Field of 68 Projection: College Basketball's Penultimate Month Is Upon Us

[SelectionSunday]

It’s Pepto Bismol time, folks, college basketball’s penultimate month is upon us!

No small talk this week, let’s just get right to the Field of 68 projection. We have 6 new teams entering the fold: Colorado State (at-large); East Tennessee State (SoCon auto bid); Georgia Tech (at-large); Louisiana (Sun Belt auto bid); Rutgers (at-large); and VCU (at-large).

An * denotes the leader in a multiple-bid conference or -- in the event of a standings tie -- the team with the best NET ranking (noted in parentheses).

FIELD OF 68 PROJECTION (through games played Jan. 30)
America East (1): UMBC (129)

American (1): Houston (4)

ACC (7): *Virginia (8), Florida State (24), Virginia Tech (31), Louisville (46), North Carolina (47), Georgia Tech (55), Clemson (60)

ASUN (1): Liberty (92)

Atlantic 10 (3): *Saint Bonaventure (35), Saint Louis (36), VCU (44)

Big East (5): *Villanova (7), Creighton (27), Xavier (33), UConn (45), Seton Hall (59)

Big Sky (1): Montana State (174)

Big South (1): Winthrop (78)

Big Ten (9): *Michigan (3), Illinois (5), Iowa (6), Ohio State (13), Wisconsin (17), Purdue (23), Rutgers (34), Indiana (48), Minnesota (50)

Big XII (6): *Baylor (1), Texas Tech (12), Texas (14), Oklahoma (16), Kansas (21), West Virginia (22)

Big West (1): UC-Irvine (115)

Colonial (1): Northeastern (137)

Conference USA (2): *UAB (66), Western Kentucky (81)

Horizon (1): Cleveland State (167)

MAAC (1): Siena (127)

MAC (1): Toledo (54)

MEAC (1): North Carolina A&T (306)

Missouri Valley (1): Drake (9)

Mountain West (3): *Boise State (19), San Diego State (28), Colorado State (42)

NEC (1): Bryant (120)

OVC (1): Belmont (87)

Pac 12 (5): Colorado (20), USC (26), *UCLA (37), Oregon (49), Stanford (57)

Patriot (1): Navy (102)

SEC (5): Tennessee (10), *Alabama (11), Florida (18), Missouri (30), LSU (38)

SoCon (1): East Tennessee State (113)

Southland (1): Sam Houston State (149)

SWAC (1): Prairie View A&M (166)

Summit (1): South Dakota (164)

Sun Belt (1): Louisiana (163)

WCC (2): *Gonzaga (2), BYU (40)

WAC (1): Grand Canyon (121)

Last 4 In: LSU (38), VCU (44), Colorado State (42), Georgia Tech (55)

First 4 Out: Loyola-Chicago (25), Utah State (53), Richmond (56), Duke (62)

8 to Watch: Colgate (15), Penn State (29), Arkansas (32), Maryland (43), Syracuse (51), SMU (52), UCSB (58), Wright State (63)

Non-Power 6 At-Large Bids (6): San Diego State (28), Saint Louis (36), BYU (40), Colorado State (42), VCU (44), Western Kentucky (81)
_________________________
Power 6 At-Large Percentage (31 of 37): 83.8%

Non-Power 6 At-Large Percentage (6 of 37): 16.2%

Power 6 Overall Bids Percentage (37 of 68): 54.4%

Non-Power 6 Overall Bids Percentage (31 of 68): 45.6%

Out With The Old (6): Arkansas, Maryland, Syracuse, Texas State, Utah State, Wofford

In With The New (6): Colorado State, East Tennessee State, Georgia Tech, Louisiana, Rutgers, VCU

NEXT PROJECTION: Saturday. Feb. 6/Sunday, Feb. 7

 

[Otis]

Gophers aren't going to make it they way they are going. Driving an Edsel on the road to the Final Four.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Gophers aren't going to make it they way they are going. Driving an Edsel on the road to the Final Four.

Agree.

They’ll be in my next projection even if they lose to Rutgers on Thursday, but they’ll officially become a bubble team if that occurs.

After the likely loss to Rutgers, next week is huge. 3 games. Nebraska & Purdue at home followed by @ Maryland on Sunday to cap the week. IMO next week is when Gophers need to sack up & win all 3 of those.