Here is my pre-conference tournament Power 16 poll, ranking the teams that should comprise the top 4 seeds in the NCAA tournament:
1. Ohio State
2. UCLA
3. Kansas
4. Texas A&M
5. Wisconsin
6. North Carolina
7. Florida
8. Georgetown
9. Memphis
10. Texas
11. Nevada
12. Louisville
13. Washington State
14. Maryland
15. Southern Illinois
16. Marquette
Following UCLA's loss at Washington in their regular season finale, Ohio State moves up to the #1 spot after squeaking past Michigan. Kansas has been on a roll lately, and won the Big 12 conference title outright by beating Texas at home. With that win, the Jayhawks were able to avoid playing either Texas A&M or Texas until the Big 12 final. Even though UCLA lost to Washington, they still had a big win earlier in the week at Washington State and they won the Pac-10 conference by 2 games. I don't think that Texas A&M should be penalized too much for losing a double overtime thriller to Texas, especially when Florida and North Carolina lost also. North Carolina fell to Georgia Tech and Florida lost to Tennesee, both of them in games that weren't especially close. Wisconsin was able to squeeze past Michigan State, after Kamroon Taylor hit a game-winning 3 with 4 seconds left.
Following that top tier of seven teams, the rest of the field is really wide-open. Even with the loss at Syracuse, Georgetown has still been playing great basketball lately. Memphis and Nevada have astounding records, but they both play in extremely weak conferences. Texas won at Texas A&M and almost at Kansas also, and they are really hitting their stride at the right time. Louisville has won 6 games in a row, and 10 of their lost 12, and the Cardinals are the #2 seed in the Big East tournament this week. Washington State bounced back from the tough loss to UCLA with a close win over USC, and they came in 2nd place in the Pac-10. Maryland is playing really well lately, and they won seven straight ACC games to end the regular season. Southern Illinois fell in the MVC tournament final to #2 seed Creighton, but still will get at least a 4 seed. Marquette's win over Pittsburgh was enough to push the Golden Eagles into the 16th slot.
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college. Show all posts
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Friday, March 2, 2007
Ohio State: Building a Basketball Powerhouse
The Ohio State University has always been known as a football school. On fall Saturdays, everywhere you look, there are scarlet and gray jerseys and shirts on everyone from baby girls to elderly grandparents. Sure, Ohio State has some basketball history, mainly from the days of Fred Taylor, Jerry Lucas, and John Havlicek, but basketball never came close to threatening football in popularity or success. However, nowadays it seems like Thad Matta is ushering in a golden age of Ohio State basketball, with almost unlimited potential for how high this program can grow.
Already, Matta has brought a winning mentality to Ohio State that hasn't been here since the days of Jimmy Jackson. In the last two years, Ohio State has won back-to-back outright Big Ten championships, something that hasn't happened since Ohio State won three titles in a row from 1959-1962. In fact, Ohio State only won one outright Big Ten title (1991-1992) from 1971 to 2005. That means that Matta has won more outright Big Ten titles already than Ohio State did in the 34 years preceding him. Last year Matta won the title with a bunch of players that simply bought into his system and believed in what he was teaching. This year, Matta won the title with the help of freshmen from the best recruiting class Ohio State has ever seen. And that's what truly makes Matta and this growing Ohio State program special: recruiting.
Consider these facts. In a four year span from 2002 to 2005, Ohio State recruited just ten players, which included zero 5-star prospects and 5 four-star prospects. Only five of those ten players even stayed with Ohio State, as the other five either dropped out or transferred. That means that 0% of Ohio State's recruits were 5-star prospects and 50% were 4-star prospects. Thad Matta has recruited three full classes for Ohio State in his time here (class of 2006, 2007, and 2008). In those three classes, the Buckeyes have signed an astounding 8 (8!) 5-star recruits, and 7 4-star recruits. They have signed 15 players total. That means that 100% of Ohio State's recruits three seasons in a row are at least four-star recruits, and more than half of them are 5-star recruits. The Buckeyes have gone from getting no 5-star recruits to averaging almost three 5-star's a year in the blink of an eye.
The way that Matta is doing all of this is even more incredible. He is telling these kids that if they go to Ohio State, they will win championships. And even better, they are doing just that and actually winning championships. Obviously, the 2006 class was Matta's absolute best job recruiting. To immediately step into a new job, and recruit 3 5-star players, including the player who was considered the best high school big man since Bill Walton, was remarkable. He completely sold those players on his belief. The players could have gone anywhere in the country, but they chose to go to a football school like Ohio State because the coach was able to convince them of his vision.
Things haven't slowed down since that 2006 class. The 2007 class is a top ten class also (#9 on Scout, #6 on Rivals) and includes McDonald's All-American 7-2 center Kosta Koufos. In addition to Koufos, Matta signed four 4-star players, all of whom are 6-5 or taller, and all of whom have the ability to contribute immediately. Even though signing day isn't until November (over 8 months away) Matta has already managed to sign a complete 2008 recruiting class that could potentially be as good or even better than the 2006 class. Four members of the 2008 class are 5-star players that are ranked in the top 25 recruits in the country. Included in that group are the #2 center in the country, BJ Mullens, the #3 shooting guard in the country, William Buford, the #3 point guard in the country, Anthony Crater, and the #10 power forward (and #20 overall prospect), Luke Babbit.
At this point, the only thing that could potentially sidetrack Ohio State is that they almost have an excess of amazing talent. Every single player they recruit now has the ability to play right away, but that just won't be able to happen. Nonetheless, the Buckeyes will be supremely talented for a long, long time. Even if (when) Oden leaves after this season, Ohio State definitely won't need to panic. When you get the top 7-foot center in the country three years in a row, as Ohio State has done, there's not much to worry about at that position. Just imagine the potential lineups for the next two years. Next season: Starting lineup: Mike Conley, Jamar Butler, Dequan Cook, Othello Hunter, Kosta Koufos. Bench: David Lighty, Matt Terwilliger, Dallas Lauderale, Jon Diebler, Evan Turner, Eric Wallace. That team goes 11-deep with talented players. Then consider what the roster will look like two years from now (even if Cook leaves to go to the NBA after two seasons): Conley, Koufos, Lighty, Lauderale, Diebler, Turner, Wallace, Mullens, Buford, Crater, Babbit, and Walter Offutt. That's 12 players on one roster that were either 4 or 5-star recruits coming out of high school. That is simply a ridiculous statistic. If these players continue to grow as players and Matta recruits half as well as he's been recruiting, the Buckeyes can be a serious Big Ten and national title contender for many years to come.
As you can see, the Ohio State basketball program is on the rise as much as any program in the country and Ohio State is on the verge of becoming the next college basketball powerhouse. Ten years from now, people could be talking about Ohio State is the same context as Duke, UCLA, North Carolina, Kentucky, etc. As long as Matta, possibly the best college basketball recruiter ever, is the head coach, I don't see anything stopping this program from reaching that level. So enjoy this golden age of Ohio State basketball, as it may be something that you one day tell your grandchildren about.
Already, Matta has brought a winning mentality to Ohio State that hasn't been here since the days of Jimmy Jackson. In the last two years, Ohio State has won back-to-back outright Big Ten championships, something that hasn't happened since Ohio State won three titles in a row from 1959-1962. In fact, Ohio State only won one outright Big Ten title (1991-1992) from 1971 to 2005. That means that Matta has won more outright Big Ten titles already than Ohio State did in the 34 years preceding him. Last year Matta won the title with a bunch of players that simply bought into his system and believed in what he was teaching. This year, Matta won the title with the help of freshmen from the best recruiting class Ohio State has ever seen. And that's what truly makes Matta and this growing Ohio State program special: recruiting.
Consider these facts. In a four year span from 2002 to 2005, Ohio State recruited just ten players, which included zero 5-star prospects and 5 four-star prospects. Only five of those ten players even stayed with Ohio State, as the other five either dropped out or transferred. That means that 0% of Ohio State's recruits were 5-star prospects and 50% were 4-star prospects. Thad Matta has recruited three full classes for Ohio State in his time here (class of 2006, 2007, and 2008). In those three classes, the Buckeyes have signed an astounding 8 (8!) 5-star recruits, and 7 4-star recruits. They have signed 15 players total. That means that 100% of Ohio State's recruits three seasons in a row are at least four-star recruits, and more than half of them are 5-star recruits. The Buckeyes have gone from getting no 5-star recruits to averaging almost three 5-star's a year in the blink of an eye.
The way that Matta is doing all of this is even more incredible. He is telling these kids that if they go to Ohio State, they will win championships. And even better, they are doing just that and actually winning championships. Obviously, the 2006 class was Matta's absolute best job recruiting. To immediately step into a new job, and recruit 3 5-star players, including the player who was considered the best high school big man since Bill Walton, was remarkable. He completely sold those players on his belief. The players could have gone anywhere in the country, but they chose to go to a football school like Ohio State because the coach was able to convince them of his vision.
Things haven't slowed down since that 2006 class. The 2007 class is a top ten class also (#9 on Scout, #6 on Rivals) and includes McDonald's All-American 7-2 center Kosta Koufos. In addition to Koufos, Matta signed four 4-star players, all of whom are 6-5 or taller, and all of whom have the ability to contribute immediately. Even though signing day isn't until November (over 8 months away) Matta has already managed to sign a complete 2008 recruiting class that could potentially be as good or even better than the 2006 class. Four members of the 2008 class are 5-star players that are ranked in the top 25 recruits in the country. Included in that group are the #2 center in the country, BJ Mullens, the #3 shooting guard in the country, William Buford, the #3 point guard in the country, Anthony Crater, and the #10 power forward (and #20 overall prospect), Luke Babbit.
At this point, the only thing that could potentially sidetrack Ohio State is that they almost have an excess of amazing talent. Every single player they recruit now has the ability to play right away, but that just won't be able to happen. Nonetheless, the Buckeyes will be supremely talented for a long, long time. Even if (when) Oden leaves after this season, Ohio State definitely won't need to panic. When you get the top 7-foot center in the country three years in a row, as Ohio State has done, there's not much to worry about at that position. Just imagine the potential lineups for the next two years. Next season: Starting lineup: Mike Conley, Jamar Butler, Dequan Cook, Othello Hunter, Kosta Koufos. Bench: David Lighty, Matt Terwilliger, Dallas Lauderale, Jon Diebler, Evan Turner, Eric Wallace. That team goes 11-deep with talented players. Then consider what the roster will look like two years from now (even if Cook leaves to go to the NBA after two seasons): Conley, Koufos, Lighty, Lauderale, Diebler, Turner, Wallace, Mullens, Buford, Crater, Babbit, and Walter Offutt. That's 12 players on one roster that were either 4 or 5-star recruits coming out of high school. That is simply a ridiculous statistic. If these players continue to grow as players and Matta recruits half as well as he's been recruiting, the Buckeyes can be a serious Big Ten and national title contender for many years to come.
As you can see, the Ohio State basketball program is on the rise as much as any program in the country and Ohio State is on the verge of becoming the next college basketball powerhouse. Ten years from now, people could be talking about Ohio State is the same context as Duke, UCLA, North Carolina, Kentucky, etc. As long as Matta, possibly the best college basketball recruiter ever, is the head coach, I don't see anything stopping this program from reaching that level. So enjoy this golden age of Ohio State basketball, as it may be something that you one day tell your grandchildren about.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
College Basketball Weekly Look-Back/Weekend Look-Ahead
College Basketball Weekly Look-Back
Syracuse 72, #8 Georgetown 58
Syracuse likely clinched an NCAA tourney bid with this win, and Georgetown slowed down the number of people jumping on their bandwagon. Syracuse was able to get the marquee win they needed. However, I'm not too worried about Georgetown's loss in this game. Their two top scorers, Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, combined for just 15 points, but as long that doesn't happen again, they are still a final four-caliber team.
Tennesee 86, #4 Florida 76
What has happened to Florida lately? Florida has gone from being the consensus favorite to win the national championship to having almost no chance at a #1 seed in a span of ten days. During those ten days Florida lost to Vanderbilt, LSU, and Tennesee, all by more than ten points. None of these games were even close, and that had to be the most worrying aspect for Florida fans.
Maryland 85, #14 Duke 77
Maryland has really come on strong lately, and they are a team that is capable of making run in March. The Terrapins are now 23-7 overall and have won six games in a row, including two wins over Duke and one over North Carolina. Maryland has three good scorers in D.J. Strawberry, Mike Jones, and Ekene Ibekwe, and they have a stud freshman point guard in Greivis Vasquez.
# 15 Texas 98, #6 Texas A&M 96, 2 OT
This game is probably just behind the Texas-Oklahoma State triple overtime thriller in the race for game of the year in college basketball. The back and forth battle between (should be) first team All-Americans Kevin Durant and Acie Law IV was outstanding to watch. Texas had the game won twice, in regulation and in the first overtime, but Law hit three pointers to tie it up both times. Law's shot at the end of regulation might be the best shot in college basketball this year. Both of these teams are headed for deep runs in March and Texas A&M is a legitimate national title contender. One advantage they have over everyone else is that they have the most clutch player in basketball this year in Law.
Georgia Tech 84, #8 North Carolina 77
The Tar Heels have now lost 5 games during this ACC season and as long as Virginia can take care of business against Wake Forest, UNC won't even have a shot at sharing the ACC title. They are an extremely talented team, but they need to get some things figured out fast if they plan on winning a national championship this season.
#2 UCLA, #13 Washington State
UCLA clinched the Pac-10 title with this win, and if they beat Washington on Saturday, then the Bruins will win the conference by three games. That is an incredible feat for a conference that is probably the best in the country this year. If UCLA wins the Pac-10 they should, and will, be the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. Washington State has a chance to win a few games in the NCAA tournament, but it will be difficult for them to make it past the sweet 16 because of their lack of talented and athletic players. However, if they can get opposing teams to play their style, they can stay close with anyone.
Weekend Look-Ahead
#15 Texas at #3 Kansas, 12 pm Saturday CBS
If Texas wins this game, they would be the #1 seed in the Big 12 tournament, which would be an incredible accomplishment for such a young team. Unfortunately I don't know if Kevin Durant can lead his team to a win in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas 75, Texas 69.
#12 Pittsburgh at #20 Marquette, 9 pm Saturday ESPN
Marquette will try to stop a skid of losing 4 out of its last 5 with a home game against a Pittsburgh team they beat in overtime earlier this year. The Golden Eagles have had nine days to prepare for this game, and Dominic James and the rest of the team is hungry for a win. Marquette 71, Pitt 59.
Kentucky at #4 Florida, 12 pm Sunday, CBS
Florida tries to right the ship against a Kentucky team that is in search of a marquee win to hang their hat on. The Gators just barely get a win that will hopefully put them back on track. Florida 68, Kentucky 67.
#14 Duke at #8 North Carolina, 4 pm Sunday, CBS
Even though neither of these teams are living up the expectations this year, it's still Duke-North Carolina and it will an extremely intense atmosphere and game. North Carolina bounces back from a few recent losses and beats a Duke team they are much more talented than. North Carolina 77, Duke 65.
Missouri Valley Conference, 2 pm Sunday
Last year's mid-major darling conference is at it again this year, with three NCAA bids almost a sure thing and four a possibilty. The semi-finals likely will pit Southern Illinois vs. Bradley and Creighton vs. Missouri State. Bradley is the team most in need of a win for an NCAA bid. I predict that Southern Illinois faces off against Missouri State in the final. Southern Illinois 65, Missouri State 58.
Syracuse 72, #8 Georgetown 58
Syracuse likely clinched an NCAA tourney bid with this win, and Georgetown slowed down the number of people jumping on their bandwagon. Syracuse was able to get the marquee win they needed. However, I'm not too worried about Georgetown's loss in this game. Their two top scorers, Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, combined for just 15 points, but as long that doesn't happen again, they are still a final four-caliber team.
Tennesee 86, #4 Florida 76
What has happened to Florida lately? Florida has gone from being the consensus favorite to win the national championship to having almost no chance at a #1 seed in a span of ten days. During those ten days Florida lost to Vanderbilt, LSU, and Tennesee, all by more than ten points. None of these games were even close, and that had to be the most worrying aspect for Florida fans.
Maryland 85, #14 Duke 77
Maryland has really come on strong lately, and they are a team that is capable of making run in March. The Terrapins are now 23-7 overall and have won six games in a row, including two wins over Duke and one over North Carolina. Maryland has three good scorers in D.J. Strawberry, Mike Jones, and Ekene Ibekwe, and they have a stud freshman point guard in Greivis Vasquez.
# 15 Texas 98, #6 Texas A&M 96, 2 OT
This game is probably just behind the Texas-Oklahoma State triple overtime thriller in the race for game of the year in college basketball. The back and forth battle between (should be) first team All-Americans Kevin Durant and Acie Law IV was outstanding to watch. Texas had the game won twice, in regulation and in the first overtime, but Law hit three pointers to tie it up both times. Law's shot at the end of regulation might be the best shot in college basketball this year. Both of these teams are headed for deep runs in March and Texas A&M is a legitimate national title contender. One advantage they have over everyone else is that they have the most clutch player in basketball this year in Law.
Georgia Tech 84, #8 North Carolina 77
The Tar Heels have now lost 5 games during this ACC season and as long as Virginia can take care of business against Wake Forest, UNC won't even have a shot at sharing the ACC title. They are an extremely talented team, but they need to get some things figured out fast if they plan on winning a national championship this season.
#2 UCLA, #13 Washington State
UCLA clinched the Pac-10 title with this win, and if they beat Washington on Saturday, then the Bruins will win the conference by three games. That is an incredible feat for a conference that is probably the best in the country this year. If UCLA wins the Pac-10 they should, and will, be the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. Washington State has a chance to win a few games in the NCAA tournament, but it will be difficult for them to make it past the sweet 16 because of their lack of talented and athletic players. However, if they can get opposing teams to play their style, they can stay close with anyone.
Weekend Look-Ahead
#15 Texas at #3 Kansas, 12 pm Saturday CBS
If Texas wins this game, they would be the #1 seed in the Big 12 tournament, which would be an incredible accomplishment for such a young team. Unfortunately I don't know if Kevin Durant can lead his team to a win in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas 75, Texas 69.
#12 Pittsburgh at #20 Marquette, 9 pm Saturday ESPN
Marquette will try to stop a skid of losing 4 out of its last 5 with a home game against a Pittsburgh team they beat in overtime earlier this year. The Golden Eagles have had nine days to prepare for this game, and Dominic James and the rest of the team is hungry for a win. Marquette 71, Pitt 59.
Kentucky at #4 Florida, 12 pm Sunday, CBS
Florida tries to right the ship against a Kentucky team that is in search of a marquee win to hang their hat on. The Gators just barely get a win that will hopefully put them back on track. Florida 68, Kentucky 67.
#14 Duke at #8 North Carolina, 4 pm Sunday, CBS
Even though neither of these teams are living up the expectations this year, it's still Duke-North Carolina and it will an extremely intense atmosphere and game. North Carolina bounces back from a few recent losses and beats a Duke team they are much more talented than. North Carolina 77, Duke 65.
Missouri Valley Conference, 2 pm Sunday
Last year's mid-major darling conference is at it again this year, with three NCAA bids almost a sure thing and four a possibilty. The semi-finals likely will pit Southern Illinois vs. Bradley and Creighton vs. Missouri State. Bradley is the team most in need of a win for an NCAA bid. I predict that Southern Illinois faces off against Missouri State in the final. Southern Illinois 65, Missouri State 58.
Conference Tournament Preview: Mid-Majors
Now that the calender has turned to March, it's officially college basketball's month to shine. Starting this weekend, bids for the NCAA tournament will begin to be handed out. There are a few mid-major tournament that start within the next few days that could have lasting ramifications on the NCAA tournament.
Colonial Athletic Association
Dates of Tournament: Friday to Monday
Regular Season Champ: Virginia Commonwealth (24-6, 16-2, RPI 60)
Possible NCAA At-larges: VCU, Old Dominion (23-7, 15-3, 34), Hofstra (22-8, 14-4, 67), Drexel (22-7, 13-5, 42)
Low-down: The CAA is one of the best mid-major conferences this year, with four teams having realistic dreams of an at-large NCAA berth. All of the teams are on the bubble, with Hofstra being the likely odd team out if they don't win the conference tournament because of their low RPI and weak schedule. If Old Dominion or Drexel make it to the final of the tournament they should be in the tournament, and probably will be in with only a semi-final berth. VCU would really be on the bubble if they didn't win the tournament, as they ran through the conference but have absolutely no big wins out of conference.
Prediction for conference tournament: #4 Drexel over #1 VCU and #3 Hofstra over #2 Old Dominion in an extremely intense set of semi-finals. #3 Hofstra over #4 Drexel in the final as Hofstra pulls off the conference title to cement it's NCAA status. Hofstra, Drexel, and Old Dominion all get NCAA bids, while VCU's bubble bursts.
Missouri Valley Conference
Dates of Tournament: Thursday to Sunday
Regular Season Champ: Southern Illinois (15-3, 25-5, 5)
Possible NCAA At-larges: Southern Illinois, Creighton (19-10, 13-5, 29), Missouri State (20-9, 12-6, 36), Bradley (19-11, 10-8, 46)
Low-down: Southern Illinois is an absolute lock for the NCAA tournament with an RPI of 5, and if they win the conference tournament they will probably get a 3 seed in the NCAA tourney. Creighton is probably in as well, and if Missouri State can get to the semi-finals of the conference tournament, that should be enough for them to get in. Missouri State does have a tough quarterfinal game to get past against former top 10 team Wichita State. Bradley probably needs to get to the final of the conference tourney to even have a shot at an at large bid. For the Braves to do that, they will need to beat a Northern Iowa team that beat them twice in the regular season and then beat Southern Illinois in the semi's.
Predictions: #1 Southern Illinois over #5 Northern Iowa, #3 Missouri State over #2 Creighton in a good pair of semi-finals. #1 Southern Illinois over #3 Missouri State in the final. Southern Illinois, Creighton and Missouri State make it to the NCAA tournament.
Southern Conference
Dates: Wednesday to Saturday
Low-down: Both regular season champ Davidson (17-1, 27-4, 61) and runner-up Appalachian State (15-3, 24-6, 53) have at-large aspriations. Both are unlikely at-large teams but they are possibilites. The biggest thing hurting both of them is strength of schedule. Davidson's SOS is 224, and Appalachian State's is 144. Appalachian State has a stronger at-large case than Davidson because Appalachian State has quality wins over Wichita State, Virginia, Vanderbilt, and VCU. Davidson, on the other hand, has no quality wins out of conference but has won 23 of their last 24 games. The teams only played once during the season and Appalachian State won at Davidson.
Predictions: Appalachian State and Davidson face each other in a final that matches teams that will have combined for 54 wins. Appalachian State beats Davidson in a nail biter and Davidson sweats out Selection Sunday to no avail, as their strength of schedule dooms them to the NIT.
West Coast Conference
Dates: Friday to Monday
Low-down: For the first time in a few years, Gonzaga (11-3, 21-10, 68) will not be guarenteed an NCAA tournament bid if they do not win the WCC tournament. Their biggest obstacle is Santa Clara (10-4, 20-9), who would have won the WCC regular season title if they hadn't lost their last two games of the season. Santa Clara's coach is retiring at the end of the season, and the players will want to send him off with an NCAA tournament bid. Other teams with a shot at unseating Gonzaga are San Fransisco (8-6, 13-17) and Saint Mary's (8-6, 16-14).
Predictions: Santa Clara upsets Gonzaga to earn the automatic NCAA bid. Gonzaga's bubble burts and they miss the NCAA tournament.
Other low mid-majors that could be a factor in March Madness:
Winthrop (Big South)
Marist (MAAC)
Holy Cross (Patriot)
Colonial Athletic Association
Dates of Tournament: Friday to Monday
Regular Season Champ: Virginia Commonwealth (24-6, 16-2, RPI 60)
Possible NCAA At-larges: VCU, Old Dominion (23-7, 15-3, 34), Hofstra (22-8, 14-4, 67), Drexel (22-7, 13-5, 42)
Low-down: The CAA is one of the best mid-major conferences this year, with four teams having realistic dreams of an at-large NCAA berth. All of the teams are on the bubble, with Hofstra being the likely odd team out if they don't win the conference tournament because of their low RPI and weak schedule. If Old Dominion or Drexel make it to the final of the tournament they should be in the tournament, and probably will be in with only a semi-final berth. VCU would really be on the bubble if they didn't win the tournament, as they ran through the conference but have absolutely no big wins out of conference.
Prediction for conference tournament: #4 Drexel over #1 VCU and #3 Hofstra over #2 Old Dominion in an extremely intense set of semi-finals. #3 Hofstra over #4 Drexel in the final as Hofstra pulls off the conference title to cement it's NCAA status. Hofstra, Drexel, and Old Dominion all get NCAA bids, while VCU's bubble bursts.
Missouri Valley Conference
Dates of Tournament: Thursday to Sunday
Regular Season Champ: Southern Illinois (15-3, 25-5, 5)
Possible NCAA At-larges: Southern Illinois, Creighton (19-10, 13-5, 29), Missouri State (20-9, 12-6, 36), Bradley (19-11, 10-8, 46)
Low-down: Southern Illinois is an absolute lock for the NCAA tournament with an RPI of 5, and if they win the conference tournament they will probably get a 3 seed in the NCAA tourney. Creighton is probably in as well, and if Missouri State can get to the semi-finals of the conference tournament, that should be enough for them to get in. Missouri State does have a tough quarterfinal game to get past against former top 10 team Wichita State. Bradley probably needs to get to the final of the conference tourney to even have a shot at an at large bid. For the Braves to do that, they will need to beat a Northern Iowa team that beat them twice in the regular season and then beat Southern Illinois in the semi's.
Predictions: #1 Southern Illinois over #5 Northern Iowa, #3 Missouri State over #2 Creighton in a good pair of semi-finals. #1 Southern Illinois over #3 Missouri State in the final. Southern Illinois, Creighton and Missouri State make it to the NCAA tournament.
Southern Conference
Dates: Wednesday to Saturday
Low-down: Both regular season champ Davidson (17-1, 27-4, 61) and runner-up Appalachian State (15-3, 24-6, 53) have at-large aspriations. Both are unlikely at-large teams but they are possibilites. The biggest thing hurting both of them is strength of schedule. Davidson's SOS is 224, and Appalachian State's is 144. Appalachian State has a stronger at-large case than Davidson because Appalachian State has quality wins over Wichita State, Virginia, Vanderbilt, and VCU. Davidson, on the other hand, has no quality wins out of conference but has won 23 of their last 24 games. The teams only played once during the season and Appalachian State won at Davidson.
Predictions: Appalachian State and Davidson face each other in a final that matches teams that will have combined for 54 wins. Appalachian State beats Davidson in a nail biter and Davidson sweats out Selection Sunday to no avail, as their strength of schedule dooms them to the NIT.
West Coast Conference
Dates: Friday to Monday
Low-down: For the first time in a few years, Gonzaga (11-3, 21-10, 68) will not be guarenteed an NCAA tournament bid if they do not win the WCC tournament. Their biggest obstacle is Santa Clara (10-4, 20-9), who would have won the WCC regular season title if they hadn't lost their last two games of the season. Santa Clara's coach is retiring at the end of the season, and the players will want to send him off with an NCAA tournament bid. Other teams with a shot at unseating Gonzaga are San Fransisco (8-6, 13-17) and Saint Mary's (8-6, 16-14).
Predictions: Santa Clara upsets Gonzaga to earn the automatic NCAA bid. Gonzaga's bubble burts and they miss the NCAA tournament.
Other low mid-majors that could be a factor in March Madness:
Winthrop (Big South)
Marist (MAAC)
Holy Cross (Patriot)
Monday, February 26, 2007
Power 16: Week of February 26
In the spirit of espn.com's weekly Power 16 college basketball rankings, I thought that I would take a stab at ranking the top 16 teams in college basketball this week, with only two weeks of basketball left until Selection Sunday.
1. UCLA
2. Ohio State
3. Texas A&M
4. Kansas
5. Florida
6. North Carolina
7. Wisconsin
8. Georgetown
9. Memphis
10. Washington State
11. Nevada
12. Southern Illinois
13. Pittsburgh
14. Texas
15. Louisville
16. Oregon
Although I am a huge Ohio State fan, when I look at the top teams objectively, I think that UCLA deserves to be the #1 team in the country right now. Both of these teams have three losses, but the fact that UCLA plays in the Pac-10 (in my opinion the best conference in the country) lifts them up to the #1 spot. Ohio State has played 2 really tough league games (Wisconsin), 4 possibly troublesome games (Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois), and the rest have pretty much been against scrubs. Whereas, UCLA has five NCAA tournament teams in their league besides themselves, and two other extremely dangerous teams in Washington and California. In addition to that, the Pac 10 is the only conference with a round-robin regular season conference schedule so that they crown a true champion, so they have had to play every other team in the league once at home and once away, unlike Ohio State who got to skip playing at Indiana and home against Illinois, two potentially troublesome games. If UCLA can finish the regular season with only 3 losses overall, 2 of them in league play, and win the best conference in the country going away (if they beat Washington State and Washington, then UCLA will win the conference by 3 games) then they deserve to be the #1 team in the country.
My number 3 and 4 teams might be a little bit of a surprise, with both team coming from the Big 12. However, I simply couldn't justify ranking a Florida team who has lost 2 of its last 3, or a North Carolina team that has recently lost to NC State, Virginia Tech, and Maryland ahead of either team. Most people have Texas A&M ranked much lower than I have them, and almost everyone has them ranked behind Kansas, but I simply don't understand the reasoning for this. They both have the same amount of losses, both in conference and out of conference, but Texas A&M beat Kansas at Kansas. Texas A&M and Kansas have pretty much the same profiles but Texas A&M won in their only match-up at Allen Fieldhouse, considered by many to be the toughest place in the country to win a basketball game. I don't understand how anyone can rank Kansas ahead of Texas A&M with these facts, but I think that this might be a case ranking a team off of its potential and talent level. Kansas started the season with such high expectations, and such a high preseason ranking, that people feel compelled to rank them higher than they deserve. Sure Kansas has the ability to win the NCAA tournament, but so do a number of other teams.
I ranked Georgetown ahead of Memphis and Nevada even though the Hoyas have as many losses as those two teams combined because of how well they have been playing lately and also how much better their competition is. I know that Memphis and Nevada can't help it that they're in weaker leagues, but I just can't stomach the thought of ranking a team whose best win came against Gonzaga (as is the case for both teams) as highly as their gaudy record might suggest. I also put Washington State ahead of Nevada because of the superior play they faced in the Pac-10 and the type of results and big wins they have had this season.
It was very tough coming up with the final three teams in the rankings because of how many medicore teams there are in the country. We will learn a lot more about Texas in the next week as their next two games are against Texas A&M and Kansas. Louisville has been on a real hot streak lately, and they are becoming more and more impressive. Oregon seems to have righted the ship after some mid-season struggles.
1. UCLA
2. Ohio State
3. Texas A&M
4. Kansas
5. Florida
6. North Carolina
7. Wisconsin
8. Georgetown
9. Memphis
10. Washington State
11. Nevada
12. Southern Illinois
13. Pittsburgh
14. Texas
15. Louisville
16. Oregon
Although I am a huge Ohio State fan, when I look at the top teams objectively, I think that UCLA deserves to be the #1 team in the country right now. Both of these teams have three losses, but the fact that UCLA plays in the Pac-10 (in my opinion the best conference in the country) lifts them up to the #1 spot. Ohio State has played 2 really tough league games (Wisconsin), 4 possibly troublesome games (Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois), and the rest have pretty much been against scrubs. Whereas, UCLA has five NCAA tournament teams in their league besides themselves, and two other extremely dangerous teams in Washington and California. In addition to that, the Pac 10 is the only conference with a round-robin regular season conference schedule so that they crown a true champion, so they have had to play every other team in the league once at home and once away, unlike Ohio State who got to skip playing at Indiana and home against Illinois, two potentially troublesome games. If UCLA can finish the regular season with only 3 losses overall, 2 of them in league play, and win the best conference in the country going away (if they beat Washington State and Washington, then UCLA will win the conference by 3 games) then they deserve to be the #1 team in the country.
My number 3 and 4 teams might be a little bit of a surprise, with both team coming from the Big 12. However, I simply couldn't justify ranking a Florida team who has lost 2 of its last 3, or a North Carolina team that has recently lost to NC State, Virginia Tech, and Maryland ahead of either team. Most people have Texas A&M ranked much lower than I have them, and almost everyone has them ranked behind Kansas, but I simply don't understand the reasoning for this. They both have the same amount of losses, both in conference and out of conference, but Texas A&M beat Kansas at Kansas. Texas A&M and Kansas have pretty much the same profiles but Texas A&M won in their only match-up at Allen Fieldhouse, considered by many to be the toughest place in the country to win a basketball game. I don't understand how anyone can rank Kansas ahead of Texas A&M with these facts, but I think that this might be a case ranking a team off of its potential and talent level. Kansas started the season with such high expectations, and such a high preseason ranking, that people feel compelled to rank them higher than they deserve. Sure Kansas has the ability to win the NCAA tournament, but so do a number of other teams.
I ranked Georgetown ahead of Memphis and Nevada even though the Hoyas have as many losses as those two teams combined because of how well they have been playing lately and also how much better their competition is. I know that Memphis and Nevada can't help it that they're in weaker leagues, but I just can't stomach the thought of ranking a team whose best win came against Gonzaga (as is the case for both teams) as highly as their gaudy record might suggest. I also put Washington State ahead of Nevada because of the superior play they faced in the Pac-10 and the type of results and big wins they have had this season.
It was very tough coming up with the final three teams in the rankings because of how many medicore teams there are in the country. We will learn a lot more about Texas in the next week as their next two games are against Texas A&M and Kansas. Louisville has been on a real hot streak lately, and they are becoming more and more impressive. Oregon seems to have righted the ship after some mid-season struggles.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Ohio State 49, Wisconsin 48
Not the prettiest game of all time, but it had an ending that, at least for me and other OSU fans, made up for the rest of the relatively sloppy game. Overall, the game turned out pretty much how I expected it to, with Ohio State gaining a slight lead early, Wisconsin coming back late to overtake the Buckeyes, and then the Bucks pulling out a close one in the end. The one aspect of the game that I totally didn't expect was how low scoring it was. Some people will say that this was an ugly game, like Gregg Doyel over at cbs.sportsline.com, while most Big Ten fans will argue that it was simply a hard-nosed, physical, defensive battle. Personally, I'm somewhere in between these two. While I don't think either team played their best, or even played very well, it was still an overall exciting game between two obviously very talented teams. Right now, neither team is the best team in the country, but with a hot streak and a little luck, both teams have the potential to cut down the nets in Atlanta. Oden was very unimpressive in this game, and in a way it showed that he will not be completely ready for the NBA next season. If he can be pushed around and defended physically by no-name post players on Wisconsin, he will not be able to dominate the centers and power forwards in the NBA. Also, Dequan Cook's silence lately has become a little alarming, as he was one of the Buckeyes most reliable scorers early in the season. Ivan Harris showed again why he's called "The Microwave", Mike Conley showed again why he could be next Chris Paul in college basketball, and Ron Lewis finally got back to his game of driving to the hoop and drawing fouls, as opposed to shooting deep fadaway three-pointers. Overall, a very good win, especially for the four players on the team who can now say that they were a part of the first Ohio State basketball teams to win back-to-back outright Big Ten titles since 1962.
This game should aid the Buckeye in their quest for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and I think that simply getting to the finals of the Big Ten tournament should be enough to clinch a top seed. Not only that, but with North Carolina and Florida falling this weekend, OSU has a chance to the top seed in the whole tournament. The two biggest factors in Ohio State's case to be seeded higher than those two teams are that they head into the postseason on a big winning streak, and OSU's losses (at Florida, at UNC, at Wisconsin) are much higher quality losses than some of North Carolina's (at NC State, at Virginia Tech, home against Virginia Tech, at Maryland) and Florida's (at Florida State, at Vandy, at LSU). Right now, I think that the only team that would be seeded ahead of the Buckeyes is UCLA, and UCLA still has away games at Washington State (a very tough place to play this season) and Washington and then the tough Pac-10 tournament to get through. If UCLA slips up at any point and Ohio State wins the Big Ten tourney, I think OSU will get that top seed. This is extremely important because, in my opinion, there are seven teams (Ohio State, UCLA, Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Texas A&M) that are head and shoulders above the rest of the country. I would much, much rather face Memphis or Washington State in the Elite 8 than Florida, Kansas, or Texas A&M.
This game should aid the Buckeye in their quest for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and I think that simply getting to the finals of the Big Ten tournament should be enough to clinch a top seed. Not only that, but with North Carolina and Florida falling this weekend, OSU has a chance to the top seed in the whole tournament. The two biggest factors in Ohio State's case to be seeded higher than those two teams are that they head into the postseason on a big winning streak, and OSU's losses (at Florida, at UNC, at Wisconsin) are much higher quality losses than some of North Carolina's (at NC State, at Virginia Tech, home against Virginia Tech, at Maryland) and Florida's (at Florida State, at Vandy, at LSU). Right now, I think that the only team that would be seeded ahead of the Buckeyes is UCLA, and UCLA still has away games at Washington State (a very tough place to play this season) and Washington and then the tough Pac-10 tournament to get through. If UCLA slips up at any point and Ohio State wins the Big Ten tourney, I think OSU will get that top seed. This is extremely important because, in my opinion, there are seven teams (Ohio State, UCLA, Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Texas A&M) that are head and shoulders above the rest of the country. I would much, much rather face Memphis or Washington State in the Elite 8 than Florida, Kansas, or Texas A&M.
Ohio State-Wisconsin Preview
#1 Ohio State vs. #2 Wisconsin Preview
This is the most-hyped regular season Ohio State basketball game in recent memory. Although Wisconsin took a little bit of the hype away with their loss at Michigan State on Tuesday, tickets to the game are still going for $125 for the worst seats in the house. It could even be argued that now the game has more even importance to the teams than it did before. Now that Wisconsin has two losses in league play, they know that one more loss will take away any chance they had for even a split Big Ten title. And Ohio State will be just as motivated, partly for the revenge factor, partly for the Big Ten title, and partly because with The Schott rocking the way it's going to be, it will be impossible for them not to be motivated.
In the first game between these two teams, Wisconsin thoroughly outplayed Ohio State, and a flurry of three pointers in the final minutes made the 72-69 score seem much closer than the game actually was. Wisconsin effectively took Greg Oden out of the game, and the peremiter players weren't able to make the Badgers pay for it. I think that two factors in particular will push this game into the Buckeyes favor if Wisconsin plays them the same ways they did last time. First of all, Oden has so much more game experience under his belt now that I simply cannot fathom him being held down the way he was last game. Also, the way the Badgers defended Mike Conley the first time around was that they played off of him, let him shoot the three pointer if he wanted to, and tried to stop the drive as much as possible. Even though he was absolutely no threat from three-point range in that game, to me it was one of Conley's most impressive games of the season, as he was still able to get to the basket almost at will even with the defenders playing him only against the drive. Lately, Conley has become much more confident in his outside shooting, and his shooting been much improved. I think that if they play off him the same way this game, Conley will be able to look for his deep shot and also be able to hit it. If he starts making threes and defenders have to step up to guard him, getting to the basket will be even easier.
The toughest match-up for Ohio State in this game will obviously be Alando Tucker. He will most likely be guarded by an assortment of Ohio State players throughout the game, as Thad Matta will try to always keep a fresh defender on him. While the Bucks won't be able to completely stop Tucker, I believe they can, and will, contain him. However, the Badgers have other weapons such as Kammron Taylor, Brian Butch, Michael Flowers, and Marcus Landry. Ohio State cannot fall into the trap of focusing so much on stopping Tucker that they leave the other guys on the team open. Taylor and Butch in particular have the ability to have a big games. Another thing the Badgers have is their coach, Bo Ryan. Ryan knows how important this game is, and you can bet that he has done all he can to prepare himself and his team for the game. He wants to win a Big Ten title so badly for his senior class of players and knows he'll have to win in Columbus for it to happen.
Here is how I see the game going: I think it will be fairly even in the beginning and both teams settle into the rhythm of the game and the crowd gets warmed up. The Buckeyes will make a little surge in the middle of the first half and go into halftime with a lead. They will have another surge early in the second half and push the lead into double digits as they crowd threatens to blow the roff off The Schott. The Bucks will have a balanced scoring attack led by Oden and Conley, with Ron Lewis, Ivan Harris, Jamar Butler, and Dequan Cook also having solid games. However, Wisconsin's veteren players will not be fazed and they will slowly chip away at the lead. Tucker will be held to around 15 points, but Taylor, Butch and the rest of the supporting cast will make some big shots to keep Wisconsin in the game. Wisconsin takes the lead with a little under 2 minutes left in the games, but the Bucks battle back and re-take the lead under a minute. The young Buckeyes keep their composure down the stretch and pull out the victory with a final score of 74-70. And everyone in the country hopes for a re-match in the Big Ten tourney final.
This is the most-hyped regular season Ohio State basketball game in recent memory. Although Wisconsin took a little bit of the hype away with their loss at Michigan State on Tuesday, tickets to the game are still going for $125 for the worst seats in the house. It could even be argued that now the game has more even importance to the teams than it did before. Now that Wisconsin has two losses in league play, they know that one more loss will take away any chance they had for even a split Big Ten title. And Ohio State will be just as motivated, partly for the revenge factor, partly for the Big Ten title, and partly because with The Schott rocking the way it's going to be, it will be impossible for them not to be motivated.
In the first game between these two teams, Wisconsin thoroughly outplayed Ohio State, and a flurry of three pointers in the final minutes made the 72-69 score seem much closer than the game actually was. Wisconsin effectively took Greg Oden out of the game, and the peremiter players weren't able to make the Badgers pay for it. I think that two factors in particular will push this game into the Buckeyes favor if Wisconsin plays them the same ways they did last time. First of all, Oden has so much more game experience under his belt now that I simply cannot fathom him being held down the way he was last game. Also, the way the Badgers defended Mike Conley the first time around was that they played off of him, let him shoot the three pointer if he wanted to, and tried to stop the drive as much as possible. Even though he was absolutely no threat from three-point range in that game, to me it was one of Conley's most impressive games of the season, as he was still able to get to the basket almost at will even with the defenders playing him only against the drive. Lately, Conley has become much more confident in his outside shooting, and his shooting been much improved. I think that if they play off him the same way this game, Conley will be able to look for his deep shot and also be able to hit it. If he starts making threes and defenders have to step up to guard him, getting to the basket will be even easier.
The toughest match-up for Ohio State in this game will obviously be Alando Tucker. He will most likely be guarded by an assortment of Ohio State players throughout the game, as Thad Matta will try to always keep a fresh defender on him. While the Bucks won't be able to completely stop Tucker, I believe they can, and will, contain him. However, the Badgers have other weapons such as Kammron Taylor, Brian Butch, Michael Flowers, and Marcus Landry. Ohio State cannot fall into the trap of focusing so much on stopping Tucker that they leave the other guys on the team open. Taylor and Butch in particular have the ability to have a big games. Another thing the Badgers have is their coach, Bo Ryan. Ryan knows how important this game is, and you can bet that he has done all he can to prepare himself and his team for the game. He wants to win a Big Ten title so badly for his senior class of players and knows he'll have to win in Columbus for it to happen.
Here is how I see the game going: I think it will be fairly even in the beginning and both teams settle into the rhythm of the game and the crowd gets warmed up. The Buckeyes will make a little surge in the middle of the first half and go into halftime with a lead. They will have another surge early in the second half and push the lead into double digits as they crowd threatens to blow the roff off The Schott. The Bucks will have a balanced scoring attack led by Oden and Conley, with Ron Lewis, Ivan Harris, Jamar Butler, and Dequan Cook also having solid games. However, Wisconsin's veteren players will not be fazed and they will slowly chip away at the lead. Tucker will be held to around 15 points, but Taylor, Butch and the rest of the supporting cast will make some big shots to keep Wisconsin in the game. Wisconsin takes the lead with a little under 2 minutes left in the games, but the Bucks battle back and re-take the lead under a minute. The young Buckeyes keep their composure down the stretch and pull out the victory with a final score of 74-70. And everyone in the country hopes for a re-match in the Big Ten tourney final.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Saturday College Basketball Look-Back
Notre Dame 85, #16 Marquette 73
Big win for Notre Dame, and another step in the wrong direction for Marquette. Notre Dame clinched it's tournament bid with this win, if they hadn't already. Not only that, but with a 22-6 record overall, a 10-5 record in the Big East (and a game coming up against 10-18 Rutgers) the Fighting Irish could be in line for a higher seed than many people imagined, especially since every other medicore team in the country seems to be trying to do all it can to slip down the rankings. Marquette, on the other hand, came into the game ranked 16th in the country, but they are heading the wrong way fast. After winning eight Big East games in a row, they have now lost 4 of their last 5 in conference play, and with their final regular season coming up against Pittsburgh, they could easily head into tourney play having lost 5 of 6.
#12 Georgetown 61, #10 Pittsburgh 53
This was a fairly ugly game, however Georgetown was able to pull out a big win over a top ten team and take over sole possession of first place in the Big East. The Hoyas have now won 11 straight games after starting out Big East play 1-2. Leading Georgetown on this recent surge have been 7-2 center Roy Hibbert and 6-9 forward Jeff Green. Green has been playing so well lately that you could make an argument for him being Big East player of the year. However, the biggest thing for the Hoyas lately has been how their role players have stepped up. Young players such as Jessie Sapp and DaJuan Summers have really been playing well lately. I have considered Pittsburgh to be a little overrated all year long, and although they put up a good fight today, this game did nothing to change my opinion. Aaron Gray seems like he can be frustrated easily, and I just don't see how they can beat one of the top tier teams in the country unless their outside shooting is on fire. I think Pitt will be seeded too high when the bracket comes out, and could easily see a second round upset keeping them out of the Sweet 16.
LSU 66, #3 Florida 56
Not exactly the kind of performance you'd like to see out of the most talented team in the country, especially coming off a recent loss to Vanderbilt. While it's hard to tell if this a sign of Florida's weaknesses or simply slight boredom on Florida's part with the SEC title already in hand, Billy Donovan has to be slightly worried about his team. Florida will most likely still go into March Madness as the consensus pick to win it all, but all it takes is one performance like the ones against LSU and Vandy (or like the Florida State game earlier this year) for the season to end early.
Auburn 86, # 25 Alabama 77. Texas Tech 59, Oklahoma State 57
I grouped these two games together because Alabama and Oklahoma State were easily the two most disappointing teams of the day. It is mind boggling to me how Alabama is still ranked in the top 25, but this loss should finally be enough to put them out of it. With only a 6-8 record in an extremely weak SEC West division, I think that Alabama's bubble may have burst today. You simply cannot lose at home to a team like Auburn when fighting for your tournament life. Oklahoma State, on the other hand, has completely self-combusted after going 14-1 in non-conference play. The Cowboys don't have a single conference win on the road, and that fact is going to kill them on Selection Sunday. This game would have been huge for them not only because it would have taken them to 6-7 in conference play (as opposed to where they are now at 5-8) but it also would have been a road win, as the game was at Texas Tech. However, they failed to come through, and now may be stuck in the NIT this postseason. And by the way, what was Mario Boggan thinking on that last possession when he pulled out for the three?
#6 Kansas 89, Iowa State 52
With six vicories in a row by an average of 27 points, Kansas sure seems to be living up to pre-season expectations and hitting their stride at the right time of the year.
#19 Texas 68, Oklahoma 58
Kevin Durant: 32 points and 10 rebounds. Wow. Player of the year in college basketball this season.
Big win for Notre Dame, and another step in the wrong direction for Marquette. Notre Dame clinched it's tournament bid with this win, if they hadn't already. Not only that, but with a 22-6 record overall, a 10-5 record in the Big East (and a game coming up against 10-18 Rutgers) the Fighting Irish could be in line for a higher seed than many people imagined, especially since every other medicore team in the country seems to be trying to do all it can to slip down the rankings. Marquette, on the other hand, came into the game ranked 16th in the country, but they are heading the wrong way fast. After winning eight Big East games in a row, they have now lost 4 of their last 5 in conference play, and with their final regular season coming up against Pittsburgh, they could easily head into tourney play having lost 5 of 6.
#12 Georgetown 61, #10 Pittsburgh 53
This was a fairly ugly game, however Georgetown was able to pull out a big win over a top ten team and take over sole possession of first place in the Big East. The Hoyas have now won 11 straight games after starting out Big East play 1-2. Leading Georgetown on this recent surge have been 7-2 center Roy Hibbert and 6-9 forward Jeff Green. Green has been playing so well lately that you could make an argument for him being Big East player of the year. However, the biggest thing for the Hoyas lately has been how their role players have stepped up. Young players such as Jessie Sapp and DaJuan Summers have really been playing well lately. I have considered Pittsburgh to be a little overrated all year long, and although they put up a good fight today, this game did nothing to change my opinion. Aaron Gray seems like he can be frustrated easily, and I just don't see how they can beat one of the top tier teams in the country unless their outside shooting is on fire. I think Pitt will be seeded too high when the bracket comes out, and could easily see a second round upset keeping them out of the Sweet 16.
LSU 66, #3 Florida 56
Not exactly the kind of performance you'd like to see out of the most talented team in the country, especially coming off a recent loss to Vanderbilt. While it's hard to tell if this a sign of Florida's weaknesses or simply slight boredom on Florida's part with the SEC title already in hand, Billy Donovan has to be slightly worried about his team. Florida will most likely still go into March Madness as the consensus pick to win it all, but all it takes is one performance like the ones against LSU and Vandy (or like the Florida State game earlier this year) for the season to end early.
Auburn 86, # 25 Alabama 77. Texas Tech 59, Oklahoma State 57
I grouped these two games together because Alabama and Oklahoma State were easily the two most disappointing teams of the day. It is mind boggling to me how Alabama is still ranked in the top 25, but this loss should finally be enough to put them out of it. With only a 6-8 record in an extremely weak SEC West division, I think that Alabama's bubble may have burst today. You simply cannot lose at home to a team like Auburn when fighting for your tournament life. Oklahoma State, on the other hand, has completely self-combusted after going 14-1 in non-conference play. The Cowboys don't have a single conference win on the road, and that fact is going to kill them on Selection Sunday. This game would have been huge for them not only because it would have taken them to 6-7 in conference play (as opposed to where they are now at 5-8) but it also would have been a road win, as the game was at Texas Tech. However, they failed to come through, and now may be stuck in the NIT this postseason. And by the way, what was Mario Boggan thinking on that last possession when he pulled out for the three?
#6 Kansas 89, Iowa State 52
With six vicories in a row by an average of 27 points, Kansas sure seems to be living up to pre-season expectations and hitting their stride at the right time of the year.
#19 Texas 68, Oklahoma 58
Kevin Durant: 32 points and 10 rebounds. Wow. Player of the year in college basketball this season.
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