LESS THAN 2 MONTHS UNTIL THE MADNESS, U.S.A. — Gopher basketball fans still have about two months to endure the remainder of this forgettable season, but there is good news on the horizon. We’re less than two months until Selection Sunday (March 13), when 68 other schools not named Minnesota will hear their names called by Jim Nantz. There is no such thing as a bad Selection Sunday, even when your team does not join the party.
Here’s Road to Selection Sunday‘s latest NCAA Tournament Field of 68 projection. The B1G Conference is up two bids since we last met on Dec. 21, as Michigan and Ohio State (one of our “last 4 in”) with recent hot streaks have forged their way into the field. The Big XII and, somewhat surprisingly the Pac 12, lead the way with 8 bids apiece. However, as we all know, a lot will change between now March 13.
RPI rankings are noted in parentheses. An * denotes the current conference leader and/or best RPI in a multiple-bid conference.
FIELD OF 68 (through Jan. 13)
America East (1): Albany (85)
American (1): Houston (129)
ACC (6): *North Carolina (6), Virginia (7), Duke (12), Miami (17), Pitt (20), Louisville (27)
Atlantic Sun (1): North Florida (125)
Atlantic 10 (4): Dayton (13), George Washington (33), Saint Joseph’s (35), *Saint Bonaventure (55)
Big East (4): *Villanova (1), Xavier (2), Providence (21), Butler (49)
Big Sky (1): Montana (134)
Big South (1): NC-Asheville (135)
B1G (7): Michigan State (8), Maryland (16), Iowa (18), Purdue (29), Michigan (36), *Indiana (62), Ohio State (65)
Big XII (8): Kansas (3), Oklahoma (4), *West Virginia (15), Texas Tech (19), Iowa State (22), Texas (26), Baylor (41), Kansas State (45)
Big West (1): UC-Irvine (57)
Colonial (1): William & Mary (52)
Conference USA (1): UAB (115)
Horizon (1): Valpo (23)
Ivy (1): Princeton (87)
MAAC (2): Monmouth (24), *Iona (157)
MAC (1): Northern Illinois (68)
MEAC (1): Hampton (207)
Missouri Valley (1): Wichita State (44)
Mountain West (1): Boise State (40)
Northeast (1): Wagner (195)
Ohio Valley (1): Tennessee Tech (149)
Pac 12 (8): Oregon (10), USC (14), Utah (25), Arizona (31), Colorado (32), Oregon State (37), UCLA (61), *Washington (74)
Patriot (1): Bucknell (196)
SEC (4): *Texas A&M (9), Kentucky (11), Florida (28), South Carolina (30)
Southern (1): East Tennessee State (141)
Southland (1): Sam Houston State (175)
SWAC (1): Texas Southern (278)
Summit (1): Omaha (137)
Sun Belt (2): Texas-Arlington (38), *UALR (64)
West Coast (1): Gonzaga (39)
WAC (1): Cal State Bakersfield (136)
Non-Power 6 At-Larges (5): Dayton (13), Monmouth (24), George Washington (33), Saint Joseph’s (35), Texas-Arlington (38)
Last 4 In: Texas Tech (19), Saint Joseph’s (35), Texas-Arlington (38), Ohio State (65)
First 4 Out: Cal (46), Notre Dame (48), Saint Mary’s (51), Cincinnati (72)
Others Considered (9): Davidson (34), Georgia Tech (42), Alabama (43), Georgia State (50), Stanford (56), Seton Hall (60), Wake Forest (63), UConn (80), Evansville (90)
SS’s At-Large Projections (since expansion to Field of 68)
2010-11: 35/37 (missed Colorado/Virginia Tech; Georgia/UAB in instead)
2011-12: 36/37 (missed Seton Hall; Iona in instead)
2012-13: 36/37 (missed Kentucky; La Salle in instead)
2013-14: 36/36 – perfect —
2014-15: 33/36 (missed Colorado State/Old Dominion/Temple; BYU/Indiana/UCLA in instead)
Totals: 176/183 (96.2%)
For good measure, our latest B1G Power Rankings. #1 and #2 go head to head tonight for the second time, this time in East Lansing (6 pm, ESPN).
RTSS B1G Power Rankings
1 Michigan State
2 Iowa
3 Maryland
4 Purdue
5 Michigan
6 Indiana
7 Ohio State
8 Northwestern
9 Wisconsin
10 Illinois
11 Nebraska
12 Penn State
13 GOPHERS
14 Rutgers