Autos, Locks, Bubblers & Hangin' On A Thread

[SelectionSunday]

As we enter the weekend, here's how I'm seeing the Field of 65 slightly more than 2 weeks shy of Selection Sunday. In this exercise, the team that would be the #1 seed if its conference tournament were to start today is tabbed as the conference's automatic bid.

In a nutshell, as of today I have 56 bids locked up. I have 20 teams competing for the final 9 at-large spots. By my estimation the Gophers are among the bottom 7 of those 20. To move up to the next level ("Bubblers"), I need to see the Gophers sweep their 2-game road trip. If they lose either game, that will be the end of their appearances in the Bubble Watch.

The Auto(matic)s (31)
Stony Brook (America East), Duke (ACC), Jacksonville (Atlantic Sun), Richmond (Atlantic 10), Syracuse (Big East), Weber State (Big Sky), Coastal Carolina (Big South), Purdue (Big 10), Kansas (Big 12), UCSB (Big West), Old Dominion (Colonial), UTEP (Conference USA), Butler (Horizon), Cornell (Ivy), Siena (Metro Atlantic), Kent State (MAC), Morgan State (MEAC), Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley), New Mexico (Mountain West), Robert Morris (Northeast), Murray State (Ohio Valley), Cal (Pac 10), Lehigh (Patriot), Kentucky (SEC), Wofford (Southern), Sam Houston State (Southland), Jackson State (SWAC), Oakland (Summit), Troy (Sun Belt), Gonzaga (West Coast), Utah State (WAC)

Locks, Or Very Close To It (25)
1. West Virginia (5)
2. Kansas State (6)
3. Villanova (8)
4. Georgetown (9)
5. Pitt (10)
6. Baylor (12)
7. Temple (13)
8. Xavier (14)
9. Vandy (15)
10. Wisconsin (17)
11. Texas A&M (18)
12. BYU (19)
13. Tennessee (20)
14. Wake Forest (21)
15. Texas (22)
16. Michigan State (26)
17. Maryland (28)
18. Ohio State (31)
19. Florida State (32)
20. Oklahoma State (33)
21. Clemson (37)
22. Mizzou (39)
23. UNLV (44)
24. Florida (45)
25. Illinois (63)

Bubblers, Could Go Either Way (13)
1. Rhode Island (27)
2. UAB (30)
3. Georgia Tech (34)
4. UConn (40)
5. Louisville (41)
6. Dayton (43)
7. Virginia Tech (47)
8. St. Mary's (50)
9. Seton Hall (52)
10. Arizona State (54)
11. Marquette (55)
12. Mississippi State (58)
13. Cincinnati (59)

Longshots/Hangin' On A Thread (7)
1. San Diego State (38)
2. Charlotte (56)
3. Ole Miss (61)
4. VCU (62)
5. Washington (64)
6. Notre Dame (72)
7. GOPHERS (80)

 

[Section201]

NIT

Looks like the NIT will have a good looking field.

 

[josh087]

Good work as always SS.

One thing to keep in mind (that SS did not mention but knows all too well) is that FOR NOW it's 9 available spots. But it could be a lot less come Selection Sunday. If any of the below teams loses its conference tourney, it could take away one of those 9 spots:

Old Dominion
Gonzaga (Lock)
New Mexico (Lock)
Cornell
Northern Iowa (Should be in)
Utah State
Butler (Lock)
UTEP

 

[howeda7]

Good break down SS. I have to take issue with Illinois being a lock while teams like Rhode Island and GT are bubblers. Yes they are currently 10-5 in the Big 10. But it's possible they could lose thier last 3 games and quite possible they will lose two of them. If so, they would have at least 12 losses, and probably an RPI in the 60's. That doesn't scream lock to me.

 

[Goldy in da house]

agreed...great work selection. I love how easy it is to follow this format you set up. I hate to say it, but an RPI of 80 is not doing us any favors. Let's just get this win tomorrow!!

Go Gophers!

 

[akoch6767]

Notre Dame's win today may have been a serious blow to our chances.