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March 20, 2023
PiRate Ratings College Basketball — Monday, March 20, 2023
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February 17, 2014
PiRate Ratings Top 30 Bracketologists Report
Two weeks from today, the first postseason conference tournament will swing into action. No, it will not be the big power conferences, but even an opening round game in a one-bid league is enough to stir up dance fever.
Selection Sunday is less than a month away, so it is time to break out the PiRate Ratings’ Bracketology report.
We do not have a Bracketologist on staff here. We concentrate on Bracketnomics, the study of how to pick winners in the bracket based on reverse-engineered statistical data of past Final Four participants with an emphasis on the most recent successes.
This year, our Bracketnomics’ data has been drastically changed to meet the changes in the way the game has been played in recent years. Be sure to look for our Bracketnomics primer on Selection Sunday.
For Bracketology, we search for little known bloggers (like us) who actually have a history of better forecasting than the big named guys like Lunardi, Palm, and The USA Today. Yes, there are math geniuses that forecast the field of 68 with more accuracy than the guys you probably know.
How do we know this? It is the same thing as the college and NFL football experts. You may know about Sagarin and Dunkel, but there are a couple dozen (including the PiRate Ratings) with a long history of outperforming these two major computer rankings.
We have chosen 30 little known (nationally) Bracketologists with better predictive histories than the big guys and put them together into what we here call the “Bracket Braintrust.”
From this list, we then assign the competing teams one of five grades: Lock, Safe, Bubble—In, Bubble, and Bubble—Out. “Lock” means the team is guaranteed of making the tournament even if they lose the rest of their games. “Safe” means the team is safely in the tournament unless it totally collapses (like a 20-5 ACC team losing its last seven games to finish 20-12). “Bubble—In” means this team is on the bubble, but if the season ended today, they would be in the tournament. “Bubble” means this team is on the bubble and would be one of the last 4-8 out if the tournament began today. “Bubble—Out” means the team is on the bubble, but if the season ended today, they would not be in the tournament, and they need multiple teams in front of them to fall back while they win big at the end. We use the initials, “L, S, Bi, B, and Bo” in our conference-by-conference look.
Let’s Start With the One-Bid Leagues. No matter which team wins these conference tournaments, only one team from each league will get a bid. This does not include conferences like the MVC, where if Wichita State wins the automatic bid, the Valley will be a one-bid league.
We list the top contenders and a possible dark horse candidate for each of these leagues.
One-Bid Leagues (21)
American East
Vermont 11-1/17-9
Stony Brook 10-2/18-8
Albany 7-6/13-13
Vermont lost by one point at Duke and owns a win over Yale.
Atlantic Sun
Mercer 12-2/21-6
Florida Gulf Coast 11-3/17-10
East Tennessee 9-6/16-12
Mercer won at Ole Miss and played well in losses at Texas and Oklahoma. FGCU has no impressive wins this year.
Big Sky
Weber St. 11-2/14-7
Northern Colorado 9-5/15-8
Northern Colorado won at Kansas St. The winner here faces a probably trip to Dayton for the opening round.
Big South
Coastal Carolina 9-3/16-10
V M I 8-4/15-10
High Point 7-4/11-13
Radford 7-5/17-10
Winthrop 7-5/14-11
Gardner-Webb 7-5/14-13
UNC-Asheville 7-5/13-13
You can see this league is quite balanced. Of these teams, VMI might be the toughest matchup for an opponent, because the Keydets play an unorthodox style of up-tempo ball. There are no impressive wins here to report, and this looks like a possible opening round conference.
Big West
UC-Irvine 8-2/17-9
UCSB 7-3/16-7
Hawaii 7-4/18-7
Long Beach St. 7-4/11-14
UCI won at Washington, and UCSB beat California at home. This league will avoid the opening round unless an upset winner takes the bid.
Colonial
Delaware 11-0/19-7
Towson 8-3/17-9
William & Mary 7-4/15-9
The Blue Hens lost close games at Villanova, Ohio St., and Richmond, but they have no top 100 wins, so they are not under consideration for an at-large bid. The nation will get a chance to see one of the top three-men scoring machines work if Delaware wins the bid. Devon Saddler (20.4), Davon Usher (19.4), and Jarivs Threatt (17.9) combine for 57.7 points per game.
Conference USA
Louisiana Tech 9-2/21-5 (B)
UTEP 9-2/19-7 (Bo)
Middle Tennessee 9-2/19-7
Southern Miss. 8-3/21-5
Tulsa 8-3/13-12
Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, and UTEP must all be considered as “Bo” teams if they lose in the CUSA finals. As of today, none of this group has done enough to qualify as an at-large team. Southern Miss’s best win was at North Dakota St., and the Selection Committee may not see that as a big win. Louisiana Tech won at Oklahoma, but the Bulldogs have a non-conference strength of schedule in the 280’s. We have LT on the Bubble as of today, but for the Bulldogs to get in as an at-large, it will take several teams above them playing themselves out, because LT has little chance of leapfrogging. We have UTEP far back in the Bubble—Out teams.
Horizon
Green Bay 11-2/21-5
Cleveland St. 9-4/18-10
Valparaiso 8-4/16-11
Green Bay beat Virginia and narrowly lost to Wisconsin, so the Phoenix can compete in the round of 64 and possibly be an upset team.
Cleveland State stayed close at Rupp Arena against Kentucky.
Ivy
Harvard 7-1/20-4
Yale 7-1/13-9
Yale won at Harvard, but even if they sweep the Crimson, a tie would still bring a tiebreaker. If Yale wins the league and automatic bid, Harvard would have a mild argument as an at-large, but we just don’t see the Ivy getting two teams. Harvard’s top win is a neutral site game over Green Bay.
Mid-American
Toledo 9-3/21-4
Akron 9-3/17-8
Western Michigan 9-3/16-8
Ohio 8-4/18-7
Buffalo 8-4/14-8
Poor strengths of schedule and lack of quality wins makes this a one-bid league again. The once proud MAC is still not back to where it once was.
Metro Atlantic
Iona 14-2/17-8
Manhattan 12-4/19-6
Quinnipiac 12-4/17-8
Canisius 12-4/18-9
Iona’s out of conference schedule was rather strong, but the Gaels did not win any of these games.
Mideastern Athletic
UNC-Central 11-1/19-5
Norfolk St. 8-3/14-11
Morgan St. 7-3/9-13
Hampton 9-4/14-11
UNC-Central’s upset win over North Carolina St. is enough to avoid the opening round if the Eagles win the MEAC Tournament. UNCC played well in losses to Wichita St., Cincinnati, and Maryland.
Northeast
Robert Morris 11-1/16-11
Bryant 8-3/16-10
Wagner 7-4/13-11
This looks like an Opening Round game conference. RMU has no top 100 wins.
Ohio Valley
Belmont 11-2/20-8
Murray St. 11-2/16-9
Morehead St. 9-3/18-9
Eastern Kentucky 8-5/18-9
Belmont has been close before in the NCAA Tournament, losing to Duke by one. This year, the Bruins won at North Carolina and have close losses to Kentucky, VCU, and Richmond.
Patriot
Boston U. 12-2/19-8
American 11-3/15-10
Holy Cross 10-4/16-10
Boston U won at Maryland, but that is not an overly impressive win this season—just enough to avoid a trip to Dayton if the Terriers get the bid.
Southern
Davidson 11-1/15-11
Chattanooga 10-2/16-11
Wofford 9-3/15-10
Elon 8-3/15-11
Western Carolina 8-4/15-12
This is not a glory year for SoCon basketball. However, the conference tournament should be quite exciting with many nail-biters.
Southland
Stephen F. Austin 13-0/24-2
Sam Houston 10-3/18-7
Texas A&M-Corpus Christie 10-4/13-14
SFA has done nothing to qualify for at-large status, but the Lumberjacks should breeze through to the automatic bid. They swept Sam Houston in the regular season. The only conference team to give SFA trouble was Incarnate Word, and they are ineligible as a transitioning team.
Summit
North Dakota St. 9-2/20-6
South Dakota St. 8-3/16-10
I P F W 7-4/19-9
South Dakota St. was a better upset win possibility in last year’s tournament than NDSU is this year, and the Jackrabbits bowed quickly against Michigan.
Sun Belt
Georgia St. 10-1/17-7
Western Kentucky 9-4/17-9
UL-Lafayette 8-5/17-9
Not what it once was due to teams moving to better conferences, the SBC is just strong enough to muscle up to a 15-seed if GSU wins the bid.
Southwestern Athletic
Southern 10-2/14-11
Alabama St. 8-4/14-9
The SWAC is an improving league, but the 2014 champion is still more than likely headed to Dayton for the opening round. Southern lost by 14 at Florida and were never really in contention, but forward Calvin Godfrey showed he can play with the big guys.
Western Athletic
Utah Valley 9-2/15-9
New Mexico St. 9-3/20-8
With Grand Canyon ineligible due to the transition process to D1, Utah Valley and New Mexico St. are the only two WAC teams capable of avoiding Dayton and the opening round. This league has fallen more than any other due to the mass defections to other conferences.
NMSU’s RPI is around 80, but the Aggies did beat New Mexico earlier this year.
The Missouri Valley Conference and The West Coast Conference—One or Two-Bid Leagues
Missouri Valley
Wichita St. 14-0/27-0 (L)
Indiana St. 11-3/20-6
Missouri St. 7-7/17-9
Wichita St. should run the table and enter the NCAA Tournament at 35-0, but if the Shockers fall in the MVC Tournament, some big team’s bubble will burst, because this will then become a two-bid league.
West Coast
Gonzaga 13-1/23-4 (L)
B Y U 10-5/18-10 (B)
St. Mary’s 9-5/19-8 (Bo)
Gonzaga is a lock for the tournament, but BYU is still on the outside looking in. For now, we are giving this league just one team, bringing the total of teams in the field to this point to 23.
Multiple Bid Leagues (45)
As of today, we show these leagues combining to produce 45 total bids. The teams listed as “Bi” (Bubble—In) would be in the Tournament if today was Selection Sunday, but they are in no way secure bids.
There is quality at the top, as the best 20 teams are quite good this year. After the top 20, the rest of the field looks to be far down from past years. Teams as low as second to last in the Big 12 would be considered in the field if today was Selection Sunday, and that is utterly ridiculous.
It is our opinion that the top eight leagues should get 24 bids (3 per conference), and the rest of the nation should get eight bids total, making this a 32-team field. Expand the College Insider’s Tournament for the smaller conference teams and bring the NIT back to a more prestigious event.
Legend: (L) = Lock; (S) = Safe; (Bi) = Bubble—In; (B)= Bubble; (Bo)=Bubble—Out. The difference between (B) and (Bo) is that the (B) are among the next 8 out, whereas the (Bo) are more than 8 out. The (Bi) are among the last 8 in.
Atlantic Coast
Syracuse 12-0/25-0 (L)
Virginia 12-1/21-5 (L)
Duke 9-3/20-5 (L)
North Carolina 7-4/17-7 (S)
Pittsburgh 8-5/20-6 (S)
North Carolina St. 6-6/16-9 (Bo)
Clemson 6-6/15-9 (Bo)
Florida St. 6-7/15-10 (B)
American Athletic
Cincinnati 12-1/23-3 (L)
Louisville 10-2/21-4 (L)
SMU 9-4/20-6 (S)
Connecticut 8-4/20-5 (S)
Memphis 8-4/19-6 (S)
Atlantic 10
St. Louis 10-0/23-2 (S)
V C U 8-3/20-6 (S)
St. Joseph’s 7-3/17-7 (Bi)
Richmond 7-3/17-8 (Bo)
Massachusetts 7-4/20-5 (S)
George Washington 7-4/19-6 (S)
Dayton 5-5/17-8 (B)
Big 12
Kansas 10-2/19-6 (L)
Texas 9-3/20-5 (L)
Oklahoma 8-5/19-7 (S)
Iowa St. 7-5/19-5 (S)
Kansas St. 7-5/17-8 (S)
West Virginia 7-6/15-11 (B)
Texas Tech 5-7/13-12 (Bo)
Baylor 4-8/16-9 (B)
Oklahoma St. 4-8/16-9 (Bi)
Big East
Creighton 11-2/21-4 (L)
Villanova 10-2/22-3 (L)
Xavier 7-5/17-8 (S)
Marquette 7-5/15-10 (Bo)
Providence 7-6/17-9 (Bi)
St. John’s 7-6/17-9 (Bo)
Georgetown 6-7/15-10 (Bi)
Big Ten
Michigan St. 10-3/21-5 (L)
Michigan 10-3/18-7 (L)
Iowa 8-4/19-6 (S)
Wisconsin 8-5/21-5 (L)
Ohio St. 7-6/20-6 (S)
Nebraska 6-6/14-10 (Bo)
Minnesota 6-7/17-9 (Bi)
Mountain West
San Diego St. 11-1/22-2 (L)
New Mexico 10-2/19-5 (S)
Pac-12
Arizona 10-2/23-2 (L)
U C L A 9-3/20-5 (S)
Arizona St. 8-4/19-6 (S)
California 8-4/17-8 (S)
Colorado 8-5/19-7 (S)
Stanford 7-5/16-8 (Bi)
Utah 6-7/17-8 (Bo)
Washington 6-7/14-12 (Bo)
Oregon St. 5-7/13-11 (Bo)
Oregon 4-8/16-8 (Bi)
Southeastern
Florida 12-0/23-2 (L)
Kentucky 9-3/19-6 (L)
Georgia 8-4/14-10 (Bo)
Ole Miss 7-5/16-9 (Bo)
Missouri 6-6/18-7 (Bi)
L S U 6-6/15-9 (B)
Tennessee 6-6/15-10 (Bi)
If The Season Ended Today
|
Seed |
Team |
Conference |
|
|
1 |
Florida |
SEC |
|
|
1 |
Syracuse |
ACC |
|
|
1 |
Arizona |
Pac-12 |
|
|
1 |
Wichita St. |
Missouri Valley |
|
|
2 |
Villanova |
Big East |
|
|
2 |
Kansas |
Big 12 |
|
|
2 |
Michigan St. |
Big Ten |
|
|
2 |
Duke |
ACC |
|
|
3 |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
|
|
3 |
Creighton |
Big East |
|
|
3 |
Wisconsin |
Big Ten |
|
|
3 |
Iowa St. |
Big 12 |
|
|
4 |
San Diego St. |
Mountain West |
|
|
4 |
Cincinnati |
American |
|
|
4 |
Virginia |
ACC |
|
|
4 |
St. Louis |
Atlantic 10 |
|
|
5 |
Iowa |
Big Ten |
|
|
5 |
Kentucky |
SEC |
|
|
5 |
Louisville |
American |
|
|
5 |
Texas |
Big 12 |
|
|
6 |
U C L A |
Pac-12 |
|
|
6 |
Ohio St. |
Big Ten |
|
|
6 |
Connecticut |
American |
|
|
6 |
Oklahoma |
Big 12 |
|
|
7 |
North Carolina |
ACC |
|
|
7 |
Massachusetts |
Atlantic 10 |
|
|
7 |
Gonzaga |
West Coast |
|
|
7 |
Memphis |
American |
|
|
8 |
Kansas St. |
Big 12 |
|
|
8 |
Arizona St. |
Pac-12 |
|
|
8 |
V C U |
Atlantic 10 |
|
|
8 |
Pittsburgh |
ACC |
|
|
9 |
S M U |
American |
|
|
9 |
New Mexico |
Mountain West |
|
|
9 |
Colorado |
Pac-12 |
|
|
9 |
Oklahoma St. |
Big 12 |
|
|
10 |
George Washington |
Atlantic 10 |
|
|
10 |
Stanford |
Pac-12 |
|
|
10 |
California |
Pac-12 |
|
|
10 |
Xavier |
Big East |
|
|
11 |
Minnesota |
Big Ten |
|
|
11 |
Missouri |
SEC |
|
|
11 |
Tennessee |
SEC |
|
|
11 |
Harvard |
Ivy |
|
|
12 |
Green Bay |
Horizon |
|
|
12 |
Toledo |
Mid-American |
|
|
12 |
Georgetown |
Big East |
1st Rd |
|
12 |
St. Joseph’s |
Atlantic 10 |
1st Rd |
|
12 |
Providence |
Big East |
1st Rd |
|
12 |
Oregon |
Pac-12 |
1st Rd |
|
13 |
Stephen F. Austin |
Southland |
|
|
13 |
Belmont |
Ohio Valley |
|
|
13 |
North Dakota St. |
Summit |
|
|
13 |
Delaware |
Colonial |
|
|
14 |
Mercer |
Atlantic Sun |
|
|
14 |
Iona |
Metro Atlantic |
|
|
14 |
Vermont |
America East |
|
|
14 |
Georgia St. |
Sun Belt |
|
|
15 |
UNC-Central |
MEAC |
|
|
15 |
Boston U. |
Patriot |
|
|
15 |
Southern Miss. |
CUSA |
|
|
15 |
U C S B |
Big West |
|
|
16 |
Davidson |
Southern |
|
|
16 |
Southern U. |
SWAC |
|
|
16 |
Weber St. |
Big Sky |
1st Rd |
|
16 |
Robert Morris |
Northeast |
1st Rd |
|
16 |
Coastal Carolina |
Big South |
1st Rd |
|
16 |
Utah Valley |
WAC |
1st Rd |
Last Eight Bubble Teams On the Inside For Now (Oregon is last team in today)
Oregon
Providence
St. Joseph’s
Georgetown
Tennessee
Missouri
Minnesota
Xavier
Top Eight Bubble Teams On the Outside, Looking In (Richmond is first team out today)
Richmond
B Y U
Louisiana Tech
Florida St.
Baylor
Dayton
L S U
West Virginia
Comments Off on PiRate Ratings Top 30 Bracketologists Report
February 11, 2014
College Basketball–Conference Tournaments Primer
We normally kick off our NCAA Men’s Basketball coverage with a breakdown of the Bracketbuster games, but the Bracketbuster weekend is no more. So, we have chosen today to begin putting our slant on bracketology.
We have tweaked our Bracketnomics’ formula, and when we get closer to Big Dance time, we will explain our changes as well as why we made changes. There are numerous ratings’ formulas out there, including the major four factors, but those factors are not as reliable in NCAA Tournament play as they are in regular season play, so if you follow this type of rating, you will be barking up the wrong tree after March 10.
The first conference tournaments begin in just 20 days, so we will start by giving you a preview on each conference tournament.
Conference: America East
Site: SEFCU Arena, Guilderland, NY (Greater Albany)
Date: March 8-9, 15
Teams in Tournament: 8 (Massachusetts-Lowell Not Eligible)
Bracket Type: Standard (1-8/4-5/2-7/3-6)
Conference: American Athletic
Site: The Fed Ex Forum, Memphis, TN
Date: March 12-15
Teams in Tournament: 10
Bracket Type: Standard (7-10, 8-9, 1-7-10, 4-5 2-8-9, 3-6)
Conference: Atlantic 10
Site: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Date: March 12-16
Teams in Tournament: 13
Bracket Type: Standard (12-13, 5-12-13, 6-11, 7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5-12-13, 2-7-10, 3-6-11)
Conference: Atlantic Coast
Site: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
Date: March 12-16
Teams in Tournament: 15
Bracket Type: 15 to 12 to 8 (10-15, 11-14, 12-13, 5-12-13, 6-11-14, 7-10-15, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5-12-13, 2-7-10-15, 3-6-11-14)
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Site: All Games Played at home floor of higher seed
Date: March 4, 6, & 9
Teams in Tournament: 8 (Northern Kentucky Not Eligible)
Bracket Type: Standard (8@1, 7@2, 6@3, 5@4)
Conference: Big 12
Site: Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
Date: March 12-15
Teams in Tournament: 10
Bracket Type: Standard (7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5, 2-7-10, 3-6)
Conference: Big East
Site: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date: March 12-15
Teams in Tournament: 10
Bracket Type: Standard (7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5, 2-7-10, 3-6)
Conference: Big Sky
Site: At Home Floor of Regular Season Champion
Date: March 14-16
Teams in Tournament: 7
Bracket Type: Re-Seeded After Each Round (2-7, 3-6, 4-5, 1-bye and plays lowest seeded 1st round winner)
Conference: Big South
Site: HTC Center, Conway, SC (Coastal Carolina)
Date: March 5, 7-9
Teams in Tournament: 12
Bracket Type: Standard Divisional (3N-6S, 4N-5S, 3S-6N, 4S-5N, 1N-4S-5N, 2S-3N-6S, 1S-4N-5S, 2N-3S-6N)
Conference: Big Ten
Site: Banker’s Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Date: March 13-16
Teams in Tournament: 12
Bracket Type: Standard (5-12, 6-11, 7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5-12, 2-7-10, 3-6-11)
Conference: Big West
Site: Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
Date: March 13-15
Teams in Tournament: 8
Bracket Type: Standard (1-8, 4-5, 2-7, 3-6)
Conference: Colonial Athletic
Site: Baltimore Arena, Baltimore, MD
Date: March 7-10
Teams in Tournament: 9
Bracket Type: Standard (8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5, 2-7, 3-6)
Conference: Conference USA
Site: Don Haskins Center, El Paso, TX
Date: March 11-15
Teams in Tournament: 15 (Florida Int’l Not eligible)
Bracket Type: 15 to 12 to 8 (10-15, 11-14, 12-13, 5-12-13, 6-11-14, 7-10-15, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5-12-13, 2-7-10-15, 3-6-11-14)
Conference: Horizon League
Site: First Round at Higher Seed, Quarterfinals and Semifinals at #1 Seed, Championship at Higher Seed
Date: March 4, 7, 8, & 11
Teams in Tournament: 9
Bracket Type: 9 to 6 to 4 (4-9, 5-8, 6-7, 3-6-7, 4-9-5-8, 1-4-9-5-8, 2-3-6-7)
Conference: Ivy League
Site: No Tournament—Regular Season Champion Receives Automatic Bid
Date: If Two Teams Are Tied, the Playoff would be held March 10 or 11
Teams in Tournament: N/A
Bracket Type: N/A
Conference: Metro Atlantic Athletic
Site: Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, MA
Date: March 6, 8-10
Teams in Tournament: 11
Bracket Type: Standard (6-11, 7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5, 2-7-10, 3-6-11)
Conference: Mid-American
Site: First Round at Higher Seed, Rest at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH)
Date: March 10, 12-15
Teams in Tournament: 12 (teams seeded 1-12 regardless of which division they are in)
Bracket Type: Standard (5-12, 6-11, 7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5-12, 2-7-10, 3-6-11)
Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic
Site: Norfolk Scope, Norfolk, VA
Date: March 10-13
Teams in Tournament: 13
Bracket Type: Standard (4-13, 5-12, 6-11, 7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-13-5-12, 2-7-10, 3-6-11)
Conference: Missouri Valley (Arch Madness)
Site: Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO
Date: March 6-9
Teams in Tournament: 10
Bracket Type: Standard (7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5, 2-7-10, 3-6)
Conference: Mountain West
Site: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
Date: March 12-15
Teams in Tournament: 11
Bracket Type: Standard (6-11, 7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5, 2-7-10, 3-6-11)
Conference: Northeast
Site: All Games Played at Higher Seed
Date: March 5, 8, & 11
Teams in Tournament: 8
Bracket Type: Standard (8@1, 5@4, 7@2, 6@3)
Conference: Ohio Valley
Site: Municipal Auditorium (Nashville, TN)
Date: March 5-8
Teams in Tournament: 8
Bracket Type: 8 to 6 to 4 (5-8, 6-7, 4-5-8, 3-6-7, 1-4-5-8, 2-3-6-7)
Conference: Pac-12
Site: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Date: March 12-15
Teams in Tournament: 12
Bracket Type: Standard (5-12, 6-11, 7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5-12, 2-7-10, 3-6-11)
Conference: Patriot League
Site: All Games Played at Higher Seed
Date: March 3, 5, 8, & 12
Teams in Tournament: 10
Bracket Type: Standard (10@7, 9@8, 8-9@1, 5@4 7-10@2, 6@3)
Conference: Southeastern
Site: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
Date: March 12-16
Teams in Tournament: 14
Bracket Type: 14 to 12 to 8 (11-14, 12-13, 5-12-13, 6-11-14, 7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5-12-13, 2-7-10, 3-6-11-14)
Conference: Southern
Site: U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville, NC
Date: March 7-10
Teams in Tournament: 11
Bracket Type: Standard (6-11, 7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5, 2-7-10, 3-6-11)
Conference: Southland
Site: Leonard E. Merrell Center, Katy, TX (Greater Houston)
Date: March 12, 14-16
Teams in Tournament: 8 (Abilene Christian, Incarnate Word, & New Orleans Not Eligible)
Bracket Type: 8 to 6 to 4 (5-8, 6-7, 4-5-8, 3-6-7, 1-4-5-8, 2-3-6-7)
Conference: Southwestern Athletic
Site: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Date: March 13-16
Teams in Tournament: 7 (UA-Pine Bluff, Grambling, & Mississippi Valley St. are ineligible)
Bracket Type: Standard (2-7, 3-6, 4-5, 1-4-5, 2-7-3-6)
Conference: Summit League
Site: Sioux Falls Arena, Sioux Falls, SD
Date: March 8-11
Teams in Tournament: 7 (Omaha Not Eligible)
Bracket Type: Standard (2-7, 3-6, 4-5, 1-4-5, 2-7-3-6)
Conference: Sun Belt
Site: Lakefront Arena (New Orleans, LA)
Date: March 13-16
Teams in Tournament: 8
Bracket Type: 8 to 6 to 4 (5-8, 6-7, 4-5-8, 3-6-7, 1-4-5-8, 2-3-6-7)
Conference: West Coast
Site: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Date: March 6, 8, 10-11
Teams in Tournament: 10
Bracket Type: Standard (7-10, 8-9, 1-8-9, 4-5, 2-7-10, 3-6)
Conference: Western Athletic
Site: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Date: March 13-15
Teams in Tournament: 8 (Grand Canyon not eligible)
Bracket Type: Standard (1-8, 4-5, 2-7, 3-6)
Comments Off on College Basketball–Conference Tournaments Primer
March 11, 2012
NCAA College Basketball Tournaments — March 11 Update
Here is the up-to-date (as of Saturday Night, March 10) results of all conference tournaments as well as the pairings for today’s games.
America East
Preliminary Round
#9 Binghamton 73 #8 Md.-Balt. Co. 67
Quarterfinals
#1 Stony Brook 78 # 9 Binghamton 69
#4 Albany 63 #5 New Hampshire 45
#2 Vermont 50 #7 Maine 40
#6 Hartford 53 #3 Boston U 49
Semifinals
#1 Stony Brook 57 #4 Albany 55
#2 Vermont 77 #6 Hartford 73 2OT
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Vermont 51 #1 Stony Brook 43
Automatic Bid – VERMONT 23-11
At-Large – None
Bubble – None
This is a one-bid league. Vermont destroyed Stony Brook by 19 points during the regular season, and yesterday showed that the earlier game was not a fluke.
A C C
Opening Round
#8 Maryland 82 #9 Wake Forest 60
#5 North Carolina St. 78 #12 Boston College 57
#10 Virginia Tech 68 #7 Clemson 63
#6 Miami (FL) 54 #11 Georgia Tech 36
Quarterfinals
#1 North Carolina 85 #8 Maryland 69
#5 North Carolina St. 67 #4 Virginia 64
#2 Duke 60 #10 Virginia Tech 56
#3 Florida St. 82 #6 Miami (FL) 71
Semifinals
#1 North Carolina 69 #5 North Carolina St. 67
#3 Florida St. 62 #2 Duke 59
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 North Carolina (29-4) vs. #3 Florida St. (23-9)
At-Large: North Carolina, Duke, Florida St., Virginia
Upper Bubble: North Carolina St.
Lower Bubble: Miami (FL)
North Carolina already has a number one seed to the NCAA Tournament, but the Tar Heels will play all out today. UNC usually fares best in the Big Dance when they win the ACC Tournament.
Atlantic Sun
Quarterfinals
#1 Belmont 76 #8 Jacksonville 62
#4 East Tennessee 68 #5 N. Florida 66
#2 Mercer 61 #7 Lipscomb 53
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 71 #3 S. Carolina Upstate 61
Semifinals
#1 Belmont 69 #4 East Tennessee 61
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 62 #2 Mercer 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Belmont 83 Florida Gulf Coast 69
Automatic Bid – BELMONT 27-7
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Atlantic 10
1st Round
#8 Massachusetts 92 #9 Duquesne 83
#5 St. Joe’s 80 #12 Charlotte 64
#7 LaSalle 80 #10 Richmond 72
#6 Dayton 67 #11 George Washington 50
Quarterfinals
#8 Massachusetts 77 #1 Temple 71
#4 St. Bonaventure 71 #5 St. Joe’s 68
#2 St. Louis 78 #7 LaSalle 71
#3 Xavier 70 #6 Dayton 69
Semifinals
#4 St. Bonaventure 84 #8 Massachusetts 80
#3 Xavier 71 #2 St. Louis 64
CHAMPIONSHIP
#3 Xavier (21-11) vs. #4 St. Bonaventure (19-11)
At-Large: Temple, St. Louis
Upper Bubble:
Lower Bubble: Xavier
There will be one less bubble team getting an at-large bid thanks to the A-10. Neither Xavier nor St. Bonaventure would have received a bid, so the winner becomes a bid-thief.
Big East
Opening Round
#9 Connecticut 81 #16 Dayton 67
#13 Pittsburgh 73 #12 St. John’s 59
#10 Seton Hall 79 #15 Providence 47
#14 Villanova 70 #11 Rutgers 49
2nd Round
#9 Connecticut 71 #8 West Virginia 67 OT
#5 Georgetown 64 #13 Pittsburgh 52
#7 Louisville 61 #10 Seton Hall 55
#6 South Florida 56 #14 Villanova 47
Quarterfinals
#1 Syracuse 58 #9 Connecticut 55
#4 Cincinnati 72 #5 Georgetown 70 2OT
#7 Louisville 84 #2 Marquette 71
#3 Notre Dame 57 #6 South Florida 52
Semifinals
#4 Cincinnati 71 #1 Syracuse 68
#7 Louisville 64 #3 Notre Dame 50
CHAMPIONSHIP
#7 Louisville 50 #4 Cincinnati 44
Automatic Bid – LOUISVILLE 26-9
At-Large Teams – Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Connecticut
Bubble – Seton Hall, South Florida
Big Sky
Quarterfinals
#3 Portland St. 75 #6 Montana St. 53
#4 Eastern Washington 81 #5 Idaho St. 75
Semifinals
#1 Montana 74 #4 Eastern Washington 66
#2 Weber St. 69 #3 Portland St. 63
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Montana 85 #2 Weber St. 66
Automatic Bid: MONTANA 25-6
At-Large: None
Bubble: None
This is a one-bid league, but both Montana and Weber State are talented enough to win an opening round game in the NCAA Tournament. With an RPI around 70, the Wildcats are probably not on the bubble.
Big South
Preliminary Round
#8 High Point 68 #9 Gardner-Webb 58
#7 VMI 55 #10 Radford 53
Quarterfinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 86 #8 High Point 61
#4 Charleston Sou. 88 #5 Liberty 74
#6 Winthrop 71 #3 Campbell 55
#7 VMI 85 #2 Coastal Carolina 68
Semifinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 91 #4 Charleston Sou. 64
#7 VMI 75 #6 Winthrop 55
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 UNC-Asheville 80 #7 VMI 64
Automatic Bid – UNC-ASHEVILLE 24-9
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Big Ten
Opening Round
#8 Iowa 64 #9 Illinois 61
#5 Indiana 75 #12 Penn State 58
#10 Minnesota 75 #7 Northwestern 68
#6 Purdue 79 #11 Nebraska 61
Quarterfinals
#1 Michigan St. 92 #8 Iowa 75
#4 Wisconsin 79 #5 Indiana 71
#2 Michigan 73 #10 Minnesota 69
#3 Ohio St. 88 #6 Purdue 71
Semifinals
#1 Michigan St. 65 #4 Wisconsin 52
#3 Ohio St. 77 #2 Michigan 55
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Michigan St. (26-7) vs. #3 Ohio St. (27-6)
At-Large: Ohio St., Michigan St., Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue
Upper Bubble:
Lower Bubble: Northwestern
The two best teams in the league face off for the final conference championship. All bids will be decided by the final horn.
Big 12
Opening Round
#9 Texas A&M 62 #8 Oklahoma 53
#7 Oklahoma St. 76 #10 Texas Tech 60
Quarterfinals
#1 Kansas 83 #9 Texas A&M 66
#4 Baylor 82 #5 Kansas St. 74
#2 Missouri 88 #7 Oklahoma St. 70
#3 Iowa St. 65 #6 Texas 71
Semifinals
#4 Baylor 81 #1 Kansas 72
#2 Missouri 81 #6 Texas 67
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Missouri 90 #4 Baylor 75
Automatic Bid – MISSOURI 30-4
At-Large Teams – Kansas, Baylor, Iowa St., Kansas St.,
Bubble – Texas
Missouri has a decent shot at moving up to a number one seed, but not as much as if they had defeated Kansas instead of Baylor for the title.
Big West
Quarterfinals
#1 Long Beach St. 80 #8 UC-Davis 46
#4 Cal Poly SLO 66 #5 UC-Riverside 54
#7 UC-Irvine 65 #2 Cal State Fullerton 59
#3 U C S B 72 #6 Pacific 52
Semifinals
#1 Long Beach St. 68 #7 UC-Irvine 57
#3 U C S B 64 #4 Cal Poly SLO 52
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Long Beach St. 77 #3 U C S B 64
Automatic Bid – LONG BEACH ST. 25-8
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Long Beach State deserves a number 12 seed. The 49ers will be a dangerous opponent in the first two rounds.
Colonial Athletic
Opening Round
#9 UNC-Wilmington 70 #8 James Madison 59
#5 Delaware 72 #12 Towson St. 65
#6 Georgia St. 85 #11 Hofstra 50
#7 Northeastern 57 #10 William & Mary 49
Quarterfinals
#1 Drexel 59 #9 UNC-Wilmington 47
#4 Old Dominion 88 #5 Delaware 74
#3 George Mason 61 #6 Georgia St. 59
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 75 #10 William & Mary 65
Semifinals
#1 Drexel 68 #4 Old Dominion 51
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 74 #3 George Mason 64
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 59 #1 Drexel 56
Automatic Bid – VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH 28-6
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – Drexel
Drexel has a chance of earning an at-large bid, but their RPI is on the low side at 68.
Conference USA
Opening Round
#5 U A B 72 #12 Tulane 64
#8 U T E P 67 #9 Houston 62 OT
#10 East Carolina 68 #7 Rice 66
#6 Marshall 74 #11 S M U 56
Quarterfinals
#1 Memphis 65 #8 U T E P 47
#4 Central Florida 51 #5 U A B 43
#2 Southern Mississippi 81 #10 East Carolina 78
#6 Marshall 105 #3 Tulsa 100 3 OT
Semifinals
#1 Memphis 83 #4 Central Florida 52
#6 Marshall 73 #2 Southern Mississippi 62
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Memphis 83 #6 Marshall 57
Automatic Bid – MEMPHIS 26-8
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – Southern Miss
Memphis’s blowout win over Marshall definitely kept the Thundering Herd out of any discussion. Southern Miss is not a high bubble team. The Golden Eagles could be disappointed around 7 PM EDT today.
Horizon League
Opening Round
#4 Milwaukee 68 #9 Illinois-Chi. 55
#5 Butler 70 #8 Wright St. 52
#3 Detroit 80 #10 Loyola (Chi) 71
#6 Youngstown 77 #7 Green Bay 60
Quarterfinals
#5 Butler 71 #4 Milwaukee 49
#3 Detroit 93 #6 Youngstown St. 76
Semifinals
#1 Valparaiso 65 #5 Butler 46
#3 Detroit 63 #2 Cleveland St. 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#3 Detroit 70 #1 Valparaiso 50
Automatic Bid – DETROIT 22-13
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
This is a one-bid league. Neither Valpo, Cleveland State nor Butler will earn at-large bids.
M A A C
Preliminary Round
#8 Marist 64 #9 St. Peter’s 57
#7 Niagara 80 #10 Canisius 70
Quarterfinals
#1 Iona 87 #8 Marist 63
#4 Fairfield 65 #5 Rider 63
#2 Loyola (MD) 86 #7 Niagara 73
#6 Siena 84 #3 Manhattan 82
Semifinals
#4 Fairfield 85 #1 Iona 75
#2 Loyola (MD) 70 #6 Siena 60
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Loyola (MD) 48 #4 Fairfield 44
Automatic Bid – LOYOLA (MD) 24-8
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
This is a one-bid league. Iona played their way out of the Big Dance and into the NIT.
M A C
Opening Round
#12 Northern Illinois 55 #5 Eastern Michigan 52
#8 Western Michigan 69 #9 Ball St. 63
#7 Toledo 60 #10 (Miami (O) 53
#11 Central Michigan 54 #6 Bowling Green 53
2nd Round
#8 Western Michigan 71 #12 Northern Illinois 54
#7 Toledo 75 #11 Central Michigan 72
Quarterfinals
#4 Kent St. 76 #8 Western Michigan 72
#3 Ohio 65 #7 Toledo 57
Semifinals
#1 Akron 78 #4 Kent St. 74
#3 Ohio 77 #2 Buffalo 74
CHAMPIONSHIP
#3 Ohio 64 #1 Akron 63
Automatic Bid – OHIO 26-7
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – Akron
Akron fell to #58 in the RPI, so the Zips have a chance to get an at-large bid.
M E A C
Opening Round
#8 Hampton 69 #9 Morgan St. 65
#5 North Carolina Central 60 #12 Md. Eastern Shore 43
#4 Bethune-Cookman 62 #13 South Carolina St. 53
#11 Florida A& M 74 #6 Coppin St. 72
#10 Howard 51 #7 North Carolina A&T 50
Quarterfinals
#8 Hampton 59 #1 Savannah St. 46
#4 Bethune-Cookman 60 #5 North Carolina Central 59
#2 Norfolk St. 71 #7 Howard 61
#11 Florida A&M 65 #3 Delaware St. 55
Semfinals
#4 Bethune-Cookman 81 #8 Hampton 72
#2 Norfolk St. 58 #11 Florida A&M 46
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Norfolk St. 73 #4 Bethune-Cookman 70
Automatic Bid – NORFOLK ST. 25-9
At-Large – None
Bubble – None
Norfolk State makes its first trip to the NCAA Tournament, and the Spartans have a chance to avoid the first round in Dayton.
Missouri Valley
Opening Round
#8 Indiana St. 66 #9 Southern Illinois 51
#7 Drake 65 #10 Bradley 49
Quarterfinals
#1 Wichita St. 72 #8 Indiana St. 48
#4 Illinois St. 54 #5 Northern Iowa 42
#2 Creighton 68 vs. #7 Drake 61
#3 Evansville 72 vs. #6 Missouri St. 64
Semifinals
#4 Illinois St. 65 #1 Wichita St. 64
#2 Creighton 99 #3 Evansville 71
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Creighton 83 #4 Illinois St. 79 OT
Automatic Bid – CREIGHTON 27-5
At-Large – Wichita St. 27-5
Bubble – None
Mountain West
Quarterfinals
#1 San Diego St. 65 #8 Boise St. 62
#4 Colorado St. 81 #5 T C U 60
#2 New Mexico 79 #7 Air Force 64
#3 U N L V 56 #6 Wyoming 48
Semifinals
#1 San Diego St. 79 #4 Colorado St. 69
#2 New Mexico 72 #3 U N L V 67
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 New Mexico 68 #1 San Diego St. 59
Automatic Bid – NEW MEXICO 27-6
At-Large – San Diego St., U N L V
Bubble – Colorado St.
Anything other than four bids would be disappointing and even ridiculous. Colorado State’s RPI is #24, and the Rams are tournament-worthy.
Northeast
Quarterfinals
#1 Long Island 80 #8 Sacred Heart 68
#5 Quinnipiac 80 #4 St. Francis (NY) 72
#3 Robert Morris 87 #6 Monmouth 68
#2 Wagner 87 #7 Central Conn. St. 77
Semifinals
#1 Long Island 78 #5 Quinnipiac 75
#3 Robert Morris 71 #2 Wagner 64
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Long Island 90 #3 Robert Morris 73
Automatic Bid: LONG ISLAND 25-8
At-Large: None
Bubble: None
Wagner’s slim chances for getting in as a wildcard team went bye-bye with their semifinal loss to RMU.
LIU enters the Big Dance winning 20 of their last 22 games.
Ohio Valley
Opening Round
#5 Southeast Missouri 75 #8 E. Kentucky 65
#7 Jacksonville St. 75 #6 Austin Peay 70
Quarterfinals
#4 Tennessee Tech 77 #5 Southeast Missouri 73
#3 Morehead St. 68 #7 Jacksonville St. 54
Semifinals
#1 Murray St. 78 #4 Tennessee Tech 58
#2 Tennessee St. 59 #3 Morehead St. 52
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Murray St. 54 #2 Tennessee St. 52
Automatic Bid – MURRAY ST. 30-1
At-Large – None
Bubble – None
Murray State should receive a #4 or #5 seed, a #6 at worst.
Pac-12
Opening Round
#9 Oregon St. 69 #8 Washington St. 64
#5 U C L A 55 #12 U S C 40
#7 Stanford 85 #10 Arizona St. 65
#6 Colorado 53 #11 Utah 41
Quarterfinals
#9 Oregon State 86 #1 Washington 84
#4 Arizona 66 #5 U C L A 58
#2 California 77 #7 Stanford 71
#6 Colorado 63 #3 Oregon 62
Semifinals
#4 Arizona 72 #9 Oregon St. 61
#6 Colorado 70 #2 California 59
CHAMPIONSHIP
#6 Colorado 53 #4 Arizona 51
Automatic Bid – COLORADO 23-11
At-Large – None
Bubble – California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona
Colorado is the only sure bid in this league. However, we believe that no ‘Big Six” conference will receive just one bid. Politics must be considered, even if “they” claim that all at-large teams are considered as independents. Look for at least one from the bubble above to make the Dance.
Patriot League
Quarterfinals
#1 Bucknell 87 #8 Navy 63
#5 Lafayette 84 #4 Holy Cross 76
#2 Lehigh 70 #7 Colgate 57
#3 American 57 #6 Army 40
Semifinals
#1 Bucknell 79 #5 Lafayette 52
#2 Lehigh 85 #3 American 66
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Lehigh 82 #1 Bucknell 77
Automatic Bid: LEHIGH 26-7
At-Large: None
Bubble: None
The Mountain Hawks search for the first NCAA Tournament win in their fifth trip to the Big Dance, and they have the one-two punch in C J McCollum and Gabe Knutson. Lehigh lost at Michigan State by just nine points earlier in the year, and they enter the NCAA Tournament having won eight games in a row and 12 of 13.
Southern
Opening Round
#5N Appalachian St. 93 #4S College of Charleston 81
#3N Western Carolina 68 #6S Citadel 56
#5S Furman 75 #4N Samford 66
#3S Georgia Southern 76 #6N Chattanooga 70
Quarterfinals
#1N UNC-Greensboro 65 #5N Appalachian St. 55
#3N Western Carolina 82 #2S Wofford 59
#1S Davidson 73 #5S Furman 54
#2N Elon 65 #3S Georgia Southern 58
Semifinals
#3N Western Carolina 82 #1N UNC-Greensboro 77
#1S Davidson 83 #2N Elon 67
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1S Davidson 93 #1N UNC-Greensboro 91
Automatic Bid – DAVIDSON 25-7
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Davidson might not have earned a ticket as an at-large team. Tell that to Kansas coach Bill Self, and he would say you were crazy.
S E C
Opening Round
#8 L S U 70 #9 Arkansas 54
#5 Alabama 63 #12 South Carolina 57
#7 Ole Miss 68 #10 Auburn 54
#11 Georgia 71 #6 Mississippi St. 61
Quarterfinals
#1 Kentucky 60 #8 L S U 51
#4 Florida 66 #5 Alabama 63
#7 Ole Miss 77 #2 Tennessee 72 OT
#3 Vanderbilt 63 #11 Georgia 41
Semifinals
#1 Kentucky 74 #4 Florida 71
#3 Vanderbilt 65 #7 Ole Miss 53
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Kentucky (32-1) vs. #3 Vanderbilt (23-10)
At-Large: Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt
Upper Bubble: Alabama
Lower Bubble: Ole Miss, Mississippi St.
The two teams picked to finish one-two at the beginning of the year meet for the tournament championship. Kentucky won two close games during the year. The Wildcats are just one last second jump shot away from being undefeated and considered the best team since Bill Walton’s 1973 UCLA Bruins went 30-0. Look for the Wildcats to turn Royal Street into Royal Blue Street around 2:30 PM today.
Southland
Quarterfinals
#1 UT-Arlington 96 #8 Nicholls St. 48
#4 McNeese St. 78 #5 TX-San Antonio 74 OT
#2 Stephen F Austin 68 #7 Sam Houston 46
#3 Lamar 76 #6 Northwestern State (LA) 69
Semifinals
#4 McNeese St. 92 #1 UT-Arlington 72
#3 Lamar 55 #2 Stephen F Austin 44
CHAMPIONSHIP
#3 Lamar 70 #4 McNeese St. 49
Automatic Bid – LAMAR 23-11
At-Large – None
Bubble – None
Lamar probably has a date in Dayton in two or three days.
S W A C
Quarterfinals
#1 Mississippi Valley St. 63 #8 Jackson St. 60
#5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 60 #4 Alabama St. 56
#2 Texas Southern 75 #7 Alabama A&M 62
#6 Alcorn St. 103 #3 Prairie View 79
Semifinals
#1 Mississippi Valley St. 71 #5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 64
#2 Texas Southern 60 #6 Alcorn St. 55
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Mississippi Valley St. 71 #2 Texas Southern 69
Automatic Bid – MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ST. 21-12
At-Large – None
Bubble – None
The Delta Devils began the season 1-11 but have gone 20-1 since. Still, they most likely will be forced to play in Dayton.
Summit League
Quarterfinals
#1 Oral Roberts 71 #8 I P F W 67
#4 Western Illinois 58 #5 North Dakota St. 53
#2 South Dakota St. 77 I U P U I 56
#6 Southern Utah 84 #3 Oakland 82
Semifinals
#4 Western Illinois 54 #1 Oral Roberts 53
#2 South Dakota St. 63 #6 Southern Utah 47
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 South Dakota St. 52 #4 Western Illinois 50
Automatic Bid – SOUTH DAKOTA ST. 27-7
At-Large Teams –None
Bubble – Oral Roberts
Had South Dakota St. and Oral Roberts advanced to the Championship Game, and Oral Roberts’ lost instead of losing to WIU in the semis, ORU would be on the at-large line and not the bubble. With an RPI of 55, the Golden Eagles are in a precarious position.
Sunbelt
Opening Round
#6 South Alabama 87 #11 Troy 81
#7 Western Kentucky 67 #10 Florida Int’l 63
#9 Arkansas St. 70 #8 Florida Atlantic 55
Quarterfinals
#9 Arkansas St. 64 #1 Middle Tennessee 61
#5 North Texas 65 #4 Louisiana-Lafayette 62
#7 Western Kentucky 68 #2 U A L R 63
#3 Denver 61 #6 South Alabama 50
Semifinals
#5 North Texas 76 #9 Arkansas St. 72
#7 Western Kentucky 67 #3 Denver 63
CHAMPIONSHIP
#7 Western Kentucky 74 #3 Denver 70
Automatic Bid –WESTERN KENTUCKY 15-18
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – Middle Tennessee
This is probably a one-bid league. The top two seeds lost in their first games in this unique tournament played in two separate gyms in the same building. Middle Tennessee may still be on the bubble with an RPI of 65, but they are more than likely headed to the NIT. Western Kentucky will be headed to the first round in Dayton. However, their 15-18 record is very misleading. The Hilltoppers were supposed to contend for the regular season championship; however, major dissension led to a poor start and a dismissal of head coach Ken McDonald. Since Ray Harper assumed command, WKU has sported a 10-7 record, and a 7-4 finish. This team cannot be overlooked in Dayton and could very well advance to the second round.
W A C
Quarterfinals
#1 Nevada 54 #8 San Jose St. 44
#5 Louisiana Tech 72 #4 Utah St. 70
#2 New Mexico St. 65 #7 Fresno St. 49
#6 Hawaii 72 #3 Idaho 70
Semifinals
#5 Louisiana Tech 78 #1 Nevada 73
#2 New Mexico St. 92 #6 Hawaii 81
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 New Mexico St. 82 #5 Louisiana Tech 57
Automatic Bid – NEW MEXICO ST. 26-9
At-Large – None
Bubble – Nevada.
Nevada fell to #63 in the RPI, and the Wolfpack are on the cusp of falling off the bubble.
West Coast
Opening Round
#8 Portland 74 #9 Santa Clara 70
2nd Round
#5 San Francisco 87 #8 Portland 66
#6 San Diego 76 #7 Pepperdine 54
Quarterfinals
#5 San Francisco 67 #4 Loyola Marymount 60
#3 B Y U 73 vs. #6 San Diego 68
Semifinals
#1 Saint Mary’s 83 #5 San Francisco 78
#2 Gonzaga 77 #3 B Y U 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Saint Mary’s 78 #2 Gonzaga 74 OT
Automatic Bid – SAINT MARY’S 26-5
At-Large Teams – Gonzaga
Bubble – B Y U
This has the look of a three-bid league, with the two behemoths and BYU all headed to the Big Dance. Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga are now the true powers of the West. If you remember UCLA versus USC or Oregon State in the 1970’s and 1980’s, this is what this rivalry has become. Both teams could easily advance to the Elite 8.
Comments Off on NCAA College Basketball Tournaments — March 11 Update
March 10, 2012
NCAA College Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 10 Update
Here is the up-to-date (as of Friday Night, March 9) results of all conference tournaments as well as the pairings for today’s games.
America East
Preliminary Round
#9 Binghamton 73 #8 Md.-Balt. Co. 67
Quarterfinals
#1 Stony Brook 78 # 9 Binghamton 69
#4 Albany 63 #5 New Hampshire 45
#2 Vermont 50 #7 Maine 40
#6 Hartford 53 #3 Boston U 49
Semifinals
#1 Stony Brook 57 #4 Albany 55
#2 Vermont 77 #6 Hartford 73 2OT
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Stony Brook (21-8) vs. Vermont (22-11)
This is a one-bid league. Stony Brook has won 19 of its last 21 games, but one of those two losses was a 19-point humiliation at the hands of Vermont. The Sea Wolves defeated the Catamounts at Stony Brook Arena earlier in the season, and that is where this game will be played Saturday afternoon.
A C C
Opening Round
#8 Maryland 82 #9 Wake Forest 60
#5 North Carolina St. 78 #12 Boston College 57
#10 Virginia Tech 68 #7 Clemson 63
#6 Miami (FL) 54 #11 Georgia Tech 36
Quarterfinals
#1 North Carolina 85 #8 Maryland 69
#5 North Carolina St. 67 #4 Virginia 64
#2 Duke 60 #10 Virginia Tech 56
#3 Florida St. 82 #6 Miami (FL) 71
Semifinals
#1 North Carolina (28-4) vs. #5 North Carolina St. (22-11)
#2 Duke (27-5) vs. #3 Florida St. (22-9)
At-Large: North Carolina, Duke, Florida St., Virginia
Upper Bubble: North Carolina St.
Lower Bubble: Miami (FL)
The North Carolina St.-Virginia game lived up to our predicted billing. We believe the Wolf Pack have a better than 50-50 chance of getting into the Big Dance.
North Carolina knocked off the Wolf Pack by 19 and by 12 during the regular season. Duke and Florida State split during conference play, with the Seminoles winning in Durham and the Blue Devils winning in Tallahassee.
Atlantic Sun
Quarterfinals
#1 Belmont 76 #8 Jacksonville 62
#4 East Tennessee 68 #5 N. Florida 66
#2 Mercer 61 #7 Lipscomb 53
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 71 #3 S. Carolina Upstate 61
Semifinals
#1 Belmont 69 #4 East Tennessee 61
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 62 #2 Mercer 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Belmont 83 Florida Gulf Coast 69
Automatic Bid – BELMONT 27-7
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Atlantic 10
1st Round
#8 Massachusetts 92 #9 Duquesne 83
#5 St. Joe’s 80 #12 Charlotte 64
#7 LaSalle 80 #10 Richmond 72
#6 Dayton 67 #11 George Washington 50
Quarterfinals
#8 Massachusetts 77 #1 Temple 71
#4 St. Bonaventure 71 #5 St. Joe’s 68
#2 St. Louis 78 #7 LaSalle 71
#3 Xavier 70 #6 Dayton 69
Semifinals
#4 St. Bonaventure (18-11) vs. #8 Massachusetts (22-10)
#2 St. Louis (25-6) vs. #3 Xavier (20-11)
At-Large: Temple, St. Louis
Upper Bubble:
Lower Bubble: Xavier, St. Joe’s, and Dayton
As we told you a couple days ago, the eight quarterfinal teams were not that far apart talent-wise. All four games were close, exciting contests, and the number one seed was sent home by the number eight seed. Temple and St. Louis are sure locks for bids, and if one of the other three remaining semifinalist win the tournament, there will be one less at-large bid going to the bubble.
Big East
Opening Round
#9 Connecticut 81 #16 Dayton 67
#13 Pittsburgh 73 #12 St. John’s 59
#10 Seton Hall 79 #15 Providence 47
#14 Villanova 70 #11 Rutgers 49
2nd Round
#9 Connecticut 71 #8 West Virginia 67 OT
#5 Georgetown 64 #13 Pittsburgh 52
#7 Louisville 61 #10 Seton Hall 55
#6 South Florida 56 #14 Villanova 47
Quarterfinals
#1 Syracuse 58 #9 Connecticut 55
#4 Cincinnati 72 #5 Georgetown 70 2OT
#7 Louisville 84 #2 Marquette 71
#3 Notre Dame 57 #6 South Florida 52
Semifinals
#4 Cincinnati 71 #1 Syracuse 68
#7 Louisville 64 #3 Notre Dame 50
CHAMPIONSHIP
#4 Cincinnati (24-9) vs. #7 Louisville (25-9)
At-Large: Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Louisville, Cincinnati
Upper Bubble: West Virginia, Seton Hall, Connecticut
Lower Bubble: South Florida
This is definitely one championship game to watch. Both teams are playing their best ball of the year, and this rivalry goes back a very long way through multiple conferences.
Big Sky
Quarterfinals
#3 Portland St. 75 #6 Montana St. 53
#4 Eastern Washington 81 #5 Idaho St. 75
Semifinals
#1 Montana 74 #4 Eastern Washington 66
#2 Weber St. 69 #3 Portland St. 63
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Montana 85 #2 Weber St. 66
Automatic Bid: MONTANA 25-6
At-Large: None
Bubble: None
This is a one-bid league, but both Montana and Weber State are talented enough to win an opening round game in the NCAA Tournament. With an RPI around 70, the Wildcats are probably not on the bubble.
Big South
Preliminary Round
#8 High Point 68 #9 Gardner-Webb 58
#7 VMI 55 #10 Radford 53
Quarterfinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 86 #8 High Point 61
#4 Charleston Sou. 88 #5 Liberty 74
#6 Winthrop 71 #3 Campbell 55
#7 VMI 85 #2 Coastal Carolina 68
Semifinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 91 #4 Charleston Sou. 64
#7 VMI 75 #6 Winthrop 55
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 UNC-Asheville 80 #7 VMI 64
Automatic Bid – UNC-ASHEVILLE 24-9
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Big Ten
Opening Round
#8 Iowa 64 #9 Illinois 61
#5 Indiana 75 #12 Penn State 58
#10 Minnesota 75 #7 Northwestern 68
#6 Purdue 79 #11 Nebraska 61
Quarterfinals
#1 Michigan St. 92 #8 Iowa 75
#4 Wisconsin 79 #5 Indiana 71
#2 Michigan 73 #10 Minnesota 69
#3 Ohio St. 88 #6 Purdue 71
Semifinals
#1 Michigan St. (25-7) vs. #4 Wisconsin (24-8)
#2 Michigan (24-8) vs. #3 Ohio St. (26-6)
At-Large: Ohio St., Michigan St., Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue
Upper Bubble:
Lower Bubble: Northwestern
The folks in Indianapolis can claim their final four is as good as the Big East’s. They might be wrong, because this one could be better!
The top four seeds advanced, and this is definitely the toast of the tournaments. Any of these four could cut down the nets Sunday. The cherry on top is that yesterday’s games were high-scoring shootouts reminiscent of the old run and gun days of Big Ten days of yore.
Big 12
Opening Round
#9 Texas A&M 62 #8 Oklahoma 53
#7 Oklahoma St. 76 #10 Texas Tech 60
Quarterfinals
#1 Kansas 83 #9 Texas A&M 66
#4 Baylor 82 #5 Kansas St. 74
#2 Missouri 88 #7 Oklahoma St. 70
#3 Iowa St. 65 #6 Texas 71
Semifinals
#4 Baylor 81 #1 Kansas 72
#2 Missouri 81 #6 Texas 67
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Missouri (29-4) vs. #4 Baylor (27-6)
At-Large: Kansas, Missouri, Iowa St., Baylor, Kansas St.
Upper Bubble: Texas
Lower Bubble: None
Missouri has a lot to play for today. A win over Baylor more than likely moves the Tigers to a number one seed. However, Baylor will be tough to defeat three times in one season. MU beat BU by 15 and by one during the regular season.
Big West
Quarterfinals
#1 Long Beach St. 80 #8 UC-Davis 46
#4 Cal Poly SLO 66 #5 UC-Riverside 54
#7 UC-Irvine 65 #2 Cal State Fullerton 59
#3 U C S B 72 #6 Pacific 52
Semifinals
#1 Long Beach St. (23-8) vs. #7 UC-Irvine (12-19)
#3 U C S B (19-9) vs. #4 Cal Poly SLO (18-15)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: Long Beach St.
Lower Bubble: None
Long Beach State could possibly earn an at-large bid if they lose today or tomorrow, but the 49ers should have minimal competition in the semifinals and not much more in the finals.
Colonial Athletic
Opening Round
#9 UNC-Wilmington 70 #8 James Madison 59
#5 Delaware 72 #12 Towson St. 65
#6 Georgia St. 85 #11 Hofstra 50
#7 Northeastern 57 #10 William & Mary 49
Quarterfinals
#1 Drexel 59 #9 UNC-Wilmington 47
#4 Old Dominion 88 #5 Delaware 74
#3 George Mason 61 #6 Georgia St. 59
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 75 #10 William & Mary 65
Semifinals
#1 Drexel 68 #4 Old Dominion 51
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 74 #3 George Mason 64
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 59 #1 Drexel 56
Automatic Bid – VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH 28-6
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – Drexel
Drexel has a chance of earning an at-large bid, but their RPI is on the low side at 68.
Conference USA
Opening Round
#5 U A B 72 #12 Tulane 64
#8 U T E P 67 #9 Houston 62 OT
#10 East Carolina 68 #7 Rice 66
#6 Marshall 74 #11 S M U 56
Quarterfinals
#1 Memphis 65 #8 U T E P 47
#4 Central Florida 51 #5 U A B 43
#2 Southern Mississippi 81 #10 East Carolina 78
#6 Marshall 105 #3 Tulsa 100 3 OT
Semifinals
#1 Memphis 83 #4 Central Florida 52
#6 Marshall 73 #2 Southern Mississippi 62
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Memphis (25-8) vs. #6 Marshall (21-12)
At-Large: Memphis
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: Southern Miss
Central Florida will be placed in the lower bubble with a win today against the top seed in the conference tournament. Should Central Florida and Marshall meet in tomorrow’s championship game, the bubble will burst for somebody else.
Horizon League
Opening Round
#4 Milwaukee 68 #9 Illinois-Chi. 55
#5 Butler 70 #8 Wright St. 52
#3 Detroit 80 #10 Loyola (Chi) 71
#6 Youngstown 77 #7 Green Bay 60
Quarterfinals
#5 Butler 71 #4 Milwaukee 49
#3 Detroit 93 #6 Youngstown St. 76
Semifinals
#1 Valparaiso 65 #5 Butler 46
#3 Detroit 63 #2 Cleveland St. 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#3 Detroit 70 #1 Valparaiso 50
Automatic Bid – DETROIT 22-13
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
This is a one-bid league. Neither Valpo, Cleveland State nor Butler will earn at-large bids.
M A A C
Preliminary Round
#8 Marist 64 #9 St. Peter’s 57
#7 Niagara 80 #10 Canisius 70
Quarterfinals
#1 Iona 87 #8 Marist 63
#4 Fairfield 65 #5 Rider 63
#2 Loyola (MD) 86 #7 Niagara 73
#6 Siena 84 #3 Manhattan 82
Semifinals
#4 Fairfield 85 #1 Iona 75
#2 Loyola (MD) 70 #6 Siena 60
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Loyola (MD) 48 #4 Fairfield 44
Automatic Bid – LOYOLA (MD) 24-8
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
This is a one-bid league. Iona played their way out of the Big Dance and into the NIT.
M A C
Opening Round
#12 Northern Illinois 55 #5 Eastern Michigan 52
#8 Western Michigan 69 #9 Ball St. 63
#7 Toledo 60 #10 (Miami (O) 53
#11 Central Michigan 54 #6 Bowling Green 53
2nd Round
#8 Western Michigan 71 #12 Northern Illinois 54
#7 Toledo 75 #11 Central Michigan 72
Quarterfinals
#4 Kent St. 76 #8 Western Michigan 72
#3 Ohio 65 #7 Toledo 57
Semifinals
#1 Akron 78 #4 Kent St. 74
#3 Ohio 77 #2 Buffalo 74
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Akron (22-10) vs. #3 Ohio (25-7)
Akron is now #52 in the RPI and Ohio is #60. The loser of this game will fall a few spots, but they should have a small chance of getting in as one of the last four in. That small chance is close to a slim and none chance.
M E A C
Opening Round
#8 Hampton 69 #9 Morgan St. 65
#5 North Carolina Central 60 #12 Md. Eastern Shore 43
#4 Bethune-Cookman 62 #13 South Carolina St. 53
#11 Florida A& M 74 #6 Coppin St. 72
#10 Howard 51 #7 North Carolina A&T 50
Quarterfinals
#8 Hampton 59 #1 Savannah St. 46
#4 Bethune-Cookman 60 #5 North Carolina Central 59
#2 Norfolk St. 71 #7 Howard 61
#11 Florida A&M 65 #3 Delaware St. 55
Semfinals
#4 Bethune-Cookman 81 #8 Hampton 72
#2 Norfolk St. 58 #11 Florida A&M 46
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Norfolk St. (24-9) vs. #4 Bethune-Cookman (18-16)
This is a one-bid league. With Savannah State suffering an early exit, only Norfolk State can possibly avoid a trip to Dayton for the first round.
Missouri Valley
Opening Round
#8 Indiana St. 66 #9 Southern Illinois 51
#7 Drake 65 #10 Bradley 49
Quarterfinals
#1 Wichita St. 72 #8 Indiana St. 48
#4 Illinois St. 54 #5 Northern Iowa 42
#2 Creighton 68 vs. #7 Drake 61
#3 Evansville 72 vs. #6 Missouri St. 64
Semifinals
#4 Illinois St. 65 #1 Wichita St. 64
#2 Creighton 99 #3 Evansville 71
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Creighton 83 #4 Illinois St. 79 OT
Automatic Bid – Creighton 27-5
At-Large – Wichita St. 27-5
Bubble – None
Mountain West
Quarterfinals
#1 San Diego St. 65 #8 Boise St. 62
#4 Colorado St. 81 #5 T C U 60
#2 New Mexico 79 #7 Air Force 64
#3 U N L V 56 #6 Wyoming 48
Semifinals
#1 San Diego St. 79 #4 Colorado St. 69
#2 New Mexico 72 #3 U N L V 67
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 San Diego St. (26-6) vs. #2 New Mexico (26-6)
At-Large: San Diego St., UNLV, New Mexico
Upper Bubble: Colorado St.
Lower Bubble: None
Anything other than four bids would be disappointing and even ridiculous. Colorado State’s RPI is #24, and the Rams are tournament-worthy.
Northeast
Quarterfinals
#1 Long Island 80 #8 Sacred Heart 68
#5 Quinnipiac 80 #4 St. Francis (NY) 72
#3 Robert Morris 87 #6 Monmouth 68
#2 Wagner 87 #7 Central Conn. St. 77
Semifinals
#1 Long Island 78 #5 Quinnipiac 75
#3 Robert Morris 71 #2 Wagner 64
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Long Island 90 #3 Robert Morris 73
Automatic Bid: LONG ISLAND 25-8
At-Large: None
Bubble: None
Wagner’s slim chances for getting in as a wildcard team went bye-bye with their semifinal loss to RMU.
LIU enters the Big Dance winning 20 of their last 22 games.
Ohio Valley
Opening Round
#5 Southeast Missouri 75 #8 E. Kentucky 65
#7 Jacksonville St. 75 #6 Austin Peay 70
Quarterfinals
#4 Tennessee Tech 77 #5 Southeast Missouri 73
#3 Morehead St. 68 #7 Jacksonville St. 54
Semifinals
#1 Murray St. 78 #4 Tennessee Tech 58
#2 Tennessee St. 59 #3 Morehead St. 52
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Murray St. 54 #2 Tennessee St. 52
Automatic Bid – Murray St. 30-1
At-Large – None
Bubble – None
Murray State should receive a #4 or #5 seed, a #6 at worst.
Pac-12
Opening Round
#9 Oregon St. 69 #8 Washington St. 64
#5 U C L A 55 #12 U S C 40
#7 Stanford 85 #10 Arizona St. 65
#6 Colorado 53 #11 Utah 41
Quarterfinals
#9 Oregon State 86 #1 Washington 84
#4 Arizona 66 #5 U C L A 58
#2 California 77 #7 Stanford 71
#6 Colorado 63 #3 Oregon 62
Semifinals
#4 Arizona 72 #9 Oregon St. 61
#6 Colorado 70 #2 California 59
CHAMPIONSHIP
#4 Arizona (23-10) vs. #6 Colorado (22-11)
At-Large:
Upper Bubble: California
Lower Bubble: Colorado, Washington, Arizona, Oregon
The only sure thing is that today’s championship game winner will get an automatic bid. California’s RPI is #36, and that should be enough to get a bid, but stranger things have happened before. We cannot call them a lock for an at-large bid.
The RPIs for the other four teams are iffy. Oregon is #66; Washington is #68, Colorado is #70, and Arizona is #76. Today’s loser will stay in the 70’s, which is the lowest range possible for an at-large bid.
Colorado’s defense has been swarming in the first three games, and the Buffaloes have not played this type of defense since the 1960’s. CU is our bet to cut down the nets Saturday.
Patriot League
Quarterfinals
#1 Bucknell 87 #8 Navy 63
#5 Lafayette 84 #4 Holy Cross 76
#2 Lehigh 70 #7 Colgate 57
#3 American 57 #6 Army 40
Semifinals
#1 Bucknell 79 #5 Lafayette 52
#2 Lehigh 85 #3 American 66
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Lehigh 82 #1 Bucknell 77
Automatic Bid: LEHIGH 26-7
At-Large: None
Bubble: None
The Mountain Hawks search for the first NCAA Tournament win in their fifth trip to the Big Dance, and they have the one-two punch in C J McCollum and Gabe Knutson. Lehigh lost at Michigan State by just nine points earlier in the year, and they enter the NCAA Tournament having won eight games in a row and 12 of 13.
Southern
Opening Round
#5N Appalachian St. 93 #4S College of Charleston 81
#3N Western Carolina 68 #6S Citadel 56
#5S Furman 75 #4N Samford 66
#3S Georgia Southern 76 #6N Chattanooga 70
Quarterfinals
#1N UNC-Greensboro 65 #5N Appalachian St. 55
#3N Western Carolina 82 #2S Wofford 59
#1S Davidson 73 #5S Furman 54
#2N Elon 65 #3S Georgia Southern 58
Semifinals
#3N Western Carolina 82 #1N UNC-Greensboro 77
#1S Davidson 83 #2N Elon 67
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1S Davidson 93 #1N UNC-Greensboro 91
Automatic Bid – DAVIDSON 25-7
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Davidson might not have earned a ticket as an at-large team. Tell that to Kansas coach Bill Self, and he would say you were crazy.
S E C
Opening Round
#8 L S U 70 #9 Arkansas 54
#5 Alabama 63 #12 South Carolina 57
#7 Ole Miss 68 #10 Auburn 54
#11 Georgia 71 #6 Mississippi St. 61
Quarterfinals
#1 Kentucky 60 #8 L S U 51
#4 Florida 66 #5 Alabama 63
#7 Ole Miss 77 #2 Tennessee 72 OT
#3 Vanderbilt 63 #11 Georgia 41
Semifinals
#1 Kentucky (31-1) vs. #4 Florida (23-9)
#3 Vanderbilt (22-10) vs. #7 Ole Miss (20-12)
At-Large: Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt
Upper Bubble: Alabama
Lower Bubble: Ole Miss, Mississippi St.
Ole Miss is the hot team that could surprise and make it to the championship game on Sunday. The Rebels would move to the upper bubble with a win today over an inconsistent Vanderbilt team.
Florida does not match up well with Kentucky. If the Gators pull off the big upset, it will be because the Wildcats did not show up to play for a second consecutive day.
Tennessee is now NIT-bound, and Mississippi State is probably headed that way as well. We cannot see the committee taking the Bulldogs if they do not take their rival Rebels as well.
Southland
Quarterfinals
#1 UT-Arlington 96 #8 Nicholls St. 48
#4 McNeese St. 78 #5 TX-San Antonio 74 OT
#2 Stephen F Austin 68 #7 Sam Houston 46
#3 Lamar 76 #6 Northwestern State (LA) 69
Semifinals
#4 McNeese St. 92 #1 UT-Arlington 72
#3 Lamar 55 #2 Stephen F Austin 44
CHAMPIONSHIP
#3 Lamar (22-11) vs. #4 McNeese St. (17-14)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: None
The top two seeds fell in the semifinals, and now the Southland champion may be looking to make reservations in Dayton.
S W A C
Quarterfinals
#1 Mississippi Valley St. 63 #8 Jackson St. 60
#5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 60 #4 Alabama St. 56
#2 Texas Southern 75 #7 Alabama A&M 62
#6 Alcorn St. 103 #3 Prairie View 79
Semifinals
#1 Mississippi Valley St. 71 #5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 64
#2 Texas Southern 60 #6 Alcorn St. 55
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Mississippi Valley St. (20-12) vs. #2 Texas Southern (15-17)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: None
Today’s championship game winner will be headed to Dayton for the opening round. At least, the top two seeds advanced to the finals, and it gives the SWAC a fighting chance to compete in the “play-in.”
Summit League
Quarterfinals
#1 Oral Roberts 71 #8 I P F W 67
#4 Western Illinois 58 #5 North Dakota St. 53
#2 South Dakota St. 77 I U P U I 56
#6 Southern Utah 84 #3 Oakland 82
Semifinals
#4 Western Illinois 54 #1 Oral Roberts 53
#2 South Dakota St. 63 #6 Southern Utah 47
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 South Dakota St. 52 #4 Western Illinois 50
Automatic Bid – SOUTH DAKOTA ST. 27-7
At-Large Teams –None
Bubble – Oral Roberts
Had South Dakota St. and Oral Roberts advanced to the Championship Game, and Oral Roberts’ lost instead of losing to WIU in the semis, ORU would be on the at-large line and not the bubble. With an RPI of 55, the Golden Eagles are in a precarious position.
Sunbelt
Opening Round
#6 South Alabama 87 #11 Troy 81
#7 Western Kentucky 67 #10 Florida Int’l 63
#9 Arkansas St. 70 #8 Florida Atlantic 55
Quarterfinals
#9 Arkansas St. 64 #1 Middle Tennessee 61
#5 North Texas 65 #4 Louisiana-Lafayette 62
#7 Western Kentucky 68 #2 U A L R 63
#3 Denver 61 #6 South Alabama 50
Semifinals
#5 North Texas 76 #9 Arkansas St. 72
#7 Western Kentucky 67 #3 Denver 63
CHAMPIONSHIP
#7 Western Kentucky 74 #3 Denver 70
Automatic Bid –WESTERN KENTUCKY 15-18
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – Middle Tennessee
This is probably a one-bid league. The top two seeds lost in their first games in this unique tournament played in two separate gyms in the same building. Middle Tennessee may still be on the bubble with an RPI of 65, but they are more than likely headed to the NIT. Western Kentucky will be headed to the first round in Dayton. However, their 15-18 record is very misleading. The Hilltoppers were supposed to contend for the regular season championship; however, major dissension led to a poor start and a dismissal of head coach Ken McDonald. Since Ray Harper assumed command, WKU has sported a 10-7 record, and a 7-4 finish. This team cannot be overlooked in Dayton and could very well advance to the second round.
W A C
Quarterfinals
#1 Nevada 54 #8 San Jose St. 44
#5 Louisiana Tech 72 #4 Utah St. 70
#2 New Mexico St. 65 #7 Fresno St. 49
#6 Hawaii 72 #3 Idaho 70
Semifinals
#1 Nevada (26-5) vs. #5 Louisiana Tech (17-15)
#2 New Mexico St. (24-9) vs. #6 Hawaii (16-15)
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 New Mexico St. (25-9) vs. #5 Louisiana Tech (18-15)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: Nevada.
Nevada fell to #63 in the RPI, and the Wolfpack are on the cusp of falling off the bubble. New Mexico State is at #69, so their chances to get in as an at-large if they lose today are nil.
West Coast
Opening Round
#8 Portland 74 #9 Santa Clara 70
2nd Round
#5 San Francisco 87 #8 Portland 66
#6 San Diego 76 #7 Pepperdine 54
Quarterfinals
#5 San Francisco 67 #4 Loyola Marymount 60
#3 B Y U 73 vs. #6 San Diego 68
Semifinals
#1 Saint Mary’s 83 #5 San Francisco 78
#2 Gonzaga 77 #3 B Y U 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Saint Mary’s 78 #2 Gonzaga 74 OT
Automatic Bid – SAINT MARY’S 26-5
At-Large Teams – Gonzaga
Bubble – B Y U
This has the look of a three-bid league, with the two behemoths and BYU all headed to the Big Dance. Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga are now the true powers of the West. If you remember UCLA versus USC or Oregon State in the 1970’s and 1980’s, this is what this rivalry has become. Both teams could easily advance to the Elite 8.
Coming Saturday Evening: We release Bracketnomics 505–the 2012 edition with more detailed grading than ever before. We’ve made it even more scientific than ever! Tell all your friends, but only those playing in a different bracket contest than you.
March 9, 2012
NCAA College Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 9 Update
Here is the up-to-date (as of Thursday Night, March 8) results of all conference tournaments as well as the pairings for today’s games.
America East
Preliminary Round
#9 Binghamton 73 #8 Md.-Balt. Co. 67
Quarterfinals
#1 Stony Brook 78 # 9 Binghamton 69
#4 Albany 63 #5 New Hampshire 45
#2 Vermont 50 #7 Maine 40
#6 Hartford 53 #3 Boston U 49
Semifinals
#1 Stony Brook 57 #4 Albany 55
#2 Vermont 77 #6 Hartford 73 2OT
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Stony Brook (21-8) vs. Vermont (22-11)
This is a one-bid league.
A C C
Opening Round
#8 Maryland 82 #9 Wake Forest 60
#5 North Carolina St. 78 #12 Boston College 57
#10 Virginia Tech 68 #7 Clemson 63
#6 Miami (FL) 54 #11 Georgia Tech 36
Quarterfinals
#1 North Carolina (27-4) vs. #8 Maryland (17-14)
#4 Virginia (22-8) vs. #5 North Carolina St. (21-11)
#2 Duke (26-5) vs. #10 Virginia Tech (16-16)
#3 Florida St. (21-9) vs. #6 Miami (FL) (19-11)
At-Large: North Carolina, Duke, Florida St., Virginia
Upper Bubble: North Carolina St.
Lower Bubble: Miami (FL)
Today’s North Carolina St.-Virginia game should be the most interesting game of the tournament. This is basically a play-in game with the winner moving into the upper echelon of the bubble.
Miami can move to the upper bubble with a win over the rival Seminoles.
Atlantic Sun
Quarterfinals
#1 Belmont 76 #8 Jacksonville 62
#4 East Tennessee 68 #5 N. Florida 66
#2 Mercer 61 #7 Lipscomb 53
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 71 #3 S. Carolina Upstate 61
Semifinals
#1 Belmont 69 #4 East Tennessee 61
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 62 #2 Mercer 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Belmont 83 Florida Gulf Coast 69
Automatic Bid – BELMONT 27-7
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Atlantic 10
1st Round
#8 Massachusetts 92 #9 Duquesne 83
#5 St. Joe’s 80 #12 Charlotte 64
#7 LaSalle 80 #10 Richmond 72
#6 Dayton 67 #11 George Washington 50
Quarterfinals
#1 Temple (24-6) vs. #8 Massachusetts (21-10)
#4 St. Bonaventure (17-11) vs. #5 St. Joe’s (20-12)
#2 St. Louis (24-6) vs. #7 LaSalle (21-11)
#3 Xavier (19-11) vs. #6 Dayton (20-11)
At-Large: Temple
Upper Bubble: St. Louis
Lower Bubble: Xavier, St. Joe’s, and Dayton
The eight remaining teams in this tournament are not that far apart, and the final three days should be highly competitive. Literally, any of this octet can cut down the nets in Atlantic City on Sunday.
Big East
Opening Round
#9 Connecticut 81 #16 Dayton 67
#13 Pittsburgh 73 #12 St. John’s 59
#10 Seton Hall 79 #15 Providence 47
#14 Villanova 70 #11 Rutgers 49
2nd Round
#9 Connecticut 71 #8 West Virginia 67 OT
#5 Georgetown 64 #13 Pittsburgh 52
#7 Louisville 61 #10 Seton Hall 55
#6 South Florida 56 #14 Villanova 47
Quarterfinals
#1 Syracuse 58 #9 Connecticut 55
#4 Cincinnati 72 #5 Georgetown 70 2OT
#7 Louisville 84 #2 Marquette 71
#3 Notre Dame 57 #6 South Florida 52
Semifinals
#1 Syracuse (31-1) vs. #4 Cincinnati (23-9)
#3 Notre Dame (22-10) vs. #7 Louisville (24-9)
At-Large: Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Louisville, Cincinnati
Upper Bubble: West Virginia, Seton Hall, Connecticut
Lower Bubble: South Florida
The Final Four in this tournament could be as strong as the Final Four in the Big Dance. Cincinnati and Syracuse should give basketball fans something to watch today. The Bearcats might be a little tired from yesterday, or else we would call them an odds-on favorite to upset the Orangemen. Syracuse already knows they will earn a top seed in one of the four regionals.
Louisville appears to be the hot team. The Cardinals are peaking at just the right time.
Big Sky
Quarterfinals
#3 Portland St. 75 #6 Montana St. 53
#4 Eastern Washington 81 #5 Idaho St. 75
Semifinals
#1 Montana 74 #4 Eastern Washington 66
#2 Weber St. 69 #3 Portland St. 63
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Montana 85 #2 Weber St. 66
Automatic Bid: MONTANA 25-6
At-Large: None
Bubble: None
This is a one-bid league, but both Montana and Weber State are talented enough to win an opening round game in the NCAA Tournament. With an RPI around 70, the Wildcats are probably not on the bubble.
Big South
Preliminary Round
#8 High Point 68 #9 Gardner-Webb 58
#7 VMI 55 #10 Radford 53
Quarterfinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 86 #8 High Point 61
#4 Charleston Sou. 88 #5 Liberty 74
#6 Winthrop 71 #3 Campbell 55
#7 VMI 85 #2 Coastal Carolina 68
Semifinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 91 #4 Charleston Sou. 64
#7 VMI 75 #6 Winthrop 55
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 UNC-Asheville 80 #7 VMI 64
Automatic Bid – UNC-ASHEVILLE 24-9
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Big Ten
Opening Round
#8 Iowa 64 #9 Illinois 61
#5 Indiana 75 #12 Penn State 58
#10 Minnesota 75 #7 Northwestern 68
#6 Purdue 79 #11 Nebraska 61
Quarterfinals
#1 Michigan St. (24-7) vs. #8 Iowa (17-15)
#4 Wisconsin (23-8) vs. #5 Indiana (25-7)
#2 Michigan (23-8) vs. #10 Minnesota (19-13)
#3 Ohio St. (25-6) vs. #6 Purdue (21-11)
At-Large: Ohio St., Michigan St., Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue
Upper Bubble:
Lower Bubble: Northwestern
Iowa and Minnesota need to keep winning in order to move onto the lower bubble. As for Illinois, today’s loss probably signaled the end of the Bruce Weber tenure in Champaign-Urbana. Another coaching change could come at Nebraska. The Cornhuskers haven’t been really good since 1966.
Big 12
Opening Round
#9 Texas A&M 62 #8 Oklahoma 53
#7 Oklahoma St. 76 #10 Texas Tech 60
Quarterfinals
#1 Kansas 83 #9 Texas A&M 66
#4 Baylor 82 #5 Kansas St. 74
#2 Missouri 88 #7 Oklahoma St. 70
#3 Iowa St. 65 #6 Texas 71
Semifinals
#1 Kansas (27-5) vs. #4 Baylor (26-6)
#2 Missouri (28-4) vs. #6 Texas (19-12)
At-Large: Kansas, Missouri, Iowa St., Baylor, Kansas St.
Upper Bubble: Texas
Lower Bubble: None
If the Longhorns beat Missouri today, they will move into the at-large field.
Big West
Quarterfinals
#1 Long Beach St. 80 #8 UC-Davis 46
#4 Cal Poly SLO (17-14) vs. #5 UC-Riverside (14-16) **********
#7 UC-Irvine 65 #2 Cal State Fullerton 59
#3 U C S B 72 #6 Pacific 52
Semifinals
#1 Long Beach St. (23-8) vs. #7 UC-Irvine (12-19)
#3 U C S B (19-9) vs.
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: Long Beach St.
Lower Bubble: None
Long Beach State could possibly earn an at-large bid if they lose today or tomorrow, but the 49ers should have minimal competition in the semifinals and not much more in the finals.
Colonial Athletic
Opening Round
#9 UNC-Wilmington 70 #8 James Madison 59
#5 Delaware 72 #12 Towson St. 65
#6 Georgia St. 85 #11 Hofstra 50
#7 Northeastern 57 #10 William & Mary 49
Quarterfinals
#1 Drexel 59 #9 UNC-Wilmington 47
#4 Old Dominion 88 #5 Delaware 74
#3 George Mason 61 #6 Georgia St. 59
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 75 #10 William & Mary 65
Semifinals
#1 Drexel 68 #4 Old Dominion 51
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 74 #3 George Mason 64
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 59 #1 Drexel 56
Automatic Bid – VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH 28-6
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – Drexel
Drexel has a chance of earning an at-large bid, but their RPI is on the low side at 68.
Conference USA
Opening Round
#5 U A B 72 #12 Tulane 64
#8 U T E P 67 #9 Houston 62 OT
#10 East Carolina 68 #7 Rice 66
#6 Marshall 74 #11 S M U 56
Quarterfinals
#1 Memphis 65 #8 U T E P 47
#4 Central Florida 51 #5 U A B 43
#2 Southern Mississippi 81 #10 East Carolina 78
#6 Marshall 105 #3 Tulsa 100 3 OT
Semifinals
#1 Memphis (24-8) vs. #4 Central Florida (21-9)
#2 Southern Mississippi (25-7) vs. #6 Marshall (20-12)
At-Large: Memphis
Upper Bubble: Southern Miss
Lower Bubble: None
Central Florida will be placed in the lower bubble with a win today against the top seed in the conference tournament.
Horizon League
Opening Round
#4 Milwaukee 68 #9 Illinois-Chi. 55
#5 Butler 70 #8 Wright St. 52
#3 Detroit 80 #10 Loyola (Chi) 71
#6 Youngstown 77 #7 Green Bay 60
Quarterfinals
#5 Butler 71 #4 Milwaukee 49
#3 Detroit 93 #6 Youngstown St. 76
Semifinals
#1 Valparaiso 65 #5 Butler 46
#3 Detroit 63 #2 Cleveland St. 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#3 Detroit 70 #1 Valparaiso 50
Automatic Bid – DETROIT 22-13
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
This is a one-bid league. Neither Valpo, Cleveland State nor Butler will earn at-large bids.
M A A C
Preliminary Round
#8 Marist 64 #9 St. Peter’s 57
#7 Niagara 80 #10 Canisius 70
Quarterfinals
#1 Iona 87 #8 Marist 63
#4 Fairfield 65 #5 Rider 63
#2 Loyola (MD) 86 #7 Niagara 73
#6 Siena 84 #3 Manhattan 82
Semifinals
#4 Fairfield 85 #1 Iona 75
#2 Loyola (MD) 70 #6 Siena 60
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Loyola (MD) 48 #4 Fairfield 44
Automatic Bid – LOYOLA (MD) 24-8
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
This is a one-bid league. Iona played their way out of the Big Dance and into the NIT.
M A C
Opening Round
#12 Northern Illinois 55 #5 Eastern Michigan 52
#8 Western Michigan 69 #9 Ball St. 63
#7 Toledo 60 #10 (Miami (O) 53
#11 Central Michigan 54 #6 Bowling Green 53
2nd Round
#8 Western Michigan 71 #12 Northern Illinois 54
#7 Toledo 75 #11 Central Michigan 72
Quarterfinals
#4 Kent St. 76 #8 Western Michigan 72
#3 Ohio 65 #7 Toledo 57
Semifinals
#1 Akron (21-10) vs. #4 Kent St. (20-10)
#2 Buffalo (19-9) vs. #3 Ohio (24-7)
The top four seeds are in the semifinals. This gives the MAC a fighting chance for two bids, but it may be a losing fight.
M E A C
Opening Round
#8 Hampton 69 #9 Morgan St. 65
#5 North Carolina Central 60 #12 Md. Eastern Shore 43
#4 Bethune-Cookman 62 #13 South Carolina St. 53
#11 Florida A& M 74 #6 Coppin St. 72
#10 Howard 51 #7 North Carolina A&T 50
Quarterfinals
#8 Hampton 59 #1 Savannah St. 46
#4 Bethune-Cookman 60 #5 North Carolina Central 59
#2 Norfolk St. 71 #7 Howard 61
#11 Florida A&M 65 #3 Delaware St. 55
Semfinals
#4 Bethune-Cookman (17-16) vs. #8 Hampton (12-20)
#2 Norfolk St. (23-9) vs. #11 Florida A&M (10-22)
This is a one-bid league. With Savannah State suffering an early exit, only Norfolk State can possibly avoid a trip to Dayton for the first round.
Missouri Valley
Opening Round
#8 Indiana St. 66 #9 Southern Illinois 51
#7 Drake 65 #10 Bradley 49
Quarterfinals
#1 Wichita St. 72 #8 Indiana St. 48
#4 Illinois St. 54 #5 Northern Iowa 42
#2 Creighton 68 vs. #7 Drake 61
#3 Evansville 72 vs. #6 Missouri St. 64
Semifinals
#4 Illinois St. 65 #1 Wichita St. 64
#2 Creighton 99 #3 Evansville 71
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Creighton 83 #4 Illinois St. 79 OT
Automatic Bid – Creighton 27-5
At-Large – Wichita St. 27-5
Bubble – None
Mountain West
Quarterfinals
#1 San Diego St. 65 #8 Boise St. 62
#4 Colorado St. 81 #5 T C U 60
#2 New Mexico 79 #7 Air Force 64
#3 U N L V 56 #6 Wyoming 48
Semifinals
#1 San Diego St. (25-6) vs. #4 Colorado St. (20-10)
#2 New Mexico (25-6) vs. #3 U N L V (26-7)
At-Large: San Diego St., UNLV, New Mexico
Upper Bubble: Colorado St.
Lower Bubble: None
Colorado St. is at the very top of the bubble today, and the Rams are almost assured to receive an at-large bid.
Northeast
Quarterfinals
#1 Long Island 80 #8 Sacred Heart 68
#5 Quinnipiac 80 #4 St. Francis (NY) 72
#3 Robert Morris 87 #6 Monmouth 68
#2 Wagner 87 #7 Central Conn. St. 77
Semifinals
#1 Long Island 78 #5 Quinnipiac 75
#3 Robert Morris 71 #2 Wagner 64
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Long Island 90 #3 Robert Morris 73
Automatic Bid: LONG ISLAND 25-8
At-Large: None
Bubble: None
Wagner’s slim chances for getting in as a wildcard team went bye-bye with their semifinal loss to RMU.
LIU enters the Big Dance winning 20 of their last 22 games.
Ohio Valley
Opening Round
#5 Southeast Missouri 75 #8 E. Kentucky 65
#7 Jacksonville St. 75 #6 Austin Peay 70
Quarterfinals
#4 Tennessee Tech 77 #5 Southeast Missouri 73
#3 Morehead St. 68 #7 Jacksonville St. 54
Semifinals
#1 Murray St. 78 #4 Tennessee Tech 58
#2 Tennessee St. 59 #3 Morehead St. 52
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Murray St. 54 #2 Tennessee St. 52
Automatic Bid – Murray St. 30-1
At-Large – None
Bubble – None
Murray State should receive a #4 or #5 seed, a #6 at worst.
Pac-12
Opening Round
#9 Oregon St. 69 #8 Washington St. 64
#5 U C L A 55 #12 U S C 40
#7 Stanford 85 #10 Arizona St. 65
#6 Colorado 53 #11 Utah 41
Quarterfinals
#9 Oregon State 86 #1 Washington 84
#4 Arizona 66 #5 U C L A 58
#2 California 77 #7 Stanford 71
#3 Oregon 63 #6 Colorado 62
Semifinals
#4 Arizona (22-10) vs. #9 Oregon St. (19-13)
#2 California (24-8) vs. #6 Colorado (21-11)
At-Large: California
Upper Bubble: Arizona
Lower Bubble: Colorado, Washington
UCLA and Stanford are NIT-bound following yesterday’s losses. Colorado needs to win today to have any chance at an at-large bid and may really need to reach the Championship Game to have a legitimate shot. The Buffs’ RPI moved from 82 to 77. A win over Cal could move CU’s RPI into the lower 70’s, and we project they would need to move up to at least 65 to have a fighting chance.
California looks to be safely in the field of 68 following yesterday’s win over rival Stanford.
Patriot League
Quarterfinals
#1 Bucknell 87 #8 Navy 63
#5 Lafayette 84 #4 Holy Cross 76
#2 Lehigh 70 #7 Colgate 57
#3 American 57 #6 Army 40
Semifinals
#1 Bucknell 79 #5 Lafayette 52
#2 Lehigh 85 #3 American 66
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Lehigh 82 #1 Bucknell 77
Automatic Bid: LEHIGH 26-7
At-Large: None
Bubble: None
The Mountain Hawks search for the first NCAA Tournament win in their fifth trip to the Big Dance, and they have the one-two punch in C J McCollum and Gabe Knutson. Lehigh lost at Michigan State by just nine points earlier in the year, and they enter the NCAA Tournament having won eight games in a row and 12 of 13.
Southern
Opening Round
#5N Appalachian St. 93 #4S College of Charleston 81
#3N Western Carolina 68 #6S Citadel 56
#5S Furman 75 #4N Samford 66
#3S Georgia Southern 76 #6N Chattanooga 70
Quarterfinals
#1N UNC-Greensboro 65 #5N Appalachian St. 55
#3N Western Carolina 82 #2S Wofford 59
#1S Davidson 73 #5S Furman 54
#2N Elon 65 #3S Georgia Southern 58
Semifinals
#3N Western Carolina 82 #1N UNC-Greensboro 77
#1S Davidson 83 #2N Elon 67
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1S Davidson 93 #1N UNC-Greensboro 91
Automatic Bid – DAVIDSON 25-7
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Davidson might not have earned a ticket as an at-large team. Tell that to Kansas coach Bill Self, and he would say you were crazy.
S E C
Opening Round
#8 L S U 70 #9 Arkansas 54
#5 Alabama 63 #12 South Carolina 57
#7 Ole Miss 68 #10 Auburn 54
#11 Georgia 71 #6 Mississippi St. 61
Quarterfinals
#1 Kentucky (30-1) vs. #8 L S U (18-13)
#4 Florida (22-9) vs. #5 Alabama (21-10)
#2 Tennessee (18-13) vs. #7 Ole Miss (19-12)
#3 Vanderbilt (21-10) vs. #11 Georgia (15-16)
At-Large: Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt
Upper Bubble: Alabama
Lower Bubble: Tennessee, Ole Miss, Mississippi St.
Tennessee and Ole Miss are the two hot teams other than Kentucky, and their game today should be the best one of the tournament. Should one of these teams make it to Sunday, it would be hard to keep them out of the field.
Mississippi State may have dropped too far to make the Dance now, and Coach Rick Stansbury could be out of work. Georgia won four games in three days a few years ago. If they upset Vanderbilt today, Bulldog fans might start believing it could happen again.
Southland
Quarterfinals
#1 UT-Arlington 96 #8 Nicholls St. 48
#4 McNeese St. 78 #5 TX-San Antonio 74 OT
#2 Stephen F Austin 68 #7 Sam Houston 46
#3 Lamar 76 #6 Northwestern State (LA) 69
Semifinals
#4 McNeese St. 92 #1 UT-Arlington 72
#3 Lamar 55 #2 Stephen F Austin 44
CHAMPIONSHIP
#3 Lamar (22-11) vs. #4 McNeese St. (17-14)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: None
The top two seeds fell in the semifinals, and now the Southland champion may be looking to make reservations in Dayton.
S W A C
Quarterfinals
#1 Mississippi Valley St. 63 #8 Jackson St. 60
#5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 60 #4 Alabama St. 56
#2 Texas Southern 75 #7 Alabama A&M 62
#6 Alcorn St. 103 #3 Prairie View 79
Semifinals
#1 Mississippi Valley St. (19-12) vs. #5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11-21)
#2 Texas Southern (14-17) vs. #6 Alcorn St. (10-21)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: None
The Wacky SWAC is the only league where a 9-21 team blows out the #3 seed by 24 points in the quarterfinals. Yesterday, Alcorn State looked more like Southern U of the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Mississippi Valley may be the only one of the remaining four that can avoid a trip to Dayton, but we highly doubt it.
Summit League
Quarterfinals
#1 Oral Roberts 71 #8 I P F W 67
#4 Western Illinois 58 #5 North Dakota St. 53
#2 South Dakota St. 77 I U P U I 56
#6 Southern Utah 84 #3 Oakland 82
Semifinals
#4 Western Illinois 54 #1 Oral Roberts 53
#2 South Dakota St. 63 #6 Southern Utah 47
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 South Dakota St. 52 #4 Western Illinois 50
Automatic Bid – SOUTH DAKOTA ST. 27-7
At-Large Teams –None
Bubble – Oral Roberts
Had South Dakota St. and Oral Roberts advanced to the Championship Game, and Oral Roberts’ lost instead of losing to WIU in the semis, ORU would be on the at-large line and not the bubble. With an RPI of 55, the Golden Eagles are in a precarious position.
Sunbelt
Opening Round
#6 South Alabama 87 #11 Troy 81
#7 Western Kentucky 67 #10 Florida Int’l 63
#9 Arkansas St. 70 #8 Florida Atlantic 55
Quarterfinals
#9 Arkansas St. 64 #1 Middle Tennessee 61
#5 North Texas 65 #4 Louisiana-Lafayette 62
#7 Western Kentucky 68 #2 U A L R 63
#3 Denver 61 #6 South Alabama 50
Semifinals
#5 North Texas 76 #9 Arkansas St. 72
#7 Western Kentucky 67 #3 Denver 63
CHAMPIONSHIP
#7 Western Kentucky 74 #3 Denver 70
Automatic Bid –WESTERN KENTUCKY 15-18
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – Middle Tennessee
This is probably a one-bid league. The top two seeds lost in their first games in this unique tournament played in two separate gyms in the same building. Middle Tennessee may still be on the bubble with an RPI of 65, but they are more than likely headed to the NIT. Western Kentucky will be headed to the first round in Dayton. However, their 15-18 record is very misleading. The Hilltoppers were supposed to contend for the regular season championship; however, major dissension led to a poor start and a dismissal of head coach Ken McDonald. Since Ray Harper assumed command, WKU has sported a 10-7 record, and a 7-4 finish. This team cannot be overlooked in Dayton and could very well advance to the second round.
W A C
Quarterfinals
#1 Nevada 54 #8 San Jose St. 44
#5 Louisiana Tech 72 #4 Utah St. 70
#2 New Mexico St. 65 #7 Fresno St. 49
#6 Hawaii 72 #3 Idaho 70
Semifinals
#1 Nevada (26-5) vs. #5 Louisiana Tech (17-15)
#2 New Mexico St. (24-9) vs. #6 Hawaii (16-15)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: Nevada
Nevada has moved up to #52 in the RPI, and the Wolfpack are on the cusp of moving up to the upper bubble. A win today will not improve their lot very much, and if they don’t win the tournament and are to get in as an at-large selection, they need New Mexico State to win today.
A Nevada-New Mexico State final would make this tournament most worth watching.
West Coast
Opening Round
#8 Portland 74 #9 Santa Clara 70
2nd Round
#5 San Francisco 87 #8 Portland 66
#6 San Diego 76 #7 Pepperdine 54
Quarterfinals
#5 San Francisco 67 #4 Loyola Marymount 60
#3 B Y U 73 vs. #6 San Diego 68
Semifinals
#1 Saint Mary’s 83 #5 San Francisco 78
#2 Gonzaga 77 #3 B Y U 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Saint Mary’s 78 #2 Gonzaga 74 OT
Automatic Bid – SAINT MARY’S 26-5
At-Large Teams – Gonzaga
Bubble – B Y U
This has the look of a three-bid league, with the two behemoths and BYU all headed to the Big Dance. Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga are now the true powers of the West. If you remember UCLA versus USC or Oregon State in the 1970’s and 1980’s, this is what this rivalry has become. Both teams could easily advance to the Elite 8.
Comments Off on NCAA College Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 9 Update
March 8, 2012
NCAA College Basketball Tournaments–March 8 Update
Here is the up-to-date (as of Wednesday Night, March 7) results of all conference tournaments as well as the pairings for today’s games.
America East
Preliminary Round
#9 Binghamton 73 #8 Md.-Balt. Co. 67
Quarterfinals
#1 Stony Brook 78 # 9 Binghamton 69
#4 Albany 63 #5 New Hampshire 45
#2 Vermont 50 #7 Maine 40
#6 Hartford 53 #3 Boston U 49
Semifinals
#1 Stony Brook 57 #4 Albany 55
#2 Vermont 77 #6 Hartford 73 2OT
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Stony Brook (21-8) vs. Vermont (22-11)
This is a one-bid league.
A C C
Opening Round
#8 Maryland (16-14) vs. #9 Wake Forest (13-17)
#5 North Carolina St. (20-11) vs. #12 Boston College (9-21)
#7 Clemson (16-14) vs. #10 Virginia Tech (15-16)
#6 Miami (FL) (18-11) vs. #11 Georgia Tech (11-19)
At-Large: North Carolina, Duke, Florida St., Virginia
Upper Bubble: North Carolina St.
Lower Bubble: Virginia
Atlantic Sun
Quarterfinals
#1 Belmont 76 #8 Jacksonville 62
#4 East Tennessee 68 #5 N. Florida 66
#2 Mercer 61 #7 Lipscomb 53
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 71 #3 S. Carolina Upstate 61
Semifinals
#1 Belmont 69 #4 East Tennessee 61
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 62 #2 Mercer 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Belmont 83 Florida Gulf Coast 69
Automatic Bid – BELMONT 27-7
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Atlantic 10
1st Round
#8 Massachusetts 92 #9 Duquesne 83
#5 St. Joe’s 80 #12 Charlotte 64
#7 LaSalle 80 #10 Richmond 72
#6 Dayton 67 #11 George Washington 50
Quarterfinals (Friday, March 9)
#1 Temple (24-6) vs. #8 Massachusetts (21-10)
#4 St. Bonaventure (17-11) vs. #5 St. Joe’s (20-12)
#2 St. Louis (24-6) vs. #7 LaSalle (21-11)
#3 Xavier (19-11) vs. #6 Dayton (20-11)
At-Large: Temple
Upper Bubble: St. Louis
Lower Bubble: Xavier, St. Joe’s, and Dayton
The eight remaining teams in this tournament are not that far apart, and the final three days should be highly competitive. Literally, any of this octet can cut down the nets in Atlantic City on Sunday.
Big East
Opening Round
#9 Connecticut 81 #16 Dayton 67
#13 Pittsburgh 73 #12 St. John’s 59
#10 Seton Hall 79 #15 Providence 47
#14 Villanova 70 #11 Rutgers 49
2nd Round
#9 Connecticut 71 #8 West Virginia 67 OT
#5 Georgetown 64 #13 Pittsburgh 52
#7 Louisville 61 #10 Seton Hall 55
#6 South Florida 56 #14 Villanova 47
Quarterfinals
#1 Syracuse (30-1) vs. #9 Connecticut (20-12)
#4 Cincinnati (22-9) vs. #5 Georgetown (23-7)
#2 Marquette (25-6) vs. #7 Louisville (23-9)
#3 Notre Dame (21-10) vs. #6 South Florida (19-12)
At-Large: Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Louisville, Cincinnati
Upper Bubble: West Virginia, Seton Hall, South Florida, Connecticut
Lower Bubble: None
Can the Huskies do it again? After winning five games in five days last year, UConn has now won two games in two days. An upset over the top-seeded Orangemen just may make UConn the odds-on favorite to repeat the feat.
Big Sky
Quarterfinals
#3 Portland St. 75 #6 Montana St. 53
#4 Eastern Washington 81 #5 Idaho St. 75
Semifinals
#1 Montana 74 #4 Eastern Washington 66
#2 Weber St. 69 #3 Portland St. 63
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Montana 85 #2 Weber St. 66
Automatic Bid: MONTANA 25-6
At-Large: None
Bubble: None
This is a one-bid league, but both Montana and Weber State are talented enough to win an opening round game in the NCAA Tournament. With an RPI around 70, the Wildcats are probably not on the bubble.
Big South
Preliminary Round
#8 High Point 68 #9 Gardner-Webb 58
#7 VMI 55 #10 Radford 53
Quarterfinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 86 #8 High Point 61
#4 Charleston Sou. 88 #5 Liberty 74
#6 Winthrop 71 #3 Campbell 55
#7 VMI 85 #2 Coastal Carolina 68
Semifinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 91 #4 Charleston Sou. 64
#7 VMI 75 #6 Winthrop 55
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 UNC-Asheville 80 #7 VMI 64
Automatic Bid – UNC-ASHEVILLE 24-9
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Big Ten
Opening Round
#8 Iowa (16-15) vs. #9 Illinois (17-14)
#5 Indiana (24-7) vs. #12 Penn State (12-19)
#7 Northwestern (18-12) vs. #10 Minnesota (18-13)
#6 Purdue (20-11) vs. #11 Nebraska (12-17)
At-Large: Ohio St., Michigan St., Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue
Upper Bubble: Northwestern
Lower Bubble: None (Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois have too much ground to make up and need to win the tournament. The three teams have no chance of sneaking in with a loss in the Championship Game).
Big 12
Opening Round
#9 Texas A&M 62 #8 Oklahoma 53
#7 Oklahoma St. 76 #10 Texas Tech 60
Quarterfinals
#1 Kansas (26-5) vs. #9 Texas A&M (14-17)
#4 Baylor (25-6) vs. #5 Kansas St. (21-9)
#2 Missouri (27-4) vs. #7 Oklahoma St. (15-17)
#3 Iowa St. (22-9) vs. #6 Texas (19-12)
At-Large: Kansas, Missouri, Iowa St., Baylor, Kansas St.
Upper Bubble: Texas
Lower Bubble: None (If Texas loses to Iowa St., the Longhorns could fall here.
Big West
Quarterfinals
#1 Long Beach St. (22-8) vs. #8 UC-Davis (5-25)
#4 Cal Poly SLO (17-14) vs. #5 UC-Riverside (14-16)
#2 Cal State Fullerton (21-8) vs. #7 UC_Irvine (11-19)
#3 U C S B (18-9) vs. #6 Pacific (11-18)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: Long Beach St.
Lower Bubble: None
Long Beach State played one of the hardest schedules in the nation and fared admirably. Their body of work gives the 49ers the look of a NCAA Tournament team. A loss to Cal State Fullerton in the Championship Game should still keep LBSU safe. A loss in the earlier rounds will throw the 49ers down to the lower bubble.
Colonial Athletic
Opening Round
#9 UNC-Wilmington 70 #8 James Madison 59
#5 Delaware 72 #12 Towson St. 65
#6 Georgia St. 85 #11 Hofstra 50
#7 Northeastern 57 #10 William & Mary 49
Quarterfinals
#1 Drexel 59 #9 UNC-Wilmington 47
#4 Old Dominion 88 #5 Delaware 74
#3 George Mason 61 #6 Georgia St. 59
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 75 #10 William & Mary 65
Semifinals
#1 Drexel 68 #4 Old Dominion 51
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 74 #3 George Mason 64
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 59 #1 Drexel 56
Automatic Bid – VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH 28-6
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – Drexel
Drexel has a chance of earning an at-large bid, but their RPI is on the low side at 68.
Conference USA
Opening Round
#5 U A B 72 #12 Tulane 64
#8 U T E P 67 #9 Houston 62 OT
#10 East Carolina 68 #7 Rice 66
#6 Marshall 74 #11 S M U 56
Quarterfinals
#1 Memphis (23-8) vs. #8 U T E P (15-16)
#4 Central Florida (21-9) vs. #5 U A B (14-15)
#2 Southern Mississippi (24-7) vs. #10 East Carolina (15-15)
#3 Tulsa (17-13) vs. #6 Marshall (19-12)
At-Large: Memphis
Upper Bubble: Southern Miss
Lower Bubble: None
Central Florida has a chance to move up to the lower bubble with a run to the finals, but it would still be a remote shot if they lost in the Championship Game.
Horizon League
Opening Round
#4 Milwaukee 68 #9 Illinois-Chi. 55
#5 Butler 70 #8 Wright St. 52
#3 Detroit 80 #10 Loyola (Chi) 71
#6 Youngstown 77 #7 Green Bay 60
Quarterfinals
#5 Butler 71 #4 Milwaukee 49
#3 Detroit 93 #6 Youngstown St. 76
Semifinals
#1 Valparaiso 65 #5 Butler 46
#3 Detroit 63 #2 Cleveland St. 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#3 Detroit 70 #1 Valparaiso 50
Automatic Bid – DETROIT 22-13
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
This is a one-bid league. Neither Valpo, Cleveland State nor Butler will earn at-large bids.
M A A C
Preliminary Round
#8 Marist 64 #9 St. Peter’s 57
#7 Niagara 80 #10 Canisius 70
Quarterfinals
#1 Iona 87 #8 Marist 63
#4 Fairfield 65 #5 Rider 63
#2 Loyola (MD) 86 #7 Niagara 73
#6 Siena 84 #3 Manhattan 82
Semifinals
#4 Fairfield 85 #1 Iona 75
#2 Loyola (MD) 70 #6 Siena 60
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Loyola (MD) 48 #4 Fairfield 44
Automatic Bid – LOYOLA (MD) 24-8
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
This is a one-bid league. Iona played their way out of the Big Dance and into the NIT.
M A C
Opening Round
#5 Eastern Michigan (14-17) vs. #12 Northern Illinois (4-25)
#8 Western Michigan (12-19) vs. #9 Ball St. (15-14)
#7 Toledo (16-15) vs. #10 (Miami (O) (9-20)
#6 Bowling Green (16-14) vs. #11 (Central Michigan (10-20)
2nd Round
#8 Western Michigan 71 #12 Northern Illinois 54
#7 Toledo 75 #11 Central Michigan 72
Quarterfinals
#4 Kent St. (20-10) vs. #8 Western Michigan (13-19)
#3 Ohio (24-7) vs. #7 Toledo (17-15)
This could develop into a two-bid league. Akron has moved up to #62 in the RPI and Ohio is #70. Akron has one more bye to the semifinals and will face the winner of the Kent St.-Western Michigan game.
M E A C
Opening Round
#8 Hampton 69 #9 Morgan St. 65
#5 North Carolina Central 60 #12 Md. Eastern Shore 43
#4 Bethune-Cookman 62 #13 South Carolina St. 53
#11 Florida A& M 74 #6 Coppin St. 72
#10 Howard 51 #7 North Carolina A&T 50
Quarterfinals
#8 Hampton 59 #1 Savannah St. 46
#4 Bethune-Cookman (16-16) vs. #5 North Carolina Central (17-14)
#2 Norfolk St. 71 #7 Howard 61
#3 Delaware St. (15-13) vs. #11 Florida A&M (9-22)
This is a one-bid league. With Savannah State suffering an early exit, only Norfolk State can win the automatic bid and avoid a trip to Dayton for the first round.
Missouri Valley
Opening Round
#8 Indiana St. 66 #9 Southern Illinois 51
#7 Drake 65 #10 Bradley 49
Quarterfinals
#1 Wichita St. 72 #8 Indiana St. 48
#4 Illinois St. 54 #5 Northern Iowa 42
#2 Creighton 68 vs. #7 Drake 61
#3 Evansville 72 vs. #6 Missouri St. 64
Semifinals
#4 Illinois St. 65 #1 Wichita St. 64
#2 Creighton 99 #3 Evansville 71
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Creighton 83 #4 Illinois St. 79 OT
Automatic Bid – Creighton 27-5
At-Large – Wichita St. 27-5
Bubble – None
Mountain West
Quarterfinals
#1 San Diego St. (24-6) vs. #8 Boise St. (13-16)
#4 Colorado St. (19-10) vs. #5 T C U (17-13)
#2 New Mexico (24-6) vs. #7 Air Force (13-15)
#3 U N L V (25-7) vs. #6 Wyoming (20-10)
At-Large: San Diego St., UNLV, New Mexico
Upper Bubble: Colorado St.
Lower Bubble: None
TCU and Wyoming lost too many times in February. Both teams can only get there by earning the automatic bid. Colorado State can secure a bid with a win over T C U.
Northeast
Quarterfinals
#1 Long Island 80 #8 Sacred Heart 68
#5 Quinnipiac 80 #4 St. Francis (NY) 72
#3 Robert Morris 87 #6 Monmouth 68
#2 Wagner 87 #7 Central Conn. St. 77
Semifinals
#1 Long Island 78 #5 Quinnipiac 75
#3 Robert Morris 71 #2 Wagner 64
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Long Island 90 #3 Robert Morris 73
Automatic Bid: LONG ISLAND 25-8
At-Large: None
Bubble: None
Wagner’s slim chances for getting in as a wildcard team went bye-bye with their semifinal loss to RMU.
LIU enters the Big Dance winning 20 of their last 22 games.
Ohio Valley
Opening Round
#5 Southeast Missouri 75 #8 E. Kentucky 65
#7 Jacksonville St. 75 #6 Austin Peay 70
Quarterfinals
#4 Tennessee Tech 77 #5 Southeast Missouri 73
#3 Morehead St. 68 #7 Jacksonville St. 54
Semifinals
#1 Murray St. 78 #4 Tennessee Tech 58
#2 Tennessee St. 59 #3 Morehead St. 52
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Murray St. 54 #2 Tennessee St. 52
Automatic Bid – Murray St. 30-1
At-Large – None
Bubble – None
Murray State should receive a #4 or #5 seed, a #6 at worst.
Pac-12
Opening Round
#9 Oregon St. 69 #8 Washington St. 64
#5 U C L A 55 #12 U S C 40
#7 Stanford 85 #10 Arizona St. 65
#6 Colorado 53 #11 Utah 41
Quarterfinals
#1 Washington (21-9) vs. #9 Oregon State (18-13)
#4 Arizona (21-10) vs. #5 U C L A (19-13)
#2 California (23-8) vs. #7 Stanford (20-10)
#3 Oregon (22-8) vs. #6 Colorado (20-11)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: California, Washington, Arizona
Lower Bubble: Colorado
UCLA and Stanford could move to the lower bubble if they made it to the Championship Game and lost to one of the three current upper bubble teams. Colorado needs to win two games to have any chance at an at-large bid and may really need to reach the Championship Game to have a legitimate shot. The Buffs’ RPI is 82; wins over Utah, Oregon, and Cal with a loss to Washington could elevate CU to around #65-70, and that is still iffy for an RPI ranking.
Patriot League
Quarterfinals
#1 Bucknell 87 #8 Navy 63
#5 Lafayette 84 #4 Holy Cross 76
#2 Lehigh 70 #7 Colgate 57
#3 American 57 #6 Army 40
Semifinals
#1 Bucknell 79 #5 Lafayette 52
#2 Lehigh 85 #3 American 66
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Lehigh 82 #1 Bucknell 77
Automatic Bid: LEHIGH 26-7
At-Large: None
Bubble: None
The Mountain Hawks search for the first NCAA Tournament win in their fifth trip to the Big Dance, and they have the one-two punch in C J McCollum and Gabe Knutson. Lehigh lost at Michigan State by just nine points earlier in the year, and they enter the NCAA Tournament having won eight games in a row and 12 of 13.
Southern
Opening Round
#5N Appalachian St. 93 #4S College of Charleston 81
#3N Western Carolina 68 #6S Citadel 56
#5S Furman 75 #4N Samford 66
#3S Georgia Southern 76 #6N Chattanooga 70
Quarterfinals
#1N UNC-Greensboro 65 #5N Appalachian St. 55
#3N Western Carolina 82 #2S Wofford 59
#1S Davidson 73 #5S Furman 54
#2N Elon 65 #3S Georgia Southern 58
Semifinals
#3N Western Carolina 82 #1N UNC-Greensboro 77
#1S Davidson 83 #2N Elon 67
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1S Davidson 93 #1N UNC-Greensboro 91
Automatic Bid – DAVIDSON 25-7
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Davidson might not have earned a ticket as an at-large team. Tell that to Kansas coach Bill Self, and he would say you were crazy.
S E C
Opening Round
#8 L S U (17-13) vs. #9 Arkansas (18-13)
#5 Alabama (20-10) vs. #12 South Carolina (10-20)
#7 Ole Miss (18-12) vs. #10 Auburn (15-15)
#6 Mississippi St. (21-10) vs. #11 Georgia (14-16)
At-Large: Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt
Upper Bubble: Alabama, Mississippi St.
Lower Bubble: Tennessee, Ole Miss
Tennessee and Ole Miss are the two hot teams other than Kentucky as the tournament commences. Should one of these teams make it to Sunday, it would be hard to keep them out of the field.
Southland
Quarterfinals
#1 UT-Arlington 96 #8 Nicholls St. 48
#4 McNeese St. 78 #5 TX-San Antonio 74 OT
#2 Stephen F Austin 68 #7 Sam Houston 46
#3 Lamar 76 #6 Northwestern State (LA) 69
Semifinals
#1 UT-Arlington (24-7) vs. #4 McNeese St. (16-14)
#2 Stephen F Austin (20-11) vs. #3 Lamar (21-11)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: None
Texas-Arlington ran away from the field in the regular season standings, but the Mavericks did not run teams out of the gym like they did against Nicholls State yesterday. UT-A is no shoo-in to cop the conference tournament. SF Austin is a worthy competitor, as is Lamar.
S W A C
Quarterfinals
#1 Mississippi Valley St. 63 #8 Jackson St. 60
#4 Alabama St. (12-18) vs. #5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff (10-21)
#2 Texas Southern 75 #7 Alabama A&M 62
#3 Prairie View (14-17) vs. #6 Alcorn St. (9-21)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: None
In a conference where half of the members lost 20 or more games and 80% had losing records, there is a high probability that the winner of the league’s automatic bid will be playing in Dayton in the opening round. The top two seeds advanced Wednesday and receive a day off until the semifinals.
Summit League
Quarterfinals
#1 Oral Roberts 71 #8 I P F W 67
#4 Western Illinois 58 #5 North Dakota St. 53
#2 South Dakota St. 77 I U P U I 56
#6 Southern Utah 84 #3 Oakland 82
Semifinals
#4 Western Illinois 54 #1 Oral Roberts 53
#2 South Dakota St. 63 #6 Southern Utah 47
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 South Dakota St. 52 #4 Western Illinois 50
Automatic Bid – SOUTH DAKOTA ST. 27-7
At-Large Teams –None
Bubble – Oral Roberts
Had South Dakota St. and Oral Roberts advanced to the Championship Game, and Oral Roberts’ lost instead of losing to WIU in the semis, ORU would be on the at-large line and not the bubble. With an RPI of 55, the Golden Eagles are in a precarious position.
Sunbelt
Opening Round
#6 South Alabama 87 #11 Troy 81
#7 Western Kentucky 67 #10 Florida Int’l 63
#9 Arkansas St. 70 #8 Florida Atlantic 55
Quarterfinals
#9 Arkansas St. 64 #1 Middle Tennessee 61
#5 North Texas 65 #4 Louisiana-Lafayette 62
#7 Western Kentucky 68 #2 U A L R 63
#3 Denver 61 #6 South Alabama 50
Semifinals
#5 North Texas 76 #9 Arkansas St. 72
#7 Western Kentucky 67 #3 Denver 63
CHAMPIONSHIP
#7 Western Kentucky 74 #3 Denver 70
Automatic Bid –WESTERN KENTUCKY 15-18
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – Middle Tennessee
This is probably a one-bid league. The top two seeds lost in their first games in this unique tournament played in two separate gyms in the same building. Middle Tennessee may still be on the bubble with an RPI of 65, but they are more than likely headed to the NIT. Western Kentucky will be headed to the first round in Dayton. However, their 15-18 record is very misleading. The Hilltoppers were supposed to contend for the regular season championship; however, major dissension led to a poor start and a dismissal of head coach Ken McDonald. Since Ray Harper assumed command, WKU has sported a 10-7 record, and a 7-4 finish. This team cannot be overlooked in Dayton and could very well advance to the second round.
W A C
#1 Nevada (25-5) vs. #8 San Jose St. (9-21)
#4 Utah St. (17-14) vs. #5 Louisiana Tech (16-15)
#2 New Mexico St. (23-9) vs. #7 Fresno St. (13-19)
#3 Idaho (18-12) vs. #6 Hawaii (15-15)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: Nevada
For Nevada to earn an at-large bid, all of the major conference tournaments need to be one by high seeds without any other lower bubble teams making a splash.
The dark horse here is Utah State. The 4th-seeded Aggies have been there before and must be respected as a well-coached team that knows how to win.
West Coast
Opening Round
#8 Portland 74 #9 Santa Clara 70
2nd Round
#5 San Francisco 87 #8 Portland 66
#6 San Diego 76 #7 Pepperdine 54
Quarterfinals
#5 San Francisco 67 #4 Loyola Marymount 60
#3 B Y U 73 vs. #6 San Diego 68
Semifinals
#1 Saint Mary’s 83 #5 San Francisco 78
#2 Gonzaga 77 #3 B Y U 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Saint Mary’s 78 #2 Gonzaga 74 OT
Automatic Bid – SAINT MARY’S 26-5
At-Large Teams – Gonzaga
Bubble – B Y U
This has the look of a three-bid league, with the two behemoths and BYU all headed to the Big Dance. Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga are now the true powers of the West. If you remember UCLA versus USC or Oregon State in the 1970’s and 1980’s, this is what this rivalry has become. Both teams could easily advance to the Elite 8.
Coming Sometime Before Sunday–A renewable of PiRate Bracketnomics, a mechanical system using backtested data to determine which teams have Final Four resumes.
Comments Off on NCAA College Basketball Tournaments–March 8 Update
March 7, 2012
NCAA College Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 7 Update
Congratulations are in order to the Harvard Crimson for securing their first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 1946. Harvard (26-4) clinched the Ivy League title following last night’s Princeton win over Penn.
Here is the up-to-date (as of Tuesday Night, March 6) results of all conference tournaments as well as the pairings for today’s games.
America East
Preliminary Round
#9 Binghamton 73 #8 Md.-Balt. Co. 67
Quarterfinals
#1 Stony Brook 78 # 9 Binghamton 69
#4 Albany 63 #5 New Hampshire 45
#2 Vermont 50 #7 Maine 40
#6 Hartford 53 #3 Boston U 49
Semifinals
#1 Stony Brook 57 #4 Albany 55
#2 Vermont 77 #6 Hartford 73 2OT
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Stony Brook (21-8) vs. Vermont (22-11)
This is a one-bid league.
Atlantic Sun
Quarterfinals
#1 Belmont 76 #8 Jacksonville 62
#4 East Tennessee 68 #5 N. Florida 66
#2 Mercer 61 #7 Lipscomb 53
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 71 #3 S. Carolina Upstate 61
Semifinals
#1 Belmont 69 #4 East Tennessee 61
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 62 #2 Mercer 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Belmont 83 Florida Gulf Coast 69
Automatic Bid – BELMONT 27-7
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Atlantic 10
1st Round
#8 Massachusetts 92 #9 Duquesne 83
#5 St. Joe’s 80 #12 Charlotte 64
#7 LaSalle 80 #10 Richmond 72
#6 Dayton 67 #11 George Washington 50
Quarterfinals (Friday, March 9)
#1 Temple (24-6) vs. #8 Massachusetts (21-10)
#4 St. Bonaventure (17-11) vs. #5 St. Joe’s (20-12)
#2 St. Louis (24-6) vs. #7 LaSalle (21-11)
#3 Xavier (19-11) vs. #6 Dayton (20-11)
At-Large: Temple
Upper Bubble: St. Louis
Lower Bubble: Xavier, St. Joe’s, and Dayton
The eight remaining teams in this tournament are not that far apart, and the final three days should be highly competitive. Literally, any of this octet can cut down the nets in Atlantic City on Sunday.
Big East
Opening Round
#9 Connecticut 81 #16 Dayton 67
#13 Pittsburgh 73 #12 St. John’s 59
#10 Seton Hall 79 #15 Providence 47
#14 Villanova 70 #11 Rutgers 49
2nd Round
#8 West Virginia (19-12) vs. #9 Connecticut (19-12)
#5 Georgetown (22-7) vs. #13 Pittsburgh (17-15)
#7 Louisville (22-9) vs. #10 Seton Hall (20-11)
#6 South Florida (19-12) vs. #14 Villanova (13-18)
At-Large: Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Louisville, Cincinnati
Upper Bubble: West Virginia, Seton Hall, South Florida, Connecticut
Lower Bubble: None (Pitt is the only bottom half team with a chance to pull off five upsets and break through with an automatic bid.) South Florida could be in jeopardy if they are upset by Villanova.
Big Sky
Quarterfinals
#3 Portland St. 75 #6 Montana St. 53
#4 Eastern Washington 81 #5 Idaho St. 75
Semifinals
#1 Montana 74 #4 Eastern Washington 66
#2 Weber St. 69 #3 Portland St. 63
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Montana (24-6) vs. #2 Weber St. (24-5)
This is a one-bid league, but both Montana and Weber State are talented enough to win an opening round game in the NCAA Tournament.
Big South
Preliminary Round
#8 High Point 68 #9 Gardner-Webb 58
#7 VMI 55 #10 Radford 53
Quarterfinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 86 #8 High Point 61
#4 Charleston Sou. 88 #5 Liberty 74
#6 Winthrop 71 #3 Campbell 55
#7 VMI 85 #2 Coastal Carolina 68
Semifinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 91 #4 Charleston Sou. 64
#7 VMI 75 #6 Winthrop 55
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 UNC-Asheville 80 #7 VMI 64
Automatic Bid – UNC-ASHEVILLE 24-9
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Big 12
Opening Round
#8 Oklahoma (15-15) vs. #9 Texas A&M (13-17)
#7 Oklahoma St. (14-17) vs. #10 Texas Tech (8-22)
At-Large: Kansas, Missouri, Iowa St., Baylor, Kansas St.
Upper Bubble: Texas
Lower Bubble: None (A Texas loss in the quarterfinals would move the Longhorns here.
Colonial Athletic
Opening Round
#9 UNC-Wilmington 70 #8 James Madison 59
#5 Delaware 72 #12 Towson St. 65
#6 Georgia St. 85 #11 Hofstra 50
#7 Northeastern 57 #10 William & Mary 49
Quarterfinals
#1 Drexel 59 #9 UNC-Wilmington 47
#4 Old Dominion 88 #5 Delaware 74
#3 George Mason 61 #6 Georgia St. 59
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 75 #10 William & Mary 65
Semifinals
#1 Drexel 68 #4 Old Dominion 51
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 74 #3 George Mason 64
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 59 #1 Drexel 56
Automatic Bid – VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH 28-6
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – Drexel
Drexel has a chance of earning an at-large bid, but their RPI is on the low side at 68.
Conference USA
Opening Round
#5 U A B (14-15) vs. #12 Tulane (15-15)
#8 U T E P (14-16) vs. #9 Houston (15-14)
#7 Rice (17-14) vs. #10 East Carolina (14-15)
#6 Marshall (18-12) vs. #11 S M U (13-18)
At-Large: Memphis
Upper Bubble: Southern Miss
Lower Bubble: None
Central Florida has a chance to move up to the lower bubble with a run to the finals, but it would still be a remote shot if they lose in the Championship Game.
Horizon League
Opening Round
#4 Milwaukee 68 #9 Illinois-Chi. 55
#5 Butler 70 #8 Wright St. 52
#3 Detroit 80 #10 Loyola (Chi) 71
#6 Youngstown 77 #7 Green Bay 60
Quarterfinals
#5 Butler 71 #4 Milwaukee 49
#3 Detroit 93 #6 Youngstown St. 76
Semifinals
#1 Valparaiso 65 #5 Butler 46
#3 Detroit 63 #2 Cleveland St. 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#3 Detroit 70 #1 Valparaiso 50
Automatic Bid – DETROIT 22-13
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
This is a one-bid league. Neither Valpo, Cleveland State nor Butler will earn at-large bids.
M A A C
Preliminary Round
#8 Marist 64 #9 St. Peter’s 57
#7 Niagara 80 #10 Canisius 70
Quarterfinals
#1 Iona 87 #8 Marist 63
#4 Fairfield 65 #5 Rider 63
#2 Loyola (MD) 86 #7 Niagara 73
#6 Siena 84 #3 Manhattan 82
Semifinals
#4 Fairfield 85 #1 Iona 75
#2 Loyola (MD) 70 #6 Siena 60
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Loyola (MD) 48 #4 Fairfield 44
Automatic Bid – LOYOLA (MD) 24-8
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
This is a one-bid league. Iona played their way out of the Big Dance and into the NIT.
M A C
Opening Round
#5 Eastern Michigan (14-17) vs. #12 Northern Illinois (4-25)
#8 Western Michigan (12-19) vs. #9 Ball St. (15-14)
#7 Toledo (16-15) vs. #10 (Miami (O) (9-20)
#6 Bowling Green (16-14) vs. #11 (Central Michigan (10-20)
2nd Round
#8 Western Michigan (13-19) vs. #12 Northern Illinois (5-25)
#7 Toledo (17-15) vs. #11 Central Michigan (11-20)
This could develop into a two-bid league. Akron has moved up to #62 in the RPI and Ohio is #70. Ohio has a bye to the quarterfinals and Akron has two more byes to the semifinals.
M E A C
Opening Round
#8 Hampton 69 #9 Morgan St. 65
#5 North Carolina Central 60 #12 Md. Eastern Shore 43
#4 Bethune-Cookman 62 #13 South Carolina St. 53
#11 Florida A& M 74 #6 Coppin St. 72
#10 Howard 51 #7 North Carolina A&T 50
Quarterfinals
#1 Savannah St. (21-10) vs. #8 Hampton (11-20)
#4 Bethune-Cookman (16-16) vs. #5 North Carolina Central (17-14)
#2 Norfolk St. (22-9) vs. #7 Howard (10-20)
#3 Delaware St. (15-13) vs. #11 Florida A&M (9-22)
This is a one-bid league. If Savannah St. or Norfolk St. win the tournament, there is a chance for the winner to avoid the opening round in Dayton.
Missouri Valley
Opening Round
#8 Indiana St. 66 #9 Southern Illinois 51
#7 Drake 65 #10 Bradley 49
Quarterfinals
#1 Wichita St. 72 #8 Indiana St. 48
#4 Illinois St. 54 #5 Northern Iowa 42
#2 Creighton 68 vs. #7 Drake 61
#3 Evansville 72 vs. #6 Missouri St. 64
Semifinals
#4 Illinois St. 65 #1 Wichita St. 64
#2 Creighton 99 #3 Evansville 71
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Creighton 83 #4 Illinois St. 79 OT
Automatic Bid – Creighton 27-5
At-Large – Wichita St. 27-5
Bubble – None
Mountain West
Quarterfinals
#1 San Diego St. (24-6) vs. #8 Boise St. (13-16)
#4 Colorado St. (19-10) vs. #5 T C U (17-13)
#2 New Mexico (24-6) vs. #7 Air Force (13-15)
#3 U N L V (25-7) vs. #6 Wyoming (20-10)
At-Large: San Diego St., UNLV, New Mexico
Upper Bubble: Colorado St.
Lower Bubble: None
TCU and Wyoming lost too many times in February. Both teams can only get there by earning the automatic bid. Colorado State can secure a bid with a win over T C U.
Northeast
Quarterfinals
#1 Long Island 80 #8 Sacred Heart 68
#5 Quinnipiac 80 #4 St. Francis (NY) 72
#3 Robert Morris 87 #6 Monmouth 68
#2 Wagner 87 #7 Central Conn. St. 77
Semifinals
#1 Long Island 78 #5 Quinnipiac 75
#3 Robert Morris 71 #2 Wagner 64
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Long Island (23-8) vs. #3 Robert Morris (23-9)
This is a one-bid league.
Ohio Valley
Opening Round
#5 Southeast Missouri 75 #8 E. Kentucky 65
#7 Jacksonville St. 75 #6 Austin Peay 70
Quarterfinals
#4 Tennessee Tech 77 #5 Southeast Missouri 73
#3 Morehead St. 68 #7 Jacksonville St. 54
Semifinals
#1 Murray St. 78 #4 Tennessee Tech 58
#2 Tennessee St. 59 #3 Morehead St. 52
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Murray St. 54 #2 Tennessee St. 52
Automatic Bid – Murray St. 30-1
At-Large – None
Bubble – None
Murray State should receive a #4 or #5 seed, a #6 at worst.
Pac-12
Opening Round
#8 Washington St. (15-15) vs. #9 Oregon St. (17-13)
#5 U C L A (18-13) vs. #12 U S C (6-25)
#7 Stanford (20-10) vs. #10 Arizona St. (10-20)
#6 Colorado (19-11) vs. #11 Utah (6-24)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: California, Washington, Arizona
Lower Bubble: Colorado
UCLA and Stanford could move to the lower bubble if they made it to the Championship Game and lost to one of the three current upper bubble teams. Colorado needs to win two games to have any chance at an at-large bid and may really need to reach the Championship Game to have a legitimate shot. The Buffs’ RPI is 82; wins over Utah, Oregon, and Cal with a loss to Washington could elevate CU to around #65-70, and that is still iffy for an RPI ranking.
Patriot League
Quarterfinals
#1 Bucknell 87 #8 Navy 63
#5 Lafayette 84 #4 Holy Cross 76
#2 Lehigh 70 #7 Colgate 57
#3 American 57 #6 Army 40
Semifinals
#1 Bucknell 79 #5 Lafayette 52
#2 Lehigh 85 #3 American 66
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Bucknell 24-8 vs. #2 Lehigh 25-7
This is a one-bid league.
Southern
Opening Round
#5N Appalachian St. 93 #4S College of Charleston 81
#3N Western Carolina 68 #6S Citadel 56
#5S Furman 75 #4N Samford 66
#3S Georgia Southern 76 #6N Chattanooga 70
Quarterfinals
#1N UNC-Greensboro 65 #5N Appalachian St. 55
#3N Western Carolina 82 #2S Wofford 59
#1S Davidson 73 #5S Furman 54
#2N Elon 65 #3S Georgia Southern 58
Semifinals
#3N Western Carolina 82 #1N UNC-Greensboro 77
#1S Davidson 83 #2N Elon 67
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1S Davidson 93 #1N UNC-Greensboro 91
Automatic Bid – DAVIDSON 25-7
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Davidson might not have earned a ticket as an at-large team. Tell that to Kansas coach Bill Self, and he would say you were crazy.
Southland
Quarterfinals
#1 UT-Arlington (23-7) vs. #8 Nicholls St. (10-19)
#4 McNeese St. (15-14) vs. #5 TX-San Antonio (18-13)
#2 Stephen F Austin (19-11) vs. #7 Sam Houston (13-18)
#3 Lamar (20-11) vs. #6 Northwestern State (LA) (16-15)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: None
Texas-Arlington ran away from the field in the regular season standings, but the Mavericks did not run teams out of the gym. They are no shoo-in to cop the conference tournament. SF Austin is a worthy competitor, as is Lamar.
S W A C
Quarterfinals
#1 Mississippi Valley St. (18-12) vs. #8 Jackson St. (7-23)
#4 Alabama St. (12-18) vs. #5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff (10-21)
#2 Texas Southern (13-17) vs. #7 Alabama A&M (7-20)
#3 Prairie View (14-17) vs. #6 Alcorn St. (9-21)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: None
In a conference where half of the members lost 20 or more games and 80% had losing records, there is a high probability that the winner of the league’s automatic bid will be playing in Dayton in the opening round. Top seed Mississippi Valley State went 1-11 outside of league play.
Summit League
Quarterfinals
#1 Oral Roberts 71 #8 I P F W 67
#4 Western Illinois 58 #5 North Dakota St. 53
#2 South Dakota St. 77 I U P U I 56
#6 Southern Utah 84 #3 Oakland 82
Semifinals
#4 Western Illinois 54 #1 Oral Roberts 53
#2 South Dakota St. 63 #6 Southern Utah 47
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 South Dakota St. 52 #4 Western Illinois 50
Automatic Bid – SOUTH DAKOTA ST. 27-7
At-Large Teams –None
Bubble – Oral Roberts
Had South Dakota St. and Oral Roberts advanced to the Championship Game, and Oral Roberts’ lost instead of losing to WIU in the semis, ORU would be on the at-large line and not the bubble. With an RPI of 55, the Golden Eagles are in a precarious position.
Sunbelt
Opening Round
#6 South Alabama 87 #11 Troy 81
#7 Western Kentucky 67 #10 Florida Int’l 63
#9 Arkansas St. 70 #8 Florida Atlantic 55
Quarterfinals
#9 Arkansas St. 64 #1 Middle Tennessee 61
#5 North Texas 65 #4 Louisiana-Lafayette 62
#7 Western Kentucky 68 #2 U A L R 63
#3 Denver 61 #6 South Alabama 50
Semifinals
#5 North Texas 76 #9 Arkansas St. 72
#7 Western Kentucky 67 #3 Denver 63
CHAMPIONSHIP
#7 Western Kentucky 74 #3 Denver 70
Automatic Bid –WESTERN KENTUCKY 15-18
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – Middle Tennessee
This is probably a one-bid league. The top two seeds lost in their first games in this unique tournament played in two separate gyms in the same building. Middle Tennessee may still be on the bubble with an RPI of 65, but they are more than likely headed to the NIT. Western Kentucky will be headed to the first round in Dayton. However, their 15-18 record is very misleading. The Hilltoppers were supposed to contend for the regular season championship; however, major dissension led to a poor start and a dismissal of head coach Ken McDonald. Since Ray Harper assumed command, WKU has sported a 10-7 record, and a 7-4 finish. This team cannot be overlooked in Dayton and could very well advance to the second round.
W A C
#1 Nevada (25-5) vs. #8 San Jose St. (9-21)
#4 Utah St. (17-14) vs. #5 Louisiana Tech (16-15)
#2 New Mexico St. (23-9) vs. #7 Fresno St. (13-19)
#3 Idaho (18-12) vs. #6 Hawaii (15-15)
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: Nevada
For Nevada to earn an at-large bid, all of the major conference tournaments need to be one by high seeds without any other lower bubble teams making a splash.
The dark horse here is Utah State. The 4th-seeded Aggies have been there before and must be respected as a well-coached team that knows how to win.
West Coast
Opening Round
#8 Portland 74 #9 Santa Clara 70
2nd Round
#5 San Francisco 87 #8 Portland 66
#6 San Diego 76 #7 Pepperdine 54
Quarterfinals
#5 San Francisco 67 #4 Loyola Marymount 60
#3 B Y U 73 vs. #6 San Diego 68
Semifinals
#1 Saint Mary’s 83 #5 San Francisco 78
#2 Gonzaga 77 #3 B Y U 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Saint Mary’s 78 #2 Gonzaga 74 OT
Automatic Bid – SAINT MARY’S 26-5
At-Large Teams – Gonzaga
Bubble – B Y U
This has the look of a three-bid league, with the two behemoths and BYU all headed to the Big Dance. Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga are now the true powers of the West. If you remember UCLA versus USC or Oregon State in the 1970’s and 1980’s, this is what this rivalry has become. Both teams could easily advance to the Elite 8.
A Look At The Remaining Conferences
A C C
Tournament Begins March 8 in Atlanta
At-Large: North Carolina, Duke, Florida St., Virginia
Upper Bubble: North Carolina St.
Lower Bubble: Virginia
Big Ten
Tournament Begins March 8 in Indianapolis
At-Large: Ohio St., Michigan St., Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue
Upper Bubble: Northwestern
Lower Bubble: None (Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois have too much ground to make up and need to win the tournament. The three teams have no chance of sneaking in with a loss in the Championship Game).
Big West
Tournament Begins March 8 in Anaheim
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: Long Beach St.
Lower Bubble: None
Long Beach State played one of the hardest schedules in the nation and fared admirably. Their body of work gives the 49ers the look of a NCAA Tournament team. A loss to Cal State Fullerton in the Championship Game should still keep LBSU safe. A loss in the earlier rounds will throw the 49ers down to the lower bubble.
S E C
Tournament Begins March 8 in New Orleans
At-Large: Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt
Upper Bubble: Alabama, Mississippi St.
Lower Bubble: Tennessee, Ole Miss
Tennessee and Ole Miss are the two hot teams other than Kentucky as the tournament commences. Should one of these teams make it to Sunday, it would be hard to keep them out of the field.
Next Update: Thursday, March 8
Comments Off on NCAA College Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 7 Update
March 5, 2012
NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 5 Update
Here is an updated look at tournament action to date with the dates and matchups for their next round. This includes all games played through Sunday, March 4.
America East
Preliminary Round
#9 Binghamton 73 #8 Md.-Balt. Co. 67
Quarterfinals
#1 Stony Brook 78 # 9 Binghamton 69
#4 Albany 63 #5 New Hampshire 45
#2 Vermont 50 #7 Maine 40
#6 Hartford 53 #3 Boston U 49
Semifinals
#1 Stony Brook 57 #4 Albany 55
#2 Vermont 77 #6 Hartford 73 2OT
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Stony Brook (21-8) vs. Vermont (22-11)
This is a one-bid league.
Atlantic Sun
Quarterfinals
#1 Belmont 76 #8 Jacksonville 62
#4 East Tennessee 68 #5 N. Florida 66
#2 Mercer 61 #7 Lipscomb 53
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 71 #3 S. Carolina Upstate 61
Semifinals
#1 Belmont 69 #4 East Tennessee 61
#6 Florida Gulf Coast 62 #2 Mercer 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Belmont 83 Florida Gulf Coast 69
Automatic Bid – BELMONT 27-7
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Big Sky
Quarterfinals
#3 Portland St. 75 #6 Montana St. 53
#4 Eastern Washington 81 #5 Idaho St. 75
Semifinals (Tuesday)
#1 Montana (23-6) vs. #4 Eastern Washington (15-16)
#2 Weber St. (23-5) vs. #3 Portland St. 17-13
This is a one-bid league, but both Montana and Weber State are talented enough to win an opening round game in the NCAA Tournament.
Big South
Preliminary Round
#8 High Point 68 #9 Gardner-Webb 58
#7 VMI 55 #10 Radford 53
Quarterfinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 86 #8 High Point 61
#4 Charleston Sou. 88 #5 Liberty 74
#6 Winthrop 71 #3 Campbell 55
#7 VMI 85 #2 Coastal Carolina 68
Semifinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 91 #4 Charleston Sou. 64
#7 VMI 75 #6 Winthrop 55
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 UNC-Asheville 80 #7 VMI 64
Automatic Bid – UNC-ASHEVILLE 24-9
At-Large Teams – None
Bubble – None
Colonial Athletic
Opening Round
#9 UNC-Wilmington 70 #8 James Madison 59
#5 Delaware 72 #12 Towson St. 65
#6 Georgia St. 85 #11 Hofstra 50
#7 Northeastern 57 #10 William & Mary 49
Quarterfinals
#1 Drexel 59 #9 UNC-Wilmington 47
#4 Old Dominion 88 #5 Delaware 74
#3 George Mason 61 #6 Georgia St. 59
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 75 #10 William & Mary 65
Semifinals
#1 Drexel 68 #4 Old Dominion 51
#2 Virginia Commonwealth 74 #3 George Mason 64
CHAMPIONSHIP (Monday)
#1 Drexel (26-5) vs. #2 Virginia Commonwealth (26-6)
The loser of this game should stand a decent chance of earning an at-large bid.
Horizon League
Opening Round
#4 Milwaukee 68 #9 Illinois-Chi. 55
#5 Butler 70 #8 Wright St. 52
#3 Detroit 80 #10 Loyola (Chi) 71
#6 Youngstown 77 #7 Green Bay 60
Quarterfinals
#5 Butler 71 #4 Milwaukee 49
#3 Detroit 93 #6 Youngstown St. 76
Semifinals
#1 Valparaiso 65 #5 Butler 46
#3 Detroit 63 #2 Cleveland St. 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Valparaiso (22-10) vs. #3 Detroit (21-13) – Tuesday, March 6
This is a one-bid league. Neither Valpo, Cleveland State nor Butler will earn at-large bids.
M A A C
Preliminary Round
#8 Marist 64 #9 St. Peter’s 57
#7 Niagara 80 #10 Canisius 70
Quarterfinals
#1 Iona 87 #8 Marist 63
#4 Fairfield 65 #5 Rider 63
#2 Loyola (MD) 86 #7 Niagara 73
#6 Siena 84 #3 Manhattan 82
Semifinals
#4 Fairfield 85 #1 Iona 75
#2 Loyola (MD) 70 #6 Siena 60
CHAMPIONSHIP (Monday)
#2 Loyola (MD) (22-8) vs. #4 Fairfield (18-13)
This is a one-bid league. Iona played their way out of the Big Dance and into the NIT.
M A C
Opening Round (Monday)
#5 Eastern Michigan (14-17) vs. #12 Northern Illinois (4-25)
#8 Western Michigan (12-19) vs. #9 Ball St. (15-14)
#7 Toledo (16-15) vs. #10 (Miami (O) (9-20)
#6 Bowling Green (16-14) vs. #11 (Central Michigan (10-20)
This is a one-bid league. The top five teams are in the East Division.
M E A C
Opening Round (Monday)
#8 Hampton (10-20) vs. #9 Morgan St. (9-19)
#5 North Carolina Central (16-14) vs. #12 Md. Eastern Shore (7-22)
#4 Bethune-Cookman (15-16) vs. #13 South Carolina St. (5-25)
#6 Coppin St. (14-15) vs. #11 Florida A&M (8-22)
#7 North Carolina A&T (12-19) vs. #10 Howard (10-20)
This is a one-bid league. If Savannah St. or Norfolk St. win the tournament, there is a chance for the winner to avoid the opening round in Dayton.
Missouri Valley
Opening Round
#8 Indiana St. 66 #9 Southern Illinois 51
#7 Drake 65 #10 Bradley 49
Quarterfinals
#1 Wichita St. 72 #8 Indiana St. 48
#4 Illinois St. 54 #5 Northern Iowa 42
#2 Creighton 68 vs. #7 Drake 61
#3 Evansville 72 vs. #6 Missouri St. 64
Semifinals
#4 Illinois St. 65 #1 Wichita St. 64
#2 Creighton 99 #3 Evansville 71
CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Creighton 83 #4 Illinois St. 79 OT
Automatic Bid – Creighton 27-5
At-Large – Wichita St. 27-5
Bubble – None
Northeast
Quarterfinals
#1 Long Island 80 #8 Sacred Heart 68
#5 Quinnipiac 80 #4 St. Francis (NY) 72
#3 Robert Morris 87 #6 Monmouth 68
#2 Wagner 87 #7 Central Conn. St. 77
Semifinals
#1 Long Island 78 #5 Quinnipiac 75
#3 Robert Morris 71 #2 Wagner 64
CHAMPIONSHIP (Wednesday)
#1 Long Island (23-8) vs. #3 Robert Morris (23-9)
This is a one-bid league.
Ohio Valley
Opening Round
#5 Southeast Missouri 75 #8 E. Kentucky 65
#7 Jacksonville St. 75 #6 Austin Peay 70
Quarterfinals
#4 Tennessee Tech 77 #5 Southeast Missouri 73
#3 Morehead St. 68 #7 Jacksonville St. 54
Semifinals
#1 Murray St. 78 #4 Tennessee Tech 58
#2 Tennessee St. 59 #3 Morehead St. 52
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1 Murray St. 54 #2 Tennessee St. 52
Automatic Bid – Murray St. 30-1
At-Large – None
Bubble – None
Murray State should receive a #4 or #5 seed, a #6 at worst.
Patriot League
Quarterfinals
#1 Bucknell 87 #8 Navy 63
#5 Lafayette 84 #4 Holy Cross 76
#2 Lehigh 70 #7 Colgate 57
#3 American 57 #6 Army 40
Semifinals
#1 Bucknell 79 #5 Lafayette 52
#2 Lehigh 85 #3 American 66
CHAMPIONSHIP (Wednesday)
#1 Bucknell 24-8 vs. #2 Lehigh 25-7
This is a one-bid league.
Southern
Opening Round
#5N Appalachian St. 93 #4S College of Charleston 81
#3N Western Carolina 68 #6S Citadel 56
#5S Furman 75 #4N Samford 66
#3S Georgia Southern 76 #6N Chattanooga 70
Quarterfinals
#1N UNC-Greensboro 65 #5N Appalachian St. 55
#3N Western Carolina 82 #2S Wofford 59
#1S Davidson 73 #5S Furman 54
#2N Elon 65 #3S Georgia Southern 58
Semifinals
#3N Western Carolina 82 #1N UNC-Greensboro 77
#1S Davidson 83 #2N Elon 67
CHAMPIONSHIP
#1N UNC-Greensboro (13-19) vs. Davidson (24-7)
Davidson cannot get in as an at-large team, so Wildcats must win to dance.
Summit League
Quarterfinals
#1 Oral Roberts 71 #8 I P F W 67
#4 Western Illinois 58 #5 North Dakota St. 53
#2 South Dakota St. 77 I U P U I 56
#6 Southern Utah 84 #3 Oakland 82
Semifinals
#1 Oral Roberts (27-5) vs. #4 Western Illinois (16-13)
#2 South Dakota St. (25-7) vs. #6 Southern Utah (14-16)
If South Dakota St. and Oral Roberts advance to the Championship Game, and Oral Roberts’ loses, we should see two invitations doled out to the Summit League.
Sunbelt
Opening Round
#6 South Alabama 87 #11 Troy 81
#7 Western Kentucky 67 #10 Florida Int’l 63
#9 Arkansas St. 70 #8 Florida Atlantic 55
Quarterfinals
#9 Arkansas St. 64 #1 Middle Tennessee 61
#5 North Texas 65 #4 Louisiana-Lafayette 62
#7 Western Kentucky 68 #2 U A L R 63
#3 Denver 61 #6 South Alabama 50
Semifinals
#5 North Texas (17-13) vs. #9 Arkansas St. (14-19)
#3 Denver (22-8) vs. #7 Western Kentucky (13-18)
This is a one-bid league. The top two seeds lost in their first games in this unique tournament played in two separate gyms in the same building. Middle Tennessee may still be on the bubble, but they are more than likely headed to the NIT. If Arkansas St. or Western Kentucky win this tournament, they will be headed to the first round in Dayton.
West Coast
Opening Round
#8 Portland 74 #9 Santa Clara 70
2nd Round
#5 San Francisco 87 #8 Portland 66
#6 San Diego 76 #7 Pepperdine 54
Quarterfinals
#5 San Francisco 67 #4 Loyola Marymount 60
#3 B Y U 73 vs. #6 San Diego 68
Semifinals
#1 Saint Mary’s 83 #5 San Francisco 78
#2 Gonzaga 77 #3 B Y U 58
CHAMPIONSHIP (Monday)
#1 Saint Mary’s 26-5 vs. #2 Gonzaga 25-5
This looks like a three-bid league, with the two finalists and BYU all headed to the Big Dance.
A Look At The Remaining Conferences
Atlantic 10
Tournament Begins March 6 on Campus Sites and moves to Atlantic City on March 9
At-Large: Temple
Upper Bubble: St. Louis
Lower Bubble: Xavier, St. Joe’s, and Dayton
A C C
Tournament Begins March 8 in Atlanta
At-Large: North Carolina, Duke, Florida St., Virginia
Upper Bubble: North Carolina St.
Lower Bubble: Virginia
Big East
Tournament Begins March 6 in New York City
At-Large: Syracuse, Marquette, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Louisville, Cincinnati
Upper Bubble: West Virginia, Seton Hall, South Florida, Connecticut
Lower Bubble: None (Pitt is the only bottom half team with a chance to pull off five upsets and break through with an automatic bid.
Big Ten
Tournament Begins March 8 in Indianapolis
At-Large: Ohio St., Michigan St., Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Purdue
Upper Bubble: Northwestern
Lower Bubble: None (Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois have too much ground to make up and need to win the tournament. The three teams have no chance of sneaking in with a loss in the Championship Game).
Big 12
Tournament Begins March 7 in Kansas City
At-Large: Kansas, Missouri, Iowa St., Baylor, Kansas St.
Upper Bubble: Texas
Lower Bubble: None (A Texas loss in the quarterfinals would move the Longhorns here.
Big West
Tournament Begins March 8 in Anaheim
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: Long Beach St.
Lower Bubble: None
Long Beach State played one of the hardest schedules in the nation and fared admirably. Their body of work gives the 49ers the look of a NCAA Tournament team. A loss to Cal State Fullerton in the Championship Game should still keep LBSU safe. A loss in the earlier rounds will throw the 49ers down to the lower bubble.
Conference USA
Tournament Begins March 7 in Memphis
At-Large: Memphis
Upper Bubble: Southern Miss
Lower Bubble: None
Central Florida has a chance to move up to the lower bubble with a run to the finals, but it would still be a remote shot if they lose in the Championship Game.
Mountain West
Tournament Begins March 6 in Las Vegas
At-Large: San Diego St., UNLV, New Mexico
Upper Bubble: Colorado St.
Lower Bubble: None
TCU and Wyoming lost too many times in February. Both teams can only get there by earning the automatic bid.
Pac-12
Tournament Begins March 7 in Los Angeles
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: California, Washington, Arizona
Lower Bubble: Colorado
UCLA and Stanford could move to the lower bubble if they lost in the Championship Game. Colorado needs to win two games to have any chance at an at-large bid.
S E C
Tournament Begins March 8 in New Orleans
At-Large: Kentucky, Florida, Vanderbilt
Upper Bubble: Alabama, Mississippi St.
Lower Bubble: Tennessee, Ole Miss
Tennessee and Ole Miss are the two hot teams other than Kentucky as the tournament commences. Should one of these teams make it to Sunday, it would be hard to keep them out of the field.
Southland
Tournament Begins March 7 in Katy, TX
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: None
Texas-Arlington ran away from the field in the regular season, but the Mavericks did not run teams out of the gym. They are no shoo-in to cop the conference tournament.
S W A C
Tournament Begins March 7 in Garland, TX
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: None
In a conference where half of the members lost 20 or more games and 80% had losing records, there is a high probability that the winner of the league’s automatic bid will be playing in Dayton in the opening round. Top seed Mississippi Valley State went 1-11 outside of league play.
W A C
Tournament Begins March 7 in Las Vegas
At-Large: None
Upper Bubble: None
Lower Bubble: Nevada
For Nevada to earn an at-large bid, all of the major conference tournaments need to be one by high seeds without any other lower bubble teams making a splash.
Next Update: Wednesday March 7
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March 2, 2012
NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–1st Update
Conference Tournament action has begun in several conferences with more set to tip off this weekend. Here is a look at tournament action to date with the dates and matchups for their next round.
America East
Preliminary Round
#9Binghamton73 #8 Md.-Balt.Co.67
Quarterfinals (Saturday)
#1 Stony Brook (20-8) vs. # 9Binghamton(2-28)
#4Albany(18-13) vs. #5New Hampshire(13-15)
#2Vermont(20-11) vs. #7Maine(12-16)
#3BostonU (16-15) vs. #6Hartford(8-21)
Atlantic Sun
Quarterfinals
#1Belmont76 #8Jacksonville62
#4 East Tennessee 68 #5N. Florida66
#2 Mercer 61 #7 Lipscomb 53
#6FloridaGulfCoast71 #3S. CarolinaUpstate 61
Semifinals (Friday)
#1Belmont(25-7) vs. #4East Tennessee(17-13)
#2 Mercer (22-10) vs. #6FloridaGulfCoast(14-16)
Big South
Preliminary Round
#8High Point68 #9 Gardner-Webb 58
#7 VMI 55 #10 Radford 53
Quarterfinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 86 #8High Point61
#4CharlestonSou. 88 #5Liberty74
#6Winthrop71 #3Campbell55
#7 VMI 85 #2 CoastalCarolina68
Semifinals
#1 UNC-Asheville 91 #4CharlestonSou. 64
#7 VMI 75 #6Winthrop55
Championship Game (Saturday @ Noon EST)
#1 UNC-Asheville (23-9) vs. #7 VMI (17-15)
Horizon League
Opening Round
#4Milwaukee68 #9 Illinois-Chi. 55
#5Butler70 #8 WrightSt.52
#3Detroit80 #10 Loyola (Chi) 71
#6Youngstown77 #7Green Bay60
Quarterfinals (Friday)
#4Milwaukee(20-12) vs. #5Butler(19-13)
#3Detroit(19-13) vs.#6 Youngstown St.(16-14)
M A A C
Preliminary Round (Friday)
#8 Marist (13-17) vs. #9St.Peter’s (5-25)
#7Niagara(13-18) vs. #10 Canisius (5-24)
Missouri Valley
Opening Round
#8 Indiana St.66 #9Southern Illinois51
#7 Drake 65 #10 Bradley 49
Quarterfinals (Friday)
#1 Wichita St.(26-4) vs.#8 Indiana St.(18-13)
#4 Illinois St.(18-12) vs. #5Northern Iowa(19-12)
#2 Creighton (25-5) vs. #7 Drake (17-14)
#3Evansville(15-14) vs.#6 Missouri St.(15-15)
Northeast
Quarterfinals
#1Long Island80 #8 Sacred Heart 68
#5 Quinnipiac 80 #4St.Francis (NY) 72
#3 Robert Morris 87 #6 Monmouth 68
#2 Wagner 87 #7 CentralConn.St.77
Semifinals (Sunday)
#1Long Island(23-8) vs. #5 Quinnipiac (18-12)
#2 Wagner (25-5) vs. #3 Robert Morris (23-9)
Ohio Valley
Opening Round
#5 Southeast Missouri 75 #8E. Kentucky65
#7 Jacksonville St.75 #6AustinPeay 70
Quarterfinals
#4TennesseeTech 77 #5Southeast Missouri73
#3 Morehead St.68 #7 Jacksonville St.54
Semifinals (Friday)
Note: This tournament could be delayed due to severe weather threat in Nashville)
#1 Murray St.(28-1) vs. #4TennesseeTech (19-12)
#2 Tennessee St.(19-11) vs.#3 Morehead St.(18-14)
Patriot League
Quarterfinals
#1 Bucknell 87 #8 Navy 63
#5Lafayette84 #4 Holy Cross 76
#2 Lehigh 70 #7 Colgate 57
#3 American 57 #6 Army 40
Semifinals (Saturday)
#1 Bucknell (23-8) vs. #5Lafayette(13-17)
#2 Lehigh (24-7) vs. #3 American (20-10)
West Coast
Opening Round
#8Portland74 #9Santa Clara70
2nd Round
#5San Francisco87 #8Portland66
#6San Diego76 #7 Pepperdine 54
Quarterfinals (Friday)
#4 Loyola Marymount (19-11) vs. #5San Francisco(19-12)
#3 B Y U (24-7) vs. #6San Diego(13-17)
Mid-Major Teams in Top 65 of RPI (On the Bubble)
Sure Things
11Temple
12WichitaState
16 SouthernMississippi
17 U N L V
18Memphis
High Chances
20 Colorado St.
24 Gonzaga
25 Creighton
26 San Diego St.
29St. Louis
Good Chances
31 Murray St.
33New Mexico
36 Long Beach St.
37 Saint Mary’s
38 Harvard
Need To Do Some Work
43 Oral Roberts
44Iona
47 tie Middle Tennessee
47 tie Nevada
52 B Y U
Need A Miracle
53St.Joe’s
55 Xavier
58 South Dakota St.
Probably Need To Earn Automatic Bid
61VirginiaCommonwealth
62Northern Iowa
63 tie Drexel
63 tie Belmont
65 CentralFlorida
Major Conference At-large Candidates
A C C
Sure Things
North Carolina
Duke
FloridaState
Need To Do Some Work
Virginia
Miami(Fla)
North Carolina St.
Need A Miracle
Clemson
Big East
Sure Things
Syracuse
Marquette
Georgetown
Louisville
Notre Dame
Need To Do Some Work
Connecticut
Seton Hall
West Virginia
Cincinnati
South Florida
Big Ten
Sure Things
MichiganState
OhioState
Michigan
Wisconsin
Indiana
Need To Do Some Work
Purdue
Need A Miracle
Northwestern
Big 12
Sure Things
Kansas
Missouri
Baylor
IowaState
KansasState
Need To Do Some Work
Texas
Pac-12
Sure Things
Need To Do Some Work
California
Oregon
Washington
Need A Miracle
Arizona
Next Update: Sunday, March 4
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The Pi-Rate Ratings 