SelectionSunday
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These tidbits are courtesy of Jerry Palm at CollegeRPI.com:
(1) Only one team has made the NCAA field as an at-large without having played an opponent in the top 50 of the RPI since I started tracking data in 1994 (Manhattan, 1995). Right now, that describes St. Mary's. Although the Gaels still have at least two games left with Gonzaga (currently #51) and a bracket buster game that might still give them a chance. Also, someone like San Diego St (#59) could still play their way into the top 50.
(2) Also, only one team has received an at-large bid without a win over another team in the bracket (Oklahoma, 1998). UCLA is currently 0-4 vs the teams in my bracket. The Bruins are still well regarded by voters though. They are 16th in the coaches' poll and 17th in the AP poll, but their RPI of 40 looks more accurate.
(3) Finally, you aren't going to see too many March brackets with a RPI top 25 Big Ten team missing, but that's the case here. #23 Wisconsin is on the outside looking in primarily because they have lost four straight, including two in overtime. One of those losses was to Iowa.
(4) Also missing from my bracket is a team from the West division of the SEC. Never has a division of one of the Big Six conferences been shut out of the NCAA tournament, but unless Arkansas finds its legs again, there just aren't any good at-large candidates in that division. The Hogs looked like a good candidate before losing four in a row to start conference play. The Hogs scored only two points in the last nine and a half minutes at home against Auburn on Saturday in a 73-51 loss, which was the worst ever for them at Walton Arena.
(5) At Alabama, Ronald Steele finally decided he's suffered one too many injuries and quit the team last week. Then today, coach Mark Gottfried resigned. ... Expect Minnesota coach Tubby Smith's name to come up a lot, whether he's actually interested or not.
(1) Only one team has made the NCAA field as an at-large without having played an opponent in the top 50 of the RPI since I started tracking data in 1994 (Manhattan, 1995). Right now, that describes St. Mary's. Although the Gaels still have at least two games left with Gonzaga (currently #51) and a bracket buster game that might still give them a chance. Also, someone like San Diego St (#59) could still play their way into the top 50.
(2) Also, only one team has received an at-large bid without a win over another team in the bracket (Oklahoma, 1998). UCLA is currently 0-4 vs the teams in my bracket. The Bruins are still well regarded by voters though. They are 16th in the coaches' poll and 17th in the AP poll, but their RPI of 40 looks more accurate.
(3) Finally, you aren't going to see too many March brackets with a RPI top 25 Big Ten team missing, but that's the case here. #23 Wisconsin is on the outside looking in primarily because they have lost four straight, including two in overtime. One of those losses was to Iowa.
(4) Also missing from my bracket is a team from the West division of the SEC. Never has a division of one of the Big Six conferences been shut out of the NCAA tournament, but unless Arkansas finds its legs again, there just aren't any good at-large candidates in that division. The Hogs looked like a good candidate before losing four in a row to start conference play. The Hogs scored only two points in the last nine and a half minutes at home against Auburn on Saturday in a 73-51 loss, which was the worst ever for them at Walton Arena.
(5) At Alabama, Ronald Steele finally decided he's suffered one too many injuries and quit the team last week. Then today, coach Mark Gottfried resigned. ... Expect Minnesota coach Tubby Smith's name to come up a lot, whether he's actually interested or not.