SelectionSunday
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(All rankings are NET)
Dribbles & Scribbles
6-Pack Mid-Season "Need More Data" Teams: Still holding off giving my full seal of approval:
#11 Louisville (11-2): I can't trust a coach with dorky glasses like Pat Kelsey wears.
#12 Iowa (11-2): will" McCollum Ball" work over a full Big Ten season?
#14 Nebraska (13-0): beat MSU in Lincoln on Friday and follow it with a Monday win in Columbus & I'm sold.
#22 Georgia (12-1): play somebody (9 of 12 wins vs. Quad 4).
#25 Villanova (11-2): currently look more like a high-end College Basketball Crown participant.
#64 Miami-Ohio (11-0): undefeated but basically unchallenged (9 of 11 wins vs. Quad 4)
6-Pack Mid-Season "Bookmark for March" Teams:
#17 Kansas (10-3): but only if Darryn Peterson's family allows him to play with a little boo-boo.
#28 Saint Louis (12-1): Billikens may be the best team from a non-Power 5 conference not named Gonzaga.
#38 Tulsa (11-1): talented & quietly one of the best stories in college hoops with a former St. Thomas guard (Miles Barnstable) playing a major role.
#42 UCLA (10-3): Mick Cronin is an incessant whiner, but I think his team will be a bear when March rolls around.
#46 Seton Hall (12-2): won't wow anyone with their talent but love the grit, which Shaheen Holloway teams always have.
#76 William & Mary (9-3): is this the year Tribe finally makes the NCAA Tournament?
Tommie Talk and the NET/Torvik Gospel
St. Thomas (11-4, 6-6 ATS)
NET: UST moves up four spots to #117.
Torvik (T-Rank): UST moves up two spots to #110.
Wednesday Summit League Results
@ #142 North Dakota State 84, #287 South Dakota 61
@ #221 Denver 87, #336 Kansas City 74
New Year's Day Summit League Slate
#293 Oral Roberts @ #310 North Dakota, 1
#249 Omaha @ #167 South Dakota State, 4:15 (Midco Sports)
New Year's Day Reach the Summit Selections (2-0, 100%)
North Dakota over Oral Roberts by 4
Omaha over South Dakota State by 2
Summit League Leader (North Dakota State) NCAA Tournament Resume
Record vs. DI Opponents: 8-5, 1-0 Summit
NET: #142
Torvik (T-Rank): #125
Strength of Record: #167
Wins Above Bubble: #197
True Road Record: 3-4
Overall SOS: #350
Non-Conference SOS: #351
Record/Winning % vs. Quad 1: 0-0
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1 & 2 Combined: 0-1 (0%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1-3 Combined: 3-4 (42.9%)
Quad 4 (Awful) Losses: 1 (@ #265 UTEP)
Record vs. Projected NCAA Qualifiers: 0-1
Lost to #124 Arkansas State, 80-85 (A)
Wednesday Bubble Impact Results
@ #53 Virginia Tech 95, #31 Virginia 85
@ #57 VCU 89, #101 Saint Bonaventure 82
Daily Bubble Snapshots: It's Early, but Get Accustomed to the Numbers 41, 50, 52 & 68
With the arrival of the New Year, today we start taking a daily snapshot look at the bubble (yes, the bubble this early), with the purpose of watching it evolve up to Selection Sunday. Every day we'll take a look at (at minimum) the #41, #50, #52, and #68 teams in the NET rankings. Why those four specific numbers?
Last season #41 Ohio State was the highest ranked NET team to miss the tournament.
I've always thought of the #50 NET team as the cutline for the bubble. Generally speaking, if a team finishes in the top 50, they'll be in the tournament. Last season only four of the top 50 teams failed to reach the tournament: Ohio State, #44 Boise State, #46 SMU, and #50 Cincinnati, which made the Bearcats the (general) cutline in 2024-25.
Number 52 represents the team (San Diego State) with the lowest NET to receive an at-large bid last season.
Number 68 (last season NIT selection George Mason) is included for obvious reasons. Theoretically, if the tournament only included the top 68 teams, this spot roughly would be the last team in the field. That's not the way it works, thankfully (gotta' have automatic bids), but I'm still interested to find out if #68 makes its way into the field, most likely as an automatic qualifier.
#41 (Baylor) NCAA Tournament Resume (best NET at-large out?)
Record vs. DI Opponents: 9-2, 0-0 Big XII
NET: #41
Torvik (T-Rank): #41
Strength of Record: #39
Wins Above Bubble: #45
True Road Record: 0-1
Overall SOS: #180
Non-Conference SOS: #183
Record/Winning % vs. Quad 1: 1-1 (50%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1 & 2 Combined: 3-2 (60%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1-3 Combined: 4-2 (66.7%)
Quad 4 (Awful) Losses: none
Record vs. Projected NCAA Qualifiers: 0-1
Lost to #26 Saint John's, 81-96 (N)
#50 (TCU) NCAA Tournament Resume (the bubble cutline?)
Record vs. DI Opponents: 10-3, 0-0 Big XII
NET: #50
Torvik (T-Rank): #50
Strength of Record: #55
Wins Above Bubble: #59
True Road Record: 1-0
Overall SOS: #176
Non-Conference SOS: #178
Record/Winning % vs. Quad 1: 1-1 (50%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1 & 2 Combined: 2-2 (50%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1-3 Combined: 3-2 (60%)
Quad 4 (Awful) Losses: 1 (lost at home to #212 New Orleans)
Record vs. Projected NCAA Qualifiers: 1-1
Lost to #1 Michigan, 63-67 (H)
Beat #24 Florida, 84-80 (N)
#52 (Washington) NCAA Tournament Resume (worst NET at-large in?)
Record vs. DI Opponents: 9-4, 1-1 Big Ten
NET: #52
Torvik (T-Rank): #51
Strength of Record: #72
Wins Above Bubble: #77
True Road Record: 2-2
Overall SOS: #117
Non-Conference SOS: #219
Record/Winning % vs. Quad 1: 1-1 (50%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1 & 2 Combined: 2-4 (33.3%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1-3 Combined: 4-4 (50%)
Quad 4 (Awful) Losses: none
Record vs. Projected NCAA Qualifiers: 1-2
Beat #40 USC, 80-76 (A)
Lost to #41 Baylor, 69-78 (A)
Lost to #42 UCLA, 80-82 (H)
#68 (Santa Clara) NCAA Tournament Resume (if field was best 68)
Record vs. DI Opponents: 10-4, 2-0 WCC
NET: #68
Torvik (T-Rank): #42
Strength of Record: #79
Wins Above Bubble: #87
True Road Record: 3-1
Overall SOS: #185
Non-Conference SOS: #148
Record/Winning % vs. Quad 1: 0-2 (0%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1 & 2 Combined: 3-3 (50%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1-3 Combined: 8-3 (72.7%)
Quad 4 (Awful) Losses: 1 (vs. #312 Loyola-Chicago)
Record vs. Projected NCAA Qualifiers: 0-2
Lost to #28 Saint Louis, 70-71 (N)
Lost to #66 New Mexico, 71-98 (A)
New Year's Day Games to Eyeball
Milwaukee @ Wright State, 1 (ESPN+)
Omaha @ South Dakota State, 4:15 (Midco Sports)
Bradley @ Belmont, 6 (ESPN+)
Northern Colorado @ Montana State, 8 (ESPN+)
New Year's Day Pick to Click (34-21, 61.8%, W-7 streak)
Northern Colorado +2.5 @ Montana State
New Year's Day Outright +7 or More ‘Dog (9-46, 16.4%, L-15 streak)
@ UC-Riverside (+8.5) outright vs. Hawaii
Deep Thoughts, by Buzz Studley
The next time you watch a college basketball game, count the number of times you hear the word "physicality" from the announcers or the halftime studio talking heads. It's the new buzz word in college sports, right up there with "culture" as words that make me retch every time they're uttered.
Dribbles & Scribbles
6-Pack Mid-Season "Need More Data" Teams: Still holding off giving my full seal of approval:
#11 Louisville (11-2): I can't trust a coach with dorky glasses like Pat Kelsey wears.
#12 Iowa (11-2): will" McCollum Ball" work over a full Big Ten season?
#14 Nebraska (13-0): beat MSU in Lincoln on Friday and follow it with a Monday win in Columbus & I'm sold.
#22 Georgia (12-1): play somebody (9 of 12 wins vs. Quad 4).
#25 Villanova (11-2): currently look more like a high-end College Basketball Crown participant.
#64 Miami-Ohio (11-0): undefeated but basically unchallenged (9 of 11 wins vs. Quad 4)
6-Pack Mid-Season "Bookmark for March" Teams:
#17 Kansas (10-3): but only if Darryn Peterson's family allows him to play with a little boo-boo.
#28 Saint Louis (12-1): Billikens may be the best team from a non-Power 5 conference not named Gonzaga.
#38 Tulsa (11-1): talented & quietly one of the best stories in college hoops with a former St. Thomas guard (Miles Barnstable) playing a major role.
#42 UCLA (10-3): Mick Cronin is an incessant whiner, but I think his team will be a bear when March rolls around.
#46 Seton Hall (12-2): won't wow anyone with their talent but love the grit, which Shaheen Holloway teams always have.
#76 William & Mary (9-3): is this the year Tribe finally makes the NCAA Tournament?
Tommie Talk and the NET/Torvik Gospel
St. Thomas (11-4, 6-6 ATS)
NET: UST moves up four spots to #117.
Torvik (T-Rank): UST moves up two spots to #110.
Wednesday Summit League Results
@ #142 North Dakota State 84, #287 South Dakota 61
@ #221 Denver 87, #336 Kansas City 74
New Year's Day Summit League Slate
#293 Oral Roberts @ #310 North Dakota, 1
#249 Omaha @ #167 South Dakota State, 4:15 (Midco Sports)
New Year's Day Reach the Summit Selections (2-0, 100%)
North Dakota over Oral Roberts by 4
Omaha over South Dakota State by 2
Summit League Leader (North Dakota State) NCAA Tournament Resume
Record vs. DI Opponents: 8-5, 1-0 Summit
NET: #142
Torvik (T-Rank): #125
Strength of Record: #167
Wins Above Bubble: #197
True Road Record: 3-4
Overall SOS: #350
Non-Conference SOS: #351
Record/Winning % vs. Quad 1: 0-0
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1 & 2 Combined: 0-1 (0%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1-3 Combined: 3-4 (42.9%)
Quad 4 (Awful) Losses: 1 (@ #265 UTEP)
Record vs. Projected NCAA Qualifiers: 0-1
Lost to #124 Arkansas State, 80-85 (A)
Wednesday Bubble Impact Results
@ #53 Virginia Tech 95, #31 Virginia 85
@ #57 VCU 89, #101 Saint Bonaventure 82
Daily Bubble Snapshots: It's Early, but Get Accustomed to the Numbers 41, 50, 52 & 68
With the arrival of the New Year, today we start taking a daily snapshot look at the bubble (yes, the bubble this early), with the purpose of watching it evolve up to Selection Sunday. Every day we'll take a look at (at minimum) the #41, #50, #52, and #68 teams in the NET rankings. Why those four specific numbers?
Last season #41 Ohio State was the highest ranked NET team to miss the tournament.
I've always thought of the #50 NET team as the cutline for the bubble. Generally speaking, if a team finishes in the top 50, they'll be in the tournament. Last season only four of the top 50 teams failed to reach the tournament: Ohio State, #44 Boise State, #46 SMU, and #50 Cincinnati, which made the Bearcats the (general) cutline in 2024-25.
Number 52 represents the team (San Diego State) with the lowest NET to receive an at-large bid last season.
Number 68 (last season NIT selection George Mason) is included for obvious reasons. Theoretically, if the tournament only included the top 68 teams, this spot roughly would be the last team in the field. That's not the way it works, thankfully (gotta' have automatic bids), but I'm still interested to find out if #68 makes its way into the field, most likely as an automatic qualifier.
#41 (Baylor) NCAA Tournament Resume (best NET at-large out?)
Record vs. DI Opponents: 9-2, 0-0 Big XII
NET: #41
Torvik (T-Rank): #41
Strength of Record: #39
Wins Above Bubble: #45
True Road Record: 0-1
Overall SOS: #180
Non-Conference SOS: #183
Record/Winning % vs. Quad 1: 1-1 (50%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1 & 2 Combined: 3-2 (60%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1-3 Combined: 4-2 (66.7%)
Quad 4 (Awful) Losses: none
Record vs. Projected NCAA Qualifiers: 0-1
Lost to #26 Saint John's, 81-96 (N)
#50 (TCU) NCAA Tournament Resume (the bubble cutline?)
Record vs. DI Opponents: 10-3, 0-0 Big XII
NET: #50
Torvik (T-Rank): #50
Strength of Record: #55
Wins Above Bubble: #59
True Road Record: 1-0
Overall SOS: #176
Non-Conference SOS: #178
Record/Winning % vs. Quad 1: 1-1 (50%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1 & 2 Combined: 2-2 (50%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1-3 Combined: 3-2 (60%)
Quad 4 (Awful) Losses: 1 (lost at home to #212 New Orleans)
Record vs. Projected NCAA Qualifiers: 1-1
Lost to #1 Michigan, 63-67 (H)
Beat #24 Florida, 84-80 (N)
#52 (Washington) NCAA Tournament Resume (worst NET at-large in?)
Record vs. DI Opponents: 9-4, 1-1 Big Ten
NET: #52
Torvik (T-Rank): #51
Strength of Record: #72
Wins Above Bubble: #77
True Road Record: 2-2
Overall SOS: #117
Non-Conference SOS: #219
Record/Winning % vs. Quad 1: 1-1 (50%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1 & 2 Combined: 2-4 (33.3%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1-3 Combined: 4-4 (50%)
Quad 4 (Awful) Losses: none
Record vs. Projected NCAA Qualifiers: 1-2
Beat #40 USC, 80-76 (A)
Lost to #41 Baylor, 69-78 (A)
Lost to #42 UCLA, 80-82 (H)
#68 (Santa Clara) NCAA Tournament Resume (if field was best 68)
Record vs. DI Opponents: 10-4, 2-0 WCC
NET: #68
Torvik (T-Rank): #42
Strength of Record: #79
Wins Above Bubble: #87
True Road Record: 3-1
Overall SOS: #185
Non-Conference SOS: #148
Record/Winning % vs. Quad 1: 0-2 (0%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1 & 2 Combined: 3-3 (50%)
Record/Winning % vs. Quads 1-3 Combined: 8-3 (72.7%)
Quad 4 (Awful) Losses: 1 (vs. #312 Loyola-Chicago)
Record vs. Projected NCAA Qualifiers: 0-2
Lost to #28 Saint Louis, 70-71 (N)
Lost to #66 New Mexico, 71-98 (A)
New Year's Day Games to Eyeball
Milwaukee @ Wright State, 1 (ESPN+)
Omaha @ South Dakota State, 4:15 (Midco Sports)
Bradley @ Belmont, 6 (ESPN+)
Northern Colorado @ Montana State, 8 (ESPN+)
New Year's Day Pick to Click (34-21, 61.8%, W-7 streak)
Northern Colorado +2.5 @ Montana State
New Year's Day Outright +7 or More ‘Dog (9-46, 16.4%, L-15 streak)
@ UC-Riverside (+8.5) outright vs. Hawaii
Deep Thoughts, by Buzz Studley
The next time you watch a college basketball game, count the number of times you hear the word "physicality" from the announcers or the halftime studio talking heads. It's the new buzz word in college sports, right up there with "culture" as words that make me retch every time they're uttered.