Road to Selection Sunday: Big South Kicks Off Conference Tournament Season

Road to Selection Sunday: Big South Kicks Off Conference Tournament Season
By SelectionSunday

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/136112?referrer_id=331171

The Big South Conference kicks off the conference tournament season Monday when #10 seed Radford (4-25) travels to #7 VMI (11-15) and #9 Gardner-Webb (10-19) visits #8 High Point (10-17), the alma mater of embattled Gophers head coach Tubby Smith. High Point and the Gophers have one other thing in common. ... the only way either will hear its name called on Selection Sunday is by winning their conference tournament.

We could have a couple at-large bid-stealers by the end of the week. The Ohio Valley (Saturday) and Missouri Valley (Sunday) play their title games this weekend. Any team not named Murray State (OVC), Wichita State (MVC) or Creighton (MVC) winning either tournament would gobble up at least one of the 37 at-large bids, as all three are locks for the Field of 68 even with a loss in their conference tourney.

Here's how I see the tournament field at the onset of Championship Week. RPI's are listed in parentheses and are courtesy of Jerry Palm at CollegeRPI.com.

FIELD OF 68 (2/27/12)
America East (1): Stony Brook (147)

ACC (5): Duke (3), North Carolina (5), Florida State (26), Virginia (38), Miami-Florida (48)

Atlantic Sun (1): Belmont (59)

Atlantic 10 (4): Temple (14), Saint Louis (35), Saint Joseph's (51), Xavier (54)

Big East (9): Syracuse (1), Marquette (7), Georgetown (12), Louisville (21), UConn (30), Notre Dame (41), Seton Hall (44), USF (46), West Virginia (50)

Big Sky (1): Weber State (75)

Big South (1): UNC-Asheville (118)

B1G (7): Michigan State (4), Ohio State (9), Michigan (15), Indiana (17), Wisconsin (20), Purdue (40), Northwestern (43)

Big 12 (6): Kansas (6), Baylor (8), Missouri (16), Iowa State (31), Kansas State (45), Texas (55)

Big West (1): Long Beach State (33)

Colonial (1): Drexel (67)

Conference USA (2): Southern Miss (13), Memphis (22)

Horizon (1): Valparaiso (89)

Ivy (1): Harvard (37)

Metro Atlantic (1): Iona (39)

Mid-American (1): Akron (58)

MEAC (1): Savannah State (192)

Missouri Valley (2): Wichita State (10), Creighton (24)

Mountain West (3): UNLV (11), San Diego State (28), New Mexico (34)

Northeast (1): LIU (95)

Ohio Valley (1): Murray State (29)

Pac 12 (2): Cal (36), Washington (52)

Patriot (1): Bucknell (80)

SEC (5): Kentucky (2), Florida (19), Vanderbilt (23), Alabama (25), Mississippi State (65)

Southern (1): Davidson (64)

Southland (1): Texas-Arlington (84)

SWAC (1): Mississippi Valley State (150)

Summit (1): Oral Roberts (42)

Sun Belt (1): Middle Tennessee State (47)

West Coast (3): Gonzaga (18), St. Mary's (32), BYU (49)

WAC (1): Nevada (56)
____________________

Last 4 In: USF (46), Miami-Florida (48), Saint Joseph's (51), Texas (55)

First 4 Out: Colorado State (27), VCU (60), Dayton (61), Cincinnati (77)

Others Considered: Oregon (53), Northern Iowa (63), UCF (66), Arizona (69), NC State (72), Illinois (74), Colorado (76)

Non-BCS At-Larges (9): UNLV (11), Southern Miss (13), Gonzaga (18), Creighton (24), New Mexico (34), Saint Louis (35), BYU (49), Saint Joseph's (51), Xavier (54)

SS,
As of today, how secure is Northwesterns' first ever NCAA bid?

Far from secure, but the Wildcats aren't in a bad spot. I'd define it this way.

If they beat OSU on Wednesday I think they're pretty much in, no matter what they do in Iowa City and Indy. Wins over both both OSU & Sparty would carry a lot of weight. In addition, they have a good win over likely NCAA qualifier Seton Hall on a neutral court, a couple other solid nonconference wins (vs. #68 LSU, vs. #98 Tulsa), a strong overall strength of schedule (currently #12), a good nonconference SOS (currently #50), and at worst they'd have only 1 bad loss (@ Iowa), albeit in the final game of the regular season.

If they lose to OSU and then beat Iowa, still think they're in decent shape, but it'd be a good idea for them to not go "1 and done" in Indy.

If they lose both, probably need to get to BTT semis or finals to have any chance.

That's just a general feel. Am pulling for the Wildcats, big time. With the Gophers' 2nd consecutive freefall, need another team to pull for during March Madness, and Northwestern certainly would fit the bill.

Joe Lunardi's latest bracket (today)

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

Lunardi and I differ on 2 at-larges. He has Arizona and Cincinnati in the Field of 68, in their place I have Saint Joseph's and USF.

Lunardi's Last 4 In: Miami-Florida, Northwestern, Texas, Xavier
SS Last 4 In: Miami-Florida, Saint Joseph's, Texas, USF

Lunardi's First 4 Out: Colorado State, Saint Joseph's, USF, VCU
SS First 4 Out: Cincinnati, Colorado State, Dayton, VCU

SelectionSunday said:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

Lunardi and I differ on 2 at-larges. He has Arizona and Cincinnati in the Field of 68, in their place I have Saint Joseph's and USF.

Lunardi's Last 4 In: Miami-Florida, Northwestern, Texas, Xavier
SS Last 4 In: Miami-Florida, Saint Joseph's, Texas, USF

Lunardi's First 4 Out: Colorado State, Saint Joseph's, USF, VCU
SS First 4 Out: Cincinnati, Colorado State, Dayton, VCU

Click to expand...

I agree with Dakich. VCU is a better team than Northwestern.

LongLiveMilesTarver said:

I agree with Dakich. VCU is a better team than Northwestern.

Click to expand...

Maybe we'll get to see Northwestern/VCU go head to head in Dayton in the First Four?