Bracketology: Eric Prisbell's NCAA tournament field of 68
| Newark Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | Team | Conf* | Note |
| 1 | Ohio State | Big Ten* | My prediction: Will not run table in regular season |
| 2 | San Diego State | MWC | Gay to the rescue at Colorado State |
| 3 | Notre Dame | Big East | Does win vs. DePaul count? |
| 4 | Texas A&M | Big 12 | Offense nonexistent vs. Longhorns |
| 5 | Louisville | Big East | One of Pitino's better coaching jobs |
| 6 | Vanderbilt | SEC | Got robbed vs. Florida |
| 7 | Illinois | Big Ten | Loss to Northwestern was fifth in seven games |
| 8 | Temple | A-10 | Solid, unspectacular resume |
| 9 | George Mason | CAA* | On longest win streak in 12 years |
| 10 | Marquette | Big East | Rally falls short vs. Villanova |
| 11 | Boston College | ACC | Scored much-needed win over Hokies |
| 12 | UCLA/Michigan State | Play-in | Elite programs in play-in game |
| 13 | UTEP | C-USA* | No one wants to win this league |
| 14 | Kent State | MAC* | Flip a coin with the MAC teams |
| 15 | Fairfield | MAAC* | Best win: Vermont |
| 16 | Bethune-Cookman | MEAC* | 7 of 9 Division I wins on road |
| New Orleans Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | Team | Conf* | Note |
| 1 | Pittsburgh | Big East* | Entered weekend with two-game lead |
| 2 | Duke | ACC* | Singler comes alive vs. Terps |
| 3 | Villanova | Big East | Held off Marquette, few problems with W. Virginia |
| 4 | Wisconsin | Big Ten | Can further damage Spartans' hopes |
| 5 | Missouri | Big 12 | Tigers need to win on road |
| 6 | Washington | Pac-10 | Clipped by Oregon State on road |
| 7 | UNLV | MWC | Lone black mark: loss to Santa Barbara |
| 8 | Xavier | A-10 | No high seeds for A-10 teams |
| 9 | Saint Mary's | WCC* | Only two wins vs. top 100 teams |
| 10 | Cleveland State | Horizon* | Hurt Valpo's at-large hopes |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | Earned much-needed win vs. Missouri |
| 12 | Old Dominion | CAA | Got pounded by George Mason |
| 13 | Princeton | Ivy* | Scored four-point win over Harvard |
| 14 | Belmont | Atlantic Sun* | Has 12 wins away from home |
| 15 | Austin Peay | Ohio Valley* | Lost four overtime games |
| 16 | Long Beach State/Jackson State | Play-in | Jackson State beat one top 100 team |
| Anaheim Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | Team | Conf* | Note |
| 1 | Kansas | Big 12 | Can't play Texas again until Big 12 tourney |
| 2 | BYU | MWC* | Fredette saves them vs. Wyoming |
| 3 | Georgetown | Big East | Played nation's toughest schedule |
| 4 | Syracuse | Big East | Losing skid finally ends vs. U-Conn. |
| 5 | Florida | SEC* | Fortunate to claim Vandy win |
| 6 | North Carolina | ACC | Drew's decision to transfer a mystery |
| 7 | Arizona | Pac-10* | A new favorite in down league? |
| 8 | St. John's | Big East | Four top 13 RPI wins |
| 9 | Utah State | WAC* | Should run table in WAC |
| 10 | Georgia | SEC | Hosts Xavier on Tuesday |
| 11 | Richmond | A-10 | Live and die by the three |
| 12 | Wichita State | MVC* | Three MVC vying for berths |
| 13 | Oakland | Summit* | Lost two games by one point |
| 14 | Montana | Big Sky* | Can claim victory at UCLA |
| 15 | Bucknell | Patriot* | Logjam in middle of league |
| 16 | Long Island*/McNeese State* | Play-in | LIU's SOS ranks 325th |
| San Antonio Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Seed | Team | Conf* | Note |
| 1 | Texas | Big 12* | The team no one wants to play |
| 2 | Connecticut | Big East | Shot selection an issue for Walker |
| 3 | Purdue | Big Ten | Top 20 in RPI and SOS |
| 4 | Kentucky | SEC | Patrick Patterson leadership would help |
| 5 | West Virginia | Big East | Brutal schedule rest of the way |
| 6 | Tennessee | SEC | As unpredictable as its conference |
| 7 | Minnesota | Big Ten | Indiana loss a head-scratcher |
| 8 | Florida State | ACC | Seminoles still an enigma |
| 9 | Cincinnati | Big East | Strength of nonleague sked stinks |
| 10 | Virginia Tech | ACC | Hokies get long break after BC loss |
| 11 | Washington State/Kansas State | Play-in | Margin for error slim for both |
| 12 | Duquesne | A-10* | Has not been to NCAAs since 1977 |
| 13 | Charleston | Southern* | Seven true road wins |
| 14 | Coastal Carolina | Big South* | Has not lost since Nov. 18 |
| 15 | Florida Atlantic | Sun Belt* | Hofstra is lone top 100 victory |
| 16 | Vermont | America East* | Gets rematch vs. Maine ON Feb. 16 |
* - Projected conference champion
By
Eric Prisbell
| February 4, 2011; 11:21 AM ET
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Previous: NCAA tournament 2011: What to do with Michigan State
"No high seeds for A-10 teams"
I agree with you there, Eric. Though if the conference can squeeze four teams in, they won't care too much about seeding. Xavier has a good chance to be a top 6 seed but they need to win at Georgia and Dayton for that.
What Duquesne has done this year is amazing. 7-0 in the conference - and all wins by 12 points or more! Ron Everhart has been a Godsend for that school.
Posted by: Kev29 | February 4, 2011 11:38 AM | Report abuse
Does a win vs Depaul count? Nd has beat Georgia (15-6), Wisconsin (16-5), Gonzaga (15-8), G-Town (17-5), Unconn (17-5) Pitt (20-2), and Cincy (18-4). Do those wins count? Second place in the big east! Go Irish!
Posted by: tcavanaugh | February 4, 2011 11:55 AM | Report abuse
Eric has proven me wrong before, but I still think if the Terps get more than 20 wins and finish in the top half of the ACC, they are in.
Not the best year, agreed. But the ACC is still the best basketball conference in the country. This includes the last two National Champions, and five of the last ten.
Maryland currently ranks #40 in the Sagarin, which is much more accurate, in my humble opinion, than the RPI. 20+ wins, and it will be hard to keep them out.
Eric, when was the last time an ACC team with 20+ wins missed the dance?
Posted by: steven09 | February 4, 2011 12:40 PM | Report abuse
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/bkt1011.htm
Posted by: steven09 | February 4, 2011 12:42 PM | Report abuse
An ACC team with 20+ wins missing the dance? See Virginia Tech, last year, with 23 wins.
Also see Virginia Tech for an ACC team missing the dance with 10+ ACC wins, both last year and in 2007.
Posted by: jlowery1 | February 4, 2011 2:05 PM | Report abuse
The ACC is the best best basketball conference in the country? Very funny. What was the St. John's vs Duke score last Sunday?
Posted by: tcavanaugh | February 4, 2011 2:40 PM | Report abuse
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