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Monday, March 5, 2007
Tony Barnhart’s daily picks
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After Tony’s update, log your own opinion in our daily blog.
WHO’S IN
• Penn (20-8), Ivy League; Belmont (21-9), Atlantic Sun; Winthrop (24-4), Big South; Eastern Kentucky (21-11), Ohio Valley; Davidson (29-4), Southern; Creighton (22-10) Missouri Valley.
TOP 65 BY SEEDS
1: UCLA, Kansas, Ohio State, Florida
2: Texas A&M, North Carolina, Georgetown, Wisconsin
3: Memphis, Maryland, Tennessee, Pittsburgh
4: Southern Illinois, Washington State, Nevada, Texas
5: Louisville, Virginia Tech, Butler, UNLV
6: Duke, Arizona, Virginia, Notre Dame
7: Marquette, Boston College, Indiana, Michigan State
8: Creighton*, Kentucky, Villanova, Vanderbilt
9: Air Force, Oregon, Georgia Tech, BYU
10: Xavier, Syracuse, Southern Cal, Texas Tech
11: Purdue, Clemson, Old Dominion, Arkansas
12: VCU, Winthrop, Davidson*, Gonzaga
13: Missouri State, Drexel, Holy Cross, Long Beach State
14: Toledo, Vermont, Oral Roberts, Sam Houston
15: Western Kentucky, Penn, Siena, Eastern Kentucky
16: Delaware State, Belmont*, Weber State, Mississippi Valley, Central Connecticut
• Play-in game: Jackson State vs. Central Connecticut
*Have received automatic bid.
TOP 65 BY CONFERENCE
(Note: Clemson made our projected field by winning at Virginia Tech. Stanford of the Pac-10 dropped out. Arkansas, which won at Vanderbilt, replaces Alabama as the No. 5 team from the SEC.)
We project that 22 of the 31 conferences will receive only one bid. The other 43 spots in the NCAA Field will be divided among the nine remaining conferences as follows:
• ACC (8) Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech.
Tournament: March 8-11, Tampa.
• Big East (7): Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Marquette, Syracuse, Villanova.
Tournament: March 7-10, New York.
• Big Ten (5): Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin.
Tournament: March 8-11, Chicago
• Big 12 (4): Kansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech.
Tournament: March 8-11, Oklahoma City.
• Colonial (3): Drexel, Old Dominion, VCU.
Tournament: VCU meets George Mason for championship Monday night.
• Missouri Valley (3): Creighton*, Missouri State, Southern Illinois.
Tournament: Creighton beat Southern Illinois for championship.
• Mountain West (3): Air Force, BYU, UNLV.
Tournament: March 6, 8-10, Las Vegas.
• PAC-10 (5): Arizona, Oregon, Southern Cal, UCLA, Washington State.
Tournament: March 7-10, Los Angeles.
• SEC (5): Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt.
Tournament: March 8-11, Atlanta.
ONE BID LEAGUES WITH PROJECTED CHAMPS (Conference tournament dates in parentheses)
• AMERICA EAST: Vermont (25-6) faces Albany (22-9) for championship on Saturday.
• ATLANTIC 10: Xavier (23-7) (March 7-10).
• BIG SKY: Weber State (15-11) (Tuesday, Wednesday).
• BIG WEST: Long Beach (21-7) (March 7-10).
• CONFERENCE-USA: Memphis (27-3) (March 7-10).
• HORIZON: Butler (27-5) plays Wright State (22-9) for championship Tuesday night.
• METRO ATLANTIC: Siena (20-11) plays Niagra (21-11) for championship Monday night.
• MID-AMERICAN: Toledo (March 7-10).
• MID-CONTINENT: Oral Roberts (semifinals Monday, championship Tuesday).
• MEAC: Delaware State (March 6-10).
• NORTHEAST: Central Connecticut plays Sacred Heart for championship Wednesday night.
• PATRIOT: Holy Cross (24-8) plays Bucknell (22-8) for championship on Friday.
• SOUTHLAND: Sam Houston (March 8-9, 11).
• SUN BELT: Western Kentucky (championship Tuesday).
• SWAC: Mississippi Valley (March 7-10).
• WAC: Nevada (March 6, 8-10).
• WEST COAST: Gonzaga (22-10) plays Santa Clara (20-9) Monday night for championship.
HERE’S YOUR BUBBLE
These teams still have work to do before selection Sunday:
• Alabama (20-10, RPI 43): Crimson Tide had a bad loss at Mississippi State on Saturday. Alabama must beat Kentucky in the first round of the SEC Touranment.
• Florida State (19-11, RPI 46): Seminoles have to beat Clemson on Thursday to keep their hopes alive.
• Georgia (17-12, RPI 63): Loss to Tennessee means that Bulldogs must get to finals of SEC Tournament just to have a chance.
• Illinois (21-10, RPI 35): The Illini had a bad loss to Iowa on Saturday. But a couple of wins in the Big Ten Tournament would help.
• Kansas State (21-10, RPI 60): The Wildcats are 1-6 against the Top 50 but finished alone in fourth in the Big 12.
• Massachusetts (23-7, RPI 56): Tied Xavier for Atlantic 10 regular season championship.
• Michigan (20-11, RPI 53): The Wolverines, who lost to Ohio State (65-61) at home on Saturday, need to make some noise in the Big Ten Tournament.
• Stanford (18-11, RPI 57): The Cardinal has five wins against the Top 50 and one against No. 1 UCLA. A loss to Southern Cal (21-10, RPI 54) in the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament could keep Stanford at home.
• West Virginia (20-8, RPI 58): Mountaineers played a soft schedule but did beat UCLA at home.
IN, BUT NERVOUS
• Arkansas (18-12, RPI 48): Hogs put themselves back in the field by winning at Vanderbilt. Must beat South Carolina in first round of SEC Tournament to say in.
• Clemson (21-9, RPI 36): The Tigers put themselves back in the field by winning at Virginia Tech. Lose to Florida State on Thursday in the ACC Tournament and Clemson could be out again.
• Missouri State (22-10, RPI 38): Lost badly to Creighton in the semifinals of Missouri Valley Tournament.
• Drexel (22-8, RPI 40), Old Dominion (24-8, RPI 39), VCU (26-6, RPI 51): If George Mason (18-14, RPI 120) upsets VCU in the Colonial championship at least one of those teams is going to get left out.
THE BIG GUYS ARE PULLING FOR
• Butler (25-5, RPI 30), which faces Wright State (22-9, RPI 81) in the finals of the Horizon Tournament. If Wright State wins the Horizon will get two bids instead of one and the power conferences will likely lose a spot.
• How do you see it?
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