March 10, 2020

PiRate Ratings Bracketology For March 10, 2020

Filed under: College Basketball — Tags: conference tournaments, East Tennessee St., Gonzaga, Horizon League, MAAC, MEAC, North Dakota, Northeast Conference, Saint Mary's, SWAC — piratings @ 6:01 am

Tuesday’s Games

Home	Visitor	Spread
Delaware St.	Maryland Eastern Shore	0.4
Fairfield	Manhattan	-0.4
Gonzaga	Saint Mary’s	9.8
Hofstra	Northeastern	1.6
Ioina	Canisius	2.1
Jackson St.	Grambling	3.8
Niagara	Marist	1.2
North Dakota St.	North Dakota	6.0
Northern Kentucky	Illinois Chicago	4.3
Prairie View	Alabama A&M	13.9
Robert Morris	St. Francis (PA)	0.1
South Carolina St.	Howard	6.5
Southern	Alabama St.	9.3
Stony Brook	Hartford	8.2
Texas Southern	Alcorn St.	5.8
Vermont	UMBC	16.2
Virginia Tech	North Carolina	-3.1
Wake Forest	Pittsburgh	0.7

Tuesday’s TV Schedule

Time (EST)	Network	Team	Team
4:30 PM	ACCN	Wake Forest	Pittsburgh
5:00 PM	ESPN3	Fairfield	Manhattan
6:00 PM	Flohoops (pay)	Delaware St.	Maryland Eastern Shore
6:30 PM	ESPN3	Prairie View	Alabama A&M
7:00 PM	ESPN3	Stony Brook	Hartford
7:00 PM	CBSSN	Hofstra	Northeastern
7:00 PM	ESPN	Northern Kentucky	Illinois Chicago
7:00 PM	ACCN	Virginia Tech	North Carolina
7:00 PM	ESPN3	Vermont	UMBC
7:00 PM	ESPN3	Iona	Canisius
7:00 PM	ESPN2	Robert Morris	St. Francis (PA)
8:00 PM	Flohoops (pay)	South Carolina St.	Howard
8:30 PM	ESPN3	Southern U.	Alabama St.
8:30 PM	ESPN3	Texas So.	Grambling
9:00 PM	ESPN2	North Dakota St.	North Dakota
9:00 PM	ESPN3	Jackson St.	Alcorn St.
9:00 PM	ESPN3	Niagara	Marist

CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS UPDATE

Color Code

Purple–Results From Yesterday

Red–Tournament Champion earned Automatic Bid

Brown–Tournament Games Scheduled Today

Blue–Next Round Scheduled After Today

America East Tournament
Semifinals	March 10	at Higher Seed’s Home Court
Home	Visitor	Time (ET)	TV
1 Vermont (25-7)	4 UMBC (16-16)	7:00 PM	ESPN+
2 Stony Brook (20-12)	3 Hartford (17-15)	7:00 PM	ESPN+

Atlantic Coast Tournament

1st Round	March 10	Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Coliseum)
Team	Team	Time (ET)	TV
12 Wake Forest (13-17)	13 Pittsburgh (15-16)	4:30 PM	ACCN
11 Virginia Tech (16-15)	14 North Carolina (13-18)	7:00 PM	ACCN

Colonial Athletic Tournament
Semifinals
Winner	Score	Loser	Score
Hofstra	75	Delaware	61
Northeastern	68	William & Mary	60

Championship	March 10	Washington, D.C. (Entertainment & Sports Arena)
Team	Team	Time (ET)	TV
1 Hofstra (25-8)	6 Northeastern (17-15)	8:00 PM	CBSSN

Horizon League Tournament
Semifinals
Winner	Score	Loser	Score
Illinois Chicago	73	Wright St.	56
Northern Kentucky	80	Green Bay	69

CHAMPIONSHIP	March 10	Indianapolis
Team	Team	Time (ET)	TV
2 Northern Kentucky (22-9)	Illinois Chicago (17-17)	7:00 PM	ESPN

Metro Atlantic Athletic Tournament

1st Round	March 10	Atlantic City, NJ (Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall)
Team	Team	Time (ET)	TV
8 Fairfield (12-19)	9 Manhattan (12-17)	5:00 PM	ESPN3
7 Iona (11-16)	10 Canisius (12-19)	7:00 PM	ESPN3
6 Niagara (11-20)	11 Marist (7-22)	9:00 PM	ESPN3

Mid-American Tournament (MACtion)

1st Round
Winner	Score	Loser	Score
Ohio U	85	Central Michigan	65
Miami (O)	85	Buffalo	79
Toledo	76	Western Michigan	73
Kent St.	86	Eastern Michigan	76

Quarterfinals	March 12	Cleveland (Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse)
Team	Team	Time (ET)	TV
1 Akron (24-7)	8 Ohio U (17-15)	12:00 PM	ESPN+
4 Northern Illinois (18-13)	12 Miami (O) (13-19)	2:30 PM	ESPN+
2 Bowling Green (21-10)	7 Toledo (17-15)	6:30 PM	ESPN+
3 Ball St. (18-13)	6 Kent St. (20-12)	9:00 PM	ESPN+

Mid-Eastern Athletic Tournament

1st Round	March 10	Norfolk, VA (Scope Arena)
Team	Team	Time (ET)	TV
8 Delaware St. (5-25)	9 Maryland Eastern Shore (5-26)	6:00 PM	Flohoops (pay)
7 South Carolina St. (11-17)	10 Howard (3-28)	8:00 PM	Flohoops (pay)

Northeast Tournament
Championship	March 10	at Higher Seed’s Home Court
Home	Visitor	Time (ET)	TV
1 Robert Morris (19-14)	2 St. Francis (PA) (22-9)	7:00 PM	ESPN2

Southern Tournament
Championship
Winner	Score	Loser	Score
East Tennessee St.	72	Wofford	58

Southwestern Athletic Tournament

Quarterfinals	March 10	at Higher Seed’s Home Court
Home	Visitor	Time (ET)	TV
1 Prairie View (18-13)	8 Alabama A&M (8-21)	8:30 PM	ESPN3
4 Jackson St. (14-17)	5 Grambling (17-14)	8:30 PM	ESPN3
2 Southern (16-15)	7 Alabama St. (8-23)	8:30 PM	ESPN3
3 Texas Southern (16-14)	6 Alcorn St. (14-14)	9:00 PM	ESPN3

Summit Tournament
Semifinals
Winner	Score	Loser	Score
North Dakota St.	75	Oral Roberts	69
North Dakota	73	Purdue Fort Wayne	56

Championship	March 10	Sioux Falls, SD (Sanford Premier Center)
Home	Visitor	Time (ET)	TV
1 North Dakota St. (24-8)	6 North Dakota (15-17)	9:00 PM	ESPN2

West Coast Tournament
Semifinals
Winner	Score	Loser	Score
Gonzaga	81	San Francisco	77
Saint Mary’s	51	BYU	50

Championship	March 10	Las Vegas (Orleans Arena)
Team	Team	Time (ET)	TV
1 Gonzaga (30-2)	3 Saint Mary’s (26-7)	9:00 PM	ESPN

Tickets Punched

Automatic Bids Earned
Team	Conference	Record
Utah St.	Mountain West	26-8
Belmont	Ohio Valley	26-7
Winthrop	Big South	24-10
Bradley	Missouri Valley	23-11
Liberty	Atlantic Sun	29-4
Southern	East Tennessee St.	30-4

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March 9, 2011

NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 9 Update

Filed under: College Basketball — Tags: Albany, America East, American, Arch Madness, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Sun, Ball State, basketball, Belmont, Bethune-Cookman, Big East, Big Sky, Big South, Boston, Bowling Green, Brian Qvale, Bucknell, Butler, Central Connecticut, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Cleveland State, Coastal Carolina, college, College of Charleston, Conference, Connecticut, Coppin State, Creighton, Denver, Devon Beitzel, East Tennessee, Fairfield, Florida Atlantic, Furman, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Hampton, Holy Cross, Horizon, Indiana State, IPFW, IUPUI, Jacksonville, Jamal Olasewere, Julian Boyd, Kent State, Lafayette, League, Liberty, Lipscomb, Long Island, Louisiana Lafayette, Louisville, MAAC, MAC, Madison Square Garden, Maine, Marquette, MEAC, Mercer, Miami, Mid-American, Middle Tennessee, Milwaukee, Missouri State, Missouri Valley, Montana, Morehead State, Morgan State, Murray State, NCAA, NEC, northeast, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, Notre Dame, Oakland, Ohio, Ohio Valley, Oral Roberts, OVC, Patriot, Pittsburgh, Quinnipiac, Richmond, robert morris, Russell Johnson, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Southern Conference, St. John’s, St. Mary’s, Summit League, Sunbelt Conference, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, tournament, U Mass, UNC-Asheville, UNCA, Valparaiso, Velton Jones, Vermont, Villanova, VMI, West Coast Conference, West Virginia, Western Carolina, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan, Wichita State, Wofford, Xavier — piratings @ 8:25 am

Three More Tickets Punched

Horizon League Championship

Butler 59 Milwaukee 44

The Bulldogs held Milwaukee to 30% shooting from the field, and Matt Howard connected on seven of nine shots to pace Butler with 18 points, as the defending National Final runner-up earned another spot in the Big Dance.

Summit League Championship

Oakland 90 Oral Roberts 76

The Golden Grizzlies displayed a great offensive show with the aid of numerous first half steals by Drew Valentine and Reggie Hamilton to build a double-digit lead by the break. After withstanding an early second half run by the Golden Eagles, Oakland pulled away to win the automatic bid.

Keith Benson topped Oakland with 28 points and 14 rebounds. Hamilton added 25 with six assists, while Will Hudson recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Sunbelt Conference Championship

U A L R 64 North Texas 63

The Trojans won their first Sunbelt Championship and earned their first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 1990.

SBC Player of the Year Solomon Bozeman drove from the backcourt to the left side of the top of the key and drained a three-pointer with 1.5 seconds remaining to give UALR the decisive points. Bozeman scored a game-high 20 points.

North Texas had led by seven points with less than two minutes to go, but the Mean Green wilted under the Trojan pressure defense. With one last chance to try to win, UNT committed a turnover on the inbounds pass.

11 Automatic Qualifiers To Date

Team	Conference	Record
Arkansas-Little Rock	Sunbelt	19-16
Belmont	Atlantic South	30-4
Butler	Horizon	23-9
Gonzaga	West Coast	24-9
Indiana State	Missouri Valley	20-13
Morehead State	Ohio Valley	24-9
Oakland	Summit	25-9
Old Dominion	Colonial	27-6
St. Peter’s	Metro Atlantic	20-13
UNC-Asheville	Big South	19-13
Wofford	Southern	21-12

Two Tickets To Be Punched Tonight

Big Sky Tournament Championship @ 9PM ET On ESPN2

#2 Montana (21-9) at #1 Northern Colorado (20-10)

Semifinal Round

Montana 57 Weber State 40

Northern Colorado 73 Northern Arizona 70

These two split their regular season series with Northern Colorado winning 63-45 in Greeley, and Montana winning 55-42 in Missoula. Tonight’s game will be played at Butler-Hancock Hall in Greeley, so Northern Colorado will enjoy the home court advantage.

This game is a great study in contrasts. Northern Colorado is a quicker team, but Montana is a stronger team. Northern Colorado has one exceptionally dominant player, while Montana has more, albeit less exceptional, weapons.

The Bears’ offense runs through 6-1 senior guard Devon Beitzel. Beitzel averages a league-best 21 points per game, and he is deadly at the free throw line, where he connects on 91% of his tosses.

The rest of the team collectively shoots under 41% from the field and commits more turnovers than assists, so if the Grizzlies can stop Beitzel, or at least limit his touches, they have a chance of defending their crown.

Montana has the dominant big man in the conference in 6-11/260 senior center Brian Qvale. If the Grizzlies can keep this game a half-court affair, they stand a great chance of winning with Qvale plugging the middle on defense and controlling the boards at both ends of the court. Qvale averages 15 points and nine boards a game, and he had a double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds in the semifinal round. Montana likes to limit possessions, so those numbers are even more impressive than they look.

In the win over UNC, Montana held the Bears to 23.3% shooting, while they shot just 32.6% in the loss at Greeley.

It is our opinion that the visiting number two seed will pull off the mild upset over the host numbone seed, but it is not a strong feeling.

Northeast Conference Tournament Championship @ 7PM ET On ESPN2

#3 Robert Morris (18-13) at #1 Long Island (26-5)

Semifinal Round

Long Island 69 Central Connecticut 67

Robert Morris 64 Quinnipiac 62

Brooklyn has not been this excited over one of their own sports teams since the Dodgers won the 1955 World Series. Long Island is one of the most exciting teams in the nation, and their 26-5 record has throngs of Brooklynites cramming into the Wellness, Recreation, and Athletic Center. The WRAC holds just 2,500 seats, but you can bet that more than that amount will find their way into the game tonight, as they “Pack the WRAC.”

Those fans will be converging to the corner of Ashland and Dekalb tonight, dressed in all white, to watch what could be a blowout win for their team.

LIU is on a roll. The Blackbirds have won 12 games in a row (longest current streak in the nation) and 20 of their previous 21 games. They average almost 83 points per game. The Blackbirds have exceptional depth with eight players capable of scoring 15 or more points.

The Blackbirds pose difficult matchups with their roster, as they rely on quick guards and medium-sized forwards with great leaping ability to play at a fast pace. There is no center on the roster, but the two 6-7 forwards have controlled the boards in most games this year.

Those forwards are Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere, who team up for 25.4 points and 15.7 rebounds per game.

5-10 backup guard Jason Brickman plays just 22 minutes per game, but he leads the team with 5.3 assists per game. When he comes in the game, the pace picks up, and the Blackbirds shoot a lot of threes in transition.

Robert Morris is definitely not cannon fodder. The Colonials are the two-time defending NEC Tournament champions, and they believe they can three peat even on the road in hostile conditions.

The Colonials have won eight games in a row, relying on a stellar defense that limits possessions and pressures the guards. They are missing their leading scorer, as 5-9 guard Karon Abraham’s season ended two weeks ago with a torn Achilles Tendon. On the positive side, Abraham missed RMU’s win at LIU on December 2, as he was serving a multi-game suspension.

Velton Jones and Russell Johnson will have to shine tonight for the Colonials to pull off the upset. The duo are the only double figure scorers left, but both shoot less than 39% from the field.

Without Abraham, RMU shoots just 33.7% from behind the arc, so the only way they can possibly win tonight is to replicate the formula that was successful more than three months ago—control the tempo and prevent LIU from getting off any uncontested three-pointers.

We believe this game will begin slowly with RMU taking the lead in the early stages. Somewhere in the first half, LIU will go on one of their patented runs and gain the lead. Then, a second spurt will give them a commanding lead. RMU might cut into that lead, but we believe in the end, the Blackbirds will be celebrating at the WRAC. We do not believe the Brooklynites will be crying “Wait ‘Til Next Year.” This will be like October of 1955 in the borough.

Yesterday’s Other Tournament Results

Atlantic 10 Conference

First Round

LaSalle 75 St. Bonaventure 73 2ot

St. Joseph’s 71 George Washington 59 ot

Rhode Island 70 St. Louis 61

Dayton 78 U Mass 50

Big East Conference

First Round

Connecticut 97 DePaul 71

Rutgers 76 Seton Hall 70 ot

South Florida 70 Villanova 69

Marquette 87 Providence 66

M A C

First Round

Bowling Green 74 Northern Illinois 54

Ohio U 74 Toledo 57

Akron 67 Eastern Michigan 53

Buffalo 64 Central Michigan 50

M E A C

First Round

MD-Eastern Shore 87 F A M U 85 2ot

S. C. State 64 Delaware State 59

Ivy League Playoff Set

Princeton defeated rival Penn 70-58 last night in Philadelphia, forcing a one-game playoff for the Ivy League’s automatic berth. Princeton (24-6) will take on co-champion Harvard (23-5) Saturday afternoon at 4PM Eastern Time. The game will be played at Yale University in New Haven, CT, and it can be seen live on ESPN3.com.

Princeton has appeared in all seven Ivy League tiebreaking playoff games in the history of the league. This is Harvard’s first Ivy League basketball championship of any kind. The Crimson last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 1946.

There is a chance that the loser of this game could hold a slim chance of earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Harvard is ranked #35 in the RPI, while Princeton is ranked #49. Harvard has two wins over top 50 teams as well as three losses. Their biggest win was at Boston College. Princeton has just one win against the top 50 and two losses. For the Ivy to earn two bids, the Tigers have to win Saturday and hope Harvard’s high RPI is enough to earn the second bid.

Conference Tournaments In Action Today

Big 12 Conference

Tournament Site: Kansas City

1^st Round Games

#8 Nebraska (19-11) vs. #9 Oklahoma State (18-12) 12:30 PM ET

#5 Colorado (19-12) vs. #12 Iowa State (16-15) 3 PM ET

#7 Baylor (18-12) vs. #10 Oklahoma (13-17) 7PM ET

#6 Missouri (22-9) vs. #11 Texas Tech (13-18) 9:30 PM ET

Big East Conference

Tournament Site: New York City

2^nd Round Games

#8 Georgetown (21-9) vs. #9 Connecticut (22-9) 12 Noon ET on ESPN

#5 St. John’s (20-10) vs. #13 Rutgers (15-16) Approx. 2:15 PM ET on ESPN

#7 Cincinnati (24-7) vs. #15 South Florida (10-22) 7 PM ET on ESPN

#6 West Virginia (20-10) vs. #11 Marquette (19-13) Approx. 9:15 PM ET on ESPN

Conference USA

Tournament Site: El Paso, TX

1^st Round Games

#8 East Carolina (16-14) vs. #9 Central Florida (19-10) 1 PM ET

#5 Southern Miss (21-9) vs. #12 Tulane (13-16) 3:30 PM ET

#6 Marshall (21-10) vs. #11 Houston (12-17) 7:30 PM ET

#7 S M U (17-13) vs. #10 Rice (13-17) 10 PM ET

M E A C

Tournament Site: Winston-Salem, NC

Note: The MEAC has a unique way of scheduling their tournament. As a result, one first round game will be played today as well as two quarterfinal round games. The other two quarterfinal round games will be played Thursday.

1^st Round

#6 Norfolk State () vs. #11 Howard () 3 PM ET

Quarterfinal Round

#1 Bethune-Cookman (20-11) vs. #9 South Carolina State (10-21) 7 PM ET

#2 Hampton (21-8) vs. #10 Maryland-Eastern Shore (9-21) 9:30 PM ET

Mountain West Conference

Tournament Site: Las Vegas

1^st Round

#8 Wyoming (10-20) vs. #9 T C U (10-21) 5 PM ET

Pac-10 Conference

Tournament Site: Los Angeles

1^st Round

#8 Stanford (15-15) vs. #9 Oregon State (10-19) 9 PM ET on Fox Sports Net

#7 Oregon (14-16) vs. #10 Arizona State (12-18) 11:30 PM ET on Fox Sports Net

Southland Conference

Tournament Site: Katy, TX (Houston Area)

Quarterfinal Round

#2 Northwestern State (LA) (18-13) vs. #7 Texas-San Antonio (16-13) 1 PM ET

#3 Sam Houston (17-12) vs. #6 Stephen F. Austin (18-10) 3:30 PM ET

#1 McNeese State (19-10) vs. #8 Nicholls State (14-13) 7 PM ET

#4 Texas State (15-15) vs. #5 Southeastern Louisiana (15-13) 9:30 PM ET

S W A C

Tournament Site: Garland, TX (Dallas-Ft. Worth Area)

Quarterfinal Round

#2 Jackson State (16-14) vs. #7 Prairie View (10-21) 12:30 PM ET

#1 Texas Southern (18-11) vs. #8 Arkansas-Pine Bluff (7-23) 9 PM ET

W A C

Tournament Site: Las Vegas

1^st Round

#5 Hawaii (18-11) vs. #8 San Jose State (15-14) 3 PM ET

#6 Nevada (12-18) vs. #7 Fresno State (14-16) 5:30 PM ET

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March 8, 2011

NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 8 Update

Filed under: College Basketball — Tags: Albany, America East, American, Arch Madness, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Sun, Ball State, basketball, Belmont, Bethune-Cookman, Big East, Big Sky, Big South, Boston, Bowling Green, Bucknell, Butler, Central Connecticut, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Cleveland State, Coastal Carolina, college, College of Charleston, Conference, Connecticut, Coppin State, Creighton, Denver, East Tennessee, Fairfield, Florida Atlantic, Furman, Georgetown, Gonzaga, Hampton, Holy Cross, Horizon, Indiana State, IPFW, IUPUI, Jacksonville, Kent State, Lafayette, League, Liberty, Lipscomb, Long Island, Louisiana Lafayette, Louisville, MAAC, MAC, Madison Square Garden, Maine, Marquette, MEAC, Mercer, Miami, Mid-American, Middle Tennessee, Milwaukee, Missouri State, Missouri Valley, Montana, Morehead State, Morgan State, Murray State, NCAA, northeast, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, Notre Dame, Oakland, Ohio, Ohio Valley, Oral Roberts, OVC, Patriot, Pittsburgh, Quinnipiac, Richmond, robert morris, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Southern Conference, St. John’s, St. Mary’s, Summit League, Sunbelt Conference, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, tournament, U Mass, UNC-Asheville, UNCA, Valparaiso, Vermont, Villanova, VMI, West Coast Conference, West Virginia, Western Carolina, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan, Wichita State, Wofford, Xavier — piratings @ 8:59 am

The Four Newest Dance Invitees

Did you see those conference championship games last night? Was this the Monday Night Fights or basketball? There were more cut men and cut women than in your average boxing card.

When it is all or nothing for these smaller conferences, you get what we saw last night—teams playing like their lives were on the line.

Colonial Athletic Association

Old Dominion 70

Virginia Commonwealth 65

Old Dominion 27-6

The Monarchs are capable of making a semi-surprise run in the Big Dance. They lead the nation in rebounding margin, and they can score points in the paint.

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

St. Peter’s 62

Iona 57

St. Peter’s 20-13

The Peacocks beat Alabama earlier in the season, and their defense could keep them within striking defense in an opening round game, but we cannot see SPC advancing to the second round.

Southern Conference

Wofford 77

College of Charleston 67

Wofford 21-12

The Terriers finally beat the Cougars (we predicted this yesterday), and they will not roll over and play dead in the first round. This team returns to the Dance for the second consecutive season, and they will not back down. They may not advance, but they will not be in awe of their heavily favored first round opponent.

West Coast Conference

Gonzaga 75

Saint Mary’s 63

Gonzaga 24-9

This edition of Zags may not be the most talented in the Coach Mark Few era, but they are playing their best ball at the right time. It will depend on their bracket, but this team has Sweet 16 potential.

Three More Invitations Go Out Tonight

By 11:15 PM Eastern Time tonight, we will know the names of three more NCAA Tournament participants. Let’s break down these games.

Horizon League Championship @ 9PM ET on ESPN

Butler (22-9) at Milwaukee (19-12)

Butler defeated Cleveland State in the semifinal round Saturday evening, while Milwaukee topped Valparaiso. During the regular season, Milwaukee swept the Bulldogs, winning 76-52 at home and 86-80 in overtime on the road. The top-seeded Panthers host this game.

Both teams are red hot coming into this title match. Milwaukee has gone 10-1 in their last 11 games, and the only loss was in the Bracketbuster to Buffalo. Their defense is what got them here, as they shoot only 43% from the field and 65% at the foul line.

Three Panthers average double figures in scoring, led by Anthony Hill. Hill averages just under 16 points per game, but he broke out with a 24-point, 11-rebound performance in the semifinal game against Valpo. Kaylon Williams is the X-factor for Panthers. He can score when needed, rebound with the big men, and run the offense. He recorded a triple-double earlier in the season against Butler (10 points-10 rebounds-10 assists), and he added a double-double in the second win over the Bulldogs.

Butler missed Gordon Hayward even more than most experts predicted. The Bulldogs played a tough pre-conference schedule and limped into February. With their backs against the wall, they reeled off eight consecutive victories to get to the title game tonight.

Most basketball fans know Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack from last year’s team that made the surprise run to the National Championship Game. The duo has teamed for 32 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this year. However, it has been the emergence of 6-11 sophomore center Andrew Smith that has allowed Butler to turn things around and look like a force to be reckoned with once again. Smith averaged 11 points per game over the second half of the season. In the eight game winning streak, he has averaged 32 minutes per game and pulled down close to eight rebounds per game. His 63% field goal percentage has forced defenses to stop him first, giving Howard and Mack more room to get open. Smith was a non-factor in the two games against Milwaukee, and he is the key to tonight’s game. If he plays 32 minutes and gets double figure points and eight rebounds, Butler will be cutting down the nets yet again.

Summit League Championship @ 9PM ET on ESPN2

Site: Sioux Falls, SD

Oakland (24-9) vs. Oral Roberts (19-14)

If you like high-scoring, fast-paced games, you will definitely clear your schedule to view this one. Oakland is the second best offensive team in the nation, averaging 86 points per game (92 ppg in their last 10 games). The Grizzlies connect on close to 50% of their field goal attempts, and they tend to hit spurts where they score 10 points in two minutes. Oral Roberts averages 81 points per game and has no qualms running with Oakland.

Both teams are riding major winning streaks entering tonight’s title game. Oakland has won 17 of their last 18 games, while the Golden Eagles have won 10 in a row. In the regular season, Oakland won both high-scoring games, but both were nail-biters that went down to the wire.

Oakland has a tall and short combination that has done a lot of the damage on opponents. 6-11 center Keith Benson is the best player in the league. Benson averages 17.7 points and 10 rebounds per game. He showed he can do it against the big schools, as he had 17 points and 12 rebounds in a close loss to Michigan State and 26 points and 10 rebounds in a big win at Tennessee.

5-11 guard Reggie Hamilton is a threat to top 20 points any night. He is quick and can get open without help from screens.

Oral Roberts has a star in its own right. Dominique Morrison averages just under 20 points per game, and he doesn’t need to heave up 25 shots per game to get those points. Morrison shoots 51.3% from the field, 40% from behind the three-point line, and 78.4% at the foul line. He scored 56 points in the two games against Oakland.

This should be a great game, and we don’t believe Oakland is that much of a favorite. ORU has been to the Big Dance four times in the last six years, while Oakland is the defending tournament champion. We expect the winner to top 90 points in this game, and it is too close to call. We say Oakland has about a 54% chance and Oral Roberts a 46% chance of winning.

Sunbelt Conference Championship @ 7PM ET on ESPN2

Site: Hot Springs, AR

North Texas (22-10) vs. U A L R (18-16)

On paper this looks like a mismatch, even though the teams finished one game apart in the regular season. North Texas finished fourth in the West with an 8-8 league mark, while Little Rock finished fifth at 7-9.

North Texas was one of the biggest underachievers this season. The Mean Green returned four starters from their 2010 conference champion team and were expected to win again this year with the best backcourt and one of the best frontcourts in the league. Instead, a 3-9 swoon in the middle of the season placed them out of contention for the West crown. Since that awful slide, UNT has recovered with five consecutive victories.

6-5 senior guard Tristan Thompson has led the way for the Mean Green in the tournament, scoring 80 points in the first three games. He has done a lot of the damage at the foul line, where he is 31-35 in Hot Springs, including an unbelievable 20-20 performance in the win over top-seed Florida Atlantic. Thompson combines a quick move to the basket with a sweet shot from outside. Beefy forward George Odufuwa averages 11 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, and UALR has a tough matchup problem against him.

The Trojans dropped both regular season games to North Texas, mostly because they could not compete under the basket. Their chance to win this game will come down to limiting possessions and trying to win 55-50. They have won three games in the tournament by getting to the foul line and hitting foul shots, while using the clock and taking 30 seconds to shoot on most possessions. UALR’s big star in this tournament has been senior guard Solomon Bozeman. Like Thompson, Bozeman has gotten to the free throw line and made the most of his opportunities. He has connected on 37 of 42 attempts including an eye-popping 19 of 22 against Middle Tennessee last night.

We expect a low-possession, low-scoring game. There may be fewer than 100 field goal attempts tonight. North Texas has been there before, while UALR has never won the Sunbelt Conference Tournament. We think that trend will continue, but it wouldn’t surprise us if this game stays relatively close for the entire 40 minutes. We could see North Texas winning 60-54.

The Other Tournaments In Action Today

Atlantic 10 Conference

First Round At Higher Seed Home Court

#9 Dayton (19-12) at #8 U Mass (15-14) 9PM ET on CBSC

#12 St. Joseph’s (9-21) at #5 George Washington (17-13) 7PM ET on CBSC

#10 LaSalle (14-17) at #7 St. Bonaventure (16-13) 5 PM ET on CBSC

#11 St. Louis (12-18) at #6 Rhode Island (18-12) 7 PM ET no TV

Big East Conference

Madison Square Garden in New York City

#16 Depaul (7-23) vs. #9 Georgetown (21-9) 12 Noon ET on ESPN2

#13 Rutgers (14-16) vs. #12 Seton Hall (13-17) Approx. 2:15 PM ET on ESPN2

#15 South Florida (9-22) vs. #10 Villanova (21-10) 7PM ET on ESPNU

#14 Providence (15-16) vs. #11 Marquette (18-13) Approx 9:15 ET on ESPNU

Big Sky Conference

Semifinal Round At Higher Seed Home Court

#3 Weber State (18-11) at #2 Montana (20-9)

#4 Northern Arizona (19-11) at #1 Northern Colorado (19-10)

Mid-American Conference

1^st Round At Higher Seed Home Court All Games At 7PM ET

#10 Northern Illinois (9-20) at #7 Bowling Green (13-18)

#11 Eastern Michigan (9-21) at #6 Akron (19-12)

#9 Central Michigan (10-20) at #8 Buffalo (17-12)

#12 Toledo (4-27) at #5 Ohio U (17-14)

Mideastern Athletic Conference

Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC

#9 South Carolina State (9-21) vs. #8 Delaware State (9-20) 9PM ET

#10 Maryland-Eastern Shore (8-21) vs. #7 Florida A&M (12-19) 6:30 PM ET

Note: One more 1^st round game Wednesday plus two quarterfinal games

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March 7, 2011

NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 7 Update

Filed under: College Basketball — Tags: Albany, America East, American, Arch Madness, Atlantic Sun, basketball, Belmont, Big Sky, Big South, Boston, Bucknell, Butler, Central Connecticut, Chattanooga, Cleveland State, Coastal Carolina, college, College of Charleston, Conference, Creighton, Denver, East Tennessee, Fairfield, Florida Atlantic, Furman, Gonzaga, Holy Cross, Horizon, Indiana State, IPFW, IUPUI, Jacksonville, Lafayette, League, Liberty, Lipscomb, Long Island, Louisiana Lafayette, MAAC, Maine, Mercer, Middle Tennessee, Milwaukee, Missouri State, Missouri Valley, Montana, Morehead State, Murray State, NCAA, northeast, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, Oakland, Ohio Valley, Oral Roberts, OVC, Patriot, Quinnipiac, robert morris, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Southern Conference, St. Mary’s, Summit League, Sunbelt Conference, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, tournament, UNC-Asheville, UNCA, Valparaiso, Vermont, VMI, West Coast Conference, Western Carolina, Western Kentucky, Wichita State, Wofford — piratings @ 12:45 pm

NCAA Tournament Qualifier #4

Congratulations to the Indiana State Sycamores, the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament champions. ISU defeated Missouri State Sunday by a score of 60-56, giving them eight wins in their last nine games. This Sycamore team is not to be confused with the 1979 National Finalists with some guy named Larry Bird doing a lot of the scoring, but ISU (20-13) has enough talent to pull off an upset in the first round. The last time they were in the Big Dance, ISU upset Oklahoma 70-68 in the first round of the 2001 tourney; they lost 85-68 to Gonzaga in the next round. The Sycamores lost by nine at Notre Dame and by 13 against Purdue, so they can compete against Top 10 teams.

Indiana State joins UNC-Asheville, Belmont, and Morehead State as automatic qualifiers in the NCAA Tournament.

Four More Teams To Enter The Dance Party Tonight

The field of automatic qualifiers doubles from four to eight tonight. Let’s take a look at the four conference championships for Monday.

Colonial Athletic Association

Virginia Commonwealth (23-10) vs. Old Dominion (26-6)

7:00 PM EST on ESPN

In the semifinal round, VCU upset top-seed George Mason 79-63, while Old Dominion ousted Hofstra 77-69. Bubble teams will be cheering hard for ODU because if VCU wins, the CAA could send an extra team to the Dance. George Mason and ODU are virtually assured at-large spots, but VCU will be College Insiders, CBI or NIT-bound if they lose tonight.

ODU has won eight games in a row and 12 of 13. Big forward Frank Hassell has continued to improve and impress down below, and Notre Dame can tell you how well he plays in the postseason; ODU beat the Irish in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament.

VCU slumped at the end of the regular season, losing four of their final five games (and the one win was in the Bracketbuster) to fall from first to fourth. The Rams won nine games in a row in the middle of the season, including a road victory over their opponent tonight.

Forward Jamie Skeen will be the key man to watch. If he can match or beat Hassell point-for-point and rebound-for-rebound, VCU should pull off the victory. If Hassell wins the battle, then the Monarchs will live up to their preseason billing as best in the league.

If the game comes down to the backcourt, then VCU has the superior tandem there with Bradford Burgess and Joey Rodriguez. If the battle comes down to the rebounding game, ODU will win and maybe win by 10-20 points.

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

St. Peter’s (19-13) vs. Iona (22-10)

7:00 PM EST on ESPN2

St. Peter’s pulled off the big upset in this tournament, defeating #1-seed Fairfield 62-48 in yesterday’s semifinal round. Iona slaughtered Rider 83-59 to earn their spot in the championship game. The Gaels won their opener by 30 over Siena, so they are the clear-cut favorite tonight.

St. Peter’s is an experienced team. The Peacocks’ top four players are seniors—Wesley Jenkins, Jeron Belin, Nick Leon, and Ryan Bacon. The quartet averages a combined 45 points a game with all four averaging more than 10 points a game. Their strongest asset is their defensive ability, and teams have a tough time scoring on SPU. Unfortunately, the Peacocks barely top 40% shooting from the field and less than 64% at the foul line. To win tonight, they need to connect on at least 45% of their shots and get some second chance opportunities.

Iona has the look of a champion. The Gaels have won nine games in a row by an average margin of 18.6 points per game. They swept SPU by 18 and 14 in the regular season. Star forward Michael Glover has recorded 17 double-doubles, and the only thing that could prevent him from making it 18 tonight would be his early exit from the game due to the game being a blowout.

As you can surmise, we think Iona will put this game away with a big run about halfway into the opening half after a five to eight-minute period to calm the nerves.

Southern Conference

College of Charleston (24-9) vs. Wofford (20-12)

9:00 PM EST on ESPN2

Semifinal Scores

College of Charleston 63 Furman 58

Wofford 86 Western Carolina 72

The top two teams in the league meet for the third time and Charleston won the first two meetings. The Cougars won the battle on the boards in both games and in turn took several more shots. Andrew Goudelock was unstoppable in both games, and Wofford must do something to keep the ball out of his hands tonight and prevent him from scoring his average of 23 points per game to have a chance.

The Terriers are the defending SoCon Tournament champions, and they were the overwhelming pick to repeat as champions this year. They will need a repeat of yesterday’s performance to pull off the upset. Wofford connected on 54% of their field goals, 50% of their three-point attempts, and 80% at the foul line. Their big three, Noah Dahlman, Jamar Diggs, and Cameron Rundles, teamed for 52 points and 16 rebounds. Wofford also has excellent depth with three players capable of coming off the bench and scoring points and pulling down rebounds in massive numbers.

Charleston proved to be the better team in the regular season sweep, but we tend to believe this night will belong to Wofford. The Terriers are playing up to their potential, while the Cougars are not.

West Coast Conference

Saint Mary’s (24-7) vs. Gonzaga (23-9)

9:00 PM EST on ESPN

Semifinal Round

Saint Mary’s 73 Santa Clara 64

Gonzaga 71 San Francisco 67

This is the game of the night. We tend to believe both teams have done enough to punch a ticket to the tournament, but still, this will be a hard-fought rivalry game.

The teams split their regular season series, both winning close games on the other’s home court. If you like offense, then this is the game for you. Both teams routinely top 80 points per game, and both have enjoyed many nights where they shot in excess of 50% from the field.

Gonzaga has won eight games in a row, and the Bulldogs utilize great depth to wear down opponents. They can go 10-deep with very little drop in talent, as no player averages over 14 points per game, and only one tops six rebounds per game.

SMC relies on a trio of talented players in Mickey McConnell, Rob Jones, and Matthew Dellavedova. They team up to average 43.3 points per game. McConnell is one of the best outside shooters in the nation, and he is virtually automatic at the charity stripe.

This game is a tossup in the truest since, and we expect it to go down to the final minute for the third time this season. They could not settle it in 40 minutes the last time they faced off, so this has to be considered a 50-50 game. We will go with Gonzaga’s 50% chance tonight.

Continuing Tournaments

America East Conference

Semifinal Round

Boston U. 55 Hartford 49

Stony Brook 69 Vermont 47

Championship Game—Saturday, March 12@ 12 Noon on ESPN2

Stony Brook (15-16) at Boston U (20-13)

Northeast Conference

Semifinal Round

Long Island 69 Central Connecticut 67

Robert Morris 64 Quinnipiac 62

Championship Game—Wednesday, March 9 @ 7PM on ESPN2

Robert Morris (18-13) at Long Island (26-5)

Patriot League

Semifinal Round

Lafayette 73 American 71 2ot

Bucknell 66 Lehigh 64

Championship Game—Friday, March 11 @ 4:45 PM on ESPN2

Lafayette (13-18) at Bucknell (24-8)

Summit League

Quarterfinal Round

South Dakota State 85 I P F W 75

I U P U I 79 Missouri-KC 55

Semifinal Round—Monday, March 7 @ Sioux Falls, SD

Oakland (23-9) vs. South Dakota State (19-11) @ 7:00 PM EST

Oral Roberts (18-14) vs. I U P U I (19-13) @ 9:30 PM EST

Sunbelt Conference

Quarterfinal Round

Western Kentucky 81 Louisiana-Lafayette 76

North Texas 78 Florida Atlantic 64

Middle Tennessee 73 Florida International 38

U A L R 59 Arkansas State 52

Semifinal Round—Monday, March 7 @ Hot Springs, AR

Western Kentucky (16-15) vs. North Texas (21-10) @ 7:00 PM EST

Middle Tennessee (16-15) vs. U A L R (17-16) @ 9:30 PM EST

Coming Tomorrow: The Big Sky Conference and Horizon League Tournament Championships are decided, and four more conference tournaments begin. Check back Tuesday afternoon for more coverage.

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March 5, 2011

NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 6 Update

Congratulations To Three Champions

Three teams have punched their tickets to the Big Dance.

Big South Conference

UNC-Asheville 60 Coastal Carolina 47

UNC-Asheville 19-13

Atlantic Sun Conference

Belmont 87 North Florida 46

Belmont 30-4

Ohio Valley Conference

Morehead State 80 Tennessee Tech 73

Morehead State 24-9

Scores From Other Conference Tournaments

America East Conference

Vermont 57 Binghamton 46

Stony Brook 67 Albany 61

Boston U 69 New Hampshire 60

Hartford 66 Maine 63

Sunday, March 6 Semifinal Round

Vermont 23-7 vs. Stony Brook 14-16

Boston U. 19-13 vs. Hartford 11-19

Big Sky Conference

Weber State 79 Eastern Washington 70

Northern Arizona 65 Montana State 62

Tuesday, March 8 Semifinal Round

Montana 20-9 vs. Weber State 18-11

Northern Colorado 19-10 vs. Northern Arizona 19-11

Colonial Athletic Association

George Mason 68 Georgia State 45

Virginia Commonwealth 62 Drexel 60

Old Dominion 59 Delaware 50

Hofstra 72 William & Mary 56

Sunday, March 6 Semifinal Round

George Mason 26-5 vs. Virginia Commonwealth 22-10

Old Dominion 25-6 vs. Hofstra 21-10

Horizon League

Butler 76 Cleveland State 68

Milwaukee 70 Valparaiso 63

Tuesday, March 8 Championship Game

Butler 22-9 vs. Milwaukee 19-12

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

Fairfield 55 Marist 31

St. Peter’s 70 Loyola (MD) 60

Rider 79 Canisius 64

Iona 94 Siena 64

Sunday, March 6 Semifinal Round

Fairfield 24-6 vs. St. Peter’s 18-13

Rider 23-9 vs. Iona 21-10

Missouri Valley Conference

Missouri State 60 Creighton 50

Indiana State 61 Wichita State 54

Sunday, March 6 Championship Game

Missouri State 25-7 vs. Indiana State 19-13

Southern Conference

Western Carolina 77 UNC-Greensboro 66

Wofford 67 Appalachian State 56

Furman 61 Chattanooga 52

College of Charleston 78 Elon 60

Sunday, March 6 Semifinal Round

Western Carolina 18-14 vs. Wofford 19-12

Furman 22-9 vs. College of Charleston 23-9

Summit League

Oakland 82 Southern Utah 66

Oral Roberts 72 North Dakota State 65

Sunday, March 6 Quarterfinal Round Continues

I P F W 18-11 vs. South Dakota State 18-11

I U P U I 18-13 vs. Missouri-Kansas City 16-13

Sunbelt Conference

Western Kentucky 66 Louisiana-Monroe 50

North Texas 83 Troy 69

Florida Int’l 53 Denver 49

U A L R 82 South Alabama 68

Sunday, March 6 Quarterfinal Round

Louisiana-Lafayette 14-14 vs. Western Kentucky 15-15

Florida Atlantic 21-9 vs. North Texas 20-10

Middle Tennessee 15-15 vs. Florida Int’l 11-18

Arkansas State 17-14 vs. U A L R 16-16

West Coast Conference

Santa Clara 76 Loyola Marymount 68

San Francisco 76 Pepperdine 59

Sunday, March 6 Semifinal Round

St. Mary’s 23-7 vs. Santa Clara 19-13

Gonzaga 22-9 vs. San Francisco 17-13

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March 4, 2011

NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 5 Update 1

Filed under: College Basketball — Tags: Albany, America East, American, Arch Madness, Atlantic Sun, basketball, Belmont, Big South, Boston, Bucknell, Butler, Central Connecticut, Chattanooga, Cleveland State, Coastal Carolina, college, College of Charleston, Conference, Creighton, Denver, East Tennessee, Fairfield, Florida Atlantic, Furman, Gonzaga, Holy Cross, Horizon, Indiana State, IPFW, IUPUI, Jacksonville, Lafayette, League, Liberty, Lipscomb, Long Island, Louisiana Lafayette, MAAC, Maine, Mercer, Middle Tennessee, Milwaukee, Missouri State, Missouri Valley, Morehead State, Murray State, NCAA, northeast, Northern Iowa, Oakland, Ohio Valley, Oral Roberts, OVC, Patriot, Quinnipiac, robert morris, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Southern Conference, St. Mary’s, Summit League, Sunbelt Conference, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, tournament, UNC-Asheville, UNCA, Valparaiso, Vermont, VMI, West Coast Conference, Western Carolina, Western Kentucky, Wichita State, Wofford — piratings @ 10:51 pm

Two new conference tournaments begin today (Saturday), but more importantly the first three spots in the Big Dance Card will be filled.

All Times EST

Summit League Tournament

Tournament Site: Sioux Falls, SD

Saturday, March 5: Quarterfinal Round

G 1: #1 Oakland vs. #8 Southern Utah 7PM

G 2: #2 Oral Roberts vs. #7 North Dakota State 9:30 PM

Sunday, March 6: Quarterfinal Round

G 3 #4 I P F W vs. #5 North Dakota State 7 PM

G 4 #3 I U P U I vs. #6 Missouri-Kansas City 9:30 PM

Monday, March 7: Semifinal Round

G 5: G 1 Winner vs. G 3 Winner 7 PM

G 6: G 2 Winner vs. G 4 Winner 9:30 PM

Tuesday, March 8: Championship Game at 9PM on ESPN2

G 5 Winner vs. G 6 Winner

Hot Team: Oral Roberts has won eight consecutive games by an average margin of 12.6 points per game. This includes a key win over IUPUI that clinched the second seed.

Oakland enters the tournament riding a five-game winning streak. The Golden Grizzlies won 15 of their final 16 regular season games.

Not Hot: Missouri-Kansas City lost its last three games, but they were to three of the top four teams in the league.

Team Nobody Wants To Play: South Dakota State is only one hour from Sioux Falls, and the Jackrabbits will fill the arena. Oakland would much rather play four-seed I P F W in the semifinals. If SDSU wins their quarterfinal game, look for them to give Oakland fits in a semifinal match.

Oakland as Favorite: The Golden Grizzlies finished 17-1 in league play, so they must be considered solid favorites. Their lone league loss came at IUPUI, and in their 18 conference games they had a +14.2 scoring margin.

Our Pick: We will stick with the favorite to win here, even though we believe they will struggle to win their semifinal and final game.

Sunbelt Conference Tournament

Tournament Site: Hot Springs, AR (using Summit Arena and Convention Center Court)

Saturday, March 5: Opening Round

G 1: #3E Western Kentucky vs. #6W Louisiana-Monroe 7:45 PM (Convention Center)

G 2: #4W North Texas vs. #5E Troy 7:30 PM (Summit Arena)

G 3: #3W Denver vs. #6E Florida International 9:45 PM (Summit Arena)

G 4: #4E South Alabama vs. #5W U A L R 10PM (Convention Center)

Sunday, March 6: Quarterfinal Round

G 5: G 1 Winner vs. #2W Louisiana-Lafayette 7:30 PM (Summit Arena)

G 6: G 2 Winner vs. #1E Florida Atlantic 7:45 PM (Convention Center)

G 7: G 3 Winner vs. #2E Middle Tennessee 10 PM (Convention Center)

G 8: G 4 Winner vs. #1W Arkansas State 9:45 PM (Summit Arena)

Monday, March 7: Semifinal Round (Summit Arena)

G 9: G 5 Winner vs. G 6 Winner 7PM

G10: G 7 Winner vs. G 8 Winner 9:30 PM

Tuesday, March 8: Championship Game (Summit Arena)

G11: G 9 Winner vs. G 10 Winner at 7PM on ESPN2

Hot Team: Louisiana-Lafayette has won 11 consecutive games, but seven of those wins were by five points or less or in overtime. The Ragin’ Cajuns defeated both division winners in that stretch

Not Hot: Denver dropped from first to third when they lost their last three games and six of their final eight. The Pioneers had won eight consecutive games in midseason, but they lost their offensive touch down the stretch.

Team That Nobody Wants To Play: After starting conference play 0-4, Western Kentucky righted the ship and won eight of their last 12 conference games. The Hilltoppers greatly underachieved, and with two studs in Steffphon Pettigrew and Sergio Kerusch, WKU can beat anybody in the SBC.

Florida Atlantic As Favorite: The Owls started 8-0 in league play before faltering a bit down the stretch. We do not feel strongly that FAU can win three games in three days. In fact, we believe they will not even be around for the championship game.

Our Pick: When UL-Lafayette takes on Western Kentucky in the quarterfinal round, we believe the winner of that game will upset FAU in the semifinal round and go on to win the league’s lone bid to the Dance.

The First Three Bids Go Out Today

The league championship games are on tap for Saturday. Let’s look at the scores from Friday with the schedule for the three conference championship games.

Big South Conference— 4:00 PM on ESPN2

#3 UNC-Asheville (18-13) at #1 Coastal Carolina (28-4)

UNCA beat Charleston Southern 72-63 and High Point 62-45. Coastal Carolina beat Gardner-Webb 83-72 and VMI 89-81

Atlantic Sun Conference—6:00 PM on ESPN2

Site: Macon, GA

#1 Belmont (29-4) vs. #6 North Florida (15-18)

Belmont defeated Kennesaw State 72-57 and Mercer 80-72. North Florida defeated Jacksonville 68-64 and East Tennessee 59-55

Ohio Valley Conference—8:00 PM on ESPN2

Site: Nashville

#2 Morehead State (23-9) vs. #4 Tennessee Tech (20-11)

Morehead State beat Austin Peay 68-49. Tennessee Tech beat UT-Martin 83-59 and Murray State 64-59.

Scores From Other Conference Tournaments

Colonial Athletic Association

#9 Georgia State 58 #8 UNC-Wilmington 52

#5 Drexel 75 #12 Towson 69

#7 Delaware 60 #10 Northeastern 58

#11 William & Mary 72 #6 James Madison 68

Quarterfinal Round—Saturday

#1 George Mason vs. #9 Georgia State

#4 Virginia Commonwealth vs. #5 Drexel

#2 Old Dominion vs. #7 Delaware

#3 Hofstra vs. #11 William & Mary

Horizon League

#3 Cleveland State 73 #6 Wright State 59

#4 Valparaiso 88 #5 Detroit 78

Semifinal Round—Saturday

#1 Milwaukee vs. #4 Valparaiso

#2 Butler vs. #3 Cleveland State

M A A C

#9 Marist 73 #8 Niagara 61

#7 Siena 68 #10 Manhattan 66 OT

Quarterfinal Round—Saturday

#1 Fairfield vs. #9 Marist

#4 St. Peter’s vs. #5 Loyola (MD)

#3 Rider vs. #6 Canisius

#2 Iona vs. #7 Siena

Missouri Valley

#1 Missouri State 58 #8 Southern Illinois 56

#5 Creighton 60 #4 Northern Iowa 57

#2 Wichita State 70 #10 Bradley 56

#3 Indiana State 52 #6 Evansville 50

Semifinal Round—Saturday

#1 Missouri State vs. #5 Creighton

#2 Wichita State vs. #3 Indiana State

Southern Conference

#5N UNC-Greensboro 71 #4S Davidson 64

#3N Appalachian State 65 #6S Georgia Southern 57

#3S Furman 61 #6N Samford 48

#4N Elon 85 #5S Citadel 74

Quarterfinal Round—Saturday

#1N Western Carolina vs. #5N UNC-Greensboro

#2S Wofford vs. #3N Appalachian State

#2N Chattanooga vs. #3S Furman

#1S College of Charleston vs. #4N Elon

West Coast Conference

#8 Loyola Marymount 72 #5 Portland 68

#6 Pepperdine 84 #7 San Diego 81

Quarterfinal Round—Saturday

#4 Santa Clara vs. #8 Loyola Marymount

#3 San Francisco vs. #6 Pepperdine

Ivy League Results (Princeton and Harvard)

Harvard 79 Penn 64

Princeton 77 Dartmouth 55

Princeton is now 11-1. Harvard is now 11-2. The two teams square off in Cambridge tonight. If Princeton wins, the Tigers clinch the Ivy League title. If Harvard wins, then Princeton must win at Penn Tuesday night to force a playoff for the Ivy League title.

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March 3, 2011

NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 4 Update

Filed under: College Basketball — Tags: Albany, America East, American, Arch Madness, Atlantic Sun, basketball, Belmont, Big South, Boston, Bucknell, Butler, Central Connecticut, Chattanooga, Cleveland State, Coastal Carolina, college, College of Charleston, Conference, Creighton, East Tennessee, Fairfield, Furman, Gonzaga, Holy Cross, Horizon, Indiana State, Jacksonville, Lafayette, League, Liberty, Lipscomb, Long Island, MAAC, Maine, Mercer, Milwaukee, Missouri State, Missouri Valley, Morehead State, Murray State, NCAA, northeast, Northern Iowa, Ohio Valley, OVC, Patriot, Quinnipiac, robert morris, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Southern Conference, St. Mary’s, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, tournament, UNC-Asheville, Valparaiso, Vermont, VMI, West Coast Conference, Western Carolina, Wichita State, Wofford — piratings @ 10:59 pm

Three more conference tournaments begin Friday, making it 11 tournaments in action. The MAAC, Southern Conference, and West Coast Conference tournaments get underway.

All Times EST

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament

Tournament Site: Bridgeport, CT

Friday, March 4: Opening Round

G 1: #8 Niagara (9-22) vs. #9 Marist (5-26)

G 2: #7 Siena (12-17) vs. #10 Manhattan (6-24)

Saturday, March 5: Quarterfinal Round

G 3: G 1 Winner vs. #1 Fairfield (23-6)

G 4: #4 St. Peter’s (17-13) vs. Loyola (Chi) (15-14)

G 5: G 2 Winner vs. #2 Iona (20-10)

G 6: #3 Rider (22-9) vs. #6 Canisius (15-14)

Sunday, March 6: Semifinal Round

G 7: G3 Winner vs. G 4 Winner

G 8: G 5 Winner vs. G 6 Winner

Monday, March 7: Championship Game At 7 PM on ESPN2

G 7 Winner vs. G 8 Winner

Hot Team: It depends on how you look at it. Rider won their last five games, seven of their final eight, and 10 of their last 12. Included in this was a road win at top seed Fairfield.

Iona won their final seven games including a victory over Fairfield as well.

Fairfield, prior to the season-ending loss to Iona had won five in a row and 12 of 13.

Not Hot: St. Peter’s was 9-3 in conference play and ended up 11-7 with an extra loss in the Bracketbuster.

Team Nobody Wants To Play: The obvious choice here is top-seeded Fairfield. The Stags don’t get to play in their home gym, but they do get to play in their home town.

Fairfield as Favorite: We are inclined to go against the Stags here, but not by much. Iona and Rider should meet in the semifinals, and the winner of that game has a 50-50 chance of besting Fairfield in the final.

Our Pick: Let’s go with the hottest team that has shown an ability to put away opponents quickly. We’ll pick Iona to win in a mild upset.

Southern Conference Tournament

Tournament Site: Chattanooga, TN

Friday, March 4: Opening Round

G 1: #4S Davidson (17-13) vs. #5N UNC-Greensboro (6-23)

G 2: #3N Appalachian State (15-14) vs. #6S Georgia Southern (5-26)

G 3: #3S Furman (20-9) vs. #6N Samford (12-18)

G 4: #4N Elon (13-16) vs. #5S Citadel (10-21)

Saturday, March 5: Quarterfinal Round

G 5: G 1 Winner vs. #1N Western Carolina (17-14)

G 6: G 2 Winner vs. #2S Wofford (18-12)

G 7: G 3 Winner vs. #2N Chattanooga (16-15)

G 8: G 4 Winner vs. #1S College of Charleston (22-9)

Sunday, March 6: Semifinal Round

G 9: G 5 Winner vs. G 6 Winner

G10: G 7 Winner vs. G 8 Winner

Monday, March 7: Championship Game at 9:00 PM on ESPN2

G 9 Winner vs. G 10 Winner

Hot Team: Wofford won their final five regular season games by an average of 15.8 points per game. Included in that run was an incredible 39 point win at Chattanooga, the host team for this tournament.

Davidson closed with nine wins in their last ten games. This includes an 11-point win over College of Charleston, a 14-point win over Chattanooga, and a nine-point win at Wofford.

Not Hot: After winning seven in a row, top-seeded College of Charleston dropped its last two games, allowing Wofford to tie them for the South Division title.

Team Nobody Wants To Play: Chattanooga is the host team, and the Mocs are a much better team at home.

College of Charleston as Favorite: C of C is not a heavy favorite. In fact, we would classify the Cougars as a co-favorite at best.

Our Pick: Wofford is a team on a mission. The Terriers came close last year, and they have the horses to win three games in three days. Forward Noah Dahlman can take over a game at both ends of the court.

West Coast Conference Tournament

Tournament Site: Las Vegas

Friday, March 4: Opening Round

G 1: #5 Portland (20-10) vs. #8 Loyola Marymount (10-20)

G 2: #6 Pepperdine (11-20) vs. #7 San Diego (6-23)

Saturday, March 5: Quarterfinal Round

G 3: G 1 Winner vs. #4 Santa Clara (18-13)

G 4: G 2 Winner vs. #3 San Francisco (16-13)

Sunday, March 6: Semifinal Round

G 5: G 3 Winner vs. #1 St. Mary’s (23-7)

G 6: G 4 Winner vs. #2 Gonzaga (22-9)

Monday, March 7: Championship Round at 9:00 PM on ESPN

G 5 Winner vs. G 6 Winner

Hot Team: Gonzaga is peaking at the right time. The Bulldogs won their last seven games by an average of 19 points a game. Six of their nine losses were to quality teams.

Not Hot: St. Mary’s lost three games in a row before topping Portland in their regular season finale. Of course, two of those losses were to Utah State and Gonzaga.

Team Nobody Wants To Play: Portland was not expected to win 20 regular season games again after losing so much to graduation, but the Pilots cannot be dismissed. They could easily upset Santa Clara in the Quarterfinal Round, and then St. Mary’s will have to worry about an upset in the Semifinal Round.

St. Mary’s as Favorite: We don’t consider the Gaels the favorite in this tournament. Gonzaga is clearly the better team at this point of the season. GU’s path to the Championship Game will be easier than SMU’s.

Our Pick: Coach Mark Few has the Bulldogs playing their best at the right time. We believe Gonzaga is the prohibitive favorite in this tournament.

Thursday’s Tournament Game Scores

America East Conference

#8 Binghamton 91 #9 Maryland-Baltimore Co. 65

Binghamton advances to take on top-seed Vermont when the Quarterfinal round commences Saturday.

Atlantic Sun Conference

#5 Mercer 73 #4 Lipscomb 63

#6 North Florida 68 #3 Jacksonville 64

The lower seeds won both games on Thursday. Mercer, the host team, now advances to the Semifinal round to face top-seed Belmont, while North Florida takes on East Tennessee.

Big South Conference

#3 UNC-Asheville 62 #7 High Point 45

#1 Coastal Carolina 89 #4 V M I 81

Coastal Carolina hosts UNCA for the automatic bid at 4 PM Saturday.

Missouri Valley Conference

#8 Southern Illinois 57 #9 Illinois State 54

#10 Bradley 63 #7 Drake 48

Southern Illinois moves on to face top-seed Missouri State, while the last place seed Bradley faces number two seed Wichita State.

#4 Northern Iowa faces #5 Creighton, and #3 Indiana State faces #6 Evansville in the other quarterfinal games.

Northeast Conference

#1 Long Island 90 #8 St. Francis (PA) 75

#4 Central Connecticut State 64 #5 St. Francis (NY) 62

#2 Quinnipiac 78 #7 Mount St. Mary’s 59

#3 Robert Morris 78 #6 Wagner 74

LIU hosts CCSU and Quinnipiac hosts Robert Morris in the Semifinal round Sunday.

Ohio Valley Conference

#4 Tennessee Tech 83 #8 UT-Martin 59

#3 Austin Peay 76 #7 Southeast Missouri 60

Tennessee Tech brings a six-game winning streak into their semifinal match with top-seed Murray State. Austin Peay faces Morehead State in the other semifinal game Friday night.

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March 2, 2010

And They’re Off…

Filed under: College Basketball — Tags: America East, Athletic, Atlantic Sun, Big Dance, Big Sky, Big South, Butler, Coastal Carolina, Colonial, Conference Tournament, Gonzaga, Horizon League, Lehigh, Lipscomb, MAAC, Missouri Valley, Murray State, NCAA Basketball, northeast, Northern Iowa, Oakland, Ohio Valley, Old Dominion, Patriot League, Quinnipiac, Siena, Southern Conference, St. Mary's, Stony Brook, Summit League, Sunbelt Conference, Troy, Weber State, West Coast — piratings @ 2:42 pm

Let’s Start The Partying

It may feel like it’s mid-January in most of the nation, but the calendar doesn’t lie. It’s time to start the sports reality show called “Big Dancing With The Stars; Trying Not To Be The Biggest Loser.” Yes, the conference tournaments begin to tip-off tonight.

15 conferences begin tournament play in the next four days. Let’s take a look at the brackets.

America East Conference

Site: Hartford, CT until the Championship Game. Championship Game on the home court of the higher seed.

Late Note:#5 seed Binghamton has withdrawn from the conference tournament, making this an 8-team tournament that will now begin Saturday.

Saturday, March 6

G1-#1 Stony Brook (21-8) vs. #9 Albany (7-24)

G2-#4 Boston U (17-12) vs. #6 Hartford (8-21)

G3-#2 Vermont (22-9) vs. #8 Maryland-Balt. Co. (4-25)

G4-#3 Maine (19-10) vs. #7 New Hampshire (12-16)

Sunday, March 7

G5-Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner

G6-Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner

Saturday, March 13

Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner at higher seed’s home court

Boston U is the hot team as tournament play begins. The Terriers have an easy first round game thanks to Binghamton pulling out. Look for a very interesting semifinal match between BU and Stony Brook.

Look for New Hampshire to give Maine a great game and have a great shot at the upset. Beating Vermont in the next round won’t happen. The Catamounts have a clear path to the title game, and if Boston can upset Stony Brook, Vermont would host the title game.

Atlantic Sun Conference

Site: Macon, GA

Wednesday, March 3

G1-#1 Lipscomb (17-12) vs. #8 Kennesaw St. (12-19)

G2-#2 Jacksonville (18-11) vs. #7 North Florida (13-17)

Thursday, March 4

G3-#3 Belmont (19-11) vs. #6 Mercer (14-16)

G4-#4 Campbell (19-10) vs. #5 East Tennessee (17-14)

Friday, March 5

Game 1 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner

Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner

Saturday, March 6

Semifinal Winners

Lipscomb won its last four games to earn a four-way tie for first. The Bisons got the top-seed based on head to head results against the other three teams. Their path to the championship game is not an easy one. In the opening round, they face a Kennesaw team that gave them fits in both games, earning a split.

Campbell has the most complete game of any team in this tournament, and they could be the team to beat from their number four seeding. They also split with Lipscomb, and a possible semifinal match with the Bisons could be the game of the tournament.

Belmont and Jacksonville should handle their first round opponents, and in a semifinal match, the Dolphins have the upper hand when matching up. A Jacksonville-Campbell final game would be interesting. Both teams defended their home court in the regular season, winning by double digits.

Big Sky Conference

Site: All games played at higher seed

Saturday, March 6

#6 Portland State (12-17) at #3 Montana State (15-13)

#5 Northern Arizona (14-13) at #4 Montana (19-9)

Tuesday, March 9

Lower Remaining Seed at #1 Weber State (19-9)

Higher Remaining Seed at #2 Northern Colorado (24-6)

Wednesday, March 10

Lower Remaining Seed at Higher Remaining Seed

Big South Conference

Site: Quarterfinals at higher seed/Semifinals at Coastal Carolina/Finals at higher seed

Tuesday, March 2

G1-#8 VMI (10-18) at #1 Coastal Carolina (26-5)

G2-#7 Charleston Southern (13-16) at #2 Radford (18-11)

G3-#6 Liberty (15-15) at #3 Winthrop (16-13)

G4-#5 High Point (15-14) at #4 UNC-Asheville (14-15)

Thursday, March 4 (at Coastal Carolina)

Game 1 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner

Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner

Friday, March 5

Lower Remaining Seed at Higher Remaining Seed

The top two teams are clearly the two best in this league, as they dispenses of all the competition coming down the stretch. Radford has a dominating inside player capable of causing matchup problems for a good team in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Keep an eye on Art Parakhouski, a 6-11 hulk from Belarus. He makes Radford the favorite to meet Coastal Carolina for a great rubber match worth watching.

Colonial Athletic Association

Site: Richmond, VA

Friday, March 5

G1-#8 Towson (9-20) vs. #9 UNC-Wilmington (9-21)

G2-#5 Va. Commonwealth (20-8) vs. #12 Delaware (7-23)

G3-#7 Hofstra (18-13) vs. #10 Georgia State (12-19)

G4-#6 Drexel (16-15) vs. #11 James Madison (12-19)

Saturday, March 6

G5-#1 Old Dominion (23-8) vs. Game 1 Winner

G6-#4 George Mason (17-13) vs. Game 2 Winner

G7-#2 Northeastern (19-11) vs. Game 3 Winner

G8-#3 William & Mary (20-9) vs. Game 4 Winner

Sunday, March 7

Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner

Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner

Monday, March 8

Semifinal Winners

There’s decent parity in this league, and any of the top seven seeds could emerge the victor. Hofstra is the hottest team in the league, having finished the regular season with six consecutive wins and nine out of ten, including a double digit win at Northeastern.

Old Dominion has a road win against Georgetown this year, and the Monarchs would be a bubble team if they lost in the semifinals or finals.

Horizon League

Site: 1^st Round at Higher Seed/All Others at Indianapolis

Tuesday, March 2

G1-#10 Youngstown (8-21) at #3 Green Bay (20-11)

G2-#9 Illinois-Chicago (8-21) at #4 Milwaukee (18-13)

G3-#8 Loyola (Chi) (14-15) at #5 Cleveland St. (15-16)

G4-#7 Detroit (18-13) at #6 Valparaiso (15-16)

Friday, March 5

G5-Game 1 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner

G6-Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner

Saturday, March 6

Butler (26-4) vs. Game 6 Winner

Wright St. (19-11) vs. Game 5 Winner

Tuesday, March 9

Semifinal Winners

It’s all about Butler in this tournament. The Bulldogs are going dancing win or lose, but they could move up to a number three seed by winning on March 9. Detroit is the only team that gave Butler any trouble this year, so it could become interesting if the Titans beat Valpo, Green Bay, and Wright State to make it to the finals.

M A A C

Site: Albany, NY

Friday, March 5

G1-#7 Canisius (14-16) vs. #10 Marist (1-28)

G2-#8 Loyola (Md) (13-16) vs. #9 Manhattan (10-19)

Saturday, March 6

G3-#1 Siena (24-6) vs. Game 2 Winner

G4-#2 Fairfield (20-9) vs. Game 1 Winner

G5-#3 Iona (21-9) vs. #6 Niagara (17-14)

G6-#4 St. Peter’s (16-13) vs. #5 Rider (16-15)

Sunday, March 7

Game 3 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner

Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner

Monday, March 8

Semifinal Winners

Siena’s resume does not allow them a Mulligan in this tournament. The Saints have no signature wins, and they got their hat handed to them in the Bracketbuster game against Butler. Siena has to win this tournament or it’s the NIT for them this year.

Fairfield gave Siena two close ballgames this year, and it could be hard for the Saints to beat the Stags three times.

Iona is flying under the radar. The Gaels won nine in a row in midseason, and they have the talent to make it to Monday night’s game.

Missouri Valley Conference

Site: St. Louis (Arch Madness)

Thursday, March 4

G1-#7 Missouri State (19-11) vs. #10 Evansville (9-20)

G2-#8 Drake (13-18) vs. #9 Southern Illinois (15-14)

Friday, March 5

G3-#1 Northern Iowa (25-4) vs. Game 2 Winner

G4-#2 Wichita State (23-8) vs. Game 1 Winner

G5-#3 Illinois State (21-9) vs. #6 Indiana St. (17-13)

G6-#4 Creighton (16-14) vs. #5 Bradley (15-14)

Saturday, March 6

Game 3 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner

Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner

Sunday, March 7

Semifinal Winners

Northern Iowa won the regular season title by three games, but don’t consider the Panthers an overwhelming favorite. A good case could be made for any of the top five teams, and nobody wants to play Ninth-seeded Southern Illinois.

This will be a great tournament, and you should make it a point to watch these games if you have access.

UNI is a pretty safe bet to garner an at-large bid if they don’t win the automatic bid. Wichita State was once in the discussion for an at-large bid after a 16-2 start, but the shockers finished 7-6.

Northeast Conference

Site: All Games Played at Higher Seed

Thursday, March 4

G1-#8 Monmouth (12-18) at #1 Quinnipiac (21-8)

G2-#7 Cent. Connecticut (12-17) at #2 Robert Morris (20-11)

G3-#6 St. Francis (Pa) (11-18) at #3 Mt. St. Mary’s (15-14)

G4-#5 Fairleigh Dickinson (11-20) at #4 Long Island (13-16)

Sunday, March 7

Game 1 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner at higher seed

Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner at higher seed

Wednesday, March 10

Semifinal Winners at higher seed

Rarely is the number three seed considered the favorite, but in the NEC, Mt. St. Mary’s must be considered just that. The Mountaineers won their final 10 games, which included victories over the two top seeds. MSM has been in the tournament title game the last two years, winning in 2008. Point Guard Jeremy Goode cut down on his turnovers down the stretch and played more like he was capable of playing. Look for the 5-9 hotshot to play his best and guide the Mountaineers back to the Championship Game, where they are liable to face Quinnipiac.

Bobcat star James Feldeine was held to just four points in the last meeting with MSM; he will be ready for blood in a title match.

Ohio Valley Conference

Site: 1^st Round at higher seed/All Others at Nashville

Tuesday, March 2

G1-#8 Tennessee State (9-22) at #1 Murray State (27-4)

G2-#7 Jacksonville St. (11-18) at #2 Morehead St. (21-9)

G3-#6 Tennessee Tech (14-16) at #3 Austin Peay (17-14)

G4-#5 East. Kentucky (20-11) at #4 East. Illinois (18-11)

Friday, March 5

Game 1 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner

Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner

Saturday, March 6

Semifinal Winners

Murray State won 27 games during the regular season, but even if the Racers lose in the title game, they will fall to the NIT.

Morehead State is the defending OVC Champion, and the Eagles have the league’s top player in Kenneth Faried (16.8 ppg/13.0 rpg). Morehead won 17 of 20 down the stretch including a win over Murray St.

Austin Peay is always a force to be reckoned with in this tournament. The Governors have been a regular in the championship round.

Patriot League

Site: All Games Played at Higher Seed

Wednesday, March 3

G1-#8 Army (14-14) at #1 Lehigh (19-10)

G2-#7 Holy Cross (8-21) at #2 Bucknell (14-16)

G3-#6 Colgate (10-18) at #3 Lafayette (17-12)

G4-#5 Navy (13-16) at #4 American (10-19)

Sunday, March 7

Game 1 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner at Higher Seed

Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner at Higher Seed

Friday, March 12

Semifinal Winners at Higher Seed

A month ago, Bucknell stood at 6-14 and looked like a possible 20-game loser. The Bison turned it around and rebounded to go 8-2 down the stretch with a win over Lehigh. One of the two losses was also to Lehigh, so this does not make Bucknell the favorite.

There is no clear-cut favorite in this league. In fact, sixth-seeded Colgate has been playing as well an any team as the tournament opens. The Raiders had Lehigh on the ropes a couple weeks ago before falling short at the end.

Southern Conference

Site: Charlotte

Friday, March 5

G1-#3N Chattanooga (14-17) vs. #6S Ga. Southern (9-22)

G2-#4N UNC-Greensboro (7-22) vs. #5S Furman (13-16)

G3-#3S Davidson (16-14) vs. #6N Elon (8-22)

G4-#4S Citadel (15-15) vs. #5N Samford (11-19)

Saturday, March 6

G5-#1N Appalachian St. (20-11) vs. Game 4 Winner

G6-#1S Wofford (23-8) vs. Game 2 Winner

G7-#2N Western Carolina (21-10) vs. Game 3 Winner

G8-#2S Charleston (20-10) vs. Game 1 Winner

Sunday, March 7

Game 5 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner

Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner

Monday, March 8

Semifinal Winners

With Davidson just a middle of the pack team, the Socon Tournament becomes a wide-open race. The top four seeds all have the talent to run the table, but Wofford must be considered the favorite. The Terriers won their final 10 games and 19 of 21, after starting 4-6.

Keep an eye on College of Charleston. Coach Bobby Cremins has talent at the guard spot, and he knows how to get to the Big Dance.

Summit League

Site: Sioux Falls, SD

Saturday, March 6

G1-#1 Oakland (23-8) vs. #8 Mo.-Kansas City (12-17)

G2-#2 I U P U I (22-9) vs. #7 Western Illinois (13-16)

Sunday, March 7

G3-#3 Oral Roberts (19-12) vs. #6 N. Dakota St. (11-17)

G4-#4 S. Dakota St. (14-15) vs. #5 I P F W (15-14)

Monday, March 8

Game 1 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner

Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner

Tuesday, March 9

Semifinal Winners

Oakland’s path to the Championship Game is not all that easy. Last place UMKC was no pushover, and the Grizzlies didn’t win all that convincingly in the regular season. A possible semifinal match with the host team, South Dakota State, will be even harder. The Jackrabbits have the best backcourt in the league, but they are a little weak inside. That’s where Oakland is strongest with 6-11 center Keith Benson, the league’s top player.

IUPUI won 12 of its final 14 games and blew Oakland off the floor by 24 points. The Jaguars have an easier path to the title game.

Sunbelt Conference

Site: Hot Springs, AR (in two separate gyms)

Saturday, March 6

G1-#4 Western Kentucky (19-12) VS. #13 New Orleans (8-21)

G2-#5 Arkansas St. (16-13) vs. #12 Ark.-Little Rock (8-21)

G3-#6 Denver (17-12) vs. #11 Florida Int’l (7-24)

G4-#7 UL-Lafayette (13-16) vs. #10 UL-Monroe (11-18)

G5-#8 Fla. Atlantic (14-15) vs. #9 South Alabama (16-14)

Sunday, March 7

G6-#1 Troy (18-11) vs. Game 5 Winner

G7-#2 North Texas (21-8) vs. Game 4 Winner

G8-#3 Middle Tennessee (19-12) vs. Game 3 Winner

G9-Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner

Monday, March 8

Game 6 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner

Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner

Tuesday, March 9

Semifinal Winners

The top four seeds enter this tournament on high notes, but none are higher than Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers went 7-7 during the 14-games missed to injury by beefy forward Sergio Kerusch. WKU defeated Vanderbilt, Murray State, and Mississippi State in the pre-conference schedule, and they could be headed back to the Big Dance for the third year in a row, as they ride a six-game winning streak entering the tournament.

North Texas comes into this tournament on an eight-game winning streak. The Mean Green edged WKU in overtime during the time Kerusch was out.

Arkansas State is coming into this tournament as a darkhorse, but watch out for Red Wolves. Former LSU coach John Brady’s squad swept North Texas; both wins were by double digits.

West Coast Conference

Site: Las Vegas

Friday, March 5

G1-#5 Loyola Marymount (16-14) vs. #8 Pepperdine (7-23)

G2-#6 San Diego (10-20) vs. #7 Santa Clara (11-20)

Saturday, March 6

G3-#3 Portland (19-9) vs. Game 2 Winner

G4-#4 San Francisco (12-17) vs. Game 1 Winner

Sunday, March 7

Gonzaga (24-5) vs. Game 4 Winner

St. Mary’s (24-5) vs. Game 3 Winner

Monday, March 8

Semifinal Winners

For once, this is a three-team race. Gonzaga swept St. Mary’s and Portland and will more than likely have to face one of the two for the championship. It’s hard to beat a good team three times in a row, but the Bulldogs have the talent to do so.

St. Mary’s and Portland split a pair of really tight games, so there is no clear cut favorite if they meet in the Semifinals. The Gaels benefit from getting an extra day off.

If any team from the first day of play has a chance, it is Loyola Marymount. The Lions beat Gonzaga and Portland in February. First year coach Max Good took a team picked to be last in the league and brought them home at 7-7 in WCC play.

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March 16, 2008

A PiRate Look at the NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 16, 2008, 9th Update (Final Update)

Filed under: College Basketball — Tags: 10, 12, ACC, America, at-large, Atlantic, automatic, basketball, Big, Big Dance, Coast, Colonial, Conference, CUSA, East, Horizon, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, Metro, Mid-American, Mountain, NCAA, northeast, Ohio, Pac 10, Patriot, SEC, Sky, South, Southeastern, Southern, Southland, Summit, Sun, Sunbelt, SWAC, Ten, tournament, Valley, WAC, West, Western — piratings @ 7:52 am

A PiRate Look at the NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments

March 16, 2008, 9^th Update (Final Update)

(NCAA Tournament Coverage Begins Monday)

Conference Tournament Results through Saturday, March 15, 2008

For many years, yours truly was an active member of the media, be it in radio, television, or print journalism. Over the course of that career, I never once suffered from writer’s block or even had to think for more than a few seconds to decide what angle I would pursue in an article.

If I were still writing for print media or reporting in some form of broadcast media, I would have been lost for words to put something unique on the events of the last 36 hours in the college basketball world. Sure, I could have given the 5 W’s and 1 H for any of the events, but unless I was stringing for the Associated Press, it wouldn’t have been what I hoped it could have been.

My only thought when all the events began to occur was a famous quote that has erroneously been attributed as Chinese. “May you live in interesting times,” is supposed to be a Chinese curse for some poor schlemiel to endure many chaotic and tumultuous events in his lifetime.

What has happened at the Southeastern Conference since Friday night is just another minor event of the 21^st Century when compared to the many true miseries throughout the world. However, for those people who look forward to this annual three-week “holiday,” it’s like having a relative losing his dinner at the Thanksgiving table. You can still eat more turkey, but it just doesn’t look as appetizing as it did prior to the incident.

For the one or two people reading this who do not know what I speak of, an EF-2 tornado struck the Georgia Dome in Atlanta late Friday night during the closing minutes of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Alabama and Mississippi State were in the final couple of minutes of overtime, when parts of the dome roof took direct hits, and debris littered the floor while several parts of the building shook. The game was halted for more than an hour, and when play resumed, Mississippi State pulled out a close victory. Kentucky and Georgia were supposed to play 25 minutes after that game, but after several minutes, SEC and Georgia Dome officials cancelled the game, believing correctly that the building was not safe. The fans were given notice that the game was cancelled, but they were told they could not leave the building. Eventually, they were allowed to leave and went outside to find what one reporter called “conditions looking like a war zone.” Some fans discovered they no longer had automobiles. Some fans discovered they no longer had accommodations at their hotel. Many stayed out all night, and when the sun rose Saturday morning, they discovered that they had no access to the rest of the tournament.

The SEC moved the remainder of the tournament to Georgia Tech’s tiny coliseum. They mandated that Georgia and Kentucky would play at noon on Saturday, and the winner would have to play a second game Saturday night (something that the SEC Tournament did with their semifinals and finals until 1952).

That’s just where the weird events began. Georgia finished dead last in the SEC this year. Head Coach Dennis Felton was on the type of bubble he didn’t want to end up on-his job status was up in the air. To add to the difficulties, he has only eight scholarship players on his roster, and his team played a late overtime game in the first round Thursday night.

If you haven’t heard, Georgia won two games Saturday. The Bulldogs defeated Kentucky in the early afternoon, and then they knocked off Mississippi State a few hours later. That moves Georgia into the Championship Game of the tournament against Arkansas. Georgia has a 16-16 record entering today’s title game. They must either win and go to the Big Dance, or lose and end their season. Oh, and one more thing: Star player Sundiata Gaines suffered a hip pointer in the Mississippi State game, and he will be playing on a gimpy leg today.

That’s not the only news. More conference upsets have burst some additional bubbles. A 20-loss team in a mid-major conference has won an automatic bid, and an automatic bid was doled out to a team that won in triple overtime. Here’s a look at each conference.

Previous Concluded Tournaments

Atlantic Sun

Quarterfinals

#4 East Tennessee 81 #5 Lipscomb 74

#6 Gardner-Webb 82 #3 Stetson 63

#2 Jacksonville 65 #7 Mercer 57

#1 Belmont 75 #8 Campbell 66

Semifinals

Jacksonville 89 Gardner-Webb 80

Belmont 69 East Tennessee 65

Saturday, March 8

Championship

Belmont 79 Jacksonville 61

Automatic Qualifier: Belmont 25-8 Avg. RPI 76.3

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Big Sky

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#4 Idaho State 67 #5 Montana 65

#3 Weber State 65 #6 Montana State 49

Tuesday, March 11 @ Portland, OR

Semifinals

#1 Portland State 72 Idaho State 61

#2 Northern Arizona 75 Weber State 70

Wednesday, March 12 @ Portland, OR

Championship Game

Portland State 67 Northern Arizona 51

Automatic Qualifier: Portland State 23-9 Avg. RPI 87.3

Portland State will pose problems for a first-round opponent not used to playing against a team that overplays the passing lanes. If the Vikings snatch away double figure steals, they can compete in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. PSU will have problems with a physical, inside muscle team that knows how to take care of the ball, like a Michigan State.

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Big South

Opening Round

#1 UNC-Asheville 87 #8 Charleston Southern 63

#4 Liberty 103 #5 VMI 88

#2 Winthrop 76 #7 Radford 45

#3 High Point 59 #6 Coastal Carolina 56

Semifinals

UNC-Asheville 75 Liberty 57

Winthrop 61 High Point 53

Saturday, March 8 @ Asheville, NC

Championship Game

Winthrop 66 UNC-Asheville 48

Automatic Qualifier: Winthrop 22-11 Avg. RPI 106.5

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Colonial Athletic Association

All Games Played At Richmond, VA (Virginia Commonwealth host team)

#9 Towson State 81 #8 Towson State 66

#5 William & Mary 58 #12 Georgia State 57

#6 Delaware 60 #11 Drexel 51

#7 Northeastern 73 #10 James Madison 59

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#1 Virginia Commonwealth 57 Towson State 46

William & Mary 63 #4 Old Dominion 60

#3 UNC-Wilmington 82 Delaware 59

#2 George Mason 63 Northeastern 52

Sunday, March 9

Semifinals

William & Mary 56 Virginia Commonwealth 54

George Mason 53 UNC-Wilmington 41

Monday, March 10

Championship Game

George Mason 68 William & Mary 59

Automatic Qualifier: George Mason 23-10 Avg. RPI 59.5

At-Large Teams: 0 or 1

Bubble: Virginia Commonwealth 24-7 RPI Avg.: 55 [Still needs help]

Horizon League

All Games Played At Indianapolis (Butler host team)

Opening Round

#3 Wright State 60 #10 Detroit 37

#6 Valparaiso 75 #7 UW-Green Bay 67

#4 Illinois-Chicago 70 #9 Youngstown State 59

#8 Loyola (Chi.) 57 #5 UW-Milwaukee 51

Quarterfinals

Valparaiso 72 Wright State 67

Illinois-Chicago 60 Loyola (Chi.) 49

Saturday, March 8

Semifinals

#2 Cleveland State 78 Valparaiso 73

#1 Butler 66 Illinois-Chicago 50

Tuesday, March 11

Championship

Butler 70 Cleveland State 55

Automatic Qualifier: Butler 29-3 Avg. RPI 16.8

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None (Cleveland State is just below the Bubble and should get a bid to the NIT or the new CBI)

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

All Games Played At Albany, NY (Siena host team)

Opening Round

#8 Manhattan 73 #9 St. Peter’s 59

#10 Canisius 64 #7 Iona 59

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#1 Siena 66 Manhattan 58

#4 Loyola (Md.) 64 #5 Fairfield 59

#2 Rider 75 Canisius 71

#6 Marist 66 #3 Niagara 62

Sunday, March 9

Semifinals

Siena 65 Loyola (Md.) 63

Rider 76 Marist 71

Monday, March 10

Championship Game

Siena 74 Rider 53

Automatic Qualifier: Siena 22-10 Avg. RPI 66.8

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Missouri Valley @ St. Louis (Arch Madness)

Opening Round

#8 Indiana State 71 #9 Wichita State 67

#7 Missouri State 69 #10 Evansville 46

Quarterfinals

#1 Drake 68 Indiana State 46

#4 Creighton 74 #5 Bradley 70

#2 Illinois State 63 Missouri State 58

#6 Northern Iowa 54 #3 Southern Illinois 49

Saturday, March 8

Semifinals

Drake 75 Creighton 67

Illinois State 56 Northern Iowa 42

Sunday, March 9

Championship

Drake 79 Illinois State 49

Automatic Qualifier: Drake 28-4 Avg. RPI 10.3

At-Large Teams: 0 or 1

Bubble: Illinois State 23-9 RPI avg. 34 [Beginning to look safe]

Creighton 21-10 RPI avg. 46.3 [added to bubble watch due to upsets]

Northeast

Quarterfinal

#1 Robert Morris 64 #8 Monmouth 50

#4 Mt. St. Mary’s 80 #5 Quinnipiac 70

#2 Wagner 71 #7 Long Island 62

#3 Sacred Heart 84 #6 Central Connecticut State 71

Sunday, March 9

Semifinals

Mt. St. Mary’s 83 Robert Morris 65

Sacred Heart 55 Wagner 49

Wednesday, March 12

Championship

Mt. St. Mary’s 68 Sacred Heart 55

Automatic Qualifier: Mount St. Mary’s 18-14 Avg. RPI 157

The Mount won its three tournament games by an average score of 77-63 thanks to great shooting and the ability to hustle on the boards. That worked against the NEC, but it won’t be enough to get past the first round in the Big Dance. This is a #16-seed that will make a quick exit.

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Ohio Valley Conference

Quarterfinals @ Higher Seed

#1 Austin Peay 76 #8 Eastern Kentucky 51

#4 UT-Martin 101 #5 Samford 94 3ot

#2 Murray State 77 #7 Tennessee Tech 74

#6 Tennessee State 68 #3 Morehead State 61

Semifinals @ Nashville

Austin Peay 78 UT-Martin 77

Tennessee State 83 Murray State 75

Saturday, March 8

Championship

Austin Peay 82 Tennessee State 64

Automatic Qualifier: Austin Peay 24-10 Avg. RPI 82

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Southern Conference

All Games Played At Charleston, SC (College of Charleston host team)

Opening Round

#8 Wofford 58 #9 Western Carolina 49

#7 Elon 52 #10 Furman 37

#6 Charleston 66 #11 Citadel 48

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#1 Davidson 82 Wofford 49

#5 UNC-Greensboro 63 #4 Appalachian State 46

Elon 60 #2 Chattanooga 57

Coll. of Charleston 87 #3 Georgia Southern 73

Sunday, March 9

Semifinals

Davidson 82 UNCG 52

Elon 75 Charleston 61

Monday, March 10

Championship Game

Davidson 65 Elon 49

Automatic Qualifier: Davidson 26-6 Avg. RPI 30.3

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Summit League @ Tulsa (Oral Roberts host team)

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#1 Oral Roberts 84 #8 Centenary 56

#2 IUPUI 69 #7 Missouri-Kansas City 65

Sunday, March 9

Quarterfinals

#5 IPFW 66 #4 Southern Utah 62

#3 Oakland 80 #6 Western Illinois 66

Monday, March 10

Semifinals

Oral Roberts 58 IPFW 42

IUPUI 80 Oakland 65

Tuesday, March 11

Championship

Oral Roberts 71 IUPUI 64

Automatic Qualifier: Oral Roberts 24-8 Avg. RPI 49

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None (IUPUI’s RPI is too low for consideration)

Sunbelt Conference

1^st Round

#8 New Orleans 65 #9 Denver 60

#4 Middle Tennessee 74 #13 Louisiana Monroe 69

#12 Troy 70 #5 Louisiana Lafayette 60

#6 North Texas 85 #11 Arkansas State 63

#7 Florida Atlantic 91 #10 Florida International 64

Sunday, March 9 @ Mobile, AL

Quarterfinals

South Alabama 81 New Orleans 77

Middle Tennessee 65 Troy 59

Western Kentucky 84 North Texas 70

Arkansas Little Rock 66 Florida Atlantic 60

Monday, March 10 @ Mobile, AL

Semifinals

Middle Tennessee 82 South Alabama 73

Western Kentucky 70 Arkansas-Little Rock 55

Tuesday, March 11 @ Mobile, AL

Championship

Western Kentucky 67 Middle Tennessee 57

Automatic Qualifier: Western Kentucky 27-6 Avg. RPI 37.3

At-Large Teams: 0 or 1

Bubble: South Alabama (Avg. RPI 37.3) [Looking Good after yesterday’s upsets]

West Coast Conference

All Games Played At San Diego (San Diego host team)

Opening Round

#5 San Francisco 79 # 8 Loyola Marymount 60

#6 Pepperdine 50 #7 Portland 48 ot

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#4 Santa Clara 51 San Francisco 50

#3 San Diego 75 Pepperdine 55

Sunday, March 9

#1 Gonzaga 52 Santa Clara 48

San Diego 75 #2 St. Mary’s 69 2ot

Monday, March 10

Championship Game

San Diego 69 Gonzaga 62

Automatic Qualifier: San Diego 21-13 Avg. RPI 93.3

At-Large Teams: 0, 1 or 2 (Gonzaga & St. Mary’s)

Bubble: St. Mary’s 25-6 Avg. RPI 36.5 [Should be safe thanks to Pac-10 teams losing]

Gonzaga 25-7 Avg. RPI 30 [Absolute certainty]

Ivy League Champion

Automatic Qualifier: Cornell 22-5 Avg. RPI 64.5

Recent Tournaments Concluded

America East

1^st Three Rounds At Binghamton, NY. Championship Game At Higher Seed

Opening Round

#8 Stony Brook 73 vs. #9 Maine 65 ot

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#1 Md. Balt. Co. 76 Stony Brook 60

#4 Vermont 65 #5 Binghamton 57

#2 Hartford 68 #7 New Hampshire 65

#6 Boston U. 68 #3 Albany 64 ot

Sunday, March 9

Semifinals

Md. Balt. Co. 73 Vermont 64

Hartford 59 Boston U. 52

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

Maryland-Baltimore Co. 82 Hartford 65

Automatic Qualifier: Maryland-Baltimore County 24-8 Avg. RPI 87.5

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Atlantic Coast @ Charlotte, NC

Thursday, March 13

Opening Round

#9 Florida State 70 #8 Wake Forest 60

#5 Miami 63 #12 North Carolina State 50

#7 Georgia Tech 94 #10 Virginia 76

#11 Boston College 71 #6 Maryland 68

Friday, March 14

Quarterfinals

#1 North Carolina 82 Florida State 70

#4 Virginia Tech 63 Miami 49

#2 Duke 82 Georgia Tech 70

#3 Clemson 82 Boston College 48

Saturday, March 15

Semifinals

North Carolina 68 Virginia Tech 66

Clemson 78 Duke 74

Sunday, March 16

Championship Game

North Carolina 31-2 vs. Clemson 24-8

At-large Teams: 3, 4, or 5 (UNC-2, Duke-6, Clem-19.5, Miami-34.8)

Bubble: Virginia Tech (Avg RPI 54.5), Florida State ( Avg RPI 59.3)

Atlantic 10 @ Atlantic City, NJ

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#8 Dayton 63 St. Louis 62 ot

#5 St. Joseph’s 80 #12 Fordham 62

#7 LaSalle 82 #10 Duquesne 79

#6 Charlotte 75 #11 Rhode Island 73

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 Xavier 74 Dayton 65

St. Joseph’s 61 #4 Richmond 47

#2 Temple 84 LaSalle 75

Charlotte 69 #3 Massachusetts 65

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

St. Joseph’s 61 Xavier 53

Temple 60 Charlotte 45

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

Temple 69 St. Joseph’s 64

Automatic Qualifier: Temple 21-12 Avg. RPI

At-large Teams: 1 or 2 (Xavier [9 RPI] for sure

Bubble: U Mass (43.5 RPI), Dayton (great RPI Avg. of 33), St. Joe’s (42.5 RPI)

Big East @ Madison Square Garden in NYC

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#8 Villanova 82 #9 Syracuse 63

#5 West Virginia 58 #12 Providence 53

#7 Pittsburgh 70 #10 Cincinnati 64

#6 Marquette 67 #11 Seton Hall 54

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 Georgetown 82 Villanova 63

West Virginia 78 #4 Connecticut 72

Pittsburgh 76 #2 Louisville 69 ot

Marquette 89 #3 Notre Dame 79

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

Georgetown 72 West Virginia 55

Pittsburgh 68 Marquette 61

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

Pittsburgh 74 Georgetown 65

Automatic Qualifier: Pittsburgh 26-9 Avg. RPI 15.8

At-large Teams: 6 or 7 (G’town-7.8, UL-13.3, ND-27.5, UConn-19.3, WVU-29.3, Marq.-22)

Bubble: Villanova (avg. RPI 51) [It looks iffy for the Wildcats-50-50]

Big 10 @ Indianapolis, IN

Thursday, March 13

Opening Round

#9 Michigan 55 #8 Iowa 47

#10 Illinois 64 #7 Penn State 63

#6 Minnesota 55 #11 Northwestern 52

Friday, March 14

Quarterfinals

#1 Wisconsin 51 Michigan 34

#4 Michigan State 67 #5 Ohio State 60

Illinois 74 #2 Purdue 67 ot

Minnesota 59 Indiana 58

Saturday, March 15

Semifinals

Wisconsin 65 Michigan State 63

Illinois 54 Minnesota 50

Sunday, March 16

Championship Game

Wisconsin 28-4 vs. Illinois 16-18

At-large Teams: 4 or 5 (Wisconsin-11.5, Purdue-45, Indiana-22.5, Michigan State-14.5)

Bubble: Ohio State-47.3

Big 12 @ Kansas City

Thursday, March 13

Opening Round

#9 Oklahoma State 76 #8 Texas Tech 72

#12 Colorado 91 #5 Baylor 84 2ot

#7 Nebraska 61 #10 Missouri 56

#6 Texas A&M 60 #11 Iowa State 47

Friday, March 14

Quarterfinals

#1 Texas 66 Oklahoma State 59

#4 Oklahoma 54 Colorado 49

#2 Kansas 64 Nebraska 54

Texas A&M 63 #3 Kansas State 60

Saturday, March 15

Semifinals

Texas 77 Oklahoma 49

Kansas 77 Texas A&M 71

Sunday, March 16

Championship Game

Kansas 30-3 vs. Texas 28-5

At-large Teams: 4 or 5 (Texas-5, Kansas-6.8, Oklahoma-28.3)

Bubble: Baylor-43.8, Kansas State-49.5, Texas A&M-40.3

Big West Tournament @ Anaheim, CA

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#5 UC-Irvine 77 #8 Long Beach State 63

#7 UC-Riverside 62 Cal Poly 54

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#3 Cal State Fullerton 81 UC-Riverside 69

UC-Irvine 57 #4 Pacific 56

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

UC-Irvine 55 #1 UC Santa Barbara 50

Cal State Fullerton 83 #2 Cal State Northridge 68

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

Cal State Fullerton 81 UC-Irvine 66

Automatic Qualifier: Cal State Fullerton 24-8 Avg RPI 80.5

At-large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Conference USA @ Memphis

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#5 Southern Miss. 59 #12 Rice 50

#9 Tulane 48 #8 Marshall 47

#7 Tulsa 66 #10 East Carolina 49

#6 UTEP 71 #11 SMU 49

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 Memphis 75 Tulane 56

Southern Mississippi 68 #4 Central Florida 62

Tulsa 78 #2 Ala.-Birmingham 68 ot

UTEP 80 #3 Houston 77

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

Memphis 69 Southern Miss. 53

Tulsa 64 UTEP 62 ot

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

Memphis 77 Tulsa 51

Automatic Qualifier: Memphis 33-1 Avg. RPI 3

At-large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Mid-American Conference @ Cleveland

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#8 Toledo 52 #9 Bowling Green 48

#5 Miami (O) 69 #12 Buffalo 68

#7 Eastern Michigan 59 #10 Ball State 55

#6 Central Michigan 83 #11 Northern Illinois 71

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 Kent State 77 Toledo 57

Miami (O) 74 #4 Ohio U 61

#2 Western Michigan 70 Eastern Michigan 61

#3 Akron 81 Central Michigan 60

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

Kent State 49 Miami (O) 47

Akron 73 Western Michigan 62

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

Kent State 74 Akron 55

Automatic Qualifier: Kent State 28-6 Avg. RPI 22.5

At-large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

MEAC @ Raleigh, NC

Tuesday, March 11

Opening Round

#7 Coppin State 55 #10 Howard 54

#8 South Carolina State 78 #9 Bethune Cookman 69

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#6 Florida A&M 70 Maryland Eastern Shore 61

Quarterfinal Round

Coppin State 75 Hampton 74 ot

Morgan State 77 South Carolina State 68

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinal Round

#3 Norfolk State 69 Florida A&M 61

#4 Delaware State 64 #5 North Carolina A&T 62

Friday, March 14

Semifinal Round

Morgan State 61 Delaware State 55

Coppin State 67 Norfolk State 65

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

Coppin State 62 Morgan State 60

Automatic Qualifier: Coppin State 16-20 Avg. RPI 224.3 (I smell play-in round)

At-large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Mountain West @ Las Vegas

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#9 Colorado State 68 #8 Wyoming 63

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 BYU 89 Colorado State 62

#4 San Diego State 53 #5 Air Force 49

#2 UNLV 89 #7 TCU 88

#6 Utah 82 #3 New Mexico 80 ot

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

BYU 63 San Diego State 54

UNLV 61 Utah 55

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

UNLV 76 BYU 61

Automatic Qualifier: UNLV 26-7 Avg. RPI 23.8

At-large Teams: 1 BYU (Avg. RPI 25.5)

Bubble: New Mexico (Avg. RPI 59) [Almost assuredly out of contention]

Pac-10 @ The Staples Center in Los Angeles

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#9 California 84 #8 Washington 81

#7 Arizona 87 #10 Oregon State 56

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 UCLA 88 California 66

#4 Southern Cal 59 #5 Arizona State 55

#2 Stanford 75 Arizona 64

#3 Washington State 75 Oregon 70

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

UCLA 57 Southern Cal 54

Stanford 75 Washington State 68

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

UCLA 67 Stanford 64

Automatic Qualifier: UCLA 31-3 Avg. RPI 4.5

At-large Teams: 3 or 4 (Stanford-14.8, Washington State-20.5, Southern Cal-29.3)

Bubble: Arizona-38.5 , Oregon-57.3 Arizona State-79.3

Patriot League

Quarterfinals

#1 American 62 #8 Holy Cross 60

#5 Army 64 #4 Lehigh 61 ot

#7 Bucknell 87 #2 Navy 86 3ot

#3 Colgate 76 #6 Lafayette 74

Sunday, March 9

Semifinals

American 72 Army 60

Colgate 54 Bucknell 40

Friday, March 14

Championship

American 52 Colgate 46

Automatic Qualifier: American 21-11 Avg. RPI 91.8

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Southeastern @ Atlanta

Thursday, March 13

Opening Round

#5E South Carolina 77 #4W LSU 73

#3E Vanderbilt 93 #6W Auburn 82

#5W Alabama 80 #4E Florida 69

#6E Georgia 97 #3W Ole Miss 95 ot

Friday, March 14

Quarterfinals

#1E Tennessee 28-3 vs. South Carolina 14-17

#2W Arkansas 20-10 vs. Vanderbilt 26-6

#1W Mississippi St. 21-9 vs. Alabama 17-15

#2E Kentucky 18-11 vs. Georgia 14-16 (Postponed until Saturday @ Noon EDT)

Saturday, March 15

Quarterfinals

Georgia 60 Kentucky 56 ot

Semifinals

Arkansas 92 Tennessee 91

Georgia 64 Mississippi State 60

Sunday, March 16

Championship Game

Georgia 16-16 vs. Arkansas 22-10

At-large Teams: 5 (Tennessee-1, Miss. State-42.3, Kentucky-57.5, Arkansas-26.8, Vanderbilt-11.3)

Bubble: Florida-76, Ole Miss-48.8 (see ya in the NIT Gators and Rebels)

Southland @ Katy, TX (near Houston)

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 Stephen F. Austin 71 #8 Texas San Antonio 60

#5 Northwestern State 71 #4 Southeast Louisiana 51

#7 UT-Arlington 81 #2 Lamar 75

#3 Sam Houston State 64 McNeese State 62 ot

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

Northwestern State 69 Stephen F. Austin 66

UT-Arlington 72 Sam Houston 66

Sunday, March 16

Championship Game

Northwestern State 15-17 vs. Texas-Arlington 20-11

At-large Teams: 0 or 1 (99% chance it will be 0)

Bubble: Stephen F. Austin-68.8 (road wins at Oklahoma and San Diego not enough)

S W A C @ Birmingham

Wednesday, March 12

Quarterfinals

#1 Alabama State 67 #8 Texas Southern 49

#2 Mississippi Valley 79 #7 Grambling 73

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#6 Arkansas Pine Bluff 72 Alabama A&M 59

#4 Jackson State 56 #5 Southern 55

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

Jackson St. 77 Alabama State 72 ot

Mississippi Valley 70 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 59

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

Mississippi Valley 59 Jackson State 58

Automatic Qualifier: Mississippi Valley 17-15 Avg. RPI 231 (the lowest in the field)

At-large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

WAC @ Las Cruces, NM

Tuesday, March 11

Opening Round

#8 San Jose State 64 Louisiana Tech 62

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinal Round

#1 Utah State 85 San Jose State 65

#4 Boise State 80 Hawaii 74

#2 Nevada 64 #7 Fresno State 57

#3 New Mexico State 73 #6 Idaho 53

Friday, March 14

Semifinal Round

Boise State 88 Utah State 78

New Mexico St. 83 Nevada 75

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

Boise State 107 New Mexico State 102 3ot

Automatic Qualifier: Boise State 25-8 Avg. RPI 88

At-large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

My Guess At The Field of 65

I am not the expert at predicting the field on Sunday morning like some I know, but I did get 64 of the 65 correct last year. So, even though that was probably luck, here goes again this season with my best guess. Of course, as of know, I am sure to get 26 correct, since that’s how many automatic bids have been earmed.

Clinched Automatic Berth in NCAA Tournament (26)

1. Cornell (22-5)-Ivy League Champion

2. Winthrop (22-11)-Big South Champion

3. Austin Peay (24-10)-Ohio Valley Champion

4. Belmont (25-8)-Atlantic Sun Champion

5. Drake (28-4)-Missouri Valley Champion

6. George Mason (23-10)-Colonial Champion

7. Siena (22-10)-Metro Atlantic Champion

8. Davidson (26-6)-Southern Champion

9. San Diego (21-13)-West Coast Champion

10. Oral Roberts (24-8)-Summit Champion

11. Western Kentucky (27-6)-Sunbelt Champion

12. Butler (29-3)-Horizon Champion

13. Mount St. Mary’s (18-14)-Northeast Champion

14. Portland State (23-9)-Big Sky Champion

15. American U. (21-11)-Patriot Champion

16. Maryland-Baltimore County (24-8)-America East Champion

17. Memphis (33-1)-Conference USA Champion

18. Pittsburgh (26-9)-Big East Champion

19. Boise State (25-8)-Western Athletic Champion

20. Temple (21-12)-Atlantic 10 Champion

21. Kent State (28-6)-Mid-American Champion

22. Coppin State (16-20)-Mideastern Athletic Champion

23. U N L V (26-7)-Mountain West Champion

24. U C L A (31-3)-Pac-10 Champion

25. Mississippi Valley (17-15)-Southwestern Athletic Champion

26. Cal State Fullerton (24-8)-Big West Champion

5 Automatic and 34 at-large bids still to be determined

My Guess at the Five Remaining Automatic Bids

27. North Carolina

28. Wisconsin

29. Kansas

30. Arkansas

31. Northwestern State

My Guess at the 34 At-large Teams

The Safe Picks

32. Duke

33. Clemson

34. Miami (Fla.)

35. Michigan State

36. Indiana

37. Texas

38. Tennessee

39. Mississippi State

40. Vanderbilt

41. Xavier

42. Georgetown

43. Louisville

44. Notre Dame

45. Marquette

46. West Virginia

47. Connecticut

48. B Y U

49. Stanford

50. Southern Cal

51. Washington State

52. Arizona

53. South Alabama

54. Gonzaga

55. St. Mary’s

56. Illinois State

57. Texas A&M

58. Oklahoma

59. Purdue

The Bubble-Picking the Final Six

Arizona State-RPI is in the high 70’s-Out

Baylor-RPI is less than 45/9-7 record in a top 3 conf./win @ Notre Dame–IN

Creighton-RPI just below 45/1-5 vs. RPI top 50-just barely misses

Dayton-RPI in low 30’s/4-6 vs. top 50/11-7 vs. top 100/8-8 in A-10-can’t justify it

Florida State-7-9 ACC record-Lost any chance by not upsetting UNC

Kansas State-RPI over 45/10-6 in conf./win over Kansas–IN

Kentucky-It doesn’t matter how low of an RPI; the voting is biased–IN

Massachusetts-RPI is less than 45 but A-10 won’t get 4 teams–Out

New Mexico-Not really on the bubble now–Out

Ohio State-RPI is iffy/3-9 vs. top 50/lost 7 of final 11/10 wins in B10-IN but just barely

Ole Miss-7-9 SEC mark and first-round loss–Out

Oregon-RPI in 50’s/4-9 vs. top 50/tough schedule/9-9 in P10-Out (one of last 2 out)

St. Joseph‘s-RPI better than 45/4-7 vs. top 50/2 wins over Xavier–IN

South Alabama-RPI in 30’s/beat Miss St./Swept WKU–IN

Villanova-8^th place tie in Big East is too much to overcome-Out but just barely

Virginia Commonwealth-Colonial is not good enough for 2 teams–Out

Virginia Tech-1-8 vs. top 50 will not get it done even in ACC–Out

So, here are the lucky bubblers:

60. Baylor

61. Kansas State

62. Kentucky

63. Ohio State

64. St. Joseph’s

65. South Alabama

Now, if either Illinois or Georgia win today, then who will have a burst bubble? If one upset occurs, say bye bye to Ohio State. If both teams pull off the upset, then out goes St. Joe’s.

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March 14, 2008

A PiRate Look at the NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments–March 14, 2008, 8th Update

A PiRate Look at the NCAA Basketball Conference Tournaments

March 14, 2008, 8^th Update

Conference Tournament Results through Thursday, March 13, 2008

Concluded Tournaments

Atlantic Sun

Quarterfinals

#4 East Tennessee 81 #5 Lipscomb 74

#6 Gardner-Webb 82 #3 Stetson 63

#2 Jacksonville 65 #7 Mercer 57

#1 Belmont 75 #8 Campbell 66

Semifinals

Jacksonville 89 Gardner-Webb 80

Belmont 69 East Tennessee 65

Saturday, March 8

Championship

Belmont 79 Jacksonville 61

Automatic Qualifier: Belmont 25-8 Avg. RPI 75.3

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Big Sky

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#4 Idaho State 67 #5 Montana 65

#3 Weber State 65 #6 Montana State 49

Tuesday, March 11 @ Portland, OR

Semifinals

#1 Portland State 72 Idaho State 61

#2 Northern Arizona 75 Weber State 70

Wednesday, March 12 @ Portland, OR

Championship Game

Portland State 67 Northern Arizona 51

Automatic Qualifier: Portland State 23-9 Avg. RPI 84.3

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Big South

Opening Round

#1 UNC-Asheville 87 #8 Charleston Southern 63

#4 Liberty 103 #5 VMI 88

#2 Winthrop 76 #7 Radford 45

#3 High Point 59 #6 Coastal Carolina 56

Semifinals

UNC-Asheville 75 Liberty 57

Winthrop 61 High Point 53

Saturday, March 8 @ Asheville, NC

Championship Game

Winthrop 66 UNC-Asheville 48

Automatic Qualifier: Winthrop 22-11 Avg. RPI 103.5

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Colonial Athletic Association

All Games Played At Richmond, VA (Virginia Commonwealth host team)

#9 Towson State 81 #8 Towson State 66

#5 William & Mary 58 #12 Georgia State 57

#6 Delaware 60 #11 Drexel 51

#7 Northeastern 73 #10 James Madison 59

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#1 Virginia Commonwealth 57 Towson State 46

William & Mary 63 #4 Old Dominion 60

#3 UNC-Wilmington 82 Delaware 59

#2 George Mason 63 Northeastern 52

Sunday, March 9

Semifinals

William & Mary 56 Virginia Commonwealth 54

George Mason 53 UNC-Wilmington 41

Monday, March 10

Championship Game

George Mason 68 William & Mary 59

Automatic Qualifier: George Mason 23-10 Avg. RPI 57.3

At-Large Teams: 0 or 1

Bubble: Virginia Commonwealth 24-7 RPI Avg.: 57.8 [Still needs help]

Horizon League

All Games Played At Indianapolis (Butler host team)

Opening Round

#3 Wright State 60 #10 Detroit 37

#6 Valparaiso 75 #7 UW-Green Bay 67

#4 Illinois-Chicago 70 #9 Youngstown State 59

#8 Loyola (Chi.) 57 #5 UW-Milwaukee 51

Quarterfinals

Valparaiso 72 Wright State 67

Illinois-Chicago 60 Loyola (Chi.) 49

Saturday, March 8

Semifinals

#2 Cleveland State 78 Valparaiso 73

#1 Butler 66 Illinois-Chicago 50

Tuesday, March 11

Championship

Butler 70 Cleveland State 55

Automatic Qualifier: Butler 29-3 Avg. RPI 15.5

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None (Cleveland State is just below the Bubble and should get a bid to the NIT)

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference

All Games Played At Albany, NY (Siena host team)

Opening Round

#8 Manhattan 73 #9 St. Peter’s 59

#10 Canisius 64 #7 Iona 59

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#1 Siena 66 Manhattan 58

#4 Loyola (Md.) 64 #5 Fairfield 59

#2 Rider 75 Canisius 71

#6 Marist 66 #3 Niagara 62

Sunday, March 9

Semifinals

Siena 65 Loyola (Md.) 63

Rider 76 Marist 71

Monday, March 10

Championship Game

Siena 74 Rider 53

Automatic Qualifier: Siena 22-10 Avg. RPI 71.5

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Missouri Valley @ St. Louis (Arch Madness)

Opening Round

#8 Indiana State 71 #9 Wichita State 67

#7 Missouri State 69 #10 Evansville 46

Quarterfinals

#1 Drake 68 Indiana State 46

#4 Creighton 74 #5 Bradley 70

#2 Illinois State 63 Missouri State 58

#6 Northern Iowa 54 #3 Southern Illinois 49

Saturday, March 8

Semifinals

Drake 75 Creighton 67

Illinois State 56 Northern Iowa 42

Sunday, March 9

Championship

Drake 79 Illinois State 49

Automatic Qualifier: Drake 28-4 Avg. RPI 11.3

At-Large Teams: 0 or 1

Bubble: Illinois State 23-9 RPI avg. 35.5 [Beginning to look safe]

Creighton 21-10 RPI avg. 48.8 [added to bubble watch due to upsets]

Northeast

Quarterfinal

#1 Robert Morris 64 #8 Monmouth 50

#4 Mt. St. Mary’s 80 #5 Quinnipiac 70

#2 Wagner 71 #7 Long Island 62

#3 Sacred Heart 84 #6 Central Connecticut State 71

Sunday, March 9

Semifinals

Mt. St. Mary’s 83 Robert Morris 65

Sacred Heart 55 Wagner 49

Wednesday, March 12

Championship

Mt. St. Mary’s 68 Sacred Heart 55

Automatic Qualifier: Mount St. Mary’s 18-14 Avg. RPI 155.8

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Ohio Valley Conference

Quarterfinals @ Higher Seed

#1 Austin Peay 76 #8 Eastern Kentucky 51

#4 UT-Martin 101 #5 Samford 94 3ot

#2 Murray State 77 #7 Tennessee Tech 74

#6 Tennessee State 68 #3 Morehead State 61

Semifinals @ Nashville

Austin Peay 78 UT-Martin 77

Tennessee State 83 Murray State 75

Saturday, March 8

Championship

Austin Peay 82 Tennessee State 64

Automatic Qualifier: Austin Peay 24-10 Avg. RPI 79.5

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Southern Conference

All Games Played At Charleston, SC (College of Charleston host team)

Opening Round

#8 Wofford 58 #9 Western Carolina 49

#7 Elon 52 #10 Furman 37

#6 Charleston 66 #11 Citadel 48

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#1 Davidson 82 Wofford 49

#5 UNC-Greensboro 63 #4 Appalachian State 46

Elon 60 #2 Chattanooga 57

Coll. of Charleston 87 #3 Georgia Southern 73

Sunday, March 9

Semifinals

Davidson 82 UNCG 52

Elon 75 Charleston 61

Monday, March 10

Championship Game

Davidson 65 Elon 49

Automatic Qualifier: Davidson 26-6 Avg. RPI 26.8

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Summit League @ Tulsa (Oral Roberts host team)

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#1 Oral Roberts 84 #8 Centenary 56

#2 IUPUI 69 #7 Missouri-Kansas City 65

Sunday, March 9

Quarterfinals

#5 IPFW 66 #4 Southern Utah 62

#3 Oakland 80 #6 Western Illinois 66

Monday, March 10

Semifinals

Oral Roberts 58 IPFW 42

IUPUI 80 Oakland 65

Tuesday, March 11

Championship

Oral Roberts 71 IUPUI 64

Automatic Qualifier: Oral Roberts 24-8 Avg. RPI 49.5

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None (IUPUI’s RPI is too low for consideration)

Sunbelt Conference

1^st Round

#8 New Orleans 65 #9 Denver 60

#4 Middle Tennessee 74 #13 Louisiana Monroe 69

#12 Troy 70 #5 Louisiana Lafayette 60

#6 North Texas 85 #11 Arkansas State 63

#7 Florida Atlantic 91 #10 Florida International 64

Sunday, March 9 @ Mobile, AL

Quarterfinals

South Alabama 81 New Orleans 77

Middle Tennessee 65 Troy 59

Western Kentucky 84 North Texas 70

Arkansas Little Rock 66 Florida Atlantic 60

Monday, March 10 @ Mobile, AL

Semifinals

Middle Tennessee 82 South Alabama 73

Western Kentucky 70 Arkansas-Little Rock 55

Tuesday, March 11 @ Mobile, AL

Championship

Western Kentucky 67 Middle Tennessee 57

Automatic Qualifier: Western Kentucky 27-6 Avg. RPI 35

At-Large Teams: 0 or 1

Bubble: South Alabama (Avg. RPI 35.8) [Looking Good after yesterday’s upsets]

West Coast Conference

All Games Played At San Diego (San Diego host team)

Opening Round

#5 San Francisco 79 # 8 Loyola Marymount 60

#6 Pepperdine 50 #7 Portland 48 ot

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#4 Santa Clara 51 San Francisco 50

#3 San Diego 75 Pepperdine 55

Sunday, March 9

#1 Gonzaga 52 Santa Clara 48

San Diego 75 #2 St. Mary’s 69 2ot

Monday, March 10

Championship Game

San Diego 69 Gonzaga 62

Automatic Qualifier: San Diego 21-13 Avg. RPI 90

At-Large Teams: 0, 1 or 2 (Gonzaga & St. Mary’s)

Bubble: St. Mary’s 25-6 Avg. RPI 37.3 [Should be safe thanks to Pac-10 teams losing]

Gonzaga 25-7 Avg. RPI 27.8 [Absolute certainty]

Ivy League Champion

Automatic Qualifier: Cornell 22-5 Avg. RPI 67

Clinched Automatic Berth in NCAA Tournament (14)

1. Cornell (22-5)-Ivy League Champion

2. Winthrop (22-11)-Big South Champion

3. Austin Peay (24-10)-Ohio Valley Champion

4. Belmont (25-8)-Atlantic Sun Champion

5. Drake (28-4)-Missouri Valley Champion

6. George Mason (23-10)-Colonial Champion

7. Siena (22-10)-Metro Atlantic Champion

8. Davidson (26-6)-Southern Champion

9. San Diego (21-13)-West Coast Champion

10. Oral Roberts (24-8)-Summit Champion

11. Western Kentucky (27-6)-Sunbelt Champion

12. Butler (29-3)-Horizon Champion

13. Mount St. Mary’s (18-14)-Northeast Champion

14. Portland State (23-9)-Big Sky Champion

17 Automatic and 34 at-large bids still to be determined

Active Tournaments

America East

1^st Three Rounds At Binghamton, NY. Championship Game At Higher Seed

Opening Round

#8 Stony Brook 73 vs. #9 Maine 65 ot

Saturday, March 8

Quarterfinals

#1 Md. Balt. Co. 76 Stony Brook 60

#4 Vermont 65 #5 Binghamton 57

#2 Hartford 68 #7 New Hampshire 65

#6 Boston U. 68 #3 Albany 64 ot

Sunday, March 9

Semifinals

Md. Balt. Co. 73 Vermont 64

Hartford 59 Boston U. 52

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

Hartford 18-15 at Maryland-Baltimore Co. 23-8

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

UMBC didn’t have to play Binghamton, and that made their task much easier. Hartford had a tough time with two weak opponents to get this far, and the clock will strike midnight for them Saturday. While these two teams split a pair of one-point games during the regular season, I believe UMBC should win this rubber match by 10 or more points and earn their first trip to the Big Dance, where they could be a #14 seed. Of particular interest in this championship game will be the match-up of two, small, but beefy forwards. Hartford’s Warren McLendon and UMBC’s Darryl Proctor will battle it out for close to 40 minutes and make this game worth watching.

Atlantic Coast @ Charlotte, NC

Thursday, March 13

Opening Round

#9 Florida State 70 #8 Wake Forest 60

#5 Miami 63 #12 North Carolina State 50

#7 Georgia Tech 94 #10 Virginia 76

#11 Boston College 71 #6 Maryland 68

Friday, March 14

Quarterfinals

#1 North Carolina 29-2 vs. Florida State 19-13

#4 Virginia Tech 18-12 vs. Miami 22-9

#2 Duke 26-4 vs. Georgia Tech 15-16

#3 Clemson 22-8 vs. Boston College 14-16

Saturday, March 15

Semifinals

UNC-FSU vs. VT-Mia.

Duke-GT vs. Clem-BC

Sunday, March 16

Championship Game

Duke and North Carolina are more than likely headed to a rubber game Sunday, but keep an eye on Miami and Clemson. The Hurricanes are a solid team capable of going deep into the NCAA Tournament, but they can be inconsistent and lose a game they should win. Clemson has something to prove after last season’s crash and burn.

You can kiss Maryland’s chances goodbye after the Terps blew a nice lead against Boston College and lost. Should American lose in the American Patriot League Championship game, they would be a great opening round NIT opponent for the Terps.

Virginia Tech and Florida State still have work to do and need upset wins today.

At-large Teams: 4, 5, or 6 (UNC-2, Duke-4, Clem-21, Miami-30.3)

Bubble: Virginia Tech (Avg RPI 61), Florida State ( Avg RPI 64)

Atlantic 10 @ Atlantic City, NJ

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#8 Dayton 63 St. Louis 62 ot

#5 St. Joseph’s 80 #12 Fordham 62

#7 LaSalle 82 #10 Duquesne 79

#6 Charlotte 75 #11 Rhode Island 73

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 Xavier 74 Dayton 65

St. Joseph’s 61 #4 Richmond 47

#2 Temple 84 LaSalle 75

Charlotte 69 #3 Massachusetts 65

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

Xavier 27-5 vs. St. Joseph’s 20-11

Temple 19-12 vs. Charlotte 20-12

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

At-large Teams: 1 or 2 (Xavier [9 RPI] for sure,

Bubble: U Mass (43 RPI), Dayton (great RPI Avg. of 31.3), St. Joe’s (52.3 RPI)

U Mass blew a huge lead and lost to Charlotte in a mild to moderate upset. Now Charlotte gets Temple, and the winner will more than likely play Xavier for the title. The Musketeers must first dispose of St. Joe’s, and it will be a tough game. The Hawks are now one big upset win from moving squarely into bubbleville.

Temple needs to get to the finals to have any bubble chances, but the Owls are talented enough to earn the automatic bid.

I believe Dayton has the chance to be the team with the highest RPI that is left out of the Dance.

Big East @ Madison Square Garden in NYC

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#8 Villanova 82 #9 Syracuse 63

#5 West Virginia 58 #12 Providence 53

#7 Pittsburgh 70 #10 Cincinnati 64

#6 Marquette 67 #11 Seton Hall 54

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 Georgetown 82 Villanova 63

West Virginia 78 #4 Connecticut 72

Pittsburgh 76 #2 Louisville 69 ot

Marquette 89 #3 Notre Dame 79

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

Georgetown 26-4 vs. West Virginia 24-9

Pittsburgh 24-9 vs. Marquette 24-8

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

West Virginia took control of the game early and held off to beat Connecticut. I think the Mountaineers are going to give Georgetown a great game, and if their legs are not tired, WVU could pull off the upset.

Pittsburgh is playing its best ball since early in the season, and Marquette has possibly looked like the best team in the tournament to date. The semifinal doubleheader today is going to be dynamite.

At-large Teams: 7 or 8 (G’town, UL, ND, UConn, WVU, Marq., Pitt all have RPIs under 40)

Bubble: Villanova (avg. RPI 51.3) [It looks iffy for the Wildcats-50-50]

Big 10 @ Indianapolis, IN

Thursday, March 13

Opening Round

#9 Michigan 55 #8 Iowa 47

#10 Illinois 64 #7 Penn State 63

#6 Minnesota 55 #11 Northwestern 52

Friday, March 14

Quarterfinals

#1 Wisconsin 26-4 vs. Michigan 10-21

#4 Michigan State 24-7 vs. #5 Ohio State 19-12

#2 Purdue 24-7 vs. Illinois 14-18

#3 Indiana 25-6 vs. Minnesota 19-12

Saturday, March 15

Semifinals

Wisc.-Mich vs. MSU-OSU

Purd-Ill. Vs. IU-MN

Sunday, March 16

Championship Game

This tournament is about to get exciting. I believe at least three of today’s lower seeds have a reasonable chance of pulling off the upset and giving some bubble teams’ coaches and players another couple of sleepless nights. Ohio State beating Michigan State would only be a mild upset, but these two teams can both take advantage of the other’s weaknesses.

Illinois has looked really good in many of their losses this year, and while they aren’t about to make a run to the Sweet 16, the Illini could upset Purdue today. The Boilermakers didn’t finish strong, and I’m not sure they are going to pull out of this late-season tailspin.

Minnesota is not playing for an at-large bid, but Tubby Smith is an outstanding conference tournament preparer. I think the Gophers have an outside shot at winning this thing and securing an automatic bid. Indiana is not the same club they were with Kelvin Sampson, and the Hoosiers are ripe for the upset today. The Gophers couldn’t have asked for a better draw (the same goes for Illinois).

Only Wisconsin appears safe today. The Badgers should methodically and slowly pull away from Michigan. I expect a final in the range of 65-50.

At-large Teams: 4 or 5 (Wisconsin–12, Purdue-35.8, Indiana-17.3, Michigan State-13.5)

Bubble: Ohio State-45 (still needs to prove their worth)

Big 12 @ Kansas City

Thursday, March 13

Opening Round

#9 Oklahoma State 76 #8 Texas Tech 72

#12 Colorado 91 #5 Baylor 84 2ot

#7 Nebraska 61 #10 Missouri 56

#6 Texas A&M 60 #11 Iowa State 47

Friday, March 14

Quarterfinals

#1 Texas 26-5 vs. Oklahoma State 17-14

#4 Oklahoma 21-10 vs. Colorado 12-19

#2 Kansas 28-3 vs. Nebraska 19-11

#3 Kansas State 20-10 vs. Texas A&M 23-9

Saturday, March 15

Semifinals

Texas-OK St vs. Okla-Color

Kans-Nebr vs. K-St-A&M

Sunday, March 16

Championship Game

We have a #12-seed still alive in the quarterfinals, and if Colorado upsets Oklahoma today, the fans in Boulder may have to light up a couch or two on Arapahoe and Broadway. The loss hurt, but didn’t kill Baylor’s chances of getting an at-large berth.

An Oklahoma State upset over Texas could bump the Cowboys up enough spots in the RPI to get them into the discussion should they then beat Oklahoma or Colorado tomorrow.

At first glance, you’d think Kansas has an easy game today and will beat Nebraska by as much as they did in the football season. However, this Cornhusker team is not that bad. Diminutive 5-7 guard Cookie Miller is worth the price of admission to watch, but big man Aleks Maric is the reason the ‘Huskers have an outside chance against Kansas today. Maric is probably the best player you have never heard of if you live outside the Big 12 region. The Aussie averages better than 16 points and 10 boards per game, and he has gotten better as the season has progressed, recording double-doubles in 12 of the last 13 games. In the last seven games, he has connected on better than 67% of his shots. The 6-11 and 270-pound bruiser makes Billy Paultz (for you old geezers like me) and Bill Laimbeer (for you younger old geezers) look like lambs.

The Kansas State and Texas A&M game could be one of the five best games of the entire day. State’s Michael Beasley wants to prove he is not only the best freshman in years, he wants to prove he’s the best power forward since Tim Duncan. Texas A&M has no Acie Law, and the Aggies are a step down from last year, but Coach Mark Turgeon has his squad probably one win away from wrapping up an at-large bid.

At-large Teams: 4 or 5 (Texas-5, Kansas-9, Oklahoma-24.8)

Bubble: Baylor-44.8, Kansas State-42.3, Texas A&M-47.3

Big West Tournament @ Anaheim, CA

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#5 UC-Irvine 77 #8 Long Beach State 63

#7 UC-Riverside 62 Cal Poly 54

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#3 Cal State Fullerton 81 UC-Riverside 69

UC-Irvine 57 #4 Pacific 56

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

#1 UC Santa Barbara 23-7 vs. UC-Irvine 17-15

#2 Cal State Northridge 21-8 vs. Cal State Fullerton 22-8

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

UC-Irvine, coming off two wins in two days, faces a rested top-seeded UCSB team that should pummel them if the Anteaters are fatigued. Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Northridge should hook up in a close game, and the winner of that game could be fatigued in the final. Things are looking good for UCSB, but the other semifinal should produce a talented winner.

At-large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Conference USA @ Memphis

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#5 Southern Miss. 59 #12 Rice 50

#9 Tulane 48 #8 Marshall 47

#7 Tulsa 66 #10 East Carolina 49

#6 UTEP 71 #11 SMU 49

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 Memphis 75 Tulane 56

Southern Mississippi 68 #4 Central Florida 62

Tulsa 78 #2 Ala.-Birmingham 68 ot

UTEP 80 #3 Houston 77

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

Memphis 31-1 vs. Southern Miss. 19-13

Tulsa 19-12 vs. UTEP 19-12

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

The two teams that could have earned at-large bids both lost, so the only way CUSA will get two teams into the Dance is if someone knocks off Memphis. I can’t see it happening.

At-large Teams: 0 or 1 (Memphis has 99.99% chance of winning automatic bid)

Bubble: None

Mid-American Conference @ Cleveland

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#8 Toledo 52 #9 Bowling Green 48

#5 Miami (O) 69 #12 Buffalo 68

#7 Eastern Michigan 59 #10 Ball State 55

#6 Central Michigan 83 #11 Northern Illinois 71

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 Kent State 77 Toledo 57

Miami (O) 74 #4 Ohio U 61

#2 Western Michigan 70 Eastern Michigan 61

#3 Akron 81 Central Michigan 60

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

Kent State 26-6 vs. Miami (O) 17-14

Western Michigan 20-11 vs. Akron 22-9

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

Can Miami upset Kent State and destroy another bubble team’s weekend? They might have the right emotional oomph to pull off the trick. The Golden Flashes are already in the tournament win or lose, while Miami must win the tournament.

Akron is technically the lower seed in the other semifinal, but the Zips are clearly the favorite in their match with WMU and the team with the best shot of beating Kent State.

At-large Teams: 1 (Kent State avg. RPI 28.5)

Bubble: None

MEAC @ Raleigh, NC

Tuesday, March 11

Opening Round

#7 Coppin State 55 #10 Howard 54

#8 South Carolina State 78 #9 Bethune Cookman 69

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#6 Florida A&M 70 Maryland Eastern Shore 61

Quarterfinal Round

Coppin State 75 Hampton 74 ot

Morgan State 77 South Carolina State 68

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinal Round

#3 Norfolk State 69 Florida A&M 61

#4 Delaware State 64 #5 North Carolina A&T 62

Friday, March 14

Semifinal Round

Morgan State 21-9 vs. Delaware State 14-15

Coppin State 14-20 vs. Norfolk State 16-14

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

Note: There will be a bonus game prior to the Championship Game to be played between North Carolina Central (3-26) and Winston-Salem State (12-17), two future MEAC teams.

Here is an example of how an abnormal seeding could hurt this conference. Coppin State is the surprise team in this tournament. They have made it to the semifinal round against Norfolk State. Because Hampton was expected to win this game as the #2-seed, their loss to CSU gives the Eagles an extra day to rest and prepare for this game.

Morgan State is still alive, and they represent the MEAC’s best chance of pulling off a first-round win.

At-large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

Mountain West @ Las Vegas

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#9 Colorado State 68 #8 Wyoming 63

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 BYU 89 Colorado State 62

#4 San Diego State 53 #5 Air Force 49

#2 UNLV 89 #7 TCU 88

#6 Utah 82 #3 New Mexico 80 ot

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

BYU 26-6 vs. San Diego State 20-11

UNLV 24-7 vs. Utah 17-13

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

UNLV barely survived at home in the first round, while New Mexico saw its NCAA at-large dreams quashed. Utah will catch a more focused Runnin’ Rebels squad today, and I expect Coach Lon Kruger to have his team ready against Utah. The Utes were overly extended yesterday just like UNLV. I expect the Rebs to win.

BYU will have a tougher time today against San Diego State than they did yesterday against Colorado State. The Aztecs had a close, but not exerted, game with Air Force.

At-large Teams: 2 (BYU [Avg. RPI 25.3], UNLV [Avg. RPI 25.5)

Bubble: New Mexico (Avg. RPI 58.5) [Almost assuredly out of contention]

Pac-10 @ The Staples Center in Los Angeles

Wednesday, March 12

Opening Round

#9 California 84 #8 Washington 81

#7 Arizona 87 #10 Oregon State 56

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 UCLA 88 California 66

#4 Southern Cal 59 #5 Arizona State 55

#2 Stanford 75 Arizona 64

#3 Washington State 75 Oregon 70

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

UCLA 29-3 vs. Southern Cal 21-10

Stanford 25-6 vs. Washington State 24-7

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

So much for the grudge match. I guess UCLA had an axe to grind, and they sharpened their blades on Cal. The sharp edges then did more damage, as two or three bubble teams heard the bursting sound. Oregon, Arizona State, and possibly Arizona are now in trouble.

Today’s UCLA-USC semifinal match marks the first time the two Los Angeles schools have faced off in the Pac-10 Tournament. Having the game at The Staples Center makes it all the more exciting. The two teams won on the other’s home court this year.

The Stanford-Washington State nightcap will not be as exciting. Washington State games generally are slow, passive games, and Stanford doesn’t have the type of talent to force the Cougars into a faster tempo. It should be close, but not one to remember.

At-large Teams: 4 or 5 (UCLA-6, Stanford-16, Washington State-21.3, Southern Cal-28.5)

Bubble: Arizona-39.8 , Oregon-55.8 (‘Zona is probably okay, but Ducks are in trouble)

Patriot League

Quarterfinals

#1 American 62 #8 Holy Cross 60

#5 Army 64 #4 Lehigh 61 ot

#7 Bucknell 87 #2 Navy 86 3ot

#3 Colgate 76 #6 Lafayette 74

Sunday, March 9

Semifinals

American 72 Army 60

Colgate 54 Bucknell 40

Friday, March 14

Championship

Colgate 18-13 at American 20-11

At-Large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

This should be a close game, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it went to overtime. American beat Colgate twice by eight points this year, and I expect the Red Raiders to be ready to exact some revenge.

American has won nine of its last 10 games, and the Eagles have the best backcourt in the Patriot League. In tournaments, guard play is very important, as the backcourt that makes more errors or forces the fewer errors usually comes from the losing team. I’ll go with American in this one, which will allow Coach Jeff Jones to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since he was at Virginia in the 1990’s.

Southeastern @ Atlanta

Thursday, March 13

Opening Round

#5E South Carolina 77 #4W LSU 73

#3E Vanderbilt 93 #6W Auburn 82

#5W Alabama 80 #4E Florida 69

#6E Georgia 97 #3W Ole Miss 95 ot

Friday, March 14

Quarterfinals

#1E Tennessee 28-3 vs. South Carolina 14-17

#2W Arkansas 20-10 vs. Vanderbilt 26-6

#1W Mississippi St. 21-9 vs. Alabama 17-15

#2E Kentucky 18-11 vs. Georgia 14-16

Saturday, March 15

UT-USC vs. Ark-Vand.

MSU-Ala vs. UK-UGa

Sunday, March 16

Championship Game

As Chester A. Riley (the 1940’s and 50’s radio character played by William Bendix) used to say, “What a revoltin’ development this is!” Ole Miss and Florida took quick exits, and the SEC is down to five teams going dancing unless a surprise team cuts down the nets Sunday.

As Secret Agent Maxwell Smart used to say, “Would you believe,” Would you believe Alabama and Georgia are still playing in Atlanta. This Tide team looked more like C.M. Newton’s Alabama squads of the mid-1970’s, while Georgia looked like a team trying to save a coach they love from having to file unemployment insurance.

Agent 86 also was famous for saying, “Missed it by that much,” and that’s what I think Vanderbilt, Alabama, and Georgia will be saying today. Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Kentucky should win close games that go down to the wire.

As the Lone Ranger used to say, “Hi-yo Silver, Away!” Today, we will be saying that to Dave Odom, as he coaches his last game at South Carolina and rides off into the sunset. Even though Tennessee has performed lousy in the SEC Tournament for more than a decade, I think the Vols will come out and put a whippin’ on the garnet and black today. Devan Downey would have to have a career day, and Evaldas Baniulis would have to hit about seven treys for the Gamecocks to have a chance.

And as Lieutenant Columbo used to say, “Just one more thing.” Kentucky may end up with an RPI in the 50’s if they lose today, but we all know they will receive a bid to the Dance. It’s just like selecting Willie Mays to the All-Star game in 1973 when he was barely hitting .200. You will be able to “say hey” to Billy Gillispie’s team at a regional somewhere next week (I am not implying UK’s play to date has been like Willie Mays in 1973. The Cats are good enough to make it to the Sweet 16).

At-large Teams: 5 (Tennessee-1, Miss. State-39.8, Kentucky-49.8, Arkansas-40.8, Vanderbilt-10)

Bubble: Florida-71, Ole Miss-53.5 (see ya in the NIT Gators and Rebels)

Southland @ Katy, TX (near Houston)

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#1 Stephen F. Austin 71 #8 Texas San Antonio 60

#5 Northwestern State 71 #4 Southeast Louisiana 51

#7 UT-Arlington 81 #2 Lamar 75

#3 Sam Houston State 64 McNeese State 62 ot

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

Stephen F. Austin 26-4 vs. Northwestern State 14-17

UT-Arlington 19-11 vs. Sam Houston 23-7

Sunday, March 16

Championship Game

A Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State final would be exactly what the doctor ordered for this conference tournament. With all the upsets, SFA is back in the conversation as a possible at-large team, but only if they were to lose to Sam Houston. If UT-Arlington beats the Bearkats, then all bets are off.

The Lumberjacks didn’t look like world beaters yesterday, but their defense gave them a comfortable 11-point win over UT-San Antonio. They meet a Northwestern State team that will try to get them out of their comfort zone and into a running game. SFA prevented this from happening in their regular season tilt, and I expect more of the same today. The Lumberjacks have an overwhelming advantage inside and should control the boards and win by double digits.

Sam Houston walloped UT-Arlington twice during the regular season, dominating inside both times. While it is hard to beat a conference rival thrice in one season, sometimes a team just doesn’t match up well with an opponent. UTA hasn’t found an answer to SHS’s star player Ryan Bright or backcourt leader Shamir McDaniel. In the game in Arlington, the Mavericks watched Bearkat backup DeLuis Ramirez come off the bench and score a double-double.

At-large Teams: 0 or 1

Bubble: Stephen F. Austin-57.5 (road wins against Oklahoma and San Diego)

S W A C @ Birmingham

Wednesday, March 12

Quarterfinals

#1 Alabama State 67 #8 Texas Southern 49

#2 Mississippi Valley 79 #7 Grambling 73

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinals

#6 Arkansas Pine Bluff 72 Alabama A&M 59

#4 Jackson State 56 #5 Southern 55

Friday, March 14

Semifinals

Alabama State 20-9 vs. Jackson St. 13-19

Mississippi Valley 15-15 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff 13-17

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

With the top two seeds enjoying a day off yesterday, they will be well-rested and prohibitive favorites today. If Alabama State loses today or tomorrow, you can already put the SWAC Tournament Champion on the Play-in Bracket and do it in pen. Even if Alabama State wins, you can pencil them in that slot.

At-large Teams: 0

Bubble: None

WAC @ Las Cruces, NM

Tuesday, March 11

Opening Round

#8 San Jose State 64 Louisiana Tech 62

Thursday, March 13

Quarterfinal Round

#1 Utah State 85 San Jose State 65

#4 Boise State 80 Hawaii 74

#2 Nevada 64 #7 Fresno State 57

#3 New Mexico State 73 #6 Idaho 53

Friday, March 14

Semifinal Round

Utah State 24-9 vs. Boise State 23-8

Nevada 21-10 vs. New Mexico St. 20-13

Saturday, March 15

Championship Game

The top four seeds have made it to the semifinals, and that always makes for a great finish to a tournament. New Mexico State dominated on their home floor, but the remaining teams have what it takes to win in Las Cruces. Utah State looked strong yesterday, and the Aggies’ starters got some rest. That just may be enough to get them by Boise State today.

At-large Teams: 0

Bubble: None (Utah State has an avg. RPI of 65, which is too low)

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The Pi-Rate Ratings

March 10, 2020

PiRate Ratings Bracketology For March 10, 2020

Tuesday’s Games

Home

Visitor

Spread

Delaware St.

Maryland Eastern Shore

0.4

Fairfield

Manhattan

-0.4

Gonzaga

Saint Mary’s

9.8

Hofstra

Northeastern

1.6

Ioina

Canisius

2.1

Jackson St.

Grambling

3.8

Niagara

Marist

1.2

North Dakota St.

North Dakota

6.0

Northern Kentucky

Illinois Chicago

4.3

Prairie View

Alabama A&M

13.9

Robert Morris

St. Francis (PA)

0.1

South Carolina St.

Howard

6.5

Southern

Alabama St.

9.3

Stony Brook

Hartford

8.2

Texas Southern

Alcorn St.

5.8

Vermont

UMBC

16.2

Virginia Tech

North Carolina

-3.1

Wake Forest

Pittsburgh

0.7

Tuesday’s TV Schedule

Time (EST)

Network

Team

Team

4:30 PM

ACCN

Wake Forest

Pittsburgh

5:00 PM

ESPN3

Fairfield

Manhattan

6:00 PM

Flohoops (pay)

Delaware St.

Maryland Eastern Shore

6:30 PM

ESPN3