While teams like Creighton, Winthrop, Davidson, Belmont, Penn and Eastern Kentucky spent the weekend securing automatic bids, and Villanova, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech got wins to lock up at-large bids (in my humble opinion), some teams decided to spend the weekend shooting themselves in the foot. [Off in the distance, a few other teams, like Clemson and Washington, got big wins to creep back to the brackets' outer edge, but they will need solid league tourney runs to truly get back in the conversation.] Here is a quick recap of those teams who made the next week unnecessarily stressful for coaches, players, fans and boosters alike:Oklahoma State - Do you realize the Cowboys have yet to win a true road game this year? (yes, yes, they do have five neutral court wins) Baylor's 4 point win yesterday kept Okie State winless on the road. They are d-u-n done, win over Nebraska tomorrow night or not. Pretty fast fall from the 15-2 start (they are 20-10 now).
Alabama - Losing by 24 to Mississippi State, even without Ronald Steele, is pretty terrible. The SEC West is the Atlantic Division of college hoops. Bama ends the year on a 2-5 skid, and when you look at their schedule, who's their best win - Xavier? Kentucky? Simply not enough heft, and I think they join Okie St. on the outside looking in next Sunday.
Georgia - The loss to Tennessee, coupled with the losses to Kentucky and Ole Miss in the last two weeks, screams "NIT" to me.
Providence - A 13 point loss to St. John's is bad news for the Friars. They fell to 10th in the Big East and have very few quality wins (BC, Marquette) to hang their hat on. It will take a significant run at Madison Square Garden to save them (if it happens, the rest of the country will finally get to see how good Herbert Hill is).
Illinois - I realize no one wins in Iowa City, but to me this was a must win game for the Illini. Now, they do have wins over tourney-bound Big Ten teams Indiana and Michigan State, as well as a split with fellow bubble dweller Michigan.
Michigan - Speaking of Meeechegan, what a complete and utter collapse in the Ohio State game. The Wolverines didn't score in the final 3:54, with a missed dunk and front end of a 1-and-1 being the final nails. Fire Tommy Amaker right now. Seriously.
Syracuse - I hate to put my Orange on here, but the loss to Villanova hurts, especially if the Cuse lose their first round game to UConn. All the good of the Georgetown win will have disappeared in the eyes of the committee, but I still think 21 total wins and 10 Big East wins gets them in.
Old Dominion - Ran into the weekend buzzsaw that was George Mason. The Patriots, only 9-9 in regular season play, can suddenly throw a major wrench into the CAA's quest for 3 bids. Mason is playing like a team possessed, and dominated the Monarchs from the get go this evening. I still think ODU is getting in (the win at Georgetown, the sweep of Drexel and the RPI in the mid-30s), but I'm sure PackerNantz wants them out now.
Hofstra - The third place team in the CAA is done after losing to George Mason in the CAA quarterfinals. Get a better nickname.
Bradley - That Southern Illinois tip-in sent Bradley to the NIT. Given GTB's blatant cheerleading for VCU this year, we wouldn't have minded the Braves getting that win and a shot at the MVC title. Oh well, sorry fellas.
Missouri State - A looong week (again) for these guys, though Creighton's upset of SIU could work in their favor (losing by 17 doesn't though). Again, I think they should still get in, but here's another team PackerNantz will badmouth come Selection Sunday. HOWEVAH, unlike last year, when Mizzou St had zero quality non-conference wins, this year the Bears can point to their upset of Wisconsin in late November.
Air Force - Yikes, the last two weeks are not going well for them...they fell to 4th place in the Mountain West and have to play their Kryptonite Kollege, Wyoming, in a quarterfinal game. Win that game though and they are in (they are most likely comfortable now, but you don't want to end the year on a 4 game slide).
Appalachian St - The loss to College of Charleston in OT in the Southern semifinals hurts. Excellent wins at Wichita State and VCU, and against Virginia and Vanderbilt (in Puerto Rico) help, but Appy St might be brushed under the rug by not making the conference final.
Drexel - Still should be the third CAA team to make the Dance, especially given Creighton's victory in the MVC final. I hate to harp on this, but PackerNantz probably thinks these guys are unworthy too. Well Billy, I'll help you out - they have road wins against Syracuse, Villanova, the aforementioned Creighton and Vermont (the Am East regular season champ and possible conference champ). They were 14-4 0n the road overall. They have the resume of an at-large team. Rack me, I'm out.
Stanford - I don't know if they belong on this list, but to me that loss to Arizona means they really need to win at least one game in the PAC-10 tourney to feel safe. I think (they do have wins over Virginia, USC, Oregon and UCLA on their plate). Either way, the Tree is getting hammered next Sunday.
Oh I'm pretty sure all Georgia has to do to get in is put together a little run against, most likely, Bama, UF, UT, and then maybe a Vandy or Kentucky in the title game. Seems simple, and let me tell you, spring and hope are fresh in the air in Athens.
ReplyDeleteOf course over in the real world where Steve Newman plays 38 minutes a game these days, everyone here is just happy for the chance to play past the second week of March and is eagerly anticipating a first round NIT loss in Washington or some equally sunny locale.
Also, I'm curious if it'll only take first round ACC tournament wins by FSU and Clemson to reignite the talk of 9 ACC teams or will people at least make them win 2 games before they broach that subject.
I think FSU is in with only one win, but I would think Clemson needs to make the ACC Finals to be a possibility.
ReplyDeleteTeej, I disagree. I think the Noles must win a couple of games, maybe more. Their RPI is an okay 46, but their schedule doesn't have many "wow" entries beyond beating Florida what seems like eons ago. A 5-game losing streak in February (only saved by an NC State & Miami tourniquet) looks bad. I'd say they're in trouble. ACC gets seven, which is still impressive.
ReplyDeleteAnd more importantly, in the quest for getting the most CAA teams into the tournament, I guess we're rooting for VCU tonight?
ReplyDeleteYes, we are definitely rooting for VCU tonight...
ReplyDeleteAnd we are also rooting for Siena.
As to FSU, you are probably right, but I really want them in just to see what Al Thornton might do. The 45 he dropped on Miami was alot of fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteWell whatever happens, it won't be Clemson and FSU since, after I did the math this morning, I realized they'll be playing each other Thursday.
ReplyDeleteI'd say Clemson has no chance, if they beat FSU, I don't see them beating Carolina. FSU on the other hand, could pull 2 wins a row, which might be enough at that point. And I agree, I would like to see them get in.
Best case (keep dreaming) scenario for the CAA -- VCU gets the automatic and ODU and Drexel get at-larges?
ReplyDeleteWorst-case is that GMU wins tonight and they're the only entrant? Though wouldn't that enhance ODU's chances?
Joe Lunardi doesn't seem too optimistic about the CAA's chances at this point. And though Taj has dismissed the Bracketology guy this year, he did predict with precision what would happen last year with the CAA entries.
And his counterpart on the ESPN segment, Len Elmore, just seemed irked that the tournament had ever expanded. His sleeper pick? Georgia Tech. Thanks, Len.
caa *could* get 3 in, but every conference tournament pretty much has to be chalk. ok state can't go on a run, nor can clemson or fsu, nor michigan or iowa, nor anyone other than memphis in cusa. and a whole bunch of other stars need to align. also, we'll need to sacrifice a chicken.
ReplyDeleteoh, and despite dick vitale's soft-pedaling of the incident on the radio this morning, henderson's elbow against hansbrough was definitely intentional and should result in more than a 1-gamer. that was vicious.
ReplyDeleteThe CAA is going to get screwed, no doubt, but for now we can at least dream. I honestly don't know how Drexel can get left out.
ReplyDeleteI know how Drexel gets left out -- the committee has been reading this blog and takes your anti-Bruiser Flint barrage to heart.
ReplyDeleteThe team should get bonus points for performing so admirably with the black Mr. Magoo in charge.
ReplyDeleteThe black Mr. Magoo got me.
ReplyDeleteHere at GTB, we aim to please...and insult.
ReplyDeleteodu swept drexel, and while the committee claims not to look at the numbers of teams from conferences, i think they're keenly aware of how many mid-major teams they're letting into the dance.
ReplyDeleteof course, hofstra swept mason last year and got left out, so i may just be talking out of my ass.
After the turd laid by Bama in a must-win game Sunday, they should be kept out of the dance even if they win the SEC tournament, just on principle.
ReplyDeleteNice effort, you fuckers.
As a Hofstra grad, I am disgusted with their performance against GMU. Oh, and the name. Who thought going from Flying Dutchman (long, strange but mildly original) to Pride (grammatically clumsy, weak and invites chants from Go Pride to Gay Pride) was a good idea? I will not send the school money until they change their name. Howabout the Hofstra Fightin' School of Mostly Liberal Arts, Businessish and, Somehow We Have a Law School, No Seriously! OK, I'll have the boys in marketing look it over
ReplyDeleteI told everyone that Tommy Ammaker sucked a long time ago. That guy is the ultimate fraud. Horrible game coach. Horrible recruiter. Can't manage a locker room. He sucks all around. But he kind of has that "cool coach" look going for him, so people give him a pass.
ReplyDeletemark, i'm an alabama fan and i couldn't agree with you more wholeheartedly. i'll be pissed if those underachieving donkeys make the tournament over some deserving team.
ReplyDeleteEddie Griffin should've punched Amaker in the face.
ReplyDeleteLook at me!!! I wear a mock turtle neck and have a hip black professor haircut from 1985!!!!
ReplyDeleteOK, that one got me...
ReplyDeleteFlying Dutchmen was a money nickname, but now it's the emasculated Pride. Funny, "Tribe Pride" isn't just the squaring off of Hofstra versus William & Mary, it's also the dorky W&M school rah-rah slogan that cheerleaders use in earnest and most of the (also dorky) student body utters mockingly. That's how cool "Pride" is.
ReplyDeleteThat's why the cool kids say "Roll Tribe" A
ReplyDeletend we have signs with a Charmin pasted next to a yarmulke.
Nobody feels like a shmuck for bastardizing an Alabama mainstay?
ReplyDeleteIt's like when Eagles fans chant E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles, Eagles, Eagles and non-Birds fans (easily spotted as the ones walking erect) look around like, "Isn't that the Jets' cheer? Are you really lifting it?"
Of course, one noticeable and humorous difference in the two is the Philly guys slowing down to concentrate fully on the 4th and fifth letters so as to get the spelling right this time.
We were the 2nd college in America, so in a sense, everybody else is bastardizing us. And when it comes down to it, everything is stolen from somewhere. Viva La Tribe!!!!
ReplyDeleteHow did Coach Hinson find his way to GTB?
ReplyDeleteI guess so. The Tribe was "America's Team" when it actually applied. God Save the Tribe!
ReplyDeletethis mason/vcu game is beginning to worry me. mason is dictating the tempo here at the 10-minute mark of the first half.
ReplyDelete