Field of 68 Projection: Big Ten Leads Way With 9 Bids, Big East & Big XII With 7 Apiece

[SelectionSunday]

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN – There were not many games played Christmas week in part due to the Corona, but the college basketball season will march on, as it should. There likely will be another healthy batch of non-conference game cancelations this week, but hopefully when conference play kicks into high gear after the New Year the focus returns to games being played on the court.

Despite the abbreviated schedule, we have 10 new teams in our latest Field of 68 projection, highlighted by Michigan, giving the Big Ten a conference-leading 9 teams in the field. The Big East and Big XII aren’t far behind with 7 bids each. The Mountain West (Wyoming) and WCC (Saint Mary’s) each lose a team to the benefit of the American, which adds Cincinnati and Memphis.

Automatic qualifiers (team with best conference record and/or best NET ranking) from multiple-bid conferences are noted in bold. Have a Happy New Year’s Day and see you right here next Sunday at this same Bat time and same Bat channel.

6th IN-SEASON FIELD OF 68 PROJECTION (through games played December 26)
America East (1): Vermont (94)

American (4): Houston (4), UCF (53), Cincinnati (58), Memphis (60)

ACC (3): Duke (9), Wake Forest (37), North Carolina (43)

ASUN (1): Liberty (120)

Atlantic 10 (1): Davidson (46)

Big East (7): Villanova (12), UConn (16), Xavier (19), Seton Hall (25), Providence (31), Creighton (57), Marquette (72)

Big Sky (1): Southern Utah (126)

Big South (1): Campbell (157)

Big Ten (9): Purdue (6), Michigan State (11), Illinois (14), Ohio State (18), Iowa (27), Wisconsin (29), Michigan (34), Minnesota (38), Indiana (45)

Big XII (7): Baylor (1), Kansas (7), Iowa State (17), Texas (20), Texas Tech (22), West Virginia (36), Oklahoma (39)

Big West (1): UC-Irvine (101)

Colonial (1): Towson (62)

Conference USA (1): UAB (49)

Horizon (1): Oakland (69)

Ivy (1): Princeton (103)

MAAC (1): Iona (51)

MAC (1): Toledo (81)

MEAC (1): Howard (205)

Missouri Valley (1): Loyola (15)

Mountain West (2): Colorado State (26), Utah State (55)

NEC (1): Wagner (42)

OVC (2): Belmont (35), Murray (47)

Pac 12 (3): Arizona (2), USC (13), UCLA (21)

Patriot (1): Navy (97)

SEC (6): LSU (3), Tennessee (8), Auburn (10), Kentucky (23), Alabama (24), Florida (52)

SoCon (1): Chattanooga (40)

Southland (1): Nicholls (164)

SWAC (1): Texas Southern (168)

Summit (1): South Dakota State (98)

Sun Belt (1): Texas State (95)

WCC (3): Gonzaga (5), BYU (30), San Francisco (32)

WAC (1): Utah Valley (79)
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Last 4 In: Iowa (27), Michigan (34), Murray (47), Cincinnati (58)

First 4 Out: Virginia Tech (28), Saint Mary’s (48), San Diego State (63), New Mexico State (83)

8 to Watch: Mississippi State (41), Northwestern (44), Clemson (54), TCU (56), DePaul (59), VCU (70), Vanderbilt (84), Arkansas (90)

Non-Power 6 At-Large Bids (7): Houston (4), BYU (30), San Francisco (32), Murray (47), Utah State (55), Cincinnati (58), Memphis (60)

New to the Field (10): Cincinnati, Howard, Liberty, Memphis, Michigan, Murray, South Dakota State, Southern Utah, Toledo, Utah Valley

Dropped from the Field (10): Jacksonville, Monmouth, Montana State, New Mexico State, Norfolk, Ohio, Saint Mary’s, Virginia Tech, Western Illinois, Wyoming
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Ineligible for NCAA Tournament (9): Oklahoma State (75), Tarleton (169), Cal Baptist (180), Saint Thomas (212), UC-San Diego (222), North Alabama (239), Bellarmine (258), Dixie (270), Merrimack (295)
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THE WEEK AHEAD GAMES TO WATCH
Tuesday
UConn @ Xavier
Cincinnati @ Houston

Wednesday
LSU @ Auburn
Seton Hall @ Providence
Tennessee @ Alabama

Thursday
Michigan @ UCF

New Year’s Day
Baylor @ Iowa State
Villanova @ Seton Hall
West Virginia @ Texas
Creighton @ Marquette
San Francisco @ Saint Mary’s

January 2
Illinois @ Minnesota
Davidson @ VCU

 

[Ope3]

DePaul from your 8 to Watch category got a huge benefit from the reversal on their 2 Big East forfeit losses. Those 2 games are now trying to be rescheduled, and if not will be deemed "No Contests".

 

[gopherguy15]

Houston might have difficulty making it now. They lost their starting backcourt this past week.

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

The ACC looks very weak! Duke might not even be a 2 seed

 

[bizzle22]

DePaul from your 8 to Watch category got a huge benefit from the reversal on their 2 Big East forfeit losses. Those 2 games are now trying to be rescheduled, and if not will be deemed "No Contests".

I believe those games were only counted as forfeits for the Big East standings. The NCAA was already counting them as “no contest” games

 

[Ope3]

I believe those games were only counted as forfeits for the Big East standings. The NCAA was already counting them as “no contest” games

Ok, makes sense thanks for clarifying.