All Things Championship Week & Building the Field of 68: (Saturday) Available At-Large Bids = 4

Updated at 5:45 p.m. Sunday. Will update occasionally tonight.

Michigan State to the bubble with its loss at Indiana.

Drake and Indiana State switch places. Bulldogs earn the MVC auto bid, while Sycamores move to squarely on the bubble.
Nothing realistic could happen that would make me happier than seeing Michigan St left out.
 



Updated Monday morning with Texas A&M moved to "lock' status.

Colorado State, Michigan State, Oklahoma, and TCU knocking on the door but needing 1 conference tournament win to lock up their bids.

Worth noting: I like Texas A&M's resume a lot more than most of the other "projectionists" and conversely, I'm not nearly as high on Mississippi State's resume as most others.
 

Nebraska was the only team to lock up a tournament bid on Sunday.

9 at-large bids now remain available.
Clearly the surprise BIG team that most slotted for 12th or so pre-season. Gophers and PSU below them. Clearly MSU and Maryland were the biggest flops. How sweet it would be in the Gophers keep MSU out of the tourney!!
 


Updated Monday morning with Texas A&M moved to "lock' status.

Colorado State, Michigan State, Oklahoma, and TCU knocking on the door but needing 1 conference tournament win to lock up their bids.

Worth noting: I like Texas A&M's resume a lot more than most of the other "projectionists" and conversely, I'm not nearly as high on Mississippi State's resume as most others.

Yeah, A&M will be a hard one to predict. The mainstream guys for the most part have them out as of now. Have a ton of quality wins, but a ton of bad losses. Resume is fascinating.
 

The giants must fall!

Believe it or not, both of those schools have had NBA players with extended careers (mostly as backups) in recent history. Both were centers. Colgate had Adonal Foyle from the latter nineties until about 2008 (played 733 games) and Bucknell had Roseville's own Mike Muscala who has played in 534 games and is still on the payroll although this looks like his last season.
 

Clearly the surprise BIG team that most slotted for 12th or so pre-season. Gophers and PSU below them. Clearly MSU and Maryland were the biggest flops. How sweet it would be in the Gophers keep MSU out of the tourney!!

It would be but I doubt that happens even if we do win. They've been counted all season as "in" despite their mediocre record. Yes, I know their NET ranking is high and, if that's all that matters, they should be in. But, at some point, I believe that an NCAA tournament bid should be a reward for a good season and that should be even more true for teams who are always, or almost always, in there.
 




We remain at 8 available at-large bids & probably will so for at least another day. A couple minor shufflings to the bubble board after some Monday night rethinking.

New Mexico moves from a longshot to squarely on the bubble on the strength of its 7-6 record vs. the field (most wins of any team on the bubble), while Oklahoma shifts from "a lock with 1 conference tournament win" to squarely on the bubble due to its 2-10 record vs. the field. The Sooners could end up being last season's Illinois. ... a very poor record vs. the field but receive an at-large bid nonetheless.
 

Never a doubt.
If I were coaching the Raiders I would suggest coming up with a game plan to avoid going 0-13 on 3 Pt Shots, as Colgate did during the 1st Half against Bucknell.

They stepped it up to finish 5-25. Needed every one of them.
 

If I were coaching the Raiders I would suggest coming up with a game plan to avoid going 0-13 on 3 Pt Shots, as Colgate did during the 1st Half against Bucknell.

They stepped it up to finish 5-25. Needed every one of them.
Copyright the plan and get rich!
 




South Florida is listed as the AQ for the American after winning the regular season title, but it doesn't appear to me that they're safe if they don't win their tourney. If FAU wins that tournament, that might open another slot for an at-large.
 


South Florida is listed as the AQ for the American after winning the regular season title, but it doesn't appear to me that they're safe if they don't win their tourney. If FAU wins that tournament, that might open another slot for an at-large.
Yes, ditto for Richmond in the A-10 & Dayton wins the tournament.
 


Championship Week kicks into overdirve Wednesday with 10 bubble teams in action. We'll start getting rid of the trash, so to speak.

Bubblicious Wednesday
#56 Virginia Tech vs. Florida State, 11 (ESPN)
#38 Wake Forest vs. Notre Dame, 1:30 (ESPN)
#40 TCU vs. #42 Oklahoma, 2 (ESPN+)
#36 Colorado State vs. San Jose State, 3:30
#63 Providence vs. Georgetown, 5:30 (FS1)
#28 New Mexico vs. Air Force, 6
#70 Kansas State vs. Texas, 6 (ESPN+)
#33 Villanova vs. DePaul, 8 (FS1)
#52 Utah vs. Arizona State, 10:30 (Pac12N)
 
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Welcome to the Field of 68, Colorado State and TCU.

That's 5 Mountain West teams now locked in, with New Mexico still hanging around out there. Huuuuuuuge quarterfinal game for the Lobos on Thursday night vs. Boise State. The Lobos look to avenge a pair of regular season losses to the Broncos.
 


Welcome to the Field of 68, Colorado State and TCU.

That's 5 Mountain West teams now locked in, with New Mexico still hanging around out there. Huuuuuuuge quarterfinal game for the Lobos on Thursday night vs. Boise State. The Lobos look to avenge a pair of regular season losses to the Broncos.
Seems like Boise State sort of out-physical's New Mexico. We'll see if the Lobos handle them better 3rd time around. Should be a great game, along with a few others today.
 

Michigan State is locked in after its win over the Gophers.

We have 11 teams battling for 6 available at-large bids
 
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Ohio State with a Massive blown chance vs Illinois (Similar with St John’s making it appear closer vs UConn late). Would think this does them in, but at the same time might look good in the eyes of the committee?
 


Los Lobos (New Mexico) becomes the 32nd lock with its Mountain West semifinal domination of NCAA-bound Colorado State.

We head into the Selection Sunday weekend with 4 available at-large bids, and still plenty of potential bid-stealers out there.
 




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