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, SC |
|||
First Round–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
James Madison |
74 |
Towson |
73 |
UNC Wilmington |
93 |
Elon |
86 |
Quarterfinals–Sunday, March 10 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1 |
Hofstra (25-6) |
8 |
James Madison (14-18) |
4 |
William & Mary (14-16) |
5 |
Delaware (16-15) |
2 |
Northeastern (20-10) |
10 |
UNC Wilmington (10-22) |
3 |
Charleston (23-8) |
6 |
Drexel (13-18) |
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference |
|||
Site: Times Union Center, Albany, NY (Siena) |
Quarterfinals–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
Monmouth |
98 |
Quinnipiac |
92 |
Siena |
87 |
Rider |
81 |
Semifinals–Sunday, March 10 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1 |
Iona (15-15) |
5 |
Siena (17-15) |
2 |
Canisius (15-16) |
6 |
Monmouth (13-20) |
Missouri Valley Conference (Arch Madness) |
|||
Site: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO |
|||
Semifinals–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
Bradley |
53 |
Loyola (Chi) |
51 |
Northern Iowa |
60 |
Drake |
58 |
*** Championship Game–Sunday, March 10 *** |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
6 |
Northern Iowa (16-17) |
5 |
Bradley (19-14) |
Northeast Conference |
|||
All games at home floor of higher seeds |
|||
Semifinals–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
St. Francis (PA) |
72 |
Long Island |
64 |
Fairleigh-Dickinson |
66 |
Robert Morris |
62 |
Championship Game–Tuesday, March 12 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
1 |
St. Francis (PA) (18-13) |
2 |
Fairleigh-Dickinson (19-13) |
Ohio Valley Conference |
|||
*** Championship Game–Saturday, March 9 *** |
|||
Murray St. |
77 |
Belmont |
65 |
Champion: Murray St. 27-4
Patriot League |
|||
All games at home floor of higher seeds |
Semifinals–Sunday, March 10 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
1 |
Colgate (22-10) |
5 |
Navy (12-18) |
2 |
Bucknell (20-10) |
3 |
Lehigh (20-10) |
Southern Conference |
|||
Site: US Cellular Center, Asheville, NC |
|||
Quarterfinals–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
Wofford |
99 |
VMI |
72 |
East Tennessee St. |
68 |
Chattanooga |
64 |
UNC Greensboro |
77 |
Samford |
70 |
Furman |
85 |
Mercer |
74 |
Semifinals–Sunday, March 10 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1 |
Wofford (27-4) |
4/5 |
East Tennessee St. (24-8) |
2 |
UNC Greensboro (27-5) |
3 |
Furman (25-6) |
Summit League |
|||
Site: Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls, SD |
|||
Quarterfinals–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
Western Illinois |
79 |
South Dakota St. |
76 |
Omaha |
81 |
North Dakota |
76 |
Quarterfinals–Sunday, March 10 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
4 |
Purdue Fort Wayne (17-14) |
5 |
South Dakota (13-16) |
3 |
North Dakota St. (15-15) |
6 |
Oral Roberts (11-20) |
West Coast Conference |
|||
Site: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV |
|||
Quarterfinals–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
San Diego |
80 |
BYU |
57 |
Pepperdine |
89 |
San Francisco |
72 |
Semifinals–Monday, March 11 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
2 |
Saint Mary’s (20-11) |
6 |
San Diego (21-13) |
1 |
Gonzaga (29-2) |
8 |
Pepperdine (16-17) |
Teams In The Big Dance
Murray St. (OVC) 27-4
March 3, 2019
PiRate Ratings College Basketball For Sunday, March 3, 2019
Games Scheduled for: |
Sunday |
||||
Home |
Rating |
HCA |
Visitor |
Rating |
Spread |
Charlotte |
91.7 |
2.5 |
UTEP |
93.3 |
0.9 |
Connecticut |
105.5 |
3.0 |
South Florida |
103.4 |
5.1 |
DePaul |
103.9 |
2.5 |
St. John’s |
108.6 |
-2.2 |
Florida Int’l. |
96.9 |
2.5 |
Louisiana Tech |
101.7 |
-2.3 |
Georgia Tech |
103.9 |
3.0 |
Boston College |
104.8 |
2.1 |
Illinois |
106.9 |
2.0 |
Northwestern |
106.7 |
2.2 |
Louisiana |
100.0 |
2.5 |
Appalachian St. |
97.7 |
4.8 |
Louisville |
113.5 |
3.0 |
Notre Dame |
105.9 |
10.6 |
Marist |
95.5 |
2.5 |
Rider |
98.6 |
-0.6 |
Marquette |
113.5 |
3.0 |
Creighton |
109.5 |
7.0 |
Maryland |
113.4 |
3.0 |
Michgan |
117.8 |
-1.4 |
Niagara |
92.2 |
2.5 |
Siena |
95.3 |
-0.6 |
North Texas |
101.6 |
3.0 |
Marshall |
98.7 |
5.9 |
Oregon St. |
106.2 |
3.0 |
Arizona St. |
108.0 |
1.2 |
Quinnipiac |
96.9 |
2.5 |
Manhattan |
90.5 |
8.9 |
Rice |
94.4 |
2.5 |
Middle Tennessee |
94.9 |
2.0 |
Saint Peter’s |
92.1 |
2.0 |
Fairfield |
93.4 |
0.7 |
SMU |
104.3 |
3.0 |
Wichita St. |
104.3 |
3.0 |
Stanford |
104.5 |
2.5 |
Washington |
110.2 |
-3.2 |
Temple |
106.8 |
3.0 |
Tulane |
92.3 |
17.5 |
Tulsa |
103.0 |
3.0 |
East Carolina |
93.6 |
12.4 |
UTSA |
100.1 |
2.5 |
UAB |
99.7 |
2.9 |
Western Kentucky |
103.3 |
3.0 |
Southern Miss. |
102.2 |
4.1 |
Updated Conference Tournament Brackets
The Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament commences Monday night with four quarterfinal games. In all, 11 conference brackets are now set and will begin play in the next week. Here in order by the date these tournaments begin, are the 11 brackets.
Atlantic Sun Conference |
|||
All games at home floor of higher seeds |
|||
Quarterfinals–Monday, March 4 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
1 |
Lipscomb (23-6) |
8 |
Kennesaw St. (6-25) |
2 |
Liberty (25-6) |
7 |
Jacksonville (12-19) |
3 |
North Florida (15-16) |
6 |
North Alabama (10-21) |
4 |
Florida Gulf Coast (14-17) |
5 |
NJIT (20-11) |
Semifinals–Thursday, March 7 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
1/8 |
Higher Seed |
4/5 |
Lower Seed |
2/7 |
Higher Seed |
3/6 |
Lower Seed |
Championship Game–Sunday, March 10 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
1/8/4/5 |
Higher Seed |
2/3/6/7 |
Lower Seed |
Big South Conference |
|||
Site: Home and #1 Seed |
|||
First Round–Tuesday, March 5 (at Higher Seeded Teams) |
|||
Seed |
Home Team |
Seed |
Visitors |
7 |
Presbyterian (17-14) |
10 |
UNC-Asheville (4-26) |
6 |
Charleston Southern (15-14) |
11 |
USC Upstate (6-25) |
8 |
Hampton (14-15) |
9 |
Longwood (15-16) |
Quarterfinals–Thursday, March 7 (at Campbell) |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
2 |
Radford (20-10) |
7/10 |
Presbyterian/UNC-Asheville |
3 |
Winthrop (18-11) |
6/11 |
Chas Sou./USC Upstate |
1 |
Campbell (19-11) |
8/9 |
Hampton/Longwood |
4 |
Gardner-Webb (20-11) |
5 |
High Point (16-14) |
Semifinals–Thursday, March 8 (at Campbell) |
|||
Seed |
Home Team |
Seed |
Visitors |
2/7/10 |
3/6/11 |
||
1/8/9 |
4/5 |
||
Championship Game–Sunday, March 10 (at Higher Seeded Team) |
|||
Seed |
Home Team |
Seed |
Visitors |
Horizon League (Motor City Madness) |
|||
Site: Higher Seed and Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI |
|||
Quarterfinals–Tuesday, March 5 & Wednesday, March 6 (at Higher Seed) |
|||
Seed |
Home Team |
Seed |
Visitors |
1 |
Wright St. (19-12) |
8 |
IUPUI (16-15) |
4 |
Green Bay (16-15) |
5 |
Illinois-Chicago (16-15) |
3 |
Oakland (15-16) |
6 |
Youngstown St. (12-19) |
2 |
Northern Kentucky (23-8) |
7 |
Detroit (11-19) |
Semifinals–Friday, March 15 (Detroit for last two rounds) |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1/8 |
Wright St./IUPUI |
4/5 |
Green Bay/Illinois-Chi. |
2/7 |
N Kentucky/Detroit |
3/6 |
Oakland/Youngstown St. |
Championship Game–Saturday, March 16 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
Patriot League |
|||
All games at home floor of higher seeds |
|||
First Round–Tuesday, March 5 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Visitors |
|
8 |
Boston U (14-17) |
9 |
Loyola (MD) (11-20) |
7 |
Lafayette (10-19) |
10 |
Holy Cross (15-16) |
Quarterfinals–Thursday, March 7 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
1 |
Colgate (21-10) |
8/9 |
Boston/Loyola (MD) |
2 |
Bucknell (19-10) |
7/10 |
Lafayette/Holy Cross |
3 |
Lehigh (19-10) |
6 |
Army (13-18) |
4 |
American (15-14) |
5 |
Navy (11-18) |
Semifinals–Sunday, March 10 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
1/8/9 |
Higher Seed |
4/5 |
Lower Seed |
2/7/10 |
Higher Seed |
3/6 |
Lower Seed |
Championship Game–Wednesday, March 13 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
Higher Semifinal Winner |
Lower Semifinal Winner |
||
Northeast Conference |
|||
All games at home floor of higher seeds |
|||
Quarterfinals–Wednesday, March 6 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
1 |
St. Francis (PA) (16-13) |
8 |
Bryant (10-19) |
2 |
Fairleigh-Dickinson (17-13) |
7 |
Wagner (13-16) |
3 |
Sacred Heart (15-16) |
6 |
Long Island (15-15) |
4 |
Robert Morris (16-15) |
5 |
St. Francis (Bklyn) (17-14) |
Semifinals–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
Highest Remaining Seed |
Lowest Remaining Seed |
||
2nd Highest Remaining Seed |
3rd Highest Remaining Seed |
||
Championship Game–Tuesday, March 12 |
|||
Seed |
Home |
Seed |
Visitor |
Higher Semifinal Winner |
Lower Semifinal Winner |
||
Ohio Valley Conference |
|||
Site: Ford Center, Evansville, IN |
|||
First Round–Wednesday, March 6 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
5 |
Morehead St. (12-19) |
8 |
SIU Edwardsville (10-20) |
6 |
Eastern Illinois (14-17) |
7 |
UT-Martin (11-18) |
Quarterfinals–Thursday, March 7 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
4 |
Austin Peay (21-10) |
5/8 |
Morehead/SIU-Edwardsville |
3 |
Jacksonville St. (23-8) |
6/7 |
E. Illinois/UT-Martin |
Semifinals–Friday, March 8 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1 |
Belmont (25-4) |
4/5/8 |
APSU/Mhead/SIUE |
2 |
Murray St. (25-4) |
3/6/7 |
JvilleSt/EIU/UTM |
Championship Game–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
Missouri Valley Conference (Arch Madness) |
|||
Site: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO |
|||
First Round–Thursday, March 7 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
8 |
Indiana St. (15-15) |
9 |
Valparaiso (14-17) |
7 |
Illinois St. (16-15) |
10 |
Evansville (11-20) |
Quarterfinals–Friday, March 8 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1 |
Loyola (Chi) (19-12) |
8/9 |
Ind St./Valpo |
4 |
Missouri St. (16-15) |
5 |
Bradley (17-14) |
2 |
Drake (23-8) |
7/10 |
Ill St./Evansville |
3 |
Southern Illinois (17-14) |
6 |
Northern Iowa (14-17) |
Semifinals–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1/8/9 |
Loyola/Ind St./Valpo |
4/5 |
MSU/Bradley |
2/7/10 |
Drake/Ill St/Evans |
3/6 |
SIU/UNI |
Championship Game–Sunday, March 10 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
West Coast Conference |
|||
Site: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV |
|||
First Round–Thursday, March 7 |
|||
Seed |
Home Team |
Seed |
Visitors |
7 |
San Diego (18-13) |
10 |
Portland (7-24) |
8 |
Pepperdine (13-17) |
9 |
Pacific (14-17) |
Second Round–Friday, March 8 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
6 |
Santa Clara (16-14) |
7/10 |
USD/Portland |
5 |
Loyola Marymount (20-10) |
8/9 |
Pepper/Pacific |
Quarterfinals–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
3 |
BYU (19-12) |
6/7/10 |
SCU/USD/Portland |
4 |
San Francisco (21-9) |
5/8/9 |
LMU/Pepper/Pacific |
Semifinals–Monday, March 11 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
2 |
Saint Mary’s (20-11) |
3/6/7/10 |
BYU/SCU/USD/Portland |
1 |
Gonzaga (29-2) |
4/5/8/9 |
USF/LMU/Pepper/Pacific |
Championship Game–Tuesday, March 12 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
Southern Conference |
|||
Site: US Cellular Center, Asheville, NC |
|||
First Round–Friday, March 8 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
8 |
VMI (10-20) |
9 |
Western Carolina (7-24) |
7 |
Samford (16-15) |
10 |
The Citadel (12-17) |
Quarterfinals–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1 |
Wofford (26-4) |
8/9 |
VMI/Western Carolina |
4 |
East Tennessee St. (23-8) |
5 |
Chattanooga (12-19) |
2 |
UNC Greensboro (26-5) |
7/10 |
Samford/Citadel |
3 |
Furman (24-6) |
6 |
Mercer (11-19) |
Semifinals–Sunday, March 10 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1/8/9 |
Woff/VMI/WCU |
4/5 |
ETSU/Chatt |
2/7/10 |
UNCG/Sam/Cit |
3/6 |
Furman/Mercer |
Championship Game–Monday, March 11 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
Colonial Athletic Association |
|||
Site: North Charleston Coliseum, North Charleston, SC |
|||
First Round–Saturday, March 9 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
8 |
James Madison (13-18) |
9 |
Towson (10-21) |
7 |
Elon (11-20) |
10 |
UNC Wilmington (9-22) |
Quarterfinals–Sunday, March 10 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1 |
Hofstra (25-6) |
8/9 |
JMU/Towson |
4 |
William & Mary (14-16) |
5 |
Delaware (16-15) |
2 |
Northeastern (20-10) |
7/10 |
Elon/UNCW |
3 |
Charleston (23-8) |
6 |
Drexel (13-18) |
Semifinals–Monday, March 11 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1/8/9 |
Hofstra/JMU/Towson |
4/5 |
Wm&Mary/Delaware |
2/7/10 |
NEastern/Elon/UNCW |
3/6 |
Charleston/Drexel |
Championship Game–Tuesday, March 12 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
Summit League |
|||
Site: Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls, SD |
|||
Quarterfinals–Saturday, March 9 & Sunday, March 10 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1 (sat) |
South Dakota St. (24-7) |
8 |
Western Illinois (9-20) |
4 (sun) |
Purdue Fort Wayne (17-14) |
5 |
South Dakota (13-16) |
3 (sun) |
North Dakota St. (15-15) |
6 |
Oral Roberts (11-20) |
2 (sat) |
Omaha (19-10) |
7 |
North Dakota (12-17) |
Semifinals–Monday, March 11 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
1/8 |
SDSU/WIU |
4/5 |
PFW/USD |
2/7 |
Omaha/UND |
3/6 |
NDSUORU |
Championship Game–Tuesday, March12 |
|||
Seed |
Team |
Seed |
Team |
February 27, 2018
PiRate Ratings Conference Tournament Update–February 27, 2018
Last Night’s Games
Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament | |
Quarterfinals–February 26 | |
Florida Gulf Coast 96 | USC Upstate 76 |
North Florida 80 | NJIT 76 |
Lipscomb 89 | Stetson 73 |
Jacksonville 87 | Kennesaw St . 68 |
Atlantic Sun Bracket
All times EST
Semifinals–March 1 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
7:00 PM | #1 Florida Gulf Coast | #5 North Florida | ESPN3 |
8:00 PM | #2 Lipscomb | #3 Jacksonville | ESPN3 |
Championship–March 4 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
3:00 PM | Higher Remaining Seed | Lower Remaining Seed | ESPN |
Conference Tournaments in Action Today
Big South Conference Tournament | |||
1st Round & Championship Game at Higher Seeds | |||
Quarterfinals and Semfinals at #1 Seed | |||
All Times EST | |||
First Round–February 27 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
7:00 PM | #7 High Point | #10 Longwood | BSN |
7:00 PM | #8 Charleston Southern | #9 Presbyterian | BSN |
BSN TV | at http://bigsouthsports.com | ||
Quarterfinals–March 1 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
1:00 PM | #2 Radford | High Point or Longwood | ESPN3 |
3:30 PM | #3 Winthrop | #6 Gardner-Webb | ESPN3 |
7:00 PM | #1 UNC-Asheville | Presbyterian or Chas Sou. | ESPN3 |
9:30 PM | #4 Campbell | #5 Liberty | ESPN3 |
Semifinals–March 2 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
6:00 PM | Rad/HP/Longwood | Winthrop/G-Webb | ESPN3 |
8:30 PM | UNCA/Presby/Chas Sou | Campbell or Liberty | ESPN3 |
Championship–March 4 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
1:00 PM | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | ESPN |
UNC-Asheville should make it to the Championship Game, but Liberty could be a tough out in the semifinals. Radford and Winthrop are fairly evenly matched on the other side of the bracket, but Radford probably has the better overall talent and is playing a little stronger at this point in the season. Both Radford and Winthrop split their series against UNCA, with the home team winning every game, but UNCA narrowly won their home games over the two contenders, while they were blown out on the road. The big news is that UNCA as the #1 seed will be at home for all games it plays in this tournament.
Patriot League Tournament | |||
All Games Played at Higher Seed | |||
All Times EST | |||
First Round–February 27 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
7:00 PM | #7 Lafayette | #10 American | Stadium |
7:00 PM | #8 Loyola (MD) | #9 Army | Stadium |
Quarterfinals–March 1 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
7:00 PM | #1 Bucknell | Loyola or Army | Stadium |
7:00 PM | #4 Lehigh | #5 Boston U | Stadium |
7:00 PM | #2 Colgate | Lafayette or American | Stadium |
7:00 PM | #3 Navy | #6 Holy Cross | Stadium |
Semifinals–March 1 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
12/2 | Bucknell/Loyola/Army | Lehigh or Boston U | CBSSN |
12/2 | Colgate/Lafayette/American | Navy or Holy Cross | CBSSN |
Championship–March 4 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
7:30 PM | CBSSN |
Bucknell is the overwhelming favorite to cruise to the Patriot League Championship. The Bison did lose at home to Boston U during the regular season, but they won 15 of 16 games after that, with the only loss coming on the road against Lehigh in overtime.
One player to watch in this tournament is forward Zach Thomas of Bucknell. He averages 21 points and 9 rebounds per game. He is a multi-tool player, as he might be the best passer on the team as well.
Colgate has a couple of streaky three-point shooters in Will Rayman and Jordan Swopshire, but the Raiders have no inside muscle and will have to rely on hot shooting to have a chance to get past Bucknell, if they make it to the title game.
Lehigh is the team to watch in this tournament. The Hawks are red hot and ride an eight-game winning streak as the tournament begins. Included in that streak is a win over Bucknell, where the Hawks connected on 11 of 21 three-point shots. Lehigh has what Clark Kellogg calls “spurtability.” They get hot streaks and go on big runs, fueled by excellent defensive play from their guards that can pressure the ball. A player to watch for Lehigh is tiny guard Kahron Ross. He can pick your pockets clean and then feed a teammate for an easy bucket. A potential semifinal game with Bucknell could be the most exciting tournament game this week.
If you were wondering what Stadium TV is, this is a free over the air network that is available in most markets. It was American Sports Network at one time and merged with Campus Insiders online. You can check for the proper channel in your market here: https://23455-presscdn-pagely.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Stadium-Active-Markets-February-5.pdf
February 26, 2018
PiRate Ratings Bracket Gurus Report for February 26, 2018 & Conference Tourneys
A lot has changed in the week since the Gurus released their bracketology seedings. However, as of this moment, the Gurus are sticking with normalcy. Whereas some teams might eventually be declared ineligible for the NCAA Tournament, until it happens, the Gurus are going to keep seeding the teams where their resumes show they should be seeded. To be more precise, the Gurus are not actually seeding the teams where THEY think they should be seed, but instead they are seeding the teams where they believe THE SELECTION COMMITTEE will seed the teams. Please make a note of this: The Gurus are not to blame if your favorite team (hear that Nebraska fans) is not included in the field. It is plain and simple–The Committee has a set of criteria to select its teams and place them in proper seed lines. Where a team finishes in its conference and conference record is not even in the criteria. So, a Cornhusker team that is 13-5 in the Big Ten and tied for fourth with Michigan is not even among the last six teams in the Dance. Nebraska only scheduled two non-conference opponents this year that could have helped their resume. Losing at Creighton and losing at home to Kansas is not enough to put the Cornhuskers on the Bubble. The KU loss was by a single point, but a miss is as good as a mile. The only win that really helps them is the home win over Michigan. Thus, if you are a Cornhusker fan, you better hope your team is still playing this Sunday, which would be the Big Ten Championship Game. It will take wins over Michigan and Michigan State to even put Nebraska on the Bubble, and if Nebraska makes it to the title game without facing both Michigan teams, then they must win the automatic bid with no chance to make the field any other way. So, Nebraska fans must cheer for Michigan to win Thursday and Michigan State to win Friday, just so your team can have a chance to pick up two Quadrant One wins.
A couple of teams made major moves forward in the Bracketology Gurus seed line this week. Tennessee moved up to the 3-line with a win over Florida and another at Ole Miss. The Volunteers now have a chance to win the SEC regular season championship if Auburn falters and loses its final two games (at Arkansas and vs. South Carolina), while the Vols win at Mississippi State and at home against Georgia. Auburn has lost three of its last six games and has been moderately affected by the injury loss of Anfernee McLemore, who was one of the Tigers’ few talented big men.
Mississippi State is in a similar boat as Nebraska, but the Bulldogs are in better shape. The Bulldogs are in a third place tie in the SEC and have won 21 games overall, but unless they upset Tennessee in Starkville and then close with a win at LSU, they will have to make it to the Championship Game of the SEC Tournament to have a chance. Even if MSU finishes with two wins, at 11-7/23-8, they will still need to do some damage in the SEC Tournament.
In the Pac-12, UCLA has collapsed, and the Bruins are now on the outside, looking in. Utah failed to win a crucial home game against USC after knocking UCLA to the Bubble. Washington split on the road in the Bay Area, losing at Stanford and winning at Cal, but the Huskies have that win over Kansas at Phog Allen, plus wins against Arizona, Arizona State, and USC, so they are in contention for a bid. USC made a slight upward move with road wins over Colorado and Utah, giving the Trojans four consecutive victories. Arizona, most likely with Lorenzo Romar as interim head coach, closes at home with Stanford and Cal, so the Wildcats are likely to edge the Trojans for the top seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, but this is a team that has been wounded and may falter early.
In the ACC, North Carolina State has now won four consecutive games to move to 10-6 in the league. The Wolf Pack have two winnable games to close out the season, and they could sneak up to the third seed in the ACC Tournament if they get to 12-6. First year coach Kevin Keatts, who worked the same magic at UNC-Wilmington may be the best overall coach in college basketball, and he should compete with Tony Bennett for ACC COY and National COY.
In the Big East, Butler moved up thanks to home wins over Providence and Creighton, while Seton Hall won twice to earn a three-game winning streak after suffering a four-game losing streak prior. After a 1-4 slide in conference play, Creighton rebounded with a big win over Villanova.
Middle Tennesse State and Western Kentucky continued winning big in CUSA play, and the two mid-major powers and arch-rivals could be headed to a momentous CUSA Tournament Championship Game where only the winner will be safely in the Dance. Old Dominion and Marshall cannot be overlooked, but it would be ashamed if neither Middle or Western get in the tournament. Both have Sweet 16 talent.
Out West, Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, Nevada, and New Mexico State continued to win, and the first three on this list are locks for the NCAA Tournament. NMSU might still have an outside chance to get in if they lost in the WAC Tournament, but the Aggies most likely must win the WAC automatic bid. Grand Canyon, Utah Valley, and Seattle all have enough talent to pull off an upset.
Here is this week’s Bracket Gurus Bracketology Report
Seed | Team | Conference |
1 | Villanova | B-East |
1 | Virginia | ACC |
1 | Xavier | B-East |
1 | Kansas | B12 |
2 | Duke | ACC |
2 | Auburn | SEC |
2 | North Carolina | ACC |
2 | Michigan St. | BTen |
3 | Purdue | BTen |
3 | Cincinnati | AAC |
3 | Tennessee | SEC |
3 | Texas Tech | B12 |
4 | Wichita St. | AAC |
4 | Clemson | ACC |
4 | West Virginia | B12 |
4 | Arizona | Pac12 |
5 | Ohio St. | BTen |
5 | Kentucky | SEC |
5 | Gonzaga | WCC |
5 | Rhode Island | A-10 |
6 | Michigan | BTen |
6 | Houston | AAC |
6 | Seton Hall | B-East |
6 | TCU | B12 |
7 | Nevada | MWC |
7 | Texas A&M | SEC |
7 | Arkansas | SEC |
7 | Florida | SEC |
8 | Oklahoma | B12 |
8 | Arizona St. | Pac12 |
8 | Butler | B-East |
8 | Creighton | B-East |
9 | Florida St. | ACC |
9 | Alabama | SEC |
9 | Missouri | SEC |
9 | Miami (Fla.) | ACC |
10 | North Carolina St. | ACC |
10 | Providence | B-East |
10 | Virginia Tech | ACC |
10 | Saint Mary’s | WCC |
11 | St. Bonaventure | A-10 |
11 | Texas | B12 |
11 | Middle Tennessee | CUSA |
11 | New Mexico St. | WAC |
12 | Kansas St. | B12 |
12 | USC | Pac12 |
12 | Washington | Pac12 |
12 | Louisville | ACC |
12 | Loyola (Chi.) | MVC |
12 | UL-Lafayette | SBC |
13 | Buffalo | MAC |
13 | South Dakota St. | Summ |
13 | Vermont | A-East |
13 | Murray St. | OVC |
14 | UNC-Greensboro | Socon |
14 | College of Charleston | CAA |
14 | Rider | MAAC |
14 | Bucknell | Pat |
15 | Montana | B-Sky |
15 | UC-Davis | B-West |
15 | Northern Kentucky | Horiz |
15 | Wagner | NEC |
16 | Penn | Ivy |
16 | UNC-Asheville | B-Sth |
16 | Nicholls St. | SLC |
16 | Florida Gulf Coast | A-Sun |
16 | Bethune-Cookman | MEAC |
16 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | SWAC |
Top 6 Out | Conf. |
Baylor | B12 |
UCLA | Pac12 |
Syracuse | ACC |
Utah | Pac12 |
Mississippi St. | SEC |
Marquette | B-East |
Last 10 Byes (highest to lowest) |
Florida St. |
Alabama |
Missouri |
Miami (Fla.) |
North Carolina St. |
Providence |
Virginia Tech |
Saint Mary’s |
St. Bonaventure |
Texas |
First Four Round |
Kansas St. vs. Washington |
USC vs. Louisville |
Florida Gulf Coast vs. Bethune-Cookman
|
Nicholls St. vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
|
Conference Tournament Action Tips Off Tonight
Championship Fortnight begins tonight, as the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament begins on campus sites. The A-Sun holds its tournament on the home floors of the higher seeds, so tonight’s quarterfinal round finds four games playing simultaneously. ESPN3 will carry all four games.
Here is the bracket and schedule for the A-Sun.
Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament | |||
All Games Played at Higher Seed | |||
All Times EST | |||
Quarterfinals–February 26 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
7:00 PM | #1 Florida Gulf Coast | #8 USC Upstate | ESPN3 |
7:30 PM | #4 NJIT | #5 North Florida | ESPN3 |
8:00 PM | #2 Lipscomb | #7 Stetson | ESPN3 |
7:00 PM | #3 Jacksonville | #6 Kennesaw St. | ESPN3 |
Semifinals–March 1 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
TBA | FGCU/USCU | NJIT/N.Fla. | ESPN3 |
TBA | Lipsc./Stetson | Jville/Kenn | ESPN3 |
Championship–March 4 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
3:00 PM | Higher Remaining Seed | Lower Remaining Seed | ESPN |
Florida Gulf Coast (12-2/21-10) is the sexy team in this league, but the Lipscomb Bisons (10-4/20-9) are the hot team. Lipscomb closed out the regular season on a five-game winning streak, which included a win at FGCU. Lipscomb’s non-conference schedule was considerably stronger than FGCU, so the Bisons might be able to move up to a 15-seed if they win the automatic bid, while the Eagles and anybody else in the league would be a 16-seed. If somebody other than the top two wins the tournament, they can book reservations in Dayton for a First Four game.
Eight other leagues begin their conference tournaments between today and Friday. Here is a look at the brackets and schedules for these conferences.
Big South Conference Tournament | |||
1st Round & Championship Game at Higher Seeds | |||
Quarterfinals and Semfinals at #1 Seed | |||
All Times EST | |||
First Round–February 27 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
7:00 PM | #7 High Point | #10 Longwood | BSN |
7:00 PM | #8 Charleston Southern | #9 Presbyterian | BSN |
BSN TV | at http://bigsouthsports.com |
|
|
Quarterfinals–March 1 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
1:00 PM | #2 Radford | High Point or Longwood | ESPN3 |
3:30 PM | #3 Winthrop | #6 Gardner-Webb | ESPN3 |
7:00 PM | #1 UNC-Asheville | Presbyterian or Chas Sou. | ESPN3 |
9:30 PM | #4 Campbell | #5 Liberty | ESPN3 |
Semifinals–March 2 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
6:00 PM | Rad/HP/Longwood | Winthrop/G-Webb | ESPN3 |
8:30 PM | UNCA/Presby/Chas Sou | Campbell or Liberty | ESPN3 |
Championship–March 4 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
1:00 PM | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | ESPN |
Big Ten Conference Tournament | |||
New York City | |||
All Times EST | |||
First Round–February 28 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
5:30 PM | #12 Iowa | #13 Illinois | Big Ten |
7:45 PM | #11 Minnesota | #14 Rutgers | Big Ten |
Second Round–March 1 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
12:00 PM | #8 Maryland | #9 Wisconsin | Big Ten |
2:15 PM | #5 Michigan | Iowa or Illinois | Big Ten |
6:30 PM | #7 Penn St. | #10 Northwestern | Big Ten |
8:45 PM | #6 Indiana | Minn. or Rutgers | Big Ten |
Quarterfinals–March 2 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
12:00 PM | #1 Michigan St. | Mary or Wisc | Big Ten |
2:15 PM | #4 Nebraska | Mich/Iowa/Ill | Big Ten |
6:30 PM | #2 Ohio St. | PSU or N’Western | Big Ten |
8:45 PM | #3 Purdue | Ind/Minn/Rutg | Big Ten |
Semifinals–March 3 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
2:00 PM | MSU/Mary/Wisc | Neb/Mich/Iowa/Ill | CBS |
4:30 PM | OSU/Purd/NW | Purd/Ind/Minn/Rutg | CBS |
Championship–March 4 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
4:30 PM | CBS |
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament | |||
Albany, NY | |||
All Times EST | |||
First Round–March 1 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
5:00 PM | #8 Monmouth | #9 St. Peter’s | ESPN3 |
7:30 PM | #7 Quinnipiac | #10 Siena | ESPN3 |
10:00 PM | #6 Fairfield | #11 Marist | ESPN3 |
Quarterfinals–March 2 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
7:00 PM | #1 Rider | Monmouth or St. Peter’s | ESPN3 |
9:30 PM | #2 Canisius | Quinn. or Siena | ESPN3 |
Quarterfinals–March 3 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
7:00 PM | #3 Niagara | Fair. or Marist | ESPN3 |
9:30 PM | #4 Iona | #5 Manhattan | ESPN3 |
Semifinals–March 4 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
7:00 PM | Rider/Monm/St. P | Iona or Manhattan | ESPN3 |
9:30 PM | Can/Quinn/Siena | Niag/Fair/Marist | ESPN3 |
Championship–March 5 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
7:00 PM | TBA |
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament | |||
St. Louis (Arch Madness) | |||
All Times CST | |||
First Round–March 1 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
6:00 PM | #8 Evansville | #9 Northern Iowa | ESPN3 |
8:30 PM | #7 Missouri St. | #10 Valparaiso | ESPN3 |
Quarterfinals–March 2 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
12:00 PM | #1 Loyola (Chi.) | Evansville or UNI | ESPN3 |
2:30 PM | #4 Drake | #5 Bradley | ESPN3 |
6:00 PM | #2 Southern Illinois | MSU or Valpo | ESPN3 |
8:30 PM | #3 Illinois St. | #6 Indiana St. | ESPN3 |
Semifinals–March 3 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
2:30 PM | Loyola/Evans/UNI | Drake or Bradley | CBSSN |
5:00 PM | SIU/MSU/Valpo | Ill St. or Ind St. | CBSSN |
Championship–March 4 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
1:00 PM | CBS |
Northeast Conference Tournament | |||
All Games at Higher Seed | |||
Top 8 Teams Qualify and Tournament Re-seeds after Quarterfinals | |||
All Times EST | |||
Quarterfinals–February 28 | |||
Time | Home Team | Visitors | TV |
7:00 PM | #1 Wagner | #8 Central Connecticut | NEC * |
7:00 PM | #2 Mount St. Mary’s | #7 Robert Morris | NEC * |
7:00 PM | #3 St. Francis (PA) | #6 Fairleigh-Dickinson | NEC * |
7:00 PM | #4 Long Island | #5 St. Francis (Bkn) | NEC * |
* NEC Front Row at http://necfrontrow.com/ | |||
Semifinals–March 3 | |||
Time | Home Team | Visitors | TV |
12:00 PM | Highest Remaining | Lowest Remaining | ESPN3 |
2:00 PM | 2nd Highest | 3rd Highest | ESPN3 |
Championship–March 6 | |||
Time | Home Team | Visitors | TV |
7:00 PM | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | ESPN2 |
Ohio Valley Conference Tournament | |||
Evansville, IN | |||
Top 8 Teams Qualify, Southeast Missouri ineligible due to low APR Scores | |||
All Times CST | |||
First Round–February 28 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
6:30 PM | #5 Tennessee Tech | #8 SIU-Edwardsville | OVC |
9:00 PM | #6 Tennessee St. | #7 Eastern Illinois | OVC |
OVC Network at http://www.ovcdigitalnetwork.com/watch | |||
Quarterfinals–March 1 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
6:30 PM | #4 Jacksonville St. | Tenn Tech or SIU-E | OVC |
9:00 PM | #3 Austin Peay | TSU or EIU | OVC |
Semifinals–March 2 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
7:00 PM | #1 Murray St. | JSU/TTU/SIU-E | ESPNU |
9:30 PM | #2 Belmont | APSU/TSU/EIU | ESPNU |
Championship–March 3 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
7:00 PM | ESPN2 |
Patriot League Tournament | |||
All Games Played at Higher Seed | |||
All Times EST | |||
First Round–February 27 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
7:00 PM | #7 Lafayette | #10 American | Stadium |
7:00 PM | #8 Loyola (MD) | #9 Army | Stadium |
Quarterfinals–March 1 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
7:00 PM | #1 Bucknell | Loyola or Army | Stadium |
7:00 PM | #4 Lehigh | #5 Boston U | Stadium |
7:00 PM | #2 Colgate | Lafayette or American | Stadium |
7:00 PM | #3 Navy | #6 Holy Cross | Stadium |
Semifinals–March 1 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
12/2 | Bucknell/Loyola/Army | Lehigh or Boston U | CBSSN |
12/2 | Colgate/Lafayette/American | Navy or Holy Cross | CBSSN |
Championship–March 4 | |||
Time | Home | Visitors | TV |
7:30 PM | CBSSN |
Southern Conference Tournament | |||
Asheville, NC | |||
All Times EST | |||
First Round–March 2 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
5:00 PM | #8 The Citadel | #9 VMI | ESPN3 |
7:30 PM | #7 Samford | #10 Chattanooga | ESPN3 |
Quarterfinals–March 3 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
12:00 PM | #1 UNC-Greensboro | Citadel or VMI | ESPN3 |
2:30 PM | #4 Mercer | #5 Wofford | ESPN3 |
6:00 PM | #2 East Tennessee St. | Samford or Chatt. | ESPN3 |
8:30 PM | #3 Furman | #6 Western Carolina | ESPN3 |
Semifinals–March 4 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
4:00 PM | UNCG/Cit/VMI | Mercer or Wofford | ESPN3 |
6:30 PM | ETSU/Sam/Chatt | Furman or WCU | ESPN3 |
Championship–March 5 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
9:00 PM | ESPN2 |
West Coast Conference Tournament | |||
Las Vegas | |||
All Times PST | |||
First Round–March 2 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
6:00 PM | #8 Loyola Marymount | #9 Portland | NBCSN |
8:00 PM | #7 Santa Clara | #10 Pepperdine | NBCSN |
Quarterfinals–March 3 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
1:00 PM | #3 BYU | #6 San Diego | NBCSN |
3:00 PM | #4 San Francisco | #5 Pacific | NBCSN |
7:00 PM | #1 Gonzaga | LMU or Portland | ESPN2 |
9:00 PM | #2 Saint Mary’s | Santa Clara or Pepperdine | ESPN2 |
Semifinals–March 4 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
6:00 PM | Gonz/LMU/Portland | USF or Pacific | ESPN |
8:00 PM | SMU/SCU/Pepperdine | BYU or USD | ESPN2 |
Championship–March 6 | |||
Time | Higher Seed | Lower Seed | TV |
6:00 PM | ESPN |
All conference tournament brackets will be updated the morning after any conference games have been played. Check back here for up-to-date schedules and tip times.
March 9, 2011
NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 9 Update
Three More Tickets Punched
Horizon League Championship
Butler 59 Milwaukee 44
The Bulldogs held Milwaukee to 30% shooting from the field, and Matt Howard connected on seven of nine shots to pace Butler with 18 points, as the defending National Final runner-up earned another spot in the Big Dance.
Summit League Championship
Oakland 90 Oral Roberts 76
The Golden Grizzlies displayed a great offensive show with the aid of numerous first half steals by Drew Valentine and Reggie Hamilton to build a double-digit lead by the break. After withstanding an early second half run by the Golden Eagles, Oakland pulled away to win the automatic bid.
Keith Benson topped Oakland with 28 points and 14 rebounds. Hamilton added 25 with six assists, while Will Hudson recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Sunbelt Conference Championship
U A L R 64 North Texas 63
The Trojans won their first Sunbelt Championship and earned their first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 1990.
SBC Player of the Year Solomon Bozeman drove from the backcourt to the left side of the top of the key and drained a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining to give UALR the decisive points. Bozeman scored a game-high 20 points.
North Texas had led by seven points with less than two minutes to go, but the Mean Green wilted under the Trojan pressure defense. With one last chance to try to win, UNT committed a turnover on the inbounds pass.
11 Automatic Qualifiers To Date
Team | Conference | Record |
Arkansas-Little Rock | Sunbelt | 19-16 |
Belmont | Atlantic South | 30-4 |
Butler | Horizon | 23-9 |
Gonzaga | West Coast | 24-9 |
Indiana State | Missouri Valley | 20-13 |
Morehead State | Ohio Valley | 24-9 |
Oakland | Summit | 25-9 |
Old Dominion | Colonial | 27-6 |
St. Peter’s | Metro Atlantic | 20-13 |
UNC-Asheville | Big South | 19-13 |
Wofford | Southern | 21-12 |
Two Tickets To Be Punched Tonight
Big Sky Tournament Championship @ 9PM ET On ESPN2
#2 Montana (21-9) at #1 Northern Colorado (20-10)
Semifinal Round
Montana 57 Weber State 40
Northern Colorado 73 Northern Arizona 70
These two split their regular season series with Northern Colorado winning 63-45 in Greeley, and Montana winning 55-42 in Missoula. Tonight’s game will be played at Butler-Hancock Hall in Greeley, so Northern Colorado will enjoy the home court advantage.
This game is a great study in contrasts. Northern Colorado is a quicker team, but Montana is a stronger team. Northern Colorado has one exceptionally dominant player, while Montana has more, albeit less exceptional, weapons.
The Bears’ offense runs through 6-1 senior guard Devon Beitzel. Beitzel averages a league-best 21 points per game, and he is deadly at the free throw line, where he connects on 91% of his tosses.
The rest of the team collectively shoots under 41% from the field and commits more turnovers than assists, so if the Grizzlies can stop Beitzel, or at least limit his touches, they have a chance of defending their crown.
Montana has the dominant big man in the conference in 6-11/260 senior center Brian Qvale. If the Grizzlies can keep this game a half-court affair, they stand a great chance of winning with Qvale plugging the middle on defense and controlling the boards at both ends of the court. Qvale averages 15 points and nine boards a game, and he had a double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds in the semifinal round. Montana likes to limit possessions, so those numbers are even more impressive than they look.
In the win over UNC, Montana held the Bears to 23.3% shooting, while they shot just 32.6% in the loss at Greeley.
It is our opinion that the visiting number two seed will pull off the mild upset over the host numbone seed, but it is not a strong feeling.
Northeast Conference Tournament Championship @ 7PM ET On ESPN2
#3 Robert Morris (18-13) at #1 Long Island (26-5)
Semifinal Round
Long Island 69 Central Connecticut 67
Robert Morris 64 Quinnipiac 62
Brooklyn has not been this excited over one of their own sports teams since the Dodgers won the 1955 World Series. Long Island is one of the most exciting teams in the nation, and their 26-5 record has throngs of Brooklynites cramming into the Wellness, Recreation, and Athletic Center. The WRAC holds just 2,500 seats, but you can bet that more than that amount will find their way into the game tonight, as they “Pack the WRAC.”
Those fans will be converging to the corner of Ashland and Dekalb tonight, dressed in all white, to watch what could be a blowout win for their team.
LIU is on a roll. The Blackbirds have won 12 games in a row (longest current streak in the nation) and 20 of their previous 21 games. They average almost 83 points per game. The Blackbirds have exceptional depth with eight players capable of scoring 15 or more points.
The Blackbirds pose difficult matchups with their roster, as they rely on quick guards and medium-sized forwards with great leaping ability to play at a fast pace. There is no center on the roster, but the two 6-7 forwards have controlled the boards in most games this year.
Those forwards are Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere, who team up for 25.4 points and 15.7 rebounds per game.
5-10 backup guard Jason Brickman plays just 22 minutes per game, but he leads the team with 5.3 assists per game. When he comes in the game, the pace picks up, and the Blackbirds shoot a lot of threes in transition.
Robert Morris is definitely not cannon fodder. The Colonials are the two-time defending NEC Tournament champions, and they believe they can three peat even on the road in hostile conditions.
The Colonials have won eight games in a row, relying on a stellar defense that limits possessions and pressures the guards. They are missing their leading scorer, as 5-9 guard Karon Abraham’s season ended two weeks ago with a torn Achilles Tendon. On the positive side, Abraham missed RMU’s win at LIU on December 2, as he was serving a multi-game suspension.
Velton Jones and Russell Johnson will have to shine tonight for the Colonials to pull off the upset. The duo are the only double figure scorers left, but both shoot less than 39% from the field.
Without Abraham, RMU shoots just 33.7% from behind the arc, so the only way they can possibly win tonight is to replicate the formula that was successful more than three months ago—control the tempo and prevent LIU from getting off any uncontested three-pointers.
We believe this game will begin slowly with RMU taking the lead in the early stages. Somewhere in the first half, LIU will go on one of their patented runs and gain the lead. Then, a second spurt will give them a commanding lead. RMU might cut into that lead, but we believe in the end, the Blackbirds will be celebrating at the WRAC. We do not believe the Brooklynites will be crying “Wait ‘Til Next Year.” This will be like October of 1955 in the borough.
Yesterday’s Other Tournament Results
Atlantic 10 Conference
First Round
LaSalle 75 St. Bonaventure 73 2ot
St. Joseph’s 71 George Washington 59 ot
Rhode Island 70 St. Louis 61
Dayton 78 U Mass 50
Big East Conference
First Round
Connecticut 97 DePaul 71
Rutgers 76 Seton Hall 70 ot
South Florida 70 Villanova 69
Marquette 87 Providence 66
M A C
First Round
Bowling Green 74 Northern Illinois 54
Ohio U 74 Toledo 57
Akron 67 Eastern Michigan 53
Buffalo 64 Central Michigan 50
M E A C
First Round
MD-Eastern Shore 87 F A M U 85 2ot
S. C. State 64 Delaware State 59
Ivy League Playoff Set
Princeton defeated rival Penn 70-58 last night in Philadelphia, forcing a one-game playoff for the Ivy League’s automatic berth. Princeton (24-6) will take on co-champion Harvard (23-5) Saturday afternoon at 4PM Eastern Time. The game will be played at Yale University in New Haven, CT, and it can be seen live on ESPN3.com.
Princeton has appeared in all seven Ivy League tiebreaking playoff games in the history of the league. This is Harvard’s first Ivy League basketball championship of any kind. The Crimson last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 1946.
There is a chance that the loser of this game could hold a slim chance of earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Harvard is ranked #35 in the RPI, while Princeton is ranked #49. Harvard has two wins over top 50 teams as well as three losses. Their biggest win was at Boston College. Princeton has just one win against the top 50 and two losses. For the Ivy to earn two bids, the Tigers have to win Saturday and hope Harvard’s high RPI is enough to earn the second bid.
Conference Tournaments In Action Today
Big 12 Conference
Tournament Site: Kansas City
1st Round Games
#8 Nebraska (19-11) vs. #9 Oklahoma State (18-12) 12:30 PM ET
#5 Colorado (19-12) vs. #12 Iowa State (16-15) 3 PM ET
#7 Baylor (18-12) vs. #10 Oklahoma (13-17) 7PM ET
#6 Missouri (22-9) vs. #11 Texas Tech (13-18) 9:30 PM ET
Big East Conference
Tournament Site: New York City
2nd Round Games
#8 Georgetown (21-9) vs. #9 Connecticut (22-9) 12 Noon ET on ESPN
#5 St. John’s (20-10) vs. #13 Rutgers (15-16) Approx. 2:15 PM ET on ESPN
#7 Cincinnati (24-7) vs. #15 South Florida (10-22) 7 PM ET on ESPN
#6 West Virginia (20-10) vs. #11 Marquette (19-13) Approx. 9:15 PM ET on ESPN
Conference USA
Tournament Site: El Paso, TX
1st Round Games
#8 East Carolina (16-14) vs. #9 Central Florida (19-10) 1 PM ET
#5 Southern Miss (21-9) vs. #12 Tulane (13-16) 3:30 PM ET
#6 Marshall (21-10) vs. #11 Houston (12-17) 7:30 PM ET
#7 S M U (17-13) vs. #10 Rice (13-17) 10 PM ET
M E A C
Tournament Site: Winston-Salem, NC
Note: The MEAC has a unique way of scheduling their tournament. As a result, one first round game will be played today as well as two quarterfinal round games. The other two quarterfinal round games will be played Thursday.
1st Round
#6 Norfolk State () vs. #11 Howard () 3 PM ET
Quarterfinal Round
#1 Bethune-Cookman (20-11) vs. #9 South Carolina State (10-21) 7 PM ET
#2 Hampton (21-8) vs. #10 Maryland-Eastern Shore (9-21) 9:30 PM ET
Mountain West Conference
Tournament Site: Las Vegas
1st Round
#8 Wyoming (10-20) vs. #9 T C U (10-21) 5 PM ET
Pac-10 Conference
Tournament Site: Los Angeles
1st Round
#8 Stanford (15-15) vs. #9 Oregon State (10-19) 9 PM ET on Fox Sports Net
#7 Oregon (14-16) vs. #10 Arizona State (12-18) 11:30 PM ET on Fox Sports Net
Southland Conference
Tournament Site: Katy, TX (Houston Area)
Quarterfinal Round
#2 Northwestern State (LA) (18-13) vs. #7 Texas-San Antonio (16-13) 1 PM ET
#3 Sam Houston (17-12) vs. #6 Stephen F. Austin (18-10) 3:30 PM ET
#1 McNeese State (19-10) vs. #8 Nicholls State (14-13) 7 PM ET
#4 Texas State (15-15) vs. #5 Southeastern Louisiana (15-13) 9:30 PM ET
S W A C
Tournament Site: Garland, TX (Dallas-Ft. Worth Area)
Quarterfinal Round
#2 Jackson State (16-14) vs. #7 Prairie View (10-21) 12:30 PM ET
#1 Texas Southern (18-11) vs. #8 Arkansas-Pine Bluff (7-23) 9 PM ET
W A C
Tournament Site: Las Vegas
1st Round
#5 Hawaii (18-11) vs. #8 San Jose State (15-14) 3 PM ET
#6 Nevada (12-18) vs. #7 Fresno State (14-16) 5:30 PM ET
March 8, 2011
NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 8 Update
The Four Newest Dance Invitees
Did you see those conference championship games last night? Was this the Monday Night Fights or basketball? There were more cut men and cut women than in your average boxing card.
When it is all or nothing for these smaller conferences, you get what we saw last night—teams playing like their lives were on the line.
Colonial Athletic Association
Old Dominion 70
Virginia Commonwealth 65
Old Dominion 27-6
The Monarchs are capable of making a semi-surprise run in the Big Dance. They lead the nation in rebounding margin, and they can score points in the paint.
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
St. Peter’s 62
Iona 57
St. Peter’s 20-13
The Peacocks beat Alabama earlier in the season, and their defense could keep them within striking defense in an opening round game, but we cannot see SPC advancing to the second round.
Southern Conference
Wofford 77
College of Charleston 67
Wofford 21-12
The Terriers finally beat the Cougars (we predicted this yesterday), and they will not roll over and play dead in the first round. This team returns to the Dance for the second consecutive season, and they will not back down. They may not advance, but they will not be in awe of their heavily favored first round opponent.
West Coast Conference
Gonzaga 75
Saint Mary’s 63
Gonzaga 24-9
This edition of Zags may not be the most talented in the Coach Mark Few era, but they are playing their best ball at the right time. It will depend on their bracket, but this team has Sweet 16 potential.
Three More Invitations Go Out Tonight
By 11:15 PM Eastern Time tonight, we will know the names of three more NCAA Tournament participants. Let’s break down these games.
Horizon League Championship @ 9PM ET on ESPN
Butler (22-9) at Milwaukee (19-12)
Butler defeated Cleveland State in the semifinal round Saturday evening, while Milwaukee topped Valparaiso. During the regular season, Milwaukee swept the Bulldogs, winning 76-52 at home and 86-80 in overtime on the road. The top-seeded Panthers host this game.
Both teams are red hot coming into this title match. Milwaukee has gone 10-1 in their last 11 games, and the only loss was in the Bracketbuster to Buffalo. Their defense is what got them here, as they shoot only 43% from the field and 65% at the foul line.
Three Panthers average double figures in scoring, led by Anthony Hill. Hill averages just under 16 points per game, but he broke out with a 24-point, 11-rebound performance in the semifinal game against Valpo. Kaylon Williams is the X-factor for Panthers. He can score when needed, rebound with the big men, and run the offense. He recorded a triple-double earlier in the season against Butler (10 points-10 rebounds-10 assists), and he added a double-double in the second win over the Bulldogs.
Butler missed Gordon Hayward even more than most experts predicted. The Bulldogs played a tough pre-conference schedule and limped into February. With their backs against the wall, they reeled off eight consecutive victories to get to the title game tonight.
Most basketball fans know Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack from last year’s team that made the surprise run to the National Championship Game. The duo has teamed for 32 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this year. However, it has been the emergence of 6-11 sophomore center Andrew Smith that has allowed Butler to turn things around and look like a force to be reckoned with once again. Smith averaged 11 points per game over the second half of the season. In the eight game winning streak, he has averaged 32 minutes per game and pulled down close to eight rebounds per game. His 63% field goal percentage has forced defenses to stop him first, giving Howard and Mack more room to get open. Smith was a non-factor in the two games against Milwaukee, and he is the key to tonight’s game. If he plays 32 minutes and gets double figure points and eight rebounds, Butler will be cutting down the nets yet again.
Summit League Championship @ 9PM ET on ESPN2
Site: Sioux Falls, SD
Oakland (24-9) vs. Oral Roberts (19-14)
If you like high-scoring, fast-paced games, you will definitely clear your schedule to view this one. Oakland is the second best offensive team in the nation, averaging 86 points per game (92 ppg in their last 10 games). The Grizzlies connect on close to 50% of their field goal attempts, and they tend to hit spurts where they score 10 points in two minutes. Oral Roberts averages 81 points per game and has no qualms running with Oakland.
Both teams are riding major winning streaks entering tonight’s title game. Oakland has won 17 of their last 18 games, while the Golden Eagles have won 10 in a row. In the regular season, Oakland won both high-scoring games, but both were nail-biters that went down to the wire.
Oakland has a tall and short combination that has done a lot of the damage on opponents. 6-11 center Keith Benson is the best player in the league. Benson averages 17.7 points and 10 rebounds per game. He showed he can do it against the big schools, as he had 17 points and 12 rebounds in a close loss to Michigan State and 26 points and 10 rebounds in a big win at Tennessee.
5-11 guard Reggie Hamilton is a threat to top 20 points any night. He is quick and can get open without help from screens.
Oral Roberts has a star in its own right. Dominique Morrison averages just under 20 points per game, and he doesn’t need to heave up 25 shots per game to get those points. Morrison shoots 51.3% from the field, 40% from behind the three-point line, and 78.4% at the foul line. He scored 56 points in the two games against Oakland.
This should be a great game, and we don’t believe Oakland is that much of a favorite. ORU has been to the Big Dance four times in the last six years, while Oakland is the defending tournament champion. We expect the winner to top 90 points in this game, and it is too close to call. We say Oakland has about a 54% chance and Oral Roberts a 46% chance of winning.
Sunbelt Conference Championship @ 7PM ET on ESPN2
Site: Hot Springs, AR
North Texas (22-10) vs. U A L R (18-16)
On paper this looks like a mismatch, even though the teams finished one game apart in the regular season. North Texas finished fourth in the West with an 8-8 league mark, while Little Rock finished fifth at 7-9.
North Texas was one of the biggest underachievers this season. The Mean Green returned four starters from their 2010 conference champion team and were expected to win again this year with the best backcourt and one of the best frontcourts in the league. Instead, a 3-9 swoon in the middle of the season placed them out of contention for the West crown. Since that awful slide, UNT has recovered with five consecutive victories.
6-5 senior guard Tristan Thompson has led the way for the Mean Green in the tournament, scoring 80 points in the first three games. He has done a lot of the damage at the foul line, where he is 31-35 in Hot Springs, including an unbelievable 20-20 performance in the win over top-seed Florida Atlantic. Thompson combines a quick move to the basket with a sweet shot from outside. Beefy forward George Odufuwa averages 11 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, and UALR has a tough matchup problem against him.
The Trojans dropped both regular season games to North Texas, mostly because they could not compete under the basket. Their chance to win this game will come down to limiting possessions and trying to win 55-50. They have won three games in the tournament by getting to the foul line and hitting foul shots, while using the clock and taking 30 seconds to shoot on most possessions. UALR’s big star in this tournament has been senior guard Solomon Bozeman. Like Thompson, Bozeman has gotten to the free throw line and made the most of his opportunities. He has connected on 37 of 42 attempts including an eye-popping 19 of 22 against Middle Tennessee last night.
We expect a low-possession, low-scoring game. There may be fewer than 100 field goal attempts tonight. North Texas has been there before, while UALR has never won the Sunbelt Conference Tournament. We think that trend will continue, but it wouldn’t surprise us if this game stays relatively close for the entire 40 minutes. We could see North Texas winning 60-54.
The Other Tournaments In Action Today
Atlantic 10 Conference
First Round At Higher Seed Home Court
#9 Dayton (19-12) at #8 U Mass (15-14) 9PM ET on CBSC
#12 St. Joseph’s (9-21) at #5 George Washington (17-13) 7PM ET on CBSC
#10 LaSalle (14-17) at #7 St. Bonaventure (16-13) 5 PM ET on CBSC
#11 St. Louis (12-18) at #6 Rhode Island (18-12) 7 PM ET no TV
Big East Conference
Madison Square Garden in New York City
#16 Depaul (7-23) vs. #9 Georgetown (21-9) 12 Noon ET on ESPN2
#13 Rutgers (14-16) vs. #12 Seton Hall (13-17) Approx. 2:15 PM ET on ESPN2
#15 South Florida (9-22) vs. #10 Villanova (21-10) 7PM ET on ESPNU
#14 Providence (15-16) vs. #11 Marquette (18-13) Approx 9:15 ET on ESPNU
Big Sky Conference
Semifinal Round At Higher Seed Home Court
#3 Weber State (18-11) at #2 Montana (20-9)
#4 Northern Arizona (19-11) at #1 Northern Colorado (19-10)
Mid-American Conference
1st Round At Higher Seed Home Court All Games At 7PM ET
#10 Northern Illinois (9-20) at #7 Bowling Green (13-18)
#11 Eastern Michigan (9-21) at #6 Akron (19-12)
#9 Central Michigan (10-20) at #8 Buffalo (17-12)
#12 Toledo (4-27) at #5 Ohio U (17-14)
Mideastern Athletic Conference
Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC
#9 South Carolina State (9-21) vs. #8 Delaware State (9-20) 9PM ET
#10 Maryland-Eastern Shore (8-21) vs. #7 Florida A&M (12-19) 6:30 PM ET
Note: One more 1st round game Wednesday plus two quarterfinal games
March 7, 2011
NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 7 Update
NCAA Tournament Qualifier #4
Congratulations to the Indiana State Sycamores, the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament champions. ISU defeated Missouri State Sunday by a score of 60-56, giving them eight wins in their last nine games. This Sycamore team is not to be confused with the 1979 National Finalists with some guy named Larry Bird doing a lot of the scoring, but ISU (20-13) has enough talent to pull off an upset in the first round. The last time they were in the Big Dance, ISU upset Oklahoma 70-68 in the first round of the 2001 tourney; they lost 85-68 to Gonzaga in the next round. The Sycamores lost by nine at Notre Dame and by 13 against Purdue, so they can compete against Top 10 teams.
Indiana State joins UNC-Asheville, Belmont, and Morehead State as automatic qualifiers in the NCAA Tournament.
Four More Teams To Enter The Dance Party Tonight
The field of automatic qualifiers doubles from four to eight tonight. Let’s take a look at the four conference championships for Monday.
Colonial Athletic Association
Virginia Commonwealth (23-10) vs. Old Dominion (26-6)
7:00 PM EST on ESPN
In the semifinal round, VCU upset top-seed George Mason 79-63, while Old Dominion ousted Hofstra 77-69. Bubble teams will be cheering hard for ODU because if VCU wins, the CAA could send an extra team to the Dance. George Mason and ODU are virtually assured at-large spots, but VCU will be College Insiders, CBI or NIT-bound if they lose tonight.
ODU has won eight games in a row and 12 of 13. Big forward Frank Hassell has continued to improve and impress down below, and Notre Dame can tell you how well he plays in the postseason; ODU beat the Irish in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament.
VCU slumped at the end of the regular season, losing four of their final five games (and the one win was in the Bracketbuster) to fall from first to fourth. The Rams won nine games in a row in the middle of the season, including a road victory over their opponent tonight.
Forward Jamie Skeen will be the key man to watch. If he can match or beat Hassell point-for-point and rebound-for-rebound, VCU should pull off the victory. If Hassell wins the battle, then the Monarchs will live up to their preseason billing as best in the league.
If the game comes down to the backcourt, then VCU has the superior tandem there with Bradford Burgess and Joey Rodriguez. If the battle comes down to the rebounding game, ODU will win and maybe win by 10-20 points.
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
St. Peter’s (19-13) vs. Iona (22-10)
7:00 PM EST on ESPN2
St. Peter’s pulled off the big upset in this tournament, defeating #1-seed Fairfield 62-48 in yesterday’s semifinal round. Iona slaughtered Rider 83-59 to earn their spot in the championship game. The Gaels won their opener by 30 over Siena, so they are the clear-cut favorite tonight.
St. Peter’s is an experienced team. The Peacocks’ top four players are seniors—Wesley Jenkins, Jeron Belin, Nick Leon, and Ryan Bacon. The quartet averages a combined 45 points a game with all four averaging more than 10 points a game. Their strongest asset is their defensive ability, and teams have a tough time scoring on SPU. Unfortunately, the Peacocks barely top 40% shooting from the field and less than 64% at the foul line. To win tonight, they need to connect on at least 45% of their shots and get some second chance opportunities.
Iona has the look of a champion. The Gaels have won nine games in a row by an average margin of 18.6 points per game. They swept SPU by 18 and 14 in the regular season. Star forward Michael Glover has recorded 17 double-doubles, and the only thing that could prevent him from making it 18 tonight would be his early exit from the game due to the game being a blowout.
As you can surmise, we think Iona will put this game away with a big run about halfway into the opening half after a five to eight-minute period to calm the nerves.
Southern Conference
College of Charleston (24-9) vs. Wofford (20-12)
9:00 PM EST on ESPN2
Semifinal Scores
College of Charleston 63 Furman 58
Wofford 86 Western Carolina 72
The top two teams in the league meet for the third time and Charleston won the first two meetings. The Cougars won the battle on the boards in both games and in turn took several more shots. Andrew Goudelock was unstoppable in both games, and Wofford must do something to keep the ball out of his hands tonight and prevent him from scoring his average of 23 points per game to have a chance.
The Terriers are the defending SoCon Tournament champions, and they were the overwhelming pick to repeat as champions this year. They will need a repeat of yesterday’s performance to pull off the upset. Wofford connected on 54% of their field goals, 50% of their three-point attempts, and 80% at the foul line. Their big three, Noah Dahlman, Jamar Diggs, and Cameron Rundles, teamed for 52 points and 16 rebounds. Wofford also has excellent depth with three players capable of coming off the bench and scoring points and pulling down rebounds in massive numbers.
Charleston proved to be the better team in the regular season sweep, but we tend to believe this night will belong to Wofford. The Terriers are playing up to their potential, while the Cougars are not.
West Coast Conference
Saint Mary’s (24-7) vs. Gonzaga (23-9)
9:00 PM EST on ESPN
Semifinal Round
Saint Mary’s 73 Santa Clara 64
Gonzaga 71 San Francisco 67
This is the game of the night. We tend to believe both teams have done enough to punch a ticket to the tournament, but still, this will be a hard-fought rivalry game.
The teams split their regular season series, both winning close games on the other’s home court. If you like offense, then this is the game for you. Both teams routinely top 80 points per game, and both have enjoyed many nights where they shot in excess of 50% from the field.
Gonzaga has won eight games in a row, and the Bulldogs utilize great depth to wear down opponents. They can go 10-deep with very little drop in talent, as no player averages over 14 points per game, and only one tops six rebounds per game.
SMC relies on a trio of talented players in Mickey McConnell, Rob Jones, and Matthew Dellavedova. They team up to average 43.3 points per game. McConnell is one of the best outside shooters in the nation, and he is virtually automatic at the charity stripe.
This game is a tossup in the truest since, and we expect it to go down to the final minute for the third time this season. They could not settle it in 40 minutes the last time they faced off, so this has to be considered a 50-50 game. We will go with Gonzaga’s 50% chance tonight.
Continuing Tournaments
America East Conference
Semifinal Round
Boston U. 55 Hartford 49
Stony Brook 69 Vermont 47
Championship Game—Saturday, March 12@ 12 Noon on ESPN2
Stony Brook (15-16) at Boston U (20-13)
Northeast Conference
Semifinal Round
Long Island 69 Central Connecticut 67
Robert Morris 64 Quinnipiac 62
Championship Game—Wednesday, March 9 @ 7PM on ESPN2
Robert Morris (18-13) at Long Island (26-5)
Patriot League
Semifinal Round
Lafayette 73 American 71 2ot
Bucknell 66 Lehigh 64
Championship Game—Friday, March 11 @ 4:45 PM on ESPN2
Lafayette (13-18) at Bucknell (24-8)
Summit League
Quarterfinal Round
South Dakota State 85 I P F W 75
I U P U I 79 Missouri-KC 55
Semifinal Round—Monday, March 7 @ Sioux Falls, SD
Oakland (23-9) vs. South Dakota State (19-11) @ 7:00 PM EST
Oral Roberts (18-14) vs. I U P U I (19-13) @ 9:30 PM EST
Sunbelt Conference
Quarterfinal Round
Western Kentucky 81 Louisiana-Lafayette 76
North Texas 78 Florida Atlantic 64
Middle Tennessee 73 Florida International 38
U A L R 59 Arkansas State 52
Semifinal Round—Monday, March 7 @ Hot Springs, AR
Western Kentucky (16-15) vs. North Texas (21-10) @ 7:00 PM EST
Middle Tennessee (16-15) vs. U A L R (17-16) @ 9:30 PM EST
Coming Tomorrow: The Big Sky Conference and Horizon League Tournament Championships are decided, and four more conference tournaments begin. Check back Tuesday afternoon for more coverage.
March 5, 2011
NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 6 Update
Congratulations To Three Champions
Three teams have punched their tickets to the Big Dance.
Big South Conference
UNC-Asheville 60 Coastal Carolina 47
UNC-Asheville 19-13
Atlantic Sun Conference
Belmont 87 North Florida 46
Belmont 30-4
Ohio Valley Conference
Morehead State 80 Tennessee Tech 73
Morehead State 24-9
Scores From Other Conference Tournaments
America East Conference
Vermont 57 Binghamton 46
Stony Brook 67 Albany 61
Boston U 69 New Hampshire 60
Hartford 66 Maine 63
Sunday, March 6 Semifinal Round
Vermont 23-7 vs. Stony Brook 14-16
Boston U. 19-13 vs. Hartford 11-19
Big Sky Conference
Weber State 79 Eastern Washington 70
Northern Arizona 65 Montana State 62
Tuesday, March 8 Semifinal Round
Montana 20-9 vs. Weber State 18-11
Northern Colorado 19-10 vs. Northern Arizona 19-11
Colonial Athletic Association
George Mason 68 Georgia State 45
Virginia Commonwealth 62 Drexel 60
Old Dominion 59 Delaware 50
Hofstra 72 William & Mary 56
Sunday, March 6 Semifinal Round
George Mason 26-5 vs. Virginia Commonwealth 22-10
Old Dominion 25-6 vs. Hofstra 21-10
Horizon League
Butler 76 Cleveland State 68
Milwaukee 70 Valparaiso 63
Tuesday, March 8 Championship Game
Butler 22-9 vs. Milwaukee 19-12
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Fairfield 55 Marist 31
St. Peter’s 70 Loyola (MD) 60
Rider 79 Canisius 64
Iona 94 Siena 64
Sunday, March 6 Semifinal Round
Fairfield 24-6 vs. St. Peter’s 18-13
Rider 23-9 vs. Iona 21-10
Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri State 60 Creighton 50
Indiana State 61 Wichita State 54
Sunday, March 6 Championship Game
Missouri State 25-7 vs. Indiana State 19-13
Southern Conference
Western Carolina 77 UNC-Greensboro 66
Wofford 67 Appalachian State 56
Furman 61 Chattanooga 52
College of Charleston 78 Elon 60
Sunday, March 6 Semifinal Round
Western Carolina 18-14 vs. Wofford 19-12
Furman 22-9 vs. College of Charleston 23-9
Summit League
Oakland 82 Southern Utah 66
Oral Roberts 72 North Dakota State 65
Sunday, March 6 Quarterfinal Round Continues
I P F W 18-11 vs. South Dakota State 18-11
I U P U I 18-13 vs. Missouri-Kansas City 16-13
Sunbelt Conference
Western Kentucky 66 Louisiana-Monroe 50
North Texas 83 Troy 69
Florida Int’l 53 Denver 49
U A L R 82 South Alabama 68
Sunday, March 6 Quarterfinal Round
Louisiana-Lafayette 14-14 vs. Western Kentucky 15-15
Florida Atlantic 21-9 vs. North Texas 20-10
Middle Tennessee 15-15 vs. Florida Int’l 11-18
Arkansas State 17-14 vs. U A L R 16-16
West Coast Conference
Santa Clara 76 Loyola Marymount 68
San Francisco 76 Pepperdine 59
Sunday, March 6 Semifinal Round
St. Mary’s 23-7 vs. Santa Clara 19-13
Gonzaga 22-9 vs. San Francisco 17-13