MBB: Championship Week - Teams making the field

[chrishoke]

FU all the time.

[BigWayne]

LET’S GO KSU OWLS!!!!!

Three seasons ago, they only won ONE game. They were picked to finish eighth in their conference this season. Instead they won the regular season and tournament in their conference.

(SonPK goes there too, so yet another reason to pull for them).

HOOTY-HOO!!!!!!!!!

(KSU is moving to Conference USA in ‘24-‘25)

Nice writeup on Kennesaw State's improvement.

[OldPhiKap]

im basically around the corner

Then we need to grab a beer when I’m up there!

[pfrduke]

Five finals tonight, but just four spots up for grabs

Horizon - Cleveland St vs. Northern Kentucky (7, ESPN). Cleveland State is the 2 seed, Northern Kentucky the 4, they split the season series in a pair of 1-point games.
NEC - Merrimack vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (7, ESPN2). Merrimack is the 1 seed, Fairleigh the 2, Fairleigh swept the season series and has also wrapped up the league's autobid, since Merrimack is still in the transition process from D-II to D-1.
Colonial - Charleston vs. UNC Wilmington (7, CBSSN). Charleston is the 1 seed, UNCW the 3, Charleston swept the season series. I think there's a super-remote chance Charleston could get an at-large bid if it loses, but my guess is this is a 1-bid league regardless.
WCC - St. Mary's vs. Gonzaga (9, ESPN). St. Mary's is the 1 seed, Gonzaga the 2, they split the season series. Both teams have very safely locked up bids.
Summit - Oral Roberts vs. North Dakota State (9, ESPN2). Oral Roberts is the 1 seed, North Dakota State the 3, Oral Roberts swept the season series (on the way to an undefeated Summit season). Oral Roberts is in a similar boat to Charleston - very outside chance of an at-large bid, but probably need to win to be in.

[arnie]

Five finals tonight, but just four spots up for grabs

Horizon - Cleveland St vs. Northern Kentucky (7, ESPN). Cleveland State is the 2 seed, Northern Kentucky the 4, they split the season series in a pair of 1-point games.
NEC - Merrimack vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (7, ESPN2). Merrimack is the 1 seed, Fairleigh the 2, Fairleigh swept the season series and has also wrapped up the league's autobid, since Merrimack is still in the transition process from D-II to D-1.
Colonial - Charleston vs. UNC Wilmington (7, CBSSN). Charleston is the 1 seed, UNCW the 3, Charleston swept the season series. I think there's a super-remote chance Charleston could get an at-large bid if it loses, but my guess is this is a 1-bid league regardless.
WCC - St. Mary's vs. Gonzaga (9, ESPN). St. Mary's is the 1 seed, Gonzaga the 2, they split the season series. Both teams have very safely locked up bids.
Summit - Oral Roberts vs. North Dakota State (9, ESPN2). Oral Roberts is the 1 seed, North Dakota State the 3, Oral Roberts swept the season series (on the way to an undefeated Summit season). Oral Roberts is in a similar boat to Charleston - very outside chance of an at-large bid, but probably need to win to be in.

Would love to see UNC-W beat Charleston then Charleston take the last at-large bid ahead of the resurgent Cheats.

Committee rationale; we already have Duke, State, UNC-A, UNC-W in tourney, done need another team from North Carolina.

[burnspbesq]

UNC-Ashville won the Big South Conference tournament.

SoCal

Saw them when we were in AVL at Thanksgiving. That team has some weapons. They probably won’t make it out of the first round, but they could make somebody work for the win.

[BigWayne]

Five finals tonight, but just four spots up for grabs

Horizon - Cleveland St vs. Northern Kentucky (7, ESPN). Cleveland State is the 2 seed, Northern Kentucky the 4, they split the season series in a pair of 1-point games.
NEC - Merrimack vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (7, ESPN2). Merrimack is the 1 seed, Fairleigh the 2, Fairleigh swept the season series and has also wrapped up the league's autobid, since Merrimack is still in the transition process from D-II to D-1.
Colonial - Charleston vs. UNC Wilmington (7, CBSSN). Charleston is the 1 seed, UNCW the 3, Charleston swept the season series. I think there's a super-remote chance Charleston could get an at-large bid if it loses, but my guess is this is a 1-bid league regardless.
WCC - St. Mary's vs. Gonzaga (9, ESPN). St. Mary's is the 1 seed, Gonzaga the 2, they split the season series. Both teams have very safely locked up bids.
Summit - Oral Roberts vs. North Dakota State (9, ESPN2). Oral Roberts is the 1 seed, North Dakota State the 3, Oral Roberts swept the season series (on the way to an undefeated Summit season). Oral Roberts is in a similar boat to Charleston - very outside chance of an at-large bid, but probably need to win to be in.

So really just 3 spots in question since FDU is already in.
The problem with ORU and COC is that they are currently lingering around the 12 seed in most projections. For them to be in the at large running, they have to lose to a really lowly rated conference foe. That bad loss will drop them down where they can't get in. If they win, they will be 12 or 11 seeds, maybe even a 10 if pod scheduling forces some reordering. If they lose, the team beating them will probably be a 15 or 16 seed.

St Mary's/Gonzaga is interesting for seeding. Right now, most prognosticators seem to have Gonzaga as a 3 and St. Mary's as a 5. If St Mary's wins, do they move above Gonzaga or do they both end up as 4's?

[cato]

St Mary's/Gonzaga is interesting for seeding. Right now, most prognosticators seem to have Gonzaga as a 3 and St. Mary's as a 5. If St Mary's wins, do they move above Gonzaga or do they both end up as 4's?

Apply the Brevity Theory (the least amount of effort required to produce the bracket explains most results), Gonzaga will be a 3 and St Mary’s a 5.

[mattyoung18]

I've heard a lot about Gonzaga being the team that might be their year,just in public not on DBR.They got another pretty scrappy team along with St Mary's.Any thoughts on the Zags chances making a run this year?Could be interesting to see what kind of draw they get In the tournament!St Mary's is good too!Plus they still have Timmie!!!!Hes been there for 5 years seems like.

[pfrduke]

So really just 3 spots in question since FDU is already in.

4 spots: Summit, WCC, Colonial, Horizon.

I guess you could say both WCC teams were already definitely in based on their body of work, but only one gets the absolute guarantee that comes with winning the conference (and that one sure looks like it will be Gonzaga).

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Saw them when we were in AVL at Thanksgiving. That team has some weapons. They probably won’t make it out of the first round, but they could make somebody work for the win.

Agreed. They were down big late in their championship game and had a swarming defense and a flurry of offense - came back in a hot minute.

[gofurman]

FU all the time.

This. always this - FU ALL THE TIME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (C'mon, you can't beat that for a school to chant - Go Furman !

[arnie]

This. always this - FU ALL THE TIME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (C'mon, you can't beat that for a school to chant - Go Furman !

It’s good, but I like “Let’s go Peay” better. Wish Nate had made that happen.

[Daddylawman]

Then we need to grab a beer when I’m up there!

A few good places - you need to try Hrned Owl Brewery in downtown Kennesaw

[OldPhiKap]

A few good places - you need to try Horned Owl Brewery in downtown Kennesaw

Drove by that place on the way to a bakery/cafe/coffee shop last time I was up there, will check it out!

[killerleft]

So 33 of the 68 are AQ leaving 35 others for at-large...

Here are my picks (in no particular order). The ones that are missing are the ones who are in 1st place right now. For example, Miami is AQ in the ACC, Purdue in the B10 etc..

Memphis (1)
Duke, UVA, Pitt, UVA, Clemson (5)
Texas, Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa St., TCU, W Va (6)
Marquette, Creighton, Xavier, (3)
Md, Indiana, MSU, Ill., Iowa, Northwestern, Rutgers, Penn St. (8)
Utah St., Boise St., Nevada (3)
Ariz., USC, Oregon (3)
TN, Ark, Ky, Tx A&M, Auburn (5)
Gonzaga (1)

As much as we complain about the number of schools that make it from the B10 and B12, there are 35 at large slots that need to be filled.

Well, Miami is in, but the AQ is the winner of the ACC Tournament.

[MarkD83]

Well, Miami is in, but the AQ is the winner of the ACC Tournament.

I was just trying to list 35 possible at large teams. If Duke wins the acc tourney then Miami is the 6th acc team and 5th at large team. The overall point being the committee has to pick 35 teams and when you start to do that there are some borderline teams and some conferences get 7 8 or 9 teams.

[dlmzzz]

I've heard a lot about Gonzaga being the team that might be their year,just in public not on DBR.They got another pretty scrappy team along with St Mary's.Any thoughts on the Zags chances making a run this year?Could be interesting to see what kind of draw they get In the tournament!St Mary's is good too!Plus they still have Timmie!!!!Hes been there for 5 years seems like.

It's possible. Timme was under player of the year consideration a couple of years back, but doesn't get the same attention now that he's not the hot new thing. I think he has actually gotten better (not quite as much of a defensive liability as he was). Not sure if he has as good a team around him this year, but in almost all their games he will be best player on the court. That gives them a chance. And they did wax St Marys, so they're playing well now. I'm seeing them listed as a 3 seed.