- Joined
- Nov 3, 2008
- Messages
- 5,106
- Reaction score
- 1,259
- Points
- 113
Road to Selection Sunday: A Jump On February, As Bubble Begins To Take Shape
By SelectionSunday
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/468016?referrer_id=
NCAA POSITIONING, U.S.A. -- Legitimate, nitty gritty, down-to-the-bare-bones NCAA Tournament bubble discussion doesn't start until college basketball's penultimate month (February) arrives, but since when has that ever stopped your local "Road to Selection Sunday" columnist from getting a head start on bubble talk? Less than two weeks shy of February -- when the rubber truly starts hitting the road in college basketball -- the thinning out process is kicking into full gear.
The Gophers (11-7, 1-5 B1G), for example, have established they're not a viable at-large candidate, barring a 9-3 sprint to the finish line that would put them in a position to make the NCAA tourney with a win or two in Chicago. Others teams are more fortunate. ... they've managed, to this point, to at least stay on the periphery of the NCAA bubble conversation that will heat up in a couple weeks. Today we take a look at some of the teams sitting on the "way too early" bubble, if for no other reason to show who the Gophers could be competing against if they do make an out-of-the-norm charge in February and early March
In RPI order, here are the bubblers and their current status. Essentially, as of today I have 23 teams competing for the final 7 at-large bids. I've included the Gophers at the bottom, simply for comparison's sake.
JANUARY BUBBLERS (23)
Georgia (27) -- 1-3 vs. top 50, 5-5 vs. top 100, best win Seton Hall (17); status = FIRST 4 OUT
Oklahoma State (33) -- 2-4 vs. top 50, 5-4 vs. top 100, best wins Texas (22), @ Tulsa (42); status = LAST 4 IN
Xavier (34) -- 2-2 vs. top 50, 5-4 vs. top 100, best wins Seton Hall (17), Georgetown (28); status = LAST 4 IN
Colorado State (35) -- 0-0 vs. top 50, 3-1 vs. top 100, best win Boise State (54); status = OUT
Texas A&M (39) -- 1-3 vs. top 50, 1-5 s. top 100, best win @ LSU (48); status = OUT
Saint John's (40) -- 1-4 vs. top 50, 5-4 vs. top 100, best wins @ Providence (23), @ Syracuse (57); status = FIRST 4 OUT
Indiana (44) -- 2-3 vs. top 50, 5-4 vs. top 100, best wins vs. Butler (14), SMU (20); status = IN
BYU (46) -- 1-3 vs. top 50, 3-5 vs. top 100, best win Stanford (26); status = OUT
Ole Miss (47) -- 2-3 vs. top 50, 2-4 vs. top 100, best wins @ Arkansas (31), vs. Cincinnati (32); status = LAST 4 IN
LSU (48) -- 3-2 vs. top 50, 4-3 vs. top 100, best wins @ West Virginia (16), Georgia (27); status = IN
Washington (49) -- 2-1 vs. top 50, 6-2 vs. top 100, best wins San Diego State (19), vs. Oklahoma (24); status = IN
Wofford (50) -- 1-3 vs. top 50, 2-4 vs. top 100, best wins @ NC State (36), Iona (72); status = OUT
Tennessee (52) -- 2-3 vs. top 50, 3-4 vs. top 100, best wins Butler (14), Arkansas (31); status = OUT
Alabama (53) -- 1-4 vs. top 50, 3-4 vs. top 100, best wins Texas A&M (39), @ Tennessee(52); status = OUT
Miami (55) -- 1-3 vs. top 50, 3-4 vs. top 100, best wins @ Duke (8), Illinois (64); status = LAST 4 IN
Temple (56) -- 1-5 vs. top 50, 5-5 vs. top 100, best wins Kansas (3), @ Connecticut (74); status = FIRST 4 OUT
Ohio State (58) -- 0-5 vs. top 50, 4-5 vs. top 100, best win Illinois (64); status = OUT
Syracuse (57) -- 1-2 vs. top 50, 4-4 vs. top 100, best win vs. Iowa (43); status = OUT
Saint Mary's (62) -- 1-1 vs. top 50, 2-2 vs. top 100, best wins BYU (46), Northeastern (68); status = FIRST 4 OUT
Illinois (64): 2-2 vs. top 50, 3-5 vs. top 100, best wins Maryland (13), vs. Baylor (18); status = OUT
Connecticut (74) -- 2-5 vs. top 50, 3-7 vs. top 100, best wins vs. Dayton (25), Cincinnati (32); status = OUT
Clemson (75) -- 2-3 vs. top 50, 5-4 vs. top 100, best wins Arkansas (31), vs. LSU (48); status = OUT
Michigan (89) -- 0-3 vs. top 50, 3-5 vs. top 100, best wins Syracuse (57), Illinois (64); status = OUT
*** GOPHERS (98) -- 1-4 vs. top 50, 3-7 vs. top 100; best wins vs. Georgia (27), Western Kentucky (73) = WAY OUT
Field of 68 Projection (through Jan. 18; RPI noted in parentheses)
America East (1): Albany (196)
American (4): SMU (20), Cincinnati (32), *Tulsa (42), Temple (56)
ACC (7): *Virginia (2), Duke (8), North Carolina (12), Louisville (29), NC State (36), Notre Dame (38), Miami (55)
Atlantic Sun (1): North Florida (197)
Atlantic 10 (3): *VCU (4), Dayton (25), George Washington (41)
Big East (6): *Villanova (5), Butler (14), Seton Hall (17), Providence (23), Georgetown (28), Xavier (34)
Big Sky (1): Sacramento State (156)
Big South (1): Coastal Carolina (124)
Big Ten (5): Wisconsin (9), *Maryland (13), Michigan State (37), Iowa (43), Indiana (44)
Big XII (8): Kansas (3), Iowa State (15), West Virginia (16), Baylor (18), Texas (22), Oklahoma (24), Oklahoma State (33), *Kansas State (95)
Big West (1): UC-Davis (84)
Colonial (1): Northeastern (68)
Conference USA (2): Old Dominion (30), *Western Kentucky (73)
Horizon (1): Cleveland State (135)
Ivy (1): Harvard (59)
MAAC (1): Iona (72)
MAC (1): Buffalo (45)
MEAC (1): NCCU (82)
Missouri Valley (2): *Wichita State (10), Northern Iowa (21)
Mountain West (2): San Diego State (19), *Wyoming (92)
Northeast (1): Bryant (175)
Ohio Valley (1): Eastern Illinois (106)
Pac 12 (4): *Arizona (6), Utah (11), Stanford (26), Washington (49)
Patriot (1): Colgate (230)
SEC (4): *Kentucky (1), Arkansas (31), Ole Miss (47), LSU (48)
Southern (1): Mercer (213)
Southland (1): Sam Houston State (110)
SWAC (1): Texas Southern (113)
Summit (1): Oral Roberts (157)
Sun Belt (1): Louisiana-Monroe (147)
WCC (1): Gonzaga (7)
WAC (1): New Mexico State (169)
Last 4 In: Oklahoma State (33), Xavier (34), Ole Miss (47), Miami (55)
First 4 Out: Georgia (27), Saint John's (40), Temple (56), Saint Mary's (62)
Big Ten Tournament Bracket (1/3 of the Gophers' Big Ten season completed)
Wednesday, March 11 (1st round)
3:30 p.m. -- #12 Northwestern (1-4) vs. #13 GOPHERS (1-5), ESPN2
6 p.m. -- #11 Rutgers (2-4) vs. #14 Penn State (0-5), BTN
Thursday, March 12 (2nd round)
11 a.m. -- #8 Ohio State (3-3) vs. #9 Nebraska (2-3), BTN
1:30 p.m. -- #5 Michigan (4-2) vs. Northwestern/GOPHERS winner, BTN
5:30 p.m. -- #7 Purdue (3-2) vs. #10 Illinois (2-4), ESPN2
8 p.m. -- #6 Michigan State (3-2) vs. Rutgers/Penn State winner, ESPN2
Friday, March 13 (quarterfinals)
11 a.m. -- #1 Maryland (5-1) vs. Ohio State/Nebraska winner, ESPN
1:30 p.m. -- #4 Indiana (4-1) vs. Michigan/Northwestern/GOPHERS winner, ESPN
5:30 p.m. -- #2 Wisconsin (4-1) vs. Purdue/Illinois winner, BTN
8 p.m. -- #3 Iowa (4-1) vs. Michigan State/Rutgers/Penn State winner, BTN
10 Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handy
(1) Am starting to think 6 is going to be the final number of NCAA bids for the Big Ten, but won't be surprised if it remains at the current 5. The only 2 that are stone-cold locks to make the NCAA with a 9-9 conference mark are Maryland and Wisconsin. I'd have Indiana and Iowa (in that order) next in the pecking order because of their quality non-conference wins. The Hoosiers have wins over SMU and Butler (on a neutral court), while if needed the Hawkeyes' road win in Chapel Hill is going to carry a ton of weight.
(2) I really like watching the Big East this season. Not sure if there's a Final Four contender outside of Villanova, but it's a really good league, top to bottom. Even winless Creighton (wins over Oklahoma & Nebraska) isn't a gimme. Don't be surprised if it gets as many or more bids than the Big Ten.
(3) I agree with the general feeling that the Big XII is the best conference. However, don't buy the garbage that there isn't a single easy out in the 10-team league. Texas Tech and TCU are still awful. Don't let the Horned Frogs' 13-0 start and subsequent ranking fool you. They beat one decent team (Ole Miss) during a laughably soft non-conference slate.
(4) The A-10 got 6 bids last season, but don't expect that to happen again. It'll be lucky to get 3 this season, and that assumes George Washington and/or Rhode Island finish strong.
(5) My new biggest pet peeve in college hoops is coaches who continue to foul late in games that clearly have been decided. The TV announcers blab on & on about how the coaches are "teaching their kids to play until the end, not to quit," blah, blah, blah, but that's pure hubris. So I offer a tip of the cap to Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan (a former NBA guy), who called off the dogs with his team down 9 to the Gophers with about 45 seconds left in the game. The Scarlet Knights didn't needlessly extend the game. That's exactly the scenario most coaches would continue to hack away, turning the last minute into a 20-minute TV mini-series. There is such a thing as the game being over before the final whistle. That's one thing I like about the NBA game. ... the coaches and players get that.
(6) My Final Four right now? Gonzaga, Kentucky, Villanova, and Virginia. Still think UK has a legit shot to go undefeated, but I think the most impressive team to this point of the season has been the 'Hoos.
(7) Big Ten Player of the Year right now? Maryland freshman Melo Trimble. The dude can beat you from inside (he goes to the hoop) and out (38.2 3FG%), and he gets to the free-throw line & converts (88.4%). Also averaging 4 apg and 3 rpg.
(8) An unheralded player from another Big Ten team I'd love to have on the Gopher roster? Illinois' forward/center Nnanna Egwu would fit in very nicely.
(9) Don't get me wrong, Mike Brey has done a terrific job at Notre Dame, but let's see if he can get this surprisingly good Fighting Irish squad into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Over the years Brey's teams have piled up a lot of regular-season wins and always seem to be a solid road team (something I wish the Gopher program could figure out), but he's had some really successful teams & hasn't sniffed the Sweet 16 since 2003.
(10) Big Ten team most likely to be sitting squarely on the bubble on Selection Sunday? Illinois. I still like this team's potential if they can get Rayvonte Rice back soon (hopefully after the Illini's visit to The Barn this weekend!).
Beat Nebraska.
By SelectionSunday
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/468016?referrer_id=
NCAA POSITIONING, U.S.A. -- Legitimate, nitty gritty, down-to-the-bare-bones NCAA Tournament bubble discussion doesn't start until college basketball's penultimate month (February) arrives, but since when has that ever stopped your local "Road to Selection Sunday" columnist from getting a head start on bubble talk? Less than two weeks shy of February -- when the rubber truly starts hitting the road in college basketball -- the thinning out process is kicking into full gear.
The Gophers (11-7, 1-5 B1G), for example, have established they're not a viable at-large candidate, barring a 9-3 sprint to the finish line that would put them in a position to make the NCAA tourney with a win or two in Chicago. Others teams are more fortunate. ... they've managed, to this point, to at least stay on the periphery of the NCAA bubble conversation that will heat up in a couple weeks. Today we take a look at some of the teams sitting on the "way too early" bubble, if for no other reason to show who the Gophers could be competing against if they do make an out-of-the-norm charge in February and early March
In RPI order, here are the bubblers and their current status. Essentially, as of today I have 23 teams competing for the final 7 at-large bids. I've included the Gophers at the bottom, simply for comparison's sake.
JANUARY BUBBLERS (23)
Georgia (27) -- 1-3 vs. top 50, 5-5 vs. top 100, best win Seton Hall (17); status = FIRST 4 OUT
Oklahoma State (33) -- 2-4 vs. top 50, 5-4 vs. top 100, best wins Texas (22), @ Tulsa (42); status = LAST 4 IN
Xavier (34) -- 2-2 vs. top 50, 5-4 vs. top 100, best wins Seton Hall (17), Georgetown (28); status = LAST 4 IN
Colorado State (35) -- 0-0 vs. top 50, 3-1 vs. top 100, best win Boise State (54); status = OUT
Texas A&M (39) -- 1-3 vs. top 50, 1-5 s. top 100, best win @ LSU (48); status = OUT
Saint John's (40) -- 1-4 vs. top 50, 5-4 vs. top 100, best wins @ Providence (23), @ Syracuse (57); status = FIRST 4 OUT
Indiana (44) -- 2-3 vs. top 50, 5-4 vs. top 100, best wins vs. Butler (14), SMU (20); status = IN
BYU (46) -- 1-3 vs. top 50, 3-5 vs. top 100, best win Stanford (26); status = OUT
Ole Miss (47) -- 2-3 vs. top 50, 2-4 vs. top 100, best wins @ Arkansas (31), vs. Cincinnati (32); status = LAST 4 IN
LSU (48) -- 3-2 vs. top 50, 4-3 vs. top 100, best wins @ West Virginia (16), Georgia (27); status = IN
Washington (49) -- 2-1 vs. top 50, 6-2 vs. top 100, best wins San Diego State (19), vs. Oklahoma (24); status = IN
Wofford (50) -- 1-3 vs. top 50, 2-4 vs. top 100, best wins @ NC State (36), Iona (72); status = OUT
Tennessee (52) -- 2-3 vs. top 50, 3-4 vs. top 100, best wins Butler (14), Arkansas (31); status = OUT
Alabama (53) -- 1-4 vs. top 50, 3-4 vs. top 100, best wins Texas A&M (39), @ Tennessee(52); status = OUT
Miami (55) -- 1-3 vs. top 50, 3-4 vs. top 100, best wins @ Duke (8), Illinois (64); status = LAST 4 IN
Temple (56) -- 1-5 vs. top 50, 5-5 vs. top 100, best wins Kansas (3), @ Connecticut (74); status = FIRST 4 OUT
Ohio State (58) -- 0-5 vs. top 50, 4-5 vs. top 100, best win Illinois (64); status = OUT
Syracuse (57) -- 1-2 vs. top 50, 4-4 vs. top 100, best win vs. Iowa (43); status = OUT
Saint Mary's (62) -- 1-1 vs. top 50, 2-2 vs. top 100, best wins BYU (46), Northeastern (68); status = FIRST 4 OUT
Illinois (64): 2-2 vs. top 50, 3-5 vs. top 100, best wins Maryland (13), vs. Baylor (18); status = OUT
Connecticut (74) -- 2-5 vs. top 50, 3-7 vs. top 100, best wins vs. Dayton (25), Cincinnati (32); status = OUT
Clemson (75) -- 2-3 vs. top 50, 5-4 vs. top 100, best wins Arkansas (31), vs. LSU (48); status = OUT
Michigan (89) -- 0-3 vs. top 50, 3-5 vs. top 100, best wins Syracuse (57), Illinois (64); status = OUT
*** GOPHERS (98) -- 1-4 vs. top 50, 3-7 vs. top 100; best wins vs. Georgia (27), Western Kentucky (73) = WAY OUT
Field of 68 Projection (through Jan. 18; RPI noted in parentheses)
America East (1): Albany (196)
American (4): SMU (20), Cincinnati (32), *Tulsa (42), Temple (56)
ACC (7): *Virginia (2), Duke (8), North Carolina (12), Louisville (29), NC State (36), Notre Dame (38), Miami (55)
Atlantic Sun (1): North Florida (197)
Atlantic 10 (3): *VCU (4), Dayton (25), George Washington (41)
Big East (6): *Villanova (5), Butler (14), Seton Hall (17), Providence (23), Georgetown (28), Xavier (34)
Big Sky (1): Sacramento State (156)
Big South (1): Coastal Carolina (124)
Big Ten (5): Wisconsin (9), *Maryland (13), Michigan State (37), Iowa (43), Indiana (44)
Big XII (8): Kansas (3), Iowa State (15), West Virginia (16), Baylor (18), Texas (22), Oklahoma (24), Oklahoma State (33), *Kansas State (95)
Big West (1): UC-Davis (84)
Colonial (1): Northeastern (68)
Conference USA (2): Old Dominion (30), *Western Kentucky (73)
Horizon (1): Cleveland State (135)
Ivy (1): Harvard (59)
MAAC (1): Iona (72)
MAC (1): Buffalo (45)
MEAC (1): NCCU (82)
Missouri Valley (2): *Wichita State (10), Northern Iowa (21)
Mountain West (2): San Diego State (19), *Wyoming (92)
Northeast (1): Bryant (175)
Ohio Valley (1): Eastern Illinois (106)
Pac 12 (4): *Arizona (6), Utah (11), Stanford (26), Washington (49)
Patriot (1): Colgate (230)
SEC (4): *Kentucky (1), Arkansas (31), Ole Miss (47), LSU (48)
Southern (1): Mercer (213)
Southland (1): Sam Houston State (110)
SWAC (1): Texas Southern (113)
Summit (1): Oral Roberts (157)
Sun Belt (1): Louisiana-Monroe (147)
WCC (1): Gonzaga (7)
WAC (1): New Mexico State (169)
Last 4 In: Oklahoma State (33), Xavier (34), Ole Miss (47), Miami (55)
First 4 Out: Georgia (27), Saint John's (40), Temple (56), Saint Mary's (62)
Big Ten Tournament Bracket (1/3 of the Gophers' Big Ten season completed)
Wednesday, March 11 (1st round)
3:30 p.m. -- #12 Northwestern (1-4) vs. #13 GOPHERS (1-5), ESPN2
6 p.m. -- #11 Rutgers (2-4) vs. #14 Penn State (0-5), BTN
Thursday, March 12 (2nd round)
11 a.m. -- #8 Ohio State (3-3) vs. #9 Nebraska (2-3), BTN
1:30 p.m. -- #5 Michigan (4-2) vs. Northwestern/GOPHERS winner, BTN
5:30 p.m. -- #7 Purdue (3-2) vs. #10 Illinois (2-4), ESPN2
8 p.m. -- #6 Michigan State (3-2) vs. Rutgers/Penn State winner, ESPN2
Friday, March 13 (quarterfinals)
11 a.m. -- #1 Maryland (5-1) vs. Ohio State/Nebraska winner, ESPN
1:30 p.m. -- #4 Indiana (4-1) vs. Michigan/Northwestern/GOPHERS winner, ESPN
5:30 p.m. -- #2 Wisconsin (4-1) vs. Purdue/Illinois winner, BTN
8 p.m. -- #3 Iowa (4-1) vs. Michigan State/Rutgers/Penn State winner, BTN
10 Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handy
(1) Am starting to think 6 is going to be the final number of NCAA bids for the Big Ten, but won't be surprised if it remains at the current 5. The only 2 that are stone-cold locks to make the NCAA with a 9-9 conference mark are Maryland and Wisconsin. I'd have Indiana and Iowa (in that order) next in the pecking order because of their quality non-conference wins. The Hoosiers have wins over SMU and Butler (on a neutral court), while if needed the Hawkeyes' road win in Chapel Hill is going to carry a ton of weight.
(2) I really like watching the Big East this season. Not sure if there's a Final Four contender outside of Villanova, but it's a really good league, top to bottom. Even winless Creighton (wins over Oklahoma & Nebraska) isn't a gimme. Don't be surprised if it gets as many or more bids than the Big Ten.
(3) I agree with the general feeling that the Big XII is the best conference. However, don't buy the garbage that there isn't a single easy out in the 10-team league. Texas Tech and TCU are still awful. Don't let the Horned Frogs' 13-0 start and subsequent ranking fool you. They beat one decent team (Ole Miss) during a laughably soft non-conference slate.
(4) The A-10 got 6 bids last season, but don't expect that to happen again. It'll be lucky to get 3 this season, and that assumes George Washington and/or Rhode Island finish strong.
(5) My new biggest pet peeve in college hoops is coaches who continue to foul late in games that clearly have been decided. The TV announcers blab on & on about how the coaches are "teaching their kids to play until the end, not to quit," blah, blah, blah, but that's pure hubris. So I offer a tip of the cap to Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan (a former NBA guy), who called off the dogs with his team down 9 to the Gophers with about 45 seconds left in the game. The Scarlet Knights didn't needlessly extend the game. That's exactly the scenario most coaches would continue to hack away, turning the last minute into a 20-minute TV mini-series. There is such a thing as the game being over before the final whistle. That's one thing I like about the NBA game. ... the coaches and players get that.
(6) My Final Four right now? Gonzaga, Kentucky, Villanova, and Virginia. Still think UK has a legit shot to go undefeated, but I think the most impressive team to this point of the season has been the 'Hoos.
(7) Big Ten Player of the Year right now? Maryland freshman Melo Trimble. The dude can beat you from inside (he goes to the hoop) and out (38.2 3FG%), and he gets to the free-throw line & converts (88.4%). Also averaging 4 apg and 3 rpg.
(8) An unheralded player from another Big Ten team I'd love to have on the Gopher roster? Illinois' forward/center Nnanna Egwu would fit in very nicely.
(9) Don't get me wrong, Mike Brey has done a terrific job at Notre Dame, but let's see if he can get this surprisingly good Fighting Irish squad into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Over the years Brey's teams have piled up a lot of regular-season wins and always seem to be a solid road team (something I wish the Gopher program could figure out), but he's had some really successful teams & hasn't sniffed the Sweet 16 since 2003.
(10) Big Ten team most likely to be sitting squarely on the bubble on Selection Sunday? Illinois. I still like this team's potential if they can get Rayvonte Rice back soon (hopefully after the Illini's visit to The Barn this weekend!).
Beat Nebraska.
