ARE WE THERE YET?, MINN. — We’ve reached that time of the sports calendar when there’s not a whole lot interesting going on. The World Cup is over (caught my interest until the U.S. was eliminated), Wimbledon’s done, the Lynx are playing a winter sport in the middle of summer, and the Twins once again stink & Joe Mauer once again is hurt. That means some serious “sportsing” boredom is going on until college football/NFL bridge the gap for us until the college hoops season starts in November.
To start getting our minds geared toward the March to the Madness, to follow is our first installment of RTSS’ “Field of 68” projection, 2014-15 style. It should be another strong season for the Big Ten — 6 NCAA bids should be the minimum expectation — but unlike last season it appears there’s only one legitimate national championship contender, (gulp) Wisconsin, in the now 14-team conference (hello Maryland & Rutgers). The Big Ten’s best chance to end its 14-year championship drought rests squarely on the Badgers’ shoulders. There, I said it, now please let me go wash my mouth out with soap.
Here’s a sneak preview to March. Teams’ final 2013-14 RPI are noted in parentheses. RTSS’ next projection will be just prior to the start of the season.
SUMMERTIME FIELD OF 68
America East (1): Stony Brook (165)
American (3): Connecticut (22), Memphis (37), SMU (53)
ACC (7): Virginia (8), Duke (9), Syracuse (16), Louisville (19), North Carolina (25), Pitt (39), Miami-Florida (110)
Atlantic Sun (1): SC-Upstate (163)
Atlantic 10 (3): VCU (13), George Washington (29), Dayton (43)
Big East (3): Villanova (5), Xavier (47), Seton Hall (128)
Big Sky (1): Weber State (149)
Big South (1): High Point (172)
Big Ten (7): Wisconsin (6), Michigan (11), Michigan State (18), Ohio State (24), MINNESOTA (50), Iowa (56), Illinois (70)
Big XII (7): Kansas (3), Iowa State (7), Oklahoma (26), Baylor (30), Texas (36), Kansas State (51), West Virginia (88)
Big West (1): UCSB (107)
Colonial (2): Towson (95), William & Mary (119)
Conference USA (1): Louisiana Tech (62)
Horizon (1): Cleveland State (91)
Ivy (1): Harvard (46)
MAAC (1): Iona (59)
MAC (1): Toledo (38)
MEAC (1): Norfolk State (227)
Missouri Valley (1): Wichita State (4)
Mountain West (4): New Mexico (12), San Diego State (15), Boise State (82), UNLV (108)
Northeast (1): Bryant (177)
Ohio Valley (1): Murray State (142)
Pac 12 (5): Arizona (2), UCLA (14), Colorado (34), Stanford (41), Utah (80)
Patriot (1): Holy Cross (127)
SEC (4): Florida (1), Kentucky (17), Arkansas (77), Auburn (169)
Southern (1): Wofford (153)
Southland (1): Stephen F. Austin (52)
SWAC (1): Southern U (171)
Summit (1): Denver (139)
Sun Belt (1): Georgia State (76)
West Coast (2): Gonzaga (20), BYU (31)
WAC (1): New Mexico State (72)
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Last 4 In: Towson (95), UNLV (108), Seton Hall (128), Auburn (169)
First 4 Out: Nebraska (48), Saint Mary’s (61), Saint John’s (67), Georgia (74)
Others Considered (12): Cincinnati (21), Massachusetts (23), Oregon (28), Southern Miss (33), Florida State (54), San Francisco (68), Georgetown (69), Richmond (75), Maryland (78), Northern Iowa (109), Vanderbilt (120), Notre Dame (136)
Notes on the Bracket
(1) The Gophers sit somewhere among my final 5-12 at-large selections. As long as they stay free of any unexpected key injuries/personnel losses, the expectation for Richard Pitino’s second Gopher squad should be a NCAA Tournament bid, with a Round of 32 win thrown in for good measure. That would surpass what Tubby accomplished in his second season (NCAA bid) in Stadium Village.
(2) Something tells me Marcus Paige is going to lead North Carolina to a really special season, despite all of UNC’s off-court woes. Paige gets my early vote for National Player of the Year.
(3) The A-10 will have its NCAA bids from last season cut in half, from 6 to 3.
(4) JP Macura will help Xavier remain relevant in the Big East.
(5) Still love Nebraska and Tim Miles’ future, but I’m not seeing a repeat of last season. … the Huskers have to settle for the NIT.
(6) Huggy Bear bounces back with a NCAA bid for his West Virginia squad thanks in large part to dynamic guard Juwan Staten.
(7) After losing a heart-breaker to Delaware in the CAA title game last season, William & Mary finally will play in its first NCAA Tournament. That means Towson (also in the CAA) will have to sweat out Selection Sunday. The Tigers eventually will be the Selection Committee’s most controversial at-large selection.
(8) After following 2013’s surprising NCAA bid with a disappointing 2013-14 season, Boise State will return to the dance, this time with room to spare.
(9) A sleeper from each of the 6 major conferences (for now am still considering the Big East a major conference)? Let’s go with Miami-Florida (ACC), Seton Hall (Big East), Illinois (Big Ten), Kansas State (Big XII), Utah (Pac 12), and Auburn (SEC).
(10) One-bid league most likely to be represented in the Sweet 16? It’s gotta’ be the Ivy League thanks to Tommy Amaker’s Harvard squad.
(11) Early Final 4 (subject to change this fall)? Arizona, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Villanova.