Penultimate Field of 68 Projection Has 3 Available At-Large Bids

[SelectionSunday]

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN – We’ve arrived at our penultimate Field of 68 projection. Six nights from now in the wee hours of Saturday night/(Selection) Sunday morning I will post my final projection, always in advance of the final projections of Jerry Palm & Joe Lunardi. If there are contingencies to be made for potential bid-stealers playing on Sunday, those will be included with the projection.

With one week to go, essentially, I have 65 teams locked into the field (includes 32 automatic qualifier spots) with 12 teams (including 4 longshots) jostling for only 3 available at-large bids. Obviously, bid-stealers could come into play, but I’ll deal with those as they come along.

Automatic qualifiers from multiple-bid conferences are noted with an *. Auto qualifiers/placeholders are in BOLD CAPS if they already won the conference tournament. Otherwise, it's the highest remaining seed in the tournament.

FIELD OF 68 PROJECTION (through March 6)
America East (1): Vermont (60)

American (2): *Houston (5), Memphis (35)

ACC (5): *Duke (9), North Carolina (33), Wake Forest (39), Notre Dame (50), Miami (59)

ASUN (1): Jacksonville State (139) – gets auto bid if favored Bellarmine beats Jacksonville

Atlantic 10 (1): Davidson (47)

Big East (7): Villanova (6), UConn (18), *Providence (26), Seton Hall (32), Xavier (36), Marquette (38), Creighton (66)

Big Sky (1): Montana State (132)

Big South (1): LONGWOOD (123)

Big Ten (8): Purdue (13), *Illinois (14), Iowa (15), Wisconsin (21), Ohio State (22), Michigan (31), Michigan State (40), Rutgers (76)

Big XII (7): Baylor (3), *Kansas (7), Texas Tech (12), Texas (17), Iowa State (41), Oklahoma (42), TCU (46)

Big West (1): Long Beach (155)

Colonial (1): Towson (64)

Conference USA (1): North Texas (43)

Horizon (1): Cleveland (175)

Ivy (1): Princeton (103)

MAAC (1): Iona (85)

MAC (1): Toledo (65)

MEAC (1): Norfolk (151)

Missouri Valley (1): LOYOLA (25)

Mountain West (4): Colorado State (27), San Diego State (29), *Boise (30), Wyoming (48)

NEC (1): Bryant (215)

OVC (1): MURRAY (23)

Pac 12 (3): *Arizona (2), UCLA (11), USC (34)

Patriot (1): Colgate (131)

SEC (6): Kentucky (4), Tennessee (8), *Auburn (10), LSU (16), Arkansas (20), Alabama (28)

SoCon (1): Chattanooga (61)

Southland (1): Nicholls (189)

SWAC (1): Alcorn (262)

Summit (1): South Dakota State (72)

Sun Belt (1): Georgia State (168)

WCC (3): *Gonzaga (1), Saint Mary’s (19), San Francisco (24)

WAC (1): New Mexico State (87)
______________________________
Last 4 In: Xavier (36), Wake Forest (39), Oklahoma (42), Wyoming (48)

First 4 Out: SMU (49), VCU (51), Florida (54), BYU (55)

Others Still in the Hunt (5): Virginia Tech (37), Indiana (44), Dayton (52), Texas A&M (56), Virginia (77)

Non-Power 6 At-Large Bids (6): Saint Mary’s (19), San Francisco (24), Colorado State (27), San Diego State (29), Memphis (35), Wyoming (48)

 

[combes1]

Technically, the automatic qualifier in the BT and most conferences is the conference tournament champion. Illinois is not the “automatic” qualifier, for example.

If I misread your explanation, I apologize.

 

[Dano564]

Technically, the automatic qualifier in the BT and most conferences is the conference tournament champion. Illinois is not the “automatic” qualifier, for example.

If I misread your explanation, I apologize.

I think he knows that but marks the top seed as the automatic qualifier until the tournament winner is solidified.

 

[SelectionSunday]

I think he knows that but marks the top seed as the automatic qualifier until the tournament winner is solidified.

Correct.

The highest remaining seed in ongoing conference tournaments holds the automatic qualifier spot until the tournament is completed.

 

[Spottedmuskie]

I wonder if A10 gets two teams in if Davidson loses in conference tourney. Not too many bubbles popped yet, but I don't think BYU should make it and Indiana has an uphill battle. Rooting for the VCU's, SMU's, etc. Would like to see Porter Mosner in there again, Xavier has really been slipping as in late. Throw them in there so I can pick the "upset", man the SWAC looks really bad. With this list looks like the Gophers have beat 3 teams with Rutgers, Michigan, and Princeton.

 

[SelectionSunday]

I wonder if A10 gets two teams in if Davidson loses in conference tourney. Not too many bubbles popped yet, but I don't think BYU should make it and Indiana has an uphill battle. Rooting for the VCU's, SMU's, etc. Would like to see Porter Mosner in there again, Xavier has really been slipping as in late. Throw them in there so I can pick the "upset", man the SWAC looks really bad. With this list looks like the Gophers have beat 3 teams with Rutgers, Michigan, and Princeton.

Davidson definitely would have a shot for an at-large bid, but their resume is pretty bland. Not much there other than an A-10 regular season title + a win over Alabama.

 

[bizzle22]

We differ on 3.

I have Dayton, SMU, and VCU in.
I have Oklahoma, Wake Forest, and Notre Dame out.

Last 4 In: Rutgers, Dayton, VCU, SMU (last in)
First 4 Out: Oklahoma (first out), BYU, Wake Forest, Notre Dame