College basketball starts to get serious now. My male dog is out of the race this season - the UCONN men have to sit this one out, but the Husky women are a threat to win it all, as usual - so my allegiance is up in the air going into it all. Let the Madness begin!
Syracuse & Louisville are tied with under a minute to go & Florida is in a dogfight late with Alabama.
arjay wrote: Syracuse & Louisville are tied with under a minute to go... Louisville won... ... Syracuse fell apart at the end.
Gonzaga vs. St.Mary should be quite a game tonight. Liberty in the tourney with a 15-20 record...their stay should be short lived. Creighton, Harvard, Belmont & Florida Gulf Coast are also in.
I got my first taste of March Madness last night when James Madison upset Northeastern to win the CAA Tournament in Richmond, Virginia. It's been a loooooooooooooong time - 19 years, to be exact - since the Dukes went to the Big Dance, and this is their first CAA title. It's stuff like this that makes March Madness one of the greatest spectacles and experiences in all of sport. These guys are probably just another first round speed bump for some power conference blue blood, but I'll be rootin' for them anyway. .
Congrats on JMU goin' Dancin'. I wouldn't be certain that they're just making a cameo. In fact, I'm not certain about anything going into this thing. I'm just gonna sit back & take in as much as I can & root for the 'dogs(although secretly I'm kinda hoping that Gonzaga wins it all). Is it possible to be a number 1 seed & an underdog too?
I've never been a fan of conference tournament winners getting an automatic bid. No offense to James Madison, but a team with an RPI rank of #182 who is 0-3 against top 100 teams has no business going to the tourney over a far more deserving program.
My alma mater, VCU, is headed back to the Big Dance for the third year in a row, and we're bringing the Naismith Student Section of the Year with us: There's going to be some good teams coming out of the Atlantic 10 this year, and four are expected to get bids. The regular season champ St. Louis (24-6, #16 in the country) has looked really solid and could do some damage in the Big Dance (keep an eye on those guys). VCU finished second in its first year in the A-10 (24-7, #25 in the country) and is going to have to find its offense to make a splash in the NCAA tournament. Third place Temple (23-8 ) is on a roll and has put itself on the bubble - if they play well in the A-10 tournament they're probably in. Fourth place La Salle (21-8 ) has played real well at times, but they'll need to win the A-10 tournament to get in, and fifth place Butler (24-7) has been struggling down the stretch but is expected to get the fourth bid from the conference along with VCU, St. Louis and Temple. .
I know what you mean. Look at Liberty - they've got a losing record and they're headed to the Big Dance because they got an automatic bid. The good news about James Madison is that they didn't rob a more deserving team in the CAA of a bid. The Colonial tournament was a complete fiasco this year - VCU bolted before the season began, two more teams weren't allowed to play in the tournament because they're moving next year, and two more teams were declared ineligible before the tournament. .
Updates, predictions, wild guesses, etc.,: BIDS ALREADY HANDED OUT Atlantic Sun: Florida Gulf Coast (24-10) Big South: Liberty (15-20) CAA: James Madison (20-14) Ivy League: Harvard (19-9) MAAC: Iona (20-13) Missouri Valley: Creighton (27-7) Ohio Valley: Belmont (26-6) Southern: Davidson (26-7) Sun Belt: Western Kentucky (20-15) West Coast: Gonzaga (31-2) BIDS TO BE DECIDED MONDAY Horizon: (1) Valparaiso vs. (3) Wright State, 9 p.m., ESPN Northeast: (3) Long Island vs. (5) Mount St. Mary's, 7 p.m., ESPN2 Summit: (1) South Dakota State vs. (3) North Dakota State, 9 p.m., ESPN2 No. 1 Seeds 1. Indiana (Midwest/Indianapolis) 2. Duke (East/Washington, D.C.) 3. Gonzaga (West/Los Angeles) 4. Georgetown (South/Dallas) BOUNCING TO THE BELTWAY Right now, we're projecting Duke as the top seed in the East Regional in Washington, D.C. where The Star-Ledger will be on March 28 and 30 at the Verizon Center. But who will join them? Here are our top four seeds for the regional as of today: 1. Duke 2. Michigan 3. Florida 4. Kansas State IN THE FIELD Teams from multi-bid leagues we feel are locks or in solid position to make the NCAAs as currently projected * - Projected conference champion ACC (4): Duke*, Miami, North Carolina, North Carolina State Big East (: Georgetown*, Marquette, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Villanova, Cincinnati Big Ten (6): Indiana*, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois Big 12 (4): Kansas*, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma Pac-12 (5): UCLA*, Arizona, Oregon, California, Colorado SEC (2): Florida*, Missouri Atlantic 10 (4): Saint Louis*, VCU, Butler, Temple Conference USA (1): Memphis* Missouri Valley (1): Wichita State Mountain West (4): New Mexico*, Colorado State, UNLV, San Diego State PROJECTED MID-MAJOR WINNERS Teams from one-bid leagues we think will win their conference tournaments America East: Vermont Big Sky: Montana Big West: Long Beach State Horizon: Valparaiso MAC: Akron MEAC: Norfolk State NEC: Long Island Patriot: Bucknell SWAC: Southern Southland: Stephen F. Austin Summit: South Dakota State WAC: Louisiana Tech Projected Remaining At-Large Bids: 7 BUBBLE TEAMS In For Now - They're in, but losing would be a bad idea Boise State (Mountain West: 21-9, 9-7) Minnesota (Big Ten: 20-11, 8-10) Iowa State (Big 12: 20-10, 11-7) Last Four In - Making the field ... but just barely LaSalle (A-10: 21-8, 11-5) Virginia (ACC: 21-10, 11-7) Saint Mary's (WCC: 27-6, 14-2) Kentucky (SEC: 21-10, 12-6) Last Four Out - A win here, a loss there... Middle Tennessee (Sun Belt: 28-5, 19-1) Tennessee (SEC: 19-11, 11-7) Iowa (Big Ten: 20-11, 9-9) Baylor (Big 12: 18-13, 9-9) Next Four Out - In need of wins and a lot of help Alabama (SEC: 20-11, 12-6) Ole Miss (SEC: (SEC: 23-8, 12-6) Massachusetts (A-10: 19-10, 9-7) Arizona State (Pac-12: 20-11, 9-9) http://www.nj.com/college-basketbal...pects_five_days_until_selection_sunday_2.html
Southern Miss put up a good fight before falling to Memphis in double OT. Some other bubble teams can breathe a little easier.
Three games going on at once: St.Louis/VCU, N.C./Miami & Florida/Mississippi. I'm rooting for Ole Miss to cement their bid...Go Rebs!
Odds to win the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Odds Louisville #1 19/4 Indiana #1 5/1 Gonzaga #1 10/1 Kansas #1 10/1 Miami Fla. #2 12/1 Ohio State #2 16/1 Duke #2 14/1 Georgetown #2 20/1 Florida #3 7/1 New Mexico #3 25/1 Marquette #3 66/1 Michigan St. #3 18/1 Syracuse #4 22/1 St. Louis #4 25/1 Kansas St. #4 75/1 Michigan #4 25/1 Wisconsin #5 25/1 VCU #5 40/1 Okla. St. #5 75/1 UNLV #5 60/1 Arizona #6 60/1 Memphis #6 75/1 Butler #6 75/1 UCLA #6 75/1 S.Diego St. #7 100/1 Creighton #7 100/1 Notre Dame #7 100/1 Illinois #7 200/1 Pittsburgh #8 33/1 NC State #8 60/1 North Car. #8 60/1 Co. St. #8 200/1 Wich. St. #9 200/1 Villanova #9 200/1 Temple #9 200/1 Missouri #9 75/1 Iowa State #10 200/1 Colorado #10 200/1 Oklahoma #10 250/1 Cincinnati #10 250/1 St. Mary's #11 300/1 Minnesota #11 75/1 Bucknell #11 300/1 Belmont #11 300/1 M.Tenn. #11 500/1 Oregon #12 300/1 California #12 150/1 Akron #12 500/1 Ole Miss #12 200/1 Boise State #13 500/1 LaSalle #13 500/1 New Mex.St. #13 500/1 S. Dak. St #13 500/1 Montana #13 500/1 Davidson #14 500/1 Valparaiso #14 500/1 Harvard #14 500/1 Northw St. #14 500/1 Iona #15 500/1 Pacific #15 500/1 Fla. G. Coast #15 500/1 Albany #15 500/1 W. Ky. #16 500/1 Southern #16 500/1 J. Madison #16 1000/1 LIU Brooklyn #16 1000/1 NC A&T #16 1000/1 Liberty #16 1000/1
Everybody who's going to the Big Dance has their invitations: 2013 NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament Bracket: http://cloudfront2.bostinno.com/wp-...et-Printable-NCAA-Tournament-Bracket-2013.png First Four games begin tomorrow: Tuesday, March 19 6:40 p.m. EST: Liberty (15-20) vs. North Carolina A&T (19-16) Liberty and North Carolina A&T are vying for the chance to face No. 1 overall seed Louisville as the No. 16 seed in the Midwest Region. 9:10 p.m. EST: Middle Tennessee State (28-5) vs. Saint Mary's (27-6) The winner of the First Four game between Middle Tennessee State and Saint Mary's will face No. 6 Memphis as the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region. Wednesday, March 20 6:40 p.m. EST: LIU Brooklyn (20-13) vs. James Madison (20-14) The winner between LIU Brooklyn and James Madison will remain in Dayton to face No. 1 seed Indiana in the East Region. 9:10 p.m. EST: Boise State (21-10) vs. La Salle (21-9) Boise State and La Salle will square off in Dayton to earn a trip to Kansas City to face No. 4 Kansas State as the No. 13 seed in the West Region. NCAA tournament bracket tip-sheet: Your one-stop shop for March Madness http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...therapy-ncaa-tournament-bracket-tips/1995465/ Good luck in your pools! - - - Updated - - - Official NCAA tournament site http://www.ncaa.com/sports/basketball-men/d1
Miami got ripped off, in my opinion. They won the ACC regular season and conference tournament and a team with the same record that couldn't even make it to their own tournament final (Indiana) gets the #1 seed instead. The Midwest Region is LOADED. I'm glad my alma mater is playing in the South... NCAA Bracket and first round game times: http://www.ncaa.com/interactive-bracket/basketball-men/d1
I get what your saying, but I think ripped off is a little too strong of a term. I don't do much complaining about who's in (or not) or about seeding because maybe I'm just overly grateful that the championship gets decided on the court, unlike football. If this was football, Miami would be in the Fiesta Bowl, with no chance at the championship. For the record, I think Oregon(a #12 seed? Really?) & UNLV(practically a home game for the lower seed Cal in San Jose) were dogged in their placement.
I don't really get whey they bother with #1 overall when bracketing rules are what really sets the strength of the regions. Louisville got the #1 overall but the bracketing rules forced them into murderers row.
No kidding. Looking at the draw, one would think Gonzaga was the #1 overall. Speaking of Louisville, I hope we get to see a match-up between them and Saint Louis in the Sweet 16. The Billikens are a relatively unheralded team that could make some major noise this year...
Well it guess its a catch 22. If they didn't have the bracketing rules than Louisville would be playing too many Big East teams or far from home. Gonzaga gets the best bracket because the west has been week this year.
I'm a SLU alum. St. Louis University Billikens. A Billiken, purportedly, is a good luck charm popularized in the 1920's. Evidently one of the early coaches at SLU resembled a "Billiken"...so the story goes anyway. The nickname transcended a person, to be the entire school's mascot. I attended Parks College, which is the aeronautical college affiliated with the University...and a few of the training aircraft had/have the "Billiken" on the tail. Probably more than anyone wanted or needed to know about Saint Louis University. I'm excited the team is a 4th seed in what appears to be a tough bracket. I hope they advance, but will probably not get past Louisville if they make it far enough to play them. Regardless, it was solid season for them winning the Atlantic 10. They have an excellent defense, but will need to open up offensively and score some points to advance. I expect the other Missouri school in the tournament to lose in the first round as is their modus operandi..good ol' Mizzou. They aren't seeded very high, so perhaps with no expectations they might advance.
Uncle Ferd says UofL an' IU gonna meet in the NCAA final... ... an' the Cardinals gonna win inna triple overtime... ... with a buzzer beater shot atta last second.
I'm not gonna pick brackets, but I thought I'd just pick the winners for the days games. So I'm looking at Liberty/N.C. A&T & St.Mary/M.Tenn St. & I think I like NC A&T, but I'm looking at the other game with some bewilderment. I think I'm gonna be doing a lot of that. Time to break out the coin...OK, NC A&T & M.Tenn St. it is. I've already edited the post & changed my pick to M.Tenn.St.
