Road to Selection Sunday: Early-Season Surprises, Disappointments

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Road to Selection Sunday: Early-Season Surprises, Disappointments
By SelectionSunday

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/198914?referrer_id=331171

We've passed one milestone of the college basketball season. Most of the in-season tournaments and significant conference challenges (ACC/Big Ten, Big East/SEC) have been completed. Though there's still a long and winding road to the finish line, we now have a little better feel for who's gonna' be good, and which teams look like they're headed toward "bust" territory. To that end, early in this 2012-13 campaign here's one man's opinion of the pleasant surprises and disappointments from each of the 31 automatic-qualifying conferences.

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down
America East -- Albany/Boston U
ACC -- Virginia Tech/Florida State
Atlantic Sun -- Florida Gulf Coast/Mercer
Atlantic 10 -- Charlotte/Saint Louis
Big East -- UConn/Marquette
Big Sky -- Sacramento State/Montana
Big South -- Gardner-Webb/Charleston Southern
Big 10 -- Illinois/Iowa
Big 12 -- Oklahoma State/Texas
Big West -- Pacific/
Colonial -- William & Mary/Drexel
Conference USA -- SMU/Memphis
Horizon -- UIC/Green Bay
Ivy -- /Harvard
Metro Atlantic -- Canisius/Siena
MAC -- Kent State/Buffalo
MEAC -- Savannah State/
Missouri Valley -- Wichita State/Northern Iowa
Mountain West -- Boise State/Nevada
Northeast -- Bryant/Long Island
Ohio Valley -- Jacksonville State/Tennessee State
Pac 12 -- Arizona State/UCLA
Patriot -- Colgate/Lehigh
SEC -- Alabama/Kentucky
Southern -- College of Charleston
Southland -- Stephen F. Austin/Oral Roberts
SWAC -- n/a
Summit -- North Dakota State/South Dakota State
Sun Belt -- South Alabama/North Texas
West Coast -- San Francisco/Saint Mary's
WAC -- Louisiana Tech/Denver

The Unconquered
The list of unbeatens was chopped from 33 to 20 last week. Who's left, their best win so far, and which upcoming opponent looks like a potential roadblock.
1. Arizona -- beat Long Beach State 94-72. (FLORIDA on Dec. 15)
2. Charlotte -- beat East Carolina 76-64. (@ Davidson on Wednesday)
3. Cincinnati -- beat Alabama 58-56 (vs. Xavier on Dec. 19)
4. Colorado State -- won @ Washington 73-55. (@ Colorado on Wednesday)
5. Duke -- beat Louisville 76-71. (vs. Temple on Saturday)
6. Eastern Kentucky -- beat Norfolk State 68-44. (@ Illinois on Dec. 16)
7. Florida -- beat Wisconsin 74-56. (@ Florida State on Wednesday)
8. Gonzaga -- beat Oklahoma 72-47. (ILLINOIS on Saturday)
9. Illinois -- beat Butler 78-61. (@ Gonzaga on Saturday)
10. Indiana -- beat Georgetown 82-72. (vs. Butler on Dec. 15)
11. LSU -- beat Seton Hall 72-67. (@ Boise State on Dec. 15)
12. Michigan -- beat NC State 79-72. (vs. West Virginia on Dec. 15)
13. New Mexico -- beat UConn 66-60. (@ Cincinnati on Dec. 27)
14. Ole Miss -- beat Rutgers 80-67. (@ Middle Tennessee State on Saturday).
15. Stephen F. Austin -- won @ Tulsa 57-41. (@ Texas A&M on Wednesday)
16. Syracuse -- beat San Diego State 62-49. (vs. Temple on Dec. 29)
17. Temple -- won @ Kent State 80-66. (@ Villanova on Wednesday)
18. Virginia Tech -- beat Oklahoma State 81-71. (@ West Virginia on Saturday)
19. Wichita State -- won @ VCU 53-51. (@ Tennessee on Dec. 13)
20. Wyoming -- beat Colorado 76-69. (@ Illinois State on Tuesday).

The RPI Top 25 from Jerry Palm (through Dec. 2)
1. Duke (8-0)
2. Michigan (6-0)
3. New Mexico (8-0)
4. Illinois (7-0)
5. Colorado (6-1)
6. UConn (6-1) -- ineligible for NCAA Tournament
7. Florida (6-0)
8. Butler (4-2)
9. Syracuse (5-0)
10. Indiana (8-0)
11. GOPHERS (8-1)
12. Wichita State (8-0)
13. Louisville (6-1)
14. Gonzaga (7-0)
15. Oklahoma State (5-1)
16. UNLV (5-1)
17. Cincinnati (7-0)
18. Ohio State (5-1)
19. Texas A&M (6-1)
20. Georgetown (5-1)
21. Kansas (6-1)
22. Arizona (5-0)
23. Alabama (5-1)
24. NC State (4-2)
25. Baylor (5-2)

The Big Ten in the RPI

2. Michigan (6-0)
4. Illinois (7-0)
10. Indiana (8-0)
11. GOPHERS (8-1)
18. Ohio State (5-1)
44. Michigan State (6-2)
74. Nebraska (5-1)
81. Northwestern (6-2)
85. Iowa (6-2)
94. Wisconsin (5-3)
142. Purdue (3-4)
190. Penn State (4-3)

RPI of Gophers' Nonconference Opponents
1. Duke (8-0)
79. North Dakota State (4-2)
88. USC (3-3)
101. Richmond (6-2)
105. Stanford (6-3)
156. Memphis (4-2)
174. Florida State (4-3)
177. American (3-4)
187. South Dakota State (4-2)
191. Tennessee State (2-5)
198. North Florida (2-5)
246. Toledo (2-5)
323. Lafayette (2-7)

Mano-a-Mano Report: Top 8 Conferences Head to Head (Nov. 26-Dec. 2)

Last week's results: Arizona over Texas Tech; Baylor over Kentucky; Boston College over Penn State; Cincinnati over Alabama; Clemson over South Carolina; DePaul over Auburn; Duke over Ohio State; Florida over Marquette; Georgetown over Tennessee; Illinois over Georgia Tech; Indiana over North Carolina; Kansas over Oregon State; LSU over Seton Hall; Maryland over Northwestern; Miami over Michigan State; Miami over UMass; Michigan over NC State; Minnesota over Florida State; Nebraska over Wake Forest; Notre Dame over Kentucky; Ole Miss over Rutgers; Providence over Mississippi State; Purdue over Clemson; Richmond over Wake Forest; Saint John's over South Carolina; San Diego State over UCLA; Syracuse over Arkansas; USF over Georgia; Villanova over Vanderbilt; Virginia over Wisconsin; Virginia Tech over Iowa; Virginia Tech over Oklahoma State; Washington over Saint Louis; Wisconsin over Cal; Wyoming over Colorado; Xavier over Purdue.
Standings
1. Big Ten (22-13, 62.9%)
2. Big East (23-15, 60.5%)
3. ACC (19-14, 57.6%)
4. Mountain West (6-5, 54.5%)
5. Big 12 (11-10, 52.4%)
6. Pac 12 (13-16, 44.8%)
7. Atlantic 10 (12-18, 40%)
8. SEC (11-26, 29.7%)

Upset Special (or not)
I stink at this. It's not being 0-4 that bothers me; it's that my "upset specialists" are getting blown out of the building almost every week. I'll get one eventually, I hope.
Record: 0-4
Last Week: Saint Joseph's over Creighton (L, Jays in a slaughter, 80-51)
This Week: Ohio over Memphis (Wednesday)
 

It concerns me that after tomorrow 3 of our "good" wins will be against teams that you are giving the 'thumbs down'
 


I will be surprised if Ohio is favored to win at Memphis. The Bobcats just lost on the road at Robert Morris. It really wouldn't be that much of a surprise if Ohio wins, but it would be an upset nonetheless.
 

I will be surprised if Ohio is favored to win at Memphis. The Bobcats just lost on the road at Robert Morris. It really wouldn't be that much of a surprise if Ohio wins, but it would be an upset nonetheless.

SS, I am gonna be upset if you don't pick an upset correctly pretty soon. :)
 





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