Monday, November 24, 2008

Bracket Update- 11/24

A Few Notes From Early Season Action
North Carolina is the clear national champ favorite and virtually unstoppable but they do have problems with defensive focus and injuries and if they run into an up-tempo team (like Kansas last year) then they could lose.

Duke has virtually the same team and style as last year meaning they will lose to any team in March that can rebound well especially offensively and has a halfway decent PG.

Louisville hasn't played that much so far but they are still an interesting team. Last year, they were a borderline NCAA team when Padgett and to lesser extent Palacios got injured and now both gone so inside game might be a weakness depending on how good Samuels is in Big East play.

Kentucky lost to a very fast VMI team but I still think they will be in the bracket come March. If they face an up-tempo team though, they could be in trouble since it looks like Patterson can be taken out of those types of game.

San Diego also stays in the bracket because they return almost everyone from a tournament team last year and they were very competitive at UNLV even though four rotation players were suspended.

1 seeds
UNC (ACC)
Notre Dame (Big East)
Texas (Big 12)
UConn

2 seeds
Louisville
Oklahoma
Purdue (Big Ten)
Duke

3 seeds
UCLA (Pac-10)
Memphis (C-USA)
Georgetown
Baylor

4 seeds
Tennessee (SEC)
Kansas
Pitt
Gonzaga (WCC)

5 seeds
Florida
Michigan St.
Xavier (A-10)
UNLV (Mt. West)

6 seeds
St. Mary’s
Wake Forest
Marquette
Creighton (MVC)

7 seeds
Villanova
Arizona St.
Wisconsin
Clemson

8 seeds
Miami
USC
BYU
Miss St.

9 seeds
West Virginia
Virginia Tech
Texas A&M
Syracuse

10 seeds
Ohio St.
Davidson (Southern)
UAB
Michigan

11 seeds
Washington St.
Maryland
LSU
Kentucky

12 seeds
San Diego
Nebraska
Nevada (WAC)
Siena (MAAC)

13 seeds
SFA (Southland)
Cleveland St. (Horizon)
Kent St. (MAC)
VCU (CAA)

14 seed
Pacific (Big West)
Cornell (Ivy)
North Dakota St. (Summit)
Idaho St. (Big Sky)

15 seeds
Belmont (A-Sun)
American (Patriot)
North Texas (Sun Belt)
Binghamton (Am East)

16 seeds
UT-Martin (OVC)
Radford (Big South)
Delaware St. (MEAC)
Mount St. Mary’s (NEC)*
Jackson St. (SWAC)*

*- play-in game

Big East- 9
ACC- 7
Big 12- 6
Big Ten- 5
SEC- 5
Pac-10- 4
WCC- 3
C-USA- 2
Mt. West- 2

In
Michigan
Washington St.
Maryland
LSU
Nebraska

Out
San Diego St.
Alabama
Vandy
Temple
Utah

Last Four In
LSU, Kentucky, San Diego, Nebraska

First Four Out
Cincy, Florida St., Missouri, San Diego St.

Also Considered
Dayton, Temple, Vandy, Alabama, Utah, South Carolina, OK St., Minnesota, Illinois, Penn St., Seton Hall, Texas Tech, NC State, Rutgers, Arizona, Southern Illinois, Stanford, Virginia, Mercer, Georgia Tech, Charleston, Providence, Illinois St., VMI, BC, St. John’s, Ole Miss, Northeastern, Washington, Oregon, Drake, UMass, Southern Miss

Monday, November 10, 2008

Preseason Bracket

1 seeds
UNC (ACC)
Notre Dame (Big East)
Texas (Big 12)
UConn

2 seeds
Louisville
Oklahoma
UCLA (Pac-10)
Memphis (C-USA)

3 seeds
Purdue (Big Ten)
Duke
Georgetown
Baylor

4 seeds
Tennessee (SEC)
Kansas
Pitt
USC

5 seeds
Gonzaga (WCC)
Florida
Michigan St.
UNLV (Mt. West)

6 seeds
St. Mary’s
Wake Forest
Marquette
Creighton (MVC)

7 seeds
Villanova
Xavier (A-10)
Virginia Tech
Arizona St.

8 seeds
Miami
Wisconsin
San Diego St.
Miss St.

9 seeds
Kentucky
Clemson
West Virginia
Texas A&M

10 seeds
Syracuse
BYU
Davidson (Southern)
Ohio St.

11 seeds
Alabama
San Diego
Vandy
UAB

12 seeds
Temple
Utah
Nevada (WAC)
Siena (MAAC)

13 seeds
SFA (Southland)
Cleveland St. (Horizon)
Kent St. (MAC)
VCU (CAA)

14 seed
Pacific (Big West)
Cornell (Ivy)
North Dakota St. (Summit)
Idaho St. (Big Sky)

15 seeds
Belmont (A-Sun)
American (Patriot)
North Texas (Sun Belt)
Boston U (Am East)

16 seeds
UT-Martin (OVC)
Radford (Big South)
Delaware St. (MEAC)
Mount St. Mary’s (NEC)*
Jackson St. (SWAC)*

*- play-in game

Big East- 9
ACC- 6
SEC- 6
Big 12- 5
Big Ten- 4
Mt. West- 4
Pac-10- 3
WCC- 3
A-10- 2
C-USA- 2

Last Four In
Vandy, UAB, Temple, Utah

First Four Out
Washington St., Maryland, Charleston, Washington

Also Considered
Arizona, Nebraska, Charlotte, Cincy, Providence, LSU, South Carolina, NC State, Northeastern, Michigan, BC, Florida St., Georgia, OK St., Minnesota, Southern Illinois, Drake, UMass, Dayton, Rutgers, Ole Miss, Arkansas, St. John’s, Penn St., Illinois, Oregon, Southern Miss, Texas Tech, Northern Iowa, Stanford, Auburn

Preseason Predictions VI

ACC
UNC (Auto)
Duke (At-large)
Wake Forest (At-large)
Va Tech (At-large)
Miami (At-large)
Clemson (Bubble)
Maryland (Bubble)
NC State (Bubble)
BC (Bubble)
Florida St. (Bubble)
Virginia
Georgia Tech

Big East
Notre Dame (Auto)
Uconn (At-large)
Louisville (At-large)
Georgetown (At-large)
Pitt (At-large)
Marquette (At-large)
Villanova (At-large)
West Virginia (Bubble)
Syracuse (Bubble)
Cincy (Bubble)
Providence (Bubble)
Rutgers (Bubble)
St. John's (Bubble)
DePaul
Seton Hall
South Florida

Big Ten
Purdue (Auto)
Michigan St. (At-large)
Wisconsin (At-large)
Ohio St. (Bubble)
Michigan (Bubble)
Minnesota (Bubble)
Penn St. (Bubble)
Illinois (Bubble)
Iowa
Northwestern
Indiana

Big 12
Texas (Auto)
Oklahoma (At-large)
Baylor (At-large)
Kansas (At-large)
Texas A&M (Bubble)
Nebraska (Bubble)
OK St. (Bubble)
Texas Tech (Bubble)
Mizzou
Kansas St.
Iowa St.
Colorado

Pac-10
UCLA (Auto)
USC (At-large)
Arizona St. (At-large)
Washington St. (Bubble)
Washington (Bubble)
Arizona (Bubble)
Oregon (Bubble)
Stanford (Bubble)
Cal
Oregon St.

SEC
East
Tennessee (Auto)
Florida (At-large)
Kentucky (Bubble)
Vandy (Bubble)
South Carolina (Bubble)
Georgia (Bubble)

West
Miss St. (Bubble)
Alabama (Bubble)
LSU (Bubble)
Ole Miss (Bubble)
Arkansas (Bubble)
Auburn (Bubble)

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Preseason Predictions V

WCC
Gonzaga (Auto)
St. Mary's (Bubble)
San Diego (Bubble)
Portland
San Francisco
Santa Clara
Pepperdine
Loyola Marymount

WAC
Nevada (Auto)
Utah St.
Boise St.
New Mexico St.
San Jose St.
La Tech
Hawaii
Fresno St.
Idaho

Sun Belt
East
Florida Atlantic
Mid Tenn St.
South Alabama
Western Kentucky
Florida Int'l
Troy

West
North Texas (Auto)
LA-Lafayette
Ark-LR
Denver
New Orleans
Arkansas St.
LA Monroe

Summit
North Dakota St. (Auto)
Oakland
IUPUI
Oral Roberts
Centenary
UMKC
IPFW
Southern Utah
South Dakota St.
Western Illinois

SWAC
Jackson St. (Auto)
Alabama St.
Southern
Alabama A&M
Texas Southern
Grambling St.
Alcorn St.
Prairie View A&M
Miss Valley St.
AR Pine Bluff

Preseason Predictions IV

NEC
Mt. St. Mary's (Auto)
Robert Morris
Wagner
CCSU
Monmouth
Sacred Heart
Long Island
Quinnipiac
St. Francis (PA)
St. Francis (NY)
FDU

OVC
UT Martin (Auto)
Murray St.
Austin Peay
Morehead St.
Tennessee St.
Eastern Kentucky
Southeastern Missouri St.
Jacksonville St.
Tennessee Tech
Eastern Illinois

Patriot
American (Auto)
Navy
Lehigh
Colgate
Army
Bucknell
Holy Cross
Lafayette

Southern
North
Elon
Samford
Chattanooga
Appalachian St.
UNC Greensboro
Western Carolina

South
Davidson (Auto)
Charleston (Bubble)
Georgia Southern
Furman
Wofford
Citadel

Southland
East
SE Louisiana
NW St.
Lamar
Nicholls St.
Central Arkansas
McNeese St.

West
Stephen F. Austin (Auto)
Texas A&M-CC
UT-Arlington
Texas St.
Sam Houston St.
UTSA

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Preseason Predictions III

Mt. West
UNLV (Auto)
SDSU (Bubble)
BYU (Bubble)
Utah (Bubble)
New Mexico
Air Force
TCU
Wyoming
Colorado St.

MVC
Creighton (Auto)
Southern Illinois (Bubble)
Drake (Bubble)
Northern Iowa (Bubble)
Bradley
Evansville
Mizzou St.
Illinois St.
Indiana St.
Wichita St.

MAC
East
Kent St. (Auto)
BGU
Miami OH
Buffalo
Akron
Ohio

West
Western Michigan
Toledo
Eastern Michigan
Central Michigan
Ball St.
Northern Illinois

MAAC
Siena (Auto)
Fairfield
Rider
Manhattan
Niagara
Iona
Canisius
St. Peter's
Loyola MD
Marist

MEAC
Delaware St.
South Carolina St.
Hampton
Norfolk St.
Morgan St.
Howard
Bethune-Cookman
Florida A&M
NC A&T
Coppin St.
Maryland Eastern Shore