Mock NCAA tournament bracket: Eric Prisbell's field of 68

I guess no one has commented yet because NFL is in heart of playoffs, college football bowl games are not over just yet... To be honest trying to pick 68 teams that will be in the NCAA Tournament before most conference play is kind of ludicrous. The fact that you have 7 Big East Teams and only 4 ACC is a big dis to Terp fans. Also having Miami as an 8 seed while the Hurricanes are 0-2 in ACC play is just wrong. Many other teams in here that we know won't get voted in, but I guess your trying to get them noticed. Richmond, Wichita State, American,Hampton, etc. Good luck with this poll, I am sure once all the conferences get in the heart of their schedules this will get easier for you!

I'm guessing the committee will accommodate BYU's no Sunday play and place them in the West or Southeast regional.

I was at the Duke-Terps game last night. There are not 20 teams better than Maryland. Though this exercise in futility you conducted is most likely based on the "now," I can, with certainty, inform you Maryalnd will be in the NCAA tournament. This from a cynical type fan.

I only count 66 teams.

All bs.

Is there any way you can get a basketball expert, someone who knows the game and maybe has insight into the selection process, to do the same thing so you guys can compare brackets? I think that would be interesting.

Does he honestly think that there aren't half a hundred schools including Maryland that can't beat the 16th or play-in teams? Give me a break.

I love that you're putting this out so early. Thanks for doing this...

adam: he only has 4 acc schools in because the conference is down this year. Not a dis to MD, just a reflection of reality. People know that the bottom seeds are automatic qualifiers, yes?

Personally, I don't like that these are coming out earlier and earlier. I don't see the point frankly. As we get closer to the tournaments, sure. But now? Before most teams haven't even played more than 1 or 2 conference games? Really, that's necessary??

Where's Maryland?

You have American at 16 and Florida Atlantic at 14 (and you say FAU's worst loss is Depaul). You do realize that American won at FAU earlier this year by 10, right?

It seems a lot of MD Terp fans are chimin in. Since Maryland is NOT mentioned in the brackets, you MD fans think this early poll is "ludacris". Someone even stated "with certainty" that the Terps would make the tourney. C'mon Man. Maryland played O.K. against Duke, (their best game of the season probably), and still lost. Duke, (using their standards), played horrible. Was it Duke playing poorly or was it Md playing over it's head? We will see over MD's next couple of games. They lose, they are who we think they are, they win, progress.
When MD beats someone of note, they will begin to get some love, if not, no recognition.

Purdue as a 6 seed??? Are you serious???

They are 15-1, RPI 11, SOS 44, ranked 8th in the country. They don't have a marquee win yet - but they are a top 4 seed at the moment, easily. I think you're overstating the Hummel loss as seeding impact - he's out for the year, not hurt a week before Selection Sunday. Though I guess the Boilermakers will put up or shut up in the next couple weeks - at Minn, OSU and WV - home vs MSU.

Hlynchmaestro, of course if the season ended today MD wouldn't be in. The person who stated with certainty that MD would make it was probably basing this on history. Gary's teams have gone to the tourney 14 of the last 17 years (and 3 of last 4), so we kind of expect it at Maryland. We also have a history of starting slow in recent years only to get some big wins down the stretch. And if you think Duke is winning in CP later this year, think again.

Hey Prisbell, you made a mistake. You left Maryland off your bracket. I'm sure it was an honest mistake.

Really, that's necessary??

Posted by: Barno1 | January 10, 2011 10:21 PM

Of course it's not necessary, Barn - it's a fun blog post to chat about the resumes of teams as we get into conference season.

One issue for the Terps, even if they do heat up in conference play... they only have (at present) four ACC games against RPI top 50 opponents (BC, Duke, Miami, Carolina). That's pretty amazing when you think about it - all the ACC has to offer is four teams in the top 50. Give me back my old ACC and 8 team round robin of my youth!

Terps need to play their butts off this Saturday in Philly.

Terps will win in Philly and in Wake. You heard it here.

No. 1, I find mock brackets (especially this early in the season) kind of silly. No. 2, I know you base these on body of work thus far, but I can't see the Terps not finishing in the ACC's top 4. Especially after the way they played the top-ranked team in the country Sunday.

But, I do agree that no more than four from a weak ACC will qualify.

Terps will win in Philly and in Wake. You heard it here.

Posted by: Barno1 | January 11, 2011 12:10 PM

They had better win in Winston-Salem, Stetson and Presbyterian did too.

Anyone below 11-5 in the ACC does nt deserve to be in the tourney.

S. Greenberg

He didn't really say that did he? Doesn't seem like him.

Finishing 8-8 in the ACC almost always makes you a lock for the ncaa tourney. Unless you're Vtech and have no marquee out of conference wins.

He didn't say they wouldn't be in, he said they don't deserve to be in...

Which frankly I tend to agree with, though I think 11-5 is a bit arbitrary.

The conference schedule can really mask some marginal teams, I'd rather see a second or third team come out of a mid-major conference than the middle of the road teams from a major. That would be my preference. I like to see teams play that excelled in their conferences. I know the argument is the worst team in the Big East is better than the best team etc etc... but it's all fairly arbitrary, and since it is collegiate, I'd rather they err on the side of rewarding good seasons (regardless of conference) instead of traditional conference strength.

Then everyone would in essence know exactly what it should take. A winning record in your conference is a start.

It will be Fairfield, not St Peters, in MAAC