Field of 68 Projection (through Feb. 7)

[SelectionSunday]

An * denotes conference leader/best RPI in a multiple-bid conference.

FIELD OF 68 (2/7/16)
America East(1): Stony Brook (62)

American (2): *Temple (67), Cincinnati (68)

ACC (8): Virginia (5), *North Carolina (9), Miami (14), Duke (24), Notre Dame (29), Florida State (39), Pitt (43), Syracuse (48)

Atlantic Sun (1): North Florida (144)

Atlantic 10 (3): Dayton (12), George Washington (36), VCU (41)

Big East (4): *Villanova (1), Xavier (7), Providence (33), Seton Hall (35)

Big Sky (1): Montana (135)

Big South (1): NC-Asheville (147)

B1G (7): Maryland (4), *Iowa (8), Michigan State (16), Purdue (22), Michigan (54), Indiana (55), Wisconsin (65)

Big XII (6): Oklahoma (2), Kansas (6), *West Virginia (10), Iowa State (13), Texas (20), Baylor (27)

Big West (1): UC Irvine (70)

Colonial (1): NC Wilmington (76)

Conference USA (1): UAB (97)

Horizon (1): Valparaiso (46)

Ivy (1): Yale (61)

MAAC (1): Monmouth (30)

MAC (1): Akron (47)

MEAC (1): Hampton (197)

Missouri Valley (1): Wichita State (32)

Mountain West (1): San Diego State (44)

Northeast (1): Wagner (206)

Ohio Valley (1): Belmont (94)

Pac 12 (8): *Oregon (3), USC (15), Utah (18), Colorado (26), Arizona (28), Cal (34), Oregon State (42), Washington (56)

Patriot (1): Bucknell (182)

SEC (6): Texas A&M (17), Kentucky (19), Florida (21), South Carolina (25), Alabama (57), *LSU (75)

Southern (1): Chattanooga (38)

Southland (1): Stephen F. Austin (130)

SWAC (1): Texas Southern (224)

Summit (1): South Dakota State (45)

Sun Belt (1): UALR (59)

West Coast (1): Gonzaga (60)

WAC (1): New Mexico State (121)
_______________________________

Last 4 In: Pitt (43), Michigan (54), Alabama (57), Cincinnati (68)

First 4 Out: UConn (51), Vanderbilt (58), UCLA (72), Clemson (83)

Last 4 Automatics: Bucknell (182), Hampton (197), Wagner (206), Texas Southern (224)

Others Considered (8): Saint Joseph's (31), William & Mary (37), Kansas State (40), Saint Mary's (52), Texas Tech (53), Georgia (66), Butler (69), BYU (77)

Non-Power 6 At-Larges (3): George Washington (36), VCU (41), Cincinnati (68)

 

[SelectionSunday]

Joe Lunardi's Monday morning Bracketology:

Joey Brackets and I differ on 4 at-larges.

He has Butler, Saint Joseph's, Saint Mary's, and UConn in the Field of 68, in their place I have Alabama, Cincinnati, Oregon State, and Wisconsin.

Last 4 In: Butler, Florida State, Seton Hall, Syracuse
First 4 Out: Cincinnati, Clemson, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

 

[SelectionSunday]

Jerry Palm's Monday Bracketology

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

Palm and I differ on 3 teams.

Palm has Butler, Saint Mary's, and UConn in the Field of 68, in their place I have Alabama, Temple, and Wisconsin. Note that I have Temple (8-3 in the AAC) "in" as an automatic qualifier, while Palm has UConn (7-3 in the AAC) as the conference's auto bid.

Last 4 In: Cincinnati, George Washington, Gonzaga, VCU
First 4 Out: Georgia, Kansas State, Saint Joseph's, Texas Tech

 

[howeda7]

Would you put LSU in as an at-large? Because I don't see them winning the SEC tournament....

 

[SelectionSunday]

Would you put LSU in as an at-large? Because I don't see them winning the SEC tournament....

At this point I would not have them in as an at-large. But if they end up winning the SEC regular season title, I have a hard time imagining the committee would leave out a Power 6 regular-season champion, even if their conference schedule was soft.

 

[SelectionSunday]

Interesting what Atlantic Sun Tournament is doing with ineligible Stetson

Just found this out from the Atlantic Sun, first time I've ever heard of a conference doing this for their conference tournament.

Stetson is ineligible for the NCAA automatic bid, but they'll be allowed to play in the Atlantic Sun tourney. That itself is not unusual. The SWAC has done that recently with its ineligible teams.

The twist is, if Stetson wins the conference tournament (Hatters currently would be the #6 or #7 seed), the regular-season champion would get the automatic bid, not the team that loses in the championship game (unless it was the #1 seed). I kind of like that. Basically, the regular-season champion has a 25% chance (8 teams in the tourney) to get the auto bid, and if Stetson were to make the championship game vs. any team other than the #1 seed, it keeps the pressure on Stetson's opponent to win the game.

 

[Ope3]

At this point I would not have them in as an at-large. But if they end up winning the SEC regular season title, I have a hard time imagining the committee would leave out a Power 6 regular-season champion, even if their conference schedule was soft.

I've heard that regular season championships matter to the Selection committee, especially if it's the SEC. Wait, maybe that was the BCS...

 

[SelectionSunday]

Bryce Drew

Remember that name.