The bubble burst bigtime today with five teams losing with UNLV and Washington still to play tonight. Wake Forest, Clemson, Arizona State, UAB, and Memphis lost the chance to lock up a spot in the big dance and now they will all be the most tense couch potatoes in America.
The teams that did win today, San Diego State and Georgia Tech, had to comeback and win their games. Both teams need a win the next round over New Mexico and Maryland respectively to distance themselves from the losers from Thursday.
Friday boasts two games that were supposed to be elimination games but all four teams, Saint Louis vs. Rhode Island, Mississippi State vs. Florida, could get in no matter what the outcome is. And with a win over Tennessee in the SEC quarterfinals, Ole Miss could launch their name into the list of bubble contenders.
Three teams that benefitted the most from all the losers today are Illinois, Florida State, and Missouri. The Illini and Seminoles have yet to hit the court in their tournaments and are now in. Missouri is a lucky loser after going down to Nebraska yesterday they get in because of their resume.
Three more teams that benefitted from all the losing were Wednesday's losers South Florida and Seton Hall and Charlotte, who lost Tuesday. For the Bulls and Pirates, at least they won a game in a conference tournament and Charlotte is better than most of the teams that lost.
Teams That Are Now Locks: Illinois, Florida State, Missouri, Texas
Teams That Are In With A Win: Georgia Tech, Saint Louis, Rhode Island, Mississippi State, Florida
Teams Fighting For Remaining 6 Spots: UAB, Memphis, Clemson, Wake Forest, Arizona State, UNLV, San Diego State, Ole Miss, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, South Florida, Charlotte, Losers of Saint Louis/Rhode Island and Mississippi State/Florida games.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Bubble Watch: March 10
Yesterday's second round of the Big East tournament could have seen South Florida and Seton Hall both advance and continue their hopes of making the NCAA Tournament but that did happen thanks to a twenty point win by Georgetown over South Florida and Notre Dame beating the Pirates 68-56 thanks to 20 points from Luke Harangody. This takes both teams off the bubble and out of the tournament and along with Charlotte in A-10, who lost to UMass in the 1st Round, have opened up some spots for other bubble teams to slide into the field of 65.
Teams Locked In:
ACC: Duke, Maryland, Virginia Tech
A-10: Temple, Xavier, Richmond
Big East: Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Louisville, Pitt, Marquette
Big 10: Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State, Wisconsin
Big 12: Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas
C-USA: UTEP, Memphis
Mountain West: BYU, New Mexico
Pac-10: Cal
SEC: Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
WCC: Gonzaga
Right now, these 32 teams will be in the NCAA Tournament, if all teams in these conferences, with the exception of Gonzaga who lost Monday to St. Mary's, win their respective tournaments eleven spots will be open to bubble teams.
Teams on the Bubble:
ACC: Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest
First round play begins in the ACC today and Wake, Clemson, and Georgia Tech need to win their games. That would set up a quarterfinal elimination game between the Seminoles and Tigers, with the Demon Deacons needing to beat Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech to beat Maryland. If Maryland beats the Yellow Jackets, the winner of the potential FSU/Clemson game would be in with a win over the Terps, the same is the case if Wake knocks off Virginia Tech and then Duke in the semis.
A-10: Saint Louis, Rhode Island, Dayton
With Charlotte playing themselves out of the bubble with a loss at home to UMass in the A-10 first round, three teams remain on the bubble. Saint Louis and Rhode Island play Friday in the quarters in an elimination game. Dayton got back on the bubble with Charlotte's loss and with a win over Xavier in the quarters and a win over Richmond in the semis, the Flyers will be in a good position to get in.
Big East: Cincinnati
There is a very slight possibility that the Bearcats can make the big dance but that is why they call this month March Madness. By beating Louisville last night and with losses by South Florida and Seton Hall, the Bearcats are the only team that could make the Big East get nine teams in. To get in, a win over the Mountaineers is needed as well as a semifinal win against either Notre Dame or Pitt. Mick Cronin's team does have two big wins this year against Vandy and Maryland but lost to fellow bubble team UAB.
Big 10: Illinois
The formula is simple for the Illini: Beat Wisconsin in the Big 10 quarterfinals and they're in. Lose to Wisconsin and pray that other bubble teams lose.
Big 12: Missouri, Oklahoma State
Missouri's loss to Nebraska took them out of lock contention and put Texas in as a lock after the Longhorns beat Iowa State. The Cowboys beat interstate rival Oklahoma yesterday, and with a win over Kansas State and a win over either Baylor or Texas in the semis could put them in over Mizzou. Missouri just has to sit back and wait at this point. With wins over Illinois and Oklahoma State, if both of those teams lose their next game, the Tigers should be in, if not they have to play the waiting game.
C-USA: UAB
The Blazers open C-USA tourney play against Southern Miss today and need to win that game and beat Memphis in the semis to have a good chance of getting in. They do boast a win over Butler on their resume, but they were also swept by both UTEP and Memphis, the two top teams in C-USA.
Mountain West: UNLV, San Diego State
Both teams have to win their quarterfinal game and beat either New Mexico or BYU in their respective semifinal games to get in. UNLV is in better shape with two wins over the top two compared to the Aztecs' one and they beat Louisville earlier in the season.
Pac-10: Arizona State, Washington
Getting three teams into the big dance from the Pac-10 will not happen so the second bid will come down to the semifinal matchup between the Sun Devils and Huskies. For this to happen, Arizona State needs to get past Stanford and Washington has to beat Oregon State. The winner of the semifinal game will get the second bid if it is over the other bubble team.
SEC: Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss
The situation is simple for Florida and Mississippi State and that is to beat the other team in the SEC quarterfinals. Florida plays Auburn in the first round tommorrow and if they advance to play the Bulldogs, the winner will still be alive for a tournament bid but a win over Vandy in the semifinals would be a big help to a team's chances. Ole Miss needs hope Tennessee wins their first round game against LSU and then beat the Vols in quarters and Kentucky in the semis to be in the bubble conversation.
Bubble Teams That Should Be In:
Illinois, Missouri, UNLV, UAB, Arizona State, Saint Louis, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Clemson, Mississippi State
Teams Locked In:
ACC: Duke, Maryland, Virginia Tech
A-10: Temple, Xavier, Richmond
Big East: Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Louisville, Pitt, Marquette
Big 10: Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State, Wisconsin
Big 12: Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Texas
C-USA: UTEP, Memphis
Mountain West: BYU, New Mexico
Pac-10: Cal
SEC: Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
WCC: Gonzaga
Right now, these 32 teams will be in the NCAA Tournament, if all teams in these conferences, with the exception of Gonzaga who lost Monday to St. Mary's, win their respective tournaments eleven spots will be open to bubble teams.
Teams on the Bubble:
ACC: Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest
First round play begins in the ACC today and Wake, Clemson, and Georgia Tech need to win their games. That would set up a quarterfinal elimination game between the Seminoles and Tigers, with the Demon Deacons needing to beat Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech to beat Maryland. If Maryland beats the Yellow Jackets, the winner of the potential FSU/Clemson game would be in with a win over the Terps, the same is the case if Wake knocks off Virginia Tech and then Duke in the semis.
A-10: Saint Louis, Rhode Island, Dayton
With Charlotte playing themselves out of the bubble with a loss at home to UMass in the A-10 first round, three teams remain on the bubble. Saint Louis and Rhode Island play Friday in the quarters in an elimination game. Dayton got back on the bubble with Charlotte's loss and with a win over Xavier in the quarters and a win over Richmond in the semis, the Flyers will be in a good position to get in.
Big East: Cincinnati
There is a very slight possibility that the Bearcats can make the big dance but that is why they call this month March Madness. By beating Louisville last night and with losses by South Florida and Seton Hall, the Bearcats are the only team that could make the Big East get nine teams in. To get in, a win over the Mountaineers is needed as well as a semifinal win against either Notre Dame or Pitt. Mick Cronin's team does have two big wins this year against Vandy and Maryland but lost to fellow bubble team UAB.
Big 10: Illinois
The formula is simple for the Illini: Beat Wisconsin in the Big 10 quarterfinals and they're in. Lose to Wisconsin and pray that other bubble teams lose.
Big 12: Missouri, Oklahoma State
Missouri's loss to Nebraska took them out of lock contention and put Texas in as a lock after the Longhorns beat Iowa State. The Cowboys beat interstate rival Oklahoma yesterday, and with a win over Kansas State and a win over either Baylor or Texas in the semis could put them in over Mizzou. Missouri just has to sit back and wait at this point. With wins over Illinois and Oklahoma State, if both of those teams lose their next game, the Tigers should be in, if not they have to play the waiting game.
C-USA: UAB
The Blazers open C-USA tourney play against Southern Miss today and need to win that game and beat Memphis in the semis to have a good chance of getting in. They do boast a win over Butler on their resume, but they were also swept by both UTEP and Memphis, the two top teams in C-USA.
Mountain West: UNLV, San Diego State
Both teams have to win their quarterfinal game and beat either New Mexico or BYU in their respective semifinal games to get in. UNLV is in better shape with two wins over the top two compared to the Aztecs' one and they beat Louisville earlier in the season.
Pac-10: Arizona State, Washington
Getting three teams into the big dance from the Pac-10 will not happen so the second bid will come down to the semifinal matchup between the Sun Devils and Huskies. For this to happen, Arizona State needs to get past Stanford and Washington has to beat Oregon State. The winner of the semifinal game will get the second bid if it is over the other bubble team.
SEC: Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss
The situation is simple for Florida and Mississippi State and that is to beat the other team in the SEC quarterfinals. Florida plays Auburn in the first round tommorrow and if they advance to play the Bulldogs, the winner will still be alive for a tournament bid but a win over Vandy in the semifinals would be a big help to a team's chances. Ole Miss needs hope Tennessee wins their first round game against LSU and then beat the Vols in quarters and Kentucky in the semis to be in the bubble conversation.
Bubble Teams That Should Be In:
Illinois, Missouri, UNLV, UAB, Arizona State, Saint Louis, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Clemson, Mississippi State
Monday, March 8, 2010
BCS Conferences Tournament Preview
Now it's time for the preview everyone has been waiting for: the BCS conferences tournament preview. Five of the six BCS conferences have had good seasons with the Pac-10 struggling to get more than one team. Also, bubble teams will be the focus of the first few rounds of each tournament.
ACC (Greensboro, NC)
Seeds: (1) Duke (2) Maryland (3) Florida State (4) Virginia Tech (5) Wake Forest (6) Clemson (7) Georgia Tech (8) Boston College (9) Virginia (10) UNC (11) NC State (12) Miami
2009 Tournament Champion: Duke (Lost in Sweet 16)
Game Schedule:
Thursday: (5) Wake Forest vs. (12) Miami, (6) Clemson vs. (11) NC State, (7) Georgia Tech vs. (10) UNC, (8) Boston College vs. (9) Virginia
Friday: (1) Duke vs. 8/9 winner, (2) Maryland vs. 7/10 winner, (3) Florida State vs. 6/11 winner, (4) Virginia Tech vs. 5/12 winner
Saturday: Semifinals
Sunday: Final
The ACC has two locks in Duke and Maryland, after that the winners of the two other quarterfinals will be in the best position to make the tournament as an at-large if one of those four bubble teams, seeds 3 thru 6, does not win the tournament.
Big 10 (Indianapolis)
Seeds: (1) Ohio State (2) Purdue (3) Michigan State (4) Wisconsin (5) Illinois (6) Minnesota (7) Northwestern (8) Michigan (9) Iowa (10) Indiana (11) Penn State
2009 Tournament Champion: Purdue (Lost in Sweet 16)
Game Schedule:
Thursday: (6) Minnesota vs. (11) Penn State, (7) Northwestern vs. (10) Indiana, (8)Michigan vs. (9) Iowa
Friday: (1) Ohio State vs. 8/9 winner, (2) Purdue vs. 7/10 winner, (3) Michigan State vs. 6/11 winner, (4) Wisconsin vs. (5) Illinois
Saturday: Semifinals
Sunday: Final
The top four teams all locked in the tournament with Illinois needing a win over Wisconsin to get an at-large. The top three seeds are fighting for a chance to become a two seed if they win the Big 10 tournament, the others could see anywhere from a three to five seed.
Big East (New York City)
Seeds: (1) Syracuse (2) Pitt (3) West Virginia (4) Villanova (5) Marquette (6) Louisville (7) Notre Dame (8) Georgetown (9) South Florida (10) Seton Hall (11) Cincinnati (12) UConn (13) St. John's (14) Rutgers (15) Providence (16) DePaul
2009 Tournament Champion: Louisville (Lost in Elite 8)
Game Schedule:
Tuesday: (9) South Florida vs. (16) DePaul, (10) Seton Hall vs. (15) Providence, (11) Cincinnati vs. (14) Rutgers, (12) UConn vs. (13) St. John's
Wednesday: (5) Marquette vs. 12/13 winner, (6)Louisville vs. 11/14 winner, (7) Notre Dame vs. 10/15 winner, (8) Georgetown vs. 9/16 winner
Thursday: (1) Syracuse vs. winner of Georgetown game, (2) Pitt vs. winner of Notre Dame game, (3) West Virginia vs. winner of Louisville game, (4) Villanova vs. winner of Marquette game.
Friday: Semifinals
Saturday: Final
After Louisville's second win this season over Syracuse and Notre Dame's end of the year win streak, the Big East can count at least six locks with Marquette and Georgetown needing a win in their first game to lock in a bid. South Florida has a long shot of making it but with wins over Georgetown and Syracuse, an at-large berth will be waiting.
Big 12 (Kansas City, MO)
Seeds: (1) Kansas (2) Kansas State (3) Baylor (4) Texas A&M (5) Missouri (6) Texas (7) Oklahoma State (8) Colorado (9) Texas Tech (10) Oklahoma (11) Iowa State (12) Nebraska
2009 Tournament Champion: Missouri (Lost in Elite 8)
Game Schedule:
Wednesday: (5) Missouri vs. (12) Nebraska, (6) Texas vs. (11) Iowa State, (7) Oklahoma State vs. (10) Oklahoma, (8) Colorado vs. (9) Texas Tech
Thursday: (1) Kansas vs. 8/9 winner, (2) Kansas State vs. 7/10 winner, (3) Baylor vs 6/11 winner, (4) Texas A&M vs. 5/12 winner
Friday: Semifinals
Saturday: Final
The Big 12 could possibly have two number one seeds if Kansas State wins the tournament. On the bubble watch, Missouri and Texas need to advance to the quarterfinals and win their quarter to be a lock. The Longhorns are in better shape than the Tigers and should get in no matter what.
Pac-10 (Los Angeles)
Seeds: (1) Cal (2) Arizona State (3) Washington (4) Arizona (5) UCLA (6) Oregon State (7) Stanford (8) Oregon (9) Washington State
2009 Tournament Champion: USC (Lost in NCAA 2nd Round)
Game Schedule:
Wednesday: (8) Oregon vs. (9) Washington State
Thursday: (1) Cal vs. 8/9 winner, (2) Arizona State vs. (7) Stanford, (3) Washington vs. (6) Oregon State, (4) Arizona vs. (5) UCLA
Friday: Semifinals
Saturday: Final
This is by far one of the weakest, if not the weakest, conference in all of college basketball. One, maybe two, teams will get in. To get two teams in the tournament, Arizona State needs to beat Cal in a close championship game.
SEC (Nashville)
Seeds: East: (1) Kentucky (2) Vanderbilt (3) Tennessee (4) Florida (5) South Carolina (6) Georgia
West: (1) Mississippi State (2) Ole Miss (3) Arkansas (4) Alabama (5) Auburn (6) LSU
2009 Tournament Champion: Mississippi State (Lost in NCAA 1st Round)
Game Schedule:
Thursday: (E3) Tennessee vs. (W6) LSU, (E4) Florida vs. (W5) Auburn, (W3) Arkansas vs. (E6) Georgia, (W4) Alabama vs. (E5) South Carolina
Friday: (E1) Kentucky vs. W4/E5 winner, (E2) Vanderbilt vs. W3/E6 winner, (W1) Mississippi State vs. E4/W5 winner, (W2) Ole Miss vs. E3/W6 winner
Saturday: Semifinals
Sunday: Final
Kentucky, Vandy and Tennessee are locks while both Mississippi teams and Florida are on the bubble. If Florida wins their opener, the game against Mississippi State will be an elimination game. Ole Miss has an outside chance to make it if they make the final.
ACC (Greensboro, NC)
Seeds: (1) Duke (2) Maryland (3) Florida State (4) Virginia Tech (5) Wake Forest (6) Clemson (7) Georgia Tech (8) Boston College (9) Virginia (10) UNC (11) NC State (12) Miami
2009 Tournament Champion: Duke (Lost in Sweet 16)
Game Schedule:
Thursday: (5) Wake Forest vs. (12) Miami, (6) Clemson vs. (11) NC State, (7) Georgia Tech vs. (10) UNC, (8) Boston College vs. (9) Virginia
Friday: (1) Duke vs. 8/9 winner, (2) Maryland vs. 7/10 winner, (3) Florida State vs. 6/11 winner, (4) Virginia Tech vs. 5/12 winner
Saturday: Semifinals
Sunday: Final
The ACC has two locks in Duke and Maryland, after that the winners of the two other quarterfinals will be in the best position to make the tournament as an at-large if one of those four bubble teams, seeds 3 thru 6, does not win the tournament.
Big 10 (Indianapolis)
Seeds: (1) Ohio State (2) Purdue (3) Michigan State (4) Wisconsin (5) Illinois (6) Minnesota (7) Northwestern (8) Michigan (9) Iowa (10) Indiana (11) Penn State
2009 Tournament Champion: Purdue (Lost in Sweet 16)
Game Schedule:
Thursday: (6) Minnesota vs. (11) Penn State, (7) Northwestern vs. (10) Indiana, (8)Michigan vs. (9) Iowa
Friday: (1) Ohio State vs. 8/9 winner, (2) Purdue vs. 7/10 winner, (3) Michigan State vs. 6/11 winner, (4) Wisconsin vs. (5) Illinois
Saturday: Semifinals
Sunday: Final
The top four teams all locked in the tournament with Illinois needing a win over Wisconsin to get an at-large. The top three seeds are fighting for a chance to become a two seed if they win the Big 10 tournament, the others could see anywhere from a three to five seed.
Big East (New York City)
Seeds: (1) Syracuse (2) Pitt (3) West Virginia (4) Villanova (5) Marquette (6) Louisville (7) Notre Dame (8) Georgetown (9) South Florida (10) Seton Hall (11) Cincinnati (12) UConn (13) St. John's (14) Rutgers (15) Providence (16) DePaul
2009 Tournament Champion: Louisville (Lost in Elite 8)
Game Schedule:
Tuesday: (9) South Florida vs. (16) DePaul, (10) Seton Hall vs. (15) Providence, (11) Cincinnati vs. (14) Rutgers, (12) UConn vs. (13) St. John's
Wednesday: (5) Marquette vs. 12/13 winner, (6)Louisville vs. 11/14 winner, (7) Notre Dame vs. 10/15 winner, (8) Georgetown vs. 9/16 winner
Thursday: (1) Syracuse vs. winner of Georgetown game, (2) Pitt vs. winner of Notre Dame game, (3) West Virginia vs. winner of Louisville game, (4) Villanova vs. winner of Marquette game.
Friday: Semifinals
Saturday: Final
After Louisville's second win this season over Syracuse and Notre Dame's end of the year win streak, the Big East can count at least six locks with Marquette and Georgetown needing a win in their first game to lock in a bid. South Florida has a long shot of making it but with wins over Georgetown and Syracuse, an at-large berth will be waiting.
Big 12 (Kansas City, MO)
Seeds: (1) Kansas (2) Kansas State (3) Baylor (4) Texas A&M (5) Missouri (6) Texas (7) Oklahoma State (8) Colorado (9) Texas Tech (10) Oklahoma (11) Iowa State (12) Nebraska
2009 Tournament Champion: Missouri (Lost in Elite 8)
Game Schedule:
Wednesday: (5) Missouri vs. (12) Nebraska, (6) Texas vs. (11) Iowa State, (7) Oklahoma State vs. (10) Oklahoma, (8) Colorado vs. (9) Texas Tech
Thursday: (1) Kansas vs. 8/9 winner, (2) Kansas State vs. 7/10 winner, (3) Baylor vs 6/11 winner, (4) Texas A&M vs. 5/12 winner
Friday: Semifinals
Saturday: Final
The Big 12 could possibly have two number one seeds if Kansas State wins the tournament. On the bubble watch, Missouri and Texas need to advance to the quarterfinals and win their quarter to be a lock. The Longhorns are in better shape than the Tigers and should get in no matter what.
Pac-10 (Los Angeles)
Seeds: (1) Cal (2) Arizona State (3) Washington (4) Arizona (5) UCLA (6) Oregon State (7) Stanford (8) Oregon (9) Washington State
2009 Tournament Champion: USC (Lost in NCAA 2nd Round)
Game Schedule:
Wednesday: (8) Oregon vs. (9) Washington State
Thursday: (1) Cal vs. 8/9 winner, (2) Arizona State vs. (7) Stanford, (3) Washington vs. (6) Oregon State, (4) Arizona vs. (5) UCLA
Friday: Semifinals
Saturday: Final
This is by far one of the weakest, if not the weakest, conference in all of college basketball. One, maybe two, teams will get in. To get two teams in the tournament, Arizona State needs to beat Cal in a close championship game.
SEC (Nashville)
Seeds: East: (1) Kentucky (2) Vanderbilt (3) Tennessee (4) Florida (5) South Carolina (6) Georgia
West: (1) Mississippi State (2) Ole Miss (3) Arkansas (4) Alabama (5) Auburn (6) LSU
2009 Tournament Champion: Mississippi State (Lost in NCAA 1st Round)
Game Schedule:
Thursday: (E3) Tennessee vs. (W6) LSU, (E4) Florida vs. (W5) Auburn, (W3) Arkansas vs. (E6) Georgia, (W4) Alabama vs. (E5) South Carolina
Friday: (E1) Kentucky vs. W4/E5 winner, (E2) Vanderbilt vs. W3/E6 winner, (W1) Mississippi State vs. E4/W5 winner, (W2) Ole Miss vs. E3/W6 winner
Saturday: Semifinals
Sunday: Final
Kentucky, Vandy and Tennessee are locks while both Mississippi teams and Florida are on the bubble. If Florida wins their opener, the game against Mississippi State will be an elimination game. Ole Miss has an outside chance to make it if they make the final.
College Hoopla- March 8
The madness officially has begun with five teams winning automatic berths into the big dance. Twenty-nine more bids will be given out this week before Selection Sunday. Here are this week's awards:
Player of the Week:
Kyle Kuric, G, Louisville
No one, even Louisville fans, knew who Kuric was before Saturday's Freedom Hall finale against #1 Syracuse. That all changed in the second half with Kuric scoring 22 points. Going 4 of 6 from beyond the arc and a few alley-oops, Kuric was the BMOC in Louisville Saturday night.
Team of the Week:
Louisville
After a crippling loss to Marquette, Rick Pitino's team rebounded with their second win of the season against Syracuse. In the final game at Freedom Hall, the Cardinals were strong all game and thanks to Kuric's heroics, locked down a tournament spot.
Upset of the Week:
Iowa State over Kansas State 85-80 (OT)
The Wildcats had a chance to make their case for a number one seed but lost that opportunity after losing to the Cyclones Saturday night. K-State recovered from a nine point halftime deficit to send the game to overtime but could not close the deal, losing by five in overtime.
Game of the Week:
West Virginia 68, Villanova 66 (OT)
In a battle of Big East powerhouses at the Wachovia Center, the referees took front stage, with both teams being called for 24 fouls each. The game was far from exciting in the first half with Nova going into the half with a 29-16 lead. The Wildcats' failure to close the game out and the clutch shooting of the Mountaineers combined for a great second half which led into a lackluster overtime period with saw Bob Huggins' team coming out on top.
Conference Tournaments To Watch:
ACC, Big 10, SEC, Mt. West, A-10, Pac 10
Who the Top Seeds Should Be:
1- Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke
2- Winner of Big 10 Tourney, Kansas State, West Virginia, New Mexico
Bubble Teams That Are in the Tournament:
Notre Dame, St. Mary's, Memphis, Virginia Tech
Bubble Teams That Should Not Make the Tournament
UConn, Illinois, Rhode Island, Wake Forest
Check back during the rest of the week for more College Hoopla.
Player of the Week:
Kyle Kuric, G, Louisville
No one, even Louisville fans, knew who Kuric was before Saturday's Freedom Hall finale against #1 Syracuse. That all changed in the second half with Kuric scoring 22 points. Going 4 of 6 from beyond the arc and a few alley-oops, Kuric was the BMOC in Louisville Saturday night.
Team of the Week:
Louisville
After a crippling loss to Marquette, Rick Pitino's team rebounded with their second win of the season against Syracuse. In the final game at Freedom Hall, the Cardinals were strong all game and thanks to Kuric's heroics, locked down a tournament spot.
Upset of the Week:
Iowa State over Kansas State 85-80 (OT)
The Wildcats had a chance to make their case for a number one seed but lost that opportunity after losing to the Cyclones Saturday night. K-State recovered from a nine point halftime deficit to send the game to overtime but could not close the deal, losing by five in overtime.
Game of the Week:
West Virginia 68, Villanova 66 (OT)
In a battle of Big East powerhouses at the Wachovia Center, the referees took front stage, with both teams being called for 24 fouls each. The game was far from exciting in the first half with Nova going into the half with a 29-16 lead. The Wildcats' failure to close the game out and the clutch shooting of the Mountaineers combined for a great second half which led into a lackluster overtime period with saw Bob Huggins' team coming out on top.
Conference Tournaments To Watch:
ACC, Big 10, SEC, Mt. West, A-10, Pac 10
Who the Top Seeds Should Be:
1- Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke
2- Winner of Big 10 Tourney, Kansas State, West Virginia, New Mexico
Bubble Teams That Are in the Tournament:
Notre Dame, St. Mary's, Memphis, Virginia Tech
Bubble Teams That Should Not Make the Tournament
UConn, Illinois, Rhode Island, Wake Forest
Check back during the rest of the week for more College Hoopla.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Duke-UNC Clash Means More Than Usual Tonight
Tonight marks the 229th time that the North Carolina Tar Heels and Duke Blue Devils will be opponents on the basketball court. Both teams have had different paths this season, Carolina has struggled mightily after losing the core of their national championship team, while Duke has a strong group of seniors propelling them to a possible number one seed. Both teams are also looking to win the game for different reasons. If the Heels win, it will be the high spot in a disappointing season and for Duke it would be a win over the most-hated team in all the land.
For North Carolina, this game is the Super Bowl of the 2009-10 season. After starting the season 4-0, the non-conference schedule got tough and the young group of players were not able to contend with Syracuse, Texas, and Kentucky. Then, after a loss to Charleston at home right before ACC play, things went haywire. Roy Williams' team is 5-10 in the ACC and 16-14 overall and on the verge of not making the NIT. If there is any good news, they are on a two game win streak beating Wake Forest and Miami in those games. With only two players with double digit points per game, the Heels are struggling to find someone to step up and take the big shot.
The Blue Devils have had an excellent season under Coach K and going in to this week had a chance at a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament but that chance fell off the radar with a loss to Maryland on Wednesday. They will no doubt be motivated to win on Jon Scheyer's senior night against the Heels but they will face a challenge since it is a rivalry game.
Tonight's game has the feel of any rivalry game that features a struggling team and a very successful team. The most recent example is the Ohio St.-Michigan football games with Ohio St. being the winner and the more successful team in the regular season. Duke would love that outcome but this rivalry means way more to both teams than a Big 10 football game. If North Carolina wins, their season will have a better taste at the end and could give them momentum to make a good run at the ACC Tournament. Duke wants to win this game for Scheyer and fellow seniors Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek and to take the ACC regular season title from Maryland.
Key Players To Watch:
North Carolina: G Will Graves
Graves needs to step up his game from beyond the arc and also become a leader on the floor tonight. Graves is the best three point and free throw shooter on the team and will need to score way more than his average of 9.9 points per game to give his team a shot tonight.
Duke: G Jon Scheyer
Not only is it his senior night, Scheyer is playing in a rivalry game he has never won at home, he can possibly win ACC Player of the Year and win the ACC regular season title all in one night. The pressure will be on Scheyer to lead the Blue Devils on the perimeter and will have knock down his free throws tonight at Cameron Indoor.
Prediction: Duke 81, UNC 77
This game will be close because how much this game means to both teams' seasons. But Duke has too much experience and will want to win the game at Cameron Indoor for the first time in five years.
For North Carolina, this game is the Super Bowl of the 2009-10 season. After starting the season 4-0, the non-conference schedule got tough and the young group of players were not able to contend with Syracuse, Texas, and Kentucky. Then, after a loss to Charleston at home right before ACC play, things went haywire. Roy Williams' team is 5-10 in the ACC and 16-14 overall and on the verge of not making the NIT. If there is any good news, they are on a two game win streak beating Wake Forest and Miami in those games. With only two players with double digit points per game, the Heels are struggling to find someone to step up and take the big shot.
The Blue Devils have had an excellent season under Coach K and going in to this week had a chance at a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament but that chance fell off the radar with a loss to Maryland on Wednesday. They will no doubt be motivated to win on Jon Scheyer's senior night against the Heels but they will face a challenge since it is a rivalry game.
Tonight's game has the feel of any rivalry game that features a struggling team and a very successful team. The most recent example is the Ohio St.-Michigan football games with Ohio St. being the winner and the more successful team in the regular season. Duke would love that outcome but this rivalry means way more to both teams than a Big 10 football game. If North Carolina wins, their season will have a better taste at the end and could give them momentum to make a good run at the ACC Tournament. Duke wants to win this game for Scheyer and fellow seniors Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek and to take the ACC regular season title from Maryland.
Key Players To Watch:
North Carolina: G Will Graves
Graves needs to step up his game from beyond the arc and also become a leader on the floor tonight. Graves is the best three point and free throw shooter on the team and will need to score way more than his average of 9.9 points per game to give his team a shot tonight.
Duke: G Jon Scheyer
Not only is it his senior night, Scheyer is playing in a rivalry game he has never won at home, he can possibly win ACC Player of the Year and win the ACC regular season title all in one night. The pressure will be on Scheyer to lead the Blue Devils on the perimeter and will have knock down his free throws tonight at Cameron Indoor.
Prediction: Duke 81, UNC 77
This game will be close because how much this game means to both teams' seasons. But Duke has too much experience and will want to win the game at Cameron Indoor for the first time in five years.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
America East, NEC, CAA, MAAC, SoCon College Hoopla Tournament Preview
America East, NEC,CAA, MAAC, SoCon College Hoopla Tournament Preview
Conference Tournament Season is getting into full swing this weekend with a slew of conferences taking to the court. In these five conferences I am previewing today only a loss by Siena in the MAAC Tournament could have some implications on a possible at-large bid, after that everyone else is playing for an automatic berth to the big dance.
America East (QF and SF @ Hartford, Final @ Highest Seed)
Seeds: (1) Stony Brook (2) Vermont (3) Maine (4) Boston U. (5) Hartford (6) New Hampshire (7) UMBC (8) Albany
2009 Tournament Champion: Binghamton (Lost to Duke in NCAA 1st Round)
Game Schedule:
Saturday: (1) Stony Brook vs. (8) Albany, (2) Vermont vs. (7) UMBC, (3) Maine vs. (6) New Hampshire, (4) Boston U. vs. (5) Hartford
Sunday: Semifinals
Next Saturday: Final
The attention given to this year's version of Am. East tourney is negative with Binghamton deciding to pull out of the tournament. Bearcats' fans and students protested the administration's decision to take out the defending champion but it was to no avail. This gives UMBC and Albany a chance to play in the quarterfinals instead of facing each other in the play-in game.
NEC (All games @ Higher Seed)
Seeds: (1) Quinnipiac (2) Robert Morris (3) Mt. St. Mary's (4) LIU (5) FDU (6) St. Francis (PA) (7) Central Connecticut St. (8) Monmouth
2009 Tournament Champion: Robert Morris (Lost to Mich. St. in NCAA 1st Round)
Game Schedule:
Thursday: (1) Quinnipiac vs. (8) Monmouth (2) Robert Morris vs. (7) Cent. CT St. (3)Mt. St. Mary's vs. (6) St. Francis (PA) (4) LIU vs. (5) FDU
Sunday: Semifinals
Wednesday: Final
The race for the automatic berth is between the top three with Robert Morris looking to repeat as champion.
Colonial Athletic Association (Richmond, VA)
Seeds: (1) Old Dominion (2) Northeastern (3) William & Mary (4) George Mason (5) VCU (6) Drexel (7) Hofstra (8) Towson (9) UNCW (10) Georgia St. (11) James Madison (12) Delaware
2009 Tournament Champion: VCU (Lost in NCAA 1st Round to UCLA)
Game Schedule:
Friday: (8) Towson vs. (9) UNCW, (5) VCU vs. (12) Delaware, (7) Hofstra vs. (10) Georgia State, (6) Drexel vs. (11) James Madison
Saturday: Quarterfinals
Sunday: Semifinals
Monday: Final
Just like many mid-major conferences, the CAA will only have one team getting into the tournament but the conference has a history of pulling upsets in the big dance, most notably was George Mason making the Final Four as an 11 seed in 2006.
MAAC (Albany, NY)
Seeds: (1) Siena (2) Fairfield (3) Iona (4) St. Peter's (5) Rider (6) Niagara (7) Canisius (8) Loyola, MD (9) Manhattan (10) Marist
2009 Tournament Champion: Siena (Beat Ohio St. in NCAA 1st Round, Lost to Louisville in NCAA 2nd Round)
Game Schedule:
Friday: (7) Canisius vs. (10) Marist, (8) Loyola vs. (9) Manhattan
Saturday: Quarterfinals
Sunday: Semifinals
Monday: Final, 7:00, ESPN2
Siena has been the top team all season and has an outside chance at an at-large bid if they get upset but will have to get alot of help from bubble teams in the BCS conferences to get in.
SoCon (Charlotte, NC)
Seeds: North Division: (1) Appalachain St. (2) Western Carolina (3) Chattanooga (4)NC-Greensboro (5) Samford (6)Elon
South Division: (1) Wofford (2) Charleston (3) Davidson (4) The Citadel (5) Furman (6) Georgia Southern
2009 Tournament Champion: Chattanooga (Lost to UConn in NCAA 1st Round)
Game Schedule:
Friday: (3N) Chattanooga vs. (6S) Georgia Southern, (3S) Davidson vs. (6N) Elon, (4N) NC-Greensboro vs. (5S) Furman, (4S) The Citadel vs. (5N) Samford
Saturday: (1N) Appalachain St. vs. 4S/5N winner, (1S) Wofford vs. 4N/5S winner, (2N) Western Carolina vs. 3S/6N winner, (2S) Charleston vs. 3N/6S winner
Sunday: Semifinals
Monday: Final, 9:00, ESPN2
The Southern Conference is free from the shooting skill of Stephen Curry after he graduated last season from Davidson and is a wide open crapshoot with the four straight days of play. Last season, Chattanooga had a 18-16 regular season record and won the tournament.
College Hoopla Conference Tournament Preview Schedule:
Wednesday: Atlantic Sun, Big South, Ohio Valley, Missouri Valley
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/355918-college-hoopla-conference-tourney-preview-a-sun-big-south-ovc-mvc
Today: America East, NEC, Colonial, MAAC, SoCon
Tommorrow: West Coast, Horizon, Summit, Sun Belt, Patriot
Monday: Big Sky, SWAC, Southland, MEAC, C-USA, WAC
Conference Tournament Season is getting into full swing this weekend with a slew of conferences taking to the court. In these five conferences I am previewing today only a loss by Siena in the MAAC Tournament could have some implications on a possible at-large bid, after that everyone else is playing for an automatic berth to the big dance.
America East (QF and SF @ Hartford, Final @ Highest Seed)
Seeds: (1) Stony Brook (2) Vermont (3) Maine (4) Boston U. (5) Hartford (6) New Hampshire (7) UMBC (8) Albany
2009 Tournament Champion: Binghamton (Lost to Duke in NCAA 1st Round)
Game Schedule:
Saturday: (1) Stony Brook vs. (8) Albany, (2) Vermont vs. (7) UMBC, (3) Maine vs. (6) New Hampshire, (4) Boston U. vs. (5) Hartford
Sunday: Semifinals
Next Saturday: Final
The attention given to this year's version of Am. East tourney is negative with Binghamton deciding to pull out of the tournament. Bearcats' fans and students protested the administration's decision to take out the defending champion but it was to no avail. This gives UMBC and Albany a chance to play in the quarterfinals instead of facing each other in the play-in game.
NEC (All games @ Higher Seed)
Seeds: (1) Quinnipiac (2) Robert Morris (3) Mt. St. Mary's (4) LIU (5) FDU (6) St. Francis (PA) (7) Central Connecticut St. (8) Monmouth
2009 Tournament Champion: Robert Morris (Lost to Mich. St. in NCAA 1st Round)
Game Schedule:
Thursday: (1) Quinnipiac vs. (8) Monmouth (2) Robert Morris vs. (7) Cent. CT St. (3)Mt. St. Mary's vs. (6) St. Francis (PA) (4) LIU vs. (5) FDU
Sunday: Semifinals
Wednesday: Final
The race for the automatic berth is between the top three with Robert Morris looking to repeat as champion.
Colonial Athletic Association (Richmond, VA)
Seeds: (1) Old Dominion (2) Northeastern (3) William & Mary (4) George Mason (5) VCU (6) Drexel (7) Hofstra (8) Towson (9) UNCW (10) Georgia St. (11) James Madison (12) Delaware
2009 Tournament Champion: VCU (Lost in NCAA 1st Round to UCLA)
Game Schedule:
Friday: (8) Towson vs. (9) UNCW, (5) VCU vs. (12) Delaware, (7) Hofstra vs. (10) Georgia State, (6) Drexel vs. (11) James Madison
Saturday: Quarterfinals
Sunday: Semifinals
Monday: Final
Just like many mid-major conferences, the CAA will only have one team getting into the tournament but the conference has a history of pulling upsets in the big dance, most notably was George Mason making the Final Four as an 11 seed in 2006.
MAAC (Albany, NY)
Seeds: (1) Siena (2) Fairfield (3) Iona (4) St. Peter's (5) Rider (6) Niagara (7) Canisius (8) Loyola, MD (9) Manhattan (10) Marist
2009 Tournament Champion: Siena (Beat Ohio St. in NCAA 1st Round, Lost to Louisville in NCAA 2nd Round)
Game Schedule:
Friday: (7) Canisius vs. (10) Marist, (8) Loyola vs. (9) Manhattan
Saturday: Quarterfinals
Sunday: Semifinals
Monday: Final, 7:00, ESPN2
Siena has been the top team all season and has an outside chance at an at-large bid if they get upset but will have to get alot of help from bubble teams in the BCS conferences to get in.
SoCon (Charlotte, NC)
Seeds: North Division: (1) Appalachain St. (2) Western Carolina (3) Chattanooga (4)NC-Greensboro (5) Samford (6)Elon
South Division: (1) Wofford (2) Charleston (3) Davidson (4) The Citadel (5) Furman (6) Georgia Southern
2009 Tournament Champion: Chattanooga (Lost to UConn in NCAA 1st Round)
Game Schedule:
Friday: (3N) Chattanooga vs. (6S) Georgia Southern, (3S) Davidson vs. (6N) Elon, (4N) NC-Greensboro vs. (5S) Furman, (4S) The Citadel vs. (5N) Samford
Saturday: (1N) Appalachain St. vs. 4S/5N winner, (1S) Wofford vs. 4N/5S winner, (2N) Western Carolina vs. 3S/6N winner, (2S) Charleston vs. 3N/6S winner
Sunday: Semifinals
Monday: Final, 9:00, ESPN2
The Southern Conference is free from the shooting skill of Stephen Curry after he graduated last season from Davidson and is a wide open crapshoot with the four straight days of play. Last season, Chattanooga had a 18-16 regular season record and won the tournament.
College Hoopla Conference Tournament Preview Schedule:
Wednesday: Atlantic Sun, Big South, Ohio Valley, Missouri Valley
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/355918-college-hoopla-conference-tourney-preview-a-sun-big-south-ovc-mvc
Today: America East, NEC, Colonial, MAAC, SoCon
Tommorrow: West Coast, Horizon, Summit, Sun Belt, Patriot
Monday: Big Sky, SWAC, Southland, MEAC, C-USA, WAC
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
College Hoopla: Conference Tourney Preview: A-Sun, Big South, OVC, MVC
This weekend the first four automatic berths for the 2010 NCAA Tournament will be given out. From Macon, Georgia to St. Louis, conference tournaments will be played. Here is the preview for all four conferences.
Atlantic Sun (Macon, GA)
Seeds: 1. Lipscomb 2. Jacksonville 3. Belmont 4. Campbell 5. East Tennessee St. 6. Mercer 7. North Florida 8. Kennesaw State
Start of Tournament: Wednesday March 3
2009 Tournament Champion: East Tennessee State (lost to Pitt in NCAA 1st Round)
Game Schedule:
Wednesday: (1) Lipscomb v. (8) Kennesaw State, (2) Jacksonville v. (7) UNF
Thursday: (3) Belmont v. (6) Mercer, (4) Campbell v. (5) ETSU
Friday: Semifinals
Saturday: Final, 6, ESPN2
Lipscomb was on top at the end of the regular season but Mercer is playing at home and could pull a shock run to the automatic bid. The Atlantic Sun will only get one team into the NCAA Tournament, no team has the resume to make an at-large.
Big South (Conway, SC)
Seeds: 1. Coastal Carolina 2. Radford 3. Winthrop 4. NC-Asheville 5. High Point 6. Liberty 7. Charleston Southern 8. VMI
Start of Tournament: Tuesday March 2
2009 Tournament Champion: Radford (lost to UNC in NCAA 1st Round)
Results from Quarterfinals: (1) Coastal Carolina 82, (8) VMI 73, (2) Radford 64, (7) Charleston Southern 61, (3) Winthrop 80, (6) Liberty 72 (4) NC-Asheville 84, (5) High Point 73
Game Schedule:
Thursday: (1) Coastal Carolina vs. (4) NC-Asheville, (2) Radford vs. (3) Winthrop, both games on ESPNU
Saturday: Final, 4, ESPN2
Coastal Carolina has the home court advantage but will face strong competition from perennial contenders Radford and Winthrop. Just like the A-Sun, whoever wins will take the single bid to the NCAA Tournament for the conference.
Ohio Valley (Quarterfinals at Highest See, Semis and Finals in Nashville)
Seeds: (1) Murray State (2) Morehead State (3) Austin Peay (4) Eastern Illinois (5) Eastern Kentucky (6) Tennessee Tech (7) Jacksonville State (8) Tennessee St.
Start of Tournament: Tuesday March 2
2009 Tournament Champion: Morehead State (Won play-in game, lost to Louisville in NCAA 1st Round)
Results from Quarterfinals: (1) Murray St. 84, (8) Tennessee St. 51, (2) Morehead St. 87, (7) Jacksonville St. 54, (4) E. Illinois 68, (5) E. Kentucky 65 (6) Tennesee Tech 68, (3) Austin Peay 65
Game Schedule:
Friday: (1) Murray State vs. (4) Eastern Illinois, (2) Morehead State vs. (6) TN Tech, both on ESPNU
Saturday: 9:00, ESPN2
The only slight chance of having two teams from the OVC in the NCAA Tournament is if Murray State loses in the final and has alot of help from teams on the bubble from the BCS conferences losing early in their conference tournaments.
Missouri Valley (St. Louis)
Seeds: (1) Northern Iowa, (2) Wichita St. (3) Illinois St. (4) Creighton (5) Bradley (6) Indiana St. (7) Missouri St. (8) Drake (9) Southern Illinois (10) Evansville
2009 Tournament Champion: Northern Iowa (lost to Purdue in NCAA 1st round)
Game Schedule:
Thursday: (7) Missouri St. vs. (10) Evansville, (8) Drake vs. (9) Southern Illinois
Friday: (1) Northern Iowa vs. 8/9 Winner, (4) Creighton vs. (5) Bradley, (3) Illinois St. vs. (6) Indiana St., (2) Wichita St. vs. 7/10 winner
Saturday: Semifinals
Sunday: Final, 2:00, CBS
Arch Madness as it is called is always one of the most exciting of the early conference tournaments because it has had teams on the bubble for the past decade with multiple bids going to the MVC numerous times. This season, Northern Iowa is the only team worthy of an at-large bid if they lose and that will be the only way to get more than one team but expect the Panthers with the return of Jordan Eglesder from suspension to make their best effort to lock up an automatic bid.
Coming Up Later This Week: Previews of the first 4 finals and conference tournament previews for the rest of the mid-major schools.
Atlantic Sun (Macon, GA)
Seeds: 1. Lipscomb 2. Jacksonville 3. Belmont 4. Campbell 5. East Tennessee St. 6. Mercer 7. North Florida 8. Kennesaw State
Start of Tournament: Wednesday March 3
2009 Tournament Champion: East Tennessee State (lost to Pitt in NCAA 1st Round)
Game Schedule:
Wednesday: (1) Lipscomb v. (8) Kennesaw State, (2) Jacksonville v. (7) UNF
Thursday: (3) Belmont v. (6) Mercer, (4) Campbell v. (5) ETSU
Friday: Semifinals
Saturday: Final, 6, ESPN2
Lipscomb was on top at the end of the regular season but Mercer is playing at home and could pull a shock run to the automatic bid. The Atlantic Sun will only get one team into the NCAA Tournament, no team has the resume to make an at-large.
Big South (Conway, SC)
Seeds: 1. Coastal Carolina 2. Radford 3. Winthrop 4. NC-Asheville 5. High Point 6. Liberty 7. Charleston Southern 8. VMI
Start of Tournament: Tuesday March 2
2009 Tournament Champion: Radford (lost to UNC in NCAA 1st Round)
Results from Quarterfinals: (1) Coastal Carolina 82, (8) VMI 73, (2) Radford 64, (7) Charleston Southern 61, (3) Winthrop 80, (6) Liberty 72 (4) NC-Asheville 84, (5) High Point 73
Game Schedule:
Thursday: (1) Coastal Carolina vs. (4) NC-Asheville, (2) Radford vs. (3) Winthrop, both games on ESPNU
Saturday: Final, 4, ESPN2
Coastal Carolina has the home court advantage but will face strong competition from perennial contenders Radford and Winthrop. Just like the A-Sun, whoever wins will take the single bid to the NCAA Tournament for the conference.
Ohio Valley (Quarterfinals at Highest See, Semis and Finals in Nashville)
Seeds: (1) Murray State (2) Morehead State (3) Austin Peay (4) Eastern Illinois (5) Eastern Kentucky (6) Tennessee Tech (7) Jacksonville State (8) Tennessee St.
Start of Tournament: Tuesday March 2
2009 Tournament Champion: Morehead State (Won play-in game, lost to Louisville in NCAA 1st Round)
Results from Quarterfinals: (1) Murray St. 84, (8) Tennessee St. 51, (2) Morehead St. 87, (7) Jacksonville St. 54, (4) E. Illinois 68, (5) E. Kentucky 65 (6) Tennesee Tech 68, (3) Austin Peay 65
Game Schedule:
Friday: (1) Murray State vs. (4) Eastern Illinois, (2) Morehead State vs. (6) TN Tech, both on ESPNU
Saturday: 9:00, ESPN2
The only slight chance of having two teams from the OVC in the NCAA Tournament is if Murray State loses in the final and has alot of help from teams on the bubble from the BCS conferences losing early in their conference tournaments.
Missouri Valley (St. Louis)
Seeds: (1) Northern Iowa, (2) Wichita St. (3) Illinois St. (4) Creighton (5) Bradley (6) Indiana St. (7) Missouri St. (8) Drake (9) Southern Illinois (10) Evansville
2009 Tournament Champion: Northern Iowa (lost to Purdue in NCAA 1st round)
Game Schedule:
Thursday: (7) Missouri St. vs. (10) Evansville, (8) Drake vs. (9) Southern Illinois
Friday: (1) Northern Iowa vs. 8/9 Winner, (4) Creighton vs. (5) Bradley, (3) Illinois St. vs. (6) Indiana St., (2) Wichita St. vs. 7/10 winner
Saturday: Semifinals
Sunday: Final, 2:00, CBS
Arch Madness as it is called is always one of the most exciting of the early conference tournaments because it has had teams on the bubble for the past decade with multiple bids going to the MVC numerous times. This season, Northern Iowa is the only team worthy of an at-large bid if they lose and that will be the only way to get more than one team but expect the Panthers with the return of Jordan Eglesder from suspension to make their best effort to lock up an automatic bid.
Coming Up Later This Week: Previews of the first 4 finals and conference tournament previews for the rest of the mid-major schools.
Z88.9 Sports Top 10 for March 2
TOP 10 INDIVIDUAL OLYMPIC PERFORMANCES
10. Simon Ammann (Ski Jumping- 2 Gold Medals)
9. Shaun White (Snowboarding- Gold Medal)
8. Julia Mancuso (Alpine Skiing- 2 Silver)
7. Apolo Anton Ohno (Short Track- 1 Silver, 2 Bronze)
6. Bode Miller (Alpine Skiing- Silver, 2 Bronze)
5. Steve Holcomb (Bobsled- 4-Man Gold)
4. Johnny Spillane (Nordic Combined- 3 Silver)
3. Marit Bjoergen (Cross-Country- 5 Total Medals)
2. Ryan Miller (Hockey- Tournament MVP- Silver Medal)
1. Joannie Rochette (Figure Skating Bronze days after mother's death)
10. Simon Ammann (Ski Jumping- 2 Gold Medals)
9. Shaun White (Snowboarding- Gold Medal)
8. Julia Mancuso (Alpine Skiing- 2 Silver)
7. Apolo Anton Ohno (Short Track- 1 Silver, 2 Bronze)
6. Bode Miller (Alpine Skiing- Silver, 2 Bronze)
5. Steve Holcomb (Bobsled- 4-Man Gold)
4. Johnny Spillane (Nordic Combined- 3 Silver)
3. Marit Bjoergen (Cross-Country- 5 Total Medals)
2. Ryan Miller (Hockey- Tournament MVP- Silver Medal)
1. Joannie Rochette (Figure Skating Bronze days after mother's death)
Monday, March 1, 2010
College Hoopla- March 1
This week started a normal week in college basketball and ended with the top three teams in the nation all losing. Kansas, Kentucky, and Purdue all lost to conference rivals. Kansas lost in Stillwater to Oklahoma State, the Wildcats went to Knoxville and lost to Tennessee and Purdue lost at home to Michigan State. With mid-major conference tournament starting this week, College Hoopla will be back with a preview later in the week but for now, there are the week's best.
Player of the Week:
Greivis Vazquez, G, Maryland
Vazquez is one of the most underrated players in the nation and proved why he should be noticed more on Saturday. Vazquez and the Terps went into Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech in a game that essentially decided the number two team in the ACC. The game went into double overtime and was won 104-100 by the Terps thanks a career-high 41 point from Vazquez, who was 10 of 10 at the free throw line. Vazquez leads Maryland into a crucial home game against Duke on Wednesday.
Team of the Week:
Notre Dame
Mike Brey's Fighting Irish are truly fighting their way back into tournament contention. After the loss of star senior Luke Harangody to injury, most experts had the Irish down and out, but two big wins over Pitt and Georgetown put them back on the bubble. After losing three straight games by less than three, the Irish came back from adversity and beat Pitt at home on Wednesday, four of five starters scored in double digits. On Saturday, on the road at Georgetown, Notre Dame pulled off an upset 78-64. Both of these wins strengthen their tournament resume and has seen the production of Ben Hansbrough, Tyler's brother, step up in absence of Harangody.
Game of the Week:
Maryland 104, Virginia Tech 100 (2OT)
As mentioned above, this game had seeding implications for the ACC tournament. The number two seed would be all but locked up for the Terps with a win, and they did just that. With a career performance from Vazquez, the Terps got a big conference win.
Upset of the Week:
Oklahoma State 85, (1) Kansas 77
The Jayhawks were not expecting a challenge from the Cowboys at Gallagher-Iba Arena but they did and were out shot. Led by Keiton Page and James Anderson, who both made four three pointers, Travis Ford's Cowboys took over the game leading 45-29 at halftime and then matched the Jayhawks shot for shot from behind to arc to halt a comeback attempt from the Jayhawks.
Games to Watch This Week:
Monday: Georgetown @ West Virginia (7, ESPN)
Tuesday: Georgia Tech @ Clemson (8:00)
Wednesday: Kansas State @ Kansas (8:00)
Thursday: Seton Hall @ Rutgers (7, ESPN)
Friday: Bradley vs. Creighton (3:35)
Weekend 6-Pack to Watch:
West Virginia @ Villanova (Sat, 12:00, CBS)
Richmond @ Charlotte (Sat, 2:00)
Texas @ Baylor (Sat, 4:00, ESPN)
North Carolina @ Duke (Sat, 9:00, ESPN)
Wisconsin @ Illinois (Sun, 12:00)
Clemson @ Wake Forest (Sun, 2:00)
What the Top 10 Should Be:
(1) Syracuse
(2) Kansas
(3) Kentucky
(4) Duke
(5) Kansas State
(6) Ohio State
(7) Purdue
(8) Villanova
(9) West Virginia
(10) Butler
Check back later this week for the Hoopla mid-major conference tourney preview.
Player of the Week:
Greivis Vazquez, G, Maryland
Vazquez is one of the most underrated players in the nation and proved why he should be noticed more on Saturday. Vazquez and the Terps went into Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech in a game that essentially decided the number two team in the ACC. The game went into double overtime and was won 104-100 by the Terps thanks a career-high 41 point from Vazquez, who was 10 of 10 at the free throw line. Vazquez leads Maryland into a crucial home game against Duke on Wednesday.
Team of the Week:
Notre Dame
Mike Brey's Fighting Irish are truly fighting their way back into tournament contention. After the loss of star senior Luke Harangody to injury, most experts had the Irish down and out, but two big wins over Pitt and Georgetown put them back on the bubble. After losing three straight games by less than three, the Irish came back from adversity and beat Pitt at home on Wednesday, four of five starters scored in double digits. On Saturday, on the road at Georgetown, Notre Dame pulled off an upset 78-64. Both of these wins strengthen their tournament resume and has seen the production of Ben Hansbrough, Tyler's brother, step up in absence of Harangody.
Game of the Week:
Maryland 104, Virginia Tech 100 (2OT)
As mentioned above, this game had seeding implications for the ACC tournament. The number two seed would be all but locked up for the Terps with a win, and they did just that. With a career performance from Vazquez, the Terps got a big conference win.
Upset of the Week:
Oklahoma State 85, (1) Kansas 77
The Jayhawks were not expecting a challenge from the Cowboys at Gallagher-Iba Arena but they did and were out shot. Led by Keiton Page and James Anderson, who both made four three pointers, Travis Ford's Cowboys took over the game leading 45-29 at halftime and then matched the Jayhawks shot for shot from behind to arc to halt a comeback attempt from the Jayhawks.
Games to Watch This Week:
Monday: Georgetown @ West Virginia (7, ESPN)
Tuesday: Georgia Tech @ Clemson (8:00)
Wednesday: Kansas State @ Kansas (8:00)
Thursday: Seton Hall @ Rutgers (7, ESPN)
Friday: Bradley vs. Creighton (3:35)
Weekend 6-Pack to Watch:
West Virginia @ Villanova (Sat, 12:00, CBS)
Richmond @ Charlotte (Sat, 2:00)
Texas @ Baylor (Sat, 4:00, ESPN)
North Carolina @ Duke (Sat, 9:00, ESPN)
Wisconsin @ Illinois (Sun, 12:00)
Clemson @ Wake Forest (Sun, 2:00)
What the Top 10 Should Be:
(1) Syracuse
(2) Kansas
(3) Kentucky
(4) Duke
(5) Kansas State
(6) Ohio State
(7) Purdue
(8) Villanova
(9) West Virginia
(10) Butler
Check back later this week for the Hoopla mid-major conference tourney preview.
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