Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Bracket Notes- 1/29

Wisconsin solidifies themselves as the top overall seed by beating Michigan and Iowa. They are also the only team with one loss. UCLA which was the top seed last week beat Cal but lost @Stanford. The Bruins gave up 50 second half points and blew a 12 point halftime lead. They are still a one seed but hopefully that second half was just an aberration for them. The Tar Heels handed Arizona their worst home loss of the Lute Olsen era. Ty Lawson emerged as UNC’s go to guy so look for Lawson to emerge as more of a playmaker as the Heels go back into ACC play. These 3 teams along with Florida are the clear cut one seeds at the point and no other team really has a strong case at all.

Oregon gave Washington new life when they dropped a game there last Thursday but that was without Aaron Brooks who was suspended from the game. With Brooks back, they beat Washington St. by 3. The Ducks remind me a lot of last year’s Villanova team in that they employ a four guard lineup and had been underachieving the last few years. I expect them to make a run to the Sweet 16 and maybe the Elite 8.

Virginia Tech flew to the head of the ACC this week. They finally seem to be playing at high level regardless of their opponent. For the past few years and even earlier this year, they were playing to the level of their opponent and more often than not losing to inferior teams. This week they picked up two roads wins. One was against Miami who isn’t very good and another against underachieving Georgia Tech. Their days of just being a thorn in Duke’s side are over.

Even though Arizona got destroyed by UNC, they are still safely in the bracket since they have no bad losses as well as a win against Memphis and several other quality teams. Alabama is in much the same boat as Arizona. They only have one bad loss a 24-point home loss to Auburn. They also have several quality victories but don’t have a resume headlining win yet. The Crimson Tide are injury-prone but too talented to not make the tournament. LSU is my last team in because they are another team with no bad losses although some might become suspect as the season plays out. Their win over Uconn has lost a lot of its luster and just beating Texas A&M won’t be enough.

Vandy continued their recent SEC domination by taking out LSU and Ole Miss. The LSU win coupled with wins over Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky vault the Commodores into the bracket. If they can split with Florida, they would be near lock status. Texas Tech picked up another huge win against Texas A&M to put them into the bracket but they also lost at Missouri. They have enough talent to stay in the bracket but they can’t be losing to the bottom of their conference. Stanford also charged into this week’s bracket by beating #1 UCLA and #25 USC. Georgia also moved into the bracket. They beat Kentucky and LSU this week and have another win against Gonzaga. In addition all of their losses have come to teams currently in the field.

East Tennessee St., Cal State Fullerton, and Weber St. move into automatic bid slots replace Belmont, Long Beach, and Idaho St. East Tennessee won at Belmont this week and Weber St. won at Idaho St.

Most of the teams on my also considered list lack a big win or have bad losses. BC is out because of Sean Williams's dismissal and I don’t like the makeup of their roster to put them in. Louisville lacks that resume topping win but if they keep beating bubble teams as they have been doing then they will be in soon.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Bracket Update- 1/29

1 seeds
Wisconsin (Big Ten)
Florida (SEC)
UNC (ACC)
UCLA (Pac-10)

2 seeds
Ohio St.
Pitt (Big East)
Oregon
Texas A&M (Big 12)

3 seeds
Kansas
Duke
Oklahoma St.
Marquette

4 seeds
Memphis (C-USA)
Butler (Horizon)
Nevada (WAC)
Southern Illinois (MVC)

5 seeds
Washington St.
Georgetown
Air Force (Mt. West)
Virginia Tech

6 seeds
Notre Dame
Kentucky
Arizona
USC

7 seeds
Alabama
Clemson
Indiana
Texas

8 seeds
Villanova
Maryland
Vandy
West Virginia

9 seeds
Gonzaga (WCC)
Michigan St.
UNLV
Tennessee

10 seeds
Texas Tech
Stanford
New Mexico St.
George Washington (A-10)

11 seeds
Syracuse
Creighton
VCU (CAA)
Georgia

12 seeds
Mizzou St.Virginia
Georgia Tech
LSU

13 seeds
Akron (MAC)
Davidson (SoCon)
Winthrop (Big South)
Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)

14 seeds
Marist (MAAC)
Texas A&M-CC (Southland)
Holy Cross (Patriot)
Cal State Fullerton (Big West)

15 seeds
Oral Roberts (MCC)
Penn (Ivy)
Vermont (Am East)
East Tennessee St. (A-Sun)

16 seeds
Austin Peay (OVC)
Weber St. (Big Sky)
Jackson St. (SWAC)
Sacred Heart* (NEC)
Delaware St.* (MEAC)

*- play-in game

Multi-Bid Conferences
ACC- 7
Big East- 7
SEC- 7
Pac-10- 6
Big 12- 5
Big Ten- 4
MVC- 3
Mt. West- 2
WAC- 2

In
VandyStanford
GW
Creighton
Georgia
Virginia
Cal State Fullerton
East Tennessee St.
Weber St.

Out
Michigan
BC
UMass
Northern Iowa
Florida St.
Illinois
Long Beach St.
Belmont
Idaho St.

Also Considered
Arkansas, BC, Florida St., Louisville, Washington, Xavier, Northern Iowa, Michigan, Wichita St., Illinois, Providence, Purdue, Drexel, Bradley, Kansas St., UMass, Hofstra

Monday, January 22, 2007

Bracket Update- 1/22

1 seeds
UCLA (Pac-10)
Wisconsin (Big Ten)
Florida (SEC)
UNC (ACC)

2 seeds
Ohio St.
Texas A&M (Big 12)
Oregon
Pitt (Big East)

3 seeds
Kansas
Alabama
Oklahoma St.
Duke

4 seeds
Memphis (C-USA)
Marquette
Arizona
Butler (Horizon)

5 seeds
Nevada (WAC)
Air Force (Mt. West)
LSU
Washington St.

6 seeds
Southern Illinois (MVC)
Notre Dame
Kentucky
Georgetown

7 seeds
Clemson
Tennessee
Virginia Tech
USC

8 seeds
Indiana
Syracuse
Villanova
Texas

9 seeds
West Virginia
Maryland
Gonzaga (WCC)
Michigan St.

10 seeds
Georgia Tech
Michigan
New Mexico St.
UMass (A-10)

11 seeds
BC
Northern Iowa
VCU (CAA)
Texas Tech

12 seeds
Florida St.
UNLV
Illinois
Mizzou St.

13 seeds
Akron (MAC)
Davidson (SoCon)
Winthrop (Big South)
Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)

14 seeds
Marist (MAAC)
Texas A&M-CC (Southland)
Holy Cross (Patriot)
Long Beach St. (Big West)

15 seeds
Penn (Ivy)
Oral Roberts (MCC)
Vermont (Am East)
Belmont (A-Sun)

16 seeds
Austin Peay (OVC)
Idaho St. (Big Sky)
Jackson St. (SWAC)
Sacred Heart* (NEC)
Delaware St.* (MEAC)

*- play-in game

Multi-Bid Conferences
ACC- 8
Big East- 7
Big Ten- 6
Big 12- 5
Pac-10- 5
SEC- 5
MVC- 3
Mt. West- 2
WAC- 2

In
Northern Iowa
Texas Tech
Florida St.
Akron

Out
Uconn
Creighton
Stanford
Ohio

Also Considered
Virginia, Stanford, Arkansas, Wichita St., Vandy, Creighton, UConn, Washington, Drexel, Providence, Bradley, Louisville, Purdue, Xavier, Georgia, Cal, Hofstra, GW, Kansas St.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Bracket Update- 1/15

1 seeds
UCLA (Pac-10)
Wisconsin (Big Ten)
Florida (SEC)
UNC (ACC)

2 seeds
Ohio St.
Kansas (Big 12)
Pitt (Big East)
Texas A&M

3 seeds
Oregon
LSU
Arizona
Alabama

4 seeds
Duke
Oklahoma St.
Air Force (Mt. West)
Memphis (C-USA)

5 seeds
Nevada (WAC)
Southern Illinois (MVC)
Butler (Horizon)
Notre Dame

6 seeds
Tennessee
Missouri St.
Kentucky
Marquette

7 seeds
Washington St.
Texas
Georgetown
Clemson

8 seeds
West Virginia
Syracuse
Maryland
Virginia Tech

9 seeds
Gonzaga (WCC)
USC
Uconn
Indiana

10 seeds
Michigan St.
Georgia Tech
UMass (A-10)
BC

11 seeds
New Mexico St.
Creighton
Stanford
VCU (CAA)

12 seeds
Illinois
UNLV
Villanova
Michigan

13 seeds
Ohio (MAC)
Davidson (SoCon)
Winthrop (Big South)
Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)

14 seeds
Marist (MAAC)
Texas A&M-CC (Southland)
Holy Cross (Patriot)
Penn (Ivy)

15 seeds
Oral Roberts (MCC)
Long Beach St. (Big West)
Vermont (Am East)
Belmont (A-Sun)

16 seeds
Austin Peay (OVC)
Idaho St. (Big Sky)
Jackson St. (SWAC)
Sacred Heart* (NEC)
Delaware St.* (MEAC)

*- play-in game

Multi-Bid Conferences
Big East- 8
ACC- 7
Big Ten- 6
Pac-10- 6
SEC- 5
Big 12- 4
MVC- 3
Mt. West- 2
WAC- 2

In
Georgia Tech
UMass
BC
Creighton
Stanford
VCU
Villanova
Vermont
Austin Peay
Idaho St.

Out
Washington
Xavier
Arkansas
Northern Iowa
Drexel
Providence
Virginia
Albany
Samford
Northern Arizona

Also Considered
Florida St.
Northern Iowa
Wichita St.
Arkansas
Washington
Providence
Purdue
Texas Tech
Louisville
Old Dominion
Xavier
Drexel
Virginia
Indiana St.
GW
DePaul
Dayton
Bradley
Cal
Kansas St.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Bracket Update- 1/08

1 seeds
UCLA (Pac-10)
UNC (ACC)
Wisconsin (Big Ten)
Florida (SEC)

2 seeds
Ohio St.
Pitt (Big East)
Kansas (Big 12)
LSU

3 seeds
Arizona
Texas A&M
Duke
Oklahoma St.

4 seeds
Air Force (Mt. West)
Oregon
Memphis (C-USA)
Alabama

5 seeds
Nevada (WAC)
Butler (Horizon)
Southern Illinois (MVC)
Tennessee

6 seeds
Missouri St.
Georgetown
Washington St.
Notre Dame

7 seeds
Kentucky
Clemson
West Virginia
Texas

8 seeds
Washington
Syracuse
Maryland
Marquette

9 seeds
USC
UConn
Xavier (A-10)
Gonzaga (WCC)

10 seeds
Arkansas
Northern Iowa
Drexel (CAA)
Michigan

11 seeds
Indiana
Providence
Michigan St.
UNLV

12 seeds
Illinois
Virginia Tech
New Mexico St.
Virginia

13 seeds
Ohio (MAC)
Winthrop (Big South)
Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)
Marist (MAAC)

14 seeds
Davidson (SoCon)
Texas A&M-CC (Southland)
Holy Cross (Patriot)
Penn (Ivy)

15 seeds
Oral Roberts (MCC)
Long Beach St. (Big West)
Samford (OVC)
Belmont (A-Sun)

16 seeds
Northern Arizona (Big Sky)
Sacred Heart (NEC)
Albany (Am East)
Jackson St.* (SWAC)
Delaware St.* (MEAC)

*- play-in game

Multi-Bid Conferences
Big East- 8
ACC- 6
Big Ten- 6
Pac-10- 6
SEC- 6
Big 12- 4
MVC- 3
Mt. West- 2
WAC- 2

In
USC
Xavier
Northern Iowa
Indiana
Providence
UNLV
New Mexico St.
Virginia Tech
Drexel
Ohio
Holy Cross
Jackson St.

Out
Wichita St.
Villanova
Purdue
UMass
BC
Mizzou
Dayton
Creighton
Old Dominion
Akron
American
Alcorn St.

Also Considered
Florida St., Georgia Tech, BC, Villanova, Purdue, Wichita St., UMass, Dayton, DePaul, Texas Tech, Louisville, GW, Cal, Kansas St., Mizzou, Indiana St., Stanford, Old Dominion, Fresno St., Creighton, South Carolina