Sunday, March 15, 2015

How the Bracket Was Built, Part Two

In Part One, we looked at how the top four seeds in each region were placed and discussed how the committee tries to balance the regions and assign the pods. Today, we'll go through the rest of the field, to give you an idea what the committee might have been thinking when placing the teams in once the pods have been set.

As a refresher, here is the seed list from the NCAA.



Now we're at the 5 seeds. It's not a written rule at this point, but the committee does seem to try to keep them top teams in each conference separated, so Utah was kept out of the West Region, where Arizona is. Plus with Houston fairly close and the pod being Portland, it makes sense to place the Utes in the South Region anyway, rather than send them out to Jacksonville if they were to be kept in the West. Next was Arkansas. Again, likely due to keeping them away from Kentucky, it was pretty much Seattle/Syracuse or Jacksonville/Los Angeles for the Razorbacks. Likely due to both cities being southern, the Jacksonville/LA track was chosen, hence Arkansas in the West.

Then with two pods remaining, the Columbus/Cleveland track is more sensible for West Virginia over Seattle/Syracuse. So the Mountaineers head to the Midwest, leaving the East Region and opening in Seattle for Northern Iowa.

On to the sixes. With the opening pod in Louisville, keeping SMU in the South became a no-brainer. They don't have to travel too far on the opening weekend and if they make it to the second weekend, they would play in their home state of Texas, going from Dallas to Houston. For Providence, the East is obviously the natural region and the pod starts in Columbus. Plus, there is no conflict with Villanova, so the spot is fair game for the Friars.

In fact, we have three Big East teams on line six, as Butler and Xavier round out the 6 seeds. Butler is next and obviously favor a Pittsburgh/Cleveland track over a Jacksonville/Los Angeles track, so it's the Midwest for the Bulldogs, leaving the West Region for the Musketeers.

As we move to the 7 seeds and start with Michigan State, you can argue Omaha/Cleveland is closer than Charlotte/Syracuse for the Spartans, but the committee placed them in the East, setting up a possible Sweet 16 rematch with Virginia in the Round of 32. It ends up being Wichita State getting the spot in the Midwest, allowing for Wichita State-Kansas to possibly happen over the weekend.

For Iowa, it pretty much came down to the fact that Houston is closer than LA, because the first-weekend pods available are Portland and Seattle. So it's the South for Iowa and the West for VCU.

Wrapping up the top half of the bracket with the 8 seeds, next on the list is Cincinnati and being a Midwestern school, the Bearcats geographically favor a Louisville/Cleveland track. It's just too bad that track feeds to a date with Kentucky on Saturday if Cincy wins. Same with the West for Oregon, as Omaha/Los Angeles is easily the closest as a group than either Pittsburgh/Syracuse or Charlotte/Houston.

The committee had no choice but to place NC State in the East. They could not be placed in the South because, due to having played them twice during the regular season and ACC Tournament, the Wolfpack could not meet Duke until the Sweet 16, so they cannot be the Blue Devils' 8 seed. Therefore, it's the East to possibly meet Villanova. That leaves the South for the last 8 seed, San Diego State.

Onto the 9s, where first up is St. John's. The East is out because they can't be bracketed with Villanova this early. Likely due to Charlotte being a bit closer than Louisville, plus the fact that the committee could matchup the teams ranked 32 and 33 on the seed list, the Johnnies were placed in the South and paired with San Diego State to start. Remember, there is no rule saying regular season rematches cannot happen in the Round of 32. Just the First Four and Round of 64. So Duke-St. John's in the third round is allowed. Then we look at Oklahoma State and see that Omaha/Los Angeles is pretty close in distance to Louisville/Cleveland. Since Omaha is closest, that's likely why the Cowboys were sent west to face Oregon on Friday.

More likely due to keeping them away from Kentucky, even though they had only met once this season, LSU was put in the East Region and matched with the Wolfpack, which left Purdue to meet Cincinnati with Kentucky lurking ahead. Have fun, Bearcats and Boilermakers.

Indiana led off the 10 seeds and two regions are already removed from consideration. They can't be paired with Michigan State or Iowa in the Round of 64, for obvious reasons. And of the two pod possibilities, Omaha/Cleveland is the easy choice over Portland/Los Angeles. So that gives us Wichita State-Indiana to start. Davidson could not head west (not that they wanted to, anyway), because VCU was sitting at that region's No. 7 seed. Interesting, though, that Davidson was sent to the Seattle/Houston track over Charlotte/Syracuse. They did play Virginia during the regular season, but that would be in the third round. Nonetheless, the Wildcats were put in the South to play Iowa with the winner likely meeting Gonzaga in a pseudo-road game.

No matchup with Michigan State to start, so Ohio State is sent out West where they'll see VCU, leaving Georgia to deal with Sparty in the East Region.

Texas is the first 11 seed to be placed and our decision is easy. We only have one. Texas cannot play any Big 12 team in the Round of 32, thanks to the double-round robin league play, so the East (Oklahoma), South (Iowa State) and West (Baylor) are all out because a Big 12 team sits as the 3 seed. So it's the Midwest and a date with Butler for the Longhorns. UCLA is pretty much splitting the difference getting the Louisville/Houston track over the Jacksonville/Los Angeles track. They get SMU to kick off their run.

Now we get to the last four at-large teams, Ole Miss, BYU, Boise State and Dayton. The pairings are usually Nos. 33 and 34 among the at-larges facing each other in one game, and 35 and 36 in the other. So that gives us Ole Miss vs. BYU and Boise State vs. Dayton. And just to clarify, the exception to the rule about a team not being allowed to play on their home floor during the tournament is if Dayton is among the last four in and sent to the First Four.

So we start with the Ole Miss/BYU game. We also have to keep in mind that BYU cannot play on a Sunday. Well, the committee caught a huge break here, as the Jacksonville/Los Angeles track means BYU avoids playing on a Sunday. In fact, I wouldn't doubt it if the committee were going to put UCLA in the West, then switched out to put Ole Miss/BYU in that slot. That leaves the East and Columbus for the Boise State/Dayton game, which means things work out because we have a game on Tuesday (Ole Miss/BYU) and a game on Wednesday (Boise State/Dayton), those feeding into one each of the Thursday/Saturday and Friday/Sunday regions in the first weekend.

Now we have the teams everyone will be looking at first for their big upsets, the 12 seeds. Since the first pod is in Seattle, despite being in the East, the committee sent Wyoming to that region, giving us Wyoming vs. Northern Iowa. Buffalo is next and they'll take the Columbus/Cleveland track, matching them up with West Virginia in Kentucky's region.

Going out to Portland but possibly playing in their home state likely took precedence as the committee bracketed Stephen F. Austin in the South Region, where they'll open against Utah, leaving the West No. 12 and a date with Arkansas to the Terriers of Wofford.

Valparaiso is a Midwest school and as the first of the 13s to be put into the field, Columbus/Cleveland is easily the choice, drawing Maryland to start. The committee then likely decided to give Harvard the Jacksonville/Los Angeles track instead of Seattle/Syracuse so that the Crimson wouldn't have to travel cross-country two years in a row to begin the tournament, as last year they opened their tournament run in Spokane. Harvard will take on UNC.

Now we're left with an Eastern Washington team to be paired with an eastern school at a western site. There was likely no way would the committee force Louisville to have to face the Eagles in Seattle, so EWU is sent to the Portland/Houston track, giving them a first game against Georgetown. That means Louisville gets the last remaining 13 seed, UC Irvine.

Starting with Georgia State for the 14 seeds, the South Region was out because Georgia State played Iowa State during the regular season, so the committee likely felt Jacksonville is pretty close to the school, even if it means playing in the West Region, therefore the Panthers go west and draw Baylor in the second round. And with Pittsburgh/Cleveland and Columbus/Syracuse fairly close in total distance, the Pittsburgh/Cleveland track wins out for Northeastern, as they are closest to Pittsburgh among the first-weekend sites. The Huskies will face Notre Dame.

The southern track of Louisville/Houston is preferred over Columbus/Syracuse for the Blazers of UAB, putting them up against Iowa State. That means Albany gets the last spot among the 14s, going to the East and facing Oklahoma.

The Aggies of New Mexico State ranked as the strongest 15 seed, and they were sent to the first-weekend pod closest to them, Omaha. So they're in the Midwest, facing Kansas in their opener. And it would have been a long opening ride for Belmont to go to either Portland or Seattle, so it's East Bound and down to Charlotte for the Bruins, pairing them with Virginia.

Texas Southern, who is giving the SWAC a rare 15 seed, had only one choice, because they had played Gonzaga in the regular season, so they're sent to the West Region against Arizona. That leaves North Dakota State to square off with Gonzaga out in Seattle in the South Region.

Finally, the 16 seeds, starting with two that go directly to the Round of 64, Lafayette and Coastal Carolina. The Leopards are easily sent to the Pittsburgh/Syracuse track, letting them stay in-state for the first weekend and face Villanova. For Coastal Carolina, we can't put them against Duke because we have to save that spot for a First Four game, because it's the only remaining Friday/Sunday pod of the three available. And the committee usually gives the No. 1 overall seed one of the First Four winners, and let's face it, Kentucky earned the right to get a First Four winner. So we land on the West Region for the Chanticleers and a Round of 64 game against Wisconsin.

Last, but not least, the last four automatic qualifiers heading to the First Four. Just like the at-larges, it's the bottom two against each other and then the next bottom two. Or if we're using the seed list rankings, 65 vs. 66 and 67 vs. 68. That means North Florida gets Robert Morris and Manhattan takes on Hampton. Neither matchup is a regular season rematch and none of these four faced Kentucky or Duke. So we can simply give Kentucky the bottom two and Duke the other matchup. So Duke gets the winner of North Florida/Robert Morris and Kentucky draws either Manhattan or Hampton.

And there you have it. There's your look, at least as best as I can put it, at how all 68 teams were placed into the field. I hope this at least helps you somewhat understand a little bit better how the bracket is put together. It really is like putting together a 68-piece jigsaw puzzle. Enjoy the tournament, everyone. And may your brackets at least survive the first weekend.

How the Bracket Was Built, Part One

Now that the Selection Show has come and gone and we've had a chance to dissect the selections, the pairings and the brackets (someone please explain how UCLA got in and Colorado State didn't), I thought it would be fun to go through the seed list and try to break down how the bracket was put together. Part one will take a look at the top four seeds in each region.

As we know, the process begins the Wednesday before Selection Sunday and the committee usually spends Wednesday through Saturday selecting the teams, getting their 68 teams set by Saturday night, save for any potential bid thieves on Sunday as we almost saw with Connecticut.

After all was said and done, this was how the committee ranked the 68 teams that made it to the big dance.

I also highlighted, as I usually do when building my seed list, the last four teams in and the last four byes. So you'll notice the four teams avoiding the First Four were Ohio State, Georgia, Texas and UCLA (seriously, someone tell me how the Bruins got in). And it shows that Ole Miss, BYU, Boise State and Dayton will play in the First Four on Tuesday and Wednesday. We'll get to those teams in part two. But first, let's start at the top and begin building the bracket.

One key piece of information some fans may not realize is that the bracket is completely blank until sometime Sunday afternoon, meaning the committee is just putting the field together literally hours before the Selection Show at 6:00, during these championship games. Sometimes, as they did this year, they build more than one bracket as contingency plans. For the purposes of this article, we'll use the final seed list.

The first thing the committee does is place the top four teams into the bracket and then assign the regions to set up the Final Four pairings. So starting in the top left and working clockwise, we place the teams in order, so we go Kentucky, Villanova, Duke and finally, Wisconsin. From there, we assign the regions based on geography.

So, as the closest site to Lexington, UK is sent to Cleveland for the regional, which means the top left bracket becomes the Midwest Region. Next is Villanova, and clearly, Syracuse is the closest of the three remaining sites, so the Big East champs are assigned to the East Region.

Duke is third, meaning they have one of two sites to be placed in and with Houston closer to Durham than Los Angeles, the Blue Devils headline the South Region. Finally, as the fourth No. 1 seed, Wisconsin gets what is left, which is the West Region. And thus, the region pairings are set. It'll be the Midwest champion vs. the West champion in one national semifinal, while the other matchup will be East vs. South.

So now we have the top seeds set. The next step is to place the rest of the top 16 teams into the bracket in seed list order, taking into account geography, separating same-conference teams and keeping the regions as balanced as possible.

Let's now take the teams that are the No. 2 seeds in each region, Virginia, Arizona, Gonzaga and Kansas and place them into the field. The East is the closest site for Virginia, plus they cannot be placed in the South with Duke, so the Cavaliers join Villanova in the East. Naturally, Arizona would head west and since they are next on the list, that's where they are placed, setting up a potential Elite 8 rematch with Wisconsin. This obviously means Gonzaga cannot be in the West region as Arizona has already taken that spot. So between Houston and Cleveland, the choice is Houston for the Zags, pairing them with Duke. That leaves the Midwest for Kansas and the honor of being the No. 2 seed in Kentucky's region, setting up a possible 2013 championship rematch in the regional final.

Then we go to the three seeds, Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma and Notre Dame. This is where things get interesting because conference opponents on the top four lines have to be separated, meaning we can pretty much assume at this point that Notre Dame will be placed in the Midwest (which they were). So with the Midwest out for the Big 12 teams, we start with the Cyclones and they can easily fit into the South Region. Next is Baylor and it's between the West and the East. LA is a bit closer to Waco than Syracuse is, so the Bears get sent to the West Region. That leaves the East for Oklahoma, because, again, the top four teams in each conference, if they're all on the top four lines, cannot be in the same region. So it's Syracuse for the Sooners, leaving Cleveland for the Irish.

Finally we get to the 4 seeds, North Carolina, Maryland, Louisville and Georgetown. Starting with the Tar Heels, we only have one choice because of the conference rule. With Duke in the South, Virginia in the East and Notre Dame in the Midwest, we have no choice but to put UNC in the West Region. Likely in an effort to balance out the regions, since we have the weakest No. 2 and weakest No. 3 there, Maryland was placed in the Midwest Region, meaning they would run into Kentucky in the Sweet 16, should both teams get there. Louisville was sent to the East, possibly to separate them from Duke (the conference rule is no longer in effect for the ACC because the top four teams have already been bracketed) and possibly for balance. That left the South Region for Georgetown.

After all those teams are placed in the bracket, the committee then adds up the true seed numbers of each team to get a sum for each region. The regions are then compared to each other to see how balanced the regions are. Typically, the committee doesn't like having a gap of more than five points between the strongest and weakest regions. Luckily for the committee here, the region sums were, starting from the Midwest and going clockwise, 35, 33, 35, and 34. That's pretty well-balanced. Once we check the balance and make any necessary changes, the committee then goes ahead and assigns the first-weekend pods to each team, in true seed list order.

Here's where each team was assigned, in seed list order:

Kentucky - Louisville
Villanova - Pittsburgh
Duke - Charlotte
Wisconsin - Omaha

As the No. 1 seeds, these teams have first shot and are almost guaranteed their closest spots. I thought the Badgers would be sent to Columbus, but likely the Midwest factor for Wisconsin helped the committee decide on Omaha.

Virginia - Charlotte
Arizona - Portland
Gonzaga - Seattle
Kansas - Omaha

Again, no surprises here. Charlotte is pretty close and in ACC territory for the Cavs, Portland keeps Arizona on the west coast, Gonzaga doesn't even have to leave their home city and Omaha is the closest for the Jayhawks.

Iowa State - Louisville
Baylor - Jacksonville
Oklahoma - Columbus
Notre Dame - Pittsburgh

With Omaha filled, the Cyclones get their next-best spot in Louisville. Jacksonville looks to be the closest of the remaining pods for Baylor, same for Oklahoma with Columbus. A bit surprising the Irish were sent to Pittsburgh with Columbus still available, but still a close ride for them

North Carolina - Jacksonville
Maryland - Columbus
Louisville - Seattle
Georgetown - Portland

North Carolina stays in the south heading to Jacksonville, while Maryland gets to play in Big Ten territory on the campus of Ohio State. And as it seems to always be the case every year, the last two teams on the top 16 get shipped out west because there aren't enough west coast teams atop the list to fill those pods, so the Cardinals head to Seattle and the Hoyas will open in Portland.

And that's a look at how the top 16 were placed into the field. In part two, we'll dive into the remaining 52 teams, including how the committee likely handled BYU in the First Four once again.

First and Second Round TV Schedule

Tip-off times have been announced for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Here is your schedule of times and channels for each game.

1st and 2nd round schedule

Tuesday:

No. 16 Hampton vs. No. 16 Manhattan, 6:40, truTV
No. 11 BYU vs. No. 11 Ole Miss, 9:10, truTV

Wednesday:

No. 16 Robert Morris vs. No. 16 North Florida, 6:40, truTV
No. 11 Dayton vs. No. 11 Boise State, 9:10, truTV

Thursday:

No. 14 Northeastern vs. No. 3 Notre Dame, 12:15, CBS
No. 14 UAB vs. No. 3 Iowa State, 12:40, truTV
No. 14 Georgia State vs. No. 3 Baylor, 1:40, TBS
No. 15 Texas Southern vs. No. 2 Arizona, 2:10, TNT
No. 11 Texas vs. No. 6 Butler, 2:45, CBS
No. 11 UCLA vs. No. 6 SMU, 3:10, truTV
No. 11 BYU/No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 6 Xavier, 4:10, TBS
No. 10 Ohio State vs. No. 7 VCU, 4:40, TNT
No. 16 Lafayette vs. No. 1 Villanova, 6:50, TBS
No. 9 Purdue vs. No. 8 Cincinnati, 7:10, CBS
No. 13 Harvard vs. No. 4 North Carolina, 7:20, TNT
No. 12 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 5 Utah, 7:27, truTV
No. 9 LSU vs. No. 8 North Carolina State, 9:20, TBS
No. 16 Hampton/No. 16 Manhattan vs. No. 1 Kentucky, 9:40, CBS
No. 12 Wofford vs. No. 5 Arkansas, 9:50, TNT
No. 13 Eastern Washington vs. No. 4 Georgetown, 9:57, truTV

Friday:

No. 15 New Mexico State vs. No. 2 Kansas, 12:15, CBS
No. 10 Georgia vs. No. 7 Michigan State, 12:40. truTV
No. 12 Wyoming vs. No. 5 Northern Iowa, 1:40, TBS
No. 12 Buffalo vs. No. 5 West Virginia, 2:10, TNT
No. 10 Indiana vs. No. 7 Wichita State, 2:45, CBS
No. 15 Belmont vs. No. 2 Virginia, 3:10, truTV
No. 13 UC Irvine vs. No. 4 Louisville, 4:10, TBS
No. 13 Valparaiso vs. No. 4 Maryland, 4:40, TNT
No. 9 Oklahoma State vs. No. 8 Oregon, 6:50, TBS
No. 16 Robert Morris/No. 16 North Florida vs. No. 1 Duke, 7:10, CBS
No. 10 Davidson vs. No. 7 Iowa, 7:20, TNT
No. 14 Albany vs. No. 3 Oklahoma, 7:27, truTV
No. 16 Coastal Carolina vs. No. 1 Wisconsin, 9:20, TBS
No. 9 St. John's vs. No. 8 San Diego State, 9:40, CBS
No. 15 North Dakota State vs. No. 2 Gonzaga, 9:50, TNT
No. 11 Dayton/No. 11 Boise State vs. No. 6 Providence, 9:57, truTV

Final Bracket

With SMU winning, a bubble team is saved from being relegated to the NIT. This means LSU, Boise State, Ole Miss and Texas are the last four in. Thanks everyone for another amazing year. Enjoy the Selection Show and the Tournament. With that, here is my final bracket.





Saturday, March 14, 2015

Championship Week: Saturday

This is why we love March. What a wild day Friday was that saw shuffling in the bracket literally from top to bottom. Both top-seed contenders in the ACC lost yesterday, opening the door for Wisconsin to move up to the top line. In fact, I have moved the Badgers to the top line for now and they will stay on the top line if they win the Big Ten.

Of the two ACC teams, Duke actually stays on the top line with the better resume. Better RPI, better road wins and a head-to-head win over Virginia. While the ACC title does look nice for Virginia, i'm sure the Committee will take a look at the fact that the ACC uses unbalanced scheduling, so some teams may play some teams twice that others see once or one gets to play at home and other has to go on the road against a certain team. Nonetheless, at this point I think Duke still has a chance for a No. 1 seed while Virginia may need Wisconsin to lose either today or tomorrow.

And as for Arizona? The wins are obviously nice, but it's hard to put a team that lost to Arizona State, UNLV and Oregon State on the top line, even if the Wildcats win the Pac-12 Tournament. The other five teams all have one loss combined against a team outside the top 100 and that's Wisconsin against Rutgers.

Down in bubble land, we had yet another team fail to improve their stock much as UCLA could not hold off Arizona. Now, while the Bruins do have a top-50 RPI and a non-conference schedule that ranks near the top 50, their record away from home looks really bad, at just 4-11 and two of those wins came against the Pac-12's bottom team, USC, while a third was against UAB, though to UCLA's credit, the Blazers did just knock out the top seed in Conference USA. But with a road record that bad and their best non-conference wins being against Long Beach State, it's hard at this point to see the Bruins getting in.

A bubble team that is still hanging around, however, is Tulsa. Now, while they are playing in the AAC semis today, it would've been of more value to them to beat Cincinnati rather than Connecticut. Nonetheless, this is still a game Tulsa needs to win to stay alive, but at this point, they may just have to win the AQ.

Other potential bid thieves also lurk in the Atlantic 10 and Mountain West and we'll get to those as we look at the games today.

Speaking of today, this is the day 14 automatic bids are handed out. Remember, the SWAC's AQ was already handed out as Southern is ineligible, but the Ivy has their one-game playoff today, so it makes up the difference.

Let's take a look at the bracket and then a look at the busiest day of Championship Week.

Last Four Byes: Boise State, Temple, BYU, Purdue
Last Four In: LSU, Indiana, Ole Miss, Texas
First Four Out: Tulsa, UCLA, Miami (FL), Murray State
Next Four Out: Iona, Richmond, Old Dominion, Stanford

Note: Ole Miss / Texas moved from 12 to 11, Temple moved from 11 to 12

Conference Rundown

Big 12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
ACC - 6
Big East - 6
SEC - 5
American Athletic - 3
Atlantic 10 - 3
Mountain West - 3
Pac-12 - 3
Missouri Valley - 2
West Coast - 2
One-bid leagues - 21


America East Championship

No. 3 Stony Brook at No. 1 Albany, 11:00, ESPN2

Is this finally the year Stony Brook breaks through and plays in the NCAA Tournament? This is the fourth finals appearance for the Seawolves in five years. Of course, Albany is no pushover, having won the America East each of the last two seasons, including winning at Stony Brook last season.

American Semifinals (in Hartford, CT)

No. 4 Temple vs. No. 1 SMU, 3:00, ESPN2
No. 6 Connecticut vs. No. 2 Tulsa, 5:00, ESPN2

The most-likely bid thief is still lurking as Ryan Boatright did his best Kemba Walker/Shabazz Napier impression, hitting a buzzer-beating three to sink Cincinnati. This guarantees bubble teams will be sweating on Sunday, with either the Huskies or Hurricane playing for the auto bid. On the other side, I think Temple is probably in at this point and would become a lock if they beat the Mustangs.

ACC Championship (in Greensboro, NC)

No. 5 North Carolina vs. No. 3 Notre Dame, 8:30, ESPN

In a wild night of ACC semifinal action, we get the Heels and Irish, who took out the top two seeds Virginia and Duke. Both teams in good position to get a No. 3 seed now in the big dance.

Atlantic 10 Semifinals (in Brooklyn, NY)

No. 5 VCU vs. No. 1 Davidson, 1:30, CBS Sports Network
No. 3 Rhode Island vs. No. 2 Dayton, 4:00. CBS Sports Network

Davidson had an epic last-season victory over La Salle while VCU finally rid themselves of the Spiders. Rhode Island is hoping to make the A10 a four-bid league, and it'll likely take the AQ to do so.

Big East Championship (in New York, NY)

No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 1 Villanova, 8:00, FOX Sports 1

It's been quite a run for Xavier in this Big East tournament. But now they face a Villanova team that can possibly lock up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a win.

Big Sky Championship (in Missoula, MT)

No. 2 Eastern Washington vs. No. 1 Montana, 9:00, ESPNU

The Grizzlies get to play for a conference championship in front of their home crowd and would likely head to Dayton if they win. Eastern Washington, however, could end up as a 14 seed if they win.


Big Ten Semifinals (in Chicago, IL)

No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 1 Wisconsin, 1:00, CBS
No. 3 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Maryland, 3:25, CBS

Purdue looks to be in at this point, as a loss to Wisconsin, based on the Boilermakers' position, wouldn't tumble them completely out. On the other side, Maryland looks to go 3-0 against Sparty this season in hopes of reaching the Big Ten championship in their first year as a member of the conference.

Big 12 Championship (in Kansas City, MO)

No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 1 Kansas, 6:00, ESPN

That was quite a way for Iowa State to win last night after Oklahoma missed a wide-open layup at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime. Nonetheless, we get the rubber match between the Cyclones and the Jayhawks.

Big West Championship (in Anaheim, CA)

No. 5 Hawaii vs. No. 3 UC Irvine, 11:30, ESPN2

Another conference where the top two seeds fell in the semifinals. After missing out on the NCAA Tournament last season as the Big West's top seed, UC Irvine gets a reprieve and has a chance to play in their first NCAA Tournament. The Rainbow Warriors have not danced since 2002.

Conference USA Championship (in Birmingham, AL)

No. 6 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 4 UAB, 3:30, FOX Sports 1

After both teams won as the lower seed yesterday, including UAB's overtime win over No. 1 Louisiana Tech, the Blue Raiders and Blazers meet on UAB's floor to decide the C-USA champion. Winner likely receives a 15 seed to the dance.

Ivy League Championship (in Philadelphia)

Harvard vs. Yale, 4:00, ESPN3

After a heartbreaking loss last Saturday at Dartmouth that would have won the Ivy League, Yale now has to face Harvard a third time in a one-game playoff to decide which team gets the automatic bid. This is the first one-game playoff for the Ivy since Princeton beat Harvard at Yale in 2011.

MAC Championship (in Cleveland, OH)

No. 2 Buffalo vs. No. 1 Central Michigan, 7:30, ESPN2

The rest seemed to help the Bulls and Chippewas, as they both won their MAC opener and now meet to decide the MAC auto-bid.

MEAC Championship (in Norfolk, VA)

No. 6 Hampton vs. No. 5 Delaware State, 1:00, ESPN2

Delaware State pulled the big upset, knocking off North Carolina Central and sending them to the NIT. And with Hampton defeating No. 2 Norfolk State, the winner here will have a direct flight to Dayton for the First Four.


Mountain West Championship (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 4 Wyoming vs. No. 2 San Diego State, 6:00, CBS

Bubble teams have yet another reason to worry as Vegas also provides a bid thief in their championship after the Cowboys needed overtime to gallop past the top-seeded Broncos of Boise State. But do they have enough in the tank to take down Steve Fisher and the Aztecs and actually claim the MW AQ?

Pac-12 Championship (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 2 Oregon vs. No. 1 Arizona , 11:00, ESPN

How about those Ducks? A few months ago, they weren't in the picture all that much. Now here they are in the Pac-12 final and will absolutely be dancing. I'm sure they'd love to end Arizona's hopes of a No. 1 seed and take the Pac-12 crown.

SEC Semifinals (in Nashville, TN)

No. 13 Auburn vs. No. 1 Kentucky, 1:00, ESPN
No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 2 Arkansas, 3:25, ESPN

Talk about a Cinderella run before the big dance. Auburn has won three games in three days as the second-lowest seed in the SEC to get to this point. What a run by Bruce Pearl in his first year with the Tigers. Auburn's reward for such a feat? Just a date with 32-0 Kentucky. Georgia, meanwhile, avoided the bad loss to South Carolina and should hear their name called on Selection Sunday, though with no top-50 wins, will likely end up as a double-digit seed. Arkansas looks to secure a spot among the top 16 and a protected seed.

Southland Championship (in Katy, TX)

No. 2 Sam Houston State vs. No. 1 Stephen F. Austin, 9:30, ESPN2

The top two teams, seemingly all season long, meet for the Southland championship. Will the Lumberjacks get back to the dance after upsetting VCU last season? Or can the Bearkats find the perfect time to get their first win of the season against SFA?

SWAC Championship (in Houston, TX)

No. 3 Southern vs. No. 1 Texas Southern, 6:30, ESPNU

The winner of this game will get to claim the SWAC championship, but because Southern is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament, Texas Southern gets the automatic bid.

Sun Belt Semifinals (in New Orleans, LA)

No. 4 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. No. 1 Georgia State, 2:00, ESPN3
No. 3 Louisiana-Monroe vs. No. 2 Georgia Southern, 4:30, ESPN3

The Sun Belt's first semifinal is a rematch of last season's final, won by UL Monroe. Can the Cajuns do it again? Could be a close set of semifinals, as this league came down to the final day.

WAC Championship (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 3 Seattle vs. No. 1 New Mexico State, 11:00, ESPNU

The Aggies lost just one time during all of conference play in the WAC. That's the good news. The bad news is that one team happens to be the team that stands in State's way of winning their fourth straight WAC title and fifth in six years.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Championship Week: Friday

Now we're finally seeing some movement in the bracket and we're also popping some bubbles. Illinois, Texas A&M and Old Dominion all lost yesterday and have pretty much taken themselves out of consideration for an at-large. Texas lost a heartbreaker to Iowa State after leading by as many as 16 in the first half, losing on a buzzer-beater by the Cyclones. However, the Longhorns remain in the field as the last team in. Miami missed an opportunity against Notre Dame and now with the RPI under 60, hard to think the Hurricanes get in. And Ole Miss lost a wild one against South Carolina, a loss that drops the Rebels into the Last Four In group.

With the dust settling, for now, let's see how the bracket shapes up heading into Selection Weekend.

Last Four Byes: Georgia, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Indiana
Last Four In: Ole Miss, BYU, Temple, Texas
First Four Out: UCLA, Tulsa, Miami (FL), Murray State
Next Four Out: Iona, Richmond, Old Dominion, Texas A&M

Bracket Note: Ole Miss / Temple moved up from 12 to 11, Indiana moved down from 11 to 12.

Conference Rundown

Big 12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
ACC - 6
Big East - 6
SEC - 5
American Athletic - 3
Atlantic 10 - 3
Mountain West - 3
Pac-12 - 3
Missouri Valley - 2
West Coast - 2

Let's take a look at what is on tap on this Friday the 13th. Will some teams get lucky?


American Quarterfinals (in Hartford, CT)

No. 8 East Carolina vs. No. 1 SMU, 12:00, ESPN2
No. 5 Memphis vs. No. 4 Temple, 2:00, ESPN2
No. 10 Houston vs. No. 2 Tulsa, 7:00, ESPNU
No. 6 Connecticut vs. No. 3 Cincinnati, 9:00, ESPNU

More bubble action as Temple and Tulsa take the court hoping to do what Texas A&M couldn't, and that's avoid a bad loss in the conference tournament this close to Selection Sunday. Being among the First Four Out, Tulsa needs a win more than Temple, though the Owls certainly wouldn't hurt themselves by beating the Tigers.

ACC Semifinals (in Greensboro, NC)

No. 5 North Carolina vs. No. 1 Virginia, 7:00, ESPN
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Duke, 9:00, ESPN

If they both win today, the Cavaliers and Blue Devils should lock up No. 1 seeds, regardless of what happens elsewhere. Notre Dame hopes to stay on the 3-line while North Carolina has a chance to move up to the 3-line after their win over Louisville yesterday.

Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals (in Brooklyn, NY)

No. 9 La Salle vs. No. 1 Davidson, 12:00, NBC Sports Network
No. 5 VCU vs. No. 4 Richmond, 2:30, NBC Sports Network
No. 7 St. Bonaventure vs. No. 2 Dayton, 6:30, NBC Sports Network
No. 6 George Washington vs. No. 3 Rhode Island, 9:00, NBC Sports Network

VCU escaped with a victory over Fordham yesterday and now gets a third crack at Richmond, as the Rams try to avoid the always-tricky 8/9 game in the NCAA Tournament. Davidson can pretty much secure their spot if they get past the Explorers. Rhode Island is quietly still on the bubble but likely needs to win the AQ to get in.

Big East Semifinals (in New York, NY)

No. 4 Providence vs. No. 1 Villanova, 7:00, FOX Sports 1
No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 2 Georgetown, 9:30, FOX Sports 1

Last year's Big East tournament champs are back in the semifinals, only this time, they draw top seed Villanova. Last year, Seton Hall upset the top-seeded Wildcats. Marquette could not pull the same feat this year. I'm sure the Friars don't mind facing Villanova to get ready for the NCAAs. The other semifinal should be a good one also. Both teams won close games yesterday, including Xavier winning in overtime against Butler.

Big Sky Semifinals (in Missoula, MT)

No. 3 Sacramento State vs. No. 2 Eastern Washington, 7:30
No. 4 Northern Arizona vs. No. 1 Montana, 10:00

These four teams all finished within one game of each other in the final regular season standings. Now they make up the Big Sky's final four. Unless Eastern Washington wins the AQ, the champion will likely be headed to Dayton on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Big Ten Quarterfinals (in Chicago, IL)

No. 9 Michigan vs. No. 1 Wisconsin, 12:00, ESPN
No. 13 Penn State vs. No. 4 Purdue, 2:25, ESPN
No. 7 Indiana vs. No. 2 Maryland, 6:30, Big Ten Network
No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Michigan State, 8:55, Big Ten Network

With all the bubble action yesterday and a host of teams losing, Indiana did themselves a major favor by beating Northwestern. They're not quite safe yet, but they're in better shape than they were 24 hours ago. A win over the Terps would make the Hoosiers safe.

Big 12 Semifinals (in Kansas City, MO)

No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 1 Kansas, 7:00, ESPN2
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 2 Iowa State, 9:30, ESPN2

We're looking at four of the top 16 teams entering the NCAA Tournament, so seeding is on the line is these games. If Kansas wins this one, that should lock up a No. 2 seed. A loss and a Maryland Big Ten title, and we may see the Terps on the 2-line come Sunday. The other three teams jockeying for position along lines three and four.

Big West Semifinals (in Anaheim, CA)

No. 5 Hawaii vs. No. 1 UC Davis, 9:30, ESPN3
No. 3 UC Irvine vs. No. 2 UC Santa Barbara, 12:00, ESPNU

Conference USA Semifinals (in Birmingham, AL)

No. 6 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 2 UTEP, 4:00, CBS Sports Network
No. 4 UAB vs. No. 1 Louisiana Tech, 6:30, CBS Sports Network

Potential trap game for Louisiana Tech, as they basically play a road game against UAB, despite being the higher seed. With Old Dominion's loss, C-USA will once again be a one-bid league.

MAC Semifinals (in Cleveland, OH)

No. 4 Toledo vs. No. 1 Central Michigan, 6:30, ESPN Full Court
No. 7 Akron vs. No. 2 Buffalo, 9:00, ESPN Full Court

Central Michigan and Buffalo finally get to make their MAC Tournament debuts. Akron, however, is playing their fourth game in five days, in what has been a nice run for the Zips.

MEAC Semifinals (in Norfolk, VA)

No. 5 Delaware State vs. No. 1 North Carolina Central, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 6 Hampton vs. No. 2 Norfolk State, 8:00, ESPN3

After their spicy-hot post-game press release, the Eagles hope to continue their hot streak against Delaware State.

Mountain West Semifinals (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 4 Wyoming vs. No. 1 Boise State, 9:00, CBS Sports Network
No. 3 Colorado State vs. No. 2 San Diego State, 11:30, CBS Sports Network

Pac-12 Semifinals (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 1 Arizona, 9:00, Pac-12 Network
No. 3 Utah vs. No. 2 Oregon, 11:30, ESPN

More chalk here in the Pac-12 with a semi-bid thief lurking in UCLA. A win by the Bruins would move them ahead of Texas and into the tournament. A loss, and the Longhorns would stick around. Utah bounced back with their win over Stanford and Oregon solidified their tournament spot with the win over Colorado.

SEC Quarterfinals (in Nashville, TN)

No. 8 Florida vs. No. 1 Kentucky, 1:00, SEC Network
No. 13 Auburn vs. No. 4 LSU, 3:25, SEC Network
No. 10 Tennessee vs. No. 2 Arkansas, 7:00, SEC Network
No. 11 South Carolina vs. No. 3 Georgia, 9:25, SEC Network

So we do end up getting Kentucky-Florida III here in the quarterfinals, in what has been a wild tournament so far. Auburn popped Texas A&M's bubble and South Carolina likely sent Ole Miss to the First Four, setting up a couple unlikely quarterfinal matchups. But it is good to see both Bruce Pearl and Frank Martin having some success again. Arkansas still has a chance at a protected seed. A loss to the Vols would put an end to those hopes.

Southland Semifinals (in Katy, TX)

No. 4 Northwestern State vs. No. 1 Stephen F. Austin, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 3 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi vs. No. 2 Sam Houston State, 8:30, ESPN3

All chalk in the Southland semis, which should make for a fun pair of games.

SWAC Semifinals (in Houston, TX)

No. 3 Southern vs. No. 2 Alabama State, 3:30
No. 4 Prairie View vs. No. 1 Texas Southern, 9:30

Interesting development here. Since Alabama State and Southern are both ineligible for the NCAA Tournament, so Prairie View vs. Texas Southern will actually decide which team wins the automatic bid from the SWAC.

Sun Belt Quarterfinals (in New Orleans, LA)

No. 8 Texas State vs. No. 4 Louisiana-Lafayette, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 6 South Alabama vs. No. 3 Louisiana-Monroe, 8:30, ESPN3

The winners today advance to tomorrow's semifinals where top seeds Georgia State and Georgia Southern await.

WAC Semifinals (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 4 Cal State Bakersfield vs. No. 1 New Mexico State, 9:00
No. 3 Seattle vs. No. 2 UMKC, 11:30

After getting a bye in the quarters, the Aggies are back in action today as they enter play today the heavy favorites.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Championship Week: Thursday

Congratulations to the Lafayette Leopards for winning the Patriot League and securing their first Tournament berth since 2000. That gives us a dozen teams now officially in the field. The remaining 20 bids will be handed out over the weekend. But that doesn't mean the next two days won't be exciting. Bubble games galore will shape the bracket, with Selection Sunday just three days away. Let's take a look at bracket, though there was really no change other than giving Lafayette the bold letters as the Patriot's AQ, which means yesterday wasn't the last time with minor changes. Oops. And while you're at it, check out the Bracket Matrix as everyone is setting up for their final brackets.

Last Four Byes: Georgia, Ole Miss, Colorado State, Purdue
Last Four In: Indiana, Texas, BYU, Temple
First Four Out: Texas A&M, UCLA, Miami (FL), Tulsa
Next Four Out: Illinois, Old Dominion, Stanford, Murray State

Conference Rundown

Big 12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
ACC - 6
Big East - 6
SEC - 5
American Athletic - 3
Atlantic 10 - 3
Mountain West - 3
Pac-12 - 3
Missouri Valley - 2
West Coast - 2

Let's now take a look at today's busy schedule.

American First Round (in Hartford, CT)

No. 9 Central Florida vs. No. 8 East Carolina, 3:30, ESPNU
No. 10 Houston vs. No. 7 Tulane, 6:00, ESPNEWS
No. 11 South Florida vs. No. 6 Connecticut, 8:00, ESPNEWS

After a disappointing regular season, the defending national champions find themselves playing in the opening round in Hartford. But these are essentially home games for UConn and if they can click this weekend, they can make a run to the AAC's auto-bid. If they get past USF, Cincinnati awaits in the quarters.

ACC Quarterfinals (in Greensboro, NC)

No. 9 Florida State vs. No. 1 Virginia, 12:00, ESPN
No. 5 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Louisville, 2:00, ESPN
No. 7 North Carolina State vs. No. 2 Duke, 7:00, ESPN
No. 6 Miami (FL) vs. No. 3 Notre Dame, 9:00, ESPN

Miami has a big opportunity against Notre Dame. A win over the Irish would put the Hurricanes in the field. Everyone else playing today, with the exception of Florida State, are locks at this point.

Atlantic 10 Second Round (in Brooklyn, NY)

No. 9 La Salle vs. No. 8 Massachusetts, 12:00, NBC Sports Network
No. 12 Fordham vs. No. 5 VCU, 2:30, NBC Sports Network
No. 10 St. Joseph's vs. No. 7 St. Bonaventure, 6:30, NBC Sports Network
No. 11 Duquesne vs. No. 6 George Washington, 9:00, NBC Sports Network

VCU tied with Richmond in the standings and was swept by the Spiders, which is why the Rams are playing today and the Spiders are off until tomorrow. The Rams are safely in the field, but have spiraled toward the middle of the bracket without Briante Weber. A run in Brooklyn should right the ship and help Shaka Smart get a better seed come Sunday.

Big East Quarterfinals (in New York, NY)

No. 9 Marquette vs. No. 1 Villanova, 12:00, FOX Sports 1
No. 5 St. John's vs. No. 4 Providence, 2:30, FOX Sports 1
No. 10 Creighton vs. No. 2 Georgetown, 7:00, FOX Sports 1
No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 3 Butler, 9:30, FOX Sports 1

The reigning Big East tournament champs begin their run against the same team they began last year's run with, the Red Storm. This time around, the Friars do not need the auto-bid to get and neither do the Johnnies, but the winner of this game could end up as a higher seed in the NCAA Tournament, especially if St. John's wins, as that would make them 3-0 against Providence this season.

If they both win today, Georgetown and Butler would meet for a fourth time in the semifinals. How is that possible, you ask? Well, these teams met in the Bahamas early in the season, plus the two conference meetings. How could two conference teams meet in an early-season tournament, you ask? Because Butler committed to this tournament before they committed to joining the Big East. By the way, the Bulldogs won in Bahamas, but the Hoyas took both conference games.

Big Sky Quarterfinals (in Missoula, MT)

No. 7 Idaho vs. No. 2 Eastern Washington, 1:00
No. 6 Portland State vs. No. 3 Sacramento State, 3:30
No. 5 Northern Colorado vs. No. 4 Northern Arizona, 7:30
No. 8 Weber State vs. No. 1 Montana, 10:00

As the top seed in the Big Sky, the Grizzlies won the right to host the entire tournament, so they basically have to win three home games to win the AQ. On the other side of the bracket, Eastern Washington and Sacramento State could be set for a rubber match in the semifinals if they get past their quarterfinal opponents.

Big Ten Second Round (in Chicago, IL)

No. 9 Michigan vs. No. 8 Illinois, 12:00, Big Ten Network
No. 13 Penn State vs. No. 5 Iowa, 2:25, Big Ten Network
No. 10 Northwestern vs. No. 7 Indiana, 6:30, ESPN2
No. 11 Minnesota vs. No. 6 Ohio State, 8:55, ESPN2

Two Big Ten bubble teams in action as Illinois and Indiana have to win to keep their tourney hopes alive, particularly the Illini, as a loss likely ends their hopes, while the Hoosiers have a tad more margin of error. That said, it would be wise of them not to lose to the Wildcats.

Big 12 Quarterfinals (in Kansas City, MO)

No. 5 West Virginia vs. No. 4 Baylor, 12:30, ESPN2
No. 9 TCU vs. No. 1 Kansas, 2:30, ESPN2
No. 7 Texas vs. No. 2 Iowa State, 7:00, ESPNU
No. 6 Oklahoma State vs. No. 3 Oklahoma, 9:00, ESPNU

Texas, like Miami, avoided the bad loss yesterday and can also help their position with a win over Iowa State. A loss wouldn't immediately take the Longhorns out, but it would give other bubble teams plenty of time to overtake them.

Big West Quarterfinals (in Anaheim, CA)

No. 8 Cal State Northridge vs. No. 1 UC Davis, 3:00
No. 5 Hawaii vs. No. 4 Long Beach State, 5:30
No. 6 UC Riverside vs. No. 3 UC Irvine, 9:00
No. 7 Cal Poly vs. No. 2 UC Santa Barbara, 11:30

What's interesting to me in this bracket is that Cal Poly is in the same seed as last year, when they made their Cinderella run to the Big West title with 19 losses. This year, they only have 15. Nonetheless, UC Davis has looked like the class of the conference this season, leading the league seemingly the entire season.

Conference USA Quarterfinals (in Birmingham, AL)

No. 10 Florida International vs. No. 2 UTEP, 1:00
No. 6 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 3 Old Dominion, 3:30
No. 5 Western Kentucky vs. No. 4 UAB, 7:00
No. 9 Rice vs. No. 1 Louisiana Tech, 9:30

Louisiana Tech is once again the top seed in the C-USA field and last year's champion Tulsa is in the AAC. But they can't get too comfortable. A potential semifinal date with tournament host UAB awaits.

C-USA's bubble team sits on the other side of the bracket. ODU may have to win the auto-bid to get in. A loss here sends them to the NIT.

MAC Quarterfinals (in Cleveland, OH)

No. 8 Eastern Michigan vs. No. 4 Toledo, 6:30, ESPN Full Court
No. 7 Akron vs. No. 3 Kent State, 9:00, ESPN Full Court

As mentioned before, Central Michigan and Buffalo received byes until the semifinals. Today we find out who will stand between them and a spot in the championship game.

MEAC Quarterfinals (in Norfolk, VA)

No. 6 Hampton vs. No. 3 Maryland-Eastern Shore, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 5 Delaware State vs. No. 4 Howard, 8:00, ESPN3

North Carolina Central took care of business in yesterday's portion of the quarterfinals. Today, the remaining four quarterfinalists meet to decide the rest of the MEAC's final four.

Mountain West Quarterfinals (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 9 Air Force vs. No. 1 Boise State, 3:00, CBS Sports Network
No. 5 Utah State vs. No. 4 Wyoming, 5:30, CBS Sports Network
No. 7 UNLV vs. No. 2 San Diego State, 9:00, CBS Sports Network
No. 6 Fresno State vs. No. 3 Colorado State, 11:30, CBS Sports Network

The Broncos are the No. 1 seed, which is huge for their at-large hopes. But a loss to the Falcons would really make them sweat Sunday and take some shine off of their sweep of San Diego State. Speaking of the Aztecs, they meet UNLV in Vegas for the second time in eight days, though this time, SDSU gets to wear their home whites. And the Bulldogs of Fresno have been tricky this season, so Colorado State has to be careful not to overlook them.


Pac-12 Quarterfinals (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 8 California vs. No. 1 Arizona, 3:00, Pac-12 Network
No. 12 USC vs. No. 4 UCLA, 5:30, Pac-12 Network
No. 10 Colorado vs. No. 2 Oregon, 9:00, Pac-12 Network
No. 6 Stanford vs. No. 3 Utah, 11:30, ESPN

As a team sitting outside the field, a loss to the bottom team in the standings would cripple UCLA's chances. And the Trojans are feeling pretty good after erasing a 10-point halftime deficit against Arizona State. Utah hopes to right the ship and get back into protected-seed range, while the Ducks look to solidify their spot in the field. Stanford absolutely must beat Utah to even get back in the conversation. Otherwise, it's off to the NIT.

SEC Second Round (in Nashville, TN)

No. 9 Alabama vs. No. 8 Florida, 1:00, SEC Network
No. 13 Auburn vs. No. 5 Texas A&M, 3:25, SEC Network
No. 10 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Vanderbilt, 7:00, SEC Network
No. 11 South Carolina vs. No. 6 Ole Miss, 9:25, SEC Network

Florida as the No. 8 seed in the SEC is very unusual. Something else unusual that we might see is Florida vs. Kentucky in the quarterfinals. It feels like those two always meet in the SEC finals. Not this year. That's if the Gators roll the Tide.

A&M enters the day as the first team out of the tournament. A loss to the Tigers, and they're out for good. Ole Miss looks like they're in, but if they can't get past the Gamecocks, they may find themselves opening the tournament in Dayton.

Southland Quarterfinals (in Katy, TX)

No. 5 McNeese State vs. No. 4 Northwestern State, 6:00
No. 7 New Orleans vs. No. 3 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 8:30

Corpus Christi is a sneaky team here. They were the only team in conference play to defeat top seed Stephen F. Austin. And the Lumberjacks are on the opposite side of the bracket.

SWAC Quarterfinals (in Houston, TX)

No. 6 Alabama A&M vs. No. 3 Southern, 3:30
No. 5 Jackson State vs. No. 4 Prairie View, 9:30

Top-seed Texas Southern took care of business against Alcorn State and No. 2 Alabama State defeated Mississippi Valley State in yesterday's quarterfinal session. If Southern wins today, then Texas Southern only needs to defeat their semifinal opponent, either Jackson State or Prairie View, to claim the SWAC's automatic bid.

Sun Belt First Round (in New Orleans, LA)

No. 8 Texas State vs. No. 5 Texas-Arlington, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 7 Arkansas-Little Rock vs. No. 6 South Alabama, 8:30, ESPN3

Early-round action in New Orleans to decide the opponents for Louisiana-Lafayette and Louisiana-Monroe in tomorrow's quarterfinals.

WAC Quarterfinals (in Las Vegas, NV)

No. 5 Utah Valley vs. No. 4 Cal State Bakersfield, 5:00
No. 7 Texas-Pan American vs. No. 2 UMKC, 7:30
No. 6 Chicago State vs. No. 3 Seattle, 10:00

Bottom line, it would be a major upset if anyone other than New Mexico State, who has a bye to tomorrow's semifinals, wins this tournament.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Championship Week: Wednesday

Four more teams are officially dancing, bringing our total to 11, as Gonzaga (West Coast), North Dakota State (Summit), Robert Morris (Northeast) and Valparaiso (Horizon) won yesterday to claim their spots. Today, one more ticket will be punched, bringing our total to a dozen automatic bids clinched. It is also the last bid up for grabs before 15 of them will be handed out on Saturday. Along with the one championship game, nine conferences begin tournament while four others continue their action.

BYU did lose in the West Coast final and once again, must endure the long wait until Sunday. They are still in the field today, but there are a host of bubble teams ready to take the Cougars' spot in the field.

Let's take a look at the bracket, likely the last time minor changes are made with all the tournament action today and the next few days.






Last Four Byes: Georgia, Ole Miss, Colorado State, Purdue
Last Four In: Indiana, Texas, BYU, Temple
First Four Out: Texas A&M, UCLA, Miami (FL), Tulsa
Next Four Out: Illinois, Old Dominion, Stanford, Murray State

Conference Rundown

Big 12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
ACC - 6
Big East - 6
SEC - 5
American Athletic - 3
Atlantic 10 - 3
Mountain West - 3
Pac-12 - 3
Missouri Valley - 2
West Coast - 2

As for the games today...


Patriot League Final

No. 6 American at No. 4 Lafayette, 7:30, CBS Sports Network

After the top two seeds, Bucknell and Colgate, were both defeated in the semifinals, we have the six versus the four in the Patriot final. American looks for their second-straight Patriot League championship while the Leopards have not danced since 2000. The Eagles swept the two meetings in the regular season.

ACC Second Round (in Greensboro, NC)

No. 9 Florida State vs. No. 8 Clemson, 12:00, ESPN
No. 12 Boston College vs. No. 5 North Carolina, 2:00, ESPN
No. 10 Pittsburgh vs. No. 7 North Carolina State, 7:00, ESPN2
No. 14 Virginia Tech vs. No. 6 Miami (FL), 9:00, ESPN2

The Hurricanes are the team to watch, as they sit just around the tournament field and a loss to the Hokies could end Miami's hopes for an at-large. A win gives them a shot at Notre Dame, and a chance to vault themselves right into the tournament.
  
Atlantic 10 First Round (in Brooklyn, NY)

No. 13 George Mason vs. No. 12 Fordham, 6:30
No. 14 Saint Louis vs. No. 11 Duquesne, 9:00

Here's an example of how things can change quite a bit in just one year in college basketball. Saint Louis was the No. 1 seed in last year's A-10 Tournament. Now they are wearing their road jerseys throughout this year's edition.

Big East First Round (in New York, NY)

No. 9 Marquette vs. No. 8 Seton Hall, 7:00, FOX Sports 1
No. 10 Creighton vs. No. 7 DePaul, 9:30, FOX Sports 1

Quite the group of names in the opening round at MSG. You have Creighton, who was a No. 3 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament, now sitting at the bottom of the Big East. You have Marquette, normally a Big East power, struggling in their first year under Steve Wojciechowski. You have Seton Hall, who endured one of the more epic meltdowns during the season. And then there's DePaul. But DePaul isn't at the bottom of the field, so that's a plus for them.

Big Ten First Round (in Chicago)

No. 13 Penn State vs. No. 12 Nebraska, 4:30, ESPN2
No. 14 Rutgers vs. No. 11 Minnesota, 7:00, ESPN

It was certainly a disappointing year for the Cornhuskers. After getting to the big dance last season, they find themselves playing on Day 1 of the Big Ten Tournament.

Big 12 First Round (in Kansas City, MO)

No. 9 TCU vs. No. 8 Kansas State, 7:00, ESPNU
No. 10 Texas Tech vs. No. 7 Texas, 9:00, ESPNU

The Longhorns look like they might be in unless they completely crumble, so it is imperative for their tournament hopes that they defeat the Red Raiders. It will be even better for them if they can also defeat Iowa State tomorrow.


Conference USA First Round (in Birmingham, AL)

No. 10 Florida International vs. No. 7 Texas-San Antonio, 1:00 
No. 11 Charlotte vs. No. 6 Middle Tennessee, 3:30 
No. 12 Marshall vs. No. 5 Western Kentucky, 7:00
No. 9 Rice vs. No. 8 North Texas, 9:30

A new champion will obviously be crowned in Conference USA with last year's champion Tulsa now in the American Athletic. The top four seeds play tomorrow, including bubble contender Old Dominion, who has quietly hung around, but may need to win the auto-bid.

MAC Second Round (in Cleveland)

No. 8 Eastern Michigan vs. No. 5 Bowling Green, 6:30, ESPN Full Court
No. 7 Akron vs. No. 6 Western Michigan, 9:00, ESPN Full Court

The four winners from Monday have joined the top four seeds in Cleveland in a bracket that now resembles those from the Southland or Ohio Valley. Kent State and Toledo await the winners in the quarterfinals while Central Michigan and Buffalo are off until the semifinals.

MEAC Quarterfinals (in Norfolk, VA)

No. 9 Coppin State vs. No. 1 North Carolina Central, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 10 North Carolina A&T/No. 7 South Carolina State vs. No. 2 Norfolk State, 8:00, ESPN3

NC Central puts their undefeated conference season on the line in Norfolk, hoping to get to their second-straight NCAA Tournament. The winners today get tomorrow off before Friday's semifinals.
 
Mountain West First Round (in Las Vegas)

No. 9 Air Force vs. No. 8 New Mexico, 3:00
No. 10 Nevada vs. No. 7 UNLV, 5:30

The Mountain's opening round features something we're not used to seeing: New Mexico and UNLV actually playing in this round. But here we are. There are only two games today and ten teams in the field due to the ineligibility of San Jose State.

Pac-12 First Round (in Las Vegas)

No. 9 Washington State vs. No. 8 California, 3:00, Pac-12 Network
No. 12 USC vs. No. 5 Arizona State, 5:30, Pac-12 Network
No. 10 Colorado vs. No. 7 Oregon State, 9:00, Pac-12 Network
No. 11 Washington vs. No. 6 Stanford, 11:30, Pac-12 Network

Just to clarify, the Mountain West tournament is at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV while the Pac-12 is playing at the MGM Grand.

As for the games themselves, the key team is Stanford, whose at-large hopes have all but done up in smoke, but a run to the final just might (and I stress the word "might") get them in the conversation, considering a run to the finals would mean they will have beaten Utah and, likely, Oregon.

SEC First Round (in Nashville)

No. 13 Auburn vs. No. 12 Mississippi State, 7:00, SEC Network
No. 14 Missouri vs. No. 11 South Carolina, 9:25, SEC Network

I never expected Missouri to be in this position at the beginning of the season. But that's how the cookie crumbles, sometimes. The good news for Missouri and South Carolina is that Kentucky is on the opposite side of the bracket.


Southland First Round (in Katy, TX)

No. 8 Southeastern Louisiana vs. No. 5 McNeese State, 6:00
No. 7 New Orleans vs. No. 6 Nicholls State, 8:30

Early action in Katy where the winners meet No. 3 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and No. 4 Northwestern State. The top two seeds, Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State, have a bye to the semifinals.

SWAC Quarterfinals (in Houston, TX)

No. 7 Mississippi Valley State vs. No. 2 Alabama State, 3:30
No. 8 Alcorn State vs. No. 1 Texas Southern. 9:30

Texas Southern is in an interesting position, as both the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, Alabama State and Southern, are banned from NCAA Tournament play, but are allowed to compete in the SWAC Tournament. Yet, for whatever reason, Arkansas-Pine Bluff cannot play in the SWAC Tournament. Nonetheless, TSU may just have to get to the final, especially if Alabama State and Southern meet in the semifinals.



 

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Championship Week: Tuesday

Three more teams punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, bringing our official total to seven teams. Wofford (Southern) and Manhattan (MAAC) won their respective conference titles for the second straight season while Northeastern (Colonial) is dancing for the first time since 1991. Today, four more bids will be earned in the Northeast, Horizon, Summit and West Coast.

Let's take a look at the bracket with the new teams and some minor changes are tweaking the seed list a bit last night. No new at-larges as BYU easily defeated Portland to advance to today's West Coast final against Gonzaga.


Last Four Byes: Georgia, Ole Miss, Colorado State, Purdue
Last Four In: Indiana, Texas, BYU, Temple
First Four Out: Texas A&M, UCLA, Miami (FL), Tulsa
Next Four Out: Illinois, Old Dominion, Stanford, Murray State

Conference Rundown

Big 12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
ACC - 6
Big East - 6
SEC - 5
American Athletic - 3
Atlantic 10 - 3
Mountain West - 3
Pac-12 - 3
Missouri Valley - 2
West Coast - 2

Now a look at today's action.

West Coast Final (in Las Vegas)

No. 2 BYU vs. No. 1 Gonzaga, 9:00, ESPN

The Zags are likely locked into a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, unless some of the major tournaments get really wacky. BYU avoided the bad loss and if they don't get completely embarrassed tonight, their computer numbers and the win at Gonzaga a few weeks ago should help Dave Rose's team hear their name called on Sunday. 

Horizon League Final

No. 2 Green Bay at No. 1 Valparaiso, 7:00, ESPN

As the higher seed, the Crusaders get to host the Horizon final against a team they beat at home during the regular season, though the Phoenix won the pair's meeting up in Wisconsin, but only by one point. Winner likely slots in as a 13 seed, maybe a 12, in the big dance.

Northeast Final

No. 2 Robert Morris at No. 1 St. Francis (NY), 7:00, ESPN2

William & Mary failed to secure their first Tournament berth in school history last night and remain one of five original Division I schools to have never played in the NCAA Tournament. One of the other four? The Terriers of St. Francis (NY). Tonight is their chance to trim that infamous list to just four. Bobby Mo is back in the final after losing at home last year to Mount St. Mary's. The Colonials have not danced since 2010, though they have won in the first round of the NIT each of the last two seasons. Each team won on the other's home floor during the regular season.

Summit League Final (in Sioux Falls, SD)

No. 2 North Dakota State vs. No. 1 South Dakota State, 9:00, ESPN2

After upsetting Oklahoma in last season's tournament, the Bison are back in the Summit final against a the school with one of my favorite nicknames in all of sports, the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State, who won this tournament in 2013. Both teams won at home in their two matchups.

ACC First Round (in Greensboro, NC)

No. 13 Georgia Tech vs. No. 12 Boston College, 1:00, ESPN2
No. 14 Virginia Tech vs. No. 11 Wake Forest, 3:00, ESPN2

Yes, the ACC Tournament now starts on a Tuesday and the championship will be Saturday, instead of Selection Sunday. Two opening games today where the winners will face No. 5 North Carolina and No. 6 Miami (FL), respectively.

MEAC First Round (in Norfolk, VA)

No. 9 Coppin State vs. No. 8 Bethune-Cookman, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 10 North Carolina A&T vs. No. 7 South Carolina State, 8:00, ESPN3

I must apologize here, as I mixed up two of the games yesterday. I incorrectly said Coppin State/Bethune-Cookman was yesterday. It was not. It should have been No. 12 Savannah State vs. No. 5 Delaware State, a game won by DSU. Sorry for the confusion. These games today are correct.

SWAC First Round (in Houston, TX)

No. 9 Grambling State vs. No. 8 Alcorn State, 9:30

One opening round game in the 9-team SWAC tournament. Winner here gets a shot at No. 1 Texas Southern.

Also, a bit of love to the Ivy League, as they have the last regular season game of this season, as Princeton visits Penn tonight. As mentioned in a previous post, the one-game playoff between Harvard and Yale takes place at Penn on Saturday.

Buckle up because tonight is the last "light" night of games before things really get going tomorrow. A host of conferences kickoff their tournaments tomorrow and we have our last bid handed out before the busiest day of bid claiming on Saturday. Just five more days. Until tomorrow, take care and enjoy the games.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Chapionship Week: Monday

The regular season is officially over and we are less than one week from beginning the annual ritual of dissecting one of the most famous brackets in sports.

Over the weekend, four teams officially claimed their spots in the field of 68. That quartet of teams included Belmont (Ohio Valley), Coastal Carolina (Big South), Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley) and North Florida (Atlantic Sun). As we begin Championship Week, three more bids will be handed out today in the Colonial, Southern and Metro Atlantic. Two other conferences kick off their tournaments. We'll take a look at today's schedule after a look at the bracket and a couple notes. (Bracket Matrix)

Seeding Note: Indiana/BYU moved down to a 12 seed and Texas/Temple moved up to an 11.

Last Four Byes: Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Colorado State, Purdue
Last Four In: Indiana, BYU, Texas, Temple
First Four Out: Texas A&M, UCLA, Miami (FL), Tulsa
Next Four Out: Illinois, Old Dominion, Stanford, Murray State

Conference Rundown

Big 12 - 7
Big Ten - 7
ACC - 6
Big East - 6
SEC - 5
American Athletic - 3
Atlantic 10 - 3
Mountain West - 3
Pac-12 - 3
Missouri Valley - 2
West Coast - 2

The main change from Friday is that Texas and Temple moved into the field as the last two at-larges, replacing Texas A&M and Illinois.

The Aggies were shorthanded, as an injury sidelined leading scorer Danuel House, and they fell by one point at home to Alabama. Even before this loss, A&M's resume and tournament hopes were getting shakier. Fortunately for A&M, LSU scored a huge win at Arkansas to move back into the RPI top 50, giving the Aggies two top-50 wins. But the Alabama loss, even without House, is rough and it may take a third win over the Bayou Bengals in the SEC Quarterfinals to get A&M in. Provided A&M gets past the winner of Mississippi State-Auburn first.

Illinois started strong against Purdue, getting off to a 15-2 run to begin. Then something clicked off for the Illini until the end of the game where they made it somewhat interesting. But losing their fire in the middle of the game, and ultimately losing the game, dropped Illinois out and slotted them as the No. 8 seed in the Big Ten tournament, opening against Michigan and landing in Wisconsin's quarterfinal bracket. It'll likely take a win over the Badgers to get the Illini back in, as their RPI is outside the top 60, not good this late in the game. Of course, Indiana sits at 58, so they're not exactly safe, either. But comparing the two, Indiana has a better RPI, better strength of schedule, better top-50 record, better top-100 record and a head-to-head victory. By the way, Indiana is No. 7 and draws Northwestern and a potential quarterfinal with Maryland.

So with that in mind, let's kick off Championship Week by taking a look at today's games, starting with the three championship games.

Colonial Championship (in Baltimore)

No. 3 Northeastern vs. No. 1 William & Mary, 7:00, NBC Sports Network

Northeastern is in the Colonial final for the second time in three seasons, losing to James Madison in 2013. The Huskies are looking to dance for the first time since 1991. William & Mary makes their second straight finals appearance after losing a heartbreaker last season to Delaware and surviving double overtime to defeat Hofstra in the semifinals. The Tribe have never played in the NCAA Tournament. These teams split their regular-season meetings, both winning on their home court. W&M won 78-62 on January 24 while the Huskies got revenge at home, 75-64, on February 18.

Southern Championship (in Asheville, NC)

No. 10 Furman vs. No. 1 Wofford, 7:00, ESPN2

We have ourselves a nice little Cinderella story early as Furman, the No. 10 seed and bottom team in the standings, finds themselves in the finals after getting through The Citdel, Chattanooga and Mercer in the past three days. But to get to the NCAAs for the first time in 35 years, they have to beat the SoCon heavyweight in Wofford, a team that defeated NC State and Iona in non-conference play. The Terriers aim for the second-straight SoCon title. Wofford swept the Paladins during the regular season, winning 74-49 at home on Jan. 22 and 62-60 at Furman on the last day of February.

Metro Atlantic Championship (in Albany, NY)

No. 3 Manhattan vs. No. 1 Iona, 9:00, ESPN2

The old rivalry in the MAAC adds another chapter in the championship game, as the last two MAAC tournament champions meet here. Manhattan won last season, Iona in 2013. The Gaels were also the last at-large team in 2012. And with a top-50 RPI going into today, Iona may be considered for an at-large again if they happen to lose as they will have played a whopping 20 games away from home, winning 12 of them, including 11 true road games. But if they win, they'll potentially be a trendy upset pick as a No. 12 seed.

MEAC First Round (in Norfolk, VA)

No. 9 Coppin State vs. No. 8 Bethune-Cookman, 6:30, ESPN3
No. 11 Morgan State vs. No. 6 Hampton, 9:00, ESPN3


Two opening-round games get the MEAC tournament going, including the game to decide who gets a shot at regular-season champion North Carolina Central. The other two first round games take place tomorrow. Bethune won the only meeting during the regular season with Coppin State and it came on the road, while Hampton and Morgan State split their two games.

MAC First Round

No. 12 Ball State at No. 5 Bowling Green, 7:00
No. 9 Miami (OH) at No. 8 Eastern Michigan, 7:30
No. 11 Ohio at No. 6 Western Michigan, 8:00
No. 10 Northern Illinois at No. 7 Akron, 7:00

The MAC tournament kicks off with four games at campus sites. The winners today will head to Cleveland. The winners of the first pair of games and the second pair will meet to advance to the quarterfinals where Kent State and Toledo await. The top two seeds, Central Michigan and Buffalo, are off until the semifinals. The only matchup here that was split during the regular season was, not entirely surprisingly, the 8/9 game.

Summit League Semifinals (in Sioux Falls, SD)

No. 5 South Dakota vs. No. 1 South Dakota State, 7:00, ESPN3
No. 3 Oral Roberts vs. No. 2 North Dakota State, 9:30, ESPN3

The top two seeds were off Sunday as they had won their quarterfinal games on Saturday, giving them a bit of rest going into these semifinal matchups. Both matchups were split during the regular season, so we could have some good games here to set up the championship final.

West Coast Semifinals (in Las Vegas)

No. 4 Pepperdine vs. No. 1 Gonzaga, 9:00, ESPN
No. 6 Portland vs. No, 2 BYU, 11:30, ESPN2

Gonzaga looks pretty firm as a No. 2 seed in the NCAAs at this point, unless a host of teams ahead of them lose in their conference tournaments. The second game is quite a big one for the bottom of the bracket. BYU has to avoid another bad loss here, as losing to a lowly Portland team before the final could wipe out the effect of the Gonzaga win and would begin the long, agonizing wait until 6:00 Sunday afternoon. Working in the favor of the top seeds is they both went 2-0 against their semifinal opponent, so we could be heading toward another Gonzaga-BYU final.

We'll be back tomorrow where one more tournament bid is up for grabs and some of the major conference tournaments begin. Enjoy the games today and take care.


Sunday, March 8, 2015

Updated Sunday Schedule

Congratulations to Belmont on winning the Ohio Valley championship, upsetting and ruining the undefeated conference season for Murray State.

Yale could not capture the same fate as they lost to Dartmouth, while Harvard defeated Brown. This sets up a one-game playoff between the Bulldogs and Crimson Saturday at the Palestra for the Ivy League championship and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. For the time being, Yale remains the projected AQ with a slightly better RPI than Harvard.

I'll post a bracket update tomorrow and every day through Selection Sunday. For now, here is your updated schedule for Sunday.


Sunday (regular season)

Memphis at Cincinnati, 12:00, CBS
Tulsa at SMU, 3:00, ESPNU
Wisconsin at Ohio State, 4:30, CBS
Maryland at Nebraska, 7:30, Big Ten Network

Sunday (conference tournaments)

America East Semifinals

No. 3 Stony Brook at No. 2 Vermont, 1:00, ESPN3
No. 4 New Hampshire at No. 1 Albany, 2:00, ESPN3

Atlantic Sun Championship

No. 3 South Carolina Upstate at No. 1 North Florida, 2:30, ESPN2

Big South Championship (in Myrtle Beach, SC)

No. 5 Winthrop vs. No. 3 Coastal Carolina, 12:30, ESPN2

Colonial Semifinals (in Baltimore, MD)

No. 5 Hofstra vs. No. 1 William & Mary, 2:30No. 3 Northeastern vs. No. 2 UNC Wilmington, 5:00

Metro Atlantic Semifinals (in Albany, NY)

No. 4 Monmouth vs. No. 1 Iona, 4:30, ESPN3
No. 7 Saint Peter's vs. No. 3 Manhattan, 7:00, ESPN3

Missouri Valley Championship (in St. Louis)

No. 4 Illinois State vs. No. 2 Northern Iowa, 2:00, CBS Sports Network

Patriot League Semifinals

No. 4 Lafayette at No. 1 Bucknell, 2:00, CBS Sports Network
No. 6 American at No. 2 Colgate, 4:00, CBS Sports Network

Southern Semifinals (in Asheville, NC)

No. 4 Western Carolina vs. No. 1 Wofford, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 10 Furman vs. No. 3 Mercer, 8:30, ESPN3

Summit League Quarterfinals (in Sioux Falls, SD)

No. 5 South Dakota vs. No. 4 IPFW, 7:00, ESPN3
No. 6 IUPUI vs. No. 3 Oral Roberts, 9:30, ESPN3

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Updated Weekend Schedule

Saturday (regular season)

Butler at Providence, 12:00, FOX Sports 1
Syracuse at North Carolina State, 12:00, CBS
Miami (FL) at Virginia Tech, 12:00, ESPN3
Pittsburgh at Florida State, 12:00, ESPN2
Seton Hall at Georgetown, 12:00, FOX
Northwestern at Iowa, 12:00, Big Ten Network
Michigan State at Indiana, 12:00, ESPN
Florida at Kentucky, 2:00, CBS
St. John's at Villanova, 2:00, FOX
LSU at Arkansas, 2:00, ESPN
Oklahoma State at West Virginia, 2:00, ESPNEWS
Connecticut at Temple, 2:00, ESPN2
Georgia Southern at Georgia State, 2:00
Alabama at Texas A&M, 2:00, ESPN3
St. Joseph's at Rhode Island, 2:00
Xavier at Creighton, 2:00, FOX Sports 2
Stanford at Arizona, 4:00, CBS
Kansas at Oklahoma, 4:00, ESPN
Clemson at Notre Dame, 4:00, ESPN3
Kansas State at Texas, 4:00, ESPN2
Dayton at La Salle, 4:00, CBS Sports Network
Georgia at Auburn, 4:00, SEC Network
Utah at Washington, 4:30, Pac-12 Network
Illinois at Purdue, 4:30, Big Ten Network
Sacramento State at Northern Arizona, 5:05
Western Kentucky at Old Dominion, 5:30
George Mason at VCU, 5:30, NBC Sports Network
Brown at Harvard, 6:00
Virginia at Louisville, 6:30, ESPN
Davidson at Duquesne, 7:00
Yale at Dartmouth, 7:00
Sam Houston State at Stephen F. Austin, 7:30
Fresno State at Boise State, 8:00
Iowa State at TCU, 8:30, ESPNEWS
Southern at Texas Southern, 8:30
Duke at North Carolina, 9:00, ESPN
Eastern Washington at Weber State, 9:00
Chicago State at New Mexico State, 9:00, ESPN3
Vanderbilt at Ole Miss, 9:00, SEC Network
Montana at Montana State, 9:05
Nevada at San Diego State, 10:00, CBS Sports Network
UC Irvine at UC Davis, 10:00

Saturday (conference tournaments)

Big South Semifinals (in Myrtle Beach, SC)

No. 9 Longwood vs. No. 5 Winthrop, 12:00, ESPN3
No. 7 Gardner-Webb vs. No. 3 Coastal Carolina, 2:00, ESPN3

Colonial Quarterfinals (Baltimore) 

No. 8 Elon vs. No. 1 William & Mary, 12:00
No. 5 Hofstra vs. No. 4 James Madison, 2:30
No. 10 College of Charleston vs. No. 2 UNC Wilmington, 6:00
No. 6 Delaware vs. No. 3 Northeastern, 8:30

Horizon League Semifinals (at Valparaiso)

No. 6 UIC vs. No. 2 Green Bay, 7:00 (tape delay at 11:30 on ESPNU)
No. 4 Cleveland State vs. No. 1 Valparaiso, 9:30, ESPNU

Metro Atlantic Quarterfinals (in Albany, NY)

No. 8 Siena vs. No. 1 Iona, 12:00, ESPN3
No. 5 Canisius vs. No. 4 Monmouth, 2:30, ESPN3
No. 7 Saint Peter's vs. No. 2 Rider, 5:30, ESPN3
No. 11 Marist vs. No. 3 Manhattan, 8:00, ESPN3

Missouri Valley Semifinals (in St. Louis)

No. 4 Illinois State vs. No. 1 Wichita State, 1:30
No. 6 Loyola (IL) vs. No. 2 Northern Iowa, 4:00

Northeast Semifinals

No. 3 Bryant at No. 2 Robert Morris, 12:00
No. 5 St. Francis (PA) at No. 1 St. Francis (NY), 2:00

Ohio Valley Championship (in Nashville)

No. 3 Belmont vs. No. 1 Murray State,  6:00, ESPN2

Southern Quarterfinals (in Asheville, NC)

No. 8 UNC Greensboro vs. No. 1 Wofford, 12:00, ESPN3
No. 5 East Tennessee State vs. No. 4 Western Carolina, 2:30, ESPN3
No. 10 Furman vs. No. 2 Chattanooga, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 6 VMI vs. No. 3 Mercer, 8:30, ESPN3

Summit League Quarterfinals (in Sioux Falls, SD)

No. 8 Western Illinois vs. No. 1 South Dakota State, 6:00
No. 7 Denver vs. No. 2 North Dakota State, 8:30

West Coast Quarterfinals (in Las Vegas)

No. 6 Portland vs. No. 3 Saint Mary's, 3:00, BYUtv
No. 5 San Diego vs. No. 4 Pepperdine, 5:00, BYUtv
No. 8 San Francisco vs. No. 1 Gonzaga, 9:00, ESPN2
No. 7 Santa Clara vs. No. 2 BYU, 11:00, ESPN2

Sunday (regular season)

Memphis at Cincinnati, 12:00, CBS
Tulsa at SMU, 3:00, ESPNU
Wisconsin at Ohio State, 4:30, CBS
Maryland at Nebraska, 7:30, Big Ten Network

Sunday (conference tournaments)

America East Semifinals

No. 3 Stony Brook at No. 2 Vermont, 1:00, ESPN3
No. 4 New Hampshire at No. 1 Albany, 2:00, ESPN3

Atlantic Sun Championship


No. 3 South Carolina Upstate at No. 1 North Florida, 2:30, ESPN2

Big South Championship (in Myrtle Beach, SC)

Coastal Carolina/Gardner-Webb winner vs. Winthrop/Longwood winner, 12:30, ESPN2

Colonial Semifinals (in Baltimore, MD)

Hofstra/James Madison winner vs. Elon/William & Mary winner, 2:30
Delaware/Northeastern winner vs. College of Charleston/UNC Wilmington winner, 5:00

Metro Atlantic Semifinals (in Albany, NY)

Monmouth/Canisius winner vs. Siena/Iona winner, 4:30, ESPN3
Marist/Manhattan winner vs. Saint Peter's/Rider winner, 7:00, ESPN3

Missouri Valley Championship (in St. Louis)

Loyola (IL)/Northern Iowa winner vs. Illinois State/Wichita State winner, 1:00, CBS Sports Network

Patriot League Semifinals

No. 4 Lafayette at No. 1 Bucknell, 2:00, CBS Sports Network
No. 6 American at No. 2 Colgate, 4:00, CBS Sports Network

Southern Semifinals (in Asheville, NC)

East Tennessee State/Western Carolina winner vs. UNC Greensboro/Wofford winner, 6:00, ESPN3
VMI/Mercer winner vs. Furman/Chattanooga winner, 8:30, ESPN3

Summit League Quarterfinals (in Sioux Falls, SD)

No. 5 South Dakota vs. No. 4 IPFW, 6:00
No. 6 IUPUI vs. No. 3 Oral Roberts, 8:30

Friday, March 6, 2015

New At-Larges As Season Hits Final Regular Season Weekend

March is certainly in full swing, as we sit just ten days away from the unveiling of the 68-team field for the NCAA Championship. And as we head into the final weekend of the regular season, we have some new faces entering the field.

Illinois and BYU have entered the field as the last two at-larges, knocking out a pair of American Athletic teams in Temple and Tulsa (the Golden Hurricane fell out after losing the AAC's AQ spot with their loss Wednesday to Cincinnati). Texas is also right on the doorstep thanks to their huge win over Baylor. Davidson holding the auto-bid from the Atlantic 10 is what's keeping the Longhorns out at the moment. That could very well change over the next week and a half.

A lot of big-time action this week, including a huge bubble game in the Big Ten. Purdue and Illinois, both among the Last Four In, meet Saturday in West Lafayette at 4:30 on the Big Ten Network. This has a First Four feel to it. Winner stays in the field, loser very well falls out and has more work to do in Indianapolis at the Big Ten Tournament. This game is especially important for the Illini because a loss sends them to the 8/9 game in the Big Ten Tournament, meaning they'd be on a collision course to meet Wisconsin in the quarterfinals. Even if they win, they need Indiana to lose to avoid such a scenario. But a win would give them a bit more confidence heading into next week.

Remember, starting Monday, I will post an update every day of Championship Week, updating conference tournaments and watching for any potential bid-thieves. By the time Monday rolls around, we'll have as many as five tickets to the dance officially punched. The Atlantic Sun, Big South, Ohio Valley and Missouri Valley hold their Championship games this weekend, while the Ivy League can also be won this weekend. Harvard hosts Yale Friday. If the winner of that game also wins Saturday, they will win the Ivy League title. Otherwise, a one-game playoff will be needed to see if the Crimson win their fourth-straight Ivy title or if the Bulldogs dance for the first time since 1962.

So with that in mind, here is the final bracket projection before Championship Week begins. (Bracket Matrix)
Last Four Byes: North Carolina State, Oregon, Indiana, Colorado State
Last Four In: Texas A&M, Purdue, Illinois, BYU
First Four Out: Texas, Temple, UCLA, Tulsa
Next Four Out: Miami (FL), Old Dominion, Stanford, Kansas State

Conference Rundown

Big Ten - 8 
ACC - 6
Big 12 - 6
Big East - 6
SEC - 6
Atlantic 10 - 3
Mountain West - 3
Pac-12 - 3
American Athletic - 2
Missouri Valley - 2
West Coast - 2
One-bid Leagues - 21

And as always, I'll leave you with the notable games, separated into regular season and conference tournaments. Apologies in advance for the length. Obviously, it's a busy weekend.

Notable Games

Friday (regular season)

Central Michigan at Western Michigan, 7:00
Akron at Kent State, 7:00, ESPN2
Bowling Green at Buffalo, 7:00, ESPN3
Yale at Harvard, 8:00
Texas Tech at Baylor, 9:00, ESPN2

Friday (conference tournaments)

Big South Quarterfinals (in Myrtle Beach, SC)

No. 9 Longwood vs. No. 1 Charleston Southern, 12:00, ESPN3
No. 5 Winthrop vs. No. 4 Radford, 2:00, ESPN3
No. 7 Gardner-Webb vs. No. 2 High Point, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 6 UNC Asheville vs. No. 3 Coastal Carolina, 8:00, ESPN3

Colonial First Round (in Baltimore)

No. 9 Towson vs No. 8 Elon, 6:00
No. 10 College of Charleston vs. No. 7 Drexel, 8:30

Horizon League Quarterinals (at Valparaiso)

No. 6 UIC vs. No. 3 Oakland, 7:00, ESPN3
No. 5 Detroit vs. No. 4 Cleveland State, 9:30, ESPN3

Missouri Valley Quarterfinals (in St. Louis)

No. 9 Southern Illinois vs. No. 1 Wichita State, 12:00
No. 5 Evansville vs. No. 4 Illinois State, 2:30
No. 10 Bradley vs. No. 2 Northern Iowa, 6:00
No. 6 Loyola (MD) vs. No. 3 Indiana State, 8:30

Ohio Valley Semifinals (in Nashville)

No. 5 Morehead State vs. No. 1 Murray State, 6:30
No. 3 Belmont vs. No. 2 Eastern Kentucky, 8:30

Southern First Round (in Asheville, NC)

No. 9 Samford vs. No. 8 UNC Greensboro, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 10 Furman vs. No. 7 The Citadel, 8:30, ESPN3

West Coast First Round (in Las Vegas)

No. 9 Pacific vs. No. 8 San Francisco, 9:00, BYUtv
No. 10 Loyola Marymount vs. No. 7 Santa Clara, 11:00, BYUtv

Saturday (regular season)

Butler at Providence, 12:00, FOX Sports 1
Syracuse at North Carolina State, 12:00, CBS
Miami (FL) at Virginia Tech, 12:00, ESPN3
Pittsburgh at Florida State, 12:00, ESPN2
Seton Hall at Georgetown, 12:00, FOX
Northwestern at Iowa, 12:00, Big Ten Network
Michigan State at Indiana, 12:00, ESPN
Florida at Kentucky, 2:00, CBS
St. John's at Villanova, 2:00, FOX
LSU at Arkansas, 2:00, ESPN
Oklahoma State at West Virginia, 2:00, ESPNEWS
Connecticut at Temple, 2:00, ESPN2
Georgia Southern at Georgia State, 2:00
Alabama at Texas A&M, 2:00, ESPN3
St. Joseph's at Rhode Island, 2:00
Xavier at Creighton, 2:00, FOX Sports 2
Stanford at Arizona, 4:00, CBS
Kansas at Oklahoma, 4:00, ESPN
Clemson at Notre Dame, 4:00, ESPN3
Kansas State at Texas, 4:00, ESPN2
Dayton at La Salle, 4:00, CBS Sports Network
Georgia at Auburn, 4:00, SEC Network
Utah at Washington, 4:30, Pac-12 Network
Illinois at Purdue, 4:30, Big Ten Network
Sacramento State at Northern Arizona, 5:05
Western Kentucky at Old Dominion, 5:30
George Mason at VCU, 5:30, NBC Sports Network
Brown at Harvard, 6:00
Virginia at Louisville, 6:30, ESPN
Davidson at Duquesne, 7:00
Yale at Dartmouth, 7:00
Sam Houston State at Stephen F. Austin, 7:30
Fresno State at Boise State, 8:00
Iowa State at TCU, 8:30, ESPNEWS
Southern at Texas Southern, 8:30
Duke at North Carolina, 9:00, ESPN
Eastern Washington at Weber State, 9:00
Chicago State at New Mexico State, 9:00, ESPN3
Vanderbilt at Ole Miss, 9:00, SEC Network
Montana at Montana State, 9:05
Nevada at San Diego State, 10:00, CBS Sports Network
UC Irvine at UC Davis, 10:00

Saturday (conference tournaments)

Big South Semifinals (in Myrtle Beach, SC)

No. 9 Longwood vs. No. 5 Winthrop, 12:00, ESPN3
No. 7 Gardner-Webb vs. No. 3 Coastal Carolina, 2:00, ESPN3

Colonial Quarterfinals (Baltimore) 

No. 8 Elon vs. No. 1 William & Mary, 12:00
No. 5 Hofstra vs. No. 4 James Madison, 2:30
No. 10 College of Charleston vs. No. 2 UNC Wilmington, 6:00
No. 6 Delaware vs. No. 3 Northeastern, 8:30

Horizon League Semifinals (at Valparaiso)

No. 6 UIC vs. No. 2 Green Bay, 7:00 (tape delay at 11:30 on ESPNU)
No. 4 Cleveland State vs. No. 1 Valparaiso, 9:30, ESPNU

Metro Atlantic Quarterfinals (in Albany, NY)

No. 8 Siena vs. No. 1 Iona, 12:00, ESPN3
No. 5 Canisius vs. No. 4 Monmouth, 2:30, ESPN3
No. 7 Saint Peter's vs. No. 2 Rider, 5:30, ESPN3
No. 11 Marist vs. No. 3 Manhattan, 8:00, ESPN3

Missouri Valley Semifinals (in St. Louis)

No. 4 Illinois State vs. No. 1 Wichita State, 1:30
No. 6 Loyola (MD) vs. No. 2 Northern Iowa, 4:00

Northeast Semifinals

No. 3 Bryant at No. 2 Robert Morris, 12:00
No. 5 St. Francis (PA) at No. 1 St. Francis (NY), 2:00

Ohio Valley Championship (in Nashville)

No. 3 Belmont vs. No. 1 Murray State,  6:00, ESPN2

Southern Quarterfinals (in Asheville, NC)

No. 8 UNC Greensboro vs. No. 1 Wofford, 12:00, ESPN3
No. 5 East Tennessee State vs. No. 4 Western Carolina, 2:30, ESPN3
No. 10 Furman vs. No. 2 Chattanooga, 6:00, ESPN3
No. 6 VMI vs. No. 3 Mercer, 8:30, ESPN3

Summit League Quarterfinals (in Sioux Falls, SD)

No. 8 Western Illinois vs. No. 1 South Dakota State, 6:00
No. 7 Denver vs. No. 2 North Dakota State, 8:30

West Coast Quarterfinals (in Las Vegas)

No. 6 Portland vs. No. 3 Saint Mary's, 3:00, BYUtv
No. 5 San Diego vs. No. 4 Pepperdine, 5:00, BYUtv
No. 8 San Francisco vs. No. 1 Gonzaga, 9:00, ESPN2
No. 7 Santa Clara vs. No. 2 BYU, 11:00, ESPN2

Sunday (regular season)

Memphis at Cincinnati, 12:00, CBS
Tulsa at SMU, 3:00, ESPNU
Wisconsin at Ohio State, 4:30, CBS
Maryland at Nebraska, 7:30, Big Ten Network

Sunday (conference tournaments)

America East Semifinals

No. 3 Stony Brook at No. 2 Vermont, 1:00, ESPN3
No. 4 New Hampshire at No. 1 Albany, 2:00, ESPN3

Atlantic Sun Championship


No. 3 South Carolina Upstate at No. 1 North Florida, 2:30, ESPN2

Big South Championship (in Myrtle Beach, SC)

Coastal Carolina/Gardner-Webb winner vs. Winthrop/Longwood winner, 12:30, ESPN2

Colonial Semifinals (in Baltimore, MD)

Hofstra/James Madison winner vs. Elon/William & Mary winner, 2:30
Delaware/Northeastern winner vs. College of Charleston/UNC Wilmington winner, 5:00

Metro Atlantic Semifinals (in Albany, NY)

Monmouth/Canisius winner vs. Siena/Iona winner, 4:30, ESPN3
Marist/Manhattan winner vs. Saint Peter's/Rider winner, 7:00, ESPN3

Missouri Valley Championship (in St. Louis)

Loyola (MD)/Northern Iowa winner vs. Illinois State/Wichita State winner, 1:00, CBS Sports Network

Patriot League Semifinals

No. 4 Lafayette at No. 1 Bucknell, 2:00, CBS Sports Network
No. 6 American at No. 2 Colgate, 4:00, CBS Sports Network

Southern Semifinals (in Asheville, NC)

East Tennessee State/Western Carolina winner vs. UNC Greensboro/Wofford winner, 6:00, ESPN3
VMI/Mercer winner vs. Furman/Chattanooga winner, 8:30, ESPN3

Summit League Quarterfinals (in Sioux Falls, SD)

No. 5 South Dakota vs. No. 4 IPFW, 6:00
No. 6 IUPUI vs. No. 3 Oral Roberts, 8:30