tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90729872024-03-07T03:53:26.532-05:00Bracketology 101The most reliable, up-to-date, and accurate NCAA Tournament seeding projections and predictions on the Web. Bracketology 101: Giving fellow bracketolgists their picks...a few days early.Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.comBlogger533125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-27830844186736568962011-12-23T20:18:00.006-05:002011-12-23T20:26:21.846-05:00The Future Of Bracketology 101<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkNKSrxB0dV3n-5GmVtB6DAqYYiv-MO-90rNEnn1rOJNHR0CdB0LxlgkclVG7SPVFHNJN07ljCA5gtP5GYUiib7pCRNNtFrzw9k8kuJ4iGMitZWIVIKKB9wGAlgarNGB9vheD/s1600/B101+Small+Logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 91px; height: 104px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689499018626818594" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEkNKSrxB0dV3n-5GmVtB6DAqYYiv-MO-90rNEnn1rOJNHR0CdB0LxlgkclVG7SPVFHNJN07ljCA5gtP5GYUiib7pCRNNtFrzw9k8kuJ4iGMitZWIVIKKB9wGAlgarNGB9vheD/s200/B101+Small+Logo.jpg" /></a>For the past six years, we have spent more hours than we can count breaking down the "bubble."<br /><br />It’s only fitting then, that the future of Bracketology 101 rests squarely on it.<br /><br />Last November, Chris’s wife gave birth to their family’s first child, Ryan, and in late October, Craig’s wife gave birth to their first child, Jaren. Those new additions to the B101 family, coupled with the time commitments of our day jobs, have unfortunately left us with little to no time to devote to the world of bracketology. We still watch our fair share of games and we’ve kept up as much as we can on the college basketball landscape, but not nearly enough to analyze nightly games or put together and debate a weekly bracket.<br /><br />(At this point, even Lunardi could probably come up with a better Field of 68 than we could.)<br /><br />(OK…maybe not.)<br /><br />In the last week or so, we’ve read several comments and received several e-mails wondering where we’ve been, and wondering if last year’s less-than-stellar final bracket had driven us into early retirement. The truth is we have two very important reasons why we haven’t posted anything yet this season. We can’t believe we are saying this, but bracketology – and the hours each week it takes to do it right – just don’t fit into our schedules right now. We’re not ruling out a late-season return, but in the near future, we won’t be adding any new content to B101.<br /><br />To all of our fans and die-hard commenters, we already miss and will continue to miss all of the daily banter. We feel that over the last six years, no site has been better at debating all things bracketology than B101, and that’s because of the knowledgeable and passionate college basketball fans that visit every day. Don’t forget about us – we’ll let you know about the short and long-term future of the site just as soon as we figure it out.<br /><br />In the meantime, enjoy the games...<br /><br />Chris & CraigBracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com272tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-66178557148210690702011-03-15T15:14:00.001-05:002011-03-16T08:50:38.635-05:00Bracketology 101's Bracket Picks<img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 91px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 104px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449333402086596706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3H87pXTvD28D1Z-PLGNke2GoT1jxiCM_sdkHTYfQZHLrdU_Iq4NJUk6md52K8zylPuLSU9qMQ7c0CFIDp7dRULlnrf296pcqRDkbD6-lTpnAuylCTijggcJIOOOAaGqAEsYMF/s200/B101+Small+Logo.jpg" />To view or download Chris', Craig's, and Matt's <strong>complete tournament brackets</strong>, <strong>click on the title of this post.</strong><br /><br />The brackets are downloadable, printable, and are saved in .pdf format. There is also a blank downloadable bracket that you can use for your own picks.<br /><br />Good luck in your office pools... <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYd-fcM5MT8icgCXGDdIs4Nh7-KhzN9gzBiPVeSqvB0jXyWec2-mu-ZbUlT5g5UakgGZNvBaQykDggwCor8bMOPYipJ90F-lPPDeP_IFcHmUtjYkm7BYeZ8FQ-77Z7yI6pfIR/s1600-h/tourney.bmp"></a><br /><br />Also, if you haven't done so yet, sign up for <strong>Bracketology 101's Tournament Challenge</strong> group at ESPN.com.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYd-fcM5MT8icgCXGDdIs4Nh7-KhzN9gzBiPVeSqvB0jXyWec2-mu-ZbUlT5g5UakgGZNvBaQykDggwCor8bMOPYipJ90F-lPPDeP_IFcHmUtjYkm7BYeZ8FQ-77Z7yI6pfIR/s1600-h/tourney.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 149px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 62px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449347915890659762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYd-fcM5MT8icgCXGDdIs4Nh7-KhzN9gzBiPVeSqvB0jXyWec2-mu-ZbUlT5g5UakgGZNvBaQykDggwCor8bMOPYipJ90F-lPPDeP_IFcHmUtjYkm7BYeZ8FQ-77Z7yI6pfIR/s200/tourney.bmp" /></a><br /><strong>Private Group Name:</strong> B101 Bracket Challenge<br /><br /><strong>Password:</strong> b101<br /><br />Sign up for the group ASAP. The group locks at the tip-off of the first game on Thursday. Only one bracket per person, please.Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com229tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-77333050190223550012011-03-13T18:43:00.007-05:002011-03-14T12:14:36.092-05:00B101's Bracket Reaction<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixeRaYNPF_ED3k_SsD_2S_s-YXmrcKvHi6BpL6a_9ZGeStYJZJfKgVhXfHcR1OWEwAgGPah-dOCii78wy9CcRc5rWNF7uoFbMx94KtN1NiPR0a0iITiuBkA6peiNaDfkn0Nl3/s1600/B101+Small+Logo.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 91px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 104px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583719621560651586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhixeRaYNPF_ED3k_SsD_2S_s-YXmrcKvHi6BpL6a_9ZGeStYJZJfKgVhXfHcR1OWEwAgGPah-dOCii78wy9CcRc5rWNF7uoFbMx94KtN1NiPR0a0iITiuBkA6peiNaDfkn0Nl3/s200/B101+Small+Logo.jpg" /></a>Wow. What a baffling job by the selection committee. Our heads are still spinning, and we have a ton of questions.<br /><br />Here's 10 of them:<br /><br />1. Is it possible that we could have done any worse? Four wrong? Seriously?<br /><br />2. How do UAB and Clemson make the field with one Top 50 win combined, and Colorado get left out with six Top 50 wins (six!), including three wins over a 5 seed?<br /><br />3. How does VCU, who finished in fourth place in the Colonial and went 3-5 down the stretch, get a bid, and St. Mary's, who was co-champ of the WCC and beat St. John's and Gonzaga, get left out? How is that consistent?<br /><br />4. How in the world did Utah State and Richmond get 12s?<br /><br />5. How does Georgia get a 10 and Alabama, who beat them twice in the last week, get left out?<br /><br />6. How does George Mason get a higher seed than Old Dominion?<br /><br />7. How do any of the Big Ten bubble seeds make sense? Michigan's a 8?? Illinois a 9? Penn State a 10?<br /><br />8. How is Butler an 8? How are they three seed lines better than Gonzaga?<br /><br />9. How is Missouri an 11? How is Kansas State two seed lines ahead of A&M?<br /><br />10. Why did the SEC title game not even matter? Why is Florida a 2 and Kentucky a 4?Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com115tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-51668146636742191942011-03-13T16:22:00.004-05:002011-03-13T16:55:53.134-05:00Bracketology 101's Final Field of 68<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583657825500900914" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 103px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_ijO4YeOqPsx-r5R2pRfF-qjcFd35djugU9xKW2XjJ2qdteCHzramcw-MYf-BqbyjE2jCfRfqH0kuUvkqk9x51Sf13xEot5BsrdMaGZqzLCSEKr2gXIhfLYVkx7hoXb-ryJc/s200/B101+Field+of+68.jpg" border="0" />Here is Bracketology 101's Final Field of 68 (5:22 p.m. ET):<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Bracket Breakdown</span></strong><br /><strong>Last Four In</strong><br />Virginia Tech, Georgia, St. Mary's, Alabama<br /><br /><strong>First Four Out</strong><br />Clemson, USC, UAB, Harvard<br /><br /><strong>Next Three Out</strong><br />Boston College, VCU, Missouri State<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Seeds<br /></span>The 1s</strong><br />Ohio State, Kansas, Pittsburgh, Duke<br /><br /><strong>The 2s</strong><br />Notre Dame, San Diego State, North Carolina, Connecticut<br /><br /><strong>The 3s</strong><br />Louisville, Florida, Kentucky, Texas<br /><br /><strong>The 4s<br /></strong>Syracuse, BYU, Purdue, Wisconsin<br /><br /><strong>The 5s</strong><br />St. John's, West Virginia, Arizona, Texas A&M<br /><br /><strong>The 6s</strong><br />Cincinnati, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Kansas State<br /><br /><strong>The 7s<br /></strong>Old Dominion, UNLV, Xavier, Temple<br /><br /><strong>The 8s</strong><br />Washington, Utah State, George Mason, UCLA<br /><br /><strong>The 9s</strong><br />Tennessee, Richmond, Missouri, Villanova<br /><br /><strong>The 10s<br /></strong>Marquette, Gonzaga, Illinois, Florida State<br /><br /><strong>The 11s</strong><br />Butler, Michigan State, Michigan, Colorado<br /><br /><strong>The 12s</strong><br />Memphis, Penn State, Virginia Tech vs. Georgia (FF), St. Mary's vs. Alabama (FF)<br /><br /><strong>The 13s<br /></strong>Belmont, Princeton, Oakland, Indiana State<br /><br /><strong>The 14s</strong><br />Bucknell, Morehead State, Wofford, Long Island<br /><br /><strong>The 15s<br /></strong>Akron, St. Peter's, Northern Colorado, Boston University<br /><br /><strong>The 16s<br /></strong>Hampton, UC-Santa Barbara, UNC-Asheville vs. Texas-San Antonio (FF), Arkansas-Little Rock vs. Alabama State (FF)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Bracket</span></strong><br />(Bracket courtesy Matt Reeves)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJKJUAERx07ypAX6A2E-6Hk8PSowzNW-9WgRenp57x4m9ZEgSJ9Nr63k1Gt3_vvks-XzgYZHWhiMPpsECMZpfdGjq6GMn5SyRlM0gdmKebECfahUpmivmnw7XnEwxFjU0l_7i/s1600/B101_2011_FINAL.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583686277017738850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 236px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJKJUAERx07ypAX6A2E-6Hk8PSowzNW-9WgRenp57x4m9ZEgSJ9Nr63k1Gt3_vvks-XzgYZHWhiMPpsECMZpfdGjq6GMn5SyRlM0gdmKebECfahUpmivmnw7XnEwxFjU0l_7i/s400/B101_2011_FINAL.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Questions? Comments?</strong> E-mail us at <a href="mailto:bracketologyblog@yahoo.com">bracketologyblog@yahoo.com</a> or send us a tweet at <a href="http://twitter.com/Bracketology101">twitter.com/Bracketology101.</a>Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com208tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-38956271775440968202011-03-13T08:49:00.008-05:002011-03-13T09:42:09.454-05:00Bracketology 101's Sunday Morning Thoughts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2lYGo_wqAClJ1zAXnBJQVoZ9lPq9gU0B-dSdCzqJNtpyhfDliLQ7MzHkcFWEh0BrLRoZWGKKBakbcqK8FzXW6N_opXwf6LZb4lgeyByE5ou1YbenF_9fiCX4mOVvnL1Ozxpt/s1600/B101+Field+of+68.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583562645295595858" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 103px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI2lYGo_wqAClJ1zAXnBJQVoZ9lPq9gU0B-dSdCzqJNtpyhfDliLQ7MzHkcFWEh0BrLRoZWGKKBakbcqK8FzXW6N_opXwf6LZb4lgeyByE5ou1YbenF_9fiCX4mOVvnL1Ozxpt/s200/B101+Field+of+68.jpg" border="0" /></a>We are currently in lockdown mode in Bracketology 101 headquarters with "One Shining Moment" playing on a continuous loop.<br /><br />Saturday was a wild day filled with buzzer-beaters and crazy finishes, and as is the case every Championship Saturday, the final results answered some questions and opened up several more.<br /><br />Here is how we see things heading into today's games:<br /><br />1. Penn State and Richmond are in regardless of what happens today. A Dayton win today would not put Richmond in any jeopardy of getting squeezed.<br /><br />2. San Diego State will probably end up on the 2 line after beating BYU in the MWC final last night. The Cougars could be as low as a 4.<br /><br />3. We don't like Clemson's resume at all, but we can also see a fifth ACC bid being handed out. The Tigers would be the logical choice for that fifth bid.<br /><br />4. Perhaps the biggest question mark is what the committee will do with Alabama and Georgia. We can't see both getting in or both getting left out. Alabama has beaten Georgia twice in the last week, but the Tide looked awful yesterday against Kentucky and don't have the RPI or OOC resume wins that Georgia has. 'Bama does have a much prettier Top 50 record, though (4-4 vs. 3-9). This will be one of the toughest calls of the day to make.<br /><br />5. The other bubble team to watch today is St. Mary's. We think the Gaels are still in decent shape to get a bid because we think the committee will want to reward some mid-majors, and we like their resume better than UAB's, Missouri State's, or VCU's. A win by Dayton today, though, could change things that outlook and could leave St. Mary's on the outside looking in.<br /><br />6. If Duke wins today, they will probably get the final 1 seed and Notre Dame will get bumped to a 2.<br /><br />We will release our <strong>Final Field of 68</strong> between <strong>4-5 p.m. ET</strong> today. Until then, we will check the comments section periodically to answer any questions.Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com229tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-74459917844282338902011-03-12T02:33:00.016-05:002011-03-12T08:54:40.341-05:00Bracketology 101's Field of 68 - March 12<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5V_G4youGJV05HM1zIeV-lMScD4KF8BPLlEi54pU87Y8YlMIgtNqNskJ-u0PBGoNlkHkK3V_LhOWhRjeBxFo5QKaH2GQIgSiP1HBe5ItHppBAdIF9DLE-VC1nLbBSqW5pAno/s1600/B101+Field+of+68.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583191501884545554" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 103px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq5V_G4youGJV05HM1zIeV-lMScD4KF8BPLlEi54pU87Y8YlMIgtNqNskJ-u0PBGoNlkHkK3V_LhOWhRjeBxFo5QKaH2GQIgSiP1HBe5ItHppBAdIF9DLE-VC1nLbBSqW5pAno/s200/B101+Field+of+68.jpg" border="0" /></a>Wow, what a day/afternoon/night! The buzzer beaters, the overtimes, the comebacks, the great individual performances...that 36-33 game (ugh). Here's a recap of yesterday's events and a quick overview of how we see things with just about 36 hours to go before the Selection Show:<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Saturday Update</span></strong><br />We have been waiting for the bubble teams to make their moves for a few weeks and it just never happened. Better late than never, right? Michigan State, Michigan, Virginia Tech, Alabama, and Richmond (and St. Mary's) all won last night, and in many cases (Michigan, Michigan State, Virginia Tech) the wins look to be bid-clinchers.<br /><br />The hardest thing for us to do was pick the 37th an final at-large team from a pool of pretty ugly and very smiliar resumes. We said in our Friday notes that if Penn State beat Wisconsin, that they woud "likely" end up on the Last Four In line. The Nittany Lions held up their part of the deal, but as you can see in our bracket, we didn't hold up on our end. Clemson, not Penn State, is the final team in our field, as a result of the Tigers' blowout win over Boston College. The Nittany Lions may still be able to sneak in the field, even with a loss to Michigan State today, but we think they are still just shy of a bid heading into Saturday's action. Depending on how well they play and what Clemson does against UNC, they can get in. Right now, though, they are our last team out.<br /><br />Big picture-wise, there are five teams in our bracket that we could potentially see getting left out - Alabama, Colorado, St. Mary's, Georgia, or Clemson. The three teams we think that have a chance for an at-large over any of these teams are Penn State, UAB, or USC. Obviously, if a bid- stealer comes out of the WAC or A-10 today, everything changes.<br /><br />Some other important notes from Friday night:<br /><br />- The Pac-10 results on Friday were a dream come true for bubble teams.<br /><br />- There is still the chance for bid stealers out of the A-10 and WAC.<br /><br />- Bubble teams need to pull for Memphis to beat UTEP.<br /><br />- With ND losing to Louisville, there is definitely a potential opening on the 1 line. Can Duke get there if Nolan Smith is out? Can BYU climb back up? Those questions will get answered today.<br /><br />This is our last bracket that will be released before our final Field of 68, which will be posted bracket on Sunday afternoon. We will answer as many questions as we can via Twitter and the comments section today and tomorrow. Enjoy Championship Weekend!<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Bracket Breakdown</span><br />Last Four In</strong><br />Colorado, St. Mary's, Georgia, Clemson<br /><br /><strong>First Four Out</strong><br />Penn State, UAB, USC, Boston College<br /><br /><strong>Next Four Out</strong><br />Memphis, VCU, Missouri State, Harvard<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Conference Breakdown</span></strong><br />Big East (11), Big XII (6), Big Ten (6), SEC (6), ACC (5), A-10 (3), MWC (3), Pac-10 (3), Colonial (2), WCC (2)<br /><br /><strong>America East</strong> - Boston University<br /><br /><strong>ACC</strong> - Duke, North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Clemson<br /><br /><strong>Atlantic Sun - Belmont</strong><br /><br /><strong>A-10</strong> - Xavier, Temple, Richmond<br /><br /><strong>Big East</strong> - Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Louisville, Syracuse, Connecticut, St. John's, West Virginia, Georgetown, Cincinnati, Marquette, Villanova<br /><br /><strong>Big Sky - Northern Colorado<br /></strong><br /><strong>Big South - UNC-Asheville<br /></strong><br /><strong>Big Ten</strong> - Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State<br /><br /><strong>Big XII</strong> - Kansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas State, Missouri, Colorado<br /><br /><strong>Big West</strong> - Long Beach State<br /><br /><strong>Colonial -</strong> <strong>Old Dominion,</strong> George Mason<br /><br /><strong>Conference USA</strong> - UTEP<br /><br /><strong>Horizon - Butler<br /></strong><br /><strong>Ivy</strong> - Princeton<br /><br /><strong>MAAC - St. Peter's</strong><br /><br /><strong>MAC</strong> - Kent State<br /><br /><strong>MEAC</strong> - Morgan State<br /><br /><strong>MVC - Indiana State<br /><br />MWC </strong>- BYU, San Diego State, UNLV<br /><br /><strong>Northeast</strong> <strong>- Long Island</strong><br /><br /><strong>Ohio Valley - Morehead State</strong><br /><br /><strong>Pac-10</strong> - Arizona, UCLA, Washington<br /><br /><strong>Patriot</strong> <strong>- Bucknell<br /></strong><br /><strong>SEC</strong> - Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia<br /><br /><strong>Southern - Wofford<br /></strong><br /><strong>Southland</strong> - McNeese State<br /><br /><strong>Summit - Oakland<br /></strong><br /><strong>Sun Belt - Arkansas-Little Rock</strong><br /><br /><strong>SWAC</strong> - Alabama State<br /><br /><strong>WAC</strong> - Utah State<br /><br /><strong>WCC - Gonzaga,</strong> St. Mary's<br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Seeds<br /></span>The 1s</strong><br />Ohio State, Kansas, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame<br /><br /><strong>The 2s</strong><br />Duke, BYU, North Carolina, Florida<br /><br /><strong>The 3s</strong><br />Louisville, San Diego State, Texas, Syracuse<br /><br /><strong>The 4s<br /></strong>Connecticut, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Purdue<br /><br /><strong>The 5s</strong><br />Arizona, St. John's, West Virginia, Georgetown<br /><br /><strong>The 6s</strong><br />Temple, Cincinnati, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt<br /><br /><strong>The 7s<br /></strong>Xavier, Kansas State, <strong>Old Dominion,</strong> UNLV<br /><br /><strong>The 8s</strong><br />Utah State, UCLA, George Mason, Tennessee<br /><br /><strong>The 9s</strong><br />Missouri, Marquette, <strong>Gonzaga,</strong> Illinois<br /><br /><strong>The 10s<br /></strong>Washington, <strong>Butler,</strong> Michigan, Villanova<br /><br /><strong>The 11s</strong><br />Michigan State, Florida State, Richmond, Virginia Tech<br /><br /><strong>The 12s</strong><br />Alabama, Colorado vs. St. Mary's (FF), Georgia vs. Clemson (FF), UTEP<br /><br /><strong>The 13s<br />Belmont,</strong> Princeton, <strong>Oakland,</strong> Kent State<br /><br /><strong>The 14s</strong><br /><strong>Bucknell,</strong> <strong>Indiana State, St. Peter's, Wofford</strong><br /><br /><strong>The 15s<br />Morehead State,</strong> Long Beach State, <strong>Long Island, Northern Colorado</strong><br /><br /><strong>The 16s<br /></strong>Boston University, <strong>UNC-Asheville,</strong> Morgan State vs. McNeese State (FF), <strong>Arkansas-Little Rock</strong> vs. Alabama State (FF)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Bracket</span></strong><br />(Bracket courtesy Matt Reeves)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNzwyqpG7VZ1XLalHmcXGS2ugciF4o9S1PsMYocBEMO_qsO7XQidyEOEBgRxcRSDUSYCZwCjMhUvwVpfgM6B7XzLc_GDMgHs18iIuxJ3nsDsMRSuj9z22rUJvMRYCJqdYLuo7/s1600/B101_20110312.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583190962243265426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 235px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZNzwyqpG7VZ1XLalHmcXGS2ugciF4o9S1PsMYocBEMO_qsO7XQidyEOEBgRxcRSDUSYCZwCjMhUvwVpfgM6B7XzLc_GDMgHs18iIuxJ3nsDsMRSuj9z22rUJvMRYCJqdYLuo7/s400/B101_20110312.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Questions? Comments?</strong> E-mail us at <a href="mailto:bracketologyblog@yahoo.com">bracketologyblog@yahoo.com</a> or send us a tweet at <a href="http://twitter.com/Bracketology101">twitter.com/Bracketology101.</a>Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com321tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-49073664023580678612011-03-11T01:50:00.028-05:002011-03-11T11:48:33.212-05:00Bracketology 101's Field of 68 - March 11<strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Thursday Recap<img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 103px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581598048157514722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoAiNCsFpiy-pmWe01XjVFW5-0_TVuMp6ijTbbBHBHtpphcQ2mdUsA0pu-1NFgVYxDmI3EW_q1qDAl7DjQQmVqyZGyQK6JVPu2_KtEJRkwhRMvAiKolY9iEKsS9y3a5JMH8qq/s200/B101+Field+of+68.jpg" /></span></strong><br />Here's what we learned from Thursday's games:<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error">1. UAB</span> looks like they will be joining Missouri State in the NIT. The regular season champs from Conference USA were <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">unceremoniously</span> dumped by East Carolina in the quarterfinals of the conference tourney on Thursday, and as a result, they fell to the First Four Out list in today's bracket. For the last week, we thought an outright C-USA title might be enough for the Blazers, but we also figured they would make at least the semis of the conference tourney. Losing their first game is a crushing blow, and one that they probably won't recover from. They needed at least one win to help offset a 2-4 record against Memphis, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">UTEP</span>, Tulsa, and Southern Miss combined.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">2. UAB's</span> loss is Virginia Tech's gain. The Hokies have been our First Team out since Monday, but they now slide into the field to take the Blazers' vacated spot. Virginia Tech needs to beat Florida State today to stay in the field on Saturday.<br /><br />3. Colorado officially owns Kansas State, and the Buffs are probably going dancing as a result. They're still not a lock by any means, but it's probably going to be tough for the selection committee to ignore a third win over the Wildcats, on top of wins over Texas and Missouri. (If only they could have beaten someone out of conference...) Kansas State, meanwhile, falls from the end of the 5 line to the top of the 7 line.<br /><br />4. The Pac-10 is a mess, and it's probably going to get messier. UCLA got blown out by Oregon to fall from a 7 seed to an 8, Washington needed a second-half comeback to edge Washington State, and USC beat Cal to keep their steadliy improving at-large chances going. A strong case could be made that the Trojans deserve a bid if they beat Arizona today. If they do win, and then beat Washington in the final, will the Pac-10 get four bids? Is Washington in danger if they lose in the final to USC? What happens if the Huskies lose to the Ducks in the semis and USC wins the tourney? Could Washington get squeezed?<br /><br />5. Michigan State (vs. Iowa), Boston College (vs. Wake Forest), Georgia (vs. Auburn), and Tennessee (vs. Arkansas) are safe - for now - after avoiding what could have been bubble-bursting first-round conference tournament losses. Michigan State moved from the Last Four In list to the bottom of the 11 line.<br /><br />6. Penn State is also still alive after their win over Indiana. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nittany</span> Lions need at least a win over Wisconsin today to get in. That win might be enough, it might not, depending on what else happens over the next 48 hours.<br /><br />7. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kemba</span> Walker vs. Gary <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">McGhee</span> is not a fair fight. What a step-back move. Yikes.<br /><br />8. Pitt's still a 1 seed. The Panthers won the regular season title in the best league in the country and have nine Top 50 wins. Could Duke really get a 1 seed over Pitt despite finishing second in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">ACC</span> and potentially needing to win just one tough game to get to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">ACC</span> tourney final?<br /><br />9. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Notre </span>Dame looked an awful lot like a 1 seed and Syracuse looked a lot like a 2 seed. Cincinnati and Marquette looked like teams that knew their jobs in New York were already done.<br /><br />10. Kansas is good enough to sleepwalk their way through at least one round of the Big XII tournament. Missouri looks destined for an 8/9 game after their quarterfinal loss to Texas A&M. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aggies</span>, meanwhile, could be a 5 if they beat Texas today.<br /><br />11. Colorado State's bubble is burst, but New Mexico's is still very much intact. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Lobos</span> beat the Rams 67-61 in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">MWC</span> quarters last night, setting up a third meeting with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">BYU</span> today. New Mexico swept the season series from BYU, and if they can pick up a third win, they would be a very interesting at-large candidate. They'll have to hope three <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">wins over the Cougars </span>cancel out an ugly 8-8 conference record.<br /><br />12. Kent State (MAC), Long Beach State (Big Sky), and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">McNeese</span> State (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">Southland</span>) are still the favorites to win their conference tournaments.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Friday Preview</span></strong><br />We'll keep it simple. Here's what every bubble team has to do today:<br /><br /><strong>Colorado </strong>- Win and they are an absolute lock. Lose and they should still be safe, but they will have a long two days of waiting.<br /><br /><strong>New Mexico</strong> - Beat BYU (again) and they get serious consideration. They have no chance with a loss.<br /><br /><strong>Penn State</strong> - Win and they likely end up on the Last Four In line. They have no chance with a loss.<br /><br /><strong>USC</strong> - Win and they will either be the last team in or out. No chance with a loss.<br /><br /><strong>Georgia</strong> - Same as Colorado. Win and they are an absolute lock. Lose and they should still be safe, but they will have a long two days of waiting.<br /><br /><strong>Alabama</strong> - Win and they are fairly safe. Lose and it's tough to imagine scenarios where they don't get squeezed.<br /><br /><strong>Michigan State</strong> - Win and they are an absolute lock. Lose and they should still be safe.<br /><br /><strong>Michigan</strong> - Win and they are an absolute lock. Lose and they should still be safe, but it also depends on what Penn State and Michigan State do.<br /><br /><strong>Boston College</strong> - Win and they're in, lose and they're out.<br /><br /><strong>Clemson</strong> - Win and they likely will be one of the last teams in, lose and they are done.<br /><br /><strong>Richmond </strong>- Win and they are an absolute lock. Lose and they should be safe, but it will be a long two days.<br /><br /><strong>Virginia Tech</strong> - Win and they are in, lose and they are likely out.<br /><br /><strong>St. Mary's</strong> - Nothing really to gain from the Weber State game. They are expected to win big and need to do so.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Bracket Breakdown</span><br />Last Four In</strong><br />St. Mary's, Boston College, Alabama, Virginia Tech<br /><br /><strong>First Four Out</strong><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">UAB</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">USC</span>, Clemson, Penn State<br /><br /><strong>Next Four Out</strong><br />Missouri State, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">VCU</span>, New Mexico, Memphis<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Conference Breakdown</span></strong><br />Big East (11), Big XII (6), Big Ten (6), SEC (6), <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">ACC</span> (5), A-10 (3), <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">MWC</span> (3), <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pac</span>-10 (3), Colonial (2), <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">WCC</span> (2)<br /><br /><strong>America East</strong> - Boston University<br /><br /><strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">ACC</span></strong> - Duke, North Carolina, Florida State, Boston College, Virginia Tech<br /><br /><strong>Atlantic Sun - Belmont</strong><br /><br /><strong>A-10</strong> - Xavier, Temple, Richmond<br /><br /><strong>Big East</strong> - Pittsburgh, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-error">Notre</span> Dame, Syracuse, Louisville, Connecticut, St. John's, West Virginia, Georgetown, Cincinnati, Marquette, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">Villanova</span><br /><br /><strong>Big Sky - Northern Colorado<br /></strong><br /><strong>Big South - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" class="blsp-spelling-error">UNC</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" class="blsp-spelling-error">Asheville</span><br /></strong><br /><strong>Big Ten</strong> - Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State<br /><br /><strong>Big XII</strong> - Kansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas State, Missouri, Colorado<br /><br /><strong>Big West</strong> - Long Beach State<br /><br /><strong>Colonial -</strong> <strong>Old Dominion,</strong> George Mason<br /><br /><strong>Conference USA</strong> - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" class="blsp-spelling-error">UTEP</span><br /><br /><strong>Horizon - Butler<br /></strong><br /><strong>Ivy</strong> - Princeton<br /><br /><strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" class="blsp-spelling-error">MAAC</span> - St. Peter's</strong><br /><br /><strong>MAC</strong> - Kent State<br /><br /><strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_39" class="blsp-spelling-error">MEAC</span></strong> - Bethune-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_40" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cookman</span><br /><br /><strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_41" class="blsp-spelling-error">MVC</span> - Indiana State<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_42" class="blsp-spelling-error">MWC</span> </strong>- <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_43" class="blsp-spelling-error">BYU</span>, San Diego State, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_44" class="blsp-spelling-error">UNLV</span><br /><br /><strong>Northeast</strong> <strong>- Long Island</strong><br /><br /><strong>Ohio Valley - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_45" class="blsp-spelling-error">Morehead</span> State</strong><br /><br /><strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_46" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pac</span>-10</strong> - Arizona, UCLA, Washington<br /><br /><strong>Patriot</strong> - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_47" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bucknell</span><br /><br /><strong>SEC</strong> - Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama<br /><br /><strong>Southern - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_48" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wofford</span><br /></strong><br /><strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_49" class="blsp-spelling-error">Southland</span></strong> - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_50" class="blsp-spelling-error">McNeese</span> State<br /><br /><strong>Summit - Oakland<br /></strong><br /><strong>Sun Belt - Arkansas-Little Rock</strong><br /><br /><strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_51" class="blsp-spelling-error">SWAC</span></strong> - Texas Southern<br /><br /><strong>WAC</strong> - Utah State<br /><br /><strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_52" class="blsp-spelling-error">WCC</span> - <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_53" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gonzaga</span>,</strong> St. Mary's<br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Seeds<br /></span>The 1s</strong><br />Ohio State, Kansas, Pittsburgh, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_54" class="blsp-spelling-error">Notre</span> Dame<br /><br /><strong>The 2s</strong><br />Duke, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_55" class="blsp-spelling-error">BYU</span>, Syracuse, Purdue<br /><br /><strong>The 3s</strong><br />North Carolina, San Diego State, Florida, Texas<br /><br /><strong>The 4s<br /></strong>Louisville, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Connecticut<br /><br /><strong>The 5s</strong><br />St. John's, Xavier, Arizona, West Virginia<br /><br /><strong>The 6s</strong><br />Texas A&M, Temple, Georgetown, Cincinnati<br /><br /><strong>The 7s<br /></strong>Kansas State, Vanderbilt, <strong>Old Dominion, </strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_56" class="blsp-spelling-error">UNLV</span><br /><br /><strong>The 8s</strong><br />Utah State, UCLA, George Mason, Tennessee<br /><br /><strong>The 9s</strong><br />Missouri, Illinois, Florida State, Marquette<br /><br /><strong>The 10s<br /></strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_57" class="blsp-spelling-error">Villanova</span>, <strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_58" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gonzaga</span>,</strong> <strong>Butler,</strong> Washington<br /><br /><strong>The 11s</strong><br />Richmond, Michigan, Georgia, Michigan State<br /><br /><strong>The 12s</strong><br />Colorado, St. Mary's vs. Boston College (FF), Alabama vs. Virginia Tech (FF), <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_59" class="blsp-spelling-error">UTEP</span><br /><br /><strong>The 13s<br />Belmont,</strong> Princeton, <strong>Oakland,</strong> Kent State<br /><br /><strong>The 14s</strong><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_60" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bucknell</span>, <strong>Indiana State, St. Peter's, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_61" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wofford</span></strong><br /><br /><strong>The 15s<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_62" class="blsp-spelling-error">Morehead</span> State,</strong> Long Beach State, <strong>Long Island, Northern Colorado</strong><br /><br /><strong>The 16s<br /></strong>Boston University, <strong><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_63" class="blsp-spelling-error">UNC</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_64" class="blsp-spelling-error">Asheville</span>,</strong> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_65" class="blsp-spelling-error">McNeese</span> State vs. Texas Southern (FF), Bethune-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_66" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cookman</span> vs. <strong>Arkansas-Little Rock</strong> (FF)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Bracket</span></strong><br />(Bracket courtesy Matt Reeves)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFabd27vCf44S7Gdc2U8hN7XsTLxeFriYr7VvsZJcMWLRXZbXNnhsimH31VMOAQemXXYhg0I0MmDJHjwZaXj8UY_sXk5mqa-nrxd6W6yPtj7ygwo_opJ0Gkyi7USfokGVWMhPf/s1600/B101_03112011.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 237px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582864983355290946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFabd27vCf44S7Gdc2U8hN7XsTLxeFriYr7VvsZJcMWLRXZbXNnhsimH31VMOAQemXXYhg0I0MmDJHjwZaXj8UY_sXk5mqa-nrxd6W6yPtj7ygwo_opJ0Gkyi7USfokGVWMhPf/s400/B101_03112011.bmp" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Questions? Comments?</strong> E-mail us at <a href="mailto:bracketologyblog@yahoo.com">bracketologyblog@yahoo.com</a> or send us a tweet at <a href="http://twitter.com/Bracketology101">twitter.com/Bracketology101.</a>Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com371tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-23460842821438446432011-03-10T00:31:00.009-05:002011-03-10T11:25:04.066-05:00Bracketology 101's Field of 68 - March 10<strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoAiNCsFpiy-pmWe01XjVFW5-0_TVuMp6ijTbbBHBHtpphcQ2mdUsA0pu-1NFgVYxDmI3EW_q1qDAl7DjQQmVqyZGyQK6JVPu2_KtEJRkwhRMvAiKolY9iEKsS9y3a5JMH8qq/s1600/B101+Field+of+68.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 103px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581598048157514722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoAiNCsFpiy-pmWe01XjVFW5-0_TVuMp6ijTbbBHBHtpphcQ2mdUsA0pu-1NFgVYxDmI3EW_q1qDAl7DjQQmVqyZGyQK6JVPu2_KtEJRkwhRMvAiKolY9iEKsS9y3a5JMH8qq/s200/B101+Field+of+68.jpg" /></a></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Wednesday Recap</span></strong><br />Here are six things we learned from Wednesday's games:<br /><br />1. All Big East Tournament games last 40 minutes, except when the referees are tired and just want to go home.<br /><br />2. The Big East is going to get 11 bids, thanks to Marquette's win over West Virginia. The Golden Eagles are up to a 9 seed in today's bracket.<br /><br />3. There's a very good chance that Villanova ends up the lowest seeded Big East team.<br /><br />4. Colorado is the last Big XII bubble team left standing. Baylor and Nebraska are done after losing to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, respectively.<br /><br />5. If the Buffs want to stay on the right side of the bubble, they probably need to beat Kansas State today - and they definitely need to play better than they did against Iowa State.<br /><br />6. Long Island (from the Northeast) and Northern Colorado (from the Big Sky) are going dancing. Both are on the 15 line in today's bracket.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Thursday Preview</span></strong><br />Today is shaping up to be the biggest day of Championship Week for about a dozen residents of Bubbleville. Just about every major conference has games going on that feature teams fighting for tourney bids.<br /><br />We'll start in the ACC, where Boston College and Virginia Tech will look to avoid upsets that would surely ensure them of top seeds in the NIT. Both teams will need two wins this week to ensure that their name is called on Sunday, but both will first need to get by ACC bottom feeders Wake Forest and Georgia Tech.<br /><br />The Big Ten conference tourney also gets started today and features Penn State and Michigan State both playing for their bubble lives. As long as the Spartans avoid an upset against Iowa, they should be safe. Penn State, meanwhile, will need to beat Indiana today and then take down Wisconsin tomorrow to get any serious consideration.<br /><br />The SEC tourney kicks off today with Georgia looking to take care of Auburn, which would set up another bubble battle against Alabama for tomorrow. Tennessee also needs to take care of Arkansas (who already beat them earlier in the year) in order to avoid being talked about in the same breath as Virginia Tech's and Michigan State on the bubble.<br /><br />A few weeks ago, it looked like there would be no bubble battles in the Pac-10 tourney. Since then, the bubble has gotten even softer and USC won five of six down the stretch to finish above .500 in conference. Washington State also picked up wins over Washington and USC to keep their name in the mix. USC faces off with Cal today (who can also climb onto the bubble with a win), and if the Trojans can pick up the win, they will be in decent shape for a bid. A win over Arizona on Friday would likely lock down their spot. If Washington State is able to take down Washington for the third time this season, that could create an interesting scenario and potentially put Washington in danger.<br /><br />Elsewhere on the bubble, Colorado will attempt to take down Kansas State for the third time this season and, in the process, solidify their tourney bid. In the MWC, Colorado State faces off against New Mexico in what is an at-large elimination game. In C-USA action, UAB needs to avoid an upset at the hands of East Carolina to stay in the at-large mix. If they do that, we like their chances to go dancing. Memphis, meanwhile, opens up with Southern Miss. The Tigers will need a deep tourney run (probably a trip to the finals) to get at-lare worthy. Fans of bubble teams throughout the country need to root hard against UTEP this week. The Miners are playing the C-USA tourney on their home floor, where they went 16-2 this year, and are looking like the best bid-stealer candidate left out there.<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Bracket Breakdown</span><br />Last Four In</strong><br />Michigan State, Alabama, Boston College, Colorado<br /><br /><strong>First Four Out</strong><br />Virginia Tech, Clemson, USC, Missouri State<br /><br /><strong>Next Four Out</strong><br />Penn State, VCU, Colorado State, Washington State<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Conference Breakdown</span></strong><br />Big East (11), Big XII (6), Big Ten (6), SEC (6), ACC (4), A-10 (3), MWC (3), Pac-10 (3), Colonial (2), Conference USA (2), WCC (2)<br /><br /><strong>America East</strong> - Boston University<br /><br /><strong>ACC</strong> - Duke, North Carolina, Florida State, Boston College<br /><br /><strong>Atlantic Sun - Belmont</strong><br /><br /><strong>A-10</strong> - Xavier, Temple, Richmond<br /><br /><strong>Big East</strong> - Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Louisville, St. John's, Connecticut, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Marquette, Villanova<br /><br /><strong>Big Sky - Northern Colorado<br /></strong><br /><strong>Big South - UNC-Asheville<br /></strong><br /><strong>Big Ten</strong> - Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State<br /><br /><strong>Big XII</strong> - Kansas, Texas, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Missouri, Colorado<br /><br /><strong>Big West</strong> - Long Beach State<br /><br /><strong>Colonial -</strong> <strong>Old Dominion,</strong> George Mason<br /><br /><strong>Conference USA</strong> - UTEP, UAB<br /><br /><strong>Horizon - Butler<br /></strong><br /><strong>Ivy</strong> - Princeton<br /><br /><strong>MAAC - St. Peter's</strong><br /><br /><strong>MAC</strong> - Kent State<br /><br /><strong>MEAC</strong> - Bethune-Cookman<br /><br /><strong>MVC - Indiana State<br /><br />MWC </strong>- BYU, San Diego State, UNLV<br /><br /><strong>Northeast</strong> <strong>- Long Island</strong><br /><br /><strong>Ohio Valley - Morehead State</strong><br /><br /><strong>Pac-10</strong> - Arizona, UCLA, Washington<br /><br /><strong>Patriot</strong> - Bucknell<br /><br /><strong>SEC</strong> - Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama<br /><br /><strong>Southern - Wofford<br /></strong><br /><strong>Southland</strong> - McNeese State<br /><br /><strong>Summit - Oakland<br /></strong><br /><strong>Sun Belt - Arkansas-Little Rock</strong><br /><br /><strong>SWAC</strong> - Texas Southern<br /><br /><strong>WAC</strong> - Utah State<br /><br /><strong>WCC - Gonzaga,</strong> St. Mary's<br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Seeds<br /></span>The 1s</strong><br />Ohio State, Kansas, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame<br /><br /><strong>The 2s</strong><br />Duke, BYU, Syracuse, Purdue<br /><br /><strong>The 3s</strong><br />North Carolina, San Diego State, Florida, Texas<br /><br /><strong>The 4s<br /></strong>Louisville, Wisconsin, St. John's, Kentucky<br /><br /><strong>The 5s</strong><br />Connecticut, Xavier, Arizona, Kansas State<br /><br /><strong>The 6s</strong><br />West Virginia, Cincinnati, Temple, Texas A&M<br /><br /><strong>The 7s<br /></strong>Georgetown, UCLA, Vanderbilt, <strong>Old Dominion</strong><br /><br /><strong>The 8s</strong><br />UNLV, Missouri, Utah State, George Mason<br /><br /><strong>The 9s</strong><br />Illinois, Florida State, Tennessee, Marquette<br /><br /><strong>The 10s<br /></strong>Villanova, <strong>Gonzaga,</strong> <strong>Butler,</strong> Washington<br /><br /><strong>The 11s</strong><br />Richmond, Michigan, Georgia, St. Mary's<br /><br /><strong>The 12s</strong><br />UAB, Michigan State vs. Alabama (FF), Boston College vs. Colorado (FF), UTEP<br /><br /><strong>The 13s<br />Belmont,</strong> Princeton, <strong>Oakland,</strong> Kent State<br /><br /><strong>The 14s</strong><br />Bucknell, <strong>Indiana State, St. Peter's, Wofford</strong><br /><br /><strong>The 15s<br />Morehead State,</strong> Long Beach State, <strong>Long Island, Northern Colorado</strong><br /><br /><strong>The 16s<br /></strong>Boston University, <strong>UNC-Asheville,</strong> McNeese State vs. Texas Southern (FF), Bethune-Cookman vs. <strong>Arkansas-Little Rock</strong> (FF)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Bracket</span></strong><br />(Bracket courtesy Matt Reeves)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuCC37lYVb11GNxB6i95qJxXi08nieWJmN6Nim0DoV94HbFHxC58unLT9hhU5dqBUeI2pinwqOsKWxhSs8b48FUWAZfIDo7goUdI57hVwZUWFivYFu-kXEbbkmm_1vatOh28t/s1600/B101_20110310.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582479296046492562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuCC37lYVb11GNxB6i95qJxXi08nieWJmN6Nim0DoV94HbFHxC58unLT9hhU5dqBUeI2pinwqOsKWxhSs8b48FUWAZfIDo7goUdI57hVwZUWFivYFu-kXEbbkmm_1vatOh28t/s400/B101_20110310.jpg" /></a><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Questions? Comments?</strong> E-mail us at <a href="mailto:bracketologyblog@yahoo.com">bracketologyblog@yahoo.com</a> or send us a tweet at <a href="http://twitter.com/Bracketology101">twitter.com/Bracketology101.</a>Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com437tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-71537741224305215402011-03-09T08:31:00.003-05:002011-03-09T13:32:54.657-05:00Bracketology 101's Field of 68 - March 9<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoAiNCsFpiy-pmWe01XjVFW5-0_TVuMp6ijTbbBHBHtpphcQ2mdUsA0pu-1NFgVYxDmI3EW_q1qDAl7DjQQmVqyZGyQK6JVPu2_KtEJRkwhRMvAiKolY9iEKsS9y3a5JMH8qq/s1600/B101+Field+of+68.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 103px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581598048157514722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoAiNCsFpiy-pmWe01XjVFW5-0_TVuMp6ijTbbBHBHtpphcQ2mdUsA0pu-1NFgVYxDmI3EW_q1qDAl7DjQQmVqyZGyQK6JVPu2_KtEJRkwhRMvAiKolY9iEKsS9y3a5JMH8qq/s200/B101+Field+of+68.jpg" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Tuesday Recap</span></strong><br />The Big East Tournament kicked off with a big upset as South Florida took down Villanova. The Wildcats finished the season in absolute free-fall mode, losing five straight, which has dropped them from a 4 seed just over two weeks ago all the way down to a 9 now. It will be interesting to see what the committee does with the Wildcats, but we can see anything from an 8-11 seed come Sunday. Elsewhere in Big East action, Marquette took care of business against Providence and are now just playing for tournament seeding the rest of the way.<br /><br />Three more automatic bids were handed out on Tuesday, the most important of which was Butler winning the Horizon by (finally) beating Milwaukee. We thought the Bulldogs were safe regardless, but now there's no need to debate their at-large credentials. Butler's win really had no effect on our bracket, since we already anticipated the Bulldogs winning the Horizon title. The most thrilling finish of the night happened in the Sun Belt with lowly Arkansas-Little Rock taking down North Texas in the closing seconds to earn a bid (and an almost certain appearance in one of the First Four games.) In the Summit final, Oakland stamped their ticket with a convincing win over Oral Roberts.<br /><br />The final notable result of the night was Princeton's win over Penn, which sets up a de facto conference title game against Harvard on Saturday.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Wednesday Preview</span></strong><br />The Big XII, Pac-10, C-USA, MWC, and WAC all begin their conference tournaments today. The most important game in any of those tournaments is in the Big XII, as Colorado looks to keep its at-large hopes alive with a win over Iowa State. Missouri will be looking to avoid a Villanova-esque ending to its season as they take on Texas Tech. Baylor and Nebraska will also try to get off to strong starts and climb back into the bubble discussion with deep Big XII tourney runs.<br /><br />In the Big East tournament, every game is crucial in regards to tournament seeding. A high noon showdown between Georgetown and UConn will decide which of these teams will be on the 5 line tomorrow, as both teams try to right the ship after late season slides. In other second round action, hometown favorite St. John's will continue its quest for a top 4 seed as they take on Rutgers. Cincinnati will try to solidify their spot on the 6 line with a win over USF, while the defending Big East tourney champ, West Virignia, will try to defend its title in the late game against Marquette.<br /><br />Two more automatic bids will also be handed out tonight. Montana plays at Northern Colorado in the Big Sky final, and Robert Morris takes on Long Island in the Northeast final.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Bracket Breakdown</span><br />Last Four In</strong><br />Michigan State, Alabama, Boston College, Colorado<br /><br /><strong>First Four Out</strong><br />Virginia Tech, Clemson, USC, Missouri State<br /><br /><strong>Next Four Out</strong><br />Penn State, VCU, Colorado State, Washington State<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Conference Breakdown</span></strong><br />Big East (11), Big XII (6), Big Ten (6), SEC (6), ACC (4), A-10 (3), MWC (3), Pac-10 (3), Colonial (2), Conference USA (2), WCC (2)<br /><br /><strong>America East</strong> - Boston University<br /><br /><strong>ACC</strong> - Duke, North Carolina, Florida State, Boston College<br /><br /><strong>Atlantic Sun - Belmont</strong><br /><br /><strong>A-10</strong> - Xavier, Temple, Richmond<br /><br /><strong>Big East</strong> - Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Louisville, St. John's, West Virginia, Connecticut, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette<br /><br /><strong>Big Sky</strong> - Northern Colorado<br /><br /><strong>Big South - UNC-Asheville<br /></strong><br /><strong>Big Ten</strong> - Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State<br /><br /><strong>Big XII</strong> - Kansas, Texas, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Missouri, Colorado<br /><br /><strong>Big West</strong> - Long Beach State<br /><br /><strong>Colonial -</strong> <strong>Old Dominion,</strong> George Mason<br /><br /><strong>Conference USA</strong> - UTEP, UAB<br /><br /><strong>Horizon - Butler<br /></strong><br /><strong>Ivy</strong> - Princeton<br /><br /><strong>MAAC - St. Peter's</strong><br /><br /><strong>MAC</strong> - Kent State<br /><br /><strong>MEAC</strong> - Bethune Cookman<br /><br /><strong>MVC - Indiana State<br /><br />MWC </strong>- BYU, San Diego State, UNLV<br /><br /><strong>Northeast</strong> - Long Island<br /><br /><strong>Ohio Valley - Morehead State</strong><br /><br /><strong>Pac-10</strong> - Arizona, UCLA, Washington<br /><br /><strong>Patriot</strong> - Bucknell<br /><br /><strong>SEC</strong> - Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama<br /><br /><strong>Southern - Wofford<br /></strong><br /><strong>Southland</strong> - McNeese State<br /><br /><strong>Summit - Oakland<br /></strong><br /><strong>Sun Belt - Arkansas-Little Rock</strong><br /><br /><strong>SWAC</strong> - Texas Southern<br /><br /><strong>WAC</strong> - Utah State<br /><br /><strong>WCC - Gonzaga,</strong> St. Mary's<br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Seeds<br /></span>The 1s</strong><br />Ohio State, Kansas, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame<br /><br /><strong>The 2s</strong><br />Duke, BYU, Syracuse, Purdue<br /><br /><strong>The 3s</strong><br />North Carolina, San Diego State, Florida, Texas<br /><br /><strong>The 4s<br /></strong>Louisville, Wisconsin, St. John's, Kentucky<br /><br /><strong>The 5s</strong><br />West Virginia, Xavier, Arizona, Connecticut<br /><br /><strong>The 6s</strong><br />Kansas State, Cincinnati, Temple, Georgetown<br /><br /><strong>The 7s<br /></strong>Texas A&M, UCLA, Vanderbilt, <strong>Old Dominion</strong><br /><br /><strong>The 8s</strong><br />UNLV, Missouri, Utah State, George Mason<br /><br /><strong>The 9s</strong><br />Villanova, Illinois, Florida State, Tennessee<br /><br /><strong>The 10s<br />Gonzaga,</strong> <strong>Butler,</strong> Richmond, Washington<br /><br /><strong>The 11s</strong><br />Michigan, Marquette, Georgia, St. Mary's<br /><br /><strong>The 12s</strong><br />UAB, Michigan State vs. Alabama (FF), Boston College vs. Colorado (FF), UTEP<br /><br /><strong>The 13s<br />Belmont,</strong> Princeton, <strong>Oakland,</strong> Kent State<br /><br /><strong>The 14s</strong><br />Bucknell, <strong>Indiana State, St. Peter's, Wofford</strong><br /><br /><strong>The 15s<br />Morehead State,</strong> Long Beach State, Long Island, Northern Colorado<br /><br /><strong>The 16s<br /></strong>Boston University, <strong>UNC-Asheville,</strong> McNeese State vs. Texas Southern (FF), Bethune Cookman vs. <strong>Arkansas-Little Rock</strong> (FF)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Bracket</span></strong><br />(Bracket courtesy Matt Reeves)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49SIuO3Uj68y2a_Zezxhqr8Mh-FpqYigVNOgSXezRyaeE5_nkzghviSA5MjDyW4f1wMwbX-aquUsv67BXjqZyaulrm3rRdG74yC4GnOS8wBiNfz1WJoYs6aD3_djzm5Qoujs0/s1600/B101_03092011.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582084645159499858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49SIuO3Uj68y2a_Zezxhqr8Mh-FpqYigVNOgSXezRyaeE5_nkzghviSA5MjDyW4f1wMwbX-aquUsv67BXjqZyaulrm3rRdG74yC4GnOS8wBiNfz1WJoYs6aD3_djzm5Qoujs0/s400/B101_03092011.bmp" /></a><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Questions? Comments?</strong> E-mail us at <a href="mailto:bracketologyblog@yahoo.com">bracketologyblog@yahoo.com</a> or send us a tweet at <a href="http://twitter.com/Bracketology101">twitter.com/Bracketology101.</a>Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com283tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-44536112887252338772011-03-08T02:25:00.005-05:002011-03-08T02:36:05.700-05:00Bracketology 101's Field of 68 - March 8<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoAiNCsFpiy-pmWe01XjVFW5-0_TVuMp6ijTbbBHBHtpphcQ2mdUsA0pu-1NFgVYxDmI3EW_q1qDAl7DjQQmVqyZGyQK6JVPu2_KtEJRkwhRMvAiKolY9iEKsS9y3a5JMH8qq/s1600/B101+Field+of+68.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581598048157514722" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 103px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNoAiNCsFpiy-pmWe01XjVFW5-0_TVuMp6ijTbbBHBHtpphcQ2mdUsA0pu-1NFgVYxDmI3EW_q1qDAl7DjQQmVqyZGyQK6JVPu2_KtEJRkwhRMvAiKolY9iEKsS9y3a5JMH8qq/s200/B101+Field+of+68.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Monday Recap</span></strong><br />The residents of Bubbleville dodged their first bullet of Championship Week on Monday as Old Dominion held off VCU in the Colonial final. The win moved the Monarchs up to the top of the 8 line in today's bracket, but they could end up as high as a 7 depending on what happens the rest of the week. Elsewhere, Gonzaga avenged last year's WCC finals loss to St. Mary's by knocking off the Gaels 75-63 in Vegas. We thought both teams were fairly safe to get at-larges regardless of the outcome Monday night, and we still feel that way now. The Zags moved up to the top of the 10 line in today's bracket with the win, while St. Mary's fell to the bottom of the 11 line. Depending on what happens the rest of the week, we can see the Gaels perhaps slipping to the 12 line (and maybe to the First Four) on Selection Sunday because of how they finished up (losing four of six), but in the end, we fully expect their name to be called.<br /><br />There were two other automatic bids handed out Monday night. Wofford knocked off top-seeded Charleston in the Southern final and St. Peter's, who got blown out by Iona twice during the regular season, beat the Gaels 62-57 in the MAAC final. Wofford and St. Peter's are both on the 14 line in today's bracket.<br /><br />In other small conference action, North Texas and Arkansas-Little Rock advanced to today's Sun Belt final and top-seeded Oakland and Oral Roberts advanced to today's Summit final.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Tuesday Preview</span></strong><br />The Big East Tournament gets underway at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday with four first round games - UConn vs. DePaul, Rutgers vs, Seton Hall, Villanova vs. South Florida, and Marquette vs. Providence. If the Big East is going to get 11 bids, Marquette is going to have to avoid the upset against the Friars. The Golden Eagles lost two very winnable games last week (at home against Cincinnati and at Seton Hall) and if they end the season on a three-game skid, we think there's a good chance they end up on the wrong side of the bubble. On the flip side, if Marquette does win tonight, we think they're safe going forward.<br /><br />The other game with gigantic bubble implications tonight is the Horizon final between Butler and Milwaukee. If Butler wins, the Horizon is a one-bid league and the rest of the bubble can breathe a sigh of reilef. If Milwaukee can somehow find a way to beat the Bulldogs for a third time this season, though, the debate begins: is Butler at-large worthy? We, for one, think that they (barely) are. They have OOC wins over Florida State and Washington State, they tied for the Horizon regular season title, they beat Cleveland State three times, and (conspiracy theory alert) they're Butler. That resume, underwhelming as it is, is probably good enough this year.<br /><br />The third and final key game of the night is Princeton at Penn. If the Tigers win, they'll face Harvard in a one-game playoff at Yale on Saturday for the Ivy's automatic bid. If the Quakers pull the upset, Harvard would make the tournament for the first time since 1946. The Crimson are the only Ivy League school to never won a regular season championship since the Ivy League was formed in 1956-57.<br /><br />The Atlantic-10, MAC, and MEAC also begin first round conference tournament play today. The Big Sky plays its semifinals, as Weber State takes on Montana and Northern Arizona takes on Northern Colorado.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Bracket Breakdown</span><br />Last Four In</strong><br />Michigan State, Alabama, Boston College, Colorado<br /><br /><strong>First Four Out</strong><br />Virginia Tech, Clemson, USC, Missouri State<br /><br /><strong>Next Four Out</strong><br />Penn State, VCU, Colorado State, Washington State<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Conference Breakdown</span></strong><br />Big East (11), Big XII (6), Big Ten (6), SEC (6), ACC (4), A-10 (3), MWC (3), Pac-10 (3), Colonial (2), Conference USA (2), WCC (2)<br /><br /><strong>America East</strong> - Boston University<br /><br /><strong>ACC</strong> - Duke, North Carolina, Florida State, Boston College<br /><br /><strong>Atlantic Sun - Belmont</strong><br /><br /><strong>A-10</strong> - Xavier, Temple, Richmond<br /><br /><strong>Big East</strong> - Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Louisville, St. John's, West Virginia, Connecticut, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette<br /><br /><strong>Big Sky</strong> - Northern Colorado<br /><br /><strong>Big South - UNC-Asheville<br /></strong><br /><strong>Big Ten</strong> - Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State<br /><br /><strong>Big XII</strong> - Kansas, Texas, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Missouri, Colorado<br /><br /><strong>Big West</strong> - Long Beach State<br /><br /><strong>Colonial -</strong> <strong>Old Dominion,</strong> George Mason<br /><br /><strong>Conference USA</strong> - UTEP, UAB<br /><br /><strong>Horizon</strong> - Butler<br /><br /><strong>Ivy</strong> - Princeton<br /><br /><strong>MAAC - St. Peter's</strong><br /><br /><strong>MAC</strong> - Kent State<br /><br /><strong>MEAC</strong> - Bethune Cookman<br /><br /><strong>MVC - Indiana State<br /><br />MWC </strong>- BYU, San Diego State, UNLV<br /><br /><strong>Northeast</strong> - Long Island<br /><br /><strong>Ohio Valley - Morehead State</strong><br /><br /><strong>Pac-10</strong> - Arizona, UCLA, Washington<br /><br /><strong>Patriot</strong> - Bucknell<br /><br /><strong>SEC</strong> - Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama<br /><br /><strong>Southern - Wofford<br /></strong><br /><strong>Southland</strong> - McNeese State<br /><br /><strong>Summit</strong> - Oakland<br /><br /><strong>Sun Belt</strong> - North Texas<br /><br /><strong>SWAC</strong> - Texas Southern<br /><br /><strong>WAC</strong> - Utah State<br /><br /><strong>WCC - Gonzaga,</strong> St. Mary's<br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Seeds<br /></span>The 1s</strong><br />Ohio State, Kansas, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame<br /><br /><strong>The 2s</strong><br />Duke, BYU, Syracuse, Purdue<br /><br /><strong>The 3s</strong><br />North Carolina, San Diego State, Florida, Texas<br /><br /><strong>The 4s<br /></strong>Louisville, Wisconsin, St. John's, Kentucky<br /><br /><strong>The 5s</strong><br />West Virginia, Xavier, Arizona, Connecticut<br /><br /><strong>The 6s</strong><br />Kansas State, Cincinnati, Temple, Georgetown<br /><br /><strong>The 7s<br /></strong>Texas A&M, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Villanova<br /><br /><strong>The 8s</strong><br /><strong>Old Dominion,</strong> UNLV, Missouri, Utah State<br /><br /><strong>The 9s</strong><br />George Mason, Illinois, Florida State, Tennessee<br /><br /><strong>The 10s<br />Gonzaga,</strong> Richmond, Washington, Butler<br /><br /><strong>The 11s</strong><br />Michigan, Georgia, Marquette, St. Mary's<br /><br /><strong>The 12s</strong><br />UAB, Michigan State vs. Alabama (FF), Boston College vs. Colorado (FF), UTEP<br /><br /><strong>The 13s<br />Belmont,</strong> Princeton, Oakland, Kent State<br /><br /><strong>The 14s</strong><br />Bucknell, <strong>Indiana State, St. Peter's, Wofford</strong><br /><br /><strong>The 15s<br />Morehead State,</strong> Long Beach State, Long Island, Northern Colorado<br /><br /><strong>The 16s<br /></strong>Boston University, North Texas, <strong>UNC-Asheville</strong> vs. McNeese State (FF), Texas Southern vs. Bethune Cookman (FF)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Bracket</span></strong><br />(Bracket courtesy Matt Reeves)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPa1VAw2wM19j0MWjeO-8cvDkCc8HWZ1LCthDJYoIRrx3QAZAwHjOaahdADVQB4eECt9DpApn28c-R2KD1ysagPmdJUyExFDSMWeEdh4Y6UoveqeJcYd8kZ1EUV1wjBX3A9KF/s1600/B101_20110308.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581609286481450274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 236px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPa1VAw2wM19j0MWjeO-8cvDkCc8HWZ1LCthDJYoIRrx3QAZAwHjOaahdADVQB4eECt9DpApn28c-R2KD1ysagPmdJUyExFDSMWeEdh4Y6UoveqeJcYd8kZ1EUV1wjBX3A9KF/s400/B101_20110308.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Questions? Comments?</strong> E-mail us at <a href="mailto:bracketologyblog@yahoo.com">bracketologyblog@yahoo.com</a> or send us a tweet at <a href="http://twitter.com/Bracketology101">twitter.com/Bracketology101.</a>Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com141tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-1235987301308643332011-03-06T20:31:00.010-05:002011-03-07T07:40:46.552-05:00Bracketology 101's Field of 68 - March 7<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Qe2MN_XTbPrURAl8_EMd1PKoOXy2Z4cBEvirGkQXZRLkWiHn4aEJGypoXUO_hSsmOHDjCcJgdHtHaTLfWGdIQq0lleQuHAikv98ocdrM9DM-rKNdu_9EvUtYLT2cEyW84tNo/s1600/B101+Field+of+68.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 103px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 125px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581170161581329570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Qe2MN_XTbPrURAl8_EMd1PKoOXy2Z4cBEvirGkQXZRLkWiHn4aEJGypoXUO_hSsmOHDjCcJgdHtHaTLfWGdIQq0lleQuHAikv98ocdrM9DM-rKNdu_9EvUtYLT2cEyW84tNo/s200/B101+Field+of+68.jpg" /></a>It seems like a lot more than a week has passed since our last bracket, considering how many crucial games were played throughout the college basketball world. At times during the week, it looked like we would have to do a major overhaul to the bottom of the bracket, but ultimately, the seeds towards the top of the bracket actually saw the most changes. On each of our 3-8 lines, three of the four teams there this week weren't there last week. That's a crazy amount of movement that high in the bracket, especially this late in the season.<br /><br />The only at-large teams that fell out of last week's bracket were Virginia Tech and Baylor. Virginia Tech was replaced by Boston College after the Eagles' 2-0 week, which included a road win against the Hokies. Virginia Tech would have still remained in the bracket, but we think their loss to Clemson may have been a bubble-bursting one. The Hokies have to win their first ACC tourney game against Georgia Tech to have any chance, and then likely will need to take down Florida State in the quarterfinals to secure a bid. We are not too confident in their ability to win that game against the 'Noles, so we left the Hokies out. The likely matchup between Boston College and Clemson in the quarterfinals is basically a tourney play-in game. (A play-in for a play-in?)<br /><br />Baylor had a disasterous week, losing both of its games, and it will now take a run to the Big XII final to get them back into the discussion. The Bears ended up being replaced by UAB, who clinched the outright Conference USA title this week. We think that title should get them an at-large, as long as they avoid a loss in their first conference tourney game. We also included UTEP in the bracket as a bid-stealer out of C-USA. The Miners will be playing the conference tourney on their home floor, and with the draw they have, we like their chances. Elsewhere on the bubble, Michigan's win over Michigan State moved them ahead of the Spartans in the Big Ten pecking order and pushed Michigan State down to the Last Four In line. Alabama held onto their bid because of their victory over Georgia this weekend. The Tide will likely need to beat the Bulldogs again in their first SEC tourney game to secure their bid. Colorado, meanwhile, barely held onto their bid after their disappointing lose at Iowa State. The Buffs will get a rematch with the Cyclones in their first Big XII tourney game and then will look to beat Kansas State for the third time in the quarterfinals. A win in that game would lock down their bid.<br /><br />We will update our bracket every day this week and our final bracket will be posted in the mid-afternoon on Selection Sunday. Enjoy the madness of Championship Week...<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Bracket Breakdown</span><br />Last Four In</strong><br />Michigan State, Alabama, Boston College, Colorado<br /><br /><strong>First Four Out<br /></strong>Virginia Tech, Clemson, USC, Missouri State<br /><br /><strong>Next Four Out</strong><br />Penn State, VCU, Colorado State, Washington State<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Conference Breakdown<br /></span></strong>Big East (11), Big XII (6), Big Ten (6), SEC (6), ACC (4), A-10 (3), MWC (3), Pac-10 (3), Colonial (2), Conference USA (2), WCC (2)<br /><br /><strong>America East </strong>- Boston University<br /><br /><strong>ACC</strong> - Duke, North Carolina, Florida State, Boston College<br /><br /><strong>Atlantic Sun</strong> <strong>- Belmont</strong><br /><br /><strong>A-10</strong> - Xavier, Temple, Richmond<br /><br /><strong>Big East</strong> - Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Louisville, St. John's, West Virginia, Connecticut, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Villanova, Marquette<br /><br /><strong>Big Sky</strong> - Northern Colorado<br /><br /><strong>Big South - UNC-Asheville</strong><br /><br /><strong>Big Ten</strong> - Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State<br /><br /><strong>Big XII</strong> - Kansas, Texas, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Missouri, Colorado<br /><br /><strong>Big West</strong> - Long Beach State<br /><br /><strong>Colonial</strong> - George Mason, Old Dominion<br /><br /><strong>Conference USA -</strong> UTEP,<strong> </strong>UAB<br /><br /><strong>Horizon</strong> - Butler<br /><br /><strong>Ivy</strong> - Princeton<br /><br /><strong>MAAC</strong> - Iona<br /><br /><strong>MAC</strong> - Kent State<br /><br /><strong>MEAC</strong> - Bethune Cookman<br /><br /><strong>MVC - Indiana State</strong><br /><br /><strong>MWC</strong> - BYU, San Diego State, UNLV<br /><br /><strong>Northeast</strong> - Long Island<br /><br /><strong>Ohio Valley - Morehead State</strong><br /><br /><strong>Pac-10</strong> - Arizona, UCLA, Washington<br /><br /><strong>Patriot</strong> - Bucknell<br /><br /><strong>SEC</strong> - Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama<br /><br /><strong>Southern</strong> - Charleston<br /><br /><strong>Southland</strong> - McNeese State<br /><br /><strong>Summit</strong> - Oakland<br /><br /><strong>Sun Belt </strong>- North Texas<br /><br /><strong>SWAC</strong> - Texas Southern<br /><br /><strong>WAC</strong> - Utah State<br /><br /><strong>WCC</strong> - Gonzaga, St. Mary's<br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Seeds<br /></span>The 1s</strong><br />Ohio State, Kansas, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame<br /><br /><strong>The 2s<br /></strong>Duke, BYU, Syracuse, Purdue<br /><br /><strong>The 3s</strong><br />North Carolina, San Diego State, Florida, Texas<br /><br /><strong>The 4s</strong><br />Louisville, Wisconsin, St. John's, Kentucky<br /><br /><strong>The 5s</strong><br />West Virginia, Xavier, Arizona, Connecticut<br /><br /><strong>The 6s</strong><br />Kansas State, Cincinnati, Temple, Georgetown<br /><br /><strong>The 7s</strong><br />Texas A&M, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Villanova<br /><br /><strong>The 8s<br /></strong>UNLV, Missouri, Old Dominion, Utah State<br /><br /><strong>The 9s</strong><br />George Mason, Illinois, Florida State, Tennessee<br /><br /><strong>The 10s<br /></strong>Richmond, Washington, Gonzaga, Butler<br /><br /><strong>The 11s</strong><br />Michigan, St. Mary's, Georgia, Marquette<br /><br /><strong>The 12s</strong><br />UAB, Michigan State vs. Alabama (FF), Boston College vs. Colorado (FF), UTEP<br /><br /><strong>The 13s<br />Belmont,</strong> Princeton, Oakland, Charleston<br /><br /><strong>The 14s<br /></strong>Iona, Bucknell, Kent State, <strong>Indiana State</strong><br /><br /><strong>The 15s<br />Morehead State,</strong> Long Beach State, Long Island, Northern Colorado<br /><br /><strong>The 16s</strong><br />Boston University, North Texas, <strong>UNC-Asheville</strong> vs. McNeese State (FF), Texas Southern vs. Bethune Cookman (FF)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Bracket<br /></span></strong>(Bracket courtesy Matt Reeves)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKr2fgo9ZfGYdCUb6E8ffox9_743WpmoM66WVVgCLn9GKeziZiGuhYJUxd35rHop51_5FLoankwBB2QC3PF8ugEYzED_3ysDQCNvjmK433D5LaYhecxp8dtUtQIKcKBNCSyQ6u/s1600/B101_03072011.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581308899193212338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKr2fgo9ZfGYdCUb6E8ffox9_743WpmoM66WVVgCLn9GKeziZiGuhYJUxd35rHop51_5FLoankwBB2QC3PF8ugEYzED_3ysDQCNvjmK433D5LaYhecxp8dtUtQIKcKBNCSyQ6u/s400/B101_03072011.bmp" /></a><br /><br /><br /><strong></strong><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Questions? Comments?</strong> E-mail us at <a href="mailto:bracketologyblog@yahoo.com">bracketologyblog@yahoo.com</a> or send us a tweet at <a href="http://twitter.com/Bracketology101">twitter.com/Bracketology101.</a>Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com187tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-59390927060015451712011-03-04T19:43:00.005-05:002011-03-05T09:58:38.624-05:00B101's Questions For The Weekend<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6NJp06kIzVKOiCsi6ulhclxKBS2ULVTTQKcrCxGHy35qjkIpYQ7Ifn8ucZyEMdfNZeX1q__P38a8EiG9Oa_5j2bq0saMO_y7DWUcmsdCG-B2y0rf_OJUVxRD1cS3fpROHjfS/s1600/B101+Weekend+Questions.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580071326558090754" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 101px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 139px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho6NJp06kIzVKOiCsi6ulhclxKBS2ULVTTQKcrCxGHy35qjkIpYQ7Ifn8ucZyEMdfNZeX1q__P38a8EiG9Oa_5j2bq0saMO_y7DWUcmsdCG-B2y0rf_OJUVxRD1cS3fpROHjfS/s200/B101+Weekend+Questions.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>Here's what we're wondering heading into this weekend's games:</em><br /><br /><strong>Friday's Games</strong><br />Will Harvard (vs. Penn) or Princeton (at Dartmouth) get caught looking ahead to their Saturday showdown?<br /><br /><strong>Saturday's Games</strong><br />Can Duke sweep North Carolina and win the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ACC</span></span> regular season title? If the Blue Devils win, is there any way they don't end up on the 1 line?<br /><br />Will Michigan be the latest bubble team to blow their shot an at-large? Are the Wolverines safe if they beat Michigan State and then win the 4/5 game in the Big Ten tourney?<br /><br />Would a win for Alabama over Georgia be enough for the Tide to hang on to their spot on the 12 line?<br /><br />Can <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">BYU</span></span> overcome its recent distractions and take care of Wyoming at home to secure the 1 seed for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">MWC</span></span> tourney?<br /><br />Is the Virginia Tech at Clemson match-up the biggest bubble battle of the weekend?<br /><br />Or is Nebraska at Colorado?<br /><br />Will Kansas win at Missouri to secure their 1 seed? Will Pitt do the same at home against <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Villanova</span></span>?<br /><br />Can Baylor take down a slumping Texas squad and once again climb back onto the bubble?<br /><br />Will <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Notre</span></span> Dame be able to win at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">UConn</span></span> and stay in the mix for a 1 seed? How far would <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">UConn</span></span> fall with an 0-2 week and a .500 Big East finish?<br /><br />Will an appearance in the Horizon final be enough to get Butler an at-large?<br /><br />Is there any chance that Colorado State can pull off a shocker at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">SDSU</span></span>?<br /><br />Would Florida climb into the mix for a 2 seed if they can win at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Vandy</span></span> and finish 13-3 in conference?<br /><br />Can Cincinnati complete a season sweep of Georgetown and climb above the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Hoyas</span></span> on the S-curve?<br /><br />How high will West Virginia's seed climb if they complete a 2-0 week with a win over Louisville?<br /><br />Will a bid-stealer come from the Colonial conference tourney?<br /><br />Who will win the Ohio Valley, Big South, and Atlantic Sun championship games? Will Belmont or Coastal Carolina see their dream seasons end early?<br /><br />If Richmond takes down <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Duquesne</span></span>, is there any way the Spiders get left out at 13-3 in the A-10?<br /><br />If Kansas State takes care of Iowa State, will they get this week's biggest seed bump?<br /><br />Could Missouri State lose in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">MVC</span></span> semis and have any chance for an at-large?<br /><br />Will a win over UCLA be enough for Washington State to climb back into the bracket?<br /><br />If Seton Hall upsets Marquette, like they did St. John's already this week, would 11 Big East bids be in jeopardy?<br /><br />Can Princeton win at Harvard and secure this year's first automatic bid?<br /><br /><strong>Sunday's Games</strong><br />Would a win over Wisconsin at home lock up the No. 1 overall seed for Ohio State?<br /><br />Can Tennessee beat Kentucky in Knoxville and move into lock status?<br /><br />Will Florida State survive a trip to N.C. State? If the '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Noles</span></span> were to lose their next two games, would they get squeezed out of the field?<br /><br />BC can't lose at home to Wake Forest...right?<br /><br />Does it even matter who wins the Penn State-Minnesota game?Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com259tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-88478671540546628072011-03-03T09:40:00.003-05:002011-03-03T13:29:19.060-05:00B101's Bracket Banter - Thursday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFtcjxldVH9I4l8yOVG4Fvz2LdOA2zkeAeOEX1_zd1PgPYA-MhAO10e16UGN_gNvW_-f7iVK-ww4BslbsTD557EdP5mXRVVOsTiiq2WFTsUsP2mPgt_GORibM6iu4V8NYwwpds/s1600/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 92px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 143px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579716901774219314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFtcjxldVH9I4l8yOVG4Fvz2LdOA2zkeAeOEX1_zd1PgPYA-MhAO10e16UGN_gNvW_-f7iVK-ww4BslbsTD557EdP5mXRVVOsTiiq2WFTsUsP2mPgt_GORibM6iu4V8NYwwpds/s200/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg" /></a><em>Bracket Banter is our daily open thread to discuss all things bracket. Readers can post comments and questions during the night's games, and we will answer those questions as the night goes on.</em><br /><br /><strong>Thursday's Games</strong><br />Over the last 72 hours, the bubble has gone from a fun thing to criticize to a full-blown laughingstock. Virginia Tech, Colorado, Baylor, Alabama, Penn State, Clemson, Minnesota, Maryland, Memphis, and Southern Miss all lost critical bubble battles in the past three days, making the already weak bubble weaker than ever.<br /><br />Those results have had an interesting impact on the three biggest games on tonight's schedule - Tennessee at South Carolina, UCLA at Washington, and USC at Washington State. Washington's seed slipped all the way to the bottom of the 10 line after a home loss to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wazzu</span> over the weekend, and it appeared that a 2-0 week was going to be necessary to keep the Huskies in the bracket for another week. After all the bubble craziness the past three days, though, that might not be the case. A split, plus one <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pac</span>-10 tourney win, is probably all Washington needs to go dancing at this point.<br /><br />Tennessee entered the week in a similar position. The Vols laid an egg at home against Mississippi State on Saturday, which gave them 12 losses on the year and made it seem like a 2-0 week was going to be necessary to keep them in the field. Now, it looks like a split plus one SEC tournament win will be enough to get Tennessee an at-large, despite the fact that they could finish with 14 losses. That would tie Georgia's record from 2001, when the Bulldogs got an at-large at 16-14. Georgia had the No. 1 SOS in the country and eight Top 50 wins that year; Tennessee has the No. 2 SOS and seven Top 50 wins heading into tonight's game against the Gamecocks.<br /><br />Finally, USC takes on Washington State in a bubble battle that could only happen in the context of a 68-team field. These two teams have a combined nine losses to teams outside the Top 100 (nine!!), yet the winner will still be very much alive for an at-large berth. The loser of this game will need to win the Pac-10 tournament to get a bid; the winner will need to get to to the final to still be in the mix on Selection Sunday.<br /><br /><strong>Conference Tournaments</strong><br />The Big South semifinals are tonight, with top-seeded Coastal Carolina taking on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">VMI</span> and second-seeded <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">UNC</span>-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Asheville</span> taking on High Point. Top seed Long Island plays St. Francis (PA) in the Northeast Conference quarterfinals, the Atlantic Sun quarterfinals continue with Jacksonville facing North Florida and Lipscomb facing Mercer, and the Ohio Valley quarters continue with Austin Peay taking on SE Missouri State and Tennessee Tech taking on UT-Martin. First round play in the Missouri Valley and American East also begins tonight. Top seed Missouri State will take on the winner of tonight's Illinois State-Southern Illinois game in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">MVC</span> quarters on Friday.<br /><br /><strong>Also keep an eye on:</strong> Wisconsin at Indiana, St. John's at Seton Hall, Oregon State at ArizonaBracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com200tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-34752926059407200612011-03-02T07:30:00.009-05:002011-03-02T13:16:37.140-05:00B101's Bracket Banter - Wednesday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrVu4qIdO7HkFAsYHpSW62ghCcCYf-4M4Oz3C3xUQEBZ0yGPfSgSQDu4rgazpNJsWUKG8_rRImdINU_2AuW2nF6zMtzNzksW2I5RJ4_E_kMsNwGgA5G8VJlneVZ-Z5UsP-2u6/s1600/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 92px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 143px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579485782969410658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrVu4qIdO7HkFAsYHpSW62ghCcCYf-4M4Oz3C3xUQEBZ0yGPfSgSQDu4rgazpNJsWUKG8_rRImdINU_2AuW2nF6zMtzNzksW2I5RJ4_E_kMsNwGgA5G8VJlneVZ-Z5UsP-2u6/s200/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg" /></a><em>Bracket Banter is our daily open thread to discuss all things bracket. Readers can post comments and questions during the nights games, and we will answer those questions as the night goes on.</em><br /><br /><strong>Wednesday's Games</strong><br />Do you think if we started a rumor that the NCAA decided to go back to a 65-team tourney because of the weak bubble that it would have any legs? After last night's performance by a few bubble teams (we're talking to you Virginia Tech, Baylor, and Alabama) we wish that rumor were true.<br /><br />The games in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bubbleville</span> tonight are not as significant as last night, but there are still some important must-win games for bubble teams. Michigan State and Colorado State must take care of business at home against teams in the bottom half of their conference standings (Iowa and Utah), while bracket newcomer Colorado has to navigate through a tricky road trip to Iowa State (just ask Nebraska). The games for Michigan State and Colorado State are warm-ups for critical road games this weekend (Michigan and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">SDSU</span>), while Colorado returns home for a bubble elimination game against the Huskers.<br /><br />The other focus tonight will be on teams in the Big XII, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">MWC</span>, Big East, A-10, and C-USA who have the chance to clinch at least a share of the regular season crown. Kansas has Texas A&M visiting, and if the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Jayhawks</span> can pick up a win over the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Aggies</span> and then at Missouri over the weekend, they are likely a lock for a one seed. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">BYU</span> will be looking to secure the top seed in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">MWC</span> tourney and avenge their only conference loss of the season in their game against New Mexico. The other important storyline to this game is how <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">BYU</span> will play in their first game without Brandon Davies.<br /><br />Pitt and Xavier can also clinch at least a share of their conference titles with wins over bottom feeders South Florida and Charlotte. In C-USA, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">UAB</span> plays at Southern Miss in another key bubble battle. If <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">UAB</span> can pick up the road win, they would only need a home win over East Carolina over the weekend to clinch the outright regular season title. That title could lead to an at-large bid if they need it. If Southern Miss completes a season sweep of the Blazers, they will pass them in the bunched-up C-USA pecking order.<br /><br />Elsewhere in power conference action, Duke and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">North Carolina</span> will look to avoid stumbles prior to their weekend showdown in Chapel Hill, which will determine the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">ACC</span> title. Clemson heads to Cameron Indoor looking to pull off the huge upset that would finally catapult them into the bracket, and down in Tallahassee, Florida State looks to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">lock down</span> their bid by knocking off the Tar Heels. In Big East play, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">UConn</span> travels to West Virginia and Cincinnati plays at Marquette. These two games will have a major impact on the final Big East pecking order and on which teams earn first round byes in the Big East tourney.<br /><br /><strong>Conference Tournaments</strong><br />The Atlantic Sun, Ohio Valley, and Patriot League begin conference tourney play tonight. Heavily favored Belmont, out of the A-Sun, will start things off against a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kennesaw</span> State team they just beat by 43 points on the road. In the Patriot, top-seeded <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bucknell</span> kicks things off against Army as the Bison look to get back to the tournament for the first time in five years.<br /><br /><strong>Also keep an eye on: </strong>Providence at Louisville, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">LSU</span> at Georgia, Temple at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">UMass</span>, Utah State at New Mexico State, Minnesota at Northwestern, Memphis at East Carolina, Maryland at MiamiBracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com102tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-47786455476717731392011-03-01T09:20:00.006-05:002011-03-01T14:17:33.923-05:00B101's Bracket Banter - Tuesday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YfSFJt4VldkbKcf5xt-JFv-J7XXDgjRdjsJCKMBQ596AOrlKXt5UWfkyeQpBWJ9cjjFfMZcZexrh6B8rkSG7sCW9t_9rqxeyFCTHU7lgglb6pfQGgEkHa1tKaOoN7dInRWDk/s1600/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 92px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 143px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578926698040274834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YfSFJt4VldkbKcf5xt-JFv-J7XXDgjRdjsJCKMBQ596AOrlKXt5UWfkyeQpBWJ9cjjFfMZcZexrh6B8rkSG7sCW9t_9rqxeyFCTHU7lgglb6pfQGgEkHa1tKaOoN7dInRWDk/s200/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg" /></a><em>Bracket Banter is our daily open thread to discuss all things bracket. Readers can post comments and questions during the night's games, and we will answer those questions as the night goes on.</em><br /><br /><strong>Tuesday's Games</strong><br />Debates about 1 seeds are fun and all, but the first week in March is all about the bubble. Tonight, a half dozen bubble teams get to stake their claim to a spot in the bracket.<br /><br />The biggest and most anticipated game of the night is Ohio State at Penn State. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nittany</span> Lions have been one of the most talked about teams on this site over the past couple weeks, and much of that discussion has centered around their ability to win this game. If they do win, and follow up that win with a victory at Minnesota this weekend, they'll be dancing. If they lose tonight, they'll need a win over the Gophers and a trip to the Big Ten semis to be in the at-large mix. If they win tonight and then lose at Minnesota, one Big Ten tourney win would probably be enough, and two would almost certainly get them a bid. Got all that?<br /><br />The other hotly debated bubble team in action tonight is Alabama, which travels to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gainesville</span> to take on Florida. There is probably no better poster child right now for why the 68-team field is a bad idea than the Crimson Tide. Despite an 89 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">RPI</span> (89!) and a resume that features more bad losses than good wins, the Tide are very much alive for an at-large bid. If they win this game against the Gators, it's hard to see them getting left out. If they lose, the debate continues. Would a win over Georgia this weekend, and a 12-4 finish, be enough? How many SEC tourney wins would they need at that point to be safe? One? Two?<br /><br />In Big XII bubble action, Baylor plays at Oklahoma State and Nebraska hosts Missouri. The Huskers are barely clinging to a spot on the bubble right now after their brutal loss at Iowa State over the weekend. A win here won't get them back in the bracket, but it will at least keep them relevant heading into the weekend. They'd have to win at Colorado on Saturday and then make a very deep Big XII tourney run to get in. Baylor, meanwhile, enters the final week of the regular season on the right side of the bubble, but not by much. They're probably going to need a sweep of the Cowboys and Longhorns this week to have a chance at an at-large. Two wins would get them to 9-7 in conference, which should make up for their lack of an <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">OOC</span> resume. A 1-1 week would leave them needing two Big XII tourney wins to stay alive.<br /><br />The final bubble game of night takes place in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">ACC</span>, where Boston College plays at Virginia Tech in what is essentially a "play-out" game for the Eagles. If they lose to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hokies</span>, we can't see any way that BC gets an at-large. If they're able to pull the upset, and then take care of Wake Forest at home on Sunday, they'll probably be in the bracket heading into the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">ACC</span> tourney. A loss would definitely put a crack in Virginia <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Tech's</span> resume, but it wouldn't necessarily knock them out next week. They'd have to win at Clemson this weekend and win a game (maybe two) in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">ACC</span> tourney to like their chances.<br /><br />Finally, in non-bubble action, Vanderbilt plays at Kentucky and Illinois plays at Purdue. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vandy</span>-Kentucky game is important for both in terms of seeding, but it's more important for the Wildcats considering they already lost to the Commodores once and trail them by a game in conference. There aren't many teams in the country playing better than Purdue over the last three weeks, and they take a six-game win streak into their game against the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Illini</span>. A 2-0 finish to their regular season would put them in great shape for a 2 seed heading into the Big Ten tournament. Illinois probably just needs to win at home against Indiana this weekend and then win one Big Ten tourney game to lock down a bid.<br /><br /><strong>Conference Tournaments</strong><br />The Horizon and the Big South both begin conference tournament action tonight. In the first round of the Horizon, Cleveland State plays Illinois-Chicago, Valparaiso plays Youngstown State, Loyola (IL) takes on Detroit, and Green Bay takes on Wright State. Top-seeded Milwaukee and second-seeded Butler have byes to the semifinals. In the Big South, top-seeded Coastal Carolina opens with Gardner-Webb.<br /><br /><strong>Also keep an eye on:</strong> San Diego State at WyomingBracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com102tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-6478760808299456952011-02-28T01:23:00.015-05:002011-02-28T15:50:06.885-05:00Bracketology 101's Field of 68 - Feb. 28<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1N2Wrh4HxzloiY564j78hO-SuKz0Wx6TxYA1vTIyrx04GQGt8nVzxBx6A-9GRu3j7l-4eM1CNtEeLCK1pl6EcrdamlD_DCF7TD9oK9Xr_IWhxTrRUhe2bd9XL9ulNJlslgXkR/s1600/B101+Field+of+68.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578621925680813906" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 103px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1N2Wrh4HxzloiY564j78hO-SuKz0Wx6TxYA1vTIyrx04GQGt8nVzxBx6A-9GRu3j7l-4eM1CNtEeLCK1pl6EcrdamlD_DCF7TD9oK9Xr_IWhxTrRUhe2bd9XL9ulNJlslgXkR/s200/B101+Field+of+68.jpg" border="0" /></a>Just when it looked like the bubble couldn't get any weaker, Upset Saturday struck again.<br /><br />In a span of 12 hours, Virginia Tech knocked off top-ranked Duke, Colorado had a second half for the ages and stunned Texas, Kansas State and Baylor beat ranked opponents at home, Alabama lost at Mississippi, Minnesota lost - again - this time at home to Michigan, Memphis got obliterated at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">UTEP</span>, Colorado State lost at Air Force (Air Force?!), and Nebraska lost at Iowa State (Iowa State??!!) By the end of the night, our 10-12 lines were in shambles, and we were left to sift through some of the worst at-large resumes we can remember to try to fill a 68-team field.<br /><br />Ultimately, we decided on the following changes: Minnesota, Boston College, Colorado State, and Nebraska dropped out, and Virginia Tech, Michigan, Colorado, and Baylor jumped in. Nebraska was the easiest team to take out because the Huskers are now eighth in the Big XII pecking order. Colorado State was an easy removal as well because we don't give them much of a chance to win at San Diego State this week. Minnesota has the best wins of the four teams we took out, but they are in complete free-fall mode right now. The Gophers need to win their last two games just to get to 8-10 in conference, and even then, they'll probably have to get to the Big Ten final to get an at-large. BC was done in by their brutal home loss to Miami and the fact that they have to play at Virginia Tech on Tuesday. If they lose that game, which we think they will, they'll finish at best 8-8 in conference, which won't be enough.<br /><br />Replacing those four teams in the bracket was a struggle. We wanted to include a bid-stealer for at least one of the open spots, but incredibly - in a year with three more at-large spots available and an awful bubble - there are just no bid-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">stealers</span> out there right now. We don't like Missouri State's chances to get an at-large if they lose in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">MVC</span> final, and Conference USA is such a mess right now that the regular season champ probably won't be worthy of an at-large (if needed) down the road, either. The only bid-stealer possibility that we gave serious consideration to was the Horizon getting two bids (Milwaukee as the automatic and Butler an at-large). In the end, though, we stuck with the resurgent Bulldogs as our pick to win the Horizon tourney, and left the league with just one bid.<br /><br />With no bid-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">stealers</span> available, we had to pick from a group of teams with a lot of warts and a lot of work left to do. Virginia Tech was the easiest inclusion because of their win over the Blue Devils and their upcoming home game against BC. Michigan made the cut, despite their loss at home to Wisconsin on Wednesday, because we think they have a decent chance to beat Michigan State at home this weekend and then win their first Big Ten tourney game. Colorado made the cut because, after their upset of the Longhorns, the Buffs have five Top 50 wins overall and four Top 50 wins in conference. Their season sweep of Kansas State is huge, and their final two games (at Iowa State, vs. Nebraska) are very winnable. A 9-7 finish, even with an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">OOC</span> SOS of 323, should put Colorado on the right side of the bubble heading into the Big XII tournament.<br /><br />Our fourth at-large hole was filled by Baylor, who completed a season sweep of A&M on Saturday night to get back to .500 in conference. The Bears' final two games are both tough - at Oklahoma State and at home against Texas - but we think they have an outside chance to win both, especially with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Gameday</span> crew coming to town over the weekend. If they split those two games, they'll have to make a deep run in the Big XII tournament to get back in the mix for a bid. Finally, in a decision that will surely cause some spirited debate in the comment section this week, we kept Alabama in the bracket as our last team in. We really can't defend the Tide's overall profile (two Top 50 wins, an 89 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">RPI</span>), but we still think that if they finish 12-4, especially on this bubble, that the committee will give them a bid. Until 12-4 is mathematically impossible, we're sticking with them.<br /><br />Elsewhere in the bracket, there was a change on the 1 line as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">BYU</span> replaces Duke. The Cougars are likely going to have to win the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">MWC</span> tourney to get a 1 seed, but given the way they played in front of a raucous <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">SDSU</span> crowd on Saturday, we think they can do that. In other changes to the top quarter of the bracket, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">SDSU</span> fell from a 2 to a 3, Florida fell from a 3 to a 4, Louisville climbed from a 4 to a 3, and St. John's and North Carolina both went from 5s to 4s. The biggest upgrades of the week were <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">BYU</span> (who moved from a 3 to a 1), Syracuse (from a 5 to a 3), Kansas State (from an 11 to an 8), and Marquette (from am 11 to a 9). The biggest downgrade was Georgetown (from a 3 to a 5).<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Bracket Breakdown</span><br />Last Four In</strong><br />Michigan, Colorado, Baylor, Alabama<br /><br /><strong>First Four Out<br /></strong>Boston College, Penn State, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">UAB</span>, Colorado State<br /><br /><strong>Next Four Out<br /></strong>Clemson, Memphis, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">USC</span>, Minnesota<br /><br /><strong>"First Four" Games<br /></strong>Michigan vs. Colorado, Baylor vs. Alabama, Murray State vs. Bethune-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Cookman</span>, Texas Southern vs. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">McNeese</span> State<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Conference Breakdown</span></strong><br />Big East (11), Big XII (7), Big Ten (6), SEC (6), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">ACC</span> (4), A-10 (3), MWC (3), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Pac</span>-10 (3), Colonial (2), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">WCC</span> (2)<br /><br /><strong>America East</strong> - Vermont<br /><br /><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">ACC</span></strong> - Duke, North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia Tech<br /><br /><strong>Atlantic Sun</strong> - Belmont<br /><br /><strong>A-10</strong> - Xavier, Temple, Richmond<br /><br /><strong>Big East</strong> - Pittsburgh, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Notre</span> Dame, Louisville, Syracuse, St. John's, Connecticut, Georgetown, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Villanova</span>, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Marquette<br /><br /><strong>Big Sky</strong> - Northern Colorado<br /><br /><strong>Big South</strong> - Coastal Carolina<br /><br /><strong>Big Ten</strong> - Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State, Michigan<br /><br /><strong>Big XII</strong> - Kansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Missouri, Kansas State, Colorado, Baylor<br /><br /><strong>Big West</strong> - Long Beach State<br /><br /><strong>Colonial</strong> - George Mason, Old Dominion<br /><br /><strong>Conference USA</strong> - Southern Miss<br /><br /><strong>Horizon</strong> - Butler<br /><br /><strong>Ivy</strong> - Princeton<br /><br /><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">MAAC</span></strong> - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Fairfield</span><br /><br /><strong>MAC</strong> - Kent State<br /><br /><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">MEAC</span></strong> - Bethune <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Cookman</span><br /><br /><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">MVC</span></strong> - Missouri State<br /><br /><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">MWC</span></strong> - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">BYU</span>, San Diego State, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">UNLV</span><br /><br /><strong>Northeast</strong> - Long Island<br /><br /><strong>Ohio Valley</strong> - Murray State<br /><br /><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Pac</span>-10</strong> - Arizona, UCLA, Washington<br /><br /><strong>Patriot</strong> - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Bucknell</span><br /><br /><strong>SEC</strong> - Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama<br /><br /><strong>Southern</strong> - Charleston<br /><br /><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Southland</span></strong> - <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">McNeese</span> State<br /><br /><strong>Summit</strong> - Oakland<br /><br /><strong>Sun Belt</strong> - Florida Atlantic<br /><br /><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">SWAC</span></strong> - Texas Southern<br /><br /><strong>WAC</strong> - Utah State<br /><br /><strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">WCC</span></strong> - St. Mary's, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Gonzaga</span><br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Seeds</span><br />The 1s<br /></strong>Ohio State, Kansas, Pittsburgh, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">BYU</span><br /><br /><strong>The 2s</strong><br />Duke, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Notre</span> Dame, Purdue, Texas<br /><br /><strong>The 3s</strong><br />Louisville, Wisconsin, Syracuse, San Diego State<br /><br /><strong>The 4s</strong><br />St. John's, Florida, Connecticut, North Carolina<br /><br /><strong>The 5s<br /></strong>Georgetown, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Villanova</span><br /><br /><strong>The 6s</strong><br />Xavier, Texas A&M, Arizona, West Virginia<br /><br /><strong>The 7s<br /></strong>Missouri, Temple, UCLA, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">UNLV</span><br /><br /><strong>The 8s</strong><br />Cincinnati, George Mason, Old Dominion, Kansas State<br /><br /><strong>The 9s</strong><br />Utah State, Marquette, Florida State, Illinois<br /><br /><strong>The 10s<br /></strong>Tennessee, Georgia, Michigan State, Washington<br /><br /><strong>The 11s</strong><br />Richmond, St. Mary's, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">Gonzaga</span>, Virginia Tech<br /><br /><strong>The 12s<br /></strong>Butler, Michigan vs. Colorado (FF), Baylor vs. Alabama (FF), Southern Miss<br /><br /><strong>The 13s</strong><br />Missouri State, Princeton, Belmont, Oakland<br /><br /><strong>The 14s</strong><br />Charleston, Coastal Carolina, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">Bucknell</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Fairfield</span><br /><br /><strong>The 15s<br /></strong>Vermont, Kent State, Long Beach State, Long Island<br /><br /><strong>The 16s</strong><br />Florida Atlantic, Northern Colorado, Murray State vs. Bethune <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">Cookman</span> (FF), Texas Southern vs. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">McNeese</span> State (FF)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Bracket</span></strong><br />(Bracket courtesy Matt Reeves)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRl4D3OhPj3JMvxpdFYG4LDaGI7e6cRqOwvKggJhY67eypmlUz4uBlNqV69pKWxxJkQykv_92jmd31RupKhaCoskOeCJGNqsLO0dE9mjqyPDSLdmuTXyb1d4NxgU0D2Qq3G0W/s1600/B101_20110228.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578730912316006082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 236px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRl4D3OhPj3JMvxpdFYG4LDaGI7e6cRqOwvKggJhY67eypmlUz4uBlNqV69pKWxxJkQykv_92jmd31RupKhaCoskOeCJGNqsLO0dE9mjqyPDSLdmuTXyb1d4NxgU0D2Qq3G0W/s400/B101_20110228.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Questions? Comments?</strong> E-mail us at <a href="mailto:bracketologyblog@yahoo.com">bracketologyblog@yahoo.com</a> or send us a tweet at <a href="http://twitter.com/Bracketology101">twitter.com/Bracketology101.</a>Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com134tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-51364676621827046842011-02-25T07:03:00.006-05:002011-02-26T09:25:49.722-05:00B101's Questions For The Weekend<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpdr-gxwR4zPdDinDlVpQxN9TGBvO7jhb1pHRE_Hr9hz1yVOfS5uy_PZno7iOhll3o17hB7AfBtJvUl0vbFo6wLZgPqo1_ADG6aZJiYTXXSDFMKVk6iAZ4gDvbMPs1z8hRfU4/s1600/B101+Weekend+Questions.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577425534567824610" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 101px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 139px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpdr-gxwR4zPdDinDlVpQxN9TGBvO7jhb1pHRE_Hr9hz1yVOfS5uy_PZno7iOhll3o17hB7AfBtJvUl0vbFo6wLZgPqo1_ADG6aZJiYTXXSDFMKVk6iAZ4gDvbMPs1z8hRfU4/s200/B101+Weekend+Questions.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>Here's what we're wondering heading into this weekend's games:</em><br /><br /><strong>Saturday's Games</strong><br />Who would have ever thought the best game of the year, based on RPI, would be between San Diego State and BYU? When was the last regular season game between two top 4 RPI teams?<br /><br />If the winner of SDSU-BYU wins out, what's the percent chance they get a 1 seed?<br /><br />Can Virginia Tech jump into the bracket (for good?) with a win over Duke in Blacksburg?<br /><br />Can Texas avoid a second straight weekend loss to a Big XII bubble team? (Is Colorado still a bubble team...?)<br /><br />Will Georgetown (vs. Syracuse) or Villanova (vs. St. John's) go 0-2 at home this week?<br /><br />Can Arizona complete a season sweep of UCLA? Can Florida do the same to Kentucky?<br /><br />Will Kansas State cement its spot in the bracket with a home win over Missouri?<br /><br />Is Baylor done? Is there any chance the Bears upset Texas A&M in Waco to stay in the hunt for an at-large?<br /><br />Did VCU and BC see their at-large bubbles burst this week? Can they bounce back with wins over James Madison and Virginia?<br /><br />Does Minnesota still deserve a bid even if they beat Michigan at home? How will the Wolverines play in the wake of Wednesday's brutal buzzer-beating loss to Wisconsin?<br /><br />Was Wednesday night's beatdown at Maryland a blip on the radar for Florida State, or is it a sign of things to come? Can the 'Noles take care of Miami at home?<br /><br />Did Alabama really need a last second tip-in to beat Auburn? Can they shake off that awful performance and win at Mississippi?<br /><br />Is Gonzaga in the bracket for good after their enormous win at St. Mary's? Can they do what the Gaels could not do and win at San Diego?<br /><br />Will a trip to the WCC final be enough for St. Mary's to get in?<br /><br />Should the loser of Wichita State at Missouri State start printing NIT tickets?<br /><br />Is winning a share of the Horizon regular season title enough to get Butler an at-large?<br /><br />Could Conference USA be more of a mess? If Memphis hands UTEP its third loss of the week, will it be hard to deny the Tigers an at-large?<br /><br />Can UAB and Southern Miss stay alive in the race for the C-USA regular season title with road wins over Houston and UCF?<br /><br />Can Vanderbilt and Temple win on the road and avoid 0-2 weeks?<br /><br />Will Nebraska keep its slim at-large hopes alive with a road win at Iowa State?<br /><br />Will a win at Air Force be enough to keep Colorado State in the bracket on Monday?<br /><br />Can Utah State avoid a season sweep at the hands of Idaho?<br /><br /><strong>Sunday's Games</strong><br />Does Pitt need to win at Louisville to stay on the 1 line?<br /><br />If Michigan State beats Purdue, is there any chance they don't get an at-large?<br /><p>If UConn loses at Cincinnati, will the Bearcats have a better seed than the Huskies on Monday?</p><p>Can Maryland win at North Carolina? Will one Top 50 win be enough for them to climb into the bracket?</p><p>Can West Virginia avoid an upset at Rutgers (and the big seed drop that would follow)?</p><p>Marquette picked up a ticket-punching win at UConn this week; they couldn't possibly give their ticket back by losing at home to Providence, right?</p>Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com155tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-33632998883230066872011-02-24T09:26:00.002-05:002011-02-24T10:35:17.565-05:00B101's Bracket Banter - Thursday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaM05oGsj386x26Ob7GLxSzVyjUMR1seYi7qwoqxnw-QPY53u4eyJqMDmVckDCsqsqsncZvOrxGyqgR71Zl8rzSAziEpkmcgWtrGN9EqiEb9GR0VxQAAyejdpVhAVZrFchVIa/s1600/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 92px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 143px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577263046254241346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaM05oGsj386x26Ob7GLxSzVyjUMR1seYi7qwoqxnw-QPY53u4eyJqMDmVckDCsqsqsncZvOrxGyqgR71Zl8rzSAziEpkmcgWtrGN9EqiEb9GR0VxQAAyejdpVhAVZrFchVIa/s200/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg" /></a><em>Bracket Banter is our daily open thread to discuss all things bracket. Readers can post comments and questions during the night's games, and we will answer those questions as the night goes on.</em><br /><br /><strong>Thursday's Games</strong><br />After a night of upsets (Kentucky, BC), buzzer beaters (Wisconsin), bubbles burst (Nebraska, UTEP, VCU), and dance cards punched (Cincinnati), Thursday night is setting up to be much less exciting.<br /><br />Easily the biggest bubble battle of the night is out West, with Gonzaga visiting St. Mary's. The Gaels looked like a sure thing just two weeks ago, but since then they have dropped games to lowly San Diego and to fellow mid-major power Utah State. Their OOC win over St. John's keeps looking better and better, but other than that, there isn't too much else on their resume. A win tonight would give them the WCC regular season title, which should be enough for a bid. Gonzaga's at-large hopes have been helped by St. Mary's recent struggles, and a win for them tonight will likely lead to a share of the conference title. That very well could be their only hope for an at-large, since they will end up with double-digit losses and an RPI in the mid-70s.<br /><br />Back East, the biggest games are in the Big East with West Virginia playing at Pittsburgh and Marquette playing at UConn. The Huskies will be without Jim Calhoun on the sidelines as they face a Golden Eagles team looking to solidify their spot in the bracket. Marquette has three Top 25 wins, which is more than any other bubble team can claim, but those wins all have come at home. A win at UConn would pretty much stamp their ticket and would make 11 Big East bids almost a certainty. West Virginia, meanwhile, will be looking to upset another Top 10 team after their huge home win over Notre Dame this past weekend, while Pitt will be looking to bounce back from their loss to the Red Storm. The Mountaineers need a strong finish to end up in the top eight of the Big East standings and avoid having to play on the first day of the Big East tourney.<br /><br />Elsewhere in Mid-Majorville, Old Dominion visits James Madison and Milwaukee takes on Cleveland State. The Monarchs likely just need to win their final two regular season games to be an absolute lock heading into the CAA tourney. Cleveland State likely destroyed their chances for an at large in losing their BracketBuster game to ODU over the weekend, and if they want to stay in the discussion, they must win their last two and win the Horizon regular season conference title. That title is also important because it would give them home court advantage throughout the conference tourney.<br /><br /><strong>Also keep an eye on: </strong>Georgia at Florida, Penn State at Northwestern, Northeastern at George Mason, Arizona State at UCLA, Arizona at USCBracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com82tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-11047293064532577852011-02-23T08:15:00.006-05:002011-02-23T19:45:04.912-05:00B101's Bracket Banter - Wednesday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZF9c7EusMxriyfCRgvARQHOv1xlsdcSMzm3yOcMd4WosRuph81XuPljzUMWPVSht2x-ZT1zD69vnaK-kYcAQECcnUtZ0RjVxJliczOb4FQmDrAlRRvfgM3U5iVWfQio09ewUw/s1600/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576697453881409010" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 92px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 143px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZF9c7EusMxriyfCRgvARQHOv1xlsdcSMzm3yOcMd4WosRuph81XuPljzUMWPVSht2x-ZT1zD69vnaK-kYcAQECcnUtZ0RjVxJliczOb4FQmDrAlRRvfgM3U5iVWfQio09ewUw/s200/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>Bracket Banter is our daily open thread to discuss all things bracket. Readers can post comments and questions during the night's games, and we will answer those questions as the night goes on.</em><br /><br />--------<br />Interested in <a href="tp://www.betus.com/sports-betting/ncaa-basketball/">NCAAB Betting?</a> Go to BetUS.com today!<br />--------<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Wednesday's Games</strong><br />It's going to be a busy night in Bubbleville, as two teams on our Last Four In list and four teams on our First Eight Out list are in action.<br /><br />The biggest bubble battle of the night takes place in Lincoln, where bracket newcomer Nebraska hosts Kansas State. The game is essentially a must-win for the Huskers, who will need to finish 9-7 in conference and win at least one Big XII tournament game to be position for an at-large. It's hard to see them getting to 9-7 if they don't win tonight, considering they have two tricky road games (at Iowa State and at Colorado) and a home game against Missouri left. Kansas State can probably get a bid with an 8-8 finish and one Big XII tourney win, and if they come away victorious tonight, that mark is very attainable.<br /><br />The other game tonight involving a Last Four In team is Colorado State at BYU. The Rams missed out on a huge opportunity on Saturday by losing at home to UNLV, and as a result, they need to go at least 2-2 down the stretch to have any chance of an at-large. We certainly don't expect them to beat the <a href="http://espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=36409">Jimmers</a> on the road, but we do expect them to win at Air Force on Saturday. A good showing tonight (even in a loss) would give them some much-needed momentum heading into the weekend.<br /><br />Of the four games involving teams just off the bubble, the most intriguing is Wisconsin at Michigan. The Wolverine faithful have hijacked our poll questions the last couple of weeks in support of their team, but all of those mouse clicks won't mean anything if Michigan doesn't take care of business in its two remaining home games. A 3-0 finish would get Michigan on the right side of the bubble heading into the Big Ten tournament; a 2-1 mark means they'll have to win two Big Ten tourney games to be in the mix.<br /><br />In other Last Eight Out action, Baylor plays at Missouri, Boston College hosts Miami, and VCU plays at Drexel. The Bears' final four games are brutal, which makes their loss over the weekend to Texas Tech all the more crushing. They'll need two wins down the stretch to stay alive for an at-large. BC has now lost five of its last seven and needs a win over the Hurricanes tonight to stay in the bracket on Monday, and VCU needs to keep winning games period to keep the Colonial's dream of three bids alive. The Rams wrap up their regular season this week with tonight's tricky road game against the Dragons and a home game against James Madison on Saturday. If they finish 2-0 and make the Colonial final, they will be one of the toughest calls to make on Selection Sunday.<br /><br />The three other must-watch games of the night are Temple at Duke, Cincinnati at Georgetown, and Florida State at Maryland. The Blue Devils moved up to the 1 line in our bracket this week, and they'll remain there on Monday provided they don't slip up at home against the Owls tonight or at Virginia Tech on Saturday. Cincinnati and Florida State, meanwhile, are in pretty similar positions with to weeks to go in the regular season. The Bearcats will get an at-large if they can win two of their final four games (at Georgetown, UConn, at Marquette, Georgetown). If they go 1-3, they'll have to win two Big East tournament games to feel completely safe. The 'Noles need two wins in their final four games to be a lock, and will need two ACC tournament wins to feel totally safe if they finish 1-3.<br /><br /><strong>Also keep an eye on:</strong> Notre Dame at Providence, Purdue at Indiana, Oklahoma at Texas A&M, North Carolina at North Carolina State, DePaul at St. John's, Kentucky at Arkansas, Auburn at Alabama, UNLV at New Mexico, UTEP at East Carolina, Creighton at Wichita State, Missouri State at Southern IllinoisBracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com93tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-10319118592991857752011-02-22T08:57:00.003-05:002011-02-22T15:30:17.249-05:00B101's Bracket Banter - Tuesday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKkiOYa4gwvT0qu3kBl1pf234wL_k1CEeRUY1eppyNtHqS3JhjPW8WHWq5ml5Qm06z6nad6hkbHpNMfTKR9iV0Yv1bSEClH_OzfW2h34FaLq2aOIRQiK1W1vLz_6upNiAUQxC/s1600/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576513208644481746" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 92px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 143px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKkiOYa4gwvT0qu3kBl1pf234wL_k1CEeRUY1eppyNtHqS3JhjPW8WHWq5ml5Qm06z6nad6hkbHpNMfTKR9iV0Yv1bSEClH_OzfW2h34FaLq2aOIRQiK1W1vLz_6upNiAUQxC/s200/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>Bracket Banter is our daily open thread to discuss all things bracket. Readers can post comments and questions during the night's games, and we will answer those questions as the night goes on.</em><br /><br /><strong>Tuesday's Games</strong><br />The focus is on the Big Ten tonight, where there are two big bubble battles on tap. The most important bubble game of the night is the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">match-up</span> between Michigan State and Minnesota. The Gophers' late season slide (they have lost five of six) needs to come to an end this week or else they won't find themselves in the bracket next week. They have a huge week ahead with the Michigan schools coming in, and they need to win three of their last four just to finish 9-9 in conference. If they can't get to 9-9 in conference, a deep Big Ten run would likely be required to lock down a bid. A win for the Spartans would do wonders for their tourney hopes as it would give them the season sweep over the Gophers and make them a virtual lock for at least a 9-9 conference finish.<br /><br />The other Big Ten bubble team in action is Illinois, which travels to Ohio State. Obviously a road win over the Buckeyes isn't a requirement for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Illini</span> to make the tournament, and at least a 9-9 conference finish looks like a certainty for them with home games against Iowa and Indiana remaining. A win here could turn the focus back towards how high of a seed the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Illini</span></span> could end up with instead of what they need to do to secure their bid.<br /><br />The two other games of note <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tonight</span> are Tennessee at Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech at Wake Forest. The Volunteers gave themselves little wiggle room by losing to Georgia over the weekend, and they now have to pick up at least two wins in their last four games to feel good about their tourney hopes heading into the SEC tournament. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Hokies</span></span> had an even worse loss over the weekend in losing at Virginia, which knocked them out of our latest bracket. They are once again setting the table to be one of the most debated bubble teams come Selection Sunday, and their game at Wake Forest should just be a tune-up for their make-or-break game against Duke this weekend.<br /><br /><strong>Also keep and eye on: </strong>Iowa State at Texas, Louisville at Rutgers, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">LaSalle</span></span> at Xavier, Houston at Memphis, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">UNC</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Asheville</span> at Coastal CarolinaBracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-60303676867757765122011-02-22T07:00:00.001-05:002011-02-22T09:53:06.374-05:00B101's Questions For The Competition<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEP0nnGDWYhyr_HqGC6FQyuiFCKXEDDd2pkN2iO2a82e9YwGg_MztlnG17dLGatd6hTAdXRevwqIdesA0kLvDgfzU0X44xevhvzd50cE8d-B8VswTgoANE_I8tiE4VEhtMH1n/s1600/B101+Questions.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 101px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 139px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576206915947833362" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsEP0nnGDWYhyr_HqGC6FQyuiFCKXEDDd2pkN2iO2a82e9YwGg_MztlnG17dLGatd6hTAdXRevwqIdesA0kLvDgfzU0X44xevhvzd50cE8d-B8VswTgoANE_I8tiE4VEhtMH1n/s200/B101+Questions.jpg" /></a><em>Questions For The Competition is a weekly column that addresses our issues with the brackets of other bracketology "experts." Today's questions are reserved for ESPN's Joe Lunardi and SI.com's Andy Glockner. Keep in mind that these questions are about each expert's most recent brackets, which were released before Monday's games.</em><br /><br /><strong>Joe Lunardi (ESPN) - Feb. 21</strong> <strong>Bracket<br /></strong>What do you have against Richmond? The Spiders are 10-3 in the A-10, they have an OOC win over Purdue, and they're not in? Worse yet, they're behind UAB on your First First Out list?<br /><br />Speaking of UAB, how are the Blazers so close to being in? Conference USA deserves three bids more than the Colonial does? More than the A-10? Based on what?<br /><br />How does Cleveland State move up to a 12 seed after getting blown out at Old Dominion?<br /><br />Isn't Kansas State a little high as a 9? How is Washington still a 7? Virginia Tech is a 10 and is two seed lines above BC?<br /><br /><strong>Andy Glockner (Sports Illustrated) - Feb. 21 Bracket</strong><br />No Alabama? Memphis and Butler both have better chances at an at-large if the season ended today?<br /><br />We're not opposed to the Colonial getting three bids, but VCU's an 11? They're not a 12 or Last Four In?<br /><br />How is UConn two seed lines better than Louisville? The Cardinals beat the Huskies twice and are a game better in conference.Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com51tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-37253544600802083882011-02-21T02:24:00.034-05:002011-02-21T04:00:13.053-05:00Bracketology 101's Field of 68 - Feb. 21<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7vNAxWw7G3SWeZcvljwFv9tLvz3a0EUFMMXHbR8C_vDJRSP7KEdvV3XvYCP27VrLsO8wPwizDPZBWiEcxVP-01EDgeAyNTlxQJgflHmRZ2hlDuwEcdFs5CZ3p1c-P-vYrMEI/s1600/B101+Field+of+68.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576060585692592082" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 103px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7vNAxWw7G3SWeZcvljwFv9tLvz3a0EUFMMXHbR8C_vDJRSP7KEdvV3XvYCP27VrLsO8wPwizDPZBWiEcxVP-01EDgeAyNTlxQJgflHmRZ2hlDuwEcdFs5CZ3p1c-P-vYrMEI/s200/B101+Field+of+68.jpg" border="0" /></a>When we put together the bracket each week, we fully expect there to be a debate about the last four teams in. This week, the debate started with the <em>first</em> four teams in, and it continued all the way down to the bubble.<br /><br />Losses by Pittsburgh, Kansas, Ohio State, and Texas caused a shake-up on the 1 line for the first time in over a month. Texas' loss at Nebraska knocked the Longhorns down to the top of the 2 line and allowed Duke to move up. Also in the top quarter of the bracket, Purdue moved from a 4 to a 2 after beating Wisconsin and Ohio State, Georgetown fell to a 3 after losing at UConn, and UConn fell to a 4 after losing at Louisville.<br /><br />Three at-large bids changed hands this week as Virginia Tech, Baylor, and Memphis dropped out and Kansas State, Nebraska, and Gonzaga jumped in. The Wildcats got the nod thanks to their upset of Kansas in Manhattan, and Nebraska earned their spot after upsetting Texas in Lincoln. Neither team is a lock at this point to get to 9-7 in conference, which is troubling, but we think there's still a decent chance that both can get in. Nebraska needs to beat Kansas State at home on Wednesday and finish 9-7 finish in conference to stay in the hunt, while Kansas State needs at least an 8-8 finish and at least one win in the Big XII tourney.<br /><br />The final spot in the bracket went to Gonzaga, which won both of its games this week (over Santa Clara and San Francisco) and got some help when St. Mary's lost at San Diego. If the Zags can win at St. Mary's on Thursday (and we think they can given the week the Gaels just had), they will likely share the WCC regular season title with St. Mary's. That title, plus a decent OOC resume and a trip to the WCC final, will probably be enough for Gonzaga to get an at-large if they need it.<br /><br />Another notable development this week was the difficulty we had finding teams for the First Eight Out list. Usually, we have a dozen (or more) teams to pick from, but this week, we were stretching to find candidates. Even the teams on the First Four Out list have tough roads ahead in order to get into the bracket. Virginia Tech has to face Duke at home this weekend, Memphis needs to win its final four regular season games and plays at UTEP on Saturday, VCU is still stuck behind George Mason and Old Dominion in the Colonial pecking order (probably the only way the Colonial is going to get three bids is if VCU wins the conference tourney), and Michigan has three tough games left (vs. Wisconsin, at Minnesota, vs. Michigan State). Boston College, Colorado State, Nebraska and Gonzaga may not have great resumes, but they're in better shape than the teams chasing them.<br /><br />Other notable upgrades seed-wise this week were St. John's, who moved up from a 7 to a 5 after their wins over Marquette and Pitt; Cincinnati, who moved up from a 10 to an 8 after their win over Louisville); and George Mason, who climbed six spots on the S-curve to the top of the 8 line. Notable downgrades were St. Mary's, who dropped from a 7 to a 10 after their 0-2 week; and Minnesota, who fell from an 8 to a 10 after losing at Penn State.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Bracket Breakdown</span><br />Last Four In<br /></strong>Boston College, Colorado State, Nebraska, Gonzaga<br /><br /><strong>First Four Out<br /></strong>Virginia Tech, Memphis, VCU, Michigan<br /><br /><strong>Next Four Out<br /></strong>Baylor, Clemson, Cleveland State, Missouri State<br /><br /><strong>"First Four" Games</strong><br />Boston College vs. Colorado State, Nebraska vs. Gonzaga, Murray State vs. Morgan State, Texas Southern vs. McNeese State<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Conference Breakdown<br /></span></strong>Big East (11), Big XII (6), Big Ten (6), SEC (6), ACC (4), MWC (4), A-10 (3), Pac-10 (3), Colonial (2), WCC (2)<br /><br /><strong>America East</strong> - Vermont<br /><br /><strong>ACC</strong> - Duke, North Carolina, Florida State, Boston College<br /><br /><strong>Atlantic Sun</strong> - Belmont<br /><br /><strong>A-10</strong> - Temple, Xavier, Richmond<br /><br /><strong>Big East</strong> - Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Connecticut, Louisville, Villanova, Syracuse, St. John's, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Marquette<br /><br /><strong>Big Sky</strong> - Montana<br /><br /><strong>Big South</strong> - Coastal Carolina<br /><br /><strong>Big Ten</strong> - Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan State<br /><br /><strong>Big XII</strong> - Kansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Missouri, Kansas State, Nebraska<br /><br /><strong>Big West</strong> - Long Beach State<br /><br /><strong>Colonial</strong> - George Mason, Old Dominion<br /><br /><strong>Conference USA</strong> - UTEP<br /><br /><strong>Horizon</strong> - Butler<br /><br /><strong>Ivy</strong> - Harvard<br /><br /><strong>MAAC</strong> - Fairfield<br /><br /><strong>MAC</strong> - Kent State<br /><br /><strong>MEAC</strong> - Morgan State<br /><br /><strong>MVC</strong> - Wichita State<br /><br /><strong>MWC</strong> - San Diego State, BYU, UNLV, Colorado State<br /><br /><strong>Northeast</strong> - Long Island<br /><br /><strong>Ohio Valley</strong> - Murray State<br /><br /><strong>Pac-10</strong> - Arizona, UCLA, Washington<br /><br /><strong>Patriot</strong> - Bucknell<br /><br /><strong>SEC</strong> - Florida, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama<br /><br /><strong>Southern</strong> - Charleston<br /><br /><strong>Southland</strong> - McNeese State<br /><br /><strong>Summit</strong> - Oakland<br /><br /><strong>Sun Belt</strong> - Florida Atlantic<br /><br /><strong>SWAC</strong> - Texas Southern<br /><br /><strong>WAC</strong> - Utah State<br /><br /><strong>WCC</strong> - St. Mary's, Gonzaga<br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Seeds</span></strong><br /><strong>The 1s</strong><br />Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Kansas, Duke<br /><br /><strong>The 2s</strong><br />San Diego State, Texas, Notre Dame, Purdue<br /><br /><strong>The 3s </strong><br />BYU, Georgetown, Florida, Wisconsin<br /><br /><strong>The 4s</strong><br />Connecticut, Louisville, Villanova, Vanderbilt<br /><br /><strong>The 5s<br /></strong>Syracuse, North Carolina, Kentucky, St. John's<br /><br /><strong>The 6s<br /></strong>Arizona, Texas A&M, Missouri, West Virginia<br /><br /><strong>The 7s</strong><br />Temple, Xavier, UNLV, UCLA<br /><br /><strong>The 8s</strong><br />George Mason, Florida State, Cincinnati, Old Dominion<br /><br /><strong>The 9s<br /></strong>Utah State, Illinois, Tennessee, Washington<br /><br /><strong>The 10s<br /></strong>Georgia, St. Mary's, Minnesota, Michigan State<br /><br /><strong>The 11s<br /></strong>Richmond, Marquette, Alabama, Kansas State<br /><br /><strong>The 12s<br /></strong>Butler, Boston College vs. Colorado State (FF), UTEP, Harvard<br /><br /><strong>The 13s</strong><br />Nebraska vs. Gonzaga (FF), Wichita State, Belmont, Charleston<br /><br /><strong>The 14s</strong><br />Coastal Carolina, Oakland, Fairfield, Vermont<br /><br /><strong>The 15s</strong><br />Kent State, Bucknell, Long Beach State, Long Island<br /><br /><strong>The 16s</strong><br />Montana, Florida Atlantic, Murray State vs. Morgan State (FF), Texas Southern vs. McNeese State (FF)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Bracket</span></strong><br />(Bracket courtesy Matt Reeves)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyZq2mdJVBSl7XnLgvanSwytYv-JoH1I1MusWXax7tNcsqiOEWvd5crEDCypPiZzqbaJMTk6HnkLx3EvyxrU5j9JAei0-pwG1px3qoFzCEqneDDBVVaF-EoUQcXdXo9X-wZy6/s1600/B101_20110221.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576061460761086210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyZq2mdJVBSl7XnLgvanSwytYv-JoH1I1MusWXax7tNcsqiOEWvd5crEDCypPiZzqbaJMTk6HnkLx3EvyxrU5j9JAei0-pwG1px3qoFzCEqneDDBVVaF-EoUQcXdXo9X-wZy6/s400/B101_20110221.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Questions? Comments?</strong> E-mail us at <a href="mailto:bracketologyblog@yahoo.com">bracketologyblog@yahoo.com</a> or send us a tweet at <a href="http://twitter.com/Bracketology101">twitter.com/Bracketology101.</a>Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com99tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-17571661833818714012011-02-18T09:52:00.010-05:002011-02-18T10:59:03.446-05:00B101's Questions For The Weekend<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SKDCgcCBNUvuqARLEmzrG8w3kYt45zRolTKx9hgxltc_bUktQmyaRcga1UCbTjlXq6tc8K9d2Kvu7v2a59G_xpTZnwQ0AE154UZVwwnv7PD8RMWJMRLtWW1TK4_-dSXAZPzv/s1600/B101+Weekend+Questions.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 101px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 139px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574866651930386322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SKDCgcCBNUvuqARLEmzrG8w3kYt45zRolTKx9hgxltc_bUktQmyaRcga1UCbTjlXq6tc8K9d2Kvu7v2a59G_xpTZnwQ0AE154UZVwwnv7PD8RMWJMRLtWW1TK4_-dSXAZPzv/s200/B101+Weekend+Questions.jpg" /></a><em>Here's what we're wondering heading into this weekend's games:</em><br /><br /><strong>Friday's Games</strong><br />Can <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">UConn</span> avenge last month's home loss to Louisville? Do the Huskies deserve to be on the 2 line next week if they do?<br /><br />Whose at-large hopes will be crushed by the result of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">VCU</span> at Wichita State?<br /><br />Can Princeton pass a tricky road test at Yale and stay unbeaten in the Ivy?<br /><br /><strong>Saturday's Games</strong><br />Could the Jayhawks lose two in a row? Colorado beat Kansas State and Kansas State beat Kansas, so does that mean Colorado can beat Kansas?<br /><br />It's hard to take a power conference team seriously when their last tourney appearance was 1998, but won't we have to if Nebraska can knock off Texas?<br /><br />If Kansas State and Baylor can win home games against Big XII bottom feeders, and Colorado and Nebraska somehow pulled off <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Ws</span>, can you imagine the Big XII bubble mess on Monday?<br /><br />Will <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">SDSU</span> get caught overlooking Air Force in anticipation of its showdown with B<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">YU</span> next weekend?<br /><br />St. John's has already beaten three of the top four Big East teams at home. Will they take down Pitt and make it 4-for-4?<br /><br />West Virginia hasn't beaten a Big East team in the top half of the bracket since early January. Will they break that streak at home against Notre Dame?<br /><br />Can Washington climb back into the hunt for the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pac</span>-10 title and beat Arizona in Tucson?<br /><br />Considering that BC hasn't won a conference road game in 2011, do they really have any chance to win in Chapel Hill?<br /><br />If Virginia Tech can win at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Virginia,</span> then they have to finally be ahead of BC on the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">ACC</span> bubble, correct?<br /><br />A few days ago it was a given that Utah State needed the win more than St. Mary's in their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">BracketBuster</span> showdown, but after the Gaels' loss to San Diego this week, who needs this game more?<br /><br />Florida State couldn't have asked for an easier opponent in their first post-Singleton game. He's not so important that the Seminoles could possibly lose to Wake Forest, is he?<br /><br />Given the way Georgia has fared against superior opponents in the past month, we have no expectations for them to win at Tennessee. The question is, will they be in the bracket on Monday with another loss?<br /><br />Can Michigan win at Iowa and keep their slim at-large hopes alive?<br /><br />We know that Colorado State cannot match the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">OOC</span> resume of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">UNLV</span>, but if they beat the Rebels again and have a three-game lead in the loss column on the Rebels, how are they not ahead of them on the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">MWC</span> bubble?<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cincinnati</span> got the marquee Big East win its resume so desperately needed this week, but can they avoid giving it all back and losing at Providence?<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gonzaga's</span> at-large resume improved this week without them doing much of anything. Can the Zags avoid a season sweep at the hands of San Francisco and keep their at-large dreams alive?<br /><br />Does Michigan State have the biggest must-win game of any bubble team this weekend with Illinois coming in?<br /><br />Are we wrong in thinking the most likely scenario for Conference USA is Memphis getting an at-large and someone else (UTEP? UAB? Southern Miss?) winning the conference tourney?<br /><br />Why does the ESPN <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Gameday</span> schedule come out in the beginning of the season? Shouldn't they hold off until a week or two before so we aren't stuck watching them in Lansing at such a mediocre game?<br /><br /><strong>Sunday's Games</strong><br />Can Purdue knock off Wisconsin and Ohio State in the same week?<br /><br />We were reminded again on Thursday that Penn State is pretty tough to beat at home. Any chance they win at the Kohl Center?<br /><br />Will Old Dominion continue to state its case for an at-large with a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">BracketBuster</span> win over Cleveland State?<br /><br />Will Clemson see its at-large chances end for good with a loss at Miami?Bracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com88tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-8727330632237007062011-02-17T09:10:00.006-05:002011-02-17T23:27:10.670-05:00B101's Bracket Banter - Thursday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Zn2NniMpFRgFWKVFHL0v4V_iNIRWrct3LMzjhrDeQvjQ5ud9gbUNJ8EjvcltIA3xyhYQGQdf8nCY7_qDLVKCqLMmhlsHmcaNGn7sIJgTI_AxGhA1K6qH3bdTAYA8v5wAsS63/s1600/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574307621410540258" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 92px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 143px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Zn2NniMpFRgFWKVFHL0v4V_iNIRWrct3LMzjhrDeQvjQ5ud9gbUNJ8EjvcltIA3xyhYQGQdf8nCY7_qDLVKCqLMmhlsHmcaNGn7sIJgTI_AxGhA1K6qH3bdTAYA8v5wAsS63/s200/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg" border="0" /></a><em>Bracket Banter is our daily open thread to discuss all things bracket. Readers can post comments and questions during the night's games, and we will answer those questions as the night goes on.</em><br /><br /><strong>Thursday's Games</strong><br />There are few things better for a bubble team's resume than a late-season road win - regardless of who the opponent is - and that's the challenge facing several bubble dwellers tonight.<br /><br />In power conference bubble action, Washington State plays at Arizona, Clemson plays at N.C. State, Minnesota plays at Penn State, and Alabama plays at LSU. Minnesota is the safest of those bubble because of their impressive OOC wins over North Carolina and West Virginia, but the Gophers have seen their seed slip in recent weeks because of what they've done - or haven't done - in Big Ten play. They only have one quality conference win (vs. Purdue) and they've lost four of their last five overall. They're going to need to finish 9-9 in conference to get a bid, and if they lose to the Nittany Lions tonight, they'll have to win three of their last four to get there.<br /><br />Washington State is trying to climb back in the bracket after a home loss to Stanford knocked them out last week. The Cougars, who are just 2-4 in conference road games, play three straight on the road beginning with Arizona tonight. They need to win four of their last five games to stay alive in the at-large mix heading into the Pac-10 tourney. Clemson, meanwhile, begins a tricky week with a trip to Raleigh to take on the Wolfpack (the Tigers play at Miami on Saturday). If they want to be taken seriously as an at-large contender, a 2-0 week is a must.<br /><br />The final important bubble battle of the night is in the A-10, where Richmond visits Temple. The Spiders are a half game out of first in conference, have won seven of eight, and have a nice OOC win over Purdue on their resume, yet they remain on the bubble because they still have not beaten a quality A-10 opponent. That's not entirely their fault - the schedule broke so that they only face Xavier and Temple once - but they didn't do themselves any favors by losing at home to the Musketeers back on Jan. 19. If the Spiders lose tonight, they can't afford any more losses until the A-10 tourney.<br /><br /><strong>Also keep an eye on:</strong> UCLA at Stanford, Washington at Arizona State, Santa Clara at GonzagaBracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9072987.post-60039465943865964722011-02-16T10:07:00.002-05:002011-02-16T10:11:51.876-05:00B101's Bracket Banter - Wednesday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisMBRFZHLcFTeRiw_l-DV7YDmVV0CKf37aSDEbP7pEPYEKB8YiOWVx9Kzz1cbDYvHRwskkbwL_tWBcLFO8sbGUJEjOYACOP-EgfG3991gqoQZreQUEJjERt01RXqXD061dHog/s1600/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 92px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 143px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574300641109085154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisMBRFZHLcFTeRiw_l-DV7YDmVV0CKf37aSDEbP7pEPYEKB8YiOWVx9Kzz1cbDYvHRwskkbwL_tWBcLFO8sbGUJEjOYACOP-EgfG3991gqoQZreQUEJjERt01RXqXD061dHog/s200/B101+Bracket+Banter.jpg" /></a><em>Bracket Banter is our daily open thread to discuss all things bracket. Readers can post comments and questions during the night's games, and we will answer those questions as the night goes on.</em><br /><br /><strong>Wednesday's Games</strong><br />Last night was highlighted by teams at the bottom of the bracket trying to avoid bad losses or trying to pick up that marquee win that their resume was in desperate need of. Tonight is highlighted by some big <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">match-ups</span> at the top of the bracket, particularly Georgetown at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">UConn</span> and Wisconsin at Purdue.<br /><br />The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">match-up</span> between Georgetown and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">UConn</span> may be one of two teams heading in opposite directions. Georgetown is arguably playing the best ball in the nation, having won 8 in a row, while <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">UConn</span> suddenly cannot win a tough game and has lost three of five. The Huskies' schedule down the stretch is brutal, and a home loss to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hoyas</span> could make it hard for them to finish above .500 in league play. This is Georgetown's toughest game left, and if they get a win, they would be looking at the potential for a 1 seed heading into the Big East tourney.<br /><br />The game between Wisconsin and Purdue is a battle for second place in the Big Ten and a battle for a better spot in the Big Ten pecking order. The Badgers are probably still on a high after their weekend win over Ohio State, and a win here on the road will give them a good chance for a 2 seed next week. Purdue looks great on paper (a 20-5 record and an 11 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">RPI</span>) but they still have zero Top 25 wins. They will get two chances for Top 25 wins on their home court this week as Ohio State visits this weekend. The Boilermakers must win at least one of these two games to prove that they belong in the top quarter of the bracket.<br /><br />Elsewhere on the Big Ten bubble, Michigan plays at Illinois. It's hard to say which team needs this one more. The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Illini</span> have a tough final <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">stetch</span> and may need to pick up this win to ensure at least a .500 finish in league play. Michigan has a been on a roll lately, winning five of their last six, and a 2-0 week (they play at Iowa this weekend) would likely push them into next week's bracket.<br /><br />The biggest bubble games of the night are in Conference USA, with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">UAB</span> playing at Memphis and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">UTEP</span> visiting Southern Miss. C-USA is currently the 8<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>-rated conference in the country, and a first place finish in the regular season may just be enough to earn a team an at-large bid this year. All four of the teams in action tonight have a chance to finish at the top of the standings and tonight's games will go a long way in determining who ends up on top in the end. A win for Memphis would be huge since it would give them a season sweep over Southern Miss and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">UAB</span> and their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">RPI</span> would likely climb into the top 30. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">UTEP</span> really doesn't have much of an at-large resume, but this trip to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hattiesburg</span> is their toughest road game remaining. If the Miners can pull out a win, they will be in great shape to win the league outright, potentially by multiple games.<br /><br />A few other bubble games of interest tonight are Louisville at Cincinnati and Vanderbilt at Georgia. Both Georgia and Cincinnati sit on similar spots on the bubble: each of them has beaten the teams they should beat, but they struggle to pick up wins over tournament teams. If the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Bearcats</span> go 0-2 this week (some would argue if they just lose this game) the Big East will be down to 10 bids on Monday. If Marquette slips up against Seton Hall over the weekend, that number might be down to nine.<br /><br /><strong>Also keep an eye on:</strong> Oklahoma State at Texas, New Mexico at San Diego State, South Carolina at Tennessee, Duke at Virginia, South Florida at Pittsburgh, Iowa State at Texas A&M, Xavier at St. Joseph's, St. Mary's at San Diego, Colorado State at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">TCU</span>, Montana-Western at Utah State, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Duquesne</span> at <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">UMass</span>, Nebraska at OklahomaBracketology 101http://www.blogger.com/profile/01277396896660963269noreply@blogger.com57