NCAA Basketball World Cup

[collegesportsfanms]

At the risk of spreading myself too thin, as I have several projects going on, some of you probably remember the first one i did that I finished, but never got around to posting it on here. This one is a tad different. Same idea, except this time I took all 140 postseason participants from the 4 D1 NCAA basketball tournaments... 68 from the NCAA, 32 from the NIT, 16 from the CBI, and 24 from the CIT.

There will be 35 groups, of 4 teams a group. Teams will play each other twice, once home, once away. I will use the Whatifsports simulator to do this. Top 2 teams from each group advance, which means 70 teams advance to the next round. No wildcards. I have not yet figured out how I will take the remaining 70 teams and turn it into bracket play. Any ideas appreciated. It will take me a while to complete group play, as I have my interactive coaching dynasty, as well as working 3 jobs, so this will probably be a slow moving process.

I've tried to do my best to mix the groups, i randomly drew but made sure there was a BCS school, a mid-major, and a small conference school all in 1 group. The 4th team was drawn at random. When I start announcing the groups, if anybody sees a problem, let me know. I'll start working on the groups and geting them posted in the next few days. Hope you all enjoy.

[collegesportsfanms]

Alright guys, I'm going to start announcing the groups. I'll do this a few at a time. I'll also give each teams conference, conference record, and overall record, in that order. I will be making predictions as well. In the last one I did, I predict the group finish from 1-4. This time I am just going to pick the 2 teams I think will advance from the group, since positions 3 and 4 don't matter. So lets get it started.

Group 1

#1 Kansas (Big 12, 14-2, 35-3)
New Mexico (MWC, 8-8, 22-13)
Oakland (Summit, 17-1, 25-10)
Boston U (America East, 12-4, 21-14)

Predictions: Kansas should run through the group fairly easy, and I think the second spot is wide open. I think Oakland has a strong enough team to advance though.



Group 2

#2 Ohio St. (Big 10, 16-2, 34-3)
Hofstra (CAA, 14-4, 21-12)
Akron (MAC, 9-7, 23-13)
East Carolina (C-USA, 8-8, 18-16)

Predictions: Obviously you can pencil Ohio St. into the next round, and I think the second seed will come down to Hofstra and Akron. I like Hofstra, but not by much.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 3

#3 San Diego St. (MWC, 14-2, 34-3)
Villanova (Big East, 9-9, 21-12)
Hampton (MEAC, 11-5, 24-9)
Jacksonville (A-Sun, 13-7, 20-12)

I think San Diego St. and Villanova should be the favorites to come out of this group, but Hampton could make it interesting.



Group 4

#4 Duke (ACC, 13-3, 32-5)
UAB (C-USA, 12-4, 22-9)
Wofford (Southern, 14-4, 21-13)
California (Pac 10, 10-8, 18-15)


Duke is a safe bet to advance. UAB/California should be interesting. I'll take UAB.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 5

#5 Kentucky (SEC, 10-6, 29-9)
Gonzaga (WCC, 11-3, 25-10)
Belmont (A-Sun, 19-1, 30-5)
Bucknell (Patriot, 13-1, 25-9)

This is a tough group. I give 1 spot to Kentucky, but that second spot is wide open. I'm gonna go with an upset here and say that Belmont gets it.



Group 6

#6 UConn (Big East, 9-9, 32-9)
James Madison (Colonial, 10-8, 21-12)
Arkansas-Little Rock (Sun Belt, 7-9, 19-17)
Michigan St. (Big Ten, 9-9, 19-15)

Don't like this group at all. There really isn't a clear favorite. UConn may be the defending champs, but I wasn't impressed with them. I'll take them and Michigan St. Gotta go with the power conferences on this one.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 7

#7 North Carolina (ACC, 14-2, 29-8)
Colorado St. (MWC, 9-7, 19-13)
UNC Asheville (Big South, 11-7, 20-14)
Ohio (MAC, 9-7, 19-16)

Geez, could North Carolina have gotten an easier draw? If they don't run through this group undefeated, I'll be shocked. I like them, and I'll also take UNC Asheville to the next round.




Group 8

#8 BYU (MWC, 14-2, 32-5)
Missouri (Big 12, 8-8, 23-11)
Oral Roberts (Summit, 13-5, 19-16)
Milwaukee (Horizon, 13-5, 19-14)

I'm taking BYU and Missouri from this group. I wouldn't be surprised to see Milwaukee make it interesting though.

[bbgunn]

Go UAB!

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 9

#9 Florida (SEC, 13-3, 29-8)
St. Marys (WCC, 11-3, 25-9)
Bethune-Cookman (13-3, 21-13)
Cleveland St. (Horizon, 13-5, 27-9)

Wow, we've got 3 very good teams coming out of this group. My gut tells me that I should pick Florida as one of the teams, but I actually like the 2 mid-majors to come out of this group, so I'm going with St. Marys and Cleveland St.



Group 10

#10 Notre Dame (Big East, 14-4, 27-7)
Boise St. (WAC, 10-6, 22-13)
North Dakota (Great West, 8-4, 19-15)
Marshall (C-USA, 9-7, 22-12)

I'm definitely taking Notre Dame out of this group. As for the second team, none of the other 3 teams in the group impress me. I guess I'll go with Marshall.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 11

#11 Texas (Big 12, 13-3, 28-8)
Portland (WCC, 7-7, 20-12)
St. Peters (MAAC, 11-7, 20-14)
Evansville (MVC, 9-9, 16-16)

Yuck! This is group is terrible outside of Texas. I guess I'll go with Portland be default.



Group 12

#12 Pittsburgh (Big East, 15-3, 28-6)
Air Force (MWC, 6-10, 16-16)
Davidson (Southern, 10-8, 18-15)
Western Michigan (11-6, 21-13)

I like Pitt for sure, and I think W. Michigan will have enough to see off Davidson and advance.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 13

#13 Arizona (Pac Ten, 14-4, 30-8)
Indiana St. (MVC, 12-6, 20-14)
Long Island (16-2, 27-6)
Vermont (America East, 13-3, 23-9)

Now this is a tough bracket. It's hard to pick against any of these teams to advance. I'm picking Arizona and Indiana St., but I think the group will be a battle.



Group 14

#14 Purdue (Big Ten, 14-4, 26-8)
San Jose St. (WAC, 5-11, 17-16)
Kent St. (MAC, 12-4, 25-12)
Valparaiso (Horizon, 12-6, 23-12)

I'll definitely take Purdue out of this group, and as far as the other one, it's a toss-up between Kent St. and Valpo for me. I'm gonna take Valpo.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 15

#15 Georgetown (Big East, 10-8, 21-11)
Dayton (A-10, 7-9, 22-14)
Alabama St. (SWAC, 11-7, 17-18)
Oregon (Pac 10, 7-11, 21-18)

I'm taking Georgetown and Dayton from this group.



Group 16

Wisconsin (Big 10, 13-5, 25-9)
San Francisco (WCC, 10-4, 19-15)
Furman (Southern, 12-6, 22-11)
Murray St. (Ohio Valley, 14-4, 23-9)

I like Wisconsin for sure, and I think it'll be a toss-up between Furman and Murray St. I'll take Murray St. though.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 17

#17 Louisville (Big East, 12-6, 25-10)
Hawaii (WAC, 8-8, 19-13)
Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt, 13-3, 21-11)
SMU (C-USA, 8-8, 20-15)

Boy, talk about slim pickins. Another group in which the ranked team should roll through. I'm going with Louisville and Hawaii out of this group.




Group 18

#18 Utah St. (WAC, 15-1, 30-4)
Illinois (Big 10, 9-9, 20-14)
Fairfield (MAAC, 15-3, 25-8)
Austin Peay (OVC, 13-5, 20-14)

I'm definitely taking Utah St., and I actually like both Fairfield and Austin Peay over Illinois. I think I'll go with Fairfield though.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 19

#19 Butler (Horizon, 13-5, 28-10)
Oklahoma St. (Big 12, 6-10, 20-14)
Miami (OH) (MAC, 11-5, 16-17)
Northern Iowa (MVC, 10-8, 20-14)

Tough group. Miami of Ohio is the only team I don't see really having a shot to advance. I'm going to go with Butler and Northern Iowa out of this group.



Group 20

#20 Syracuse (Big East, 12-6, 27-8)
Missouri St. (MVC, 15-3, 26-9)
Quinnipiac (Northeast, 13-5, 22-10)
Tennessee (SEC, 8-8, 19-15)

I think Quinnipiac has their hands full with this group. I think Syracuse will advance, and I think Missouri St. is slightly better than Tennessee, so I'm going with Missouri St. as the 2nd team out of this group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 21

#21 Kansas St. (Big 12, 10-6, 23-11)
UTEP (C-USA, 11-5, 25-10)
Iona (MAAC, 13-5, 25-12)
Montana (Big Sky, 12-4, 21-11)

I'll be shocked if K-State and UTEP aren't the teams to advance from this group. Normally I wouldn't sleep on the lower conference teams, but in this case, I am.




Group 22

#22 West Virginia (Big East, 11-7, 21-12)
Idaho (WAC, 9-7, 18-14)
Charleston (Southern, 14-4, 26-11)
Northwestern (Big 10, 7-11, 20-14)


I like West Virginia and Charleston out of this group, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say Charleston wins the group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 23

#23 Old Dominion (Colonial, 14-4, 27-7)
Marquette (Big East, 9-9, 22-15)
UCSB (Big West, 8-8, 18-14)
Nebraska (Big 12, 7-9, 19-13)

I'm going with Old Dominion and Marquette in this one. I wasn't too impressed with Nebraska at all last year.



Group 24

#24 George Mason (Colonial, 16-2, 27-7)
Michigan (Big 10, 9-9, 21-14)
Buffalo (MAC, 9-8, 20-14)
Alabama (SEC, 12-4, 25-12)

There are 3 teams I like out of this group. The question is, does the strong mid-major have enough to oversee both middle of the pack BCS conference teams? This is by far my toughest prediction, but I'm going to say that George Mason is the first ranked team not to advance out of group play. I'm taking Michigan and Alabama.

[bbgunn]

Whoa, I was too early. UAB is okay, but I have to cheer for Hawaii and my real-life alma mater, the Crimson Tide.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 25

#25 St. Johns (Big East, 12-6, 21-12)
Creighton (MVC, 10-8, 23-16)
Princeton (Ivy, 12-2, 25-7)
Tennessee Tech (OVC, 12-6, 20-13)

I'm not sold on St. Johns. They may prove me wrong, but I think the smaller colleges will come out of this one. I'm going with Creighton and Princeton to advance.



Group 26

#26 Xavier (A-Ten, 15-1, 24-8)
Georgia (SEC, 9-7, 21-12)
Costal Carolina (Big South, 16-2, 28-6)
Weber St. (Big Sky, 11-5, 18-14)

Definitely gotta go with Xavier out of this group. 2nd spot could come down to Georgia and Coastal Carolina. I actually like Coastal Carolina better.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 27

#27 Vanderbilt (SEC, 9-7, 23-11)
Central Florida (C-USA, 6-10, 21-12)
Long Beach St. (Big West, 14-2, 22-12)
Rhode Island (A-Ten, 9-7, 20-14)


I definitely like Vanderbilt out of this group, and I'm going to go with Long Beach St. for my other selection.



Group 28

#28 Temple (A-Ten, 14-2, 26-8)
Colorado (Big 12, 8-8, 24-14)
UTSA (Southland, 9-7, 20-14)
Clemson (ACC, 9-7, 22-12)

I think Temple should be ok coming out of this group. That second spot between Colorado and Clemson is a doozy for me. I'm gonna give a slight edge to Clemson.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 29

#29 UNLV (MWC, 11-5, 24-9)
USC (Pac Ten, 10-8, 19-15)
Harvard (Ivy, 12-2, 23-7)
Ole Miss (SEC, 7-9, 20-14)

I don't see Ole Miss coming out of this group. I'm gonna go with UNLV and Harvard. I think Harvard is better than USC.



Group 30

#30 Washington (Pac Ten, 11-7, 24-11)
Duquesne (A-Ten, 10-6, 19-13)
Northern Colorado (Big Sky, 13-3, 21-11)
Florida St. (ACC, 11-5, 23-11)

Honestly can say this isn't the strongest group, and I think that the BCS teams, Washington and Florida St., should walk away with the top 2 spots.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 31

#31 VCU (CAA, 12-6, 28-12)
Cincinnati (Big East, 11-7, 26-9)
Morehead St. (OVC, 13-5, 25-10)
Miami (ACC, 6-10, 21-15)

Tough group! It's wide open, and I think even Miami could come out of this one. I'm picking VCU and Morehead St. though. Call me crazy, but I like the mids and the little guys.




Group 32

#32 Memphis (C-USA, 10-6, 25-10)
UCLA (Pac Ten, 13-5, 23-11)
Rider (MAAC, 13-5, 23-11)
Northern Arizona (Big Sky, 9-7, 19-13)

Rider could make a push, but out of this group, I got to go with Memphis and UCLA.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 33

#33 Richmond (A-Ten, 13-3, 29-8)
Penn St. (Big Ten, 9-9, 19-15)
McNeese St. (Southland, 11-5, 21-12)
Virginia Tech (ACC, 9-7, 22-12)

I have to go with Richmond and VA Tech out of this group. Don't sleep on Penn St. though as they could sneak into the top 2.




Group 34

#34 Texas A&M (Big 12, 10-6, 24-9)
Santa Clara (WCC, 8-6, 24-14)
Texas Southern (SWAC, 16-2, 19-13)
St. Bonaventure (A-Ten, 8-8, 16-15)

By default, I'm going with Texas A&M and Santa Clara. I don't think TX Southern or the Bonnies can compete.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 35

#35 Wichita State (MVC, 14-4, 29-8)
Washington State (Pac Ten, 9-9, 22-13)
East Tennessee State (A-Sun, 16-4, 24-12)
Boston College (ACC, 9-7, 21-13)


I have to go with Wichita St. because I think they are the best team in the group (and they are my hometown team.) The second seed, well I like Boston College over the other WSU.



So there you have it, all 140 teams have been announced, and all the groups. I've made my predictions, now lets hear yours.

[bbgunn]

I say Duke will win it all.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 1

#1 Kansas (Big 12, 14-2, 35-3)
New Mexico (MWC, 8-8, 22-13)
Oakland (Summit, 17-1, 25-10)
Boston U (America East, 12-4, 21-14)


Week 1

Kansas- 93, New Mexico- 67
Oakland- 64, Boston U- 55

So the Jayhawks have no trouble in their opening game, while Oakland gets by a scrappy Boston U team.

Week 2

Kansas- 84, Oakland- 69
New Mexico- 83, Boston U- 82 (OT)

Almost an upset by Boston U, and Kansas holds off Oakland.

Week 3

Kansas- 75, Boston U- 72
New Mexico- 87, Oakland- 75

Kansas trailed by 3 at halftime but rallied, and New Mexico got a big second win in the group.

Here are the standings after the first half of group play.

1. Kansas (3-0, +44)
2. New Mexico (2-1, -13)
3. Oakland (1-2, -18)
4. Boston U (0-3, -13)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Kansas- 91, New Mexico- 85
Oakland- 91, Boston U- 72

Kansas has struggled their past couple games, but stays undefeated, while Oakland regains the chase for a spot in the next round.

Week 5

Kansas- 79, Oakland- 64
New Mexico- 71, Boston U- 63

A much better game for the Jayhawks, while New Mexico gets past Boston U. Lets look at the standings after week 5.

Kansas (5-0, +65)
New Mexico (3-2, -11)
Oakland (2-3, -14)
Boston U (0-5. -40)

So Kansas has won the group and clinched a spot in the next round, while Boston U is eliminated. It's all up to the Oakland- New Mexico game. Oakland must win by more than 12 to advance. If Oakland wins by 12 or less, then New Mexico would advance do to tiebreak situations.

Week 6

Kansas- 81, Boston U- 59
Oakland- 94, New Mexico- 79

Kansas finishes an undefeated group, and Oakland gets a big win against New Mexico. Here are the final group 1 standings.

Kansas (6-0, +87)
Oakland (3-3, +1)
New Mexico (3-3, -26)
Boston U (0-6, -62)

So Kansas wins the group easily with a great point differential. Oakland gets the second spot out of group 1 thanks to the tiebreaker. Oakland and New Mexico split their group meetings, each winning 1. So that eliminates the first tiebreaker. We go to second tiebreaker which is point differential among the 2 games. New Mexico beat Oakland by 12, but Oakland beat New Mexico by 15, which means they win the tiebreak.

Something I'm going to do in this tournament is chart my predictions and see how I'm doing. I predicted Kansas and Oakland to come through, and they both did, so I'm 2 for 2 so far.

[bigmexmma]

Go USC and go k-state

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 2

#2 Ohio St. (Big 10, 16-2, 34-3)
Hofstra (CAA, 14-4, 21-12)
Akron (MAC, 9-7, 23-13)
East Carolina (C-USA, 8-8, 18-16)

Week 1

Ohio St.- 74, Hofstra- 55
E. Carolina- 66, Akron- 61

The Buckeyes start with a big win, and E. Carolina survived a tough one.

Week 2

Ohio St.- 73, Akron- 53
E. Carolina- 67, Hofstra- 64

The Buckeyes keep rolling, while E. Carolina is winning close games.

Week 3

E. Carolina- 83, Ohio St.- 77
Hofstra- 79, Akron- 69

A huge upset as the Buckeyes go down, and Hofstra wins the battle of winless teams.

Here are the standings halfway through group play:

E. Carolina (3-0, +14)
Ohio St. (2-1, +33)
Hofstra (1-2, -12)
Akron (0-3, -35)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Ohio St.- 87, Hofstra- 60
Akron- 67, E. Carolina- 56

The Buckeyes recover nicely from the upset loss, while Akron hands E. Carolina their first blemish.

Week 5

Ohio St.- 81, Akron- 64
E. Carolina- 67, Hofstra- 65

Another big win for the Buckeyes, while E. Carolina barely beats Hofstra. Here are the standings after week 5.

Ohio St. (4-1, +77)
E. Carolina (4-1, +5)
Hofstra (1-4, -41)
Akron (1-4, -41)

Week 6 games- E. Carolina @ Ohio St., Akron @ Hofstra

It's pretty simple at this point, the Buckeyes and E. Carolina are moving on, and Hofstra and Akron are eliminated. The Hofstra-Akron winner will take third, the loser 4th. The winner of the Ohio St.-E. Carolina game wins the group and will be seeded in the 1-35 group, and the loser gets second and will be seeded in the 36-70 group when it comes to bracket play.

Week 6

E. Carolina- 65, Ohio St.- 64
Hofstra- 65, Akron- 54

Wow, E. Carolina stuns Ohio St. again to win the group, while Hofstra beats Akron in a battle of what I thought would be for second place. Final group standings.

E. Carolina (5-1, +6)
Ohio St. (4-2, +76)
Hofstra (2-4, -30)
Akron (1-5, -52)

So E. Carolina wins the group, and will probably be the lowest seed out of all the teams that win their groups with a 5-1 record. Conversely, Ohio St. should be the highest seed of the teams that finish second with a 4-2 record. Bye bye Hofstra and Akron.

For my predictions, I had Ohio St. and Hofstra moving on, so I'm now 3 for 4.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 3

#3 San Diego St. (MWC, 14-2, 34-3)
Villanova (Big East, 9-9, 21-12)
Hampton (MEAC, 11-5, 24-9)
Jacksonville (A-Sun, 13-7, 20-12)

Week 1

Villanova- 83, San Diego St.- 57
Jacksonville- 64, Hampton- 59

Wow, didn't see that 26 point wax job by Villanova coming. Jacksonville got a nice opening win.

Week 2

San Diego St.- 72, Hampton- 51
Villanova- 66, Jacksonville- 61

Good for the Aztecs getting back on track, while Nova wins a tough one.

Week 3

Jacksonville- 62, San Diego St.- 60
Hampton- 62, Villanova- 58

This group keeps getting wilder. San Diego St. has its second loss and Villanova loses for the first time. Here are the standings halfway through.

Villanova (2-1, +27)
Jacksonville (2-1, +2)
San Diego St. (1-2, -7)
Hampton (1-2, -22)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

San Diego St.- 73, Villanova- 69
Hampton- 66, Jacksonville- 52

With these results, every team is 2-2 now. Oh brother.

Week 5

San Diego St.- 62, Hampton- 54
Villanova- 76, Jacksonville- 58

So the teams that I expected to win did win. Here are the standings after week 5.

Villanova (3-2, +41)
San Diego St. (3-2, +5)
Hampton (2-3, -16)
Jacksonville (2-3, -30)

Week 6 Games- Jacksonville @ San Diego St., Hampton @ Villanova

All Villanova and San Diego St. have to do is win to advance. If either of them lose, it will force a tiebreaker situation. And if both of them lose, we'll have a 4 way tiebreaker at 3-3. Yikes!

Week 6

San Diego St.- 82, Jacksonville- 55
Villanova- 78, Hampton- 43

So a crisis is averted, as both the Aztecs and Villanova win. Final standings.

Villanova (4-2, +76)
San Diego St. (4-2, +32)
Hampton (2-4, -51)
Jacksonville (2-4, -57)


So Villanova wins the group on a tiebreak situation. They split win San Diego St., but Villanova won by 26 while San Diego St. only won by 4. San Diego gets the second seed out of this group.

I predicted Villanova and San Diego St. to pull through, but it was touch and go there for a while. I'm 5 for 6 now on my predictions.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 4

#4 Duke (ACC, 13-3, 32-5)
UAB (C-USA, 12-4, 22-9)
Wofford (Southern, 14-4, 21-13)
California (Pac 10, 10-8, 18-15)

Week 1

Duke- 65, UAB- 50
Wofford- 66, Cal- 64

Duke starts off in a good way, and a mild upset as Wofford beats Cal.

Week 2

Duke- 76, Wofford- 65
UAB- 63, Cal- 61

A little surprised Wofford kept it so close, and Cal loses their second straight 2 point game.

Week 3

Duke- 75, Cal- 58
Wofford- 64, UAB- 55

The Blue Devils keep rolling, and look at Wofford putting UAB into a hole. Here are the standings halfway through.

Duke (3-0, +43)
Wofford (2-1, 0)
UAB (1-2, -22)
Cal (0-3, -21)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Duke- 80, UAB- 67
Wofford- 67, Cal- 58

So Duke keeps rolling, as does Wofford.

Week 5

Wofford- 76, Duke- 73
UAB- 67, Cal- 55

Wow, Wofford pulls the upset over previously undefeated Duke, while UAB keeps Cal winless. Here are the standings after Week 5.

Duke (4-1, +53)
Wofford (4-1, +12)
UAB (2-3, -23)
Cal (0-5, -42)

Week 6 Games- Cal @ Duke, Wofford @ UAB

As far as advancement goes, these games are meaningless. Duke and Wofford have already advanced to bracket play. Cal is trying not to be the second winless team in this tournament. Even if UAB beats Wofford, they won't advance because Wofford will still have a better record. As far as the group winner, the only way Wofford can win the group is if they beat UAB and Cal upsets Duke. If they both win, or both lose, Duke gets the group on a tiebreaker situation.

Week 6

Duke- 70, Cal- 62
UAB- 75, Wofford- 65

Despite a gallant effort from Cal, Duke wins the group title by defeating Cal. UAB's win against Wofford comes a little too late. Final group standings.

Duke (5-1, +61)
Wofford (4-2, +2)
UAB (3-3, -13)
Cal (0-6, -50)

So Duke wins the group, and should be a high seed unless we have a lot of undefeated group winners. Wofford will probably be a very low seed among the group runner-ups.

I did predict Duke to win the group, but I thought UAB would advance. Wofford is another surprise team. So far through 4 groups, I'm 6 for 8.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 5

#5 Kentucky (SEC, 10-6, 29-9)
Gonzaga (WCC, 11-3, 25-10)
Belmont (A-Sun, 19-1, 30-5)
Bucknell (Patriot, 13-1, 25-9)

Week 1

Gonzaga- 77, Kentucky- 68
Bucknell- 60, Belmont- 55

So an upset as Kentucky falls in the first game. This really looks to be a tough group.

Week 2

Belmont- 76, Kentucky- 62
Gonzaga- 90, Bucknell- 83

Wow, Kentucky looks to be in trouble, and have a long road ahead if they want to advance.

Week 3

Kentucky- 70, Bucknell- 57
Gonzaga- 79, Belmont- 71

So Gonzaga really takes control of the group and stays undefeated, while Kentucky gets back in the swing of things. Heres the group standings halfway through.

Gonzaga (3-0, +24)
Belmont (1-2, +1)
Kentucky (1-2, -10)
Bucknell (1-2, -15)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Kentucky- 79, Gonzaga- 54
Belmont- 72, Bucknell- 45

A couple blowouts this week. Kentucky is hitting all cylinders now.

Week 5

Kentucky- 93, Belmont- 74
Gonzaga- 88, Bucknell- 71

A couple more blowouts, as the home teams are really taking care of business. The standings after week 5.

Gonzaga (4-1, +16)
Kentucky (3-2, +34)
Belmont (2-3, +9)
Bucknell (1-4, -59)

Week 6 games: Bucknell @ Kentucky, Belmont @ Gonzaga

Here's what we know. No matter what happens, Gonzaga has advances and Bucknell is eliminated. If either Kentucky wins or Belmont loses, then Kentucky gets the second spot out of this group. If Kentucky loses and Belmont wins, then both teams will be 3-3 and we have a tiebreaker situation.

Week 6

Kentucky- 73, Bucknell- 70 (OT)
Gonzaga- 77, Belmont- 73

So Kentucky barely survives, but it wouldn't have mattered as Gonzaga did their part by beating Belmont.

Gonzaga (5-1, +20)
Kentucky (4-2, +37)
Belmont (2-4, +5)
Bucknell (1-5, -62)

So Gonzaga wins the group, and with their 5-1 record could have a fairly high seed, but the low point differential could hurt them. Kentucky gets the second spot out of this group.

So I was right about Kentucky, but barely. And I should have known better than to go against Gonzaga. That puts me at 7 for 10 now in the prediction challenge.

[collegesportsfanms]

Just so that everybody knows, I have not abandoned this project. I've been working in excess of 80 hours a week between 3 jobs, and have had little free time in December. Things should get back to normal starting next week, so I should have a few posts next week. Hope you all will still read.

[britrock88]

Now I'll get your updates in my inbox! Looking forward to them.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 6

#6 UConn (Big East, 9-9, 32-9)
James Madison (Colonial, 10-8, 21-12)
Arkansas-Little Rock (Sun Belt, 7-9, 19-17)
Michigan St. (Big Ten, 9-9, 19-15)

Week 1

James Madison- 75, UConn- 72
Michigan St.- 66, Arkansas-LR- 50

An upset in Week 1, as ranked UConn gets beat. MSU has no trouble with Little Rock.

Week 2

UConn- 63, Arkansas-LR- 47
Michigan St.- 82, James Madison- 73

UConn gets back on the winning path, while JMU gives the Spartans a battle, but MSU survives.

Week 3

UConn- 87, Michigan St.- 66
Arkansas-LR- 68, James Madison- 58

Big win for UConn, who is hitting their stride, and James Madison loses a tough one to Arkansas-Little Rock. Here are the standings halfway through.


UConn (2-1, +34)
Michigan St. (2-1, +4)
Arkansas-LR (1-2, -22)
James Madison (1-2, -16)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

UConn- 86, James Madison- 56
Michigan St.- 72, Arkansas-LR- 63

UConn gets revenge in a big way, and the Spartans survive again.

Week 5

UConn- 73, Arkansas-LR- 56
Michigan St.- 72, James Madison- 63

UConn keeps rolling, and MSU wins by the same score they won by in week 4. At least they are consistent. Here are the standings after week 5.

UConn (4-1, +81)
Michigan St. (4-1, +22)
Arkansas-LR (1-4, -48)
James Madison (1-4, -55)

Week 6 games: Michigan St. @ UConn, Arkansas-LR @ James Madison

Week 6 games do not matter as far as who advances. UConn and Michigan St. will advance, and the winner of their game will win the group, while the loser is the runner up. Arkansas-LR and James Madison are both eliminated, and will be playing for pride.

Week 6

Michigan St.- 74, UConn- 72
James Madison- 72, Arkansas-LR- 63

So MSU gets the big win to win the group, while James Madison breaks their losing streak. Final standings.

Michigan St. (5-1, +24)
UConn (4-2, +79)
James Madison (2-4, -46)
Arkansas-LR (1-5, -57)

So Michigan St. wins the group, but their low point differential will probably result in a fairly low seed in the group winner seedings. UConn has a great point differential, but that second loss will have them low as well.

As for my predictions, I was right on the money here, which gives me 9 of 12correct predictions so far.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 7

#7 North Carolina (ACC, 14-2, 29-8)
Colorado St. (MWC, 9-7, 19-13)
UNC Asheville (Big South, 11-7, 20-14)
Ohio (MAC, 9-7, 19-16)

Week 1

North Carolina- 64, Colorado St.- 57
UNC Asheville- 82, Ohio- 73 (OT)

So both Carolina teams win, as Asheville took control in OT, and UNC struggled a bit.

Week 2

North Carolina- 89, UNC Asheville- 59
Ohio- 67, Colorado St.- 66

So UNC blows out their in-state counterparts, while Ohio survives a tough Rams team.

Week 3

Ohio- 69, North Carolina- 65
UNC Asheville- 76, Colorado St.- 75

A big upset by Ohio, and Colorado St. loses their second straight one point game. Here are the standings halfway through.

North Carolina (2-1, +33)
Ohio (2-1, -4)
UNC Asheville (2-1, -20)
Colorado St. (0-3, -9)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Colorado St.- 95, North Carolina- 89
Ohio- 75, UNC Asheville- 70

So UNC loses their second straight and the favorites are in some trouble, while the Rams get their first win of the tournament.

Week 5

North Carolina- 67, UNC Asheville- 56
Colorado St.- 76, Ohio- 67

UNC is back on the winning side, and has swept their in-state counterparts, clinching a tiebreaker with Asheville (if it comes to that.) Ohio misses a chance to take control of the group, and the Rams have made it wide open. Here are the standings after week 5.

Ohio (3-2, -8)
North Carolina (3-2, +38)
UNC Asheville (2-3, -36)
Colorado St. (2-3, +6)

Week 6 games: Ohio @ North Carolina, UNC Asheville @ Colorado St.

There is a lot to play for in week 6. The Ohio-UNC winner will win the group with a 4-2 record. The UNC Asheville-Colorado St. loser will be eliminated with a 2-4 record. The UNC-Ohio loser and the Asheville-Colorado St. winner will both be 3-3 and we will have a tiebreaker situation for the runner up spot in Group 7.

Week 6

North Carolina- 92, Ohio- 79
UNC Asheville- 69, Colorado St.- 66

UNC gets revenge on Ohio, and Asheville gets a much needed win, stopping the Rams' 2 game losing streak. Here are the final standings.

North Carolina (4-2, +51)
UNC Asheville (3-3, -33)
Ohio (3-3, -21)
Colorado St. (2-4, +3)

North Carolina wins the group, but that 4-2 record as a group winner could see them with not even a top 25 seed. UNC Asheville wins the runner up spot over Ohio with a tiebreakers situation. The teams split their meetings, but Asheville won the first game by 9, and Ohio only won the second game by 5. So Asheville gets the second spot out of group 7, but don't be surprised if their 3-3 record and their lousy point differential has them as the last seeded team in bracket play.

As for my predictions, although it was touch and go, I did pick the 2 Carolina schools to advance, and they both did. So that makes me 11 of 14 on my predictions now. So far, so good.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 8

#8 BYU (MWC, 14-2, 32-5)
Missouri (Big 12, 8-8, 23-11)
Oral Roberts (Summit, 13-5, 19-16)
Milwaukee (Horizon, 13-5, 19-14)

Week 1

Missouri- 77, BYU- 60
Oral Roberts- 73, Milwaukee- 68

Not only did Missouri beat BYU, but they handled them easily. Oral Roberts came from behind late to beat Milwaukee.

Week 2

BYU- 76, Oral Roberts- 71
Missouri- 77, Milwaukee- 68

BYU gets their first victory over a pesky ORU team, and Missouri uses a big first half to stay undefeated.

Week 3

BYU- 87, Milwaukee- 76
Missouri- 73, Oral Roberts- 71

BYU keeps Milwaukee winless, and Missouri survives a shot that just missed to skim by ORU. Here are the standings halfway through.

Missouri (3-0, +28)
BYU (2-1, -1)
Oral Roberts (1-2, -2)
Milwaukee (0-3, -25)

Although Milwaukee isn't officially eliminated, they have to run the table in the second half of round robin to stand a chance. Oral Roberts needs an upset, and the BYU/Missouri winner probably wins the group.

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Missouri- 84, BYU- 63
Oral Roberts- 82, Milwaukee- 61

So Missouri proved their week 1 win wasn't a fluke, as they beat BYU by an even bigger margin. Oral Roberts all but eliminated Milwaukee by beating them in week 4.

Week 5

Oral Roberts- 78, BYU- 73
Missouri- 96, Milwaukee- 78

BYU is in serious trouble after losing to Oral Roberts, while Missouri clinches the group title and officially eliminates Milwaukee. Here are the standings after week 5.

Missouri (5-0, +67)
Oral Roberts (3-2, +24)
BYU (2-3, -27)
Milwaukee (0-5, -64)

Week 6 games: Milwaukee @ BYU, Oral Roberts @ Missouri

We know that Missouri has clinched the group and Milwaukee has been eliminated. It's going to take a miracle for BYU to stave off elimination. BYU must win by a large margin and have Oral Roberts lose by a large margin to even have a chance, and that isn't likely.

Week 6

BYU- 89, Milwaukee- 57
Missouri- 94, Oral Roberts- 81

So BYU does their part with a convincing victory, and Missouri beats Oral Roberts by 13. Will it be enough? Let's find out. And the final group standings are as follows:

Missouri (6-0, +80)
Oral Roberts (3-3, +11)
BYU (3-3, +5)
Milwaukee (0-6, -96)

So Missouri is the second team to go undefeated in group play, and their point differential should net them a top 5 seed. Oral Roberts and BYU go down to the third tie breaker to decide who advances. They both won a game against each other, so the second tiebreaker would be total point differential in the 2 games. Both teams won by 5, so we go to the third tiebreaker, which is overall point differential. BYU won their last game by 32, but the point differential to start was too high, and BYU couldn't overcome it, so they become the first ranked team to be eliminated in group play. Oral Roberts will not have a very good seed however.

So I was right on Missouri, but BYU let me down, which makes me 12 of 16 on my predictions. Not bad.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 9

#9 Florida (SEC, 13-3, 29-8)
St. Marys (WCC, 11-3, 25-9)
Bethune-Cookman (13-3, 21-13)
Cleveland St. (Horizon, 13-5, 27-9)

Week 1

St. Marys- 76, Florida- 68
Cleveland St.- 82, Bethune Cookman- 68

Big win for St. Marys, and CSU has no trouble with Bethune.

Week 2

Bethune Cookman- 73, Florida- 71
St. Marys- 78, Cleveland St.- 62

A huge upset, as Florida is 0-2 in group play now, and has a long road back. St. Marys is looking like the big favorite in this group.

Week 3

Cleveland St.- 81, Florida- 68
St. Marys- 80, Bethune Cookman- 64

The downward spiral continues for what I thought was an overrated Florida team, while St. Marys avoids the upset. Here are the standings halfway through.

St. Marys (3-0, +40)
Cleveland St. (2-1, +11)
Bethune Cookman (1-2, -28)
Florida (0-3, -23)

Florida is on the verge of being the second straight ranked team to be eliminated in group play. Even running the table in the second half of group play would probably only guarantee them a second place finish.

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Florida- 84, St. Marys- 71
Cleveland St.- 68, Bethune Cookman- 64

So Florida gets a much needed victory, and Cleveland St. survives a pesky BCU team.

Week 5

Bethune Cookman- 78, Florida- 68
Cleveland St.- 84, St. Marys- 75 (OT)

Florida is officially eliminated with the loss to Bethune Cookman, and BCU still has a slight chance to advance. Cleveland State now leads the group after their win over St. Marys, extending their losing streak to 2. Standings after week 5.

Cleveland St. (4-1, +24)
St. Marys (3-2, +18)
Bethune Cookman (2-3, -22)
Florida (1-4, -20)

Week 6 games: Cleveland St. @ Florida, Bethune Cookman @ St. Marys

The only thing Florida can do at this point is play spoiler. It's simple for Cleveland St. If they beat Florida, they win the group. If Florida beats them, then they have to hope for a Bethune Cookman win over St. Marys. Bethune Cookman needs to beat St. Marys to force a tiebreaker situation. There's a lot on the line in week 6.

Week 6

Florida- 72, Cleveland St.- 57
St. Marys- 77, Bethune Cookman- 52

Not good for Cleveland St. as they get hammered by Florida, and St. Marys hammers BCU. So Cleveland St. and St. Marys advance, now lets see who wins the group.

St. Marys (4-2, +43)
Cleveland St. (4-2, +9)
Bethune Cookman (2-4, -47)
Florida (2-4, -5)

St. Marys wins the group due to second tiebreaker rules. Since St. Marys and Cleveland St. split, we go to second tiebreaker. St. Marys beat CSU by 16, and CSU only won by 9 in OT. So St. Marys gets the higher seed in bracket play, but both teams could be tough outs. It's trivial, without wildcards, but Bethune Cookman actually gets third place in the group by virtue of sweeping Florida.

So I went with my instincts and picked the 2 mid majors over what I felt was an overranked Florida team. And I was right. Florida is staying home, Cleveland St. and St. Marys are moving on, and I'm now 14 of 18 in my predictions.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 10

#10 Notre Dame (Big East, 14-4, 27-7)
Boise St. (WAC, 10-6, 22-13)
North Dakota (Great West, 8-4, 19-15)
Marshall (C-USA, 9-7, 22-12)

Week 1

Boise St.- 72, Notre Dame- 65
Marshall- 80, North Dakota- 65

Not surprised that Marshall won, but Boise State winning did surprise me.

Week 2

Notre Dame- 76, North Dakota- 70
Marshall- 70, Boise St.- 65

Good to see Notre Dame get a win, and Marshall survives Boise.

Week 3

Marshall- 77, Notre Dame- 67
Boise St.- 77, North Dakota- 69

Notre Dame is already in trouble within the group, as Marshall remains undefeated. Boise keeps North Dakota winless. Here are the standings halfway through.

Marshall (3-0, +30)
Boise St. (2-1, +10)
Notre Dame (1-2, -11)
North Dakota (0-3, -29)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Notre Dame- 86, Boise St.- 66
Marshall- 74, North Dakota- 49

Big wins for both Notre Dame and Marshall give them control of the group.

Week 5

Notre Dame- 84, North Dakota- 62
Marshall- 86, Boise St.- 69

So Marshall hands Boise their second straight loss, and Notre Dame eliminates North Dakota. Here are the standings after Week 5.

Marshall (5-0, +72)
Notre Dame (3-2, +31)
Boise St. (2-3, -27)
North Dakota (0-5, -76)

Week 6 games: Marshall @ Notre Dame, North Dakota @ Boise St.

No matter what happens, the group is decided. Marshall has won the group, and Notre Dame will take second place. Even if the Fightin Irish lose and Boise wins, ND will take second by virtue of tiebreaker. Of course, North Dakota is eliminated. The only purpose of playing these games is for seeding.

Week 6

Notre Dame- 64, Marshall- 53
Boise St.- 83, North Dakota- 78 (OT)

So the Irish hand Marshall their only group loss, and Boise survives North Dakota. Final group standings:

Marshall (5-1, +61)
Notre Dame (4-2, +42)
Boise St. (3-3, -22)
North Dakota (0-6, -81)

So Marshall wins the group, and should have a decent seeding going into bracket play. Notre Dame has a decent point differential for a 4 win team.

I predicted Notre Dame and Marshall to come out of this group. Both did, so that makes me 16 of 20 on my predictions.