2014-2015 Ultimate what-if sports NCAA Tournament

[collegesportsfanms]

With WIS getting the teams up for the current NCAA season, I'm going to fit yet another project into the mix. Fortunately I should have more time once I get back in town as I will have 1 less job to worry about.

Last year I made a season out of it, this year I'm including every team and going back to tournament style. The first part will be round robin. According to team rankings there were 351 teams in NCAA this season. The only way to have even groups is to do 39 groups of 9, with the top 3 in each group advancing followed by the 11 best 4th place finishers.

Normally I like having groups of 4 or 6, but there is no way to make that work and keep the groups even, so unless somebody comes up with a way to make it work with 6 team groups, I have no choice but to try it this way. I think this way will work. I am also considering a secondary tournament of sorts, I would like opinions on that too please.

My hope is to get this figured out by Thursday so that I can start putting the groups together while I'm watching the NCAA tournament games, so get your opinions in quick!

[britrock88]

56 groups of 6 and 3 groups of 5?

If there can't be any variance in group size, then yeah, you're stuck at group sizes of 3 or 9 (117 or 39 groups).

[collegesportsfanms]

56 groups of 6 and 3 groups of 5?

If there can't be any variance in group size, then yeah, you're stuck at group sizes of 3 or 9 (117 or 39 groups).

I thought about that, then you don't have even games for record purposes. I'd have to add games somehow in the last 3 groups and if I can think of a fair way to do that, I will. I may have an idea, and I think I might have done it when I did this 2 seasons ago.

[britrock88]

The way other competitions do it is to exclude the last-place team from the standings in the large groups. Not sure that's the fairest idea, but it's something I can offer off-hand. :)

[britrock88]

27 groups of 13? :p

[Marmel]

Alabama State, Appalachian State, Florida A&M, Houston Baptist, Lamar, San Jose State, Central Arkansas and Milwaukee, will all sit out the 2014-15 postseason by failing to meet the four-year average of 930. (APR)

Syracuse self imposed.

That is 9 teams.

351-9=342
342/6=57

[britrock88]

Southern's also out for APR reasons, and Southern Miss self-imposed a ban. That gets you to 340. (Works for groups of 4 or 5.)

There are also 6 schools transitioning to D-1 that you could toss out to knock down to 334.

[collegesportsfanms]

Perfect, I got it figured out. Thanks guys, much appreciated. I love having people who can help me out while I'm at work. ��

Here's the plan, all the teams that have postseason bans or APR issues are gone. That gets me to 340. Of the 6 transitioning teams, I'll knock 4 out, keeping the 2 that have the best power ranking per teamrankings.com.

This gives me 336 teams, good for 56 groups of 6. Top 2 in each group advance, along with the 16 best 3rd place teams. This makes for a 128 team single elimination tournament.

Now, which 6 schools are transitioning to d1? I can start setting up the groups tonight when I get back to my hotel room

[britrock88]

Abilene Christian, Grand Canyon, Incarnate Word, Nebraska-Omaha, Northern Kentucky, and UMass-Lowell.

[collegesportsfanms]

Abilene Christian, Grand Canyon, Incarnate Word, Nebraska-Omaha, Northern Kentucky, and UMass-Lowell.

Thanks, glad you found that info because I couldn't come up with anything when I searched

[bbgunn]

Man, you guys are good!!! You guys pulled up the information like whoa.

[collegesportsfanms]

Thanks guys, I am working on getting the groups set up, hoping to have those done by midweek. The way I am setting the groups up is with an S-curve. I am taking rankings straight from realtimerpi.com, and the rankings are as of Selection Sunday. I'll just make the curve, and if there's a team that needs to be thrown out, they'll just be replaced with the next team. After I've got the groups in place, I'll go through and make sure that no groups have multiple members of a conference. For instance if a group has 2 SEC teams, I'll do some switching and make it work so that each group is represented by 6 different conferences (6 teams per group). This should be doable, it has been every other time I've done it.

Since I have so much going on at home, I'll be doing the bulk of this project in my down time at work. Sometimes I have hours a day that I can work on other stuff, sometimes I have little time. This could be a slow moving project, but I figure I've got plenty of time to get it done.

Again, my plan is to have the groups in place by Wednesday, so that I can start reporting on them here and getting this going.

[collegesportsfanms]

OK, I worked my butt off both doing work at the job and getting the groups set at the job, and I've done it. All 56 groups are complete. I've had to move some teams around due to multiple teams from the same conference in the same group. In fact, 1 group originally had 4 SEC teams in it! That was a chore. Thankfully, no team had to be moved more than 1 or 2 groups up or down from where they should have been, so it stayed about like it should have.

I will start announcing the groups tomorrow, along with giving my predictions. I doubt if I get all 56 groups announced in 1 day, in fact it may take me 2, 3, even the weekend to get it done, just depends on how much free time I have at work. I dunno about you guys, but I am pumped to get this started, along with everything else I've taken on project wise. I'd have to look, but I might just have the most dynasty reports currently going on this site right now!

As I announce the groups, I ask that you guys check them as well to make sure I didn't make a mistake (missed multiple conference teams in the same group) something like that. I'm pretty sure I've gotten all that taken care of, but it never hurts to have extra eyes! Until tomorrow.... I will leave you with a little hint. Kentucky is the #1 seed and is in the first group (go figure that huh?!)

[bbgunn]

I will leave you with a little hint. Kentucky is the #1 seed and is in the first group (go figure that huh?!)
Completely jaw-dropping. :P

[collegesportsfanms]

OK guys, it's the moment you've all been waiting for, time to start announcing the groups! Keep in mind that the records for each team are up to date as of when I announce the group, and may not necessarily be their final record. For instance, Kentucky is 36-0 now. We know that will not be their final record. Also, the groups were taken from an S-Curve from realtimerpis.com, but the printout I used was from Selection Sunday. If I wanted to be patient, I could wait until the tournament was over and get the official final records and RPI for each team. But I don't want to wait that long and I don't think you guys do either! So, here we go. Also, only the top 25 teams according to my printout will be ranked, so the top teams in groups 26-56 will not be ranked.

Group 1

#1 Kentucky (SEC, 36-0, 18-0)
UNLV (Mountain West, 18-15, 8-10)
Akron (MAC, 21-14, 9-9)
Cornell (Ivy, 13-17, 5-9)
Virginia Tech (ACC, 11-22, 2-16)
Grambling State (SWAC, 2-27, 0-18)

Was there any surprise Kentucky would be top seed in the round robin portion of this tournament? They should roll through this group with ease. And poor Grambling St. Seems like last time I did this, they were also the last ranked team and placed in the group with the #1 seed. Chances are they win maybe 1 game. As for who comes out of this group along with Kentucky? Well if you play the major school role, you gotta think VA Tech would have a chance. But, I'm going with Akron, with UNLV contending for a wildcard spot.

Group 2

#2 Villanova (Big East, 33-3, 16-2)
Vanderbilt (SEC, 21-14, 9-9)
Penn State (Big Ten, 18-16, 4-14)
Quinnipiac (MAAC, 15-15, 9-11)
Miami (OH) (MAC, 13-19, 8-10)
Alcorn State (SWAC, 6-26, 4-14)

I really don't see a team in this group that can win it over Villanova. Vanderbilt maybe. Either way, I see Villanova and Vanderbilt as the 2 teams coming out of this group, and I don't see a legit wildcard contender among the other 4 teams.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 3

#3 Kansas (Big 12, 27-9, 13-5)
Georgia Southern (Sun Belt, 22-9, 14-6)
Western Kentucky (Conference USA, 20-12, 12-6)
Portland State (Big Sky, 15-14, 9-9)
Denver (Summit, 12-18, 6-10)
Morgan State (MEAC, 7-24, 5-11)

Although I do think the Jayhawks will win this group, it won't be without some competition, especially from GA Southern and W. Kentucky. Those 2 teams should be battling it out for 2nd place, with whoever ends up in 3rd place having a very decent shot at a wildcard.


Group 4

#4 Wisconsin (Big Ten, 33-3, 16-2)
Chattanooga (Southern, 22-10, 15-3)
Colorado (Pac 12, 16-18, 7-11)
North Texas (Conference USA, 14-17, 8-10)
Ohio (MAC, 10-20, 5-13)
UMBC (4-26, 2-14)

This should be Wisconsin's group to lose. Chattanooga or Colorado may steal a game from them, but to win the group? Highly doubtful. It's a tough call on that 2nd place slot out of this group, but I'm going with Chattanooga, with no wildcard coming out of this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 5

#5 Arizona (Pac 12, 33-3, 16-2)
Florida State (ACC, 17-16, 8-10)
Texas Southern (SWAC, 22-13, 16-2)
Duquesne (Atlantic 10, 12-19, 6-12)
St. Peters (MAAC, 16-18, 8-12)
Idaho State (Big Sky, 7-23, 4-14)

Mark my words, Idaho State wins this group! OK OK, so I'm just kidding. Trying to keep everybody on their toes and instill a little good hearted humor into this. Seriously, Arizona will win the group. Without a doubt. It's a really, really tough call between Florida St. and TX Southern for that 2 spot. What's ironic about this group is that Zona and TX Southern actually played each other in the Second Round (well, I call it the First Round, but ya know) of the NCAA Tournament. I do like TX Southern so I'm taking them as the 2nd place team in the group.

Group 6

#6 Duke (ACC, 31-4, 15-3)
Long Beach State (Big West, 16-17, 10-6)
Western Michigan (MAC, 20-14, 10-8)
George Mason (Atlantic 10, 9-22, 4-14)
Army (Patriot, 15-15, 6-12)
Mississippi Valley State (SWAC, 6-26, 5-13)

How can you not pick against Duke to win this group? As much as I hate the Blue Devils, this is a really easy group for them. And while I like Long Beach State, I think Western Michigan is going to take that 2nd spot out of this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 7

#7 Virginia (ACC, 30-4, 16-2)
Bowling Green (MAC, 21-12, 11-7)
Evansville (Missouri Valley, 21-12, 9-9)
Western Carolina (Southern, 15-17, 9-9)
UC Riverside (Big West, 14-17, 7-9)
Bethune-Cookman (MEAC, 11-21, 7-9)

Mark my words, Virginia will get tested in this group. While I still think they will win the group, I think they'll suffer a bump or 2 along the way. Again, I see Bowling Green and Evansville battling for the 2nd spot, with whoever falls short being in contention for a wildcard. Man I'd like to be able to pick a 4 or 5 team to advance out of a group, but these early groups are tough for the 4,5,6 teams.

Group 8

#8 Gonzaga (WCC, 34-2, 17-1)
Stony Brook (America East, 23-12, 12-4)
St. Bonaventure (Atlantic 10, 18-13, 10-8)
East Carolina (American, 14-19, 6-12)
UT San Antonio (Conference USA, 14-16, 8-10)
Central Connecticut State (Northeast, 5-26, 3-15)

This is Gonzaga's group all the way. I just can't see Stony Brook or St. Bonaventure giving them that much of a push. Maybe the Zags lose to 1 of those teams, but not both. And once again, we look to have Stony Brook and St. Bonaventure battling for 2nd place, with the 3rd place finisher an outside shot at a wildcard, depending on who it is.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 9

#9 Iowa State (Big 12, 25-9, 12-6)
Clemson (ACC, 16-15, 8-10)
Lafayette (Patriot, 20-13, 9-9)
Missouri (SEC, 9-23, 3-15)
Texas State (Sun Belt, 14-17, 7-13)
Tennessee State (Ohio Valley, 5-26, 2-14)

Some really name teams in this group. Tough to see Missouri doing so terrible now. Sadly, they could be the first lower team from a group to have a chance at finishing top 2 in their group. I wasn't impressed with Clemson all season, and I just don't know how well Lafayette will match up. But nope, I just can't do it. Iowa St. to win the group, Clemson 2nd place.

Group 10

#10 Baylor (Big 12, 24-10, 11-7)
Belmont (Ohio Valley, 22-11, 11-5)
Loyola Chicago (Missouri Valley, 21-13, 8-10)
Mississippi State (SEC, 13-19, 6-12)
Fordham (Atlantic 10, 10-21, 4-14)
North Carolina A&T (MEAC, 9-23, 6-10)

This is by far the toughest of the groups so far. I really think there's 3 teams that have a legit chance to win the group, and I think Mississippi St. could compete for 2nd place or a wildcard spot. I will say this, I see a definite wildcard coming out of this group. I still like Baylor to win the group, but it won't be easy. I'll pick Belmont for 2nd place, but again, it won't be easy.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 11

#11 North Carolina (ACC, 26-11, 11-7)
New Mexico State (WAC, 23-11, 13-1)
Coastal Carolina (Big South, 24-10, 12-6)
Florida International (Conference USA, 16-17, 8-10)
Houston (American, 13-19, 4-14)
Maine (America East, 3-27, 2-14)

Could New Mexico St. or Coastal Carolina win this group? Yes. Will they? Probably not. The Tarheels are still the Tarheels, and they win the group. New Mexico State comes in 2nd, and Coastal Carolina contends for a wildcard.

Group 12

#12 SMU (American, 27-7, 15-3)
Arizona State (Pac 12, 18-16, 9-9)
North Carolina Central (MEAC, 25-8, 16-0)
IPFW (Summit, 16-15, 9-7)
Air Force (Mountain West, 14-17, 6-12)
Jacksonville (Atlantic Sun, 10-22, 4-10)

Don't be surprised if NC Central wins this group. They are good. Did I see it was going to happen? No, just saying, don't be surprised. I still think SMU will win the group, and NC Central will take 2nd place. I just don't think Arizona State has what it takes to finish 2nd.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 13

#13 Maryland (Big Ten, 28-7, 14-4)
Kansas State (Big 12, 15-17, 8-10)
Washington (Pac 12, 16-15, 5-13)
Tulane (American, 15-16, 6-12)
UNC Asheville (Big South, 15-16, 10-8)
Morgan State (MEAC, 7-24, 5-11)

In my opinion, this group is wide open. Kansas St. is the most frustrating team, because they were so inconsistent in the actual season. I think talent wise, they could win this group, or they could finish 4th or 5th. I like Maryland to win the group, and I'll go with Kansas St. to finish 2nd, but I'm not real confident in that. I would be shocked if we get a wildcard out of this group.

Group 14

Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley, 31-4, 16-2)
LaSalle (Atlantic 10, 17-16, 8-10)
Northwestern (Big Ten, 15-17, 6-12)
Mercer (Southern, 19-16, 12-6)
Rice (Conference USA, 12-20, 8-10)
Stetson (Atlantic Sun, 9-22, 3-11)

I am not impessed with this group in any way shape or form. By default I'm picking UNI to win it, but only because of the lack of competition among the group. I like Mercer to finish 2nd, and I definitely don't see a wildcard out of this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 15

VCU (Atlantic 10, 26-10, 12-6)
South Dakota State (Summit, 24-11, 12-4)
Auburn (SEC, 15-20, 4-14)
Texas A&M-CC (Southland, 20-14, 13-5)
Sacred Heart (Northeast, 15-17, 9-9)
UT Pan American (WAC, 10-21, 4-10)

Now this looks to be a fairly tough group. The only true major conference team in the group wasn't exactly great this season, so it's possible 2 mid-majors (I hate that term) will come out of this group. But I don't think that'll happen. I like VCU to win the group and I like Auburn to take 2nd, even though they aren't that great. I do think SD State or even A&M-CC can compete for a wildcard spot.

Group 16

#16 Notre Dame (ACC, 31-5, 14-4)
Minnesota (Big Ten, 18-15, 6-12)
Cleveland State (Horizon, 19-15, 11-5)
South Dakota (Summit, 17-16, 9-7)
Hartford (America East, 14-16, 7-9)
Chicago State (WAC, 8-24, 4-10)

Notre Dame should win this group fairly easily. It's a toss-up between Minnesota and Cleveland State for 2nd place, but I'm going with Minnesota. I think Cleveland St. can compete for a wildcard spot. They may not get one but they should be in the running for one.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 17

#17 Wichita State (Missouri Valley, 30-4, 17-1)
Tennessee (SEC, 16-16, 7-11)
UAB (Conference USA, 20-16, 12-6)
USC Upstate (Atlantic Sun, 24-12, 8-6)
Pacific (WCC, 12-19, 4-14)
Binghamton (America East, 6-26, 5-11)

Of course I like my Shockers to win the group, although they could get tested. Don't sleep on USC Upstate, they could throw a kink into plans. So Wichita St. winning the group, and I think UAB will finish 2nd. I can see a wildcard coming out of this group.

Group 18

#18 Oklahoma (Big 12, 24-10, 12-6)
Albany (America East, 24-9, 15-1)
Oregon State (Pac 12, 17-14, 8-10)
Charlotte (Conference USA, 14-18, 7-11)
Drexel (Colonial, 11-19, 9-9)
Alabama A&M (SWAC, 9-20, 8-10)

I think Albany has the potential to give Oklahoma a run in this group. Albany is a solid team and I think Oklahoma was way overseeded as a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That being said, I still like Oklahoma to win the group, but I can see it coming down to the last game. Albany should take 2nd, and Oregon St. has an outside shot at competing for a wildcard berth.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 19

#19 Utah (Pac 12, 26-8, 13-5)
Seton Hall (Big East, 16-15, 6-12)
UL Monroe (Sun Belt, 24-12, 14-6)
Santa Clara (WCC, 14-18, 7-11)
Northern Colorado (Big Sky, 15-15, 10-8)
SE Louisiana (Southland, 9-23, 6-12)

I would not be surprised if UL Monroe won this group. While Utah is good, so is UL Monroe. That being said, I still like Utah to win the group with UL Monroe finishing 2nd. I really don't see a wildcard coming from this group.

Group 20

#20 Arkansas (SEC, 27-9, 13-5)
California (Pac 12, 18-15, 7-11)
Pepperdine (WCC, 18-14, 10-8)
Detroit (Horizon, 15-18, 7-9)
Missouri State (Missouri Valley, 11-20, 5-13)
Savannah State (MEAC, 9-22, 5-11)

Hard to go against Arkansas and that full court defense, especially when there really isn't another strong team in this group. Arkansas wins the group, Cal comes in 2nd, and no wildcard out of this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

So we're 20 groups down, still a lot to go. Anybody have any opinions? Predictions? I'll be tracking my predictions throughout the tournament, and if other people want me to track theirs as well, maybe we can make some kind of contest out of it. What say you? Just a way to drum up the excitement a little bit.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 21

#21 Louisville (ACC, 26-8, 12-6)
William & Mary (Colonial, 20-13, 12-6)
Gardner-Webb (Big South, 20-15, 10-8)
USC (Pac 12, 12-20, 3-15)
Hampton (MEAC, 17-18, 8-8)
Western Illinois (Summit, 8-20, 3-13)

A couple decent mid-majors that could challenge Louisville, although not too much of a challenge. Louisville should win the group, with William & Mary taking 2nd. Gardner-Webb, could contend for a wildcard spot.

Group 22

#22 Providence (Big East, 22-12, 11-7)
Kent State (MAC, 23-11, 12-6)
American (Patriot, 17-16, 8-10)
Vermont (America East, 20-14, 12-4)
Brown (Ivy, 13-18, 4-10)
The Citadel (Southern, 11-19, 6-12)

I'm going out on a limb here and making a tough prediction. I actually like Kent St. to win this group with Providence finishing 2nd, and Vermont competing for a wildcard spot.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 23

#23 Michigan State (Big Ten, 25-11, 12-6)
South Carolina (SEC, 17-16, 6-12)
Florida Gulf Coast (Atlantic Sun, 22-11, 11-3)
Delaware State (MEAC, 18-18, 9-7)
Navy (Patriot, 13-19, 8-10)
New Orleans (Southland, 11-18, 6-12)

Once again there's some tough competition in a group. I do think Michigan St. will win the group, but man, that is a tough call between South Carolina and FL Gulf Coast. I like Frank Martin, but sorry Frank, I gotta go with Dunk City for 2nd place. Maybe South Carolina can compete for a wildcard.

Group 24

#24 West Virginia (Big 12, 25-9, 11-7)
North Dakota State (Summit, 23-10, 12-4)
Middle Tennessee (Conference USA, 19-17, 9-9)
Morehead State (Ohio Valley, 17-17, 10-6)
Delaware (Colonial, 10-20, 9-9)
Montana State (Big Sky, 7-23, 4-14)

North Dakota State could give West Virginia a run, but I like West Virginia to win the group and North Dakota St. finishing 2nd place. I don't see a wildcard team out of this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 25

#25 Georgetown (Big East, 22-11, 12-6)
UC Irvine (Big West, 21-13, 11-5)
Bucknell (Patriot, 19-15, 13-5)
Winthrop (Big South, 19-13, 12-6)
Howard (MEAC, 16-16, 10-6)
Jackson State (SWAC, 11-21, 9-9)

I see 4 teams that have a very good chance to advance from this group. I thought Georgetown was overrated all season long, but it's hard to pick against them. I'm not sure if the other 3 can match their level. For my 2nd place team, I'm going with Winthrop. Don't ask me why, I just feel like they have the best chance. I definitely think there's a good chance of a wildcard out of this group.

Group 26

San Diego State (Mountain West, 27-9, 14-4)
High Point (Big South, 23-10, 13-5)
Eastern Michigan (MAC, 21-14, 8-10)
Cal Poly (Big West, 13-16, 6-10)
LIU Brooklyn (Northeast, 12-18, 8-10)
Nicholls State (Southland, 10-19, 7-11)

Can't see San Diego State having too much competition as far as winning the group. High Point looks to have the best chance for 2nd place, so I'll go with them. Maybe Eastern Michigan hangs around the wildcard chase for a while, but I don't see a wildcard out of this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 27

Oregon (Pac 12, 26-10, 13-5)
UC Santa Barbara (Big West, 19-14, 11-5)
Rider (MAAC, 21-12, 15-5)
Holy Cross (Patriot, 14-16, 8-10)
UCF (American, 12-18, 5-13)
Campbell (Big South, 10-22, 4-14)

This is a group that Oregon should and probably will win. I'm picking them to win it. Going with UCSB or Rider is tough, but I'm going with Rider for 2nd place, and UCSB could compete for a wildcard.

Group 28

Buffalo (MAC, 23-10, 12-6)
Northeastern (Colonial, 23-12, 12-6)
Sacramento State (Big Sky, 21-12, 13-5)
Boston University (Patriot, 13-17, 9-9)
IUPUI (Summit, 10-21, 6-10)
Austin Peay (Ohio Valley, 8-22, 3-13)

This group is going to be a lot of fun to simulate. Any of those top 3 teams could win the group. The one thing we do know for sure is that without a P5 conference member in this group, this might be the only group that is guaranteed not to advance a P5 conference member. Hard to pick between any of the top three, but for prediction purposes I have to, so.. I'll pick Buffalo to win the group and Northeastern to finish 2nd, with Sac State being in the running for a wildcard.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 29

Colorado State (Mountain West, 27-7, 13-5)
Alabama (SEC, 19-15, 8-10)
UL Lafayette (Sun Belt, 22-14, 13-7)
DePaul (Big East, 12-20, 6-12)
Elon (Colonial, 15-18, 6-12)
Kennesaw State (Atlantic Sun, 10-22, 4-10)

Once again it should come down to the top 3 in this group. Colorado State should win the group fairly easily, with Alabama taking 2nd place, but look for UL Lafayette to compete for a wildcard.

Group 30

Xavier (Big East, 23-14, 9-9)
George Washington (Atlantic 10, 22-13, 10-8)
UNC Wilmington (Colonial, 18-14, 12-6)
Columbia (Ivy, 13-15, 5-9)
Prairie View A&M (SWAC, 15-18, 12-6)
South Carolina State (MEAC, 11-22, 7-9)

Man, it's tough to pick between Xavier and GW for the top spot in this group, but I'm going with GW to win the group and Xavier to get 2nd place. I don't think UNC Wilmington is strong enough to compete for a wildcard for very long.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 31

Butler (Big East, 23-11, 12-6)
Sam Houston State (Southland, 26-9, 15-3)
TCU (Big 12, 18-15, 4-14)
Colgate (Patriot, 16-17, 12-6)
Weber State (Big Sky, 13-17, 8-10)
Marist (MAAC, 7-25, 5-15)

Wow! How does one pick against Sam Houston to win this group? Could they win it? Most definitely, and I think they will. I think Butler is 2nd place. TCU is improving, but they aren't there yet. No wildcard out of this group.

Group 32

Stephen F. Austin (Southland, 29-5, 17-1)
Memphis (American, 18-14, 10-8)
Utah State (Mountain West, 18-13, 11-7)
Maryland-Eastern Shore (MEAC, 18-15, 11-5)
Penn (Ivy, 9-19, 4-10)
Longwood (Big South, 11-23, 5-13)

SFA wins the group, hands down. The real battle is for 2nd place. 3 teams could work their way into it, but I still like Memphis. It'll be a grind though, and I like the chances of a wildcard from this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 33

Dayton (Atlantic 10, 27-9, 13-5)
Toledo (MAC, 20-13, 11-7)
Montana (Big Sky, 20-13, 14-4)
New Hampshire (America East, 19-12, 11-5)
Wright State (Horizon, 11-20, 3-13)
Cal St. Fullerton (Big West, 9-12, 1-15)

Tough, tough group. Any of 4 teams could come out of this group. I think Dayton will win it, but 2nd place is a huge toss-up. I'm going to go ahead and go with Toledo, but I definitely see a wildcard out of this group.

Group 34

Temple (American, 26-10, 13-5)
UMass (Atlantic 10, 17-15, 10-8)
Marquette (Big East, 13-19, 4-14)
East Tennessee State (Southern, 16-14, 8-10)
UMass Lowell (America East, 12-17, 6-10)
Presbyterian (Big South, 10-22, 6-12)

There's two clear favorites out of this group: Temple to win, UMass 2nd place. I just can't see anybody else competing, not even for a wildcard.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 35

Davidson (Atlantic 10, 24-8, 14-4)
UTEP (Conference USA, 22-11, 13-5)
James Madison (Colonial, 19-14, 12-6)
Princeton (Ivy, 16-14, 9-5)
Loyola Marymount (WCC, 8-23, 4-14)
Troy (Sun Belt, 10-19, 5-15)

Davidson had a heck of a season, I believe I recall they were picked last or next to last in the A-10. I still like UTEP to win this group though, with Davidson coming in 2nd. I don't see James Madison or Princeton being around the wildcard chase too long.

Group 36

BYU (WCC, 25-10, 13-5)
Michigan (Big Ten, 16-16, 8-10)
Wake Forest (ACC, 13-19, 5-13)
Indiana State (Missouri Valley, 15-16, 11-7)
Idaho (Big Sky, 13-17, 8-10)
Fairleigh Dickinson (Northeast, 8-21, 3-15)

BYU is a clear favorite to win the group, but 2nd place is very interesting. I'm going with Michigan, I think Indiana St. will give them a run, but I think Michigan will get that 2nd place spot.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 37

Cincinnati (American, 23-11, 13-5)
Pittsburgh (ACC, 19-15, 8-10)
Portland (WCC, 17-16, 7-11)
Bryant (Northeast, 16-15, 12-6)
Siena (MAAC, 11-20, 7-13)
Coppin State (MEAC, 8-23, 6-10)

Definitely like Cincinnati to win the group. I'll go with Pitt to take 2nd place, only because I don't think Portland or Bryant are strong enough. I also don't think they're strong enough to compete for a wildcard.

Group 38

Georgia (SEC, 21-12, 11-7)
UConn (American, 20-15, 10-8)
Creighton (Big East, 14-19, 4-14)
Dartmouth (Ivy, 14-15, 7-7)
Drake (Missouri Valley, 9-22, 6-12)
North Dakota (Big Sky, 8-22, 4-14)

Georgia and UConn are the clear frontrunners in this group, but I'm going to switch them: UConn comes up strong in postseason play, so I think they win the group, and Georgia comes in 2nd place.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 39

North Carolina State (ACC, 22-13, 10-8)
Eastern Washington (Big Sky, 26-9, 14-4)
Hawaii (Big West, 22-13, 8-8)
Mount St. Marys (Northeast, 15-15, 11-7)
Loyola (MD) (Patriot, 11-19, 7-11)
UNC Greensboro (Southern, 11-22, 6-12)

No reason in my mind why N.C. State shouldn't win this group. I actually like Hawaii to take 2nd place, with Eastern Washington stealing a wildcard.

Group 40

Boise State (Mountain West, 25-9, 14-4)
UC Davis (Big West, 25-7, 14-2)
Radford (Big South, 22-12, 12-6)
Northern Illinois (MAC, 14-16, 8-10)
Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun, 14-17, 7-7)
Utah Valley (WAC, 11-19, 5-9)

Another tough group with 3 teams that could advance. Boise State I think will win the group, and I'm picking Radford to take 2nd place. UC Davis should be in the running for a wildcard berth though.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 41

Ohio State (Big Ten, 24-11, 11-7)
Florida (SEC, 16-17, 8-10)
Georgia Tech (ACC, 12-19, 3-15)
Texas Tech (Big 12, 13-19, 3-15)
St. Louis (Atlantic 10, 11-21, 3-15)
Southern Utah (Big Sky, 10-19, 7-11)

Well, after Ohio St., this group takes a turn for the worse. Not another team in this group that had an overall winning record. Obviously I'm taking Ohio St. to win the group, call me crazy but I like Texas Tech. They've got a good thing going with Tubby Smith. I'm picking them to upset Florida at least once, and to take 2nd place in the group. I also don't see a wildcard from this group.

Group 42

Texas (Big 12, 20-14, 8-10)
Illinois (Big Ten, 19-14, 9-9)
Oakland (Horizon, 16-17, 11-5)
UT-Arlington (Sun Belt, 16-15, 10-10)
South Florida (American, 9-23, 3-15)
Nevada (Mountain West, 9-22, 5-13)

Yuck! Is it me or do the groups keep getting worse and worse? I guess that's to be expected though, given that the rank of the top team in each group keeps lowering. In this case, I like Illinois to win the group, with Texas finishing 2nd, and no wildcard from this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 43

Iowa (Big Ten, 22-12, 12-6)
Central Michigan (MAC, 23-9, 12-6)
Eastern Kentucky (Ohio Valley, 21-12, 11-5)
Fresno State (Mountain West, 15-17, 10-8)
South Alabama (Sun Belt, 12-21, 9-11)
Samford (Southern, 13-19, 6-12)

Now this is a bit of a tougher group. I even think Fresno has a chance to advance. I'll go with Iowa to win the group and Central Michigan in 2nd, but I wouldn't be surprised to see E. Kentucky or Fresno St. compete for a wildcard.

Group 44

St. Johns (Big East, 21-12, 10-8)
Wyoming (Mountain West, 25-10, 11-7)
NJIT (Independent, 21-11)
Rutgers (Big Ten, 10-22, 2-16)
Arkansas-Little Rock (Sun Belt, 13-18, 8-12)
Jacksonville State (Ohio Valley, 12-19, 5-11)

NJIT is our only independent team in this tournament, and while I give them a chance to advance, I think Wyoming wins the group with St. Johns taking 2nd. NJIT could compete for a wildcard, but I don't think they have enough to compete with the bigger boys.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 45

Old Dominion (Conference USA, 27-7, 13-5)
St. Marys (WCC, 21-10, 13-5)
Nebraska (Big Ten, 13-18, 5-13)
Canisius (MAAC, 18-15, 11-9)
Arkansas State (Sun Belt, 11-18, 6-14)
CSU Bakersfield (WAC, 14-19, 7-7)

Hard to go against Old Dominion and St. Marys in this group, with Old Dominion winning it, St. Marys taking 2nd. I don't see a wildcard coming from this group.

Group 46

Tulsa (American, 23-11, 14-4)
Texas A&M (SEC, 21-12, 11-7)
San Diego (WCC, 15-16, 8-10)
St. Francis (PA) (Northeast, 16-16, 9-9)
McNeese State (Southland, 15-16, 8-10)
Florida Atlantic (Conference USA, 9-20, 2-16)

Again, it's hard to pick against the top 2 teams in this group. I'm going with Tulsa winning it, Texas A&M taking 2nd, and no wildcard from this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 47

Wofford (Southern, 28-7, 16-2)
Rhode Island (Atlantic 10, 23-10, 13-5)
Incarnate Word (Southland, 18-11, 10-8)
Tennessee-Martin (Ohio Valley, 21-12, 10-6)
Southern Illinois (Missouri Valley, 12-21, 4-14)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC, 12-20, 9-9)

Wow, now this is a killer group! No P5 teams to speak of in it, and I would even give Southern Illinois a shot to advance. However, I like Rhode Island to win it, and I'll take Wofford in 2nd place. I like the chances of a wildcard from this group.

Group 48

UCLA (Pac 12, 22-14, 11-7)
Miami (FL) (ACC, 24-12, 10-8)
Northwestern State (Southland, 19-13, 13-5)
St. Josephs (Atlantic 10, 13-18, 7-11)
Seattle (WAC, 18-16, 7-7)
Fairfield (MAAC, 7-24, 5-15)

Ironic that UCLA and Miami are in the same group, as I thought Miami should have been in the actual NCAA tournament with UCLA playing in the NIT. And I'm predicting it that way here. Miami wins the group, UCLA 2nd place, and no wildcard from this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 49

Iona (MAAC, 26-9, 17-3)
Yale (Ivy, 22-10, 11-3)
North Florida (Atlantic Sun, 23-12, 12-2)
San Francisco (WCC, 14-18, 7-11)
Towson (Colonial, 12-20, 5-13)
IL Chicago (Horizon, 10-24, 4-12)

Nice group of mid-major teams here. I like Iona to win the group and North Florida to finish 2nd. Yale could compete for a wildcard.

Group 50

Valparaiso (Horizon, 28-6, 13-3)
Murray State (Ohio Valley, 29-6, 16-0)
Oral Roberts (Summit, 19-15, 10-6)
Monmouth (MAAC, 18-15, 13-7)
Cal State Northridge (Big West, 9-24, 4-12)
Charleston (Colonial, 9-24, 3-15)

Again, it looks like the top 2 in this group should advance. I like Murray St. to win the group though, with Oral Roberts coming in 2nd. No wildcard out of this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 51

Oklahoma State (Big 12, 18-14, 8-10)
Illinois State (Missouri Valley, 22-13, 11-7)
Charleston Southern (Big South, 19-12, 13-5)
Lehigh (Patriot, 16-14, 10-8)
Ball State (MAC, 7-23, 2-16)
UMKC (WAC, 14-19, 8-6)

I think Oklahoma St. is way overrated, but still good enough to advance out of this group. I think Illinois St. wins the group though, with Oklahoma St. taking 2nd. Charleston Southern could compete for a wildcard, but not likely.

Group 52

Harvard (Ivy, 22-8, 11-3)
Indiana (Big Ten, 20-14, 9-9)
Norfolk State (MEAC, 20-14, 12-4)
Hofstra (Colonial, 20-14, 10-8)
Niagara (MAAC, 8-22, 7-13)
Marshall (Conference USA, 11-21, 7-11)

Another pretty tough group, with 4 teams that could possibly advance. I think Harvard wins the group, and it's a tossup on 2nd place. Indiana will probably come out of it, but I can see a wildcard potentially coming out of this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 53

Georgia State (Sun Belt, 25-10, 15-5)
Ole Miss (SEC, 21-13, 11-7)
Boston College (ACC, 13-19, 4-14)
Eastern Illinois (Ohio Valley, 18-15, 9-7)
VMI (Southern, 11-19, 7-11)
Wagner (Northeast, 10-20, 8-10)

Tough group again. I like Georgia St. but they've got some tough competition in this group, namely Ole Miss. I actually think Ole Miss will win the group, with Georgia St. coming in 2nd. I don't see a wildcard from this group.

Group 54

Green Bay (Horizon, 24-9, 12-4)
Stanford (Pac 12, 22-13, 9-9)
Northern Arizona (Big Sky, 22-14, 13-5)
New Mexico (Mountain West, 15-16, 7-11)
SE Missouri State (Ohio Valley, 13-17, 7-9)
Furman (Southern, 11-22, 5-13)

Hard to say whether Northern Arizona can really provide much resistance in this group. I say no, although they could compete for a wildcard, maybe. Green Bay wins the group, Stanford takes 2nd.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 55

Purdue (Big Ten, 21-13, 12-6)
LSU (SEC, 22-11, 11-7)
Manhattan (MAAC, 19-14, 13-7)
Robert Morris (Northeast, 20-15, 12-6)
Bradley (Missouri Valley, 9-24, 3-15)
SIU Edwardsville (Ohio Valley, 12-16, 8-8)

There's 4 teams that I think could advance out of this group, but I like LSU to win the group. I still like Purdue to finish 2nd, and as for a wildcard? I think maybe, but probably not.

Group 56

Louisiana Tech (Conference USA, 27-9, 15-3)
Richmond (Atlantic 10, 21-14, 12-6)
St. Francis Brooklyn (Northeast, 23-12, 15-3)
Washington State (Pac 12, 13-18, 7-11)
Tennessee Tech (Ohio Valley, 12-18, 4-12)
Youngstown State (Horizon, 11-21, 2-14)

Gotta like LA Tech to win this group, and I'm going with another shocker. I'm going with St. Francis Brooklyn to take 2nd place, and Richmond earning a wildcard.

[collegesportsfanms]

Whew! That completes all the groups, and I'll be ready to jump in to group #1 tomorrow if all goes well. If anybody has any questions, comments, or concerns about the group, feel free. I'm also looking for other predictions. I'm going to be charting my predictions as to the 2 teams that advance from each group plus the 16 groups that will earn a wildcard, and I'll be working on that post tomorrow too.

[collegesportsfanms]

ok, it's time for my final predictions. These are the 112 teams that I think will advance to bracket play by finishing 1st or 2nd in their group:

Kentucky, Akron, Villanova, Vanderbilt, Kansas, GA Southern, Wisconsin, Chattanooga, Arizona, TX Southern, Duke, W. Michigan, Virginia, Evansville, Gonzaga, Stony Brook, Iowa St., Clemson, Baylor, Belmont, N. Carolina, New Mexico St., SMU, NC Central, Maryland, Kansas St., N. Iowa, Mercer, VCU, Auburn, ND, Minnesota, Wichita St., UAB, Oklahoma, Albany, Utah, UL Monroe, Arkansas, Cal, Louisville, William & Mary, Kent St., Providence, Michigan St., FL Gulf Coast, W. Virginia, N. Dakota St., Georgetown, Winthrop, San Diego St., High Point, Oregon, Rider, Buffalo, Northeastern, Colorado St., Alabama, GW, Xavier, Sam Houston St., Butler, Stephen F. Austin, Memphis, Dayton, Toledo, Temple, UMass, UTEP, Davidson, BYU, Michigan, Cincinnati, Pitt, UConn, Georgia, N.C. State, Hawaii, Boise St., Radford, Ohio St., Texas Tech, Illinois, Texas, Iowa, C. Michigan, Wyoming, St. Johns, Old Dominion, St. Marys, Tulsa, Texas A&M, Rhode Island, Wofford, Miami (FL), UCLA, Iona, N. Florida, Murray St., Oral Roberts, Illinois St., Oklahoma St., Harvard, Indiana, Ole Miss, Georgia St., Green Bay, Stanford, LSU, Purdue, LA Tech, St. Francis Brooklyn.

Now, the following 16 groups I predict will have a wildcard team: 1,3,7,10,11,15,17,23,25,26,32,33,39,47,52,56.

I will be charting my predictions throughout the tournament. I figure if I correctly predict 70% of the teams, I'm doing ok, because I suck at predictions. lol

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 1

#1 Kentucky (SEC, 36-0, 18-0)
UNLV (Mountain West, 18-15, 8-10)
Akron (MAC, 21-14, 9-9)
Cornell (Ivy, 13-17, 5-9)
Virginia Tech (ACC, 11-22, 2-16)
Grambling State (SWAC, 2-27, 0-18)

--------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Akron- 60, Cornell- 51
Kentucky- 57, Grambling- 35
VA Tech- 62, UNLV- 53

A bit of an upset with the Hokies knocking off UNLV. Kentucky really slowed the pace against Grambling, I was expecting a 40 point win at the very least.

Week 2

Cornell- 66, Grambling- 56
UNLV- 68, Akron- 63
Kentucky- 55, VA Tech- 48

My goodness! Kentucky looks to be playing down to the level of competition in their group. While they are winning, they aren't doing so as impressively as I thought. Good bounce back game for the Rebels to beat Akron.

Week 3

Kentucky- 67, Cornell- 48
Akron- 67, VA Tech- 57
UNLV- 68, Grambling- 49

These are more along the lines of the results I expected to see, as Kentucky finally started to mesh things together. Looks like VA Tech got their big win of the tournament, as they are starting to fall into oblivion again, while UNLV took it to Grambling in impressive fashion.

---------------------------------------------------------

Here are the standings after the first 3 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Kentucky 3-0 (+48)
UNLV 2-1 (+15)
Akron 2-1 (+14)
VA Tech 1-2 (-8)
Cornell 1-2 (-18)
Grambling 0-3 (-51)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 1

Week 4

VA Tech- 64, Grambling- 38
Kentucky- 81, Akron- 47
Cornell- 58, UNLV- 53

Now that is definitely the Kentucky I'm used to seeing. VA Tech, meanwhile, held Grambling to 15 second half points in their victory, while UNLV gets mildly upset for the second time so far.

Week 5

Kentucky- 73, UNLV- 52
Akron- 68, Grambling- 64 (OT)
VA Tech- 66, Cornell- 55

Wow! That would have been a huge letdown had Akron let Grambling beat them, even in overtime. Looks like Kentucky is hitting their stride and pulling away in this group, and VA Tech is keeping in the mix of things.

Week 6

Cornell- 66, Akron- 56
Kentucky- 91, Grambling- 52
VA Tech- 60, UNLV- 58

Well, Kentucky was Kentucky in this game. And how about UNLV falling on their faces again, this time the victims of a buzzer beater. Akron hasn't helped their cause either.

------------------------------------------

Standings after 6 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Kentucky 6-0 (+144)
VA Tech 4-2 (+31)
Cornell 3-3 (-14)
Akron 3-3 (-28)
UNLV 2-4 (-13)
Grambling St. 0-6 (-120)

[collegesportsfanms]

That's all for now guys, my plan is to get 1 group a day done, but since I'm doing this at work, I'll probably be taking breaks among the posts within the group. This is so that I can actually get some work done, and also to add to the suspense, and see what kind of comments I get from each group.

For right now, are you guys liking the format? Last time I did 3-3-3-1 on the weeks, and I will this time too. I like how it works. The weekly reports will stay short in order to get through the groups, but if you guys want to see more added to it, something like a buzzer beater or an outstanding scorer, I can add names to the post. For instance "Player A hit a buzzer beater, or player B had 30 points" stuff like that. Let me know. I'm writing for myself, but I'm also writing for you guys.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 1

Week 7

Cornell- 56, Grambling- 38
UNLV- 61, Akron- 52
Kentucky- 79, VA Tech- 66

Much needed win for UNLV to get back in the thick of things. Kentucky beating VA Tech has all but clinched group 1 for the Wildcats, but what an effort by the Hokies.

Week 8

Kentucky- 63, Cornell- 50
VA Tech- 67, Akron- 66 (OT)
UNLV- 64, Grambling- 41

A couple 13 point wins in a row for Kentucky, looks like they are starting to sleepwalk through the group a little bit. Huge loss for Akron, as they are now 1-1 in OT games, but that one may have just spoiled their chances to advance. UNLV is back in the mix now.

Week 9

VA Tech- 75, Grambling- 53
Kentucky- 64, Akron- 35
UNLV- 70, Cornell- 67 (OT)

Huge win for UNLV who has put themselves right back in the running for 2nd place. Akron, on the other hand, scored just 9 points in the 2nd half against Kentucky. Yikes. VA Tech looks to be in great shape with a nice win over Grambling.

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Kentucky 9-0 (+199)
VA Tech 6-3 (+41)
UNLV 5-4 (+22)
Cornell 4-5 (-12)
Akron 3-6 (-67)
Grambling 0-9 (-183)

Week 10 Schedule

Kentucky @ UNLV
Grambling @ Akron
VA Tech @ Cornell

Kentucky has clinched the group and is playing for an undefeated run through group play. UNLV needs this win, as a loss would be damaging for even a wildcard berth. Grambling and Akron are eliminated, and Cornell needs to beat VA Tech to even have a chance. If UNLV can somehow beat Kentucky and VA Tech loses to Cornell, then we would have a tie for 2nd. If UNLV loses to Kentucky and Cornell beats VA Tech, we'll have a tie for 3rd and the wildcard spot.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 1

Week 10

Kentucky- 66, UNLV- 51
Akron- 68, Grambling- 55
VA Tech- 58, Cornell- 57

Kentucky finishes off the unbeaten run, and VA Tech survives a furious rally by Cornell, while Akron beats Grambling in a "who cares" game.

--------------------------------

Final Group 1 Standings

#1- Kentucky 10-0 (+214)
#2- VA Tech 7-3 (+42)
#3- UNLV 5-5 (+7)
#4- Cornell 4-6 (-13)
#5- Akron 4-6 (-54)
#6- Grambling 0-10 (-196)

A dominating performance by the Wildcats, who with the perfect record and great point differential has a very, very good shot to be the #1 seed in bracket play. VA Tech came out of nowhere to finish 2nd in the group. Well, I did say I wanted some lower teams to advance, I just didn't think it would be in the first group. UNLV takes 3rd, but their wildcard hopes are feint at best with a 5-5 record.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 2

#2 Villanova (Big East, 33-3, 16-2)
Vanderbilt (SEC, 21-14, 9-9)
Penn State (Big Ten, 18-16, 4-14)
Quinnipiac (MAAC, 15-15, 9-11)
Miami (OH) (MAC, 13-19, 8-10)
Alcorn State (SWAC, 6-26, 4-14)

-------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Quinnipiac- 76, Penn St.- 70
Villanova- 73, Alcorn St.- 45
Vanderbilt- 65, Miami (OH)- 55

So everything holds true to form with the top 2 seeds. A mild upset for Quinnipiac.

Week 2

Quinnipiac- 73, Alcorn St.- 48
Penn St.- 63, Vanderbilt- 59
Villanova- 85, Miami (OH)- 49

Wow! Villanova is sending a message to everybody in this group. We can compete with Kentucky, and we're going undefeated too! Great start for them. Penn St. with a huge bounce back over Vanderbilt.

Week 3

Villanova- 65, Quinnipiac- 55
Miami (OH)- 64, Penn St.- 47
Vanderbilt- 65, Alcorn St.- 62

Geez, the wackiness of this group continues. Quinnipiac actually led Nova at the half, and Vandy had to survive a furious rally from Alcorn St. to hang on. And poor Penn St. keeps playing lose one, win one game.

-------------------------------

Standings after the first 3 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Villanova 3-0 (+74)
Quinnipiac 2-1 (+21)
Vanderbilt 2-1 (+9)
Miami (OH) 1-2 (-29)
Penn St. 1-2 (-19)
Alcorn St. 0-3 (-56)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 2

Week 4

Alcorn St.- 59, Miami (OH)- 50
Villanova- 70, Penn St.- 61
Vanderbilt- 59, Quinnipiac- 41

Congrats to Alcorn St. who picks up their first win of the tournament. Villanova, for the second straight game, was down at halftime, as was Vandy who outscored Quinnipiac 39-18 in the 2nd half.

Week 5

Villanova- 75, Vanderbilt- 69
Penn St.- 73, Alcorn St.- 55
Miami (OH)- 61, Quinnipiac- 60

Let me tell ya, that Miami-Quinnipiac game was a classic. Miami was up by 6 with 2 minutes to go and Quinnipiac shut them down and got an offensive rebound and putback at the buzzer by LJ Livingston, Jr. to further complicate this group. Meanwhile, Villanova continued to struggle but did pull out a win to remain undefeated, while Penn St. got a statement win against Alcorn St. Normally beating the last ranked team in a group by 18 points isn't a statement win, but the way this group has gone, any win is a statement win at this point.

Week 6

Penn St.- 77, Quinnipiac- 68
Villanova- 86, Alcorn St.- 59
Miami (OH)- 66, Vanderbilt- 65

Miami (OH) has to be the Cinderella team of the group thus far. They were down by 8 with 6 minutes to go and again came storming back, this time relying on a missed buzzer beater by Vanderbilt's Damian Jones. Meanwhile, Villanova did what it should do against Alcorn St., and Penn St. got a revenge win over Quinnipiac.

---------------------------------------------------

Standings after the first 6 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Villanova 6-0 (+116)
Vanderbilt 3-3 (+20)
Penn St. 3-3 (-1)
Miami (OH) 3-3 (-36)
Quinnipiac 2-4 (-7)
Alcorn St. 1-5 (-92)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 2

Week 7

Quinnipiac- 70, Alcorn St.- 60
Vanderbilt- 73, Penn St.- 68
Villanova- 77, Miami (OH)- 61

Not too much of a surprise here this week, as Villanova stays undefeated. The big game was Vandy/Penn St., which wasn't as close as the score indicates. Vandy was up by 17 at halftime and Penn St. only got back in the game against the Vandy walk-ons.

Week 8

Villanova- 66, Quinnipiac- 53
Miami (OH)- 74, Penn St.- 57
Vanderbilt- 66, Alcorn St.- 49

With the win, Villanova has clinched the group 2 title, now they are just playing for an undefeated season. Poor Penn St. just couldn't figure it out against Miami (OH), losing by 17 points each time they played them. Vandy held strong for 2nd place by taking care of business against Alcorn St.

Week 9

Miami (OH)- 72, Alcorn St.- 61
Villanova- 72, Penn St.- 63
Quinnipiac- 61, Vanderbilt- 60

Huge loss by Vandy, as this time it's Quinnipiac that benefits from a buzzer beater, as Ousmane Drake hit an 8 footer at the buzzer. Villanova trailed at halftime but rebounded to beat Penn St., and Miami (OH), with that gift loss from Vanderbilt, has climbed back in position for 2nd place.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Villanova 9-0 (+154)
Vanderbilt 5-4 (+41)
Miami (OH) 5-4 (-24)
Quinnipiac 4-5 (-9)
Penn St. 3-6 (-32)
Alcorn St. 1-8 (-130)

Week 10 Schedule

Villanova @ Vanderbilt
Alcorn St. @ Penn St.
Miami (OH) @ Quinnipiac

While the Alcorn St.-Penn St. game is meaningless, the other 2 games leave a lot to play for. Villanova is looking to win the group by going undefeated, but if they want a shot at being the #1 seed in bracket play, they need to beat Vandy by at least 60 points. I don't think that's going to happen. A lot of commotion 2 through 4. If Vandy can somehow upset Villanova and Miami (OH) loses to Quinnipiac, then Vandy gets 2nd place. If Vandy loses as expected and Miami (OH) wins, then Miami (OH) gets 2nd place. If they both win, Vandy would get 2nd place due to tiebreakers, which I will explain at a later time. If they both lose, that would mean that Quinnipiac would have beaten Miami (OH) obviously, which would give us a 3 way tie for 2nd place, with all 3 teams being 5-5. That is the worst case scenario, but it could happen.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 2

Week 10

Villanova- 72, Vanderbilt- 50
Penn St.- 79, Alcorn St.- 60
Quinnipiac- 67, Miami (OH)- 58

Ugh! The worst case scenario has happened! 3 teams at 5-5, and sadly 1 of them advances to the round of 128. Yuck! So.. it's time for me to break these ties.

----------------------------------------------------

Final Group 2 Standings

#1- Villanova 10-0 (+176)
#2- Vanderbilt 5-5 (+19)
#3- Quinnipiac 5-5 (0)
#4- Miami (OH) 5-5 (-33)
#5- Penn St. 4-6 (-13)
#6- Alcorn St. 1-9 (-149)

So Villanova wins the group handily, and can't get past Kentucky as far as point differential, but I can't see more than a few teams going undefeated. They should be a top 10 seed in the next round. Vanderbilt gets 2nd place and advances to bracket play thanks to tiebreakers. Vanderbilt, Quinnipiac, and Miami (OH) were all 2-2 against each other, but the point differential among those games went Vandy's way. They had a +26 point differential while Quinnipiac was -9 and Miami (OH) was -17. However, Vandy will be a very low seed in the round of 128. Quinnipiac gets 3rd thanks to the tiebreaker. They split with Miami (OH), but their win was by 9 points while Miami (OH) won by just 1. However, they are in an even worse spot than UNLV, so don't look for them to get a wildcard. Eventually 3rd place teams will have a better than 5-5 record.

[collegesportsfanms]

Just checking in to see who is following!

Also, an announcement. I am switching things up a little bit. Instead of the 3-3-3-1 format, I am going to a 5-4-1 format. Looking back at some other ones I've done, it just makes sense to have the first half of group play be all 1 post. However, I am open to suggestions, if anybody has a format they want to suggest, I'm willing to listen.

I will continue to have a very brief weekly recap after every week. Hope you all are enjoying. Group 3 will be done on Monday when I return to work.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 3

#3 Kansas (Big 12, 27-9, 13-5)
Georgia Southern (Sun Belt, 22-9, 14-6)
Western Kentucky (Conference USA, 20-12, 12-6)
Portland State (Big Sky, 15-14, 9-9)
Denver (Summit, 12-18, 6-10)
Morgan State (MEAC, 7-24, 5-11)

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Week 1

W. Kentucky- 73, Portland St.- 65
Kansas- 75, Morgan St.- 57
Denver- 66, GA Southern- 53

Denver puts a shock into GA Southern right off the bat, while W. Kentucky and Kansas have no problems in their games.

Week 2

Morgan St.- 93, Portland St.- 90 (3 OT)
W. Kentucky- 71, GA Southern- 62
Kansas- 62, Denver- 41

What... a... game between Morgan St. and Portland St. Even though neither team probably has a real shot to make it to the next round, still a classic. GA Southern is in an early hole after losing their first 2 as the 2nd seed in this group, and Kansas keeps rolling.

Week 3

Kansas- 68, Portland St.- 61
W. Kentucky- 69, Denver- 63
GA Southern- 69, Morgan St.- 52

Nice to see GA Southern get going with their first win of the group. W. Kentucky actually trailed Denver by 7 at halftime, while Kansas was tied with Portland St. at halftime.

Week 4

Morgan St.- 72, Denver- 54
Kansas- 75, W. Kentucky- 57
GA Southern- 70, Portland St.- 56

Morgan St. becomes the first team seeded last in their group to win 2 games, and they've done it before the halfway point. Kansas showed their domination of the group by pounding a previously undefeated W. Kentucky, and GA Southern trailed at halftime but rebounded nicely.

Week 5

Kansas- 83, GA Southern- 72
Morgan St.- 74, W. Kentucky- 68
Denver- 73, Portland St.- 63

Wow! It is unbelievable. Morgan St. won 7 games in the actual 2014-2015 season, and in this tournament they've already won 3 of their first 5. Crazy things happen when What If Sports gets involved.

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Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Kansas 5-0 (+75)
Morgan St. 3-2 (-8)
W. Kentucky 3-2 (-1)
Denver 2-3 (-22)
GA Southern 2-3 (-2)
Portland St. 0-5 (-42)

[britrock88]

Following!

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 3

Week 6

W. Kentucky- 72, Portland St.- 59
Kansas- 71, Morgan St.- 38
Denver- 67, GA Southern- 57

Well, Denver may not have anybody elses number, but they've got GA Southern's number. And Morgan St. got a reality check against Kansas.

Week 7

Portland St.- 73, Morgan St.- 53
GA Southern- 65, W. Kentucky- 51
Kansas- 66, Denver- 57

Seems Morgan St. is back to reality with 2 straight losses, including handing Portland St. their first victory. Kansas struggled with Denver, and GA Southern gave up just 13 second half points to pull away.

Week 8

Kansas- 66, Portland St.- 63
W. Kentucky- 74, Denver- 64
GA Southern- 66, Morgan St.- 55

Kansas hasn't exactly ran away with their last 2 games. In fact, Portland St. had this game tied at 63 with 42 seconds to go. Much needed win for GA Southern as they try to stay in the hunt.

Week 9

Denver- 68, Morgan St.- 59
W. Kentucky- 83, Kansas- 76
Portland St.- 74, GA Southern- 67

So Kansas becomes the first of the 25 ranked teams to lose a game, while Portland St. plays spoiler to GA Southerns chances to move on.

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Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Kansas 8-1 (+113)
W. Kentucky 6-3 (+15)
Denver 4-5 (-22)
GA Southern 4-5 (+6)
Morgan St. 3-6 (-81)
Portland St. 2-7 (-31)

Week 10 Schedule

Kansas @ GA Southern
Morgan St. @ W. Kentucky
Denver @ Portland St.

Kansas has won Group 3 no matter what happens in week 10, they are just playing to better their seeding. W. Kentucky has clinched 2nd in group 3, and those 2 teams are moving on. Portland St. has been eliminated. Denver, by virtue of sweeping GA Southern, owns the tiebreaker there, but we could be looking at a 3 way tie for 3rd if Morgan St. wins and Denver and GA Southern both lose. Again, if it becomes a 2 way tie between Denver and GA Southern, then Denver has the advantage.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 3

Week 10

Kansas- 76, GA Southern- 59
W. Kentucky- 79, Morgan St.- 61
Denver- 76, Portland St.- 59

Denver had already clinched 3rd place before their game, due to the fact that GA Southern and Morgan St. both lost, but they took care of business anyways. Kansas got back to their dominating ways.

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Final Group 3 Standings

#1- Kansas 9-1 (+130)
#2- W. Kentucky 7-3 (+33)
#3- Denver 5-5 (-5)
#4- GA Southern 4-6 (-11)
#5- Morgan St. 3-7 (-99)
#6- Portland St. 2-8 (-48)

Kansas wins the group, but that loss to W. Kentucky cost them big, as it will surely move them down a few seeds. W. Kentucky gets 2nd place, and is in a fairly good position with that 7-3 record, even though their point differential wasn't as good as the other 7-3 2nd place team so far. Denver gets 3rd place, but won't be around the wildcard hunt long, as their point differential is already lower than the other 2 potential wildcard teams. GA Southern was majorly disappointing, and Morgan St. has to feel dejected as well. They were 3-2 and sitting in 2nd place halfway through, but completely collapsed in the second half of group play. Still, they are the only bottom team within their group to win more than 1 game. Portland St. was also disappointing, even though they did play Kansas close 1 game.

[StLee]

Following when I get seven minutes to breathe :D

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 4

#4 Wisconsin (Big Ten, 33-3, 16-2)
Chattanooga (Southern, 22-10, 15-3)
Colorado (Pac 12, 16-18, 7-11)
North Texas (Conference USA, 14-17, 8-10)
Ohio (MAC, 10-20, 5-13)
UMBC (4-26, 2-14)

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Week 1

Colorado- 60, N. Texas- 56
Wisconsin- 76, UMBC- 55
Chattanooga- 56, Ohio- 55

Chattanooga had to survive an Ohio half court prayer at the buzzer that fell way short, otherwise we'd have another 5 vs. 2 upset in the first game. Wisconsin was impressive in victory, and Colorado also led from start to finish.

Week 2

N. Texas- 58, UMBC- 50
Chattanooga- 73, Colorado- 68
Wisconsin- 77, Ohio- 62

Pretty close games this week, even Wisconsin was only up by 3 at halftime, and the Chattanooga/Colorado game was back and forth.

Week 3

Wisconsin- 61, N. Texas- 47
Colorado- 66, Ohio- 53
Chattanooga- 60, UMBC- 58

Another game in which Chattanooga had to hang on late. Wisconsin actually was outscored in the second half of their game. Colorado fought off pesky Ohio with an 8-0 run in the last 2 minutes of the game.

Week 4

Ohio- 58, UMBC- 55
Colorado- 81, Wisconsin- 79 (OT)
Chattanooga- 76, N. Texas- 67

UMBC is proving to be a pesky low seed team in their group, as it take a buzzer beating three pointer from Ohio to beat them. And this is the earliest a top team in their group has lost, as Colorado overcame a 9 point halftime deficit to force overtime, then hit a bucket with 2 seconds left to get the upset win.

Week 5

Wisconsin- 69, Chattanooga- 46
Colorado- 77, UMBC- 50
Ohio- 64, N. Texas- 55

Wisconsin was not happy about losing last week, and they took it out on previously undefeated Chattanooga, holding them to 15 second half points. Meanwhile, Colorado gave UMBC no chance to hang around, leading by only 7 at halftime, they scored the first 16 points of the second half to put it away. Ohio has won 2 in a row.

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Standings after 5 weeks with point differential in parenthesis.

Wisconsin 4-1 (+71)
Colorado 4-1 (+41)
Chattanooga 4-1 (-6)
Ohio 2-3 (-17)
N. Texas 1-4 (-28)
UMBC 0-5 (-61)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 4

Week 6

N. Texas- 77, Colorado- 67
Wisconsin- 62, UMBC- 59
Chattanooga- 66, Ohio- 43

Damaging loss for Colorado in a game they led at halftime, but just fell apart in the second half. How about UMBC taking Wisconsin to the wire, as UMBC got it down to 1 several times in the last 5 minutes, and had it tied a couple times, but never took the lead. Chattanooga had no problems with Ohio this time around.

Week 7

N. Texas- 60, UMBC- 54
Colorado- 69, Chattanooga- 59
Wisconsin- 72, Ohio- 65 (OT)

UMBC is going to keep messing around and upsetting somebody, they led N. Texas by 7 at the half in this one. Colorado gets back on the right track, and Wisconsin continues to just get by. After giving up a 12 point halftime lead, they had to rely on a buzzer beater by Frank Kaminsky just to get the game to overtime.

Week 8

Wisconsin- 89, N. Texas- 84 (OT)
Colorado- 74, Ohio- 67
Chattanooga- 72, UMBC- 50

Wisconsin continues to just get by. Once again it took a late bucket just to get the game to overtime. This time the basket came from Josh Gasser. Colorado and Chattanooga each win to keep a game behind a very shaky Wisconsin.

Week 9

Ohio- 73, UMBC- 40
Colorado- 66, Wisconsin- 62
Chattanooga- 83, N. Texas- 73

I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Wisconsin gets beat by Colorado again in a game they led only twice. Colorado jumped out to a 21-8 lead early on and never let Wisconsin get past the hump. Meanwhile, UMBC has gotten blown out twice in a row, and Chattanooga takes care of business.

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Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Wisconsin 7-2 (+82)
Colorado 7-2 (+52)
Chattanooga 7-2 (+39)
Ohio 3-6 (-21)
N. Texas 3-6 (-27)
UMBC 0-9 (-125)

Week 10 Schedule

Wisconsin @ Chattanooga
UMBC @ Colorado
Ohio @ N. Texas

Well 1 thing is for certain, Ohio, N. Texas, and UMBC are all eliminated from the tournament after their next game. UMBC will finish last in the group, and the Ohio/N. Texas winner will decide 4th and 5th place. Wisconsin, Colorado, and Chattanooga all have a very good chance to move on. The Wisconsin/Chattanooga loser will drop out of the running to win the group. Colorado is in the best position, matching up with UMBC. All they have to do is win. If they win and Wisconsin beats Chattanooga, then Colorado would still win the group due to tiebreakers. If Colorado wins and Chattanooga wins, it still goes to tiebreakers. If Colorado loses, then the Wisconsin/Chattanooga winner would win the group. The one thing we know is that Wisconsin is not assured of a spot in the next round yet.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 4

Week 10

Chattanooga- 64, Wisconsin- 53
Colorado- 67, UMBC- 58
Ohio- 70, N. Texas- 57

Chattanooga dominated Wisconsin from start to finish in this game, leading the entire game. Ohio takes care of N. Texas, and Colorado overcomes a 3 point halftime deficit to do their part.

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Final Group 4 Standings

#1- Colorado 8-2 (+61)
#2- Chattanooga 8-2 (+50)
#3- Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
#4- Ohio 4-6 (-8)
#5- N. Texas 3-7 (-40)
#6- UMBC 0-10 (-134)

Colorado wins the group on tiebreakers. Since the head to head tiebreaker doesn't apply here as Colorado and Chattanooga split, the next tiebreaker is point differential, which gives Colorado the group. However, they could be looking at a fairly low seeding as far as group winners go, since they have 2 losses. On the other hand, Chattanooga could be looking at a high seeding as far as group runner-ups go, with those 8 wins. Wisconsin is not eliminated, in fact their 7 wins is huge when it comes to the wildcard chase, and the point differential helps. I know there's a lot of groups to go, but I like Wisconsin's chances. Ohio, N. Texas, and UMBC all played hard against the top 3 at times, but just couldn't get a key win against any of them to advance to the next round.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 5

#5 Arizona (Pac 12, 33-3, 16-2)
Florida State (ACC, 17-16, 8-10)
Texas Southern (SWAC, 22-13, 16-2)
Duquesne (Atlantic 10, 12-19, 6-12)
St. Peters (MAAC, 16-18, 8-12)
Idaho State (Big Sky, 7-23, 4-14)

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Week 1

Duquesne- 74, TX Southern- 72 (OT)
Idaho St.- 73, Arizona- 63
Florida St.- 65, St. Peters- 62 (OT)

Yes you're looking at that score right, and yes it happened. Idaho St. has won their super bowl by upset Arizona, in Tucson no less. I'm stunned. Great overtime games in the other 2 games this week.

Week 2

Duquesne- 67, Idaho St.- 59
Florida St.- 53, TX Southern- 53
St. Peters- 81, Arizona- 78

Guys, Arizona is in major trouble already after losing their first 2 games. Florida St. made a 6 point halftime lead hold up, while Duquesne led from start to finish in their game.

Week 3

Arizona- 81, Duquesne- 75
TX Southern- 68, St. Peters- 65
Florida St.- 64, Idaho St.- 50

Arizona finally gets over the hump to get their first win, while TX Southern almost blew a 21 point halftime lead, but finally breathed a sigh of relief when a buzzer beating three pointer by St. Peters missed. Florida St. continued to roll along.

Week 4

St. Peters- 63, Idaho St.- 50
Arizona- 90, TX Southern- 51
Duquesne- 81, Florida St.- 75

Duquesne rallied from a 13 point halftime deficit to hand the Seminoles their first loss, and Arizona woke up with a vengeance, delivering easily the biggest blowout of the group so far. St. Peters held Idaho St. to 16 first half points in their victory.

Week 5

Florida St.- 63, Arizona- 60
TX Southern- 71, Idaho St.- 66
St. Peters- 65, Duquesne- 62 (OT)

Well shoot, I had high hopes that Arizona was gonna turn it around, but Florida St. hung on in a game in which neither team led by more than 7 points. TX Southern gets back on the winning path against Idaho St., and St. Peters got a three pointer just before the buzzer by Trevis Wyche to send the game into overtime, then hung on to get a big win.

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Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Florida St. 4-1 (+20)
St. Peters 3-2 (+13)
Duquesne 3-2 (+7)
Arizona 2-3 (+29)
TX Southern 2-3 (-39)
Idaho St. 1-4 (-30)

What a crazy group

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 5

Week 6

Duquesne- 86, TX Southern- 58
Arizona- 85, Idaho St.- 53
St. Peters- 61, Florida St.- 58

TX Southern suffers another huge blowout loss, and Arizona has no problems with Idaho St. this time around. Florida St. led by 7 at halftime but couldn't make it stick, as St. Peters gets another good win.

Week 7

Idaho St.- 69, Duquesne- 59
Florida St.- 70, TX Southern- 62
Arizona- 77, St. Peters- 63

Idaho St. pulls another upset, as they led by as many as 12 and never trailed. Florida St. led by 13 at halftime and made it stick, and Arizona gets another measure of revenge as they led by 25 at halftime.

Week 8

Arizona- 75, Duquesne- 65
St. Peters- 70, TX Southern- 61
Idaho St.- 67, Florida St.- 53

A 10-0 run early in the 2nd half gave Arizona the cushion it needed, while TX Southern continues to massively disappoint. Idaho St. pulls yet another shocker, as they outscored the Seminoles by 14 at halftime. Florida St. played even in the 2nd half, but it wasn't near enough.

Week 9

Idaho St.- 67, St. Peters- 60
Arizona- 70, TX Southern- 61
Florida St.- 74, Duquesne- 68

Another win for Idaho St., who believe it or not still has a chance, albeit a very slight chance, to advance to the round of 128. Arizona keeps TX Southern in a downward spiral, and Florida St. led from start to finish against Duquesne.

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Standings after 9 weeks with point differential in parenthesis.

Florida St. 6-3 (+17)
Arizona 6-3 (+94)
St. Peters 5-4 (+4)
Duquesne 4-5 (+9)
Idaho St. 4-5 (-31)
TX Southern 2-7 (-93)

Week 10 Schedule

Arizona @ Florida St.
Idaho St. @ TX Southern
St. Peters @ Duquesne

Here's what we know: TX Southern is eliminated, and the Florida St./Arizona winner wins the group. The loser of that game doesn't necessarily clinch 2nd place. If St. Peters beats Duquesne, they clinch a top 3 spot and would be tied with the Florida St./Arizona loser. Based on point differential, they'd have a much better shot of wrestling the 2nd spot away from Florida St. However, if St. Peters doesn't win, then the Florida St./Arizona loser would get 2nd place, and St. Peters would drop to at least 3rd. Both Duquesne and Idaho St. must win to even have a chance at a wildcard spot. TX Southern can play spoiler against Idaho St., as odd as that sounds.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 5

Week 10

Arizona- 86, Florida St.- 70
Idaho St.- 64, TX Southern- 60
Duquesne- 71, St. Peters- 53

Arizona dominated the Seminoles in this one, and were up by as many as 24 at one point. Idaho St. scored the last 11 points of the game against TX Southern to stay in the wildcard hunt. St. Peters had a chance to take care of business, but apparently failed to show up from the locker room to start the 2nd half, as they were outscored 39-20. This sets up a 3 way tie for 3rd place and a potential wildcard, and also clinches 2nd place for Florida St.

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Final Group 5 Standings

#1- Arizona 7-3 (+110)
#2- Florida St. 6-4 (+1)
#3- Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
#4- St. Peters 5-5 (-14)
#5- Idaho St. 5-5 (-27)
#6- TX Southern 2-8 (-97)

Arizona sweeps through the second half of group play and wins the group. They may not be a top 15 or even top 20 seed in the Round of 128, but they are just happy to be advancing, especially with that 2-3 start. Florida St., on the other hand, struggled at the end of group play and ends up getting 2nd place. They will probably be a fairly low seed among 2nd place winners. Duquesne gets 3rd place and the potential wildcard by winning the 3 team tiebreaker. Duquesne, St. Peters, and Idaho St. were all 2-2 against each other, so the 2nd tiebreaker came down to point differential, and Duquesne won out. They have the best point differential of the 5-5 teams in the wildcard hunt, but that 5-5 record probably won't keep them around for too long. St. Peters misses out after losing to Duquesne in the group play finale. Idaho St. shocked everybody in group play, and almost became the first Cinderella team to advance. Still, them beating Arizona to open group play is still the most talked about game in this tournament so far. TX Southern was just hugely disappointing. I fully expected them to at least compete for a wildcard spot, but they failed to show up for this tournament.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 6

#6 Duke (ACC, 31-4, 15-3)
Long Beach State (Big West, 16-17, 10-6)
Western Michigan (MAC, 20-14, 10-8)
George Mason (Atlantic 10, 9-22, 4-14)
Army (Patriot, 15-15, 6-12)
Mississippi Valley State (SWAC, 6-26, 5-13)

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Week 1

George Mason- 83, W. Michigan- 81
Duke- 81, Miss. Valley St.- 67
Long Beach St.- 67, Army- 60

George Mason was down 4 at halftime and got a three pointer with 16 seconds to go then survived a missed buzzer beater. Duke struggled a bit, only leading by 2 at halftime. Long Beach St. had no troubles, jumping to a 13 point halftime lead and then making free throws late to keep Army at bay.

Week 2

Miss. Valley St.- 68, George Mason- 66
W. Michigan- 79, Long Beach St.- 74 (OT)
Duke- 91, Army- 64

Miss. Valley led by 10 at halftime and survived 3 missed shots in the last few seconds to get the upset win. Long Beach St. hit a three pointer with 7 seconds left in regulation, then missed another one at the buzzer sending the game to overtime where W. Michigan took control. Duke had no trouble with Army, leading by as many as 30 in the second half.

Week 3

George Mason- 64, Duke- 63
W. Michigan- 75, Army- 58
Long Beach St.- 77, Miss. Valley St.- 51

George Mason came back from a 9 point deficit in the second half to lead by 1 late, but Duke's Justise Winslow hit a three pointer with 2 seconds left. Not to be denied, George Mason answered with an Isaiah Jackson three pointer at the buzzer to pull the upset! W. Michigan and Long Beach St. had no trouble in their games, both racing to large leads early and extending those leads.

Week 4

Miss. Valley St.- 81, Army- 74
Duke- 77, W. Michigan- 69
Long Beach St.- 59, George Mason- 49

Army led by 13 at halftime but couldn't hold it, as Miss. Valley St. came storming back, scoring 52 points in the 2nd half to keep Army winless. Duke had just enough to beat W. Michigan, and Long Beach St. let George Mason get within 2 late before pulling away.

Week 5

Duke- 64, Long Beach St.- 63
W. Michigan- 73, Miss. Valley St.- 61
Army- 87, George Mason- 72

Duke's defense came up huge in the last 90 seconds of this one, getting 3 blocks and 2 steals to preserve the 1 point victory. W. Michigan put away pesky Miss. Valley St. late, and Army led by 15 at half and made it stand to get their first win of the tournament.

----------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks with point differential in parenthesis.

Duke 4-1 (+49)
W. Michigan 3-2 (+24)
Long Beach St. 3-2 (+37)
Miss. Valley St. 2-3 (-43)
George Mason 2-3 (-24)
Army 1-4 (-43)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 6

Week 6

George Mason- 85, W. Michigan- 76
Duke- 73, Miss. Valley St.- 53
Long Beach St.- 76, Army- 72 (OT)

George Mason built a lead as big as 14 at one point, and Duke cruised in their win. Long Beach St. gave up a buzzer beater in regulation to tie the game, but held on in overtime.

Week 7

George Mason- 83, Miss. Valley St.- 53
Long Beach St.- 74, W. Michigan- 51
Duke- 93, Army- 59

Not much to talk about this week. 3 games, 3 blowouts.

Week 8

Duke- 80, George Mason- 79
W. Michigan- 84, Army- 79 (OT)
Long Beach St.- 79, Miss. Valley St.- 54

Duke scored the game winning basket with 15 seconds left and didn't allow George Mason to get off another shot, to avoid a second upset. Army scored the last 6 points in regulation to force overtime, but ran out of gas in the extra 5 minutes. Long Beach had no problems with Miss. Valley.

Week 9

Army- 78, Miss. Valley St.- 57
W. Michigan- 73, Duke- 70
George Mason- 62, Long Beach St.- 46

Army went on a 15-2 run late first/early second half to put their game away, while W. Michigan built an 8 point lead and hung on to shock Duke. Unfortunately, Long Beach St. missed a chance to tie Duke in the standings by laying an egg against George Mason.

------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks with point differential in parenthesis.

Duke 7-2 (+103)
Long Beach St. 6-3 (+73)
George Mason 5-4 (+30)
W. Michigan 5-4 (0)
Army 2-7 (-67)
Miss. Valley St. 2-7 (-139)

Week 10 Schedule

Duke @ Long Beach St.
Miss. Valley St. @ W. Michigan
Army @ George Mason

Duke wins the group by beating Long Beach St. It's still possible for Long Beach to win the group, but they would have to beat Duke by at least 31 points, and I just don't see that happening. If George Mason and W. Michigan both win, they will be in serious contention for a wildcard spot, and we could be looking at a 3 way tie for 2nd place if Long Beach loses and Mason and W. Michigan both win. If they both lose, or if Long Beach wins, then Long Beach clinches 2nd at the very least. Army and Miss. Valley St. are just playing the spoiler role in this last week.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 6

Week 10

Duke- 72, Long Beach St.- 52
W. Michigan- 63, Miss. Valley St.- 47
George Mason- 73, Army- 61

Duke takes care of business against Long Beach St., and W. Michigan and George Mason both win, meaning we've got 3 teams at 6-4 that will be battling for 2 spots in the next round. Sadly, 1 of those teams will drop to 4th place and be eliminated.

-----------------------------------------------

Final Group 6 Standings

#1- Duke 8-2 (+123)
#2- George Mason 6-4 (+42)
#3- Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
#4- W. Michigan 6-4 (+16)
#5- Army 2-8 (-79)
#6- Miss. Valley St. (-155)

Duke wins the group and has a fairly nice point differential, but those 2 losses will definitely hurt their seeding. I still expect them to be a top 20 seed. George Mason wins the 3 way tiebreaker for 2nd place. As you know, the first tiebreaker is head to head. Since 3 teams were involved, I take the records of match-ups among those 3 teams. George Mason was 3-1 against Long Beach and W. Michigan, while Long Beach was 2-2 and W. Michigan was 1-3. Since 1 team had the advantage record wise over the other 2, then that team gets 2nd place. In this case, it's George Mason, who has the best point differential among the 6-4 2nd place teams right now. Long Beach St. won the tiebreaker for 3rd place. Long Beach and W. Michigan split their 2 games, so we go to point differential, where Long Beach was far better. So they are in the wildcard hunt, and at 6-4 have a pretty good chance. Unfortunately, W. Michigan is eliminated from further competition, as are Army and Miss. Valley St.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 7

#7 Virginia (ACC, 30-4, 16-2)
Bowling Green (MAC, 21-12, 11-7)
Evansville (Missouri Valley, 21-12, 9-9)
Western Carolina (Southern, 15-17, 9-9)
UC Riverside (Big West, 14-17, 7-9)
Bethune-Cookman (MEAC, 11-21, 7-9)

------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

W. Carolina- 68, Evansville- 52
Virginia- 60, Bethune-Cookman- 39
Bowling Green- 69, UC Riverside- 59

A little bit of a surprise to see Evansville get handled that easily. Virginia did what they do, play a boring, defensive style game, and Bowling Green trailed just twice the entire game, getting a lead as big as 15.

Week 2

W. Carolina- 61, Bethune-Cookman- 51
Evansville- 70, Bowling Green- 61
Virginia- 62, UC Riverside- 53

W. Carolina was tested, but pulled away late. Evansville led from start to finish and led by 20 at halftime. Virginia was actually down by 6 at halftime, but gave up just 16 second half points in the comeback victory.

Week 3

Virginia- 61, W. Carolina- 50
Evansville- 80, UC Riverside- 70
Bowling Green- 73, Bethune-Cookman- 39

Virginia played solid defense and dominated in a battle of undefeated teams, while Evansville trailed early, but got it together and took the lead for good late in the first half. Bowling Green had no trouble, leading by 24 at halftime and extending it.

Week 4

UC Riverside- 72, Bethune-Cookman- 55
Virginia- 65, Evansville- 53
W. Carolina- 67, Bowling Green- 58

UC Riverside gets their first victory by hammering Bowling Green, while Virginia stayed undefeated. W. Carolina overcame a 7 point halftime deficit to win going away.

Week 5

Virginia- 60, Bowling Green- 50
Bethune-Cookman- 73, Evansville- 59
UC Riverside- 64, W. Carolina- 55

Well this group has turned wild and wacky in a hurry. Virginia stays undefeated, while Bethune-Cookman picks up their first win, outscoring Evansville in the second half by 17. UC Riverside has won 2 in a row.

-------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Virginia 5-0 (+63)
W. Carolina 3-2 (+15)
Evansville 2-3 (-23)
Bowling Green 2-3 (+16)
UC Riverside 2-3 (-3)
Bethune-Cookman 1-4 (-68)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 7

Week 6

W. Carolina- 60, Evansville- 55
Virginia- 66, Bethune-Cookman- 51
UC Riverside- 70, Bowling Green- 67

W. Carolina led almost the entire game, but never got it to double digits. Virginia rolls, and UC Riverside led by 14 at halftime and held on to win.

Week 7

Bethune-Cookman- 63, W. Carolina- 53
Evansville- 81, Bowling Green- 79 (OT)
Virginia- 62, UC Riverside- 56

Some good games this week, as Bethune-Cookman shocks W. Carolina. Meanwhile, Evansville got a much needed win after blowing a 10 point halftime lead and giving up a buzzer beater to force overtime. Virginia trailed late in the second half but managed to recover to stay undefeated.

Week 8

Virginia- 66, W. Carolina- 49
UC Riverside- 65, Evansville- 57
Bowling Green- 70, Bethune-Cookman- 57

Remember what I said when I was going through the groups? I thought Virginia would get some tough tests? Boy was I wrong! With that win over W. Carolina, the Cavaliers have already clinched the Group 7 title. UC Riverside had the 8 point halftime lead and played even with the Aces in the second half, and Bowling Green broke open a 3 point game in the second half to win fairly handily.

Week 9

Bethune-Cookman- 64, UC Riverside- 59
Virginia- 62, Evansville- 49
W. Carolina- 58, Bowling Green- 56

UC Riverside made a furious comeback late, trying to overcome a 14 point deficit, but they ran out of time. Virginia stays unblemished with another outstanding defensive display, and W. Carolina hit a shot with 1 second left to get the win over Bowling Green.

------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Virginia 9-0 (+114)
W. Carolina 5-4 (-5)
UC Riverside 4-5 (-3)
Bowling Green 3-6 (+22)
Evansville 3-6 (-47)
Bethune-Cookman 3-6 (-81)

Week 10 Schedule

Virginia @ Bowling Green
Bethune-Cookman @ Evansville
UC Riverside @ W. Carolina

Unbelievably, none of these 6 teams are eliminated from the tournament yet. Now, the Evansville/Bethune-Cookman loser will be, while the winner has a slight chance. Virginia has already won the group, they are just playing for an undefeated run through group play and a potential top 5 seed. Bowling Green must upset the Cavaliers to move on. The W. Carolina/UC Riverside winner clinches 2nd place in the group and a berth in the round of 128. It won't need to go to the point differential tiebreaker if Riverside wins, as they would have won both games against W. Carolina. That being said, if Riverside wins, they would get 2nd place and W. Carolina 3rd place, so the 3-6 teams are certainly hoping for a Riverside loss.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 7

Week 10

Bowling Green- 62, Virginia- 57
Evansville- 69, Bethune-Cookman- 64
W. Carolina- 72, UC Riverside- 55

Amazing! Virginia ran through everybody, but just killed their undefeated run by getting down 13 in the second half. They couldn't recover. Evansville keeps their chances alive by outlasting Bethune-Cookman. W. Carolina makes happy campers out of Bowling Green and Evansville by hammering UC Riverside. So we'll have a 3 way tiebreaker situation for 3rd place and a potential wildcard (yeah right) berth!

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Final Group 7 Standings

#1- Virginia 9-1 (+109)
#2- W. Carolina 6-4 (+12)
#3- Evansville 4-6 (-42)
#4- Bowling Green 4-6 (+27)
#5- UC Riverside 4-6 (-20)
#6- Bethune-Cookman 3-7 (-86)

Virginia wins the group, but lost a chance to be only the third team to advance through group play undefeated. Their 9-1 record could still get them a top 10, maybe top 15 seed. W. Carolina gets 2nd place but that 6-4 record and low point differential will probably see them as a fairly low seed. Evansville wins the tiebreaker to take 3rd place. Remember, the first tiebreaker is always head to head. With 3 teams, 4 games are taken into consideration instead of 2. Evansville was 3-1 in the 4 games, while UC Riverside was 2-2 and Bowling Green was 1-3. So even though point differential goes Bowling Green's way, for group play, head to head is a more important tiebreaker. It's not gonna matter much though, Evansville will probably only be around until Group 17, which is the first group to eliminate a wildcard contender. That 4-6 record and point differential is god awful. Bowling Green, UC Riverside, and Bethune-Cookman are all eliminated.

[collegesportsfanms]

For those wondering, I have not abandoned this project, things are crazy at work right now, and since I declared this to be a work only project since I have so much other stuff going on outside of work, I just haven't been able to get to it. I'm hoping to get the next group done before I leave to go out of town tomorrow afternoon, then when I get back early next week, things should be calmed down at the job to where I can bust out at least 4 or 5 groups a week. Be patient all!

[collegesportsfanms]

Alright guys, I'm back, and ready to resume not only this, but all my other projects. Hope everybody is still following along!

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 8

#8 Gonzaga (WCC, 34-2, 17-1)
Stony Brook (America East, 23-12, 12-4)
St. Bonaventure (Atlantic 10, 18-13, 10-8)
East Carolina (American, 14-19, 6-12)
UT San Antonio (Conference USA, 14-16, 8-10)
Central Connecticut State (Northeast, 5-26, 3-15)

------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

St. Bonaventure- 63, ECU- 59
Gonzaga- 78, Cent. Conn. St.- 58
Stony Brook- 67, UTSA- 54

No surprises here, as the top 3 seeds in the group all won.

Week 2

Cent. Conn. St.- 85, ECU- 80 (3 OT)
St. Bonaventure- 68, Stony Brook- 63
Gonzaga- 79, UTSA- 60

What a game between ECU and Cent. Conn. St., as both teams missed buzzer beaters among regulation and the first 2 overtimes and Cent. Conn. finally pulled away in the third OT. St. Bonaventure and Gonzaga led from start to finish in their games.

Week 3

Gonzaga- 88, ECU- 61
St. Bonaventure- 57, UTSA- 43
Stony Brook- 59, Cent. Conn. St.- 37

3 blowouts this week, as Gonzaga actually led by as many as 34 before they put some walk-ons in. The only of the 3 winners that trailed was St. Bonaventure who trailed 2-0. Other than that, the 3 winners all led from start to finish.

Week 4

UTSA- 76, Cent. Conn. St.- 60
Gonzaga- 59, St. Bonaventure- 49
Stony Brook- 62, ECU- 60

UTSA used a 9-0 run to start the 2nd half to take control and get their first win, while Gonzaga was down by 2 at halftime but rallied to remain undefeated. Stony Brook got a three pointer from Roland Nyama to take a 61-60 lead with 19 seconds left, then added a free throw late, as ECU remains winless by virtue of not getting a good look to beat the buzzer.

Week 5

Gonzaga- 69, Stony Brook- 46
St. Bonaventure- 68, Cent. Conn. St.- 43
UTSA- 68, ECU- 54

Gonzaga held Stony Brook to 19 second half points in the blowout victory, while St. Bonaventure outscored Cent. Conn. St. 41-19 in the second half after leading by only 3 at halftime. ECU remains winless as UTSA ended the first half on a 13-2 run and never looked back.

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Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Gonzaga 5-0 (+99)
St. Bonaventure 4-1 (+38)
Stony Brook 3-2 (+9)
UTSA 2-3 (-16)
Cent. Conn. St. 1-4 (-78)
ECU 0-5 (-52)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 8

Week 6

ECU- 81, St. Bonaventure- 73
Gonzaga- 76, Cent. Conn. St.- 35
Stony Brook- 67, UTSA- 58

Gonzaga keeps rolling, and ECU gets their first win.

Week 7

ECU- 64, Cent. Conn. St.- 55
St. Bonaventure- 71, Stony Brook- 62
Gonzaga- 84, UTSA- 49

Gonzaga with their second straight 30+ point win in a row, and ECU has won 2 straight. I'm speeding through this a little bit in an effort to get this group done before closing time.

Week 8

Gonzaga- 72, ECU- 69
St. Bonaventure- 67, UTSA- 55
Stony Brook- 62, Cent. Conn. St.- 55

Wow! It took a last second stop for Gonzaga to remain undefeated, as ECU came to play! St. Bonaventure and Stony Brook also struggle a bit, but hang on for wins.

Week 9

UTSA- 59, Cent. Conn. St.- 50
Gonzaga- 61, St. Bonaventure- 54
Stony Brook- 56, ECU- 46

Another tough game for the Zags, who are still undefeated. ECU has cooled off after a 2 game winning streak, and the UTSA/Cent. Conn. St. game doesn't matter much as both teams are already eliminated.

--------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks with point differential in parenthesis.

Gonzaga 9-0 (+185)
St. Bonaventure 6-3 (+44)
Stony Brook 6-3 (+26)
UTSA 3-6 (-63)
ECU 2-7 (-48)
Cent. Conn. St. 1-8 (-144)

Week 10 Schedule

Gonzaga @ Stony Brook
Cent. Conn. St. @ St. Bonaventure
UTSA @ ECU

Gonzaga, St. Bonaventure, and Stony Brook have clinched the top 3 spots. Gonzaga has already clinched the group 8 title and is now playing for an undefeated run through group play and a potential top 5 seed. St. Bonaventure owns the tiebreaker over Stony Brook by virtue of beating them both times they played, so the only way Stony Brook can get 2nd place is if they upset Gonzaga and Cent. Conn. St. upsets St. Bonaventure. The chances of that happening are about as likely as the chances of the Chicago Cubs breaking the curse this year. OK, that was a low blow to the Cubs, but I can get away with it being a Cubs fan. Anyways, if both Stony Brook and St. Bonaventure win, or both loss, the Bonnies get 2nd place thanks to the tiebreaker. Whoever finishes in 3rd place, unless they totally get blown out in week 10, will have a decent chance at a wildcard, at least early on.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 8

Week 10

Gonzaga- 78, Stony Brook- 60
St. Bonaventure- 61, Cent. Conn. St.- 50
ECU- 80, UTSA- 63

So the Zags finish off an undefeated run through group play, although they were down by 1 at halftime. The Bonnies had already clinched 2nd place with the Stony Brook loss, but they made it official with the win. And ECU beat UTSA in a not important game.

---------------------------------------------------

Final Group 8 Standings

#1- Gonzaga 10-0 (+203)
#2- St. Bonaventure 7-3 (+55)
#3- Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
#4- ECU 3-7 (-31)
#5- UTSA 3-7 (-80)
#6- Cent. Conn. St. 1-9 (-155)

So Gonzaga becomes the first team to go through their group undefeated since Villanova in Group 2. Those 2 close wins in weeks 8 and 9 may have cost them a #1 seed in bracket play though, as they missed out on overtaking Kentucky by 11 points. St. Bonaventure currently has the highest point differential of the 7-3 2nd place teams, so they have a chance to be a fairly decent seed. Stony Brook will stay in the chase for a while with that 6-4 record, but that blowout loss to Gonzaga to end group play will certainly have them on their heels as we get farther into the tournament. ECU, UTSA, and Cent. Conn. St. are eliminated.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 9

#9 Iowa State (Big 12, 25-9, 12-6)
Clemson (ACC, 16-15, 8-10)
Lafayette (Patriot, 20-13, 9-9)
Missouri (SEC, 9-23, 3-15)
Texas State (Sun Belt, 14-17, 7-13)
Tennessee State (Ohio Valley, 5-26, 2-14)

-----------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Lafayette- 59, Missouri- 58
Iowa St.- 77, Tennessee St.- 54
Clemson- 52, Texas St.- 41

Nick Lindner hit a buzzer beater to give Lafayette the win over Mizzou, while Iowa St. and Clemson roll in their opening games.

Week 2

Missouri- 70, Tennessee St.- 57
Lafayette- 75, Clemson- 66
Iowa St.- 75, Texas St.- 60

Missouri scored the first 12 of the second half to pull away after leading by just 1 at halftime, while Iowa St. never trailed, and Lafayette had their 9 point lead at halftime then held on from there.

Week 3

Iowa St.- 65, Missouri- 59
Lafayette- 64, Texas St.- 48
Clemson- 70, Tennessee St.- 53

Iowa St. led 34-17 at halftime but had to hang on to get the win, while Lafayette and Clemson had no such troubles.

Week 4

Tennessee St.- 51, Texas St.- 46
Iowa St.- 63, Lafayette- 51
Missouri- 63, Clemson- 62 (OT)

Tennessee St. wins the battle of unbeaten teams by rallying from a 9 point halftime deficit, while Iowa St. led Lafayette by 14 at halftime in that game. Missouri/Clemson was a doozy, as Namon Wright hit a three pointer for Mizzou with 13 seconds in regulation to tie the game, and Clemson missed a buzzer beater that would have won it. In the extra 5 minutes, Clemson led 62-57, but Mizzou would score the next 6 points, including a buzzer beating three pointer by Keith Shamburger to get the win.

Week 5

Iowa St.- 75, Clemson- 53
Lafayette- 62, Tennessee St.- 45
Missouri- 68, Texas St.- 59

Iowa St. and Lafayette both led from start to finish in their game, while Missouri trailed by as many as 7 in the first half of their game, but rallied to keep Texas St. winless.

------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Iowa St. 5-0 (+78)
Lafayette 4-1 (+31)
Missouri 3-2 (+16)
Clemson 2-3 (-4)
Tennessee St. 1-4 (-65)
Texas St. 0-5 (-56)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 9

Week 6

Lafayette- 56, Missouri- 43
Iowa St.- 72, Tennessee St.- 36
Clemson- 64, Texas St.- 58

Lafayette held Mizzou to 14 points in the first half to get the win, but Iowa St. did one better. They doubled up Tennessee St. and allowed just 10 second half points. Wow. Clemson coasted in the second half of their game after being up 13 at halftime, and it almost came back to cost them.

Week 7

Missouri- 65, Tennessee St.- 33
Clemson- 77, Lafayette- 61
Iowa St.- 61, Texas St.- 54

Tennessee St. really should just start forfeiting at halftime. This time in the second half they scored a measly 11 points. Clemson led by 14 at halftime and rolled over Lafayette to get revenge, while Iowa St. struggled to put Texas St. away, trailing by 4 at the 3 minute mark before rolling off 11 straight points to end the game.

Week 8

Iowa St.- 86, Missouri- 77
Texas St.- 72, Lafayette- 65
Clemson- 53, Tennessee St.- 51

Iowa St. stays undefeated behind a 55 point second half outburst, and they needed all of it as Missouri scored 52 in the second half. Texas St. gets their first win of the tournament, leading by as many as 10 in the second half after being tied at 46 at one point. Clemson survives a game Tennessee St. who scored a lot more than 10 or 11 points in this second half, 29 to be exact. Unfortunately they were the victim of a buzzer beater as Clemson's Jaron Blossomgame hit a turnaround at the buzzer to win it for the Tigers. Also, with the Lafayette loss, Iowa St. has clinched the Group 9 title with 2 weeks to go.

Week 9

Tennessee St.- 72, Texas St.- 65
Lafayette- 79, Iowa St.- 68
Missouri- 64, Clemson- 51

Go figure, last week Iowa St. clinched group 9, this week they see their undefeated run go up in flames as Lafayette never let the Cyclones get going. Tennessee St. hands Texas St. another loss, by the exact same score that Texas St. got their first win with last week. Missouri opened up a 16 point second half lead in route to defeating Clemson

---------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks with point differential in parenthesis.

Iowa St. 8-1 (+119)
Lafayette 6-3 (+32)
Missouri 5-4 (+39)
Clemson 5-4 (+7)
Tennessee St. 2-7 (-128)
Texas St. 1-8 (-69)

Week 10 Schedule

Iowa St. @ Clemson
Tennessee St. @ Lafayette
Texas St. @ Missouri

Iowa St. has clinched the group no matter what. By beating Clemson they can really hurt Clemson's chances of moving on. Lafayette clinches 2nd place in the group by beating Tennessee St. If Missouri and Clemson both win, or both lose, Missouri would have the tiebreaker since they beat Clemson both times. The only hope for the Tigers really is to beat Iowa St. and hope the Missouri loses to Texas St. A 3 way tiebreaker for 2nd is not out of the possibility if Lafayette loses and Missouri and Clemson both win.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 9

Week 10

Iowa St.- 74, Clemson- 62
Lafayette- 62, Tennessee St.- 53
Missouri- 54, Texas St.- 43

The Texas St./Missouri game really became irrelevant after Clemson lost and Lafayette won, but Missouri helped their wildcard chances by pulling away in the second half. Lafayette led by 16 at halftime and coasted to an easy victory, while Clemson led by 1 at halftime, but lost all momentum in the second half.

-----------------------------------------

Final Group 9 Standings

#1- Iowa St. 9-1 (+131)
#2- Lafayette 7-3 (+41)
#3- Missouri 6-4 (+50)
#4- Clemson 5-5 (-5)
#5- Tennessee St. 2-8 (-137)
#6- Texas St. 1-9 (-80)

Iowa St. wins the group and has the best point differential of the 9-1 teams, so if not a lot more teams go undefeated, they'll be looking at a top 5 or 10 seed in bracket play. Lafayette takes second and has a decent point differential, but had they not given Texas St. their only win, they could be sitting at the top of the second place finishers. Missouri is in a good position right now with their 6-4 record, and their point differential is 2nd best of the 6-4 teams, but the groups will start getting tougher, and 6-4 may not be enough to get a wildcard. Clemson was hurt by losing to Missouri twice, which kept them out. Tennessee St. had way too many blowout losses, and Texas St. may have kept Lafayette from a chance to win the group. Needless to say, Clemson, Tennessee St., and Texas St. are eliminated.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 10

#10 Baylor (Big 12, 24-10, 11-7)
Belmont (Ohio Valley, 22-11, 11-5)
Loyola Chicago (Missouri Valley, 21-13, 8-10)
Mississippi State (SEC, 13-19, 6-12)
Fordham (Atlantic 10, 10-21, 4-14)
North Carolina A&T (MEAC, 9-23, 6-10)

------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Miss. St.- 58, Loyola Chicago- 52
Baylor- 85, NC A&T- 48
Fordham- 67, Belmont- 53

Some shockers here in Week 1, as Baylor had no problems with NC A&T, while Miss. St. outscored Loyola by 13 to get the win there, and Fordham jumped out to 15 point first half lead and cruised to victory, pulling the first upset of the group.

Week 2

Miss. St.- 64, NC A&T- 46
Belmont- 75, Loyola Chicago- 59
Baylor- 70, Fordham- 58

Miss. St. allowed just 15 first half points in rolling to victory, while Belmont led by 21 at half in their game. Fordham proved to be scrappy, taking the lead in the second half after being down 10 at halftime, but Baylor scored 12 of the last 13 points to pull away.

Week 3

Baylor- 73, Miss. St.- 51
Fordham- 67, Loyola Chicago- 63
Belmont- 73, NC A&T- 47

In a battle of undefeated teams, Baylor scored the first 8 points of the second half to open up to a 20 point lead and never looked back. Fordham ended the game on a 13-4 run to keep Loyola winless, while Belmont had no trouble with NC A&T.

Week 4

Fordham- 60, NC A&T- 46
Loyola Chicago- 69, Baylor- 60
Belmont- 65, Miss. St.- 61

Fordham keeps NC A&T winless, while Loyola led by as many as 15 in stunning Baylor and getting their first win in the process. Belmont almost blew an 11 point halftime lead but held on to beat Miss. St.

Week 5

Baylor- 84, Belmont- 65
Loyola Chicago- 57, NC A&T- 39
Fordham- 70, Miss. St.- 61

Baylor led by 21 at halftime, taking their frustrations out on poor Belmont, while Loyola had a dazzling defensive display, and Fordham had to snuff out a Miss. St. second half rally to pull away late.

----------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Baylor 4-1 (+81)
Fordham 4-1 (+29)
Belmont 3-2 (+13)
Miss. St. 2-3 (-11)
Loyola Chicago 2-3 (+1)
North Carolina A&T 0-5 (-113)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 10

Week 6

Miss. St.- 65, Loyola Chicago- 54
Baylor- 68, NC A&T- 50
Belmont- 68, Fordham- 57

Miss. St. broke open a close game at halftime, stretching the lead to 17 in the second half, while Baylor coasted in their game, and Belmont gets revenge on Fordham by jumping out to a 14 point halftime lead.

Week 7

Miss. St.- 53, NC A&T- 43
Belmont- 64, Loyola Chicago- 55
Baylor- 65, Fordham- 46

NC A&T kept it close for a while, but they are still winless. Loyola led at halftime but Belmont took control early in the second half, and Baylor held Fordham to just 18 second half points.

Week 8

Baylor- 65, Miss. St.- 51
Loyola Chicago- 84, Fordham- 75
NC A&T- 60, Belmont- 52

Baylor trailed by 1 at halftime but took over in the second half, while Fordham has now lost 3 in a row after a hot start, and NC A&T gets their first win, really hurting Belmont's chances to win the group by jumping out to a 14 point halftime lead.

Week 9

NC A&T- 65, Fordham- 63
Baylor- 60, Loyola Chicago- 50
Miss. St.- 75, Belmont- 60

Fordham continues their downhill slide, giving up a buzzer beater to lose to NC A&T. Baylor clinches the Group 9 title with a win over Loyola, allowing just 16 first half points. Miss. St. pulled away late to thump Belmont.

------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

Baylor 8-1 (+142)
Miss. St. 5-4 (+11)
Belmont 5-4 (+10)
Fordham 4-5 (-12)
Loyola Chicago 3-6 (-20)
NC A&T 2-7 (-131)

Week 10 Schedule

Baylor @ Belmont
NC A&T @ Loyola Chicago
Fordham @ Miss. St.

We know that Baylor has clinched the group and they are just playing to better their seeding. Loyola and NC A&T are eliminated, and Fordham must beat Miss. St. to have a chance to advance. If Miss. St. wins, Fordham is eliminated. If either Miss. St. or Belmont wins and the other loses, the team that wins gets 2nd place. If they both win or both lose, then we go to point differential tiebreaker. Now, if Fordham beats Miss. St. and Baylor beats Belmont, we'll have a 3 way tie for 2nd place between 3 teams that are 5-5. Yuck!

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 10

Week 10

Belmont- 75, Baylor- 74 (OT)
Loyola Chicago- 74, NC A&T- 69
Miss. St.- 58, Fordham- 56

Belmont led by 14 at halftime but a three pointer by Baylor's Taurean Prince with 8 seconds in regulation sent the game to OT. Rico Gathers hit a jumper with 1 second left to give Baylor a 74-73 lead, but a home run pass to Craig Bradshaw and a lay-up at the buzzer stunned the Bears. Loyola got by NC A&T in a meaningless game, while Miss St. closed the game on an 11-4 run to get a very important victory.

-----------------------------------------

Final Group 10 Standings

#1- Baylor 8-2 (+141)
#2- Miss. St. 6-4 (+13)
#3- Belmont 6-4 (+11)
#4- Fordham 4-6 (-14)
#5- Loyola Chicago 4-6 (-15)
#6- NC A&T 2-8 (-136)

Baylor wins the group and their point differential for 8-2 teams is the best so far, but there are a few 9-1 and 10-0 teams ahead of them. Miss. St. wins the tiebreaker for 2nd place. Since they split with Belmont, point differential became the next tiebreaker, which Miss. St. won by 2 points. Their record and point differential for 2nd place teams will probably have them as a fairly low seed in bracket play. Belmont is in the same position for the wildcard chase, as their point differential is one of the lowest for the 6-4 wildcard contenders, but they should stick around for a while at least. Fordham, Loyola, and NC A&T are eliminated, and Loyola was really disappointing.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 11

#11 North Carolina (ACC, 26-11, 11-7)
New Mexico State (WAC, 23-11, 13-1)
Coastal Carolina (Big South, 24-10, 12-6)
Florida International (Conference USA, 16-17, 8-10)
Houston (American, 13-19, 4-14)
Maine (America East, 3-27, 2-14)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Coastal Carolina- 59, FIU- 57 (OT)
N. Carolina- 90, Maine- 50
New Mexico St.- 71, Houston- 66

FIU forced overtime on a later three pointer by Michael Phillips, but Coastal Carolina got the last laugh when Josh Cameron hit a bucket with 2 seconds left to give Coastal Carolina the victory. Meanwhile, Carolina had no trouble with Maine, and New Mexico St. led Houston by 10 at halftime and held on late.

Week 2

FIU- 60, Maine- 57
New Mexico St.- 72, Coastal Carolina- 59
N. Carolina- 78, Houston- 53

FIU trailed by 3 late but scored the last 6 points to survive. New Mexico St. broke open a 4 point halftime lead with a 7-0 run to start the second half, and Carolina led by 16 at half and never looked back.

Week 3

N. Carolina- 71, FIU- 53
Coastal Carolina- 68, Houston- 58
New Mexico St.- 68, Maine- 57

N. Carolina won each half by 9 points, how often does that happen? Since we're on the subject, Coastal Carolina won each of their halves by 5, and New Mexico St. led by just 2 at halftime but again used a second half run to pull away.

Week 4

Houston- 64, Maine- 47
N. Carolina- 81, Coastal Carolina- 79 (OT)
New Mexico St.- 59, FIU- 48

Houston allowed 16 first half points to get their first victory of the tournament, while the Tarheels narrowly won the battle of the Carolinas, as Joel Berry II hit a buzzer beater in regulation to tie the game, then in OT N. Carolina played terrific defense in the last 20 seconds, not allowing a good look and surviving. Meanwhile, New Mexico St. won to set up a battle of undefeated teams in week 5.

Week 5

New Mexico St.- 76, N. Carolina- 64
Coastal Carolina- 83, Maine- 78 (OT)
FIU- 68, Houston- 64

Again, New Mexico St. used an early second half run to remain unbeaten, while Coastal Carolina was down 6 with 2 minutes to go in regulation and had to come from behind to force overtime, where they took control. FIU also had to come from behind as they trailed by 7 at halftime.

----------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

New Mexico St. 5-0 (+52)
N. Carolina 4-1 (+73)
Coastal Carolina 3-2 (+2)
FIU 2-3 (-24)
Houston 1-4 (-27)
Maine 0-5 (-76)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 11

Week 6

Coastal Carolina- 67, FIU- 64
N. Carolina- 71, Maine- 62
New Mexico St.- 60, Houston- 51

Coastal Carolina trailed by 8 at halftime but came back to win. Likewise, UNC trailed by 2 at halftime but came back. New Mexico St. led at halftime and maintains their undefeated run.

Week 7

FIU- 78, Maine- 68
Coastal Carolina- 68, New Mexico St.- 60
N. Carolina- 94, Houston- 74

Maine again had a halftime lead but couldn't hold onto it, as they stay winless. Coastal Carolina ends New Mexico St's undefeated run by jumping out to an 11-2 lead and holding strong. N. Carolina led from start to finish against Houston.

Week 8

N. Carolina- 75, FIU- 58
Coastal Carolina- 74, Houston- 67
New Mexico St.- 60, Maine- 57

The Tarheels led by 17 at halftime and let FIU play even in the second half. Coastal Carolina trailed by 4 at halftime but rallied to win, scoring the last 6 of the game. New Mexico St. trailed by as many as 8 but took the lead for good with 2 and a half minutes to go, as neither team would score again.
New Mexico St., Coastal Carolina, and N. Carolina have clinched the top 3 spots in group 11, now it's just a matter of where they finish.

Week 9

Houston- 78, Maine- 76 (OT)
N. Carolina- 78, Coastal Carolina- 57
New Mexico St.- 63, FIU- 54

Houston had 2 chances to win in regulation but missed them both, however in the overtime they took control, with a meaningless buzzer beating three pointer by Maine slicing the final margin of defeat to just 2. N. Carolina was all over Coastal Carolina, leading by 9 at halftime and getting it up to as many as 26 in the second half. New Mexico St. trailed by 4 at halftime but rallied for the win.

------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks with point differential in parenthesis.

New Mexico St. 8-1 (+65)
N. Carolina 8-1 (+140)
Coastal Carolina 6-3 (-1)
FIU 3-6 (-43)
Houston 2-7 (-61)
Maine 0-9 (-100)

Week 10 Schedule

N. Carolina @ New Mexico St.
Maine @ Coastal Carolina
Houston @ FIU

Not a lot of drama in this group. The top 3 spots are already clinched, with Coastal Carolina clinching 3rd place. The only real drama is who wins between New Mexico St. and N. Carolina. The winner of that game wins the group, the loser clinches 2nd place in the group. The only other drama is can Maine get a win in their last game of the tournament to avoid being the third team so far to go winless? If they do win, it will really hurt the wildcard chances of Coastal Carolina.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 11

Week 10

N. Carolina- 79, New Mexico St.- 57
Maine- 72, Coastal Carolina- 68
FIU- 61, Houston- 59

The Tarheels jumped out to a 15 point halftime lead in route to winning this game handily, while Maine does it, scoring 8 of the last 10 points to shock Coastal Carolina, while FIU scored the game winning basket with 2 seconds left.

---------------------------------------------

Final Group 11 Standings

#1- N. Carolina 9-1 (+162)
#2- New Mexico St. 8-2 (+43)
#3- Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
#4- FIU 4-6 (-41)
#5- Houston 2-8 (-63)
#6- Maine 1-9 (-96)

So North Carolina wins the group and with that point differential, even though they lost a game, they are sitting quite nicely, in position for a potential top 5 seed, but probably more like a top 8-10 seed. New Mexico St. finishes 2nd and is only the second team of the group runner-ups with an 8-2 record. That will certainly help in the long run, as they could be a seed in the 60s. Coastal Carolina gets the wildcard, but losing their last 2, and having a negative point differential, will have them sweating it out when we get farther into group play. FIU, Houston, and Maine are all eliminated, but give a lot of credit to Maine, who competed well after losing by 40 in their first game.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 12

#12 SMU (American, 27-7, 15-3)
Arizona State (Pac 12, 18-16, 9-9)
North Carolina Central (MEAC, 25-8, 16-0)
IPFW (Summit, 16-15, 9-7)
Air Force (Mountain West, 14-17, 6-12)
Jacksonville (Atlantic Sun, 10-22, 4-10)

---------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

NC Central- 71, IPFW- 67
SMU- 68, Jacksonville- 59
Air Force- 87, Arizona St.- 77 (OT)

NC Central led by 9 at halftime and made it stand, while SMU was down by as many as 6 at one time and struggled to victory. Air Force got a buzzer beating three pointer from Marek Olesinski to force overtime then dominated the extra frame to stun the Sun Devils.

Week 2

IPFW- 61, Jacksonville- 51
NC Central- 63, Arizona St.- 61
Air Force- 63, SMU- 58

IPFW led by 14 at halftime and rolled, while NC Central got a huge turnover and forced 2 missed shots in the last minute to survive. Air Force pulls another upset and led by as many as 9 in the second half.

Week 3

SMU- 75, IPFW- 56
NC Central- 73, Air Force- 65
Arizona St.- 77, Jacksonville- 68

SMU got back on the right track, leading by 18 at halftime, while NC Central used a late 6-0 run to put the game away in a battle of undefeated teams, and Arizona St. got their first win of the tournament by holding Jacksonville to just 1 point over the last 3 minutes.

Week 4

Jacksonville- 73, Air Force- 68
SMU- 64, NC Central- 56
Arizona St.- 77, IPFW- 68

Jacksonville gets on the winning side of things by jumping out to a 15 point halftime lead, while SMU hands NC Central their first loss on the hands of a 13-2 run to start the game. The Sun Devils have found a final score that works for them. For the second straight game they win 77-68.

Week 5

Arizona St.- 73, SMU- 69
NC Central- 63, Jacksonville- 48
Air Force- 73, IPFW- 59

The Sun Devils are rolling now, winners of 3 straight, while NC Central rolled off 10 straight in the second half to take control over Jacksonville, and Air Force trailed by 1 at halftime but dominated the second half in route to an easy victory.

--------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks with point differential in parenthesis:

NC Central 4-1 (+21)
Air Force 3-2 (+16)
Arizona St. 3-2 (+10)
SMU 3-2 (+27)
IPFW 1-4 (-36)
Jacksonville 1-4 (-38)

[collegesportsfanms]

In an effort to get Group 12 done before we close up today (since I'm doing this mostly at work on my free time), the rest of it will be scores only. Hate to do it, but have no choice.

Group 12

Week 6

NC Central- 82, IPFW- 78 (OT)
SMU- 69, Jacksonville- 65
Air Force- 68, Arizona St.- 59

Week 7

IPFW- 68, Jacksonville- 64
NC Central- 68, Arizona St.- 64
SMU- 62, Air Force- 52

Week 8

SMU- 86, IPFW- 83 (OT)
Air Force- 69, NC Central- 58
Jacksonville- 70, Arizona St.- 61

Week 9

Air Force- 73, Jacksonville- 53
SMU- 67, NC Central- 56
IPFW- 76, Arizona St.- 60

------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks with point differential in parenthesis.

SMU 7-2 (+55)
Air Force 6-3 (+46)
NC Central 6-3 (+7)
IPFW 3-6 (-23)
Arizona St. 3-6 (-28)
Jacksonville 2-7 (-57)

Week 10 Schedule

SMU @ Arizona St.
Jacksonville @ NC Central
Air Force @ IPFW

The top 3 teams in the group are already decided, now it's just a matter of how they'll finish. If SMU beats Arizona St. they win the group. If Air Force wins and NC Central loses, NC Central would finish 3rd, and vice versa if NC Central wins and Air Force loses. If they both win or both lose, it would go to a points differential tiebreaker, which would almost certainly favor Air Force. It is a possibility that if SMU loses and Air Force and NC Central both win, we have a 3 way tie for the Group 12 title.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 12

Week 10

SMU- 81, Arizona St.- 61
NC Central- 55, Jacksonville- 53
IPFW- 56, Air Force- 47

IPFW plays the role of spoiler against Air Force, and SMU has no trouble with Arizona St., who lost all their games in the second half of the group.

Final Group 12 Standings

#1- SMU 8-2 (+75)
#2- NC Central 7-3 (+9)
#3- Air Force 6-4 (+37)
#4- IPFW 4-6 (-14)
#5- Arizona St. 3-7 (-48)
#6- Jacksonville 2-8 (-59)

SMU wins the group but with 2 losses and a fairly low point differential, they are probably looking at a seed between 20 and 30. NC Central gets second place but that point differential is the worst among 7-3 group runner-ups, so they could be a fairly low seed. Air Force is a surprising 3rd place, but that week 10 loss will definitely knock them down a few seeds. They should still be ok as their point differential is 3rd best among the 6-4 wildcard contenders, but 7-3 would have given them a lot more breathing room. IPFW, Arizona St., and Jacksonville are eliminated, and the Sun Devils were brutally disappointing in the second half of group 12 play after a 3-2 first half.

[collegesportsfanms]

In an effort to speed this along, I am going to do what I should have done to begin with: I will just be posting scores in group play, unless there is a particular upset or game of interest, or if some of you want me to specifically follow a certain team within a group, I can do that too. Otherwise, it will be pretty much scores only during group play.

Hope some of my regulars are still following, as I really enjoy doing stuff like this and the interactive dynasties! I do it for you guys as much as I do it for me

[britrock88]

Here as always. :)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 13

#13 Maryland (Big Ten, 28-7, 14-4)
Kansas State (Big 12, 15-17, 8-10)
Washington (Pac 12, 16-15, 5-13)
Tulane (American, 15-16, 6-12)
UNC Asheville (Big South, 15-16, 10-8)
Morgan State (MEAC, 7-24, 5-11)

This group is of particular interest for me for 2 reasons: Maryland and Kansas St. Being from Kansas, I support all 3 major schools in Kansas, although Wichita St. and K-State get more of my attention that KU does. Also, Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon formerly coached at Wichita St., and I like to see him do well. Obviously I want those 2 teams to advance from group 13, so we'll see how it goes.

--------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Washington- 70, Tulane- 60
Maryland- 72, Morgan St.- 45
UNC Asheville- 70, Kansas St.- 69

Really K-State? Really? What a whopping start my Wildcats are off to.

Week 2

Tulane- 63, Morgan St.- 61
Washington- 67, Kansas St.- 62
UNC Asheville- 67, Maryland- 56

Don't look now but the #5 seed from this group is 2-0, beating both my teams. Ugh! I'm not liking this already.

Week 3

Maryland- 73, Tulane- 66
UNC Asheville- 72, Washington- 67
Kansas St.- 76, Morgan St.- 58

Bout damn time my Wildcats won a game. How about UNC Asheville and their hot start?

Week 4

UNC Asheville- 68, Morgan St.- 53
Washington- 65, Maryland- 56
Tulane- 69, Kansas St.- 60

I am losing interest in this group quickly, but at least I know one of my teams will win in week 5 (and 10) since those are the weeks they play each other.

Week 5

Maryland- 58, Kansas St.- 46
Washington- 71, Morgan St.- 41
Tulane- 63, UNC Asheville- 50

--------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

UNC Asheville 4-1 (+19)
Washington 4-1 (+49)
Maryland 3-2 (+26)
Tulane 3-2 (+7)
Kansas St. 1-4 (-9)
Morgan St. 0-5 (-92)

I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised to see Kansas St. sitting at 1-4 through the first half of this group. After all, they were not a good team in reality this past season, and the inconsistency showed all year. Unfortunately, WIS is making them consistently bad right now. I find it hard to imagine things will stay like this though. UNC Asheville's luck has to run out at some point, doesn't it?

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 13

Week 6

Washington- 74, Tulane- 70
Maryland- 63, Morgan St.- 54
Kansas St.- 77, UNC Asheville- 60

Now that's more like it! Hopefully the Wildcats will go on a nice little run here.

Week 7

Morgan St.- 61, Tulane- 49
Kansas St.- 74, Washington- 65
Maryland- 75, UNC Asheville- 73

Big win for the Wildcats, and Morgan St. gets their first win.

Week 8

Maryland- 76, Tulane- 62
Washington- 66, UNC Asheville- 57
Kansas St.- 75, Morgan St.- 61

3 in a row for the Cats, but it could be too late. On the flipside, UNC Asheville has lost 4 in a row after starting 4-0.

Week 9

UNC Asheville- 71, Morgan St.- 38
Washington- 66, Maryland- 60
Tulane- 59, Kansas St.- 57

Rats! Now the Cats are gonna have their backs up against their wall to advance.

----------------------------------------------

Standings after Week 9, with point differential in parenthesis:

Washington 7-2 (+59)
Maryland 6-3 (+45)
UNC Asheville 5-4 (+24)
Tulane 4-5 (-21)
Kansas St. 4-5 (+29)
Morgan St. 1-8 (-136)

Week 10 Schedule

Maryland @ Kansas St.
Morgan St. @ Washington
UNC Asheville @ Tulane

2 things we know for sure about this group is that Morgan St. is eliminated and no matter what happens, Washington has won the Group 13 title. Even if Washington loses and Maryland wins, the fact that Washington swept Maryland would give them the tiebreaker. So Maryland becomes our 2nd ranked team not to win their group so far. UNC Asheville needs to beat Tulane to clinch a top 3 spot in the group. If Tulane wins, they would jump UNC Asheville by virtue of sweeping them. Kansas St. has to upset Maryland. If they do, we could be looking at a 3 way tie for 3rd depending on how things play out. A lot of situations could happen yet.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 13

Week 10

Maryland- 69, Kansas St.- 60
Washington- 74, Morgan St.- 56
UNC Asheville- 64, Tulane- 56

Ugh, I knew it was a longshot for K-State, but I was hoping they'd win to give themselves a chance.

-----------------------------------------------------

Final Group 13 Standings

#1- Washington 8-2 (+77)
#2- Maryland 7-3 (+54)
#3- UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
#4- Tulane 4-6 (-29)
#5- Kansas St. 4-6 (+20)
#6- Morgan St. 1-9 (-154)

Washington wins the group but doesn't have the best point differential of 8-2 teams. With a lot of groups to go, they could see themselves slip as the tournament moves on. Maryland takes 2nd and came within 1 point of having the best point differential for 7-3 group runner-ups, so they should have a fairly good seed as far as 2nd place teams go. UNC Asheville used a 4-0 start to take 3rd, even after losing 4 of their last 6. They are in the middle of the pack as far as point differential for 6-4 wildcard contenders, and if they earn a wildcard, they can look back on that 33 point win over Morgan St. as the difference. Tulane, Kansas St., and Morgan St. are all eliminated, and can we fire Bruce Weber yet? Oh.. wait.. Bruce Weber didn't coach in this tournament? Well then let's fire the WIS sim. Although I'm really not surprised they didn't advance, I thought they were over ranked going into this tournament anyways. Ah well, better luck next time.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 14

#14 Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley, 31-4, 16-2)
LaSalle (Atlantic 10, 17-16, 8-10)
Northwestern (Big Ten, 15-17, 6-12)
Mercer (Southern, 19-16, 12-6)
Rice (Conference USA, 12-20, 8-10)
Stetson (Atlantic Sun, 9-22, 3-11)

----------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Northwestern- 72, Mercer- 63
Northern Iowa- 72, Stetson- 49
Rice- 64, LaSalle- 53

Look at Rice starting the group off with a fairly big upset.

Week 2

Mercer- 72, Stetson- 52
LaSalle- 62, Northwestern- 60
Northern Iowa- 70, Rice- 60

Week 3

Northern Iowa- 71, Mercer- 52
Rice- 50, Northwestern- 41
LaSalle- 61, Stetson- 60

Week 4

Stetson- 68, Rice- 67
Northwestern- 60, UNI- 48
LaSalle- 74, Mercer- 59

Definitely a shock to see UNI lose so early in this group. I really thought they'd run through it with ease.

Week 5

UNI- 63, LaSalle- 48
Northwestern- 61, Stetson- 52
Mercer- 63, Rice- 52

Mercer held rice to 13 first half points, wow!

-------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis.

UNI 4-1 (+55)
LaSalle 3-2 (-8)
Northwestern 3-2 (+19)
Mercer 2-3 (-12)
Rice 2-3 (-2)
Stetson 1-4 (-52)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 14

Week 6

Mercer- 72, Northwestern- 62
Northern Iowa- 67, Stetson- 60
Rice- 71, LaSalle- 65 (OT)

Week 7

Mercer- 56, Stetson- 47
LaSalle- 66, Northwestern- 57
Northern Iowa- 61, Rice- 45

Week 8

Northern Iowa- 72, Mercer- 63
Rice- 63, Northwestern- 49
Stetson- 71, LaSalle- 66

UNI has clinched the Group 14 title as of Week 8.

Week 9

Rice- 76, Stetson- 67
Northern Iowa- 72, Northwestern- 62
Mercer- 79, LaSalle- 74

-------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks with point differential in parenthesis.

Northern Iowa 8-1 (+97)
Mercer 5-4 (+3)
Rice 5-4 (+11)
LaSalle 4-5 (-15)
Northwestern 3-6 (-24)
Stetson 2-7 (-72)

Week 10 Schedule

Northern Iowa @ LaSalle
Stetson @ Northwestern
Rice @ Mercer

Northern Iowa has clinched the group and is looking to better their seed. Northwestern and Stetson are eliminated, and the Rice/Mercer winner finishes 2nd in the group. That's what we know. Here are the unknowns: LaSalle needs to upset Northern Iowa to have a chance at a wildcard. If they don't, they are eliminated and the Rice/Mercer loser would clinch 3rd place and a potential wildcard. However, due to tiebreakers, if LaSalle wins, they would need Rice to beat Mercer, forcing a tiebreaker for 3rd place between LaSalle and Mercer since they split their games. If Mercer beats Rice, then it wouldn't matter if LaSalle won as Rice won both games against LaSalle. To recap, the only chance LaSalle has is if they beat UNI and Rice beats Mercer. Anything else, and LaSalle is gone.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 14

Week 10

Northern Iowa- 77, LaSalle- 55
Northwestern- 79, Stetson- 58
Rice- 63, Mercer- 56

Well Rice did their part by beating Mercer, but LaSalle got hammered, so they are out.

-----------------------------------------

Final Group 14 Standings

#1- Northern Iowa 9-1 (+119)
#2- Rice 6-4 (+18)
#3- Mercer 5-5 (-4)
#4- LaSalle 4-6 (-33)
#5- Northwestern 4-6 (-3)
#6- Stetson 2-8 (-93)

Northern Iowa wins the group, but even with a 9-1 record, their point differential isn't overly impressive. They could still pull a top 10 seed, but I'd vote more towards the 11 to 15 range. Rice finishes 2nd, and if I'm not mistaken, they are the third team in a row to be seeded 5th in their group but advance to the round of 128. With so many of the group runner-ups having 8-2 and 7-3 records, Rice could be a pretty low seed, even down into the 80's or 90's. Mercer finishes 3rd and joins the wildcard chase, but that 5-5 record and negative point differential probably won't see them hanging around long. LaSalle, Northwestern, and Stetson are all eliminated, and this group played out like I thought it would, UNI dominated.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 15

#15 VCU (Atlantic 10, 26-10, 12-6)
South Dakota State (Summit, 24-11, 12-4)
Auburn (SEC, 15-20, 4-14)
Texas A&M-CC (Southland, 20-14, 13-5)
Sacred Heart (Northeast, 15-17, 9-9)
UT Pan American (WAC, 10-21, 4-10)

--------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Auburn- 59, Texas A&M-CC- 50
VCU- 73, UT Pan American- 61
South Dakota St.- 81, Sacred Heart- 68

Week 2

Texas A&M-CC- 67, UT Pan American- 49
South Dakota St.- 79, Auburn- 75
VCU- 77, Sacred Heart- 62

Week 3

Texas A&M-CC- 62, VCU- 52
Auburn- 80, Sacred Heart- 75
South Dakota St.- 64, UT Pan American- 59

A mild upset with VCU losing to Texas A&M-CC, but both those teams are fairly strong out of this group.

Week 4

UT Pan American- 61, Sacred Heart- 56
VCU- 86, Auburn- 77 (OT)
South Dakota St.- 70, Texas A&M-CC- 50

Week 5

South Dakota St.- 61, VCU- 59
Auburn- 80, UT Pan American- 77
Texas A&M-CC- 73, Sacred Heart- 71

--------------------------------------------------

Standings after Week 5, with point differential in parenthesis:

South Dakota St. 5-0 (+44)
VCU 3-2 (+24)
Auburn 3-2 (+4)
Texas A&M-CC 3-2 (+1)
UTPA 1-4 (-33)
Sacred Heart 0-5 (-40)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 15

Week 6

Auburn- 67, Texas A&M-CC- 62
VCU- 79, UT Pan American- 56
South Dakota St.- 67, Sacred Heart- 53

Week 7

UT Pan American- 66, Texas A&M-CC- 57
South Dakota St.- 68, Auburn- 66
Sacred Heart- 69, VCU- 63

A huge stunner, as Sacred Heart gets their first win and VCU is now in a major hole if they want to win the group.

Week 8

VCU- 80, Texas A&M-CC- 54
Sacred Heart- 72, Auburn- 63
UT Pan American- 71, S. Dakota St.- 57

2 huge upsets in week 8, and VCU still has a chance to at least force a tiebreaker for the group title.

Week 9

Sacred Heart- 82, UT Pan American- 77
VCU- 78, Auburn- 61
South Dakota St.- 73, Texas A&M-CC- 55

With the win, S. Dakota St. has clinched the group 15 title.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

South Dakota St. 8-1 (+64)
VCU 6-3 (+84)
Auburn 4-5 (-19)
Sacred Heart 3-6 (-34)
UT Pan American 3-6 (-38)
Texas A&M-CC- 3-6 (-57)

Week 10 Schedule

VCU @ South Dakota St.
UT Pan American @ Auburn
Sacred Heart @ Texas A&M-CC

Sadly, no team from this group is officially eliminated. South Dakota St. has clinched the group title and VCU has clinched 2nd place. If Auburn beats UTPA, they clinch 3rd place and will move to the wildcard chase. The Sacred Heart/Texas A&M-CC loser will be officially eliminated. Worst case scenario is if UTPA beats Auburn, then those 2 teams, plus the Sacred Heart/Texas A&M-CC winner will be in a 3 way tie for 3rd place at 4-6. Dear god please don't let that happen. Just win Auburn, just win!

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 15

Week 10

VCU- 66, South Dakota St.- 53
Auburn- 66, UT Pan American- 57
Sacred Heart- 69, Texas A&M-CC- 65

The Auburn win makes the Sacred Heart/Texas A&M-CC game meaningless, as Auburn clinches 3rd place with the win.

Final Group 15 Standings

#1- South Dakota St. 8-2 (+51)
#2- VCU 7-3 (+97)
#3- Auburn 5-5 (-10)
#4- Sacred Heart 4-6 (-30)
#5- UT Pan American 3-7 (-47)
#6- Texas A&M-CC 3-7 (-61)

S. Dakota St. wins the group, but losing 2 of their last 3 will really hurt their seeding in the long run. With the worst point differential of the 8-2 group winners, look for their round of 128 seed to continue to drop, unless we end up with a lot more 7-3 or less group winners. VCU gets 2nd place, and not only do they have the highest point differential of the 7-3 group runner-ups, but they have the highest point differential of all the group runner-ups period! Unfortunately, there are some 8-2 group runner-ups ahead of them, but I still look for them to be in the top half of the bracket. A seed between 60-65 is quite doable. Auburn gets 3rd place, but that point differential is the worst among 5-5 wildcard contenders, with only Evansville having a lower spot than the Tigers. Look for Auburn to be gone by group 20. Sacred Heart, UTPA, and Texas A&M-CC are all eliminated, but kudos to Sacred Heart for winning their last 4 games.

[collegesportsfanms]

Sorry for the long delay between posts, the weather was not so good around here during the weekend, so it made for a long weekend at the ball park as we attempted to get a junior college regional baseball tournament in. Needless to say this is the first chance I've had to do anything with any of my projects since early last week. Next group coming up.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 16

#16 Notre Dame (ACC, 31-5, 14-4)
Minnesota (Big Ten, 18-15, 6-12)
Cleveland State (Horizon, 19-15, 11-5)
South Dakota (Summit, 17-16, 9-7)
Hartford (America East, 14-16, 7-9)
Chicago State (WAC, 8-24, 4-10)

------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Cleveland St.- 71, South Dakota- 62
Notre Dame- 80, Chicago St.- 51
Minnesota- 72, Hartford- 52

Week 2

South Dakota- 64, Chicago St.- 53
Cleveland St.- 57, Minnesota- 54
Notre Dame- 80, Hartford- 65

Week 3

Notre Dame- 89, South Dakota- 49
Cleveland St.- 66, Hartford- 54
Minnesota- 54, Chicago St.- 40

Week 4

Hartford- 56, Chicago St.- 55
Notre Dame- 76, Cleveland St.- 66
Minnesota- 71, S. Dakota- 69

Week 5

Notre Dame- 74, Minnesota- 65
Cleveland St.- 54, Chicago St.- 37
Hartford- 61, South Dakota- 51

---------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Notre Dame 5-0 (+103)
Cleveland St. 4-1 (+31)
Minnesota 3-2 (+24)
Hartford 2-3 (-36)
South Dakota 1-4 (-50)
Chicago St. 0-5 (-72)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 16

Week 6

South Dakota- 62, Cleveland St.- 53
Notre Dame- 73, Chicago St.- 58
Hartford- 77, Minnesota- 75

Week 7

Chicago St.- 80, South Dakota- 67
Cleveland St.- 68, Minnesota- 60
Notre Dame- 64, Hartford- 50

First win of the tournament for Chicago St.

Week 8

Notre Dame- 71, South Dakota- 61
Cleveland St.- 60, Hartford- 50
Chicago St.- 79, Minnesota- 76

Wow! Chicago St. does it again, really throwing a kink into a couple teams chances. Also, the way the standings are after week 8, Notre Dame and Cleveland St. have already clinched the top 2 spots and will be moving on to the round of 128.

Week 9

Hartford- 57, Chicago St.- 41
Notre Dame- 73, Cleveland St.- 56
Minnesota- 77, South Dakota- 68

With the win, Notre Dame has clinched the Group 16 title.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks with point differential in parenthesis:

Notre Dame 9-0 (+159)
Cleveland St. 6-3 (+23)
Minnesota 4-5 (+20)
Hartford 4-5 (-42)
South Dakota 2-7 (-73)
Chicago St. 2-7 (-87)

Week 10 Schedule

Notre Dame @ Minnesota
Chicago St. @ Cleveland St.
Hartford @ South Dakota

Not a lot of drama in this group heading into week 10. Notre Dame has clinched the group and will be playing for an undefeated run through group play. Cleveland St. has clinched 2nd place and both teams will obviously look to better their seeding. The only drama is for 3rd place and the wildcard chase. If Minnesota upsets ND and S. Dakota beats Hartford, then Minnesota gets third. On the other hand, if Minnesota loses and Hartford wins, then Hartford gets third. If they both lose or both win, it would go to points differential tiebreaker since they split their 2 meetings.

[Chas in Cinti]

Did I see Morgan St in both Group 3 and 13?

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 16

Week 10

Notre Dame- 81, Minnesota- 67
Cleveland St.- 66, Chicago St.- 65
South Dakota- 68, Hartford- 46

It comes down to a points differential tiebreaker between Minnesota and Hartford for 3rd place.

---------------------------------------------

Final Group 16 Standings

#1- Notre Dame 10-0 (+173)
#2- Cleveland St. 7-3 (+24)
#3- Minnesota 4-6 (+6)
#4- Hartford 4-6 (-64)
#5- South Dakota 3-7 (-51)
#6- Chicago St. 2-8 (-88)

So Notre Dame becomes just the 4th team to go through group play undefeated, but has the lowest point differential of those teams. Regardless, they should still be a top 5-10 seed easy. Cleveland St. finishes 2nd and has one of the worst point differentials of the 7-3 group runner-ups, but the 7-3 record will at least give them a little higher seeding. Minnesota convincingly wins the point differential tiebreaker to take 3rd place and get into the wildcard chase, but don't look for them to be around long with that 4-6 record. They are safe for at least 1 more group though. Hartford, South Dakota, and Chicago St. are all eliminated.

With group 17 being the next in line, we are now to one of the most exciting parts of the tournament: wildcard eliminations. With each group from this point forward, the lowest ranked team will be eliminated from the wildcard chase. The first team on the chopping block is Evansville with their outstanding (key the sarcasm!) resume of 4-6 (-42). I would expect them to be gone after group 17.

[collegesportsfanms]

Before we go any further, let's look at the wildcard standings through the first 16 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
UNLV 5-5 (+7)
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0)
Mercer 5-5 (-4)
Denver 5-5 (-5)
Auburn 5-5 (-10)
Minnesota 4-6 (+6)
Evansville 4-6 (-42)

These will be updated with every group now, and as mentioned, there will be an elimination with every group from this point on.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 17

#17 Wichita State (Missouri Valley, 30-4, 17-1)
Tennessee (SEC, 16-16, 7-11)
UAB (Conference USA, 20-16, 12-6)
USC Upstate (Atlantic Sun, 24-12, 8-6)
Pacific (WCC, 12-19, 4-14)
Binghamton (America East, 6-26, 5-11)

This group is going to get a little more attention thanks to the fact that Wichita St. is in it, and they are my #1 team. I just hope they have a better showing in this tournament than Kansas St. did!

------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

USC Upstate- 72, UAB- 66
Wichita St.- 71, Binghamton- 47
Tennessee- 75, Pacific- 70 (OT)

First OT game we've had in a while. Shockers are off to a good start.

Week 2

USC Upstate- 72, Binghamton- 56
UAB- 65, Tennessee- 61
Wichita St.- 73, Pacific- 64

Important battle coming up next week, as 2 undefeated teams square off.

Week 3

Wichita St.- 66, USC Upstate- 60
UAB- 81, Pacific- 78 (OT)
Tennessee- 60, Binghamton- 37

Seems Pacific is going to be our hard luck losers in OT for this group, as they are 0-2 in OT games now. While it's still early, the win for the Shockers is big.

Week 4

Pacific- 66, Binghamton- 49
UAB- 56, Wichita St.- 51
Tennessee- 63, USC Upstate- 62

Ugh! I figured the Shox wouldn't run through undefeated, but I was hoping it would be much later when they suffered their first loss.

Week 5

Tennessee- 76, Wichita St.- 70
UAB- 69, Binghamton- 59
Pacific- 63, USC Upstate- 53

Ugh! I'm not liking the direction the Shockers are going in right now. They've got an uphill climb if they are going to win the group now.

-----------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

UAB 4-1 (+16)
Tennessee 4-1 (+31)
Wichita St. 3-2 (+28)
Pacific 2-3 (+10)
USC Upstate 2-3 (+5)
Binghamton 0-5 (-90)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 17

Week 6

USC Upstate- 65, UAB- 63
Wichita St.- 55, Binghamton- 42
Tennessee- 73, Pacific- 62

Good job by the Shockers in breaking the losing steak, but it wasn't a convincing win.

Week 7

USC Upstate- 63, Binghamton- 53
Tennessee- 74, UAB- 52
Wichita St.- 58, Pacific- 38

UAB is starting to slide, and USC Upstate is getting hot again. It's a good news/bad news thing for Wichita St.

Week 8

Wichita St.- 68, USC Upstate- 56
UAB- 71, Pacific- 61
Tennessee- 76, Binghamton- 73

Another big win for the Shockers, who now have a chance to avenge their only 2 losses to this point.

Week 9

Pacific- 62, Binghamton- 30
Wichita St.- 64, UAB- 55
Tennessee- 75, USC Upstate- 68

Yes! The Shockers avenge 1 loss, now can they avenge the second?

---------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Tennessee 8-1 (+74)
Wichita St. 7-2 (+82)
UAB 5-4 (-7)
USC Upstate 4-5 (-2)
Pacific 3-6 (+1)
Binghamton 0-9 (-148)

Week 10 Schedule

Wichita St. @ Tennessee
Binghamton @ UAB
Pacific @ USC Upstate

The Tennessee/Wichita St. winner in week 10 will win the group title. Obviously if Tennessee wins they'll clinch it outright, but some of you may be saying, "wait a minute, if Wichita St. wins, they'll be tied at 8-2, will have split their meetings, and will have to go to a point differential tiebreaker." That's all correct, but with Wichita St. having the lead in point differential right now, obviously if they win, their point differential will go up and Tennessee's would go down, making the tiebreaker meaningless. So.. it's back to the winner clinches the group, the loser clinches 2nd place.

All UAB needs to do to clinch the wildcard is beat Binghamton, which shouldn't be a problem. They can also get in with a USC Upstate loss to Pacific. However, if UAB somehow loses to Binghamton and USC Upstate beats Pacific, then USC Upstate will clinch 3rd place and get into wildcard contention based on the fact they swept UAB.

Evansville is already packing their bags. It won't be official until the final standings come out, but with the 3rd place finisher out of this group guaranteed to finish with at least 5 wins, and Evansville having 4 wins, then the Aces are unofficially eliminated from the wildcard chase and the tournament.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 17

Week 10

Wichita St.- 67, Tennessee- 58
UAB- 51, Binghamton- 46
Pacific- 69, USC Upstate- 60

So the Shockers avenge both their losses in route to the group title, and not that it mattered, but after UAB won to clinch 3rd place, USC Upstate made it really official by going ahead and losing.

----------------------------------------------------

Final Group 17 Standings

#1- Wichita St. 8-2 (+91)
#2- Tennessee 8-2 (+65)
#3- UAB 6-4 (-2)
#4- Pacific 4-6 (+10)
#5- USC Upstate 4-6 (-11)
#6- Binghamton 0-10 (-153)

So my Shockers win the group, but those 2 back to back losses really put a damper on their seeding as they have a fairly low point differential for the 8-2 group winners. They may keep a top 15 seed, but a top 20 is more likely. Tennessee finishes 2nd, and has the best point differential of the 8-2 group runner-ups and is on top of the standings for 2nd place finishers. I find it hard to believe they'll end up with lower than a seed of 60. UAB clinches 3rd and gets in the wildcard chase, but that negative point differential won't do them any favors. They've got a few groups before they have to worry. Unfortunately, this does now unfortunately eliminate Evansville, who becomes the first wildcard contender to be eliminated. With the sweep of USC Upstate, Pacific actually jumps them to finish 4th, but it doesn't matter. Both teams are eliminated along with Binghamton who failed to win a game.

Here are the wildcard standings after 17 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
UNLV 5-5 (+7)
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0)
Mercer 5-5 (-4)
Denver 5-5 (-5)
Auburn 5-5 (-10)
Minnesota 4-6 (+6)
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 18

#18 Oklahoma (Big 12, 24-10, 12-6)
Albany (America East, 24-9, 15-1)
Oregon State (Pac 12, 17-14, 8-10)
Charlotte (Conference USA, 14-18, 7-11)
Drexel (Colonial, 11-19, 9-9)
Alabama A&M (SWAC, 9-20, 8-10)

As we go into this group, remember that Minnesota is the next team on the chopping block, with their 4-6 (+6) record.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Charlotte- 70, Oregon St.- 67 (OT)
Oklahoma- 82, Alabama A&M- 45
Albany- 53, Drexel- 44

Week 2

Charlotte- 80, Alabama A&M- 46
Oregon St.- 69, Albany- 56
Oklahoma- 67, Drexel- 56

Week 3

Charlotte- 88, Oklahoma- 72
Drexel- 46, Oregon St.- 40
Albany- 67, Alabama A&M- 53

Wow! Didn't see that Charlotte rout of Oklahoma coming.

Week 4

Drexel- 59, Alabama A&M- 58
Oklahoma- 64, Oregon St.- 55
Albany- 67, Charlotte- 65

Week 5

Oklahoma- 73, Albany- 64
Alabama A&M- 62, Oregon St.- 61
Drexel- 62, Charlotte- 57

Charlotte has lost 2 in a row after upsetting Oklahoma, and Oregon St. continues to fall deeper down. I was expecting them to make a bit of a run too.

-------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks with point differential in parenthesis:

Oklahoma 4-1 (+50)
Albany 3-2 (+3)
Drexel 3-2 (-8)
Charlotte 3-2 (+46)
Alabama A&M 1-4 (-85)
Oregon St. 1-4 (-6)

Not that it matters much at this point, but Albany is in 2nd place because they beat both Drexel and Charlotte, and Drexel is in 3rd by beating Charlotte.

Meanwhile, the Golden Gophers of Minnesota are sweating like crazy, seeing 4 of the 6 teams in this group already having 3 or 4 wins halfway through.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 18

Week 6

Charlotte- 70, Oregon St.- 45
Oklahoma- 71, Alabama A&M- 57
Albany- 67, Drexel- 57

Week 7

Charlotte- 81, Alabama A&M- 57
Albany- 67, Oregon St.- 55
Oklahoma- 58, Drexel- 49

Week 8

Charlotte- 73, Oklahoma- 64
Drexel- 53, Oregon St.- 51
Alabama A&M- 70, Albany- 63

Charlotte has Oklahoma's number, and Albany takes an embarrassing and crucial loss.

Week 9

Drexel- 53, Alabama A&M- 48
Oklahoma- 66, Oregon St.- 55
Charlotte- 46, Albany- 43

----------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Charlotte 7-2 (+107)
Oklahoma 7-2 (+75)
Albany 5-4 (+15)
Drexel 5-4 (-20)
Alabama A&M 2-7 (-121)
Oregon St. 1-8 (-56)

Week 10 Schedule

Oklahoma @ Albany
Alabama A&M @ Oregon St.
Drexel @ Charlotte

Interesting Week 10 matches as the top 4 teams all play each other with seeding on the line. For the group title, if Charlotte wins, they are the group champs regardless of what happens, since they swept Oklahoma. If Charlotte loses and Oklahoma wins, Oklahoma will be the champs. Much the same for 3rd place. Since Albany swept Drexel, all they have to is beat Oklahoma and they get 3rd place. If Albany loses and Drexel wins, Drexel gets 3rd place. Alabama A&M and Oregon St. are out, and Minnesota is packing their bags as they are unofficially eliminated from wildcard contention.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 18

Week 10

Oklahoma- 70, Albany- 65
Oregon St.- 63, Alabama A&M- 36
Charlotte- 71, Drexel- 63

------------------------------------------

Final Group 18 Standings

#1- Charlotte 8-2 (+115)
#2- Oklahoma 8-2 (+80)
#3- Albany 5-5 (+10)
#4- Drexel 5-5 (-28)
#5- Oregon St. 2-8 (-19)
#6- Alabama A&M 2-8 (-158)

So by virtue of beating Oklahoma twice, Charlotte wins the group and sets themselves up nicely for a top 20 seed, although there are some teams ahead of them with better point differentials. Oklahoma finishes 2nd and tops Tennessee from last group, overtaking them for that 57th seed for the moment by having a point differential 15 points higher. Albany beat Drexel twice and gets 3rd place and has the second highest point differential of the 5-5 wildcard contenders. They should be ok for a few groups anyways. Drexel, Oregon St., and Alabama A&M are all eliminated, as is Minnesota, who gets bumped out of the wildcard chase and the tournament.

Wildcard standings after 18 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
Albany 5-5 (+10)
UNLV 5-5 (+7)
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0)
Mercer 5-5 (-4)
Denver 5-5 (-5)
Auburn 5-5 (-10)
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Auburn becomes next on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 19

#19 Utah (Pac 12, 26-8, 13-5)
Seton Hall (Big East, 16-15, 6-12)
UL Monroe (Sun Belt, 24-12, 14-6)
Santa Clara (WCC, 14-18, 7-11)
Northern Colorado (Big Sky, 15-15, 10-8)
SE Louisiana (Southland, 9-23, 6-12)

---------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Santa Clara- 69, UL Monroe- 58
Utah- 87, SE Louisiana- 61
Seton Hall- 79, Northern Colorado- 67

Week 2

Santa Clara- 63, SE Louisiana- 49
Seton Hall- 62, UL Monroe- 58
Utah- 72, Northern Colorado- 62

Week 3

Utah- 74, Santa Clara- 66
UL Monroe- 56, Northern Colorado- 47
Seton Hall- 78, SE Louisiana- 69

Week 4

SE Louisiana- 71, Northern Colorado- 69
Utah- 76, UL Monroe- 67
Seton Hall- 87, Santa Clara- 85

Week 5

Utah- 80, Seton Hall- 70
UL Monroe- 74, SE Louisiana- 65
Santa Clara- 82, Northern Colorado- 80 (OT)

------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Utah 5-0 (+63)
Seton Hall 4-1 (+17)
Santa Clara 3-2 (+17)
UL Monroe 2-3 (-6)
SE Louisiana 1-4 (-56)
Northern Colorado 0-5 (-35)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 19

Week 6

UL Monroe- 69, Santa Clara- 65
Utah- 74, SE Louisiana- 52
Seton Hall- 79, Northern Colorado- 73

Week 7

Santa Clara- 65, SE Louisiana- 52
Seton Hall- 82, UL Monroe- 63
Utah- 80, Northern Colorado- 56

Week 8

Utah- 70, Santa Clara- 57
Northern Colorado- 80, UL Monroe- 75
Seton Hall- 74, SE Louisiana- 72

Week 9

SE Louisiana- 71, Northern Colorado- 65 (OT)
Utah- 68, UL Monroe- 59
Santa Clara- 74, Seton Hall- 62

With the Seton Hall loss, Utah has officially clinched the group title.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Utah 9-0 (+131)
Seton Hall 7-2 (+32)
Santa Clara 5-4 (+25)
UL Monroe 3-6 (-35)
SE Louisiana 2-7 (-87)
Northern Colorado 1-8 (-66)

Week 10 Schedule

Utah @ Seton Hall
SE Louisiana @ UL Monroe
Northern Colorado @ Santa Clara

Utah has clinched the group title, they are just playing for an undefeated run in group play. A Seton Hall win would help their seeding and hurt Utah's seeding. Santa Clara has clinched 3rd place, a win would definitely keep them alive in the wildcard chase, and it would even take a pretty huge loss to eliminate them.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 19

Week 10

Utah- 78, Seton Hall- 59
SE Louisiana- 67, UL Monroe- 57
Santa Clara- 59, Northern Colorado- 56

----------------------------------------------------

Final Group 19 Standings

#1- Utah 10-0 (+150)
#2- Seton Hall 7-3 (+13)
#3- Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
#4- UL Monroe 3-7 (-45)
#5- SE Louisiana 3-7 (-77)
#6- Northern Colorado 1-9 (-69)

Utah becomes the 5th team to go through group play undefeated, but has the lowest point differential, so they can be no higher than the #5 seed in the round of 128. Seton Hall saw their seed go way down after 2 straight losses, which caused their point differential to go way down as well. They may be lucky to get a seed better than 70 by the time all the groups are done. Santa Clara is safe for a while, as their point differential is 5th best among 6-4 wildcard contenders, so they should be in the hunt for a while. Unfortunately, that does eliminate Auburn officially, as well as UL Monroe, SE Louisiana, and Northern Colorado. UL Monroe was very disappointing.

Wildcard standings after 19 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
Albany 5-5 (+10)
UNLV 5-5 (+7)
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0)
Mercer 5-5 (-4)
Denver 5-5 (-5)
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 20

#20 Arkansas (SEC, 27-9, 13-5)
California (Pac 12, 18-15, 7-11)
Pepperdine (WCC, 18-14, 10-8)
Detroit (Horizon, 15-18, 7-9)
Missouri State (Missouri Valley, 11-20, 5-13)
Savannah State (MEAC, 9-22, 5-11)

----------------------------------------------------------------

I forgot to mention in my last post, but Denver is on the chopping block this group.

Week 1

Detroit- 63, Pepperdine- 54
Arkansas- 79, Savannah St.- 41
California- 72, Missouri St.- 63

Week 2

Detroit- 62, Savannah St.- 47
California- 65, Pepperdine- 64
Missouri St.- 63, Arkansas- 53

Big upset there, and a big win for Missouri St.

Week 3

Detroit- 75, Arkansas- 70
Pepperdine- 64, Missouri St.- 61
California- 69, Savannah St.- 61

Arkansas has lost 2 in a row and are in a bit of trouble early on.

Week 4

Missouri St.- 62, Savannah St.- 46
Arkansas- 67, Pepperdine- 51
California- 76, Detroit- 60

Week 5

California- 78, Arkansas- 74
Pepperdine- 77, Savannah St.- 57
Detroit- 69, Missouri St.- 50

----------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

California 5-0 (+38)
Detroit 4-1 (+32)
Arkansas 2-3 (+35)
Pepperdine 2-3 (-3)
Missouri St. 2-3 (-5)
Savannah St. 0-5 (-97)

Wow, what a crazy group. Arkansas must pick it up in the second half of group play or they may be our first ranked team to be eliminated. Right now Denver is very happy at the possibility of sticking around through another group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 20

Week 6

Detroit- 66, Pepperdine- 65
Arkansas- 74, Savannah St.- 58
Missouri St.- 66, California- 58

Week 7

Detroit- 65, Savannah St.- 62
Pepperdine- 68, California- 67
Missouri St.- 75, Arkansas- 69

So Cal has lost 2 in a row and Arkansas continues to slide.

Week 8

Detroit- 71, Arkansas- 62
Missouri St.- 56, Pepperdine- 49
California- 61, Savannah St.- 52

Ugh! Arkansas is in a real jam now.

Week 9

Missouri St.- 62, Savannah St.- 53
Arkansas- 78, Pepperdine- 49
Detroit- 75, California- 66

Too late too late for Arkansas I'm afraid

-----------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Detroit 8-1 (+54)
California 6-3 (+29)
Missouri St. 6-3 (+27)
Arkansas 4-5 (+65)
Pepperdine 3-6 (-41)
Savannah St. 0-9 (-134)

Week 10 Schedule

Arkansas @ California
Savannah St. @ Pepperdine
Missouri St. @ Detroit

Not much drama surrounding this group, as Detroit has clinched the group and Cal and Missouri St. have clinched the other 2 spots. How they finish will be determined by the results of the Week 10 games. If Cal wins and Missouri St. loses, Cal gets 2nd, Missouri St. 3rd. Exactly the opposite if Missouri St. wins and Cal loses. If they both win or both lose, it goes to tiebreaker. Unfortunately for Denver, who looked to be sitting pretty halfway through this group, they are packing their bags, as the 3rd place team in this group will finish no worse than 6-4 so Denver is unofficially eliminated. Also, Arkansas will become our first ranked team not to survive group play.

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 10

California- 76, Arkansas- 60
Pepperdine- 52, Savannah St.- 40
Missouri St.- 82, Detroit- 57

Wow! Just a crazy group.

----------------------------------------------

Final Group 20 Standings

#1- Detroit 8-2 (+29)
#2- Missouri St. 7-3 (+52)
#3- California 7-3 (+45)
#4- Arkansas 4-6 (+49)
#5- Pepperdine 4-6 (-29)
#6- Savannah St. 0-10 (-146)

So Detroit wins the group, but that loss in week 10 really hurt them. They could have been looking at a top 10 seed had they won, but their point differential is by far the lowest of 8-2 group winners. Only Arizona is in a worse position right now. I look for Detroit to eventually be in the 30-40 seed range. Missouri St. on the strength of a 5-0 record in the 2nd half of group play takes 2nd place on points differential tiebreaker. They have 1 of the better point differentials for 7-3 group runner-ups, so they should stay in the 60's or maybe high 70's with their seed. California gets 3rd place after all is said and done, limping to just a 2-3 record in the 2nd half of group play. They can relax for a while though, as they are only 1 of 2 teams in wildcard contention that have a 7-3 record. They don't even have to worry about the chopping block for at least 15-20 groups, and I doubt they have to worry about it at all. Arkansas, Pepperdine, and Savannah St. are all eliminated, and Arkansas becomes the first top 25 ranked team to bow out before bracket play. This also eliminates Denver from the tournament.

Wildcard standings after 20 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
Albany 5-5 (+10)
UNLV 5-5 (+7)
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0)
Mercer 5-5 (-4)
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 21

#21 Louisville (ACC, 26-8, 12-6)
William & Mary (Colonial, 20-13, 12-6)
Gardner-Webb (Big South, 20-15, 10-8)
USC (Pac 12, 12-20, 3-15)
Hampton (MEAC, 17-18, 8-8)
Western Illinois (Summit, 8-20, 3-13)

----------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Gardner Webb- 87, USC- 79 (OT)
Louisville- 68, Western Illinois- 52
William & Mary- 69, Hampton- 51

Week 2

USC- 62, Western Illinois- 56
William & Mary- 72, Gardner Webb- 59
Louisville- 61, Hampton- 52

Week 3

Louisville- 64, USC- 49
Gardner Webb- 80, Hampton- 59
William & Mary- 67, Western Illinois- 57

Week 4

Western Illinois- 73, Hampton- 60
Louisville- 63, Gardner Webb- 60
William & Mary- 79, USC- 70

Week 5

William & Mary- 77, Louisville- 69
Gardner Webb- 82, W. Illinois- 73
USC- 75, Hampton- 73 (2 OT)

---------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

William & Mary 5-0 (+58)
Louisville 4-1 (+35)
Gardner Webb 3-2 (+22)
USC 2-3 (-24)
W. Illinois 1-4 (-28)
Hampton 0-5 (-63)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 21

Week 6

Gardner Webb- 82, USC- 68
Louisville- 54, Western Illinois- 44
William & Mary- 67, Hampton- 41

Week 7

USC- 64, Western Illinois- 56
William & Mary- 84, Gardner Webb- 82 (OT)
Louisville- 67, Hampton- 58

Week 8

Louisville- 62, USC- 51
Gardner Webb- 72, Hampton- 70
William & Mary- 70, Western Illinois- 60

Week 9

Western Illinois- 59, Hampton- 55
Louisville- 74, Gardner Webb- 65
William & Mary- 74, USC- 73

---------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

William & Mary 9-0 (+97)
Louisville 8-1 (+74)
Gardner Webb 5-4 (+31)
USC 3-6 (-46)
Western Illinois 2-7 (-52)
Hampton 0-9 (-104)

Week 10 Schedule

Louisville @ William & Mary
Western Illinois @ Gardner Webb
Hampton @ USC

The Louisville/William & Mary game will decide the group. If William & Mary wins, they win the group. If Louisville wins, the teams will be tied and it will go to point differential. Louisville still needs to win by double digits to have a chance, but they could. Mercer, who is on the chopping block, has not quite packed their bags yet. However, all Gardner Webb has to do to eliminate them is to just win, which shouldn't be hard considering they are playing a team that has 2 wins, and both of those wins are against a team that hasn't won yet. However, even if Gardner Webb were to somehow lose, it would have to be by a very, very wide margin. At least 36 points, and I don't see that happening.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 21

Week 10

Louisville- 72, William & Mary- 63
Western Illinois- 73, Gardner Webb- 64
Hampton- 69, USC- 65

At least Hampton can get some solace knowing they won their last game, even if it was their only win.

-------------------------------------------------

Final Group 21 Standings

#1- William & Mary 9-1 (+88)
#2- Louisville 9-1 (+83)
#3- Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22)
#4- USC 3-7 (-50)
#5- Western Illinois 3-7 (-43)
#6- Hampton 1-9 (-100)

William & Mary survived to win the group. Had Louisville beaten them by just 3 more points, then they would have won the group. But W&M had a little bit better point differential, although it is the worst of the 9-1 group winners by far, but the fact that they have a 9-1 record could have them looking at a top 15 or 20 seed in the Round of 128. Louisville is the only group runner-up to finish 9-1, so they automatically jump to the top of the group runner-ups, and I find it very hard to see them as anything but the #57 seed. At the lowest, they should stay in the very high 60s. Gardner Webb gets 3rd place and stays in wildcard contention for a while with the +22 point differential, but what a killer loss to W. Illinois. Without that, they could be safe for even a few more groups. As it stands, Mercer can officially pack their bags as they are officially eliminated. USC gets 4th on tiebreakers thanks to the fact they swept W. Illinois, but that matters to nobody but them, as they are eliminated, along with W. Illinois and Hampton.

Here are the wildcard standings after 21 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22)
Albany 5-5 (+10)
UNLV 5-5 (+7)
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0)
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Quinnipiac is next on the chopping block

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 22

#22 Providence (Big East, 22-12, 11-7)
Kent State (MAC, 23-11, 12-6)
American (Patriot, 17-16, 8-10)
Vermont (America East, 20-14, 12-4)
Brown (Ivy, 13-18, 4-10)
Citadel (Southern, 11-19, 6-12)

---------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Vermont- 65, American- 54
Providence- 70, Citadel- 43
Brown- 68, Kent St.- 54

A shocker there with Brown handling Kent St.

Week 2

Vermont- 52, Citadel- 46
Kent St.- 63, American- 52
Providence- 62, Brown- 51

Week 3

Providence- 72, Vermont- 69
Brown- 69, American- 58
Citadel- 69, Kent St.- 68 (OT)

What the heck is going on with Kent St??

Week 4

Brown- 76, Citadel- 71
American- 67, Providence- 60 (OT)
Kent St.- 69, Vermont- 66

Week 5

Kent St.- 69, Providence- 65
American- 53, Citadel- 52
Vermont- 64, Brown- 61

---------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Providence 3-2 (+30)
Brown 3-2 (+16)
Vermont 3-2 (+14)
Kent St. 3-2 (+3)
American 2-3 (-25)
Citadel 1-4 (-38)

This might very well be the most screwed up, entertaining group we've had so far. I'm looking forward to seeing how it shakes out.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 22

Week 6

Vermont- 56, American- 51
Providence- 78, Citadel- 68
Kent St.- 70, Brown- 51

Kent St. gets some nice revenge on Brown for that Week 2 upset.

Week 7

Vermont- 59, Citadel- 49
American- 66, Kent St.- 62
Providence- 76, Brown- 52

Week 8

Providence- 73, Vermont- 68
American- 63, Brown- 53
Kent St.- 73, Citadel- 67

Week 9

Brown- 69, Citadel- 62
Providence- 68, American- 58
Kent St.- 60, Vermont- 58

-------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Providence 7-2 (+79)
Kent St. 6-3 (+26)
Vermont 5-4 (+22)
American 4-5 (-26)
Brown 4-5 (-30)
Citadel 1-8 (-71)

Week 10 Schedule

Providence @ Kent St.
Citadel @ American
Brown @ Vermont

The Providence/Kent St. winner wins the group. If Kent St. wins, the 2 teams would be tied, but Kent St. would get the tiebreaker based on the fact they swept Providence. Also, Kent St. owns the tiebreaker over Vermont by virtue of sweeping them twice, so Kent St. and Providence have clinched 1 and 2, it's just a matter of which order. If Vermont beats Brown, then they clinch 3rd place and go into the wildcard chase. If Brown beats Vermont, then we would have a 2 way tiebreaker for 3rd place, and maybe a 3 way tiebreak if American beats Citadel. Still a lot to play for. Quinnipiac, who is on the chopping block, is hoping that Brown beats Vermont, then they might have a chance to survive for another group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 22

Week 10

Kent St.- 63, Providence- 62
Citadel- 60, American- 48
Vermont- 59, Brown- 50

1 lousy point gives Kent St. the group title, and Vermont says the heck with tiebreakers, we're winning this darn game.

------------------------------------------------------------

Final Group 22 Standings

#1- Kent St. 7-3 (+28)
#2- Providence 7-3 (+78)
#3- Vermont 6-4 (+31)
#4- American 4-6 (-38)
#5- Brown 4-6 (-39)
#6- Citadel 2-8 (-59)

So Kent St. wins the group thanks to beating Providence twice, but that record and point differential is the worst so far, meaning they can be no higher than the 22 seed in the round of 128. I look for them to be way lower than that once all the groups are completed, probably in the 50's range, maybe even 56. Providence takes 2nd and has the 2nd best point differential of the 7-3 group runner-ups, so they should get a seed in the 60's. Vermont gets 3rd and goes to the wildcard chase, where they have a nice point differential for the 6-4 teams, so they should be around a while. Unfortunately, this does officially eliminate Quinnipac, as well as American, Brown, and Citadel.

Here are the wildcard standings after 22 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22)
Albany 5-5 (+10)
UNLV 5-5 (+7)
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Next on the chopping block is UNLV.

[collegesportsfanms]

For those wondering, I have not abandoned this project, not by a longshot. I've been dealing with some medical issues over the past few days and I am getting ready to go to a doctors appointment to hopefully get some tests run and get some answers. As this is a project I am concentrating on in my down time at work, and I'm off until Monday, I won't get to the next group until next Monday at the very earliest. Thanks for your patience.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 23

#23 Michigan State (Big Ten, 25-11, 12-6)
South Carolina (SEC, 17-16, 6-12)
Florida Gulf Coast (Atlantic Sun, 22-11, 11-3)
Delaware State (MEAC, 18-18, 9-7)
Navy (Patriot, 13-19, 8-10)
New Orleans (Southland, 11-18, 6-12)

-------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Delaware St.- 76, Florida Gulf Coast- 66
Michigan St.- 78, New Orleans- 53
South Carolina- 67- Navy- 53

Week 2

Delaware St.- 74, New Orleans- 63
Florida Gulf Coast- 65, South Carolina- 58
Michigan St.- 62, Navy- 46

Week 3

Michigan St.- 62, Delaware St.- 47
Navy- 57, Florida Gulf Coast- 55
South Carolina- 82, New Orleans- 73

Week 4

New Orleans- 75, Navy- 65
Florida Gulf Coast- 66, Michigan St.- 64
South Carolina- 79, Delaware St.- 74 (OT)

Week 5

South Carolina- 65, Michigan St.- 62
New Orleans- 67, Florida Gulf Coast- 65
Delaware St.- 69, Navy- 67

----------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

South Carolina 4-1 (+24)
Michigan St. 3-2 (+51)
Delaware St. 3-2 (+3)
New Orleans 2-3 (-33)
Florida Gulf Coast 2-3 (-5)
Navy 1-4 (-40)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 23

Week 6

Delaware St.- 67, Florida Gulf Coast- 64
Michigan St.- 82, New Orleans- 49
Navy- 66, South Carolina- 64

Week 7

Delaware St.- 63, New Orleans- 60
South Carolina- 66, Florida Gulf Coast- 57
Michigan St.- 70, Navy- 60

Week 8

Michigan St.- 81, Delaware St.- 57
Florida Gulf Coast- 53, Navy- 46
South Carolina- 81, New Orleans- 59

Week 9

Navy- 70, New Orleans- 49
Florida Gulf Coast- 72, Michigan St.- 67
South Carolina- 71, Delaware St.- 58

---------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

South Carolina 7-2 (+66)
Michigan St. 6-3 (+113)
Delaware St. 5-4 (-28)
Florida Gulf Coast 4-5 (-5)
Navy 3-6 (-34)
New Orleans 2-7 (-112)

Week 10 Schedule

Michigan St. @ South Carolina
New Orleans @ Florida Gulf Coast
Navy @ Delaware St.

The South Carolina-Michigan St. winner wins the group. If South Carolina wins, they'll have a better record overall. If Michigan St. wins, then it would go to a tiebreaker. Since the teams would have split, Michigan St. would own the point differential tiebreaker. Delaware St. has clinched 3rd place, even if they lose to Navy and Florida Gulf Coast beats New Orleans. If that were to happen then it would go to tiebreakers, but Delaware St. swept Florida Gulf Coast, so 3rd place is locked up. They can't move up to 2nd, even if they win and Michigan St. loses, because Michigan St. swept Delaware St. In other words, the top 3 is set, it's just a matter of who wins the group and who finishes 2nd. UNLV, who is on the chopping block this week, is hoping for a Delaware St. loss, as it would most likely keep the Rebels in the wildcard hunt for at least another group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 23

Week 10

South Carolina- 75, Michigan St.- 67
Florida Gulf Coast- 82, New Orleans- 68
Delaware St.- 62, Navy- 52

Final Group 23 Standings

#1- South Carolina 8-2 (+74)
#2- Michigan St. 6-4 (+105)
#3- Delaware St. 6-4 (-18)
#4- Florida Gulf Coast 5-5 (+9)
#5- Navy 3-7 (-44)
#6- New Orleans 2-8 (-126)

So S. Carolina is the surprising group winner, and the 8-2 record is nice, but the point differential for 8-2 group winners is fairly low. Look for them to be in the low 40's, high 50's range. Michigan St. wins the tiebreaker to take 2nd place. Great point differential, among the best of all the group winners, but the 6-4 record is going to keep them as a pretty low seed, no higher than 73. They'll be a force to be reckoned with for some unlucky team in the Round of 128. Delaware St. had to win to survive, and they did, but let's be real, that way low point differential will have them on the chopping block at some point, and they probably won't survive it. Although the 6-4 record may keep them around longer than they should be. Unfortunately, that does officially eliminate UNLV, along with Florida Gulf Coast, Navy, and New Orleans.

Here are the wildcard standings after 23 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22)
Albany 5-5 (+10)
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Albany is the next team on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 24

#24 West Virginia (Big 12, 25-9, 11-7)
North Dakota State (Summit, 23-10, 12-4)
Middle Tennessee (Conference USA, 19-17, 9-9)
Morehead State (Ohio Valley, 17-17, 10-6)
Delaware (Colonial, 10-20, 9-9)
Montana State (Big Sky, 7-23, 4-14)
----------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Morehead St.- 64, Middle Tennessee- 60
West Virginia- 75, Montana St.- 65
North Dakota St.- 50, Delaware- 47

Week 2

Morehead St.- 68, Montana St.- 49
Middle Tennessee- 69, North Dakota St.- 68
West Virginia- 69, Delaware- 65

Week 3

Morehead St.- 67, West Virginia- 65
Middle Tennessee- 61, Delaware- 55
North Dakota St.- 69, Montana St.- 65

Week 4

Delaware- 70, Montana St.- 65
Middle Tennessee- 74, West Virginia- 64
North Dakota St.- 73, Morehead St.- 69

Week 5

West Virginia- 74, North Dakota St.- 67
Montana St.- 64, Middle Tennessee- 52
Morehead St.- 70, Delaware- 49

---------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Morehead St. 4-1 (+42)
Middle Tennessee 3-2 (+1)
West Virginia 3-2 (+9)
North Dakota St. 3-2 (+3)
Delaware 1-4 (-29)
Montana St. 1-4 (-26)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 24

Week 6

Morehead St.- 67, Middle Tennessee- 58
West Virginia- 84, Montana St.- 48
Delaware- 67, North Dakota St.- 61

Week 7

Morehead St.- 77, Montana St.- 50
North Dakota St.- 66, Middle Tennessee- 57
West Virginia- 85, Delaware- 55

Week 8

Morehead St.- 82, West Virginia- 73
Middle Tennessee- 69, Delaware- 55
Montana St.- 74, North Dakota St.- 63

Week 9

Delaware- 63, Montana St.- 61 (OT)
West Virginia- 77, Middle Tennessee- 55
Morehead St.- 92, North Dakota St.- 57

Wow! What got into Morehead St. this tournament?

----------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Morehead St. 8-1 (+122)
West Virginia 6-3 (+88)
Middle Tennessee 4-5 (-25)
North Dakota St. 4-5 (-40)
Delaware 3-6 (-65)
Montana St. 2-7 (-80)

Week 10 Schedule

West Virginia @ North Dakota St.
Montana St. @ Middle Tennessee
Delaware @ Morehead St.

Morehead St. has come out of nowhere to clinch the group, and will be playing to better their seed. West Virginia has clinched 2nd place, and again, will be playing to better their seed. Middle Tennessee and North Dakota St. both must win to have a chance at a wildcard, but the point differentials for both mean they have to win big, really big to have a chance. Albany, who is on the chopping block, is in great position to be the first team to survive the chopping block for a group. That's big for them. If there is a tiebreaker situation for 3rd place, it will be a points tiebreaker as North Dakota St. and Middle Tennessee split.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 24

Week 10

North Dakota St.- 75, West Virginia- 70
Middle Tennessee- 58, Montana St.- 57
Morehead St.- 84, Delaware- 59

-------------------------------------------------

Final Group 24 Standings

#1- Morehead St. 9-1 (+147)
#2- West Virginia 6-4 (+83)
#3- Middle Tennessee 5-5 (-24)
#4- North Dakota St. 5-5 (-35)
#5- Delaware 3-7 (-90)
#6- Montana St. 2-8 (-81)

Morehead St. is a very, very surprising group winner. What's even more surprising is that record and point differential has them in position to be a top 10 seed in the round of 128! Granted, a lot of groups to go, and they could easily end up as a much lower seed, but I like their chances to be a top 10 or 20 seed. West Virginia takes 2nd and is right below Michigan St. as far as point differential, meaning they can be no higher than the 74th seed. Middle Tennessee takes 3rd on a points differential tiebreaker but is nowhere close to being in the wildcard talk, as their point differential was actually the lowest of the 5-5 3rd place teams. That means they are eliminated, along with North Dakota St., Delaware, and Montana St., and Albany survives the chopping block, but will be right back on it for Group 25. Keep in mind Group 25 will feature the last of our seeded teams, and so far 22 of 23 are in the round of 128, with 1 eliminated from the tournament, and 1 holding the top wildcard spot.

Here are the wildcard standings after group 24:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22)
Albany 5-5 (+10)
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

I will be getting back on this project next week, as I took this week off from work to deal with some personal matters. Look for me to get hot and heavy into this as I want to have the group play done by mid to late July

[collegesportsfanms]

Did I see Morgan St in both Group 3 and 13?

Just saw your post, not sure how I missed it. And yep, son of a bitch if I didn't somehow get Morgan St. in both groups 3 and 13. Had to be a typo on my part, but man, that kinda puts a damper on this project going forward. Now I'm wondering who got left out, and I know I don't have my paperwork from when I was setting up the groups.

I guess I have 2 choices, either keep going and hope the team that got left out wasn't a top team (I'm pretty sure it was a bottom feeder team though), or quit and start the whole thing over after things calm down in September, but I would have to push really hard to get it done by March.

I guess I'll take votes, is this a dealbreaker or should I just shake it off?

[britrock88]

Shake it off. If you like, add the minnow to a 5-team group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Well, fortunately I was able to find some of the paperwork, it seems the team that got left out was Liberty, who would have been a bottom feeder anyways, so this project will resume tomorrow.

The plans of getting group play done by late July are out the window though, I would say sometime in September is a more likely date, with so much going on in July and August as it is.

Regardless, I'll get a group or 2 in tomorrow and then take a break for the holidays.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 25

#25 Georgetown (Big East, 22-11, 12-6)
UC Irvine (Big West, 21-13, 11-5)
Bucknell (Patriot, 19-15, 13-5)
Winthrop (Big South, 19-13, 12-6)
Howard (MEAC, 16-16, 10-6)
Jackson State (SWAC, 11-21, 9-9)

----------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Winthrop- 77, Bucknell- 61
Georgetown- 60, Jackson St.- 46
UC Irvine- 67, Howard- 49

Week 2

Winthrop- 68, Jackson St.- 58
UC Irvine- 63, Bucknell- 39
Georgetown- 75, Howard- 54

Week 3

Georgetown- 81, Winthrop- 71
Howard- 74, Bucknell- 69
Jackson St.- 68, UC Irvine- 60

A bit of a shocker to see UC Irvine go down to Jackson St.

Week 4

Howard- 72, Jackson St.- 59
Georgetown- 59, Bucknell- 44
UC Irvine- 78, Winthrop- 72

Week 5

UC Irvine- 56, Georgetown- 55
Jackson St.- 64, Bucknell- 52
Winthrop- 71, Howard- 62

---------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

UC Irvine 4-1 (+41)
Georgetown 4-1 (+59)
Winthrop 3-2 (+19)
Howard 2-3 (-30)
Jackson St. 2-3 (-17)
Bucknell 0-5 (-72)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 25

Week 6

Winthrop- 63, Bucknell- 61
Georgetown- 66, Jackson St.- 44
UC Irvine- 62, Howard- 47

Week 7

Winthrop- 68, Jackson St.- 50
UC Irvine- 76, Bucknell- 59
Georgetown- 63, Howard- 54

Week 8

Georgetown- 67, Winthrop- 58
Bucknell- 68, Howard- 59
UC Irvine- 78, Jackson St.- 57

Week 9

Howard- 75, Jackson St.- 55
Georgetown- 70, Bucknell- 47
Winthrop- 76, UC Irvine- 67

-------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Georgetown 8-1 (+122)
UC Irvine 7-2 (+85)
Winthrop 6-3 (+39)
Howard 3-6 (-43)
Jackson St. 2-7 (-98)
Bucknell 1-8 (-105)

Week 10 Schedule

Georgetown @ UC Irvine
Jackson St. @ Bucknell
Howard @ Winthrop

The top 3 spots in the group are decided. Georgetown, UC Irvine, and Winthrop. The question is which order will they finish? The Georgetown/UC Irvine winner wins the group. If Irvine wins, they will have swept Georgetown which will give them the tiebreaker. Georgetown wins the group outright with a win. A UC Irvine win or a Winthrop loss clinches at least 2nd place for UC Irvine. In fact, based on point differential, the only way Winthrop could jump to 2nd place is if they beat Howard by about 40 and UC Irvine loses to Georgetown by about 40, so needless to say, Winthrop is all but locked into 3rd place.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 25

Week 10

Georgetown- 73, UC Irvine- 71
Bucknell- 76, Jackson St.- 73
Winthrop- 70, Howard- 63

----------------------------------------

Final Group 25 Standings

#1- Georgetown 9-1 (+124)
#2- UC Irvine 7-3 (+83)
#3- Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
#4- Howard 3-7 (-50)
#5- Jackson St. 2-8 (-101)
#6- Bucknell 2-8 (-102)

So Georgetown wins the group by 2 games and puts themselves in position for a top 10-15 seed. UC Irvine gets 2nd place due to points differential tiebreaker, and has one of the higher point differentials for 7-3 2nd place teams, they should be a seed between 60-70. Winthrop gets 3rd place, and only 1 team is in a better position in the wildcard chase, so they should be safe for a long time. Howard, Jackson St., and Bucknell are out. Bucknell has to be disappointed and wondering what might have been had they started winning before week 9. Albany survived the chopping block last group, but not so this group. They are officially eliminated. Congrats to them, however, for being the first team to survive a group on the chopping block.

Here are the wildcard standings after group 25:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22)
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Gardner Webb will be on the chopping block for group 26.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 26

San Diego State (Mountain West, 27-9, 14-4)
High Point (Big South, 23-10, 13-5)
Eastern Michigan (MAC, 21-14, 8-10)
Cal Poly (Big West, 13-16, 6-10)
LIU Brooklyn (Northeast, 12-18, 8-10)
Nicholls State (Southland, 10-19, 7-11)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Cal Poly- 61, Eastern Michigan- 48
San Diego St.- 64, Nicholls St.- 43
High Point- 72, LIU Brooklyn- 55

Week 2

Cal Poly- 55, Nicholls St.- 51
Eastern Michigan- 75, High Point- 71
San Diego St.- 69, LIU Brooklyn- 51

Week 3

San Diego St.- 58, Cal Poly- 48
Eastern Michigan- 68, LIU Brooklyn- 55
Nicholls St.- 61, High Point- 59

First upset of this group comes with Nicholls beating High Point.

Week 4

LIU Brooklyn- 74, Nicholls St.- 66
Eastern Michigan- 67, San Diego St.- 59
High Point- 63, Cal Poly- 50

Week 5

San Diego St.- 54, High Point- 50
Nicholls St.- 76, Eastern Michigan- 62
LIU Brooklyn- 61, Cal Poly- 52

-------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

San Diego St. 4-1 (+45)
Eastern Michigan 3-2 (-2)
High Point 2-3 (+20)
Cal Poly 2-3 (-15)
Nicholls St. 2-3 (-17)
LIU Brooklyn 2-3 (-31)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 26

Week 6

Eastern Michigan- 63, Cal Poly- 61
San Diego St.- 66, Nicholls St.- 53
High Point- 72, LIU Brooklyn- 55

Week 7

Nicholls St.- 84, Cal Poly- 56
High Point- 60, Eastern Michigan- 55
LIU Brooklyn- 69, San Diego St.- 68 (2 OT)

Big shocker here as San Diego St. goes down, and look what Nicholls St. did to Cal Poly. Wow.

Week 8

San Diego St.- 61, Cal Poly- 50
Eastern Michigan- 71, LIU Brooklyn- 59
High Point- 53, Nicholls St.- 37

Week 9

Nicholls St.- 57, LIU Brooklyn- 53
Eastern Michigan- 60, San Diego St.- 50
High Point- 56, Cal Poly- 51

------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

High Point 6-3 (+63)
San Diego St. 6-3 (+58)
Eastern Michigan 6-3 (+17)
Nicholls St. 4-5 (-14)
LIU Brooklyn 3-6 (-63)
Cal Poly 2-7 (-61)

Week 10 Schedule

San Diego St. @ High Point
Nicholls St. @ Eastern Michigan
LIU Brooklyn @ Cal Poly

It's a 3 team race, and we know for sure that the High Point/San Diego St. winner will at least clinch a share of the group title, depending on what Eastern Michigan does. If they win, it'll be a 2 way tie for first. If they lose, it'll be a 2 way tie for 2nd, and then it comes down to tiebreakers. Way too many possibilities to go through here, what I can tell you is that 2 of these 3 teams will advance to the round of 128, with the 3rd place team looking very strong for a wildcard berth.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 26

Week 10

San Diego St.- 66, High Point- 53
Eastern Michigan- 85, Nicholls St.- 40
Cal Poly- 64, LIU Brooklyn- 56

------------------------------------------------

Final Group 26 Standings

#1- Eastern Michigan 7-3 (+62)
#2- San Diego St. 7-3 (+71)
#3- High Point 6-4 (+50)
#4- Nicholls St. 4-6 (-59)
#5- Cal Poly 3-7 (-53)
#6- LIU Brooklyn 3-7 (-71)

So Eastern Michigan, by virtue of sweeping San Diego St., wins the group, but they'll be a fairly low seed more than likely, probably in the 30-40 range when it's all said and done. San Diego St. takes 2nd place and has a pretty high point differential for 7-3 group runner-ups, they should see a seed in the 60's, maybe 70's. High Point takes 3rd place and is in strong position for a wildcard, as their point differential is tied with Missouri for 2nd best among 6-4 wildcard contenders. They'll hang around a while. Nicholls St., Cal Poly, and LIU Brooklyn are all eliminated, along with Gardner Webb, who was on the chopping block and is now officially eliminated.

Wildcard standings after 26 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
High Point 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Duquesne is next on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 27

Oregon (Pac 12, 26-10, 13-5)
UC Santa Barbara (Big West, 19-14, 11-5)
Rider (MAAC, 21-12, 15-5)
Holy Cross (Patriot, 14-16, 8-10)
UCF (American, 12-18, 5-13)
Campbell (Big South, 10-22, 4-14)

-------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Rider- 60, Holy Cross- 51
Oregon- 67, Campbell- 40
UC Santa Barbara- 75, UCF- 58

Week 2

Holy Cross- 57, Campbell- 49
UC Santa Barbara- 66, Rider- 64
UCF- 60, Oregon- 59

Well that's quite an upset, UCF over Oregon.

Week 3

Holy Cross- 71, Oregon- 65
Rider- 57, UCF- 50
UC Santa Barbara- 61, Campbell- 52

Week 4

UCF- 68, Campbell- 52
Oregon- 82, Rider- 60
UC Santa Barbara- 67, Holy Cross- 58

Week 5

UC Santa Barbara- 76, Oregon- 62
Rider- 73, Campbell- 66
UCF- 66, Holy Cross- 64

----------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

UCSB 5-0 (+51)
Rider 3-2 (-1)
UCF 3-2 (-5)
Holy Cross 2-3 (-6)
Oregon 2-3 (+28)
Campbell 0-5 (-67)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 27

Week 6

Holy Cross- 62, Rider- 60
Campbell- 81, Oregon- 76
UC Santa Barbara- 68, UCF- 67

Oregon, the top seed in this group, is in real jeopardy of not making it to the round of 128. On the flip side, if things go right, UC Santa Barbara can clinch the group title in Week 7.

Week 7

Holy Cross- 69, Campbell- 68
UC Santa Barbara- 84, Rider- 75
UCF- 63, Oregon- 60

Unbelievable, Oregon has stunk it up this tournament. The UCF win and Holy Cross wins mean UC Santa Barbara hasn't clinched yet, but all it'll take is for UCSB to win 1 of their last 3 games.

Week 8

Oregon- 64, Holy Cross- 57
Rider- 67, UCF- 57
UC Santa Barbara- 71, Campbell- 61

UC Santa Barbara has clinched the group, and there's quite a battle for everything else.

Week 9

UCF- 60, Campbell- 54
Oregon- 75, Rider- 65
UC Santa Barbara- 63, Holy Cross- 49

---------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

UC Santa Barbara 9-0 (+85)
UCF 5-4 (-7)
Oregon 4-5 (+37)
Rider 4-5 (-12)
Holy Cross 4-5 (-24)
Campbell 1-8 (-79)

Week 10 Schedule

Oregon @ UC Santa Barbara
Campbell @ Rider
UCF @ Holy Cross

We know UC Santa Barbara has already clinched the group, and they will be looking to finish undefeated, but must beat a suddenly hot Oregon team to do so. Oregon, Rider, and Holy Cross all must win to stay alive. If UCF wins, they clinch 2nd place. God forbid, but if UCF loses, and Oregon, Rider, and Holy Cross all win, we'll have a 4 way tie for 2nd place and a 3 way tie for 3rd place. Please no!

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 27

Week 10

UC Santa Barbara- 75, Oregon- 66
Rider- 61, Campbell- 48
UCF- 56, Holy Cross- 55

Wow, were the gods nice to me or what on this one. Everything worked itself out.

--------------------------------------------------

Final Group 27 Standings

UC Santa Barbara 10-0 (+94)
UCF 6-4 (-6)
Rider 5-5 (+1)
Oregon 4-6 (+28)
Holy Cross 4-6 (-25)
Campbell 1-9 (-92)

So UC Santa Barbara is a surprising group winner, and only the 6th team to go through group play undefeated, but their point differential is far behind the others. They can be no higher than 6th seed in the round of 128, and I'll be shocked if they aren't a top 10 seed when all is said and done. UCF is a surprising 2nd place finisher, but their lousy point differential and 6-4 record will have them towards the bottom. They'll probably finish with a seed between 100 and 112. Rider gets 3rd place, but that point differential needed to be higher to knock off Duquesne, so they are eliminated, and Duquesne stays in the tournament for at least 1 more group, becoming the 2nd team to survive the chopping block for at least 1 group. So Rider, Oregon, Holy Cross, and Campbell are all gone. Oregon has to be disappointed with that mid-tournament stretch in which they lost 3 in a row. That's the reason they are going home.

Wildcard standings after 27 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27)
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED


Duquesne remains on the chopping block for group 28

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 28

Buffalo (MAC, 23-10, 12-6)
Northeastern (Colonial, 23-12, 12-6)
Sacramento State (Big Sky, 21-12, 13-5)
Boston University (Patriot, 13-17, 9-9)
IUPUI (Summit, 10-21, 6-10)
Austin Peay (Ohio Valley, 8-22, 3-13)

-------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Boston University- 74, Sacramento State- 72
Buffalo- 69, Austin Peay- 66
Northeastern- 66, IUPUI- 62 (OT)

Week 2

Austin Peay- 46, Boston University- 44
Sacramento State- 69, Northeastern- 58
Buffalo- 72, IUPUI- 63

Week 3

Buffalo- 74, Boston University- 62
Sacramento State- 69, IUPUI- 54
Northeastern- 71, Austin Peay- 53

Week 4

IUPUI- 71, Austin Peay- 65
Sacramento State- 90, Buffalo- 74
Northeastern- 68, Boston University- 60

Week 5

Northeastern- 67, Buffalo- 65
Austin Peay- 58, Sacramento State- 57
Boston University- 61, IUPUI- 49

-----------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Northeastern 4-1 (+21)
Sacramento State 3-2 (+39)
Buffalo 3-2 (+6)
Austin Peay 2-3 (-24)
Boston University 2-3 (-8)
IUPUI 1-4 (-34)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 28

Week 6

Sacramento State- 70, Boston University- 58
Buffalo- 69, Austin Peay- 59
Northeastern- 61, IUPUI- 51

Week 7

Boston University- 57, Austin Peay- 55
Sacramento State- 75, Northeastern- 64
Buffalo- 68, IUPUI- 55

Week 8

Buffalo- 61, Boston University- 60
Sacramento State- 67, IUPUI- 57
Austin Peay- 82, Northeastern- 80 (OT)

Week 9

IUPUI- 64, Austin Peay- 58
Sacramento State- 62, Buffalo- 58
Northeastern- 55, Boston University- 54

-------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Sacramento State 7-2 (+76)
Northeastern 6-3 (+19)
Buffalo 6-3 (+26)
Boston University 3-6 (-20)
Austin Peay 3-6 (-40)
IUPUI 2-7 (-61)

Week 10 Schedule

Buffalo @ Northeastern
Austin Peay @ Sacramento State
IUPUI @ Boston University

The group is still up for grabs, but if Sacramento State beats Austin Peay, they'll clinch the group. If Austin Peay pulls the upset, Sacramento State will fall into a 2 way tie for first with the Northeastern/Buffalo winner. The loser of that Northeastern/Buffalo game will be locked into 3rd place. Unofficially, Duquesne is packing their bags. They know they will be eliminated from the wildcard chase.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 28

Week 10

Northeastern- 62, Buffalo- 58
Sacramento State- 69, Austin Peay- 58
Boston University- 89, IUPUI- 56

------------------------------------------------

Final Group 28 Standings

#1- Sacramento State 8-2 (+87)
#2- Northeastern 7-3 (+23)
#3- Buffalo 6-4 (+22)
#4- Boston University 4-6 (+13)
#5- Austin Peay 3-7 (-51)
#6- IUPUI 2-8 (-94)

So Sacramento State wins the group, their point differential is among the middle of the 8-2 group winners, they could see a seed between 20-30. Northeastern finishes 2nd, but only 2 other 7-3 group runner-ups have a lower point differential. Look for them to finish in the 80-90 seed range. Buffalo gets 3rd place and goes into the wildcard chase. It won't be long before they are on the chopping block though, as there are a lot of teams ahead of them based on record and point differential. This does now officially eliminate Duquesne, as well as Boston U, Austin Peay, and IUPUI. We are now halfway through group play, and here's a look at the wildcard standings.

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18)
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

From this point forward, if you finish 3rd place in your group, you must have at least a 6-4 record, or you're automatically going home. Delaware St. will be next on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 29

Colorado State (Mountain West, 27-7, 13-5)
Alabama (SEC, 19-15, 8-10)
UL Lafayette (Sun Belt, 22-14, 13-7)
DePaul (Big East, 12-20, 6-12)
Elon (Colonial, 15-18, 6-12)
Kennesaw State (Atlantic Sun, 10-22, 4-10)

--------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

DePaul- 86, UL Lafayette- 85 (OT)
Colorado St.- 80, Kennesaw St.- 70
Elon- 73, Alabama- 59

A little surprising that Elon handled Bama that easily.

Week 2

DePaul- 75, Kennesaw St.- 60
Alabama- 73, UL Lafayette- 68
Colorado St.- 76, Elon- 74

Week 3

DePaul- 86, Colorado St.- 79
UL Lafayette- 85, Elon- 57
Alabama- 72, Kennesaw St.- 59

Week 4

Elon- 62, Kennesaw St.- 51
UL Lafayette- 70, Colorado St.- 54
Alabama- 77, DePaul- 49

Week 5

Alabama- 70, Colorado St.- 53
UL Lafayette- 68, Kennesaw St.- 51
DePaul- 70, Elon- 46

--------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Alabama 4-1 (+49)
DePaul 4-1 (+19)
UL Lafayette 3-2 (+55)
Colorado St. 2-3 (-28)
Elon 2-3 (-29)
Kennesaw St. 0-5 (-66)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 29

Week 6

DePaul- 81, UL Lafayette- 71
Colorado St.- 77, Kennesaw St.- 74
Alabama- 64, Elon- 60

Week 7

DePaul- 74, Kennesaw St.- 65 (OT)
Alabama- 81, UL Lafayette- 59
Colorado St.- 75, Elon- 62

Week 8

DePaul- 72, Colorado St.- 60
UL Lafayette- 80, Elon- 68
Alabama- 64, Kennesaw St.- 59

DePaul and Alabama are the only ones that have a chance to win the group.

Week 9

Elon- 82, Kennesaw St.- 60
Colorado St.- 72, UL Lafayette- 60
Alabama- 78, DePaul- 69

-----------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Alabama 8-1 (+89)
DePaul 7-2 (+41)
Colorado St. 5-4 (-12)
UL Lafayette 4-5 (+23)
Elon 3-6 (-36)
Kennesaw St. 0-9 (-105)

Week 10 Schedule

Colorado St. @ Alabama
Kennesaw St. @ UL Lafayette
Elon @ DePaul

Alabama has clinched the Group 29 title, because even if they lose and DePaul wins, Alabama would get the tiebreaker by virtue of their sweep over DePaul. That locks DePaul into second place. A Colorado St. win would clinch 3rd place in the group, but for wildcard purposes, they MUST win. If Colorado St. loses and UL Lafayette wins, it wouldn't matter who took 3rd place, because as I mentioned before, you have to have a 6-4 record as the 3rd place team in your group to be in contention for the wildcard.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 29

Week 10

Colorado St.- 69, Alabama- 60
UL Lafayette- 72, Kennesaw St.- 59
DePaul- 63, Elon- 58

Nothing like backing into a group title, which is what Alabama has done.

--------------------------------------------------

Final Group 29 Standings

#1- Alabama 8-2 (+80)
#2- DePaul 8-2 (+46)
#3- Colorado St. 6-4 (-3)
#4- UL Lafayette 5-5 (+36)
#5- Elon 3-7 (-41)
#6- Kennesaw St. 0-10 (-118)

So Alabama wins the group by virtue of sweeping DePaul, but that point differential is pretty low for group winners with an 8-2 record. On the other hand, DePaul is in a great position to host a First Round game in the Round of 128 (I'll explain later), as they are 1 of just 6 teams to be runner-up in their group and have an 8-2 or better record. Colorado St. gets the win they needed to stay in wildcard contention, but just barely. Their negative point differential means there is only 1 other team between them and the chopping block. That does officially eliminate Delaware St., as well as UL Lafayette, Elon, and Kennesaw St.

Wildcard standings after 29 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5)
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

For the Round of 128, at least for the First Round, I have decided to reward those teams that win their group, and a few teams that finish 2nd in their group. For the First Round only, seeds 1-64 will host, while seeds 65-128 will go on the road. This means that all 56 group winners, as well as the top 8 group runner-ups, will host, so there some incentive to win your group.

Now, starting with the Round of 64, all games will be neutral site games. I'll do it just like the NCAA Tournament, where there will be 4 regions, and I'll designate sites.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 30

Xavier (Big East, 23-14, 9-9)
George Washington (Atlantic 10, 22-13, 10-8)
UNC Wilmington (Colonial, 18-14, 12-6)
Columbia (Ivy, 13-15, 5-9)
Prairie View A&M (SWAC, 15-18, 12-6)
South Carolina State (MEAC, 11-22, 7-9)

------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Columbia- 59, UNC Wilmington- 53
Xavier- 62, South Carolina State- 53
George Washington- 63, Prairie View A&M- 59

Week 2

Columbia- 59, South Carolina State- 38
UNC Wilmington- 73, George Washington- 56
Xavier- 67, Prairie View A&M- 50

Week 3

Xavier- 62, Columbia- 59
UNC Wilmington- 71, Prairie View A&M- 61
George Washington- 62, South Carolina State- 45

Week 4

Prairie View A&M- 70, South Carolina State- 62
Xavier- 74, UNC Wilmington- 73 (OT)
George Washington- 61, Columbia- 52

Week 5

Xavier- 64, George Washington- 59
UNC Wilmington- 60, South Carolina State- 55
Columbia- 58, Prairie View A&M- 57

----------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Xavier 5-0 (+35)
UNC Wilmington 3-2 (+25)
Columbia 3-2 (+16)
George Washington 3-2 (+8)
Prairie View A&M 1-4 (-24)
South Carolina State 0-5 (-60)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 30

Week 6

Columbia- 74, UNC Wilmington- 64
Xavier- 73, South Carolina State- 64
George Washington- 66, Prairie View A&M- 52

Week 7

Columbia- 72, South Carolina State- 63
UNC Wilmington- 81, George Washington- 80 (OT)
Xavier- 87, Prairie View A&M- 65

Week 8

Xavier- 68, Columbia- 67
Prairie View A&M- 68, UNC Wilmington- 66
George Washington- 56, South Carolina State- 41

With the results of this week, Xavier has clinched the group title.

Week 9

Prairie View A&M- 75, South Carolina State- 54
UNC Wilmington- 79, Xavier- 74 (OT)
George Washington- 80, Columbia- 74 (OT)

What a week, 2 OT games and Xavier goes down after clinching the group last week.

------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Xavier 8-1 (+62)
George Washington 6-3 (+42)
Columbia 5-4 (+28)
UNC Wilmington 5-4 (+19)
Prairie View A&M 3-6 (-37)
South Carolina State 0-9 (-114)

Week 10 Schedule

Xavier @ George Washington
South Carolina State @ UNC Wilmington
Prairie View A&M @ Columbia

Xavier has already clinched the group and needs to win this game for seeding purposes. If George Washington can get the win, they'll clinch 2nd place. Columbia and UNC Wilmington each have to win to have a chance for a wildcard spot, but if they both win, then Columbia holds the tiebreaker by virtue of sweeping UNC Wilmington. Now, if they both win and George Washington loses, then we'll have a 3 way tie for 2nd place, and UNC Wilmington will have hope again. South Carolina State and Prairie View A&M can do nothing but play the spoiler role now.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 30

Week 10

Xavier- 85, George Washington- 77
South Carolina State- 53, UNC Wilmington- 50
Columbia- 74, Prairie View A&M- 72

O.M.G! How does a team that hasn't won a game all tournament shock and eliminated poor UNC Wilmington? And Wilmington had it set up for a chance too, with George Washington losing. Now they are done.

Final Group 30 Standings

#1- Xavier 9-1 (+70)
#2- George Washington 6-4 (+34)
#3- Columbia 6-4 (+30)
#4- UNC Wilmington 5-5 (+16)
#5- Prairie View A&M 3-7 (-39)
#6- South Carolina State 1-9 (-111)

So Xavier wins the group, and has the lowest point differential by far of the 9-1 group winners. They can be no higher than the 15th seed. Had they won that second game against UNC Wilmington, they'd be looking at a top 10 seed. George Washington wins the tiebreaker for 2nd place by virtue of their sweep over Columbia, but they will be way down there in seeding, probably in the 80's or 90's. Columbia gets 3rd place and has a solid point differential for 6-4 wildcard contenders. They should be around a while, or at least for the next 6 or 7 groups. That does officially eliminate Coastal Carolina, as well as UNC Wilmington, Prairie View A&M, and South Carolina State.

Wildcard standings after 30 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Colorado State is next on the chopping block

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 31

Butler (Big East, 23-11, 12-6)
Sam Houston State (Southland, 26-9, 15-3)
TCU (Big 12, 18-15, 4-14)
Colgate (Patriot, 16-17, 12-6)
Weber State (Big Sky, 13-17, 8-10)
Marist (MAAC, 7-25, 5-15)

---------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

TCU- 70, Colgate- 58
Butler- 80, Marist- 46
Sam Houston St.- 92, Weber St.- 53

Wow, Butler and Sam Houston St. making statements early.

Week 2

Colgate- 62, Marist- 52
TCU- 68, Sam Houston St.- 60
Butler- 73, Weber St.- 63

Week 3

Butler- 68, Colgate- 60
TCU- 63, Weber St.- 39
Sam Houston St.- 66, Marist- 57

Week 4

Weber St.- 60, Marist- 49
TCU- 76, Butler- 67
Sam Houston St.- 75, Colgate- 36

Week 5

Butler- 63, Sam Houston St.- 54
TCU- 65, Marist- 48
Weber St.- 62, Colgate- 59

----------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

TCU 5-0 (+70)
Butler 4-1 (+52)
Sam Houston St. 3-2 (+70)
Weber St. 2-3 (-59)
Colgate 1-4 (-52)
Marist 0-5 (-81)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 31

Week 6

Colgate- 77, TCU- 72 (OT)
Marist- 62, Butler- 59
Sam Houston St.- 73, Weber St.- 57

Tough losses for TCU and Butler. Ouch!

Week 7

Marist- 53, Colgate- 40
Sam Houston St.- 74, TCU- 58
Weber St.- 80, Butler- 78

What is going on with TCU and Butler all of a sudden??

Week 8

Butler- 69, Colgate- 68
TCU- 73, Weber St.- 58
Sam Houston St.- 77, Marist- 66

Week 9

Weber St.- 68, Marist- 58
TCU- 76, Butler- 56
Sam Houston St.- 65, Colgate- 59

----------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Sam Houston St. 7-2 (+119)
TCU 7-2 (+84)
Butler 5-4 (+28)
Weber St. 4-5 (-78)
Colgate 2-7 (-67)
Marist 2-7 (-86)

Week 10 Schedule

Butler @ Sam Houston St.
Marist @ TCU
Weber St. @ Colgate

It's between Sam Houston and TCU for the group title. If one wins and the other loses, then the one that wins is group champion, and the one that loses is group runner-up. If they both win or both lose, then we go into a tiebreaker situation, which would be point differential. Butler is locked into 3rd place in the group and must beat Sam Houston St. to have a chance at a wildcard berth. It won't be easy.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 31

Week 10

Sam Houston St.- 78, Butler- 68
TCU- 74, Marist- 59
Colgate- 66, Weber St.- 57

Final Group 31 Standings

#1- Sam Houston St. 8-2 (+129)
#2- TCU 8-2 (+99)
#3- Butler 5-5 (+19)
#4- Weber St. 4-6 (-87)
#5- Colgate 3-7 (-58)
#6- Marist 2-8 (-101)

Sam Houston wins the group due to tiebreaker, since they split with TCU and had the better point differential. Their PD for an 8-2 group winner is second best and they have a shot to be a top 20 seed. TCU finishes second and has the best point differential of the 8-2 group runner-ups and is in great position to host a round of 128 First Round game. Butler takes 3rd, but with that loss they are officially eliminated, as you gotta be at least 6-4 if you're gonna compete for a wildcard. That means Colorado St. survives the chopping block for this group. Also eliminated are Weber St., Colgate, and Marist.

Here are the wildcard standings after 31 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Colorado St. stays on the chopping block for Group 32

[collegesportsfanms]

Just wanted to touch base and let everybody know that I will not be around much for the next couple weeks. There is a huge baseball tournament coming to town that I am helping out with. I may occasionally sneak in a post or 2 over the next 3 weeks, but don't hold your breath.

I will have a lot more free time starting mid-August though, so hopefully I can really get a move on this. Thanks for your patience all

[collegesportsfanms]

Just seeing how many followers this still has, as I know it's been way slower moving than I like. Getting ready to jump back into it now.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 32

Stephen F. Austin (Southland, 29-5, 17-1)
Memphis (American, 18-14, 10-8)
Utah State (Mountain West, 18-13, 11-7)
Maryland-Eastern Shore (MEAC, 18-15, 11-5)
Penn (Ivy, 9-19, 4-10)
Longwood (Big South, 11-23, 5-13)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Maryland-Eastern Shore- 89, Utah State- 82 (OT)
Stephen F. Austin- 74, Longwood- 52
Memphis- 65, Penn- 53

Week 2

Longwood- 75, Maryland-Eastern Shore- 49
Memphis- 61, Utah State- 59
Stephen F. Austin- 76, Penn- 72

Week 3

Maryland-Eastern Shore- 75, Stephen F. Austin- 70
Utah State.- 66, Penn- 60
Longwood- 62, Memphis- 49

Wow, Longwood is making some noise early on.

Week 4

Longwood- 65, Penn- 59
Utah State- 81, Stephen F. Austin- 79 (OT)
Maryland-Eastern Shore- 66, Memphis- 50

Week 5

Stephen F. Austin- 63, Memphis- 58
Utah State- 61, Longwood- 58
Penn- 68, Maryland-Eastern Shore- 50

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are the standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Stephen F. Austin 3-2 (+24)
Longwood 3-2 (+20)
Utah State 3-2 (+2)
Maryland-Eastern Shore 3-2 (-16)
Memphis 2-3 (-20)
Penn 1-4 (-10)

This might be the wackiest group we've had so far.

[britrock88]

Following!

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 31

Week 6

Utah State- 76, Maryland-Eastern Shore- 65
Stephen F. Austin- 56, Longwood- 54
Memphis- 74, Penn- 65

Week 7

Maryland-Eastern Shore- 56, Longwood- 54
Utah State- 66, Memphis- 56 (OT)
Stephen F. Austin- 63, Penn- 55

Week 8

Stephen F. Austin- 69, Maryland-Eastern Shore- 63
Utah State- 59, Penn- 46
Longwood- 62, Memphis- 60

Week 9

Penn- 64, Longwood- 60
Stephen F. Austin- 77, Utah State- 69
Maryland-Eastern Shore- 67, Memphis- 58

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks of play, with point differential in parenthesis:

Stephen F. Austin 7-2 (+48)
Utah State 6-3 (+28)
Maryland-Eastern Shore 5-4 (-22)
Longwood 4-5 (+14)
Memphis 3-6 (-32)
Penn 2-7 (-36)

Week 10 Schedule

Stephen F. Austin @ Memphis
Longwood @ Utah State
Penn @ Maryland-Eastern Shore

The group title is still up for grabs. If Stephen F. Austin wins (or if Utah St.) loses, they are champs. If Stephen F. Austin loses and Utah St. wins, it'll go to a tiebreaker. Maryland-Eastern Shore is the only team that has a chance at a wildcard, and they need to really put it to Penn to help their resume. If they lose and Longwood wins, it'll be a tie for 3rd, but neither team would advance. Of course Memphis and Penn are doing nothing but playing the spoiler role in Week 10.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 31

Week 10

Stephen F. Austin- 83, Memphis- 74
Longwood- 55, Utah State- 38
Penn- 66, Maryland-Eastern Shore- 60

Final Group 32 Standings

#1- Stephen F. Austin 8-2 (+57)
#2- Utah State 6-4 (+11)
#3- Longwood 5-5 (+31)
#4- Maryland-Eastern Shore 5-5 (-28)
#5- Memphis 3-7 (-41)
#6- Penn 3-7 (-30)

None of the teams in this group did worth a squad when it comes to seeding. Stephen F. Austin wins the group but had a horrible point differential, one of the worst for 8-2 group winners. Look for them to finish in the 30-40 range. Utah State finished 2nd, but that week 10 loss to Penn means their point differential is among the worst for 6-4 group runner-ups, and they could be looking at a seed between 90-100. Longwood wins the tiebreaker to take 3rd place, but that 5-5 record isn't good enough, and they are officially eliminated. Maryland-Eastern Shore missed a golden opportunity, and they are eliminated, as our Memphis and Penn. Memphis was hugely disappointing, and give credit to Longwood. They battled throughout the group, pulling some big wins and playing spoiler all group.

Here are the wildcard standings after 32 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3)
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Colorado St. avoids the chopping block for a 2nd straight week, but will be right back on it for group 33.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 33

Dayton (Atlantic 10, 27-9, 13-5)
Toledo (MAC, 20-13, 11-7)
Montana (Big Sky, 20-13, 14-4)
New Hampshire (America East, 19-12, 11-5)
Wright State (Horizon, 11-20, 3-13)
Cal St. Fullerton (Big West, 9-12, 1-15)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

New Hampshire- 66, Montana- 58
Dayton- 71, Cal St. Fullerton- 62
Wright State- 70, Toledo- 64

Week 2

New Hampshire- 71, Cal St. Fullerton- 62
Toledo- 76, Montana- 73
Dayton- 61, Wright State- 50

Week 3

New Hampshire- 72, Dayton- 59
Montana- 73, Wright State- 61
Toledo- 80, Cal St. Fullerton- 63

Week 4

Wright State- 60, Cal St. Fullerton- 44
Dayton- 72, Montana- 61
New Hampshire- 64, Toledo- 59

Week 5

Dayton- 75, Toledo- 60
Montana- 73, Cal St. Fullerton- 61
New Hampshire- 73, Wright State- 60

--------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

New Hampshire 5-0 (+48)
Dayton 4-1 (+33)
Montana 2-3 (+2)
Toledo 2-3 (-6)
Wright State 2-3 (-14)
Cal St. Fullerton 0-5 (-63)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 33

Week 6

New Hampshire- 70, Montana- 62
Dayton- 75, Cal St. Fullerton- 62
Toledo- 71, Wright State- 67

Week 7

Cal St. Fullerton- 75, New Hampshire- 66
Toledo- 91, Montana- 87 (OT)
Dayton- 71, Wright State- 57

Crazy, Fullerton gets their first win by handing New Hampshire their first loss.

Week 8

New Hampshire- 59, Dayton- 54
Montana- 69, Wright State- 60
Toledo- 79, Cal St. Fullerton- 63

Week 9

Cal St. Fullerton- 76, Wright State- 66
Dayton- 72, Montana- 63
Toledo- 61, New Hampshire- 50

---------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Dayton 7-2 (+64)
New Hampshire 7-2 (+41)
Toledo 6-3 (+29)
Montana 3-6 (-10)
Wright State 2-7 (-51)
Cal St. Fullerton 2-7 (-73)

Week 10 Schedule

Dayton @ Toledo
Cal St. Fullerton @ Montana
Wright State @ New Hampshire

The top 3 teams in this group are already decided, it's just a matter of which order they'll finish in. There's a possibility we could have a 3 way tie for first if Toledo beats Dayton and Wright St. beats New Hampshire. More than likely, New Hampshire will win their game, so it comes down to the Dayton-Toledo game. If both New Hampshire and Dayton win, it'll go to a tiebreaker to decide the group. If one wins and the other loses, the one that wins will be the group winner. Still lots to play for.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 33

Week 10

Dayton- 64, Toledo- 63
Montana- 58, Cal St. Fullerton- 56
Wright State- 64, New Hampshire- 60

A shocking turn of events leaves New Hampshire in 2nd place.

Final Group 33 standings

#1- Dayton 8-2 (+65)
#2- New Hampshire 7-3 (+37)
#3- Toledo 6-4 (+28)
#4- Montana 4-6 (-8)
#5- Wright State 3-7 (-47)
#6- Cal St. Fullerton 2-8 (-75)

Dayton wins the group in comeback fashion and is looking for a spot in the top 35-40, if not better. New Hampshire, after being perfect the first half of group play, went just 2-3 in the second half of group play and finishes in second place. That point differential will have them as a lower seed for group runner-ups. Toledo gets the wildcard, and their point differential is good enough to keep them in the hunt. Sadly, this means Colorado St. is eliminated, along with Wright St. and Cal St. Fullerton.

Here are the wildcard standings after 33 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2)
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED


UAB is next on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 34

Temple (American, 26-10, 13-5)
UMass (Atlantic 10, 17-15, 10-8)
Marquette (Big East, 13-19, 4-14)
East Tennessee State (Southern, 16-14, 8-10)
UMass Lowell (America East, 12-17, 6-10)
Presbyterian (Big South, 10-22, 6-12)

------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Marquette- 68, East Tennessee State- 64
Temple- 70, Presbyterian- 54
UMass- 79, UMass Lowell- 63

Week 2

East Tennessee State- 60, Presbyterian- 44
UMass- 68, Marquette- 58
Temple- 78, UMass Lowell- 61

Week 3

East Tennessee State- 70, Temple- 63
Marquette- 62, UMass Lowell- 56
UMass- 64, Presbyterian- 60

Week 4

Presbyterian- 64, UMass Lowell- 60
Marquette- 77, Temple- 53
UMass- 88, East Tennessee State- 85 (OT)

Week 5

Temple- 69, UMass- 65
Marquette- 54, Presbyterian- 47
UMass Lowell- 61, East Tennessee State- 60

---------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

UMass 4-1 (+29)
Marquette 4-1 (+31)
Temple 3-2 (+6)
East Tennessee State 2-3 (+15)
Presbyterian 1-4 (-39)
UMass Lowell 1-4 (-42)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 34

Week 6

East Tennessee State- 63, Marquette- 49
Temple- 71, Presbyterian- 63
UMass- 64, UMass Lowell- 50

Week 7

East Tennessee State- 61, Presbyterian- 59
UMass- 62, Marquette- 58
Temple- 65, UMass Lowell- 44

Week 8

East Tennessee State- 59, Temple- 57
Marquette- 77, UMass Lowell- 69
UMass- 63, Presbyterian- 50

This group is turning into a battle with UMass at 7-1 and 3 other teams at 5-3.

Week 9

Presbyterian- 69, UMass Lowell- 50
Marquette- 70, Temple- 55
East Tennessee State- 65, UMass- 56

Things are more interesting now, as UMass has NOT clinched the group.

--------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

UMass 7-2 (+51)
East Tennessee State 6-3 (+42)
Marquette 6-3 (+36)
Temple 5-4 (+18)
Presbyterian 2-7 (-43)
UMass Lowell 1-8 (-104)

Week 10 Schedule

Temple @ UMass
Presbyterian @ Marquette
UMass Lowell @ East Tennessee State

The only thing we know for sure in this group is that Presbyterian and UMass Lowell are eliminated and can only play spoiler. Also, Temple MUST beat UMass to even have a chance to survive. If UMass beats Temple, they win the group, and Temple would be eliminated. If UMass loses and East Tennessee and Marquette both win, we'd have a tie for the group title. If Temple wins and East Tennessee and Marquette both lose, we'd have a 3 way tie for 2nd. UAB, who is on the chopping block this week, is already packing to go home. They aren't officially eliminated, but it's possible the 3rd place team from this group could be 7-3, and even if not, 6-4 with a positive point differential would be enough. UAB just has to wait until these games are complete to get official word that they'll be eliminated.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 34

Week 10

Temple- 77, UMass- 62
Marquette- 69, Presbyterian- 40
East Tennessee State- 57, UMass Lowell- 46

Tough luck for Temple, who needed to beat UMass, which they did, but also needed Marquette or East Tennessee State to lose. So, we have a 3 way tie for 1st, and now UAB can officially pack their bags, along with Temple.

------------------------------------------------------

Final Group 34 Standings

#1- UMass 7-3 (+36)
#2- Marquette 7-3 (+65)
#3- East Tennessee State 7-3 (+56)
#4- Temple 6-4 (+33)
#5- Presbyterian 2-8 (-72)
#6- UMass Lowell 1-9 (-115)

So UMass wins the group by virtue of tiebreaker (They were 3-1 against Marquette and East Tennessee, and I'm still questioning whether that head to head is fair for a 3 way tiebreaker, but since I started with it, I'm sticking with it.) Not that it makes a huge difference, more than likely all 3 of these teams will advance to the round of 128, but for seeding purposes it could have made a difference. Nevertheless, UMass wins the group and will probably be a seed between 30-40, maybe even lower in the 40's. Marquette gets 2nd place, as they split with East Tennessee but had a better point differential. They won't host a round of 128 game, but should still end up with a fairly decent matchup. Will probably be a seed between 75-85. East Tennessee State gets 3rd place and is in a great position to advance, as only Wisconsin is in a better position than they are right now. In fact, they could clinch a spot in the round of 128 as early as group 42 (if my math is right.) Temple got their key win a little too late, and they are eliminated along with Presbyterian and UMass Lowell. We also say goodbye to UAB who was on the chopping block.

Wildcard standings after Group 34:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Stony Brook is now on the chopping block, and from now on, not only do the 3rd place finishers have to finish at least 6-4, but they also have to finish with a positive point differential, higher than +8, so it gets a little tougher.

[britrock88]

Tough luck for Temple.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 35

Davidson (Atlantic 10, 24-8, 14-4)
UTEP (Conference USA, 22-11, 13-5)
James Madison (Colonial, 19-14, 12-6)
Princeton (Ivy, 16-14, 9-5)
Loyola Marymount (WCC, 8-23, 4-14)
Troy (Sun Belt, 10-19, 5-15)

---------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

James Madison- 83, Princeton- 80 (OT)
Davidson- 70, Troy- 59
Loyola Marymount- 68, UTEP- 62

A nice shocker there as UTEP goes down early.

Week 2

Princeton- 67, Troy- 64
UTEP- 69, James Madison- 65
Davidson- 70, Loyola Marymount- 59

Week 3

Davidson- 84, Princeton- 61
James Madison- 60, Loyola Marymount- 51
UTEP- 61, Troy- 52

Week 4

Troy- 77, Loyola Marymount- 75 (OT)
Davidson- 82, James Madison- 74
Princeton- 70, UTEP- 63

Week 5

Davidson- 80, UTEP- 62
James Madison- 55, Troy- 54
Loyola Marymount- 65, Princeton- 48

-------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Davidson 5-0 (+71)
James Madison 3-2 (+1)
Loyola Marymount 2-3 (+1)
UTEP 2-3 (-18)
Princeton 2-3 (-33)
Troy 1-4 (-22)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 35

Week 6

James Madison- 76, Princeton- 58
Davidson- 70, Troy- 63
UTEP- 67, Loyola Marymount- 50

Week 7

Troy- 56, Princeton- 52
James Madison- 75, UTEP- 59
Davidson- 76, Loyola Marymount- 58

Week 8

Davidson- 72, Princeton- 66
James Madison- 55, Loyola Marymount- 50
UTEP- 60, Troy- 55

Week 9

Troy- 62, Loyola Marymount- 51
Davidson- 75, James Madison- 66
UTEP- 66, Princeton- 62

The Davidson win over James Madison means they have clinched Group 35!

------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Davidson 9-0 (+111)
James Madison 6-3 (+31)
UTEP 5-4 (-8)
Troy 3-6 (-19)
Loyola Marymount 2-7 (-50)
Princeton 2-7 (-65)

Week 10 Schedule

Davidson @ UTEP
Troy @ James Madison
Loyola Marymount @ Princeton

The Davidson-UTEP game has huge round of 128 implications. If Davidson wins, they run through the group undefeated and all but lock up a top 10 seed in the round of 128. If UTEP wins, they keep their small hopes alive and will at least be in wildcard consideration. James Madison needs to just win to clinch 2nd place. Even if they lose, UTEP would need to beat Davidson big to win a points differential tiebreaker. So James Madison all but has 2nd place locked up. UTEP needs a miracle, as even to stave off elimination from the wildcard chase, they need to beat Davidson by at least 16, and I don't see that happening.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 35

Week 10

UTEP- 66, Davidson- 51
Troy- 79, James Madison- 77
Loyola Marymount- 63, Princeton- 53

What a wild, wild week.

-----------------------------------------------

Final Group 35 Standings

#1- Davidson 9-1 (+96)
#2- James Madison 6-4 (+29)
#3- UTEP 6-4 (+7)
#4- Troy 4-6 (-17)
#5- Loyola Marymount 3-7 (-40)
#6- Princeton 2-8 (-75)

Davidson had a chance to be a top 5 or 10 seed with a win, but still, they should be a solid seed between 15 and 20. James Madison gets 2nd place by virtue of a tiebreaker. They split with UTEP, so it goes to point differential. However, those 2 straight losses will knock them down majorly in seeding. Heartbreak for UTEP, who takes 3rd place, but needed to beat Davidson by just 1 more point to give themselves a chance. The game they'll look back on though is the opening game in which they lost to Loyola Marymount. They can think about that one on the way back to El Paso, as they are eliminated, as is Troy, Loyola Marymount, and Princeton. Stony Brook barely, and I do mean barely, survives the chopping block, for this group anyways.

Here are the wildcard standings after 35 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Stony Brook remains on the chopping block for group 36.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 36

BYU (WCC, 25-10, 13-5)
Michigan (Big Ten, 16-16, 8-10)
Wake Forest (ACC, 13-19, 5-13)
Indiana State (Missouri Valley, 15-16, 11-7)
Idaho (Big Sky, 13-17, 8-10)
Fairleigh Dickinson (Northeast, 8-21, 3-15)

------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Indiana State- 79, Wake Forest- 74
Fairleigh Dickinson- 72, BYU- 67
Michigan- 94, Idaho- 81 (2 OT)

Wow! Fairleigh Dickinson beating BYU is probably the 2nd biggest upset in this tournament so far, and how about Idaho taking Michigan to 2 OTs? I got a feeling we're in for a wild group.

Week 2

Indiana State- 74, Fairleigh Dickinson- 64
Michigan- 69, Wake Forest- 64
BYU- 67, Idaho- 63

Week 3

BYU- 69, Indiana State- 58
Wake Forest- 79, Idaho- 65
Michigan- 83, Fairleigh Dickinson- 70

Things seem to be back to normal now after that crazy week 1.

Week 4

Fairleigh Dickinson- 83, Idaho- 68
Wake Forest- 65, BYU- 60
Indiana State- 68, Michigan- 65

And the craziness is back, BYU is in a bit of trouble now.

Week 5

BYU- 78, Michigan- 69
Wake Forest- 81, Fairleigh Dickinson- 79 (OT)
Indiana State- 71, Idaho- 58

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Indiana State 4-1 (+20)
Michigan 3-2 (+19)
BYU 3-2 (+14)
Wake Forest 3-2 (+11)
Fairleigh Dickinson 2-3 (-5)
Idaho 0-5 (-59)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 36

Week 6

Indiana State- 72, Wake Forest- 63
BYU- 80, Fairleigh Dickinson- 64
Idaho- 88, Michigan- 69

Wow! What a time for Idaho to get their first win.

Week 7

Fairleigh Dickinson- 62, Indiana State- 59
Wake Forest- 74, Michigan- 68
BYU- 64, Idaho- 48

Fairleigh Dickinson does it again, this time throwing a kink into the Sycamores' plans.

Week 8

BYU- 82, Indiana State- 63
Wake Forest- 67, Idaho- 64
Michigan- 59, Fairleigh Dickinson- 51

Week 9

Fairleigh Dickinson- 82, Idaho- 73
BYU- 72, Wake Forest- 63
Michigan- 58, Indiana State- 42

With the results of week 9, BYU has come back to clinch group 36!

---------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

BYU 7-2 (+74)
Michigan 5-4 (+18)
Wake Forest 5-4 (+2)
Indiana State 5-4 (-9)
Fairleigh Dickinson 4-5 (-17)
Idaho 1-9 (-68)

Week 10 Schedule

BYU @ Michigan
Fairleigh Dickinson @ Wake Forest
Idaho @ Indiana State

BYU has already won the group and is playing to better their seeding. Fairleigh Dickinson and Idaho are out, and Michigan, Wake Forest, and Indiana State must win to have a chance to advance. Obviously Indiana State has slid the most since the halfway point, and Michigan has the toughest road ahead of them having to play BYU. The Sycamores probably have the easiest road getting to play Idaho, and don't sleep on Fairleigh Dickinson, they can play spoiler to Wake Forest. I'm not even going to try and figure out who might end up where, because there are too many scenarios that could happen.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 36

Week 10

BYU- 72, Michigan- 63
Wake Forest- 69, Fairleigh Dickinson- 65
Idaho- 77, Indiana State- 67

Wow, Idaho! Really? I sure didn't see that coming.

Final Group 36 Standings

#1- BYU 8-2 (+83)
#2- Wake Forest 6-4 (+6)
#3- Michigan 5-5 (+9)
#4- Indiana State 5-5 (-19)
#5- Fairleigh Dickinson 4-6 (-21)
#6- Idaho 2-8 (-58)

BYU wins 6 straight games to win the group and is in position for a top 25 seeding. Wake Forest gets 2nd place, but is a long ways away from being in a good position. Their point differential is one of the worst for 6-4 group runner-ups, they'll be a pretty low seed. Michigan gets 3rd place over Indiana State on point differential, but it doesn't matter. That 5-5 record isn't good enough to keep them in the wildcard chase, so they are eliminated. Indiana State was 4-1 at the halfway point but went just 1-4 in the second half of group play to eliminate themselves, and Fairleigh Dickinson had a nice run, but not nice enough, while Idaho played spoiler and sent Indiana State back home. Surviving yet another group is Stony Brook, but thinking they can survive 20 more groups will be very, very tough. For now though, they still have a shot.

Here are the wildcard standings after 36 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Stony Brook remains on the chopping block for group 37

[muns]

This really is a fun thing to follow. Thanks for doing this

[collegesportsfanms]

This really is a fun thing to follow. Thanks for doing this

Thanks for following. I enjoy doing stuff like this, even if it does mean I spread myself thin and do stuff like this when I should be doing other stuff. Ah well, such is life.

Feel free to throw in any comments or opinions you have.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 37

Cincinnati (American, 23-11, 13-5)
Pittsburgh (ACC, 19-15, 8-10)
Portland (WCC, 17-16, 7-11)
Bryant (Northeast, 16-15, 12-6)
Siena (MAAC, 11-20, 7-13)
Coppin State (MEAC, 8-23, 6-10)

------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Portland- 65, Bryant- 58
Coppin State- 70, Cincinnati- 58
Pittsburgh- 72, Siena- 67

Wow, the second straight group the 6 seed upsets the top seed in Week 1.

Week 2

Bryant- 75, Coppin State- 46
Portland- 66, Pittsburgh- 52
Siena- 72, Cincinnati- 63

The top seeds obviously aren't as strong in each group, and Cincinnati has some major work to do.

Week 3

Cincinnati- 66, Bryant- 43
Siena- 73, Portland- 67
Pittsburgh- 78, Coppin State- 58

This group is a complete mess, totally wide open.

Week 4

Coppin State- 71, Siena- 66 (OT)
Cincinnati- 62, Portland- 59
Bryant- 64, Pittsburgh- 60

After 4 weeks, all 6 teams sit at 2-2. Ay caramba (or however you spell it)!

Week 5

Cincinnati- 75, Pittsburgh- 65
Portland- 73, Coppin State- 44
Bryant- 70, Siena- 59

----------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Cincinnati 3-2 (+15)
Portland 3-2 (+41)
Bryant 3-2 (+14)
Pittsburgh 2-3 (-3)
Siena 2-3 (-6)
Coppin State 2-3 (-61)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 37

Week 6

Portland- 84, Bryant- 55
Cincinnati- 76, Coppin State- 60
Siena- 70, Pittsburgh- 68

Week 7

Bryant- 72, Coppin State- 56
Pittsburgh- 74, Portland- 71
Cincinnati- 65, Siena- 63

Week 8

Bryant- 69, Cincinnati- 66
Portland- 80, Siena- 54
Pittsburgh- 80, Coppin State- 63

Week 9

Siena- 70, Coppin State- 60
Cincinnati- 66, Portland- 63
Pittsburgh- 79, Bryant- 68

------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Cincinnati 6-3 (+33)
Portland 5-4 (+90)
Pittsburgh 5-4 (+26)
Bryant 5-4 (-7)
Siena 4-5 (-22)
Coppin State 2-7 (-120)

Week 10 Schedule

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh
Coppin State @ Portland
Siena @ Bryant

Despite losing once each to the bottom 3 teams in the group, if Cincy can beat Pitt, they'll win the group. Now, Siena, who is sitting in 5th place, is actually not eliminated yet, but they need a miracle. First, they need to beat Bryant. Then they need Cincy to beat Pitt and Coppin State to upset Portland. Then of course, they'd have to win a 2nd place tiebreaker, which is all highly unlikely. Portland and Pitt seem to have the best chances in the 3 games, the Siena/Bryant game looks like a toss-up. Again, way too many possible scenarios.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 37

Week 10

Cincinnati- 77, Pittsburgh- 68
Portland- 77, Coppin State- 58
Bryant- 69, Siena- 60

So Cincy wins the group, and Siena, as expected, doesn't get what they were looking for.

----------------------------------------

Final Group 37 Standings

#1- Cincinnati 7-3 (+42)
#2- Portland 6-4 (+109)
#3- Bryant 6-4 (+2)
#4- Pittsburgh 5-5 (+17)
#5- Siena 4-6 (-31)
#6- Coppin State 2-8 (-139)

Cincinnati comes back to win 7 of their last 8 to win the group, but their record and point differential will have them towards the bottom when all is said and done. The good news is they will host a round of 128 game. Portland gets 2nd place on tiebreakers, as they swept Bryant, and had a far better point differential anyways. As of now, they have the best point differential of the 6-4 group runner-ups. They'd have loved to had a few more wins though, as they can be no higher than the 80th seed. Bryant gets 3rd place, but the point differential isn't enough to keep them in the wildcard chase, so they are eliminated. 2 blowout losses really did them in. Pitt had a rough go of it and is eliminated, as well as Siena and Coppin St. For the 3rd (I believe) straight group, Stony Brook stays alive. Is it their destiny to be seed #128? Maybe, but not likely, with still 19 groups to go.

Here are the updated wildcard standings through group 37:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
High Point 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

For some reason, there were a couple teams (High Point and Buffalo) that had somehow gotten left out of the wildcard standings. Problem fixed, and Stony Brook remains on the chopping block for group 38.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 38

Georgia (SEC, 21-12, 11-7)
UConn (American, 20-15, 10-8)
Creighton (Big East, 14-19, 4-14)
Dartmouth (Ivy, 14-15, 7-7)
Drake (Missouri Valley, 9-22, 6-12)
North Dakota (Big Sky, 8-22, 4-14)

------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Creighton- 68, Dartmouth- 56
Georgia- 64, North Dakota- 49
UConn- 71, Drake- 66

A rarity it seems, as all 3 of the higher teams in the group win their first game.

Week 2

North Dakota- 63, Dartmouth- 62
UConn- 65, Creighton- 57
Georgia- 78, Drake- 57

Week 3

Georgia- 62, Dartmouth- 43
Drake- 73, Creighton- 64 (2 OT)
UConn- 64, North Dakota- 60

Week 4

Drake- 77, North Dakota- 59
Georgia- 61, Creighton- 51
Dartmouth- 63, UConn- 46

Week 5

Georgia- 79, UConn- 63
North Dakota- 68, Creighton- 61
Drake- 60, Dartmouth- 56

----------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Georgia 5-0 (+81)
UConn 3-2 (-16)
Drake 3-2 (+5)
North Dakota 2-3 (-29)
Creighton 1-4 (-22)
Dartmouth 1-4 (-19)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 38

Week 6

Dartmouth- 60, Creighton- 57
Georgia- 64, North Dakota- 50
UConn- 66, Drake- 62

Week 7

North Dakota- 73, Dartmouth- 63
UConn- 66, Creighton- 40
Georgia- 79, Drake- 62

Week 8

Georgia- 67, Dartmouth- 57
Drake- 70, Creighton- 61
North Dakota- 65, UConn- 63

And with UConn being upset, that means Georgia has clinched the group with 2 weeks to go.

Week 9

North Dakota- 58, Drake- 53
Creighton- 67, Georgia- 60
UConn- 72, Dartmouth- 67 (OT)

-------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Georgia 8-1 (+115)
UConn 6-3 (+17)
North Dakota 5-4 (-26)
Drake 4-5 (-12)
Dartmouth 2-7 (-41)
Creighton 2-7 (-53)

Week 10 Schedule

Georgia @ UConn
North Dakota @ Creighton
Drake @ Dartmouth

Georgia has clinched the group, and is hoping for a bounce back win at UConn. Meanwhile, all UConn needs to do to clinch 2nd place is to win, or a North Dakota loss. If UConn loses and North Dakota wins, it'll go to a tiebreaker. Drake, Dartmouth, and Creighton have no chance to advance, and even North Dakota needs a lot of help, but what a showing they've had already, being the last seeded team in this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 38

Week 10

Georgia- 66, UConn- 57
Creighton- 76, North Dakota- 75
Drake- 67, Dartmouth- 50

Final Group 38 Standings

#1- Georgia 9-1 (+124)
#2- UConn 6-4 (+8)
#3- Drake 5-5 (+5)
#4- North Dakota 5-5 (-27)
#5- Creighton 3-7 (-52)
#6- Dartmouth 2-8 (-58)

Georgia wins the group, but that lone loss to Creighton has cost them valuable seeding spots. They are still in position for a top 15 seed, but going undefeated could have had them as a top 6 seed. UConn finishes in 2nd place but a lousy record and point differential will have them down towards the bottom of the group runner-ups. Drake overtakes North Dakota for 3rd place, thanks to points differential tiebreaker. However, 3rd place teams need at least 6 wins to be in the wildcard hunt, so Drake, North Dakota, Creighton, and Dartmouth are all officially eliminated, and Stony Brook survives for yet another group. Is it their destiny to survive the rest of group play? What a feat that would be.

Wildcard standings through 38 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
High Point 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8)
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Once again, Stony Brook will be on the chopping block

[britrock88]

Close call for UND. I see they tied UConn 1-1; remind me, what are the subsequent tiebreakers?

[collegesportsfanms]

Close call for UND. I see they tied UConn 1-1; remind me, what are the subsequent tiebreakers?

Good question, I never really specified the tiebreakers, and the ones I'm using are probably not really the greatest ones to use, or the greatest ways to use them.

2 Team Tiebreaker

1. Head to Head (If one team goes 2-0 against the other, that team wins the tiebreaker. If they split, revert to #2.)
2. Point differential (Whoever has higher point differential wins tiebreaker).

3+ Team Tiebreaker (All steps look to advance highest team)

1. Head to Head with all tied teams involved (If one team has better record against the other teams involved, then that team advances. If they all have the same record, then go to step #2.)
2. Point differential (Whoever has highest point differential advances, then repeat tiebreaking steps with remaining teams.)

Since this is the way I started, I have to be fair and finish this way, but I would have been better off going with the tiebreaker situation to eliminate the lowest team. As it stands, this is what I've got.

You'll notice I have nothing after point differential. This is because I didn't really plan to that point, as I've never had to go farther. If the first 2 steps don't break the tie, more than likely I'll just flip a coin or something. I know, I didn't really plan out the tiebreakers well at all. My mistake and I'll have to do better for the next one.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I am also following along, and as a UCSB alum, that was a fun group to watch :)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 39

North Carolina State (ACC, 22-13, 10-8)
Eastern Washington (Big Sky, 26-9, 14-4)
Hawaii (Big West, 22-13, 8-8)
Mount St. Marys (Northeast, 15-15, 11-7)
Loyola (MD) (Patriot, 11-19, 7-11)
UNC Greensboro (Southern, 11-22, 6-12)

----------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Hawaii- 64, Mount St. Mary's- 49
North Carolina State- 86, UNC Greensboro- 62
Eastern Washington- 75, Loyola (MD)- 62

Week 2

Mount St. Mary's- 79, UNC Greensboro- 72
Hawaii- 77, Eastern Washington- 68
Loyola (MD)- 63, North Carolina State- 55

That's a fairly huge upset early on.

Week 3

North Carolina State- 70, Mount St. Mary's- 65
Loyola (MD)- 78, Hawaii- 68
Eastern Washington- 89, UNC Greensboro- 72

Week 4

UNC Greensboro- 70, Loyola (MD)- 53
Hawaii- 75, North Carolina State- 68
Eastern Washington- 66, Mount St. Mary's- 49

Week 5

North Carolina State- 81, Eastern Washington- 55
Hawaii- 72, UNC Greensboro- 68
Mount St. Marys- 58, Loyola (MD)- 34

----------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Hawaii 4-1 (+25)
North Carolina State 3-2 (+40)
Eastern Washington 3-2 (+12)
Mount St. Mary's 2-3 (-6)
Loyola (MD) 2-3 (-36)
UNC Greensboro 2-3 (-35)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 39

Week 6

Hawaii- 72, Mount St. Mary's- 55
North Carolina State- 78, UNC Greensboro- 60
Eastern Washington- 75, Loyola (MD)- 59

Week 7

UNC Greensboro- 65, Mount St. Mary's- 58
Eastern Washington- 81, Hawaii- 76
North Carolina State- 61, Loyola (MD)- 51

Week 8

Mount St. Mary's- 66, North Carolina State- 60
Hawaii- 70, Loyola (MD)- 50
Eastern Washington- 74, UNC Greensboro- 59

Week 9

UNC Greensboro- 66, Loyola (MD)- 45
Hawaii- 72, North Carolina State- 59
Eastern Washington- 65, Mount St. Mary's- 54

-------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Hawaii 7-2 (+70)
Eastern Washington 7-2 (+59)
North Carolina State 5-4 (+49)
Mount St. Marys 3-6 (-35)
UNC Greensboro 3-6 (-40)
Loyola (MD) 2-7 (-103)

Week 10 Schedule

North Carolina State @ Eastern Washington
UNC Greensboro @ Hawaii
Loyola (MD) @ Mount St. Marys

With Hawaii and Eastern Washington splitting their games, 1 has to win and 1 has to lose in order to not go to tiebreakers. If 1 wins and the other loses, the one that wins is the group winner, and the one that loses is group runner-up. If both win or both lose their Week 10 games, it will go to point differential. As for N.C. State, their dilemma is much simpler. They are locked into 3rd place. If they win, they enter the wildcard race and eliminate Stony Brook. However, if N.C. State loses, they are eliminated and Stony Brook hangs on for yet another group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 39

Week 10

North Carolina State- 77, Eastern Washington- 63
UNC Greensboro- 79, Hawaii- 69
Loyola (MD)- 69, Mount St. Mary's- 67 (OT)

Oh, Hawaii! All you had to do is win! Now we go to tiebreakers.

#1- Hawaii 7-3 (+60)
#2- Eastern Washington 7-3 (+45)
#3- North Carolina State 6-4 (+63)
#4- UNC Greensboro 4-6 (-30)
#5- Mount St. Mary's 3-7 (-37)
#6- Loyola (MD) 3-7 (-101)

Hawaii does win the group thanks to point differential, but that week 10 loss will cost them dearly in the seedings. Eastern Washington is in the same position, as their week 10 loss will also cost them dearly. N.C. State advances to the wildcard chase and are actually in great position as they have the highest point differential of all the 6-4 wildcard contenders. We do unfortunately have to say goodbye to Stony Brook, and what a run they had, hanging on for several groups. Also gone is UNC Greensboro, Mt. St. Marys, and Loyola (MD).

Wildcard standings after 39 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
N.C. State 6-4 (+63)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
High Point 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Belmont is now on the chopping block

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 40

Boise State (Mountain West, 25-9, 14-4)
UC Davis (Big West, 25-7, 14-2)
Radford (Big South, 22-12, 12-6)
Northern Illinois (MAC, 14-16, 8-10)
Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun, 14-17, 7-7)
Utah Valley (WAC, 11-19, 5-9)

--------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Radford- 72, Northern Illinois- 68
Boise State- 57, Utah Valley- 43
Lipscomb- 88, UC Davis- 83

Week 2

Northern Illinois- 66, Utah Valley- 57
UC Davis- 73, Radford- 70
Boise State- 80, Lipscomb- 71

Week 3

Boise State- 70, Northern Illinois- 65
Lipscomb- 76, Radford- 66
UC Davis- 69, Utah Valley- 53

Week 4

Utah Valley- 84, Lipscomb- 70
Radford- 58, Boise State- 45
UC Davis- 73, Northern Illinois- 65

Week 5

Boise State- 72, UC Davis- 57
Radford- 80, Utah Valley- 70 (OT)
Lipscomb- 75, Northern Illinois- 62

-------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Boise State 4-1 (+30)
Radford 3-2 (+14)
UC Davis 3-2 (+7)
Lipscomb 3-2 (+5)
Northern Illinois 1-4 (-21)
Utah Valley 1-4 (-35)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 40

Week 6

Radford- 66, Northern Illinois- 64
Boise State- 55, Utah Valley- 52
UC Davis- 81, Lipscomb- 67

Week 7

Northern Illinois- 69, Utah Valley- 63
UC Davis- 68, Radford- 59
Lipscomb- 72, Boise State- 56

Lipscomb has now beaten the top 2 teams in this group.

Week 8

Boise State- 75, Northern Illinois- 74
Radford- 82, Lipscomb- 72
UC Davis- 74, Utah Valley- 73

Week 9

Lipscomb- 71, Utah Valley- 56
Boise State- 72, Radford- 53
UC Davis- 74, Northern Illinois- 63

------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Boise State 7-2 (+37)
UC Davis 7-2 (+42)
Lipscomb 5-4 (+12)
Radford 5-4 (-2)
Northern Illinois 2-7 (-29)
Utah Valley 1-8 (-60)

Week 10 Schedule

Boise State @ UC Davis
Utah Valley @ Radford
Lipscomb @ Northern Illinois

The Boise St/UC Davis winner will win the group, and the loser will be 2nd place. Lipscomb and Radford both need to win to have a chance to stay in the wildcard chase. If Lipscomb wins and Radford loses, Lipscomb takes 3rd. If Radford wins and Lipscomb loses, Radford takes 3rd. If they both win or both lose, we'll have a tiebreaker for 3rd, although it won't matter if they both lose, because 5-5 isn't enough to stay in the wildcard chase.

[Vince, Pt. II]

The Big West is representing crazy well this tournament.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 40

Week 10

UC Davis- 75, Boise State- 60
Radford- 63, Utah Valley- 54
Northern Illinois- 74, Lipscomb- 62

I like it when results work out so that I don't have to have a tiebreaker.

Final Group 40 Standings

#1- UC Davis 8-2 (+57)
#2- Boise State 7-3 (+22)
#3- Radford 6-4 (+7)
#4- Lipscomb 5-5 (0)
#5- Northern Illinois 3-7 (-17)
#6- Utah Valley 1-9 (-69)

UC Davis wins the group convincingly, but their point differential isn't one of the better ones out there. Boise State is in the same boat as the 2nd place finisher, fortunately there are a fair share of 6-4 group runner-ups behind them. Radford takes 3rd, but just misses on staying in the wildcard chase, as they needed a +11 point differential to stay alive. So they are eliminated as well as Lipscomb, Northern Illinois, and Utah Valley. That means that Belmont will stay alive for another group.

With 40 groups gone, I am going to give everybody a look at how the seedings look up to this point. This will be my next post, and I'll include the wildcard standings with it.

[collegesportsfanms]

As promised, here's a look at how the standings shake up after 40 groups. The numbers before certain teams is where they were ranked coming into this tournament. I initially seeded the top 25 teams according to one of the polls.

Group Winners

1- #1 Kentucky 10-0 (+214)
2- #8 Gonzaga 10-0 (+203)
3- #2 Villanova 10-0 (+176)
4- #16 Notre Dame 10-0 (+173)
5- #19 Utah 10-0 (+150)
6- UC Santa Barbara 10-0 (+94)
7- #11 North Carolina 9-1 (+162)
8- Morehead State 9-1 (+147)
9- Iowa State 9-1 (+131)
10- Kansas 9-1 (+130)
T-11- Georgetown 9-1 (+124)
T-11- Georgia 9-1 (+124)
13- #14 Northern Iowa 9-1 (+119)
14- #7 Virginia 9-1 (+109)
15- Davidson 9-1 (+96)
16- William & Mary 9-1 (+88)
17- Xavier 9-1 (+70)
18- #10 Baylor 8-2 (+141)
19- Sam Houston 8-2 (+129)
20- #6 Duke 8-2 (+123)
21- Charlotte 8-2 (+115)
22- #17 Wichita State 8-2 (+91)
23- Sacramento State 8-2 (+87)
24- BYU 8-2 (+83)
25- Alabama 8-2 (+80)
26- Washington 8-2 (+77)
27- #12 SMU 8-2 (+75)
28- South Carolina 8-2 (+74)
29- Dayton 8-2 (+65)
30- Colorado 8-2 (+61)
T-31- Stephen F. Austin 8-2 (+57)
T-31- UC Davis 8-2 (+57)
33- South Dakota State 8-2 (+51)
34- Detroit 8-2 (+29)
35- #5 Arizona 7-3 (+110)
36- Eastern Michigan 7-3 (+62)
37- Hawaii 7-3 (+60)
38- Cincinnati 7-3 (+42)
39- UMass 7-3 (+36)
40- Kent State 7-3 (+28)

Group Runner-Ups

57- #21 Louisville 9-1 (+83)
58- TCU 8-2 (+99)
59- #18 Oklahoma 8-2 (+80)
60- Tennessee 8-2 (+65)
61- Chattanooga 8-2 (+50)
62- DePaul 8-2 (+46)
63- New Mexico State 8-2 (+43)
64- #15 VCU 7-3 (+97)
65- UC Irvine 7-3 (+83)
66- Providence 7-3 (+78)
67- San Diego State 7-3 (+71)
68- Marquette 7-3 (+65)
69- St. Bonaventure 7-3 (+55)
70- #13 Maryland 7-3 (+54)
71- Missouri State 7-3 (+52)
72- Eastern Washington 7-3 (+45)
73- Virginia Tech 7-3 (+42)
74- Lafayette 7-3 (+41)
75- New Hampshire 7-3 (+37)
76- Western Kentucky 7-3 (+33)
77- Cleveland State 7-3 (+24)
78- Northeastern 7-3 (+23)
79- Boise State 7-3 (+22)
80- Seton Hall 7-3 (+13)
81- NC Central 7-3 (+9)
82- Portland 6-4 (+109)
83- #23 Michigan State 6-4 (+105)
84- #24 West Virginia 6-4 (+83)
85- George Mason 6-4 (+42)
86- George Washington 6-4 (+34)
87- James Madison 6-4 (+29)
88- Rice 6-4 (+18)
89- Mississippi State 6-4 (+13)
90- Western Carolina 6-4 (+12)
91- Utah State 6-4 (+11)
92- UConn 6-4 (+8)
93- Wake Forest 6-4 (+6)
94- Florida State 6-4 (+1)
95- UCF 6-4 (-6)
96- Vanderbilt 5-5 (+19)

Now keep in mind this is where these teams sit now. Some teams will be able to improve their seeding based on the results of the rest of the groups, some teams' seedings could get significantly worse. If you'll notice, we have 2 ties right now as far as the group winners go. I have not yet developed a tiebreaker system for this, except for 1 thing that I'm definitely going to try and do.

In the case of a tie, I will try to break the tie by making sure that teams don't meet up with teams from the same group or conference in the Round of 128. Hopefully everybody knows what I mean by that. Now, the wildcard standings:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71)
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
N.C. State 6-4 (+63)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
High Point 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED


As we move to group 41, things really get interesting. We already know that Belmont is on the chopping block. But now we get to the point where wildcard teams can clinch their spot in the round of 128. For group 41, unless the 3rd place team out of the group has a better record than 7-3 (+71) (which is very unlikely) then Wisconsin would clinch a spot in the round of 128. If, somehow, that 3rd place team from group 41 had a better record than Wisconsin, then that team would clinch and Wisconsin would have to wait. From this point forward, with every group, a third place finisher will clinch a spot in the round of 128.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 41

Ohio State (Big Ten, 24-11, 11-7)
Florida (SEC, 16-17, 8-10)
Georgia Tech (ACC, 12-19, 3-15)
Texas Tech (Big 12, 13-19, 3-15)
St. Louis (Atlantic 10, 11-21, 3-15)
Southern Utah (Big Sky, 10-19, 7-11)

-------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Georgia Tech- 62, Texas Tech- 46
Ohio State- 77, Southern Utah- 51
St. Louis- 69, Florida- 62

Week 2

Texas Tech- 58, Southern Utah- 53
Florida- 60, Georgia Tech- 56 (OT)
Ohio State- 66, St. Louis- 50

Week 3

Ohio State- 67, Texas Tech- 53
Georgia Tech- 77, St. Louis- 62
Florida- 63, Southern Utah- 61

Week 4

Southern Utah- 62, St. Louis- 51
Ohio State- 70, Georgia Tech- 63
Florida- 63, Texas Tech- 61

Week 5

Florida- 73, Ohio State- 65
Georgia Tech- 62, Southern Utah- 51
Texas Tech- 70, St. Louis- 40

----------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Florida 4-1 (+9)
Ohio State 4-1 (+55)
Georgia Tech 3-2 (+31)
Texas Tech 2-3 (+3)
Southern Utah 1-4 (-33)
St. Louis 1-4 (-65)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 41

Week 6

Texas Tech- 64, Georgia Tech- 55
Ohio State- 83, Southern Utah- 74
Florida- 57, St. Louis- 48

Week 7

Texas Tech- 68, Southern Utah- 54
Florida- 72, Georgia Tech- 54
Ohio State- 81, St. Louis- 48

Week 8

Ohio State- 69, Texas Tech- 63
St. Louis- 65, Georgia Tech- 59
Florida- 69, Southern Utah- 53

Florida and Ohio St. have clinched the top 2 spots in Group 41.

Week 9

St. Louis- 73, Southern Utah- 64
Georgia Tech- 79, Ohio State- 77
Florida- 60, Texas Tech- 54

------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Florida 8-1 (+58)
Ohio State 7-2 (+101)
Texas Tech 4-5 (+14)
Georgia Tech 4-5 (0)
St. Louis 3-6 (-92)
Southern Utah 1-8 (-81)

Week 10 Schedule

Ohio State @ Florida
Southern Utah @ Georgia Tech
St. Louis @ Texas Tech

Not much to talk about in this group. It's real simple, the Florida/Ohio St. winner wins the group, the loser takes 2nd place. If Ohio St. beats Florida in Week 10, they'd be tied at 8-2, but the Buckeyes already have a massive lead in point differential, and it would be extended with a win over Florida. It doesn't matter what happens with the other 2 games, although if St. Louis beats Texas Tech and Southern Utah beats Georgia Tech, we'd have a 3 way tie for 3rd, but none of the teams have a chance to advance. That means Wisconsin will be packing their bags for the round of 128 and Belmont will stay alive for another group.

[collegesportsfanms]

The Big West is representing crazy well this tournament.

Yeah, it's definitely a surprise how some of the non power 5 conferences have won or finished 2nd in their groups. Especially the Big West as you mentioned. Once the round of 128 is finalized, I'll be going through and seeing how many teams each conference got into it, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Big West is right up there.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 41

Week 10

Ohio State- 63, Florida- 61
Georgia Tech- 64, Southern Utah- 52
Texas Tech- 77, St. Louis- 44

-----------------------------------------------

Final Group 41 Standings

#1- Ohio State 8-2 (+103)
#2- Florida 8-2 (+56)
#3- Texas Tech 5-5 (+47)
#4- Georgia Tech 5-5 (+12)
#5- St. Louis 3-7 (-125)
#6- Southern Utah 1-9 (-93)

So Ohio St. wins the group thanks to point differential tiebreaker, but they have a lot of 9-1 group winners in front of them. Their still in position to be a top 25 seed though. Florida finishes runner up and that 8-2 record puts them in good position to host a round of 128 game. As it stands now, group runner-ups must finish with an 8-2 record or better to have a chance to host a round of 128 game. Texas Tech wins the point differential tiebreaker for 3rd place, and that point differential would be great if they just had 1 more win. Unfortunately, 5-5 isn't enough, and they are eliminated, along with Georgia Tech, St. Louis, and Southern Utah. That means, as we said earlier, that Wisconsin has clinched a spot in the round of 128, and Belmont stays alive as well, as they survive elimination for at least 1 more group.

Wildcard standings after 41 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56)
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
N.C. State 6-4 (+63)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
High Point 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

East Tennessee State can clinch a wildcard spot and a spot in the round of 128 in group 42, and Belmont is still on the chopping block.

[digamma]

Late to the party but following along. Go Crimson (coming up soon).

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 42

Texas (Big 12, 20-14, 8-10)
Illinois (Big Ten, 19-14, 9-9)
Oakland (Horizon, 16-17, 11-5)
UT-Arlington (Sun Belt, 16-15, 10-10)
South Florida (American, 9-23, 3-15)
Nevada (Mountain West, 9-22, 5-13)

--------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

UT Arlington- 73, Oakland- 64
Texas- 52, Nevada- 43
Illinois- 60, South Florida- 53

Week 2

UT Arlington- 68, Nevada- 66
Illinois- 86, Oakland- 76
Texas- 62, South Florida- 51

Week 3

Texas- 80, UT Arlington- 51
Oakland- 64, South Florida- 57
Illinois- 72, Nevada- 58

Week 4

South Florida- 84, Nevada- 76 (2 OT)
Texas- 63, Oakland- 56
Illinois- 72, UT Arlington- 56

Week 5

Texas- 71, Illinois- 68 (OT)
Nevada- 70, Oakland- 59
South Florida- 86, UT Arlington- 77 (OT)

---------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Texas 5-0 (+59)
Illinois 4-1 (+44)
South Florida 2-3 (-8)
UT Arlington 2-3 (-43)
Nevada 1-4 (-22)
Oakland 1-4 (-30)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 42

Week 6

UT Arlington- 96, Oakland- 94 (OT)
Nevada- 60, Texas- 57
South Florida- 74, Illinois- 72

Wow, 2 big upsets in Week 6.

Week 7

Nevada- 71, UT Arlington- 70 (OT)
Oakland- 70, Illinois- 67
Texas- 76, South Florida- 46

And the upsets just keep happening against Illinois.

Week 8

Texas- 77, UT Arlington- 57
South Florida- 69, Oakland- 66
Illinois- 68, Nevada- 58

Week 9

South Florida- 64, Nevada- 54
Texas- 76, Oakland- 65
Illinois- 75, UT Arlington- 70

--------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Texas 8-1 (+117)
Illinois 6-3 (+54)
South Florida 5-4 (-23)
UT Arlington 3-6 (-67)
Nevada 3-6 (-38)
Oakland 2-7 (-43)

Week 10 Schedule

Texas @ Illinois
Nevada @ Oakland
South Florida @ UT Arlington

The top 3 spots in this group are already determined. Texas has clinched the group no matter what happens. An Illinois win or a South Florida loss gives Illinois 2nd place. If Illinois loses and South Florida wins, we would go to a points differential tiebreaker, and Illinois is way, way ahead there. Simply put, Illinois all but has 2nd place locked up. South Florida not only needs to win, but win by about.. oh.. 30, 40 points to have a chance at wildcard consideration. Not likely. Looks like Belmont will be staying alive, but it's not official yet.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 42

Week 10

Texas- 69, Illinois- 66
Oakland- 65, Nevada- 50
South Florida- 82, UT Arlington- 75 (OT)

-----------------------------------------------

Final Group 42 Standings

#1- Texas 9-1 (+120)
#2- Illinois 6-4 (+51)
#3- South Florida 6-4 (-16)
#4- UT Arlington 3-7 (-74)
#5- Oakland 3-7 (-28)
#6- Nevada 3-7 (-53)

Texas wins the group with ease, a bit of a shock actually. 3 lousy points in an upset loss to Nevada is the reason they aren't looking at a top 5 seed, but they are still in good position for a top 15 seed. Illinois wins the tiebreaker with South Florida on point differential, but they didn't help their cause by going 2-3 in the second half of group play. South Florida gets 3rd place, but their point differential is nowhere near close enough to move on. They can look back at that 30 point loss to Texas as one of the big reasons they are going home. UT Arlington, in case anybody cares, got 4th place by winning 3 of 4 against Oakland and Nevada, and Oakland got 5th by point differential. It's irrelevant as they are all eliminated. This also means that East Tennessee State has clinched their spot in the round of 128, and Belmont survives another group.

Wildcard standings after 42 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46)
California 7-3 (+45)
N.C. State 6-4 (+63)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
High Point 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Winthrop can clinch their round of 128 spot in group 43, and Belmont is still on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

I was hoping to have the group play done by this point, but the last couple months have been hectic at work, to say the least. We are in the middle of a shutdown this week, and since I am leaving this project to work on in my down time at work, that means I am putting this on hold until next Monday.

If, and it's a big if, I can sneak a group in this week outside of work, I will, but with so much else going on (other dynasty reports and projects, second and third jobs, housework, family, etc etc) it'll be tough. No matter what, I'm going to plan on having group play done by the end of the month, one way or another. Thanks for your patience.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 43

Iowa (Big Ten, 22-12, 12-6)
Central Michigan (MAC, 23-9, 12-6)
Eastern Kentucky (Ohio Valley, 21-12, 11-5)
Fresno State (Mountain West, 15-17, 10-8)
South Alabama (Sun Belt, 12-21, 9-11)
Samford (Southern, 13-19, 6-12)

----------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Eastern Kentucky- 54, Fresno State- 50
Iowa- 73, Samford- 70
Central Michigan- 66, South Alabama- 54

Week 2

Fresno State- 65, Samford- 44
Central Michigan- 76, Eastern Kentucky- 64
Iowa- 83, South Alabama- 51

Week 3

Iowa- 79, Fresno State- 50
Eastern Kentucky- 76, South Alabama- 41
Central Michigan- 81, Samford- 72

Week 4

Samford- 63, South Alabama- 62
Iowa- 71, Eastern Kentucky- 52
Fresno State- 68, Central Michigan- 51

Week 5

Iowa- 96, Central Michigan- 65
Eastern Kentucky- 76, Samford- 54
Fresno State- 64, South Alabama- 58

------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Iowa 5-0 (+114)
Eastern Kentucky 3-2 (+30)
Fresno State 3-2 (+11)
Central Michigan 3-2 (-15)
Samford 1-4 (-54)
South Alabama 0-5 (-86)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 43

Week 6

Eastern Kentucky- 67, Fresno State- 63
Iowa- 73, Samford- 67
Central Michigan- 93, South Alabama- 90 (OT)

Week 7

Fresno State- 74, Samford- 62
Eastern Kentucky- 85, Central Michigan- 82
Iowa- 76, South Alabama- 49

Week 8

Iowa- 74, Fresno State- 47
South Alabama- 72, Eastern Kentucky- 69
Central Michigan- 78, Samford- 64

Week 9

South Alabama- 59, Samford- 49
Iowa- 77, Eastern Kentucky- 67
Fresno State- 66, Central Michigan- 60

----------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Iowa 9-0 (+184)
Eastern Kentucky 5-4 (+24)
Fresno State 5-4 (-2)
Central Michigan 5-4 (-7)
South Alabama 2-7 (-103)
Samford 1-8 (-96)

Week 10 Schedule

Iowa @ Central Michigan
Samford @ Eastern Kentucky
South Alabama @ Fresno State

Iowa has already clinched the group and will be playing for an undefeated run through group play. Eastern Kentucky, Fresno State, and Central Michigan must win to have a chance at a wildcard berth. If any of those 3 lose, even if they finish in 3rd place, they'll be eliminated. It's a very good possibility we'll have either a 2 or 3 way tie for 2nd place, but I'm not going to get into that, we all know how the tiebreakers work. Week 10 coming up in a little bit.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 43

Week 10

Central Michigan- 72, Iowa- 69
Eastern Kentucky- 75, Samford- 65 (2 OT)
South Alabama- 81, Fresno State- 61

-----------------------------------------------------

Final Group 43 Standings

#1- Iowa 9-1 (+181)
#2- Eastern Kentucky 6-4 (+34)
#3- Central Michigan 6-4 (-4)
#4- Fresno State 5-5 (-22)
#5- South Alabama 3-7 (-83)
#6- Samford 1-9 (-106)

So Iowa was just 3 points away from going undefeated, but they really haven't lost much seeding wise, as they should still be in good position for a top 8 or top 10 seed. Eastern Kentucky wins the 2nd place tiebreaker on point differential, as they had split with Central Michigan. That will get them in the round of 128, but they will be a pretty low seed. Central Michigan, which won their first 3 games, goes just 3-4 the rest of the way and ends up missing out as that point differential will not be enough to keep them alive. So they are officially eliminated along with Fresno St., South Alabama, and Samford. This means that Belmont survives another group. Had it been reversed between C. Michigan and E. Kentucky, then E. Kentucky would have remained in the wildcard chase and Belmont would have been eliminated, so they are very happy the tiebreaker worked out the way it did. Also, that does mean that Winthrop clinches their spot in the round of 128.

Wildcard standings after 43 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45)
N.C. State 6-4 (+63)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
High Point 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

So Belmont remains on the chopping block for group 44, while California can clinch a spot in the round of 128.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 44

St. Johns (Big East, 21-12, 10-8)
Wyoming (Mountain West, 25-10, 11-7)
NJIT (Independent, 21-11)
Rutgers (Big Ten, 10-22, 2-16)
Arkansas-Little Rock (Sun Belt, 13-18, 8-12)
Jacksonville State (Ohio Valley, 12-19, 5-11)

----------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Rutgers- 63, NJIT- 58
St. John's- 64, Jacksonville State- 54
Arkansas-Little Rock- 62, Wyoming- 40

Sure didn't see UALR putting it to Wyoming like that. Wow!

Week 2

Jacksonville State- 70, Rutgers- 64
Wyoming- 56, NJIT- 53
Arkansas-Little Rock- 66, St. John's- 55

Are you serious? What's going on with UALR and where'd they come from?

Week 3

St. John's- 74, Rutgers- 59
NJIT- 69, Arkansas-Little Rock- 59
Jacksonville State- 65, Wyoming- 61

This is turning into a very weird, wild, wacky group.

Week 4

Jacksonville State- 55, Arkansas-Little Rock- 54
St. John's- 68, NJIT- 59
Wyoming- 59, Rutgers- 50

Week 5

St. John's- 59, Wyoming- 57
NJIT- 63, Jacksonville State- 54
Arkansas-Little Rock- 57, Rutgers- 55

--------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

St. John's 4-1 (+25)
Jacksonville State 3-2 (-8)
Arkansas-Little Rock 3-2 (+24)
Wyoming 2-3 (-16)
NJIT 2-3 (+2)
Rutgers 1-4 (-27)

Crazy, crazy group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 44

Week 6

NJIT- 67, Rutgers- 63
St. John's- 73, Jacksonville State- 53
Wyoming- 70, Arkansas-Little Rock- 68

Week 7

Rutgers- 65, Jacksonville State- 38
NJIT- 67, Wyoming- 64
Arkansas-Little Rock- 93, St. John's- 90 (OT)

Week 8

St. John's- 86, Rutgers- 78 (2 OT)
Arkansas-Little Rock- 72, NJIT- 65
Wyoming- 60, Jacksonville State- 51

Week 9

Jacksonville State- 68, Arkansas-Little Rock- 55
NJIT- 57, St. John's- 45
Wyoming- 60, Rutgers- 50

---------------------------------------------------------

St. John's 6-3 (+38)
Arkansas-Little Rock 5-4 (+19)
NJIT 5-4 (+14)
Wyoming 5-4 (+2)
Jacksonville State 4-5 (-51)
Rutgers 2-7 (-22)

Week 10 Schedule

St. John's @ Wyoming
Jacksonville State @ NJIT
Arkansas-Little Rock @ Rutgers

A St. John's win gives them the group title. However, if they lose to Wyoming, we'll have at the very least a 2 way tiebreaker for the group title, and we could even have a 3 or 4 way tie for the group title, depending on what NJIT and Wyoming do. It's an absolute mess right now. This group is crap.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 44

Week 10

Wyoming- 62, St. John's- 61
Jacksonville State- 56, NJIT- 48
Rutgers- 67, Arkansas-Little Rock- 61

UALR and NJIT losing, unfortunately, saves me a ton of work as now we only have a 2 way tiebreaker for the group title.

Final Group 44 Standings

#1- St. John's 6-4 (+37)
#2- Wyoming 6-4 (+3)
#3- Jacksonville State 5-5 (-43)
#4- NJIT 5-5 (+6)
#5- Arkansas-Little Rock 5-5 (+13)
#6- Rutgers 3-7 (-16)

So St. John's wins the tiebreaker, as they split with Wyoming, but their point differential was much higher. However, they are the only group winner so far that didn't finish with at least a 7-3 record, so they could be looking at the 56th seed. Wyoming finishes 2nd place, but their seed will be pretty horrible too. Kudos to Jacksonville State as they win the tiebreaker with NJIT and UALR, but it doesn't matter. You need a 6-4 record to stay in the wildcard chase, and they don't have that, so they'll be eliminated. To my knowledge, they have done the best out of all the 6th seeded teams among group play. Also going home are NJIT, UALR, and Rutgers, who had a pitiful showing. That means that California clinches a spot in the round of 128, and Belmont stays alive for another group.

Wildcard standings through 44 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63)
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
High Point 6-4 (+50)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22)
Belmont 6-4 (+11)
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

So Belmont remains on the chopping block for Group 45, while N.C. State can clinch their round of 128 spot.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 45

Old Dominion (Conference USA, 27-7, 13-5)
St. Marys (WCC, 21-10, 13-5)
Nebraska (Big Ten, 13-18, 5-13)
Canisius (MAAC, 18-15, 11-9)
Arkansas State (Sun Belt, 11-18, 6-14)
CSU Bakersfield (WAC, 14-19, 7-7)

-----------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Nebraska- 70, Canisius- 47
CSU Bakersfield- 69, Old Dominion- 62
St. Mary's- 73, Arkansas State- 63

Wow! Huge upset in the first week with Bakersfield taking down Old Dominion.

Week 2

Canisius- 76, CSU Bakersfield- 49
Nebraska- 61, St. Mary's- 43
Old Dominion- 59, Arkansas State- 55

Week 3

Old Dominion- 55, Canisius- 45
Nebraska- 72, Arkansas State- 62
St. Mary's- 57, CSU Bakersfield- 39

Week 4

CSU Bakersfield- 77, Arkansas State- 67
Nebraska- 60, Old Dominion- 52
St. Mary's- 66, Canisius- 53

Week 5

Old Dominion- 68, St. Mary's- 66
CSU Bakersfield- 62, Nebraska- 49
Arkansas State- 54, Canisius- 44

---------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Nebraska 4-1 (+46)
St. Mary's 3-2 (+21)
Old Dominion 3-2 (+1)
CSU Bakersfield 3-2 (-15)
Arkansas State 1-4 (-24)
Canisius 1-4 (-29)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 45

Week 6

Canisius- 70, Nebraska- 50
Old Dominion- 57, CSU Bakersfield- 47
St. Mary's- 67, Arkansas State- 56

Week 7

Canisius- 65, CSU Bakersfield- 57
Nebraska- 57, St. Mary's- 44
Old Dominion- 62, Arkansas State- 53

Week 8

Canisius- 93, Old Dominion- 83 (2 OT)
Nebraska- 62, Arkansas State- 52
St. Mary's- 77, CSU Bakersfield- 54

Week 9

Arkansas State- 53, CSU Bakersfield- 39
Old Dominion- 68, Nebraska- 65
St. Mary's- 59, Canisius- 56

-----------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Nebraska 6-3 (+46)
St. Mary's 6-3 (+45)
Old Dominion 6-3 (+13)
Canisius 4-5 (+6)
CSU Bakersfield 3-6 (-70)
Arkansas State 2-7 (-40)

Week 10 Schedule

Old Dominion @ St. Mary's
CSU Bakersfield @ Nebraska
Arkansas State @ Canisius

The top 3 seeds in this group are decided, now it's just a matter of how they'll finish. We know that out of Old Dominion and St. Mary's, the winner will finish 7-3, the loser 6-4. If Nebraska beats Arkansas St., we'll have a 2 way tie for first place. If Arkansas St. beats Nebraska, then the St. Mary's-Old Dominion winner will win the group, and the loser will be tied with Nebraska for 2nd. Barring any blowouts, all 3 of these teams have a great chance to advance, although if any of the teams need a win the most, it is Old Dominion as their point differential isn't very high.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 45

Week 10

Old Dominion- 70, St. Mary's- 65
Nebraska- 67, CSU Bakersfield- 40
Arkansas State- 67, Canisius- 51

----------------------------------------

Final Group 45 Standings

#1- Nebraska 7-3 (+73)
#2- Old Dominion 7-3 (+18)
#3- St. Mary's 6-4 (+40)
#4- Canisius 4-6 (-10)
#5- Arkansas State 3-7 (-24)
#6- CSU Bakersfield 3-7 (-97)

So Nebraska wins the group but will be a pretty low seed with those 3 losses. They won it on a points differential tiebreaker as they had split with Old Dominion. That means Old Dominion takes 2nd place and with a better point differential, their seed could have been much higher, but they'll probably finish in the 80's or 90's. St. Mary's gets 3rd, but is in great position for a wildcard with their point differential. This does officially eliminate Belmont, along with Canisius, Arkansas State, and CSU Bakersfield. This also means that N.C. State has clinched their place in the round of 128.

Wildcard standings through 45 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63) CLINCHED
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
High Point 6-4 (+50)
St. Mary's 6-4 (+40)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22)
Belmont 6-4 (+11) ELIMINATED
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

So Long Beach St. can clinch their spot in the round of 128 next, while Buffalo becomes the next team on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 46

Tulsa (American, 23-11, 14-4)
Texas A&M (SEC, 21-12, 11-7)
San Diego (WCC, 15-16, 8-10)
St. Francis (PA) (Northeast, 16-16, 9-9)
McNeese State (Southland, 15-16, 8-10)
Florida Atlantic (Conference USA, 9-20, 2-16)

-------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

San Diego- 62, St. Francis (PA)- 57
Tulsa- 72, Florida Atlantic- 63
Texas A&M- 69, McNeese State- 60

Week 3

St. Francis (PA)- 69, Florida Atlantic- 51
San Diego- 66, Texas A&M- 63
Tulsa- 68, McNeese State- 64

Week 3

Tulsa- 58, St. Francis (PA)- 50
McNeese State- 59, San Diego- 57
Texas A&M- 72, Florida Atlantic- 54

Week 4

Florida Atlantic- 59, McNeese State- 57
Tulsa- 71, San Diego- 64
Texas A&M- 72, St. Francis (PA)- 47

Week 5

Texas A&M- 62, Tulsa- 57
San Diego- 78, Florida Atlantic- 64
McNeese State- 64, St. Francis (PA)- 54

-----------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Texas A&M 4-1 (+54)
Tulsa 4-1 (+23)
San Diego 3-2 (+13)
McNeese State 2-3 (-3)
St. Francis (PA) 1-4 (-30)
Florida Atlantic 1-4 (-57)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 46

Week 6

St. Francis (PA)- 73, San Diego- 62
Florida Atlantic- 60, Tulsa- 55
Texas A&M- 75, McNeese State- 72

Big upset as Tulsa goes down.

Week 7

Florida Atlantic- 65, St. Francis (PA)- 58
Texas A&M- 75, San Diego- 62
Tulsa- 60, McNeese State- 54

Week 8

Tulsa- 58, St. Francis (PA)- 56
San Diego- 59, McNeese State- 48
Florida Atlantic- 69, Texas A&M- 64

What has gotten into Florida Atlantic all of a sudden? They are quickly putting themselves in position for a 3rd place finish.

Week 9

McNeese State- 80, Florida Atlantic- 51
San Diego- 63, Tulsa- 60 (OT)
Texas A&M- 66, St. Francis (PA)- 57

And the dreams for Florida Atlantic are dashed with a big blowout loss.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Texas A&M 7-2 (+74)
Tulsa 6-3 (+23)
San Diego 5-4 (+3)
Florida Atlantic 4-5 (-69)
McNeese State 3-6 (+6)
St. Francis (PA) 2-7 (-37)

Week 10 Schedule

Tulsa @ Texas A&M
Florida Atlantic @ San Diego
McNeese State @ St. Francis (PA)

If Texas A&M beats Tulsa, they are the group champions for sure. Tulsa can still win the group title, but if they do beat Texas A&M, they'll have to do it in a big way, as the teams will have split and it would go to point differential, with Texas A&M has a wide margin on. San Diego must win to have a chance at a wildcard spot. If they beat Florida Atlantic, they have a shot, if Florida Atlantic wins, the 2 will tie for 3rd and both will be eliminated. McNeese State and St. Francis (PA) means nothing.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 46

Week 10

Texas A&M- 69, Tulsa- 59
San Diego- 64, Florida Atlantic- 55
McNeese State- 78, St. Francis (PA)- 67

One scenario I forgot to mention is a possible tie for 2nd if Tulsa lost and San Diego won, and that's what we have.

----------------------------------------------

Final Group 46 Standings

#1- Texas A&M 8-2 (+84)
#2- Tulsa 6-4 (+13)
#3- San Diego 6-4 (+12)
#4- McNeese State 4-6 (+17)
#5- Florida Atlantic 4-6 (-78)
#6- St. Francis (PA) 2-8 (-48)

So Texas A&M wins the group, their point differential is right around the middle for the 8-2 group winners. They could be looking at a potential top 30-35 seed. Tulsa gets the 2nd place tiebreaker thanks to point differential. They split with San Diego, but had a better point differential by 1 lousy point. Unfortunately, they will be a very low seed when it comes to group runner-ups, as the record and point differential just isn't there. San Diego misses on 2nd place by 1 lousy point, and unfortunately their point differential isn't enough to keep them in the wildcard chase, so they are officially eliminated. Also eliminated are McNeese State, Florida Atlantic, and St. Francis (PA). This means that Long Beach State has clinched their place in the round of 128.

Wildcard standings after 46 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63) CLINCHED
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53) CLINCHED
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
High Point 6-4 (+50)
St. Mary's 6-4 (+40)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22)
San Diego 6-4 (+12) ELIMINATED
Belmont 6-4 (+11) ELIMINATED
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

Buffalo remains on the chopping block for group 47, and as you can see, I need to go through tiebreaker situations, as both Missouri and High Point have 6-4, +50 records. So, let me figure out the tiebreaker situations, of which I hadn't even thought of outside of group play, and get back to you on which of those 2 teams has a chance to clinch in the next group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 47

Wofford (Southern, 28-7, 16-2)
Rhode Island (Atlantic 10, 23-10, 13-5)
Incarnate Word (Southland, 18-11, 10-8)
Tennessee-Martin (Ohio Valley, 21-12, 10-6)
Southern Illinois (Missouri Valley, 12-21, 4-14)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC, 12-20, 9-9)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Incarnate Word- 76, Tennessee-Martin- 66
Wofford- 62, Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 47
Rhode Island- 72, Southern Illinois- 67 (OT)

Week 2

Tennessee-Martin- 72, Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 58
Rhode Island- 71, Incarnate Word- 60
Wofford- 67, Southern Illinois- 57

Week 3

Wofford- 71, Tennessee-Martin- 60
Incarnate Word- 83, Southern Illinois- 53
Rhode Island- 72, Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 52

Week 4

Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 53, Southern Illinois- 52
Incarnate Word- 79, Wofford- 71
Tennessee Martin- 65, Rhode Island- 57

Week 5

Rhode Island- 67, Wofford- 64
Incarnate Word- 77, Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 68
Tennessee-Martin- 71, Southern Illinois- 61

-------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Rhode Island 4-1 (+31)
Incarnate Word 4-1 (+46)
Wofford 3-2 (+25)
Tennessee-Martin 3-2 (+11)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 1-4 (-57)
Southern Illinois 0-5 (-56)

[collegesportsfanms]

Before I go on, we have a tie that we need to break between between Missouri and High Point, this is to see who will be the next to be able to clinch a spot from the wildcard chase, so just to recap on tiebreakers, which are the same whether ranking in the group, or in future stages

-2 Team Tie:
1. Head-to Head (if applicable)
2. Point Differential in Group Stage
3. Winning % Of Teams Defeated
4. Total Points Scored in Group Stage
5. Coin Toss

-3+ team tie
(every step seeks to advance the top team, then the remaining teams go back to the first step of the tiebreaker procedure)
1. Head-To-Head within tied teams (if they've all played each other)
2. Point Differential in Group Stage
3. Winning % Of Teams Defeated
4. Total Points Scored in Group Stage
5. Coin Toss

In this case, since Missouri and High Point obviously didn't play each other, and had the same point differential, we go to winning % of Teams Defeated next.

Missouri defeated 3 of the 5 teams in their group. Those 3 teams had a combined record of 8-22, which is good for just 26.7%.

High Point defeated all the other 5 teams in their group at least once. Those 5 teams had a combined record of 24-26, good for 48%. So High Point will be the next team that can clinch, and Missouri after that. Any questions? OK, tiebreaker 101 class is over, for now. ;)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 47

Week 6

Tennessee-Martin- 77, Incarnate Word- 74
Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 65, Wofford- 56
Rhode Island- 71, Southern Illinois- 50

Huge upset, as Wofford is really struggling now.

Week 7

Tennessee-Martin- 74, Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 55
Rhode Island- 73, Incarnate Word- 71
Wofford- 63, Southern Illinois- 49

Week 8

Tennessee-Martin- 69, Wofford- 47
Incarnate Word- 70, Southern Illinois- 47
Rhode Island- 70, Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 63

Week 9

Southern Illinois- 51, Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 37
Wofford- 69, Incarnate Word- 60
Tennessee-Martin- 65, Rhode Island- 60

------------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Tennessee-Martin 7-2 (+60)
Rhode Island 7-2 (+56)
Incarnate Word 5-4 (+55)
Wofford 5-4 (+17)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 2-7 (-88)
Southern Illinois 1-8 (-100)

Week 10 Schedule

Wofford @ Rhode Island
Arkansas-Pine Bluff @ Incarnate Word
Southern Illinois @ Tennessee-Martin

A lot of scenarios can play out here. Incarnate Word and Wofford both must win to have a chance at a wildcard berth, but neither can win the group. All Tennessee-Martin needs to do is beat Southern Illinois to win the group, as they own the tiebreaker with Rhode Island thanks to beating them twice. Rhode Island must win and hope Southern Illinois upset UT Martin. If both Incarnate Word and Wofford win, we'll go to a points differential tiebreaker there since they split their games. If they both lose, it doesn't mater, they'll both be eliminated. If one wins and one loses, the team that wins will be in the wildcard chase, the team that loses is eliminated.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 47

Week 10

Rhode Island- 57, Wofford- 33
Incarnate Word- 74, Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 55
Tennessee-Martin- 75, Southern Illinois- 57

--------------------------------------------------------

Final Group 47 Standings

#1- Tennessee-Martin 8-2 (+78)
#2- Rhode Island 8-2 (+80)
#3- Incarnate Word 6-4 (+74)
#4- Wofford 5-5 (-7)
#5- Arkansas-Pine Bluff 2-8 (-107)
#6- Southern Illinois 1-9 (-118)

So Tennessee-Martin wins the group by virtue of beating Rhode Island twice, and has a decent point differential for 8-2 group winners. They are set up nicely for a top 30-35 seed. Rhode Island takes 2nd place, and has a tie for the 2nd best record of the 8-2 group runner-ups. Incarnate Word becomes the first team to not only clinch a wildcard berth right out of group play, but their point differential was so good they've actually bumped N.C. State and Long Beach St. down a seed, meaning High Point must wait 1 more group for a chance to clinch. Eliminated are Wofford, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Southern Illinois, and Buffalo. Here's a look at the wildcard standings after 47 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
Incarnate Word 6-4 (+74) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63) CLINCHED
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53) CLINCHED
High Point 6-4 (+50)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
St. Mary's 6-4 (+40)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22) ELIMINATED
San Diego 6-4 (+12) ELIMINATED
Belmont 6-4 (+11) ELIMINATED
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

So High Point has to wait until at least 1 more group is finished before they can clinch, but if all goes well they'll clinch in group 48. And, we have another tiebreaker that I have to figure out, as either Santa Clara or Toledo are next on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 47

Week 10

Rhode Island- 57, Wofford- 33
Incarnate Word- 74, Arkansas-Pine Bluff- 55
Tennessee-Martin- 75, Southern Illinois- 57

----------------------------------------------------

Final Group 47 Standings

#1- Tennessee-Martin 8-2 (+78)
#2- Rhode Island 8-2 (+80)
#3- Incarnate Word 6-4 (+74)
#4- Wofford 5-5 (-7)
#5- Arkansas-Pine Bluff 2-8 (-107)
#6- Southern Illinois 1-9 (-118)

UT Martin wins the group on tiebreaker, thanks to beating Rhode Island twice, and they are set up to be a top 30-35 seed. Rhode Island is in a good position as well, tied with Oklahoma for the 2nd best record of the 8-2 group runner-ups. They are in great position to host a Round of 128 game. Incarnate Word takes 3rd place, and does something incredible. They have clinched a wildcard spot right out of their group play, thanks to having an incredible point differential, the best for 6-4 wildcard contenders. This bumps N.C. State and Long Beach State down a seed, although both have still clinched their spot in the Round of 128. Unfortunately, we do say goodbye to Buffalo as they are officially eliminated along with Wofford, Arkansas-PB and Southern Illinois. Here are the wildcard standings after 47 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
Incarnate Word 6-4 (+74) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63) CLINCHED
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53) CLINCHED
High Point 6-4 (+50)
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
St. Mary's 6-4 (+40)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22) ELIMINATED
San Diego 6-4 (+12) ELIMINATED
Belmont 6-4 (+11) ELIMINATED
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

So High Point has to wait at least one more group to clinch a spot, and we've got a tiebreaker to sort out, as both Santa Clara and Toledo are on the chopping block. Only 1 can be there at a time, and we know we have to go to winning percentage of teams beaten in group play as our next possible tiebreaker.

Santa Clara defeated 4 of the 5 other teams in their group, and those teams had a 14-26 record, good for a winning percentage of 35%.

Toledo also beat 4 of the 5 other teams in their group, but those teams were 16-24, good for a winning percentage of 40%.

So, that means Toledo has the edge, and Santa Clara will be next on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 48

UCLA (Pac 12, 22-14, 11-7)
Miami (FL) (ACC, 24-12, 10-8)
Northwestern State (Southland, 19-13, 13-5)
St. Josephs (Atlantic 10, 13-18, 7-11)
Seattle (WAC, 18-16, 7-7)
Fairfield (MAAC, 7-24, 5-15)

--------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Northwestern State- 70, St. Joseph's- 63
UCLA- 66, Fairfield- 61
Miami (FL)- 66, Seattle- 35

Week 2

St. Joseph's- 53, Fairfield- 44
Northwestern State- 67, Miami (FL)- 64
UCLA- 73, Seattle- 68

Week 3

UCLA- 64, St. Joseph's- 55
Northwestern State- 104, Seattle- 95 (OT)
Miami (FL)- 83, Fairfield- 60

Week 4

Seattle- 51, Fairfield- 39
Northwestern State- 75, UCLA- 58
Miami (FL)- 57, St. Joseph's- 53

Week 5

UCLA- 74, Miami (FL)- 71
Northwestern State- 64, Fairfield- 58
Seattle- 65, St. Joseph's- 45

-----------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Northwestern State 5-0 (+42)
UCLA 4-1 (+5)
Miami (FL) 3-2 (+52)
Seattle 2-3 (-13)
St. Joseph's 1-4 (-31)
Fairfield 0-5 (-55)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 48

Week 6

Northwestern State- 105, St. Joseph's- 103 (3 OT)
Fairfield- 48, UCLA- 47
Miami (FL)- 74, Seattle- 72

What a week! First a 3 OT game, then UCLA gets majorly upset.

Week 7

Fairfield- 63, St. Joseph's- 52
Miami (FL)- 72, Northwestern State- 44
UCLA- 70, Seattle- 61

I guess if you're gonna suffer your first loss, you might as well lose big, and Northwestern St. did that.

Week 8

St. Joseph's- 62, UCLA- 57
Northwestern State- 77, Seattle- 58
Miami (FL)- 71, Fairfield- 66 (OT)

Week 9

Fairfield- 74, Seattle- 58
UCLA- 77, Northwestern State- 64
St. Joseph's- 62, Miami (FL)- 58

--------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Northwestern State 7-2 (+22)
UCLA 6-3 (+21)
Miami (FL) 6-3 (+83)
Fairfield 3-6 (-32)
St. Joseph's 3-6 (-35)
Seattle 2-7 (-59)

Week 10 Schedule

UCLA @ Miami (FL)
Fairfield @ Northwestern State
Seattle @ St. Joseph's

The top 3 teams in this group were decided a long time ago. All Northwestern State needs to do to win the group is beat Fairfield. The UCLA/Miami (FL) loser will be locked into 3rd place and a potential wildcard position, while the winner will be in 2nd place. If by some chance, Northwestern State loses to Fairfield, we would have a 2 way tie for the group title, and since Northwestern State split with both UCLA and Miami (FL), the tiebreaker would come down to points differential. Needless to say, all 3 of these teams still have a chance to win the group, and I'd be surprised if all 3 don't advance to the round of 128.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 48

Week 10

Miami (FL)- 76, UCLA- 74
Northwestern State- 78, Fairfield- 53
St. Joseph's- 64, Seattle- 52

-----------------------------------------

Final Group 48 Standings

#1- Northwestern State 8-2 (+47)
#2- Miami (FL) 7-3 (+85)
#3- UCLA 6-4 (+19)
#4- St. Joseph's 4-6 (-23)
#5- Fairfield 3-7 (-57)
#6- Seattle 2-8 (-71)

So Northwestern St. wins the group, but their point differential is one of the worst for an 8-2 group winner, so they'll be a pretty low seed. Miami (FL) takes 2nd place, and has a pretty high point differential for 7-3 group runner-ups. They are in a pretty good position to host a round of 128 game. UCLA takes 3rd, but their point differential is not enough to advance, so they are officially eliminated. Sweet justice in my opinion, as I felt they should have been on the outside looking in during the actual NCAA Tournament this season. They can look back on the 1 point loss to Fairfield in Week 6 as a big reason their tournament is over. Also eliminated are St. Joseph's, Fairfield, and Seattle. This does mean that Toledo survives the chopping block for at least 1 more group. Also, after having to wait 1 group, High Point officially clinches their round of 128 spot. Here are the wildcard standings after 48 groups.

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
Incarnate Word 6-4 (+74) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63) CLINCHED
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53) CLINCHED
High Point 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
St. Mary's 6-4 (+40)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Buffalo 6-4 (+22) ELIMINATED
UCLA 6-4 (+19) ELIMINATED
San Diego 6-4 (+12) ELIMINATED
Belmont 6-4 (+11) ELIMINATED
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

For group 49, Missouri has a chance to clinch, while Toledo remains on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Just so everybody knows, I'm stuck in a hotel room for the weekend, fortunately I brought my laptop, and with 8 groups to go, I'm hoping to get at least 6 of them done this weekend before I head home on Monday morning. If all goes well, group play will be done by next Tuesday at the latest.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 49

Iona (MAAC, 26-9, 17-3)
Yale (Ivy, 22-10, 11-3)
North Florida (Atlantic Sun, 23-12, 12-2)
San Francisco (WCC, 14-18, 7-11)
Towson (Colonial, 12-20, 5-13)
IL Chicago (Horizon, 10-24, 4-12)

--------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

North Florida- 62, San Francisco- 60
Iona- 76, IL Chicago- 65
Yale- 64, Towson- 54

Week 2

San Francisco- 76, IL Chicago- 66
North Florida- 81, Yale- 72
Iona- 83, Towson- 80 (OT)

Week 3

Iona- 68, San Francisco- 62
North Florida- 60, Towson- 48
Yale- 74, IL Chicago- 64

Week 4

Towson- 74, IL Chicago- 63
Iona- 90, North Florida- 75
San Francisco- 83, Yale- 77 (OT)

Week 5

Yale- 79, Iona- 62
North Florida- 74, IL Chicago- 63
San Francisco- 87, Towson- 85 (OT)

------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Iona 4-1 (+18)
North Florida 4-1 (+19)
San Francisco 3-2 (+10)
Yale 3-2 (+22)
Towson 1-4 (-16)
IL Chicago 0-5 (-53)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 49

Week 6

San Francisco- 76, North Florida- 60
Iona- 76, IL Chicago- 70
Yale- 62, Towson- 52

Week 7

San Francisco- 74, IL Chicago- 64
North Florida- 70, Yale- 67
Iona- 91, Towson- 55

Week 8

San Francisco- 68, Iona- 63
North Florida- 61, Towson- 54
Yale- 71, IL Chicago- 47

Week 9

Towson- 58, IL Chicago- 56
Iona- 79, North Florida- 67
San Francisco- 65, Yale- 60

---------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Iona 7-2 (+66)
San Francisco 7-2 (+47)
North Florida 6-3 (+1)
Yale 5-4 (+48)
Towson 2-7 (-67)
IL Chicago 0-9 (-95)

Week 10 Schedule

Iona @ Yale
IL Chicago @ North Florida
Towson @ San Francisco

Iona and San Francisco have clinched no worse than a spot in the wildcard chase. The scenario is pretty simple: if Iona wins and San Fran loses, Iona wins the group. If San Fran wins and Iona loses, San Fran wins the group. If they both win or both lose, we go to tiebreakers. North Florida can do no worse than 3rd, because even if they lose and Yale wins, North Florida swept Yale which would give them the tiebreaker, so Yale is unofficially eliminated. Depending on the results from Iona and San Fran, we could be looking at a 3 way tiebreaker for the group title, or a 2 way tiebreaker for 2nd. Still a lot to play for among the top 3 teams.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 49

Week 10

Yale- 81, Iona- 78
North Florida- 80, IL Chicago- 51
San Francisco- 63, Towson- 54

----------------------------------------

Final Group 49 Standings

#1- San Francisco 8-2 (+56)
#2- Iona 7-3 (+63)
#3- North Florida 7-3 (+30)
#4- Yale 6-4 (+50)
#5- Towson 2-8 (-76)
#6- IL Chicago 0-10 (-124)

So San Francisco is a surprising group winner, but their point differential isn't great for 8-2 group winners. They'll probably be a seed in the 40's. Iona takes 2nd thanks to sweeping North Florida. Their point differential is pretty good for a 7-3 group runner-up. They should get a seed in the 70's. North Florida, with their 7-3 record, jumps several teams and clinches a wildcard spot straight from group play. They are the 2nd team to do that, knocking Incarnate Word, N.C. State, Long Beach St., and High Point down a seed. This means Missouri must wait at least 1 more group to clinch, and this does officially eliminated Toledo from wildcard contention. Also eliminated from the tournament are Yale, who just had 1 tough loss too many, as well as Towson and IL Chicago. Here are the wildcard standings after 49 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
N. Florida 7-3 (+30) CLINCHED
Incarnate Word 6-4 (+74) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63) CLINCHED
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53) CLINCHED
High Point 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
St. Mary's 6-4 (+40)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28)
Toledo 6-4 (+28) ELIMINATED
Buffalo 6-4 (+22) ELIMINATED
UCLA 6-4 (+19) ELIMINATED
San Diego 6-4 (+12) ELIMINATED
Belmont 6-4 (+11) ELIMINATED
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

For group 50, Missouri will be looking to clinch a wildcard spot, while Santa Clara is on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Well, all best laid plans lately seem to fail. I've been ushered back out of town for work as of this morning, and in the process of rushing to pack, I forgot to grab my laptop so I could work on this project in my downtime. I will be back in town by Thursday sometime, so this project will resume on Thursday, or Friday. Thanks for your patience everybody!

And, there is a change, as somebody pointed out, due to tiebreakers, Santa Clara should have already been eliminated, and Toledo will be on the chopping block for group 50. I believe it was ntndeacon who noticed the mistake, so thanks!

[ntndeacon]

no problem! I am having fun following along

[collegesportsfanms]

I haven't abandoned this project, just giving you an update. Work has been crazy between my 2 jobs since I got back in town last week, and I just flat out haven't had down time at my regular job to get anymore groups done. With me having so much else going on at home and me trying to limit this project to free time at work or out of town trips, it's been a couple weeks since I got a group done.

The good news is, one of my jobs is coming to an end next week, so I'll spend more time doing stuff at my regular job, allowing myself to have more free time there. Also, I have a 4 day out of town trip coming up next week, so I'll have a chance to get some groups done then.

Needless to say, I will have group play done by next Sunday, come hell or high water, and I hope to have the entire round of 128 bracket set up so that I can start it on the 1st of November. Be patient guys! I have a bad habit of taking on way too much and trying to balance it all.

[collegesportsfanms]

Before I jump into group 50, I wanted to give you a look at the updated wildcard standings, again thanks to ntndeacon for pointing out my mistake (the 2nd big one I've had in this tournament, I have to do better!).

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
N. Florida 7-3 (+30) CLINCHED
Incarnate Word 6-4 (+74) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63) CLINCHED
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53) CLINCHED
High Point 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
Missouri 6-4 (+50)
St. Mary's 6-4 (+40)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28) ELIMINATED
Buffalo 6-4 (+22) ELIMINATED
UCLA 6-4 (+19) ELIMINATED
San Diego 6-4 (+12) ELIMINATED
Belmont 6-4 (+11) ELIMINATED
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

So for group 50, Toledo is on the chopping block, and Missouri has a chance to clinch.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 50

Valparaiso (Horizon, 28-6, 13-3)
Murray State (Ohio Valley, 29-6, 16-0)
Oral Roberts (Summit, 19-15, 10-6)
Monmouth (MAAC, 18-15, 13-7)
Cal State Northridge (Big West, 9-24, 4-12)
Charleston (Colonial, 9-24, 3-15)

----------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Oral Roberts- 67, Monmouth- 58
Valparaiso- 63, Charleston- 47
Murray State- 76, Cal State Northridge- 74

Week 2

Charleston- 56, Monmouth- 48
Murray State- 62, Oral Roberts- 56
Valparaiso- 71, Cal State Northridge- 67

Week 3

Monmouth- 62, Valparaiso- 59 (A shocker here!)
Cal State Northridge- 74, Oral Roberts- 72
Murray State- 84, Charleston- 59

Week 4

Charleston- 72, Cal State Northridge- 54
Valparaiso- 66, Oral Roberts- 61
Murray State- 70, Monmouth- 55

Week 5

Murray State- 72, Valparaiso- 63
Charleston- 65, Oral Roberts- 63
Cal St. Northridge- 79, Monmouth- 59

---------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Murray State 5-0 (+57)
Valparaiso 3-2 (+13)
Charleston 3-2 (-13)
Cal State Northridge 2-3 (-2)
Oral Roberts 1-4 (-6)
Monmouth 1-4 (-49)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 50

Week 6

Oral Roberts- 62, Monmouth- 51
Valparaiso- 51, Charleston- 47
Murray State- 79, Cal State Northridge- 57

Week 7

Charleston- 60, Monmouth- 55
Murray State- 72, Oral Roberts- 64
Valparaiso- 64, Cal State Northridge- 42

Week 8

Valparaiso- 56, Monmouth- 47
Cal State Northridge- 59, Oral Roberts- 56
Murray State- 64, Charleston- 58

Week 9

Cal State Northridge- 61, Charleston- 54
Oral Roberts- 65, Valparaiso- 59 (Murray State clinches group 50 with the Valpo loss).
Murray State- 51, Monmouth- 42

------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Murray State 9-0 (+102)
Valparaiso 6-3 (+42)
Charleston 4-5 (-25)
Cal State Northridge 4-5 (-36)
Oral Roberts 3-6 (0)
Monmouth 1-8 (-83)

Week 10 Schedule

Valparaiso @ Murray State
Charleston @ Oral Roberts
Cal State Northridge @ Monmouth

Yuck! What a crappy group! Murray State has clinched with ease and will try to become only the 7th team to go undefeated through group play. I'm sure I just jinxed it by mentioning it. Valparaiso will take 2nd place no matter what. Charleston and Northridge are tied for 3rd, but it doesn't matter, neither can move on so they are unofficially eliminated. Missouri and Toledo are excited. Missouri will clinch a spot in the round of 128 and Toledo will survive the chopping block again. Not much to say, Murray State and Valpo are playing for seeding purposes now.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 50

Week 10

Murray State- 78, Valparaiso- 62
Oral Roberts- 71, Charleston- 43
Monmouth- 71, Cal State Northridge- 62

---------------------------------------------------

Final Group 50 Standings

#1- Murray State 10-0 (+118)
#2- Valparaiso 6-4 (+26)
#3- Cal State Northridge 4-6 (-45)
#4- Oral Roberts 4-6 (+28)
#5- Charleston 4-6 (-53)
#6- Monmouth 2-8 (-74)

Murray State wins the group handily and becomes just the 7th team to finish group play undefeated. Their point differential is the 6th best of those undefeated group winners, so it's pretty easy to figure their seed in the round of 128 will be between 6-12. Valpo takes 2nd in an otherwise pitiful group, but they will be a very low seed, most likely in the 90's. Cal State Northridge wins a 3 team tiebreaker for 3rd, as they went 3-1 against Oral Roberts and Charleston. Oral Roberts gets the 2 way tiebreaker for 4th as they split with Charleston but had a much better point differential. None of that matters one damn bit though, as none of those 3 teams had a chance to move on. They are all eliminated, along with a very, very disappointing Monmouth. This does mean that Missouri has clinched a spot in the round of 128, and Toledo remains on the chopping block. Here are the wildcard standings through 50 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
N. Florida 7-3 (+30) CLINCHED
Incarnate Word 6-4 (+74) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63) CLINCHED
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53) CLINCHED
High Point 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
Missouri 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
St. Mary's 6-4 (+40)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Toledo 6-4 (+28)
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28) ELIMINATED
Buffalo 6-4 (+22) ELIMINATED
UCLA 6-4 (+19) ELIMINATED
San Diego 6-4 (+12) ELIMINATED
Belmont 6-4 (+11) ELIMINATED
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED
Northridge 4-6 (-45) ELIMINATED

So for group 51, St. Mary's has a chance to clinch while Toledo remains on the chopping block. 6 groups to go, I hope everybody is as excited as I am to see how it plays out.

[Vince, Pt. II]

...I hope everybody is as excited as I am to see how it plays out.

:)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 51

Oklahoma State (Big 12, 18-14, 8-10)
Illinois State (Missouri Valley, 22-13, 11-7)
Charleston Southern (Big South, 19-12, 13-5)
Lehigh (Patriot, 16-14, 10-8)
Ball State (MAC, 7-23, 2-16)
UMKC (WAC, 14-19, 8-6)

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Lehigh- 68, Charleston Southern- 61
UMKC- 61, Oklahoma State- 52
Ball State- 59, Illinois State- 55

I'm truly stunned right now. This might be the only group where all 3 of the lower seeds win in week 1. Wow!

Week 2

UMKC- 62, Lehigh- 53
Charleston Southern- 68, Illinois State- 63
Oklahoma State- 68, Ball State- 59

Week 3

Oklahoma State- 73, Lehigh- 61 (OT)
Charleston Southern- 67, Ball State- 66
UMKC- 65, Illinois State- 64

I am scratching my head at how UMKC is performing so far. Crazy.

Week 4

UMKC- 62, Ball State- 51
Charleston Southern- 60, Oklahoma State- 48
Illinois State- 66, Lehigh- 40

Week 5

Oklahoma State- 71, Illinois State- 55
Charleston Southern- 76, UMKC- 70 (OT)
Lehigh- 59, Ball State- 58

------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Charleston Southern 4-1 (+17)
UMKC 4-1 (+24)
Oklahoma State 3-2 (+16)
Lehigh 2-3 (-39)
Ball State 1-4 (-18)
Illinois State 1-4 (0)

This is by far the weirdest start to a group that I've seen

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 51

Week 6

Charleston Southern- 71, Lehigh- 49
Oklahoma State- 66, UMKC- 57
Illinois State- 66, Ball State- 51

Week 7

UMKC- 60, Lehigh- 52
Charleston Southern- 76, Illinois State- 66
Oklahoma State- 77, Ball State- 55

Week 8

Oklahoma State- 64, Lehigh- 44
Ball State- 63, Charleston Southern- 56
Illinois State- 76, UMKC- 58

Week 9

UMKC- 82, Ball State- 73 (OT)
Charleston Southern- 63, Oklahoma State- 53
Illinois State- 60, Lehigh- 42

------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Charleston Southern 7-2 (+52)
Oklahoma State 6-3 (+59)
UMKC 6-3 (+14)
Illinois State 4-5 (+41)
Lehigh 2-7 (-109)
Ball State 2-7 (-57)

Week 10 Schedule

Oklahoma State @ Illinois State
UMKC @ Charleston Southern
Ball State @ Lehigh

We already know who the top 3 teams will be in this group, we just don't know the order yet. Charleston Southern and UMKC is really a must win for both teams. Southern will clinch the group title and a guaranteed home game in the round of 128, while UMKC needs to win to stay in the wildcard hunt. A loss would put them at 6-4, and their point differential wouldn't be high enough. Oklahoma State has a huge point differential advantage, so UMKC wouldn't get any help there. But the Cowboys have to play a suddenly hot Illinois State team that has won 3 of their last 4. A 2 way tie for 2nd is a good possibility, and don't rule out a 3 way tie for 1st, or even a 2 team tie for 1st. Toledo, who is on the chopping block, can't feel safe about surviving through this group. Not yet anyways.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 51

Week 10

Oklahoma State- 74, Illinois State- 70
UMKC- 72, Charleston Southern- 59
Lehigh- 59, Ball State- 50

--------------------------------------------

So we've got a 3 way tie for 1st, and with the UMKC win over Charleston Southern, Toledo can officially pack their bags, as they will be eliminated no matter who finished 3rd in this group, since all 3 of these teams have a 7-3 record and Toledo is only 6-4.

#1- Charleston Southern 7-3 (+39)
#2- Oklahoma State 7-3 (+63)
#3- UMKC 7-3 (+27)
#4- Illinois State 4-6 (+37)
#5- Lehigh 3-7 (-100)
#6- Ball State 2-8 (-66)

Charleston Southern wins the group by virtue of going 3-1 against Oklahoma State and UMKC, but they'll be a pretty low seed in the round of 128. Oklahoma State wins the point differential tiebreaker over UMKC as the 2 teams split their meetings. And UMKC takes 3rd, but becomes one of those rare teams to clinch a wildcard spot thanks to that 7-3 record. Congrats to them as they become the only team (I believe) to be seeded 6th in their group but advance to the round of 128. Illinois State has a great point differential but woke up too late and are eliminated, along with Lehigh and Ball State. Also eliminated is Toledo. Here are the wildcard standings through 51 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
N. Florida 7-3 (+30) CLINCHED
UMKC 7-3 (+27) CLINCHED
Incarnate Word 6-4 (+74) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63) CLINCHED
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53) CLINCHED
High Point 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
Missouri 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
St. Mary's 6-4 (+40)
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Toledo 6-4 (+28) ELIMINATED
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28) ELIMINATED
Buffalo 6-4 (+22) ELIMINATED
San Diego 6-4 (+12) ELIMINATED
Belmont 6-4 (+11) ELIMINATED
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

So for group 52, St. Marys again has a chance to clinch, and Columbia is on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 52

Harvard (Ivy, 22-8, 11-3)
Indiana (Big Ten, 20-14, 9-9)
Norfolk State (MEAC, 20-14, 12-4)
Hofstra (Colonial, 20-14, 10-8)
Niagara (MAAC, 8-22, 7-13)
Marshall(Conference USA, 11-21, 7-11)

--------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Hofstra- 74, Norfolk State- 64
Harvard- 69, Marshall- 59
Indiana- 67, Niagara- 51

Week 2

Hofstra- 71, Marshall- 65
Indiana- 73, Norfolk State- 63
Harvard- 73, Niagara- 70

Week 3

Harvard- 69, Hofstra- 56
Norfolk State- 71, Niagara- 67
Indiana- 86, Marshall- 59

Week 4

Marshall- 61, Niagara- 51
Norfolk State- 66, Harvard- 63
Indiana- 73, Hofstra- 61

Week 5

Indiana- 57, Harvard- 48
Norfolk State- 68, Marshall- 67
Hofstra- 78, Niagara- 67

-------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Indiana 5-0 (+74)
Harvard 3-2 (+14)
Hofstra 3-2 (+2)
Norfolk State 3-2 (-12)
Marshall 1-4 (-34)
Niagara 0-5 (-44)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 52

Week 6

Hofstra- 79, Norfolk State- 62
Marshall- 83, Harvard- 77 (OT)
Indiana- 76, Niagara- 66

Huge upset with Harvard going down.

Week 7

Hofstra- 76, Marshall- 67
Indiana- 64, Norfolk State- 48
Harvard- 61, Niagara- 50

Week 8

Harvard- 65, Hofstra- 62
Norfolk State- 79, Niagara- 76 (OT)
Indiana- 68, Marshall- 59

The Indiana win combined with the Hofstra loss means that Indiana has clinched the group title after just 8 weeks.

Week 9

Marshall- 73, Niagara- 70
Norfolk State- 63, Harvard- 61
Indiana- 66, Hofstra- 61

----------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Indiana 9-0 (+114)
Harvard 5-4 (+20)
Hofstra 5-4 (+20)
Norfolk State 5-4 (-40)
Marshall 3-6 (-43)
Niagara 0-9 (-71)

Week 10 Schedule

Harvard @ Indiana
Marshall @ Norfolk State
Niagara @ Hofstra

Indiana has clinched the group easily and is playing for an undefeated run through group play. The race for 2nd place is very tight, but of the 3 teams, Hofstra is in the best position as they play winless Niagara in week 10. Norfolk State is really in the worst position with their point differential, they first need to beat Marshall, then hope that Niagara can upset Hofstra. If that were to happen, Norfolk State would take 2nd place because they swept Harvard. Speaking of Harvard, they've got to find a way to upset Indiana to give themselves a chance. All 3 teams have to win to have a chance at a wildcard berth. 5-5 3rd place teams just don't have a chance. If for whatever reason all 3 teams tie at 6-4 or 5-5, it would most likely come down to point differential for 2nd place. Confused yet? What a crazy group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 52

Week 10

Indiana- 78, Harvard- 57
Marshall- 65, Norfolk State- 61
Hofstra- 72, Niagara- 66

-------------------------------------

Final Group 52 Standings

#1- Indiana 10-0 (+135)
#2- Hofstra 6-4 (+26)
#3- Norfolk State 5-5 (-44)
#4- Harvard 5-5 (-1)
#5- Marshall 4-6 (-39)
#6- Niagara 0-10 (-77)

So Indiana walks through the group easily and is one of just a few teams to go undefeated in group play. They can be no higher than the 6th seed, and should be seeded in the top 10. Hofstra was rolling along, but losing 2 of their last 3 really hurt. They do get 2nd place, but their seed will be way low, in the 90's at least, and probably lower than that. Norfolk State takes 3rd place because they swept Harvard, but the 5-5 record and the point differential won't get them anywhere near a wildcard spot, so they are eliminated along with a disappointing Harvard, Marshall, and Niagara. This means that St. Mary's clinches a spot in the round of 128, while Columbia survives the chopping block. Can they do it for 4 more groups, that is the question. Here's a look at the wildcard standings after 52 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
N. Florida 7-3 (+30) CLINCHED
UMKC 7-3 (+27) CLINCHED
Incarnate Word 6-4 (+74) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63) CLINCHED
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53) CLINCHED
High Point 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
Missouri 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
St. Mary's 6-4 (+40) CLINCHED
Air Force 6-4 (+37)
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Toledo 6-4 (+28) ELIMINATED
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28) ELIMINATED
Buffalo 6-4 (+22) ELIMINATED
San Diego 6-4 (+12) ELIMINATED
Belmont 6-4 (+11) ELIMINATED
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Norfolk St. 5-5 (-44) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

For group 53, Columbia remains on the chopping block, while Air Force has a chance to clinch their spot.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 53

Georgia State (Sun Belt, 25-10, 15-5)
Ole Miss (SEC, 21-13, 11-7)
Boston College (ACC, 13-19, 4-14)
Eastern Illinois (Ohio Valley, 18-15, 9-7)
VMI (Southern, 11-19, 7-11)
Wagner (Northeast, 10-20, 8-10)

-----------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Eastern Illinois- 77, Boston College- 70
Wagner- 73, Georgia State- 60
Ole Miss- 77, VMI- 72

Amazing how easily Wagner upset Georgia St. Would have never guessed.

Week 2

Wagner- 58, Eastern Illinois- 46
Ole Miss- 73, Boston College- 61
Georgia State- 80, VMI- 72

Week 3

Georgia State- 63, Eastern Illinois- 57
Boston College- 69, VMI- 60
Wagner- 78, Ole Miss- 75

It's just incredible what Wagner is doing right now.

Week 4

Wagner- 95, VMI- 89
Boston College- 72, Georgia State- 63
Ole Miss- 77, Eastern Illinois- 53

Week 5

Ole Miss- 74, Georgia State- 66
Wagner- 72, Boston College- 70
VMI- 75, Eastern Illinois- 70

---------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Wagner 5-0 (+36)
Ole Miss 4-1 (+46)
Boston College 2-3 (-3)
Georgia State 2-3 (-16)
VMI 1-4 (-23)
Eastern Illinois 1-4 (-40)

What a crappy start to this group. Wagner is well on their way to becoming the first 6 seed to advance out of group play, and it looks like another group top seed will not be advancing to the round of 128.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 53

Week 6

Boston College- 62, Eastern Illinois- 54
Georgia State- 67, Wagner- 60
VMI- 74, Ole Miss- 59

Week 7

Eastern Illinois- 59, Wagner- 52
Boston College- 68, Ole Miss- 57
Georgia State- 70, VMI- 55

This group is taking a surprising turn, as Wagner and Ole Miss are slumping.

Week 8

Eastern Illinois- 83, Georgia State- 46
VMI- 70, Boston College- 60
Ole Miss- 73, Wagner- 52

Another crazy week in a crazy group. Through 8 weeks we've got 2 teams at 5-3, 2 teams at 4-4, and 2 teams at 3-5. Yuck!!

Week 9

VMI- 83, Wagner- 76
Georgia State- 61, Boston College- 45
Eastern Illinois- 61, Ole Miss- 57

------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Ole Miss 5-4 (+37)
Wagner 5-4 (-6)
Georgia State 5-4 (-15)
Eastern Illinois 4-5 (0)
VMI 4-5 (-6)
Boston College 4-5 (-10)

Week 10 Schedule

Georgia State @ Ole Miss
Wagner @ Boston College
VMI @ Eastern Illinois

Here's the scary thing about this group.. all 6 teams still mathematically have a chance to advance to the round of 128. There will not be a wildcard out of this group though, so Columbia can breath a sigh of relief. The Ole Miss/Georgia State winner will stand at 6-4, and will clinch at least a tie for the group title depending on what Wagner does. If Wagner beats BC, it'll be a 2 way tie. If BC beats Wagner, the Ole Miss/Georgia State winner will win the group outright. The most scary thing about this group.. we are looking at a potential 4 way tie for 2nd place with 4 teams at 5-5. Now, the VMI/Eastern Illinois loser will be eliminated for sure, but as of now both teams are still alive. Best case scenario is if Wagner wins, that way I don't have to sort through a 4 team tiebreaker. Yuck!

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 53

Week 10

Ole Miss- 75, Georgia State- 66
Boston College- 78, Wagner- 57
Eastern Illinois- 65, VMI- 63

Well dang, looks like I get to figure out a 4 way tiebreaker for 2nd place and the right to advance. Yippee!

-------------------------------------------

Final Group 53 Standings

#1- Ole Miss 6-4 (+46)
#2- Boston College 5-5 (+11)
#3- Eastern Illinois 5-5 (+2)
#4- Georgia State 5-5 (-24)
#5- Wagner 5-5 (-27)
#6- VMI 4-6 (-8)

So Ole Miss wins the group but that 6-4 record will have them seeded in the 50's. As for the tiebreaker, it wouldn't have mattered if I had decided it by top team advances, or eliminating the bottom team. The 4 teams involved had even records all the way, so everything would have came down to point differential. By that, BC takes 2nd place, but that 5-5 record will have them seed down in the 100's. Eastern Illinois wins the tiebreaker for 3rd place, but it's irrelevant as you gotta have a 6-4 record if you finish 3rd place in your group, so they are eliminated along with a disappointing Georgia State, a Wagner team that was 5-0 after 5 weeks but lost every game in weeks 6-10, and VMI. That means that Air Force clinches a spot in the round of 128, while Columbia survives the chopping block for a 2nd straight group. Here are the wildcard standings after 53 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
N. Florida 7-3 (+30) CLINCHED
UMKC 7-3 (+27) CLINCHED
Incarnate Word 6-4 (+74) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63) CLINCHED
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53) CLINCHED
High Point 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
Missouri 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
St. Mary's 6-4 (+40) CLINCHED
Air Force 6-4 (+37) CLINCHED
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32)
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Toledo 6-4 (+28) ELIMINATED
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28) ELIMINATED
Buffalo 6-4 (+22) ELIMINATED
San Diego 6-4 (+12) ELIMINATED
Belmont 6-4 (+11) ELIMINATED
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
E. Illinois 5-5 (+2) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Norfolk St. 5-5 (-44) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED

For group 54, UNC Asheville has a chance to clinch a spot in the round of 128, while Columbia will remain on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 54

Green Bay (Horizon, 24-9, 12-4)
Stanford (Pac 12, 22-13, 9-9)
Northern Arizona (Big Sky, 22-14, 13-5)
New Mexico (Mountain West, 15-16, 7-11)
SE Missouri State (Ohio Valley, 13-17, 7-9)
Furman (Southern, 11-22, 5-13)

--------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Northern Arizona- 57, New Mexico- 55
Green Bay- 69, Furman- 53
SE Missouri State- 70, Stanford- 62

A bit of an upset in week 1.

Week 2

Furman- 66, New Mexico- 51
Stanford- 61, Northern Arizona- 57
Green Bay- 64, SE Missouri State- 51

Week 3

Green Bay- 71, New Mexico- 68
SE Missouri State- 71, Northern Arizona- 68
Stanford- 78, Furman- 77

Week 4

SE Missouri State- 62, Furman- 60
Northern Arizona- 72, Green Bay- 67
New Mexico- 78, Stanford- 70

Week 5

Green Bay- 68, Stanford- 45
Northern Arizona- 67, Furman- 59
New Mexico- 57, SE Missouri State- 48

-------------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Green Bay 4-1 (+50)
SE Missouri State 3-2 (-9)
Northern Arizona 3-2 (+8)
New Mexico 2-3 (-3)
Stanford 2-3 (-34)
Furman 1-4 (-12)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 54

Week 6

New Mexico- 73, Northern Arizona- 65
Green Bay- 78, Furman- 68
Stanford- 74, SE Missouri State- 55

Week 7

Furman- 75, New Mexico- 68
Stanford- 63, Northern Arizona- 53
SE Missouri State- 74, Green Bay- 69

Week 8

Green Bay- 68, New Mexico- 59
SE Missouri State- 52, Northern Arizona- 43
Stanford- 67, Furman- 61

Week 9

Furman- 73, SE Missouri State- 64 (OT)
Northern Arizona- 60, Green Bay- 51
Stanford- 69, New Mexico- 64

-----------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Green Bay 6-3 (+55)
Stanford 6-3 (+6)
SE Missouri State 5-4 (-23)
Northern Arizona 4-5 (-10)
Furman 3-6 (-12)
New Mexico 3-6 (-16)

Week 10 Schedule

Green Bay @ Stanford
Furman @ Northern Arizona
SE Missouri State @ New Mexico

Here's what we know: The Green Bay/Stanford winner wins the group. The loser will either have 2nd outright or be in a tie for 2nd, depending on what SE Missouri State does. They must win to have a chance, and seeing as how their point differential is so bad, they either need to hammer New Mexico by about 50, or hope to win a 2 way tiebreaker for 2nd place. Speaking of that, they've split with both Stanford and Green Bay, so it's going to come down to points differential for them. Which means, they still need to whoop up on New Mexico in a big way.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 54

Week 10

Green Bay- 73, Stanford- 71 (OT)
Furman- 59, Northern Arizona- 55
New Mexico- 64, SE Missouri State- 56

Well, SE Missouri couldn't even do their part by winning, so no tiebreaker needed for 2nd place.

---------------------------------------------

Final Group 54 Standings

#1- Green Bay 7-3 (+57)
#2- Stanford 6-4 (+4)
#3- SE Missouri State 5-5 (-31)
#4- Furman 4-6 (-8)
#5- New Mexico 4-6 (-8)
#6- Northern Arizona 4-6 (-14)

Green Bay wins the group but the 7-3 record and fairly low point differential will have them as a seed near 50, maybe a couple seed lines above. Stanford takes 2nd, but again, a non-favorable record and point differential will have them as a very low seed, as they'll be in the 100's. SE Missouri State gets 3rd, but the 5-5 record alone was enough to eliminate them, let alone the terrible point differential. They are eliminated along with Furman, New Mexico, and Northern Arizona. I'm not going to even bother getting into that tiebreaker as it's irrelevant. So UNC Asheville clinches their spot in the round of 128, and Columbia survives the chopping block for yet another group. Here are the wildcard standings after 54 groups:

#4 Wisconsin 7-3 (+71) CLINCHED
E. Tenn. St. 7-3 (+56) CLINCHED
Winthrop 7-3 (+46) CLINCHED
California 7-3 (+45) CLINCHED
N. Florida 7-3 (+30) CLINCHED
UMKC 7-3 (+27) CLINCHED
Incarnate Word 6-4 (+74) CLINCHED
N.C. State 6-4 (+63) CLINCHED
Long Beach St. 6-4 (+53) CLINCHED
High Point 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
Missouri 6-4 (+50) CLINCHED
St. Mary's 6-4 (+40) CLINCHED
Air Force 6-4 (+37) CLINCHED
UNC Asheville 6-4 (+32) CLINCHED
Vermont 6-4 (+31)
Columbia 6-4 (+30)
Toledo 6-4 (+28) ELIMINATED
Santa Clara 6-4 (+28) ELIMINATED
Buffalo 6-4 (+22) ELIMINATED
UCLA 6-4 (+19) ELIMINATED
San Diego 6-4 (+12) ELIMINATED
Belmont 6-4 (+11) ELIMINATED
Stony Brook 6-4 (+8) ELIMINATED
UTEP 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Radford 6-4 (+7) ELIMINATED
Bryant 6-4 (+2) ELIMINATED
UAB 6-4 (-2) ELIMINATED
Colorado St. 6-4 (-3) ELIMINATED
C. Michigan 6-4 (-4) ELIMINATED
Coastal Carolina 6-4 (-5) ELIMINATED
South Florida 6-4 (-16) ELIMINATED
Delaware St. 6-4 (-18) ELIMINATED
Texas Tech 5-5 (+47) ELIMINATED
Longwood 5-5 (+31) ELIMINATED
Duquesne 5-5 (+27) ELIMINATED
Gardner Webb 5-5 (+22) ELIMINATED
Butler 5-5 (+18) ELIMINATED
Albany 5-5 (+10) ELIMINATED
Michigan 5-5 (+9) ELIMINATED
UNLV 5-5 (+7) ELIMINATED
Drake 5-5 (+5) ELIMINATED
E. Illinois 5-5 (+2) ELIMINATED
Rider 5-5 (+1) ELIMINATED
Quinnipiac 5-5 (0) ELIMINATED
Mercer 5-5 (-4) ELIMINATED
Denver 5-5 (-5) ELIMINATED
Auburn 5-5 (-10) ELIMINATED
Mid. Tenn. 5-5 (-24) ELIMINATED
SE MO State 5-5 (-31) ELIMINATED
Jacksonville St. 5-5 (-43) ELIMINATED
Norfolk St. 5-5 (-44) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 4-6 (+6) ELIMINATED
Evansville 4-6 (-42) ELIMINATED
Northridge 4-6 (-45) ELIMINATED

For group 55, Vermont can clinch, Columbia remains on the chopping block.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 55

Purdue (Big Ten, 21-13, 12-6)
LSU (SEC, 22-11, 11-7)
Manhattan (MAAC, 19-14, 13-7)
Robert Morris (Northeast, 20-15, 12-6)
Bradley (Missouri Valley, 9-24, 3-15)
SIU Edwardsville (Ohio Valley, 12-16, 8-8)

------------------------------------------------------------

Week 1

Manhattan- 86, Robert Morris- 83 (OT)
Purdue- 66, SIU Edwardsville- 55
LSU- 63, Bradley- 55

Week 2

Robert Morris- 54, SIU Edwardsville- 51
LSU- 77, Manhattan- 67
Purdue- 72, Bradley- 55

Week 3

Purdue- 70, Robert Morris- 65
Manhattan- 70, Bradley- 52
LSU- 73, SIU Edwardsville- 70

Week 4

SIU Edwardsville- 70, Bradley- 48
Manhattan- 72, Purdue- 59
LSU- 61, Robert Morris- 56

Week 5

Purdue- 77, LSU- 68
SIU Edwardsville- 58, Manhattan- 47
Robert Morris- 61, Bradley- 57

-------------------------------------------------

Standings after 5 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Purdue 4-1 (+29)
LSU 4-1 (+17)
Manhattan 3-2 (+13)
Robert Morris 2-3 (-6)
SIU Edwardsville 2-3 (+16)
Bradley 0-5 (-69)

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 55

Week 6

Robert Morris- 70, Manhattan- 63
SIU Edwardsville- 76, Purdue- 71 (OT)
LSU- 78, Bradley- 58

Week 7

Robert Morris- 74, SIU Edwardsville- 63
LSU- 74, Manhattan- 54
Purdue- 70, Bradley- 57

Week 8

Purdue- 66, Robert Morris- 53
Bradley- 70, Manhattan- 61
LSU- 73, SIU Edwardsville- 64

Week 9

SIU Edwardsville- 68, Bradley- 63 (OT)
Purdue- 58, Manhattan- 46
Robert Morris- 70, LSU- 60

---------------------------------------------------

Standings after 9 weeks, with point differential in parenthesis:

Purdue 7-2 (+62)
LSU 7-2 (+56)
Robert Morris 5-4 (+9)
SIU Edwardsville 4-5 (+6)
Manhattan 3-6 (-35)
Bradley 1-8 (-98)

Week 10 Schedule

Purdue @ LSU
SIU Edwardsville @ Manhattan
Bradley @ Robert Morris

So Purdue and LSU have both clinched a spot in the round of 128. The winner of their week 10 game wins the group, the loser finishes 2nd. Robert Morris must win by at least 21 points to have a chance at a wildcard berth. If they win by more than 21, they will knock out Columbia. A loss or a win by less than 21, and Robert Morris is eliminated and Columbia survives. A win by 21 exactly means Robert Morris and Columbia would go to tiebreakers to see who survives and who get eliminated. A lot to play for there.