2009-2010 college basketball tournament

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 12

#12 Texas A&M (Big 12, 24-10, 11-5)
Cincinnati (Big East, 19-16, 7-11)
Northeastern (20-13, 14-4)
Bradley (MVC, 16-15, 9-9)

Week 1

Texas A&M- 78, Cincinnati- 59
Bradley- 64, Northeastern- 63

So the Aggies get off to a roaring start in the group, winning easily. Bradley had to fight hard to beat Northeastern.

Week 2

Texas A&M- 74, Northeastern- 61
Cincinnati- 78, Bradley- 73

The Aggies get another double digit win, while the Bearcats get their first win, leaving Northeastern as the only winless team in the group.

Week 3

Texas A&M- 72, Bradley- 70
Northeastern- 68, Cincinnati- 48

Wow, the Bearcats looked bad against Northeastern, opening up the group completely. The Aggies struggle, but get it done to remain undefeated. Here are the standings halfway through.

Texas A&M 3-0 (+34)
Northeastern 1-2 (+6)
Bradley 1-2 (-6)
Cincinnati 1-2 (-34)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Texas A&M- 88, Cincinnati- 82
Northeastern- 65, Bradley- 56

So the Aggies stay undefeated while Northeastern has won 2 in a row.

Week 5

Northeastern- 67, Texas A&M- 56
Cincinnati- 70, Bradley- 53

So Northeastern, after losing their first 2, storms back to win their third in a row, handing the Aggies their first loss. Cincinnati keeps themselves in the wildcard hunt and eliminates Bradley with a big victory. Here are the standings with 1 week to go:

Texas A&M 4-1 (+29)
Northeastern 3-2 (+26)
Cincinnati 2-3 (-23)
Bradley 1-4 (-32)

So we know that Bradley is eliminated. Texas A&M will win the group no matter what. Even if they lose to Bradley next week and Northeastern beats Cincinnati again, the Aggies own the tiebreaker over Northeastern by virtue of a higher point differential between the 2 teams in the 2 games they played against each other. 2nd and 3rd is still open. If Northeastern beats the Bearcats again, they get second, and Cincinnati is eliminated. If the Bearcats beat Northeastern, then both teams would be 3-3 and have a great chance to advance.

Week 6

Texas A&M- 68, Bradley- 48
Cincinnati- 63, Northeastern- 48

So the Aggies take care of business easily while the Bearcats get sweet revenge against Northeastern. Onto the final group 12 standings.

Texas A&M 5-1 (+49)
Northeastern 3-3 (+11)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Bradley 1-5 (-52)

The Aggies win the group but break the streak of undefeated group winners but should still have a top 10 or 15 seed. Northeastern clinches second place due to tiebreaker. They split with Cincinnati, but won the first game by 20 and lost the second game by only 15. The Bearcats aren't done yet though, as they finish 3-3, good enough for third place. Their point differential of only -8 puts them in the second wildcard spot for now. Unfortunately, this does now officially eliminate Louisiana Tech. Bradley is also eliminated.

Wildcard Standings after 12 groups

Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31)
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32)
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 13

#13 Villanova (Big East, 25-8, 13-5)
Virginia (ACC, 15-16, 5-11)
Michigan (Big Ten, 15-17, 7-11)
Siena (MAAC, 27-7, 17-1)

Week 1

Villanova- 91, Virginia- 62
Siena- 70, Michigan- 65

Wow! Villanova got off to a roaring start with a 29 point victory. Siena also gets a nice opening round victory.

Week 2

Villanova- 70, Michigan- 66
Siena- 73, Virginia- 69

So much closer game for Villanova, and Virginia hangs tough against Siena, but can't pull out the victory.

Week 3

Villanova- 71, Siena- 62
Virginia- 67, Michigan- 62

More close games, as Villanova knocks some life out of Siena, and Virginia gets their first win. Here are the standings halfway through:

Villanova 3-0 (+42)
Siena 2-1 (0)
Virginia 1-2 (-28)
Michigan 0-3 (-14)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Villanova- 88, Virginia- 73
Siena- 65, Michigan- 63

So Villanova hammers Virginia yet again, while Michigan suffers their 4th straight heartbreaking close loss. They have yet to lose a game by more than 5.

Week 5

Villanova- 93, Michigan- 88
Virginia- 78, Siena- 56

So Siena suffers a major setback in the loss to Virginia. Michigan again with another hard luck loss. Here are the standings with 1 week to go.

Villanova 5-0 (+62)
Siena 3-2 (-20)
Virginia 2-3 (-21)
Michigan 0-5 (-21)

2 things are certain: Villanova wins the group, and Michigan will finish last and be eliminated from the tournament. Siena and Virginia are still playing for seeding. Virginia actually has a chance to overtake Siena for second now, if they beat Michigan and Siena loses to Villanova. In fact, that 22 point loss to Virginia hurt them. Another blowout loss against Villanova and that 3-3 record may not be enough to net them a wildcard spot.

Week 6

Villanova- 83, Siena- 52
Michigan- 72, Virginia- 59

So Siena owes Michigan a big steak dinner. The Saints get waxed again, convincingly by a hot Villanova team. Meanwhile, Virginia has a wide open door to walk through, but the Wolverines quickly shut it with a 13 point victory, their only victory of the group. Here are the final standings.

Villanova 6-0 (+93)
Siena 3-3 (-51)
Virginia 2-4 (-34)
Michigan 1-5 (-8)

So Villanova becomes the third Big East team to run through their group undefeated, and has the second best point differential so far, behind only conference rival Syracuse. Siena goes from a decent seed to probably one of the last available seeds for a group runner up by getting hammered in their last 2 games. Their -51 point differential is by far the worst of the second place finishers. Virginia had it all set up, but their loss to Michigan drops them to third place with a 2-4 record. Not good enough for a wildcard spot, so they are officially eliminated. Michigan fell on some hard luck. Put them in another group and they probably advance. As it stand, their 1-5 record eliminates them as well.

Wildcard Standings after 13 groups

Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31)
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32)
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 14

#14 Xavier (Atlantic Ten, 26-9, 14-2)
Vermont (America East, 25-10, 14-4)
Clemson (ACC, 21-11, 9-7)
Fairfield (23-11, 13-5)

Week 1

Xavier- 85, Vermont- 83
Clemson- 67, Fairfield- 65

So both of the favorites win, but only by 2 points, so it's hard to get a read if Clemson and Vermont are the class of the group or not.

Week 2

Clemson- 89, Xavier- 82
Vermont- 72, Fairfield- 66

So the Tigers win the battle of undefeated teams, while Vermont pushes through with a win.

Week 3

Xavier- 78, Fairfield- 53
Clemson- 85, Vermont- 60

Similar results this week, as both teams win by 25. Looks like it's gonna be hard for Fairfield and Vermont to come out of this group alive. Here are the standings halfway through.

Clemson 3-0 (+34)
Xavier 2-1 (+20)
Vermont 1-2 (-21)
Fairfield 0-3 (-33)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Xavier- 75, Vermont- 58
Clemson- 81, Fairfield- 74

Another big win for Xavier, who is playing great basketball at this point. Clemson struggles but stays undefeated.

Week 5

Xavier- 67, Clemson- 56
Vermont- 74, Fairfield- 70

So Clemson suffers their first loss to shake things up a little bit in group play, and Vermont beats Fairfield again. Here are the standings with 1 week to go.

Xavier 4-1 (+48)
Clemson 4-1 (+30)
Vermont 2-3 (-34)
Fairfield 0-5 (-44)

Clemson and Xavier will advance, and Fairfield is eliminated. Vermont can do no better than third, and must beat Clemson to have a chance at a wildcard berth. If they beat Clemson and Xavier beats Fairfield, then Xavier wins the group. However, if Clemson wins and Xaiver loses, then Clemson wins the group. If both Clemson and Xavier win, or both lose, then we go to tiebreaker. Either way, Clemson and Xavier will be the top 2 teams out of group 14.

Week 6

Xavier- 75, Fairfield- 56
Clemson- 77, Vermont- 44

So Clemson hammers Vermont to end their chances, while Xavier hammers Fairfield. The teams expected to come out of the group will. Here are the final standings.

Xavier 5-1 (+67)
Clemson 5-1 (+63)
Vermont 2-4 (-67)
Fairfield 0-6 (-63)

So Xavier wins the group based on second tiebreaker. Since Xavier and Clemson split, it goes to larger margin of victory in the 2 games. Clemson won by 7, Xavier by 11. Xavier, with the 5-1 record, should be a decent top 30 seed. Clemson however, have set themselves up well, being the only group runner up at this point to finish 5-1. If things hold true, that will put them at #31 in the round of 64. Vermont finishes third, but their 2-4 record is not good enough for a wildcard spot, so they are officially eliminated. Vermont also had the worst point differential among wildcard contenders. As is Fairfield, who becomes the third team to finish winless.

Wildcard Standings after 14 groups


Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31)
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32)
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 15

#15 BYU (30-6, 13-3)
Wake Forest (ACC, 20-11, 9-7)
Alabama (SEC, 17-15, 6-10)
IUPUI (Summit, 25-11, 15-3)

Week 1

Wake Forest- 73, BYU- 64
Alabama- 72, IUPUI- 55

So Wake Forest upsets the seeded team in the first week, and Alabama puts it to IUPUI

Week 2

Alabama- 78, BYU- 71
IUPUI- 75, Wake Forest- 68

So a shocker here as Wake Forest goes down to scrappy IUPUI, and BYU is in a hole, losing again.

Week 3

BYU- 75, IUPUI- 61
Wake Forest- 77, Alabama- 64

So Wake knocks off the lone unbeaten in the group, while BYU gets their first win by taking it to IUPUI. Here are the standings halfway through:

Wake Forest 2-1 (+15)
Alabama 2-1 (+11)
BYU 1-2 (-2)
IUPUI 1-2 (-24)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Wake Forest- 69, BYU- 59
IUPUI- 73, Alabama- 66

Wake puts themselves in a great position by beating BYU again, while IUPUI shocks Alabama.

Week 5

BYU- 73, Alabama- 57
Wake Forest- 73, IUPUI- 72

So IUPUI gives Wake a scare, but the Demon Deacons hold on for the victory, while Alabama is in a slide, now losing 3 in a row after winning their first 2. Here are the standings with 1 week to go:

Wake Forest 4-1 (+26)
BYU 2-3 (+4)
Alabama 2-3 (-12)
IUPUI 2-3 (-18)

So one thing is for sure: Wake Forest will win the group. Everything else is wide open. The BYU-IUPUI winner will still have a chance to advance, while the loser will be eliminated. Alabama must beat Wake Forest to have a chance to move on.

Week 6

BYU- 88, IUPUI- 67
Wake Forest- 74, Alabama- 72

Poor Alabama had things all set up after winning their first 2 games. Then they went and lost their next 4. BYU leaves no doubt about advancing to the next round by hammering IUPUI. So here are the final standings:

Wake Forest 5-1 (+28)
BYU 3-3 (+25)
Alabama 2-4 (-14)
IUPUI 2-4 (-39)

Wake Forest wins the group, but their low point differential might make them a pretty low said from the group winners. BYU finishes runner up and with their 3-3 record and average point differential will probably be a seed in the low 30s to high 40s. Alabama needed to win just 1 more game to get in contention for a wildcard spot, but losing the last 4 eliminates them from the tournament. Same can be said for IUPUI, who is also eliminated.

Wildcard Standings after 15 groups

Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31)
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32)
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 16

#16 Maryland (ACC, 24-9, 13-3)
Illinois (Big Ten, 21-15, 10-8)
USC (Pac Ten, 16-14, 8-10)
Nevada (WAC, 21-15, 13-5)

Week 1

Illinois- 74, Maryland- 61
USC- 68, Nevada- 59

Illinois gets things started with a nice victory over ranked Maryland, and USC pulls a shocker in their first game.

Week 2

Maryland- 59, USC- 45
Nevada- 76, Illinois- 74

With Maryland and Nevada both winning, all teams are now 1-1, ensuring no winless teams out of this group.

Week 3

Maryland- 74, Nevada- 53
Illinois- 79, USC- 52

A couple of blowouts in this one, as neither Nevada nor USC have looked very impressive thus far. Here are the standings halfway through:

Illinois 2-1 (+38)
Maryland 2-1 (+22)
Nevada 1-2 (-28)
USC 1-2 (-32)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Maryland- 77, Illinois- 68
Nevada- 64, USC- 62

Maryland takes control of the group with a revenge victory over Illinois, and Nevada also gets revenge against USC.

Week 5

Maryland- 74, USC- 59
Illinois- 69, Nevada- 53

Maryland improves their standing in first place, while Illinois gets a big victory to hurt Nevada's chances. Here are the standings with 1 week left:

Maryland 4-1 (+46)
Illinois 3-2 (+45)
Nevada 2-3 (-42)
USC 1-4 (-49)

No matter what, USC is eliminated. Nevada must beat Maryland to have a chance at a wildcard spot. If Maryland wins, they clinch first place and eliminate Nevada. Illinois owns the tiebreaker over both Maryland (for first place) and Nevada (for third place) due to greater margin of victory in the games against their respective opponents, so Illinois can do no worse than second, but could still finish first.

Week 6

Maryland- 70, Nevada- 37
Illinois- 62, USC- 52

Any chances that Nevada had were gone quick, as Maryland blew them out to better their top 30 seeding. USC after winning their first game, lost their next 5. Here are the final standings:

Maryland 5-1 (+79)
Illinois 4-2 (+55)
Nevada 2-4 (-75)
USC 1-5 (-59)

So Maryland wins the group, and has the highest point differential of the 5-1 group winners. That should be good for a top 10 seed. Illinois finishes second and has the highest point differential among the 4-2 group runner ups. That ought to be good for a top 35 seed, somewhere in the 30-35 range. Nevada, with their 2-4 record and lousy point differential, does take third in the group but will be eliminated from wildcard possibilities. And USC had some momentum after their first week win, but quickly lost it by losing their last 5. They are also eliminated.

Wildcard standings after 16 groups

Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31)
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32)
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[hoopsguy]

Very pleased to see the Illini advance in what I thought was a pretty tough group. I have no illusions about deep runs for them, but did want to see them make the next round.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 17

#17 Michigan St. (Big Ten, 28-9, 14-4)
Nebraska (Big 12, 15-18, 2-14)
Montana (Big Sky, 22-10, 10-6)
Missouri St. (MVC, 24-12, 8-10)

Week 1

Michigan St.- 64, Nebraska- 63
Montana- 72, Missouri St.- 70 (OT)

A couple close games to start out group play. Montana with a mild upset, and Michigan St. comes close to being upset themselves.

Week 2

Michigan St.- 73, Montana- 57
Nebraska- 72, Missouri St.- 57

A big difference from last week, as Michigan St. and Nebraska win easily.

Week 3

Missouri St.- 79, Michigan St.- 70
Nebraska- 83, Montana- 73

So Missouri St. pulls the shocker of the group so far, handling the Spartans. Nebraska keeps dominating. Here are the standings halfway through.

Michigan St. 2-1 (+8)
Nebraska 2-1 (+24)
Montana 1-2 (-24)
Missouri St. 1-2 (-8)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Michigan St.- 75, Nebraska- 62
Montana- 65, Missouri St.- 63

So Michigan St. gets a more convincing win over Nebraska, and Montana shocks the Bears again.

Week 5

Michigan St.- 71, Montana- 59
Missouri St.- 75, Nebraska- 57

So the Bears get a much needed win, and Michigan St. cruises along over Montana. Here are the standings with 1 week remaining:

Michigan St. 4-1 (+33)
Missouri St. 2-3 (+8)
Nebraska 2-3 (-7)
Montana 2-3 (-34)

Next Weeks Games: Missouri St @ Michigan St., Montana @ Nebraska

Michigan St. has clinched the group no matter what. The Nebraska-Montana winner will finish 3-3 and be in a good position to advance. Missouri St. must beat Michigan St. to have a chance. If they lose, they are eliminated.

Week 6

Missouri St.- 73, Michigan St.- 72
Montana- 72, Nebraska- 70

So the Bears do it to the Spartans again, pulling another upset, while Montana squeaks by Nebraska. Here are the final standings:

Michigan St. 4-2 (+32)
Montana 3-3 (-32)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Nebraska 2-4 (-9)

So Michigan St. wins the group, but that last game loss hurts. They are only the third team to win their group by finishing 4-2, which will probably lead to them grabbing a seed in the low 20s. Montana finishes second in the group by virtue of beating Missouri St. both games, but their negative point differential and the 3-3 record probably means a low 50s seed. Missouri St. with the 3-3 record and the positive point differential puts them in the top 4 of the wildcard standings. That means that Vanderbilt is officially eliminated, along with Nebraska.

Wildcard Standings after 17 groups

Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31)
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 18

#18 Tennessee (SEC, 28-9, 11-5)
South Florida (Big East, 20-13, 9-9)
Coastal Carolina (Big South, 28-7, 15-3)
Wisconsin-GB (Horizon, 22-13, 11-7)

Week 1

Tennessee- 78, S. Florida- 69
Green Bay- 70, Coastal Carolina- 60

Kind of shocked to see Coastal beaten so easily in the first game. S. Florida hung with the Vols for a while, but Tennessee took care of business late.

Week 2

Tennessee- 71, Coastal Carolina- 60
S. Florida- 79, Green Bay- 75

Coastal Carolina is in trouble with their second straight loss, and S. Florida comes back to pick up a nice win.

Week 3

Green Bay- 65, Tennessee- 64
S. Florida- 69, Coastal Carolina- 50

Green Bay pulls the upset and Coastal continues to struggle. Here are the standings halfway through:

Tennessee 2-1 (+19)
S. Florida 2-1 (+15)
Green Bay 2-1 (-5)
Coastal Carolina 0-3 (-39)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

S. Florida- 78, Tennessee- 69
Coastal Carolina- 80, Green Bay- 72

So the Vols lose to S. Florida by the same score they beat them by in the first matchup, and Coastal finally gets their first win.

Week 5

Tennessee- 76, Coastal Carolina- 59
S. Florida- 74, Green Bay- 63

So Coastal with another dissapointing effort, while S. Florida gets a big win to take the lead in the group. Here are the standings with 1 week left.

S. Florida 4-1 (+35)
Tennessee 3-2 (+29)
Green Bay 2-3 (-24)
Coastal Carolina 1-4 (-48)

Week 6 Games- Green Bay @ Tennessee, Coastal Carolina @ S. Florida

S. Florida has clinched advancement to the round of 64, and they can clinch the group title with a win over Coastal. Even if Coastal wins, they are eliminated, because they will only be 2-4. Tennessee has almost clinched a spot in the round of 64, beating Green Bay would lock it up. Green Bay needs to beat Tennessee by a large margin to have a chance to advance. If S. Florida loses and Tennessee wins, we go to tiebreakers to decide the group winner.

Week 6

Tennessee- 74, Green Bay- 71
Coastal Carolina- 77, S. Florida- 66

Coastal plays the role of spoiler tonight, knocking off the group leaders, while Tennessee survives against Green Bay. Here are the final standings:

Tennessee 4-2 (+32)
S. Florida 4-2 (+24)
Green Bay 2-4 (-27)
Coastal Carolina 2-4 (-37)

For the first time so far, I had to go to a fourth tiebreaker to decide the group winner. Since Tennessee and S. Florida split their 2 games, both winning by the exact same score of 78-69, those 2 tiebreakers didn't help. Then I went to the third tiebreaker, which was record against other 2 teams in the group. That didn't help, because they both were 3-1 against Green Bay and Coastal. So the fourth tiebreaker was point differential, which Tennessee owned, to win the group. However, at 4-2, they'll be a seed in the mid to low 20s. S. Florida finishes second, and with the 4-2 record, they should be in good position for a seed between 30 and 40. Green Bay and Coastal Carolina are both eliminated.

Wildcard Standings after 18 groups

Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31)
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

hoopsguy, thanks for the comments. If things were to end right now, Illinois would be the 32nd seed in the round of 64. They are in good position because right now they have the highest point differential of the 4-2 second place finishers. However, one can never tell what will happen in the next 12 groups, we've already seen some stunners. I think that Illinois could go a long way with the right draw.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 19

#19 Georgetown (Big East, 23-11, 10-8)
Oklahoma (Big 12, 13-18, 4-12)
Florida (SEC, 21-13, 9-7)
Sam Houston St. (Southland, 25-8, 14-2)

Week 1

Georgetown- 85, Oklahoma- 77
Sam Houston St.- 82, Florida- 66

How about Sam Houston making a statement in their first game, taking it to Florida. Looks like they are playing for respect.

Week 2

Georgetown- 70, Florida- 46
Sam Houston St.- 88, Oklahoma- 61

So the Hoyas and Sam Houston are certainly trying to distance themselves from the pack, both with impressive big victories in week 2.

Week 3

Georgetown- 80, Sam Houston St.- 65
Florida- 89, Oklahoma- 81

So the Hoyas show Sam Houston they still have some work to do if they are going to advance, while Florida gets their first victory, keeping poor Oklahoma winless. Here are the standings halfway through:

Georgetown 3-0 (+47)
Sam Houston St. 2-1 (+28)
Florida 1-2 (-32)
Oklahoma 0-3 (-43)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Georgetown- 68, Oklahoma- 64
Florida- 66, Sam Houston- 55

Oklahoma plays their best game of the group so far, but still falls short, while Florida brings Sam Houston down to earth a little bit.

Week 5

Florida- 81, Georgetown- 78 (OT)
Sam Houston- 84, Oklahoma- 82

So the Gators storm back to knock off Georgetown, giving them their first loss in a game that took OT. Oklahoma again plays tough, but Sam Houston was tougher. Here are the standings with 1 week to go:

Georgetown 4-1 (+48)
Sam Houston St. 3-2 (+19)
Florida 3-2 (-18)
Oklahoma 0-5 (-49)

Week 6 games- Sam Houston St. @ Georgetown, Florida @ Oklahoma

So here's what we know: Oklahoma is eliminated, and Georgetown has clinched advancement, and will clinch the group by beating Sam Houston. If Sam Houston beats Georgetown and Florida beats Oklahoma, we will have a 3 way tie for first. Best case scenario to avoid mass confusion is to have Oklahoma and/or Georgetown win. Either way, both Sam Houston and Florida are in position to advance, although based on point differential, Sam Houston would have a much better shot at a wildcard that Florida would.

Week 6

Georgetown- 76, Sam Houston- 69
Florida- 67, Oklahoma- 51

After playing good ball for 2 weeks, Oklahoma bites the dust tonight, finishing winless. Georgetown wins the group with their victory tonight. Here are the final standings:

Georgetown 5-1 (+55)
Florida 4-2 (-2)
Sam Houston St. 3-3 (+12)
Oklahoma 0-6 (-65)

So Georgetown wins the group, and Florida completes the big turnaround. After getting hammered in their first 2 games, they win their next 4 to finish second place. However, they are the only 4-2 finisher with a negative point differential, so expect a seed between 40 and 45 for them. Sam Houston State finishes 3-3, but takes the #1 spot in the wildcard race with a good, positive point differential. Unfortunately, this does eliminate Morgan St., as well as Oklahoma.

Wildcard Standings after 19 groups

Sam Houton St. 3-3 (+12)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31) ELIMINATED
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 20

#20 Northern Iowa (MVC, 30-5, 15-3)
Texas Tech (Big 12, 19-16, 4-12)
Arizona State (Pac Ten, 22-11, 12-6)
Akron (MAC, 24-11, 14-4)

Week 1

Northern Iowa- 67, Texas Tech- 57
Arizona St.- 70, Akron- 66

Akron hangs tough against the Sundevils, but Northern Iowa handles Tech with ease.

Week 2

Arizona St.- 79, Northern Iowa- 65
Texas Tech- 62, Akron- 59

Nice job by the Sundevils in hammering the Panthers. Tech and Akron look to be pretty balanced.

Week 3

Northern Iowa- 75, Akron- 64
Arizona St.- 76, Texas Tech- 57

Wow, Texas Tech fell flat, giving Arizona St. the largest margin of victory thus far in the group, while the Panthers got back on the winning path. Here are the standings halfway through:

Arizona St. 3-0 (+37)
Northern Iowa 2-1 (+7)
Texas Tech 1-2 (-26)
Akron 0-3 (-18)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Northern Iowa- 68, Texas Tech- 54
Arizona St.- 64, Akron- 61

So Akron continues to battle teams, but falls to 0-4. Nice win for Northern Iowa to keep their reign on second place.

Week 5

Northern Iowa- 61, Arizona St.- 47
Akron- 77, Texas Tech- 74

All that fighting paid off, too little too late for Akron as they get their first victory. The Panthers hand Arizona State their first loss. Here are the standings with 1 week to go:

Northern Iowa 4-1 (+35)
Arizona St. 4-1 (+26)
Akron 1-4 (-18)
Texas Tech 1-4 (-43)

So it's pretty simple.. Northern Iowa and Arizona St. are advancing, Akron and Texas Tech are eliminated, but have a chance to play spoiler. The group winner is still to be decided. If both the Sundevils and Panthers win, or if they both lose, we'll have tiebreaker situations.

Week 6

Akron- 56, Northern Iowa- 49
Arizona St.- 65, Texas Tech- 61

Nice job by Akron, playing spoiler and setting it up for Arizona St., who takes advantage with a hard fought victory to win the group. Final standings:

Arizona St. 5-1 (+30)
Northern Iowa 4-2 (+28)
Akron 2-4 (-11)
Texas Tech 1-5 (-47)

Arizona St. wins the group with a 5-1 record, but not a startling point differential. I expect them to be in the low teens for their seed. Northern Iowa finishes 4-2 in second place in the group, and has the third best point differential among 4-2 teams, so they could be looking at a seed in the high 30s. Both Akron and Texas Tech are eliminated.

Wildcard Standings after 20 groups

Sam Houston St. 3-3 (+12)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31) ELIMINATED
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Akron 2-4 (-11) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

So we are 2/3 of the way through group play, let's take a look and see how thing are unfolding so far.

Teams that have advanced
Group Winners

Kansas
Duke
Kentucky
Syracuse
West Virginia
Kansas St.
Ole Miss
Baylor
St. Johns
Ohio St.
Notre Dame
Texas A&M
Villanova
Xavier
Wake Forest
Maryland
Michigan St.
Tennessee
Georgetown
Arizona St.

Second Place Group Finishers

Appalachian St.
South Carolina
Marshall
Utah St.
Mississippi St.
Arizona
Butler
UAB
Iona
William & Mary
UTEP
Northeastern
Siena
Clemson
BYU
Illinois
Montana
South Florida
Florida
Northern Iowa

Current Top 4 in Wildcard Standings

Sam Houston St.
Missouri St.
Charlotte
Cincinnati

Teams Eliminated

Morgan St.
Vanderbilt
Louisiana Tech
North Carolina
Iowa St.
Kent St.
Akron
Weber St.
Alabama
San Diego St.
Green Bay
Wichita St.
Virginia
Rhode Island
Vermont
Nevada
VCU
Ohio
Louisville
Northwestern
Oklahoma St.
Seton Hall
St. Louis
Oakland
Purdue
Princeton
Temple
Bradley
Michigan
Fairfield
IUPUI
USC
Nebraska
Coastal Carolina
Oklahoma
Texas Tech

[hoopsguy]

Sam Houston State looks like they have a good shot to get into the dance - right now they will be the 2nd team I'll be pulling for once the tourney starts.

I'm disappointed to see the Irish play so well. Hopefully they shot their wad already and will be on the wrong end of a 5/12 match-up in the next round

[collegesportsfanms]

Hoopsguy, yeah I'm all for the underdogs, so I hope Sam Houston St. survives the last 10 groups and stays in the wildcard chase. Actually, I'm running my round of 64 almost like molson did for his college football world cup. The 30 group winners get seeds 1 through 30, the 30 group runner-ups get seeds 31-60, and the 4 wildcards get seeds 61-64, and it'll be 1 vs. 64, 2 vs. 63, and so on. So Notre Dame will probably be a top 5 seed and could very well be facing a wildcard team, which would be 61-64. So the chances of them making it a while are pretty good. I haven't decided if I'm going to reseed the top 32 based on record, randomly draw like molson did, or just let it play out like a true single elimination bracket. Anywho, I'm out of town for a couple days, leaving in a matter of minutes. Won't be back until Saturday, so I'll have reports for groups 21 and 22 then. They are done, they just haven't been reported yet. There is a big shocker in 1 of the groups. Just thought I'd throw some suspense in there.

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 21

#21 St. Marys (WCC, 28-6, 11-3)
Florida St. (ACC, 22-10, 10-6)
Pacific (Big West, 23-12, 12-4)
Harvard (Ivy, 21-8, 10-4)

Week 1

St. Marys- 77, Florida St.- 71
Harvard- 69, Pacific- 62

A couple close games this week. Nice to see the Ivy League school get off to a good start.

Week 2

Pacific- 58, St. Marys- 57
Harvard- 89. Florida St.- 79

Wasn't expecting Harvard to beat the Seminoles, and definitely wasn't expecting St. Marys to lose, although it was a great game.

Week 3

St. Marys- 65, Harvard- 54
Florida St.- 75, Pacific- 69

Gonna be a wild and crazy group as Harvard finally loses and Florida St. gets their first win. Here are the standings halfway through.

St. Marys 2-1 (+16)
Harvard 2-1 (+6)
Florida St. 1-2 (-10)
Pacific 1-2 (-12)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Florida St.- 79, St. Marys- 66
Harvard- 70, Pacific- 61

Nice win for Florida St., looks like they are getting on a roll. Harvard keeps impressing.

Week 5

St. Marys- 82, Pacific- 72
Florida St.- 87, Harvard- 61

Well Harvard came back down to earth as the Seminoles hammered them. St. Marys got a much needed win. Let's look at the standings with 1 week to go.

Florida St. 3-2 (+29)
St. Marys 3-2 (+13)
Harvard 3-2 (-11)
Pacific 1-4 (-31)

So Pacific is eliminated, but they can play group spoiler by beating Florida St. Harvard and St. Marys should be interesting as the loser will be 3-3 and have a tough wildcard chance, while the winner will advance with a 4-2 record.

Week 6

St. Marys- 81, Harvard- 56
Florida St.- 78, Pacific- 52

So the 2 favorites in the group both win big. Harvard misses the chance to advance by getting blown out in their last 2 games. Here are the final standings.

Florida St. 4-2 (+55)
St. Marys 4-2 (+38)
Harvard 3-3 (-36)
Pacific 1-5 (-57)

Florida St. wins the group by tiebreaker. They split their 2 meetings with St. Marys, but won by 13 and lost by only 6. Their 4-2 record will make them a low top 30 seed. St. Marys also advances to the round of 64. Harvard, with their bad point differential, is officially eliminated, as is Pacific.

Wildcard Standings after 21 groups

Sam Houston St. 3-3 (+12)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31) ELIMINATED
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
Harvard 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Akron 2-4 (-11) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 22

#22 Wisconsin (Big Ten, 24-9, 13-5)
Providence (Big East, 12-19, 4-14)
Memphis (Conference USA, 24-10, 13-3)
Murray St. (Ohio Valley, 31-5, 17-1)

Week 1

Wisconsin- 78, Providence- 75
Memphis- 81, Murray St.- 59

Wow, looks like Murray St. may not be able to hang in this group. Providence hung tough against Wisconsin.

Week 2

Wisconsin- 85, Memphis- 67
Providence- 71, Murray St.- 58

So the Badgers are lookin good early, while Murray St. continues to tumble.

Week 3

Wisconsin- 68, Murray St.- 58
Memphis- 96, Providence- 89 (OT)

That Memphis game was a classic, and Wisconsin finishes the first half of group play looking to be getting stronger. Here are the standings:

Wisconsin 3-0 (+31)
Memphis 2-1 (+11)
Providence 1-2 (+3)
Murray St. 0-3 (-45)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Providence- 71, Wisconsin- 55
Murray St.- 70, Memphis- 61

So Providence hands Wisconsin their first loss, while Murray St. is able to get their first win.

Week 5

Wisconsin- 72, Memphis- 55
Providence- 92, Murray St.- 86 (OT)

So Providence goes to their second OT game of the tournament, but wins this one. Wisconsin hammers Memphis yet again. Here are the standings with 1 week to go.

Wisconsin 4-1 (+32)
Providence 3-2 (+25)
Memphis 2-3 (-15)
Murray St. 1-4 (-42)

Murray St. is eliminated. Not a good showing for them at all so far. Memphis needs to beat Providence to have a chance. Even with a loss, Providence looks pretty good to move on. And Wisconsin is moving on no matter what.

Week 6

Murray St. 77, Wisconsin- 70
Providence- 73, Memphis- 67

So Providence, after losing their first 2, wins their last 4 and knocks Memphis out. Even with the loss, Wisconsin had already locked up advancement. Here are the final standings.

Providence 4-2 (+31)
Wisconsin 4-2 (+25)
Memphis 2-4 (-21)
Murray St. 2-4 (-35)

The shocker here is Providence, a 12-19 team coming into this tournament, winning the group! They won the tiebreaker over Wisconsin, since they beat the Badgers by 16 and only lost to them by 3. Memphis and Murray St. are both officially eliminated.

Wildcard Standings after 22 groups

Sam Houston St. 3-3 (+12)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31) ELIMINATED
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
Harvard 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Akron 2-4 (-11) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
Memphis 2-4 (-21) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 23

#23 Cornell (Ivy, 29-5, 13-1)
Miami (ACC, 20-13, 4-12)
UCSB (Big West, 20-10, 12-4)
Indiana St. (MVC, 17-15, 9-9)

Week 1

Miami- 69, Cornell- 67
Indiana St.- 73, UCSB- 64

Miami starts off with an unexpected victory, and the Sycamores look impressive.

Week 2

UCSB- 69, Cornell- 67
Miami- 61, Indiana St.- 52

Cornell looks to be in some trouble, losing by the exact same score as they did in week 1.

Week 3

Cornell- 79, Indiana St.- 66
Miami- 79, UCSB- 42

Ouch! I think that is one of the biggest defeats in the tournament so far. Good for Cornell getting their first W. Here are the standings halfway through.

Miami 3-0 (+48)
Cornell 1-2 (+9)
Indiana St. 1-2 (-13)
UCSB 1-2 (-44)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Cornell- 81, Miami- 71
Indiana St.- 69, UCSB- 56

So the Hurricanes are no longer undefeated after their loss, and Cornell looks to be back in the hunt. UCSB just looks terrible right now.

Week 5

Cornell- 71, UCSB- 53
Miami- 76, Indiana St.- 48

The second huge win for Miami in the group. The bigger the win, the better the seed. Miami is looking good right now. Cornell takes care of business again. Here are the standings with 1 week left.

Miami 4-1 (+66)
Cornell 3-2 (+37)
Indiana St. 2-3 (-28)
UCSB 1-4 (-75)

Week 6 games: Indiana St. @ Cornell, UCSB @ Miami

All we know of this group is that UCSB is done. Indiana St. must beat Cornell to even have a chance to advance. If they don't, they are done too. A Miami win over UCSB gives them the group, but if the Hurricanes lose and Cornell wins, then Cornell would get the group via tiebreakers.

Week 6

Cornell- 70, Indiana St.- 64
Miami- 72, UCSB- 69

Both the favorites squeak by tonight. Miami had a chance to really build their seed by crushing UCSB, but can only manage a small victory. Cornell's win over Indiana St. means they are going home. Here are the final standings:

Miami 5-1 (+69)
Cornell 4-2 (+43)
Indiana St. 2-4 (-34)
UCSB 1-5 (-78)

So Miami wins the group, and has a fairly high point differential which will help them, but it could have been higher. Cornell rebounds from an 0-2 start to win their last 4 and take second place. They also have a decent point differential. Indiana St. takes third with 2 wins over UCSB, but their 2-4 record eliminates them from the wildcard hunt. And UCSB had a luck win against Cornell, then got blasted the rest of the way.

Wildcard Standings after 23 groups

Sam Houston St. 3-3 (+12)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31) ELIMINATED
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
Harvard 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Akron 2-4 (-11) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
Memphis 2-4 (-21) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Indiana St. 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 24

#24 Pittsburgh (Big East, 25-9, 13-5)
Georgia Tech (ACC, 23-13, 7-9)
Wright St. (Horizon, 20-12, 12-6)
Portland (WCC, 21-11, 10-4)

Week 1

Georgia Tech- 62, Pittsburgh- 55
Wright St.- 79, Portland- 73

A couple good games this week, as Pitt keeps the streak going by becoming another ranked team to lose their first game.

Week 2

Wright St.- 71, Pittsburgh- 65
Georgia Tech- 89, Portland- 81

The Panthers drop another one, which means they are going to have to do like Cornell did if they are going to advance. Portland plays tough, but can't beat Tech.

Week 3

Pittsburgh- 57, Portland- 54
Georgia Tech- 77, Wright St.- 63

Although Pitt wins their first game, it wasn't easy. Georgia Tech runs through the first half of group play in good shape. Here are the standings:

Georgia Tech 3-0 (+29)
Wright St. 2-1 (-2)
Pittsburgh 1-2 (-8)
Portland 0-3 (-17)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Georgia Tech- 64, Pittsburgh- 55
Portland- 74, Wright St.- 57

So the Yellow Jackets stay perfect and put the Panthers in a tough spot, and Portland gets their first win.

Week 5

Pittsburgh- 74, Wright St.- 64
Georgia Tech- 73, Portland- 58

The Panthers get a much needed win while Georgia Tech clinches the group title with this victory. Here are the standings with 1 week to go:

Georgia Tech 5-0 (+53)
Pittsburgh 2-3 (-7)
Wright St. 2-3 (-29)
Portland 1-4 (-15)

Week 6 games: Portland @ Pittsburgh, Wright St. @ Georgia Tech

What we know is that Georgia Tech wins the group. There are a lot of scenarios in this one. Portland must beat Pittsburgh to even have a chance. There are too many other scenarios to go through, I do know that we could have 3 2-4 teams coming out of this group.

Week 6

Portland- 64, Pittsburgh- 56
Georgia Tech- 82, Wright St.- 57

With Wright St. losing, all the Panthers had to do was win to advance. They didn't, and now we have a three way tiebreaker to sort out. Final standings:

Georgia Tech 6-0 (+78)
Portland 2-4 (-7)
Pittsburgh 2-4 (-15)
Wright St. 2-4 (-54)

So Georgia Tech advances undefeated and should definitely have a top 10 seed. Portland wins the tiebreaker to take second place. Since Portland, Pitt, and Wright St. all had 2-4 records, we went to 3 way tiebreaker. First is record against each other. Since they all went 2-2 against each other, and all 3 lost both games to Georgia Tech, that doesn't help. So we go to point differential. Wright St. had the lowest point differential, so they are eliminated and take 4th place. Now we go head to head between Pitt and Portland. Since they both won a game, we go to who had the greater margin of victory, which went to Portland, as they beat Pitt by 8 and only lost by 3. So Portland goes through and becomes the first second place finisher to have a 2-4 record, almost assuredly giving them the #60 seed. Pitt becomes only the third ranked team to be eliminated from the tournament during group play. And Wright St. is also gone.

Wildcard Standings after 24 groups

Sam Houston St. 3-3 (+12)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8)
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31) ELIMINATED
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
Harvard 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Akron 2-4 (-11) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
Pittsburgh 2-4 (-15) ELIMINATED
Memphis 2-4 (-21) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Indiana St. 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 25

#25 New Mexico (MWC, 30-5, 14-2)
Boston College (ACC, 15-16, 6-10)
Old Dominion (CAA, 27-9, 15-3)
Wofford (Southern, 26-9, 15-3)

Week 1

New Mexico- 78, Boston College- 72
Old Dominion- 76, Wofford- 63

Finally a ranked team that wins their first game again.

Week 2

New Mexico- 66, Old Dominion- 62
Boston College- 79, Wofford- 68

A good game between the 2 undefeated teams, but New Mexico survives. BC looks much better in beating up on Wofford.

Week 3

New Mexico- 82, Wofford- 68
Old Dominion- 77, Boston College- 65

The Lobos look good, and good for Old Dominion getting a nice win. Here are the standings halfway through:

New Mexico 3-0 (+24)
Old Dominion 2-1 (+21)
Boston College 1-2 (-7)
Wofford 0-3 (-38)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

New Mexico- 78, Boston College- 74
Old Dominion- 75, Wofford- 64

So New Mexico again wins a hard fought game, as does Old Dominion.

Week 5

New Mexico- 68, Old Dominion- 60
Boston College- 77, Wofford- 68

With this win the Lobos have already clinched the group. Boston College gets a much needed win. Here are the standings with 1 week to go:

New Mexico 5-0 (+36)
Old Dominion 3-2 (+24)
Boston College 2-3 (-2)
Wofford 0-5 (-58)

Week 6 games: Wofford @ New Mexico, Old Dominion @ Boston College

New Mexico has already won the group and will be looking to beat Wofford and finish the group undefeated. The big game is the ODU-BC game. If ODU wins again, then they will look up 2nd place from this group. BC must win by more than 12 to get 2nd. If they win by less than 12, we'll go to a tiebreaker.

Week 6

New Mexico- 80, Wofford- 72
Boston College- 68, Old Dominion- 62

So New Mexico goes undefeated and Boston College forces a tiebreaker because they only won by 6. Here are the final standings:

New Mexico 6-0 (+44)
Old Dominion 3-3 (+18)
Boston College 3-3 (+4)
Wofford 0-6 (-66)

So New Mexico wins the group undefeated, and should have a top 10 seed. Since Boston College only beat Old Dominion by 6, that isn't good enough, and Old Dominion takes the #2 seed out of the group. However, with the Eagles' 3-3 record and a plus point differential, it's good enough to get them a wildcard spot right now, and we say bye bye to Cincinnati, as well as Wofford.

Wildcard Standings after 25 groups

Sam Houston St. 3-3 (+12)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Boston College 3-3 (+4)
Charlotte 3-3 (-5)
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8) ELIMINATED
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31) ELIMINATED
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
Harvard 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Akron 2-4 (-11) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
Pittsburgh 2-4 (-15) ELIMINATED
Memphis 2-4 (-21) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Indiana St. 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 26

#26 Texas (Big 12, 24-10, 9-7)
N.C. State (ACC, 20-16, 5-11)
Washington (Pac Ten, 26-10, 11-7)
New Mexico St. (WAC, 22-12, 11-5)

Week 1

N.C. State- 86, Texas- 76 (OT)
New Mexico St.- 82, Washington- 72

We start the group off with a spirited OT game, while Washington gets a shocker from the Aggies of New Mexico St.

Week 2

Texas- 90, Washington- 72
New Mexico St.- 82, N.C. State- 73

So a big win for Texas, and the Huskies are struggling. New Mexico St. looks good early on.

Week 3

New Mexico St.- 81, Texas- 79
N.C. State- 68, Washington- 60

Well halfway through I did not expect Washington to be winless and for New Mexico St. to be undefeated. But that's why you play the game. Here are the standings halfway through.

New Mexico St. 3-0 (+21)
N.C. State 2-1 (+9)
Texas 1-2 (+6)
Washington 0-3 (-36)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Texas- 79, N.C. State- 70
Washington- 81, New Mexico St.- 69

So Washington gets their first win but they still have work to do, while Texas evens their record at 2-2.

Week 5

Texas- 81, Washington- 66
N.C. State- 91, New Mexico St.- 89 (OT)

Washington drops out of contention with the big loss, and the Aggies have now lost 2 straight. New Mexico St. is 2-0 in OT games in the group. Here are the standings with 1 week to go:

Texas 3-2 (+30)
New Mexico St. 3-2 (+7)
N.C. State 3-2 (+2)
Washington 1-4 (-39)

Week 6 games: New Mexico St. @ Texas, Washington @ N.C. State

I'm shocked that Washington is elminated already, but then again a lot about this tournament has shocked me. The New Mexico St.-Texas winner will definitely move on with a 4-2 record. Washington can play spoiler by beating N.C. State. Even with a loss, all 3 of the teams with winning records have great shots at a wildcard berth.

Week 6

New Mexico St.- 86, Texas- 85
N.C. State- 83, Washington- 66

Washington finishes off a dissapointing run by getting hammered again, and what a game between New Mexico St. and Texas. Here are the final standings:

New Mexico St. 4-2 (+8)
N.C. State 4-2 (+19)
Texas 3-3 (+29)
Washington 1-5 (-56)

So New Mexico St. wins the group by virtue of tiebreaker. They split with N.C. State, but won by 9 and lost by only 2, so they win the group. They will probably have a seed in the low 20s. N.C. State gets second place and will probably have a seed in the low 40s to high 50s. Texas takes third, but the 3-3 record and great point differential is good enough to put them in the lead for the wildcard spots. Unfortunately this does eliminate Charlotte. Also eliminated is Washington, who was very dissapointing.

Wildcard Standings after 26 groups
Texas 3-3 (+29)
Sam Houston St. 3-3 (+12)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Boston College 3-3 (+4)
Charlotte 3-3 (-5) ELIMINATED
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8) ELIMINATED
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31) ELIMINATED
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
Harvard 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Akron 2-4 (-11) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
Pittsburgh 2-4 (-15) ELIMINATED
Memphis 2-4 (-21) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Indiana St. 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 27

#27 Gonzaga (WCC, 27-7, 12-2)
Minnesota (Big Ten, 21-14, 9-9)
UCLA (Pac Ten, 14-18, 8-10)
UNLV (MWC, 25-9, 11-5)

Week 1

Gonzaga- 78, Minnesota- 66
UNLV- 70, UCLA- 63

No surprises here in the first week of games.

Week 2

Gonzaga- 75, UCLA- 72
Minnesota- 78, UNLV- 72

UCLA played the Zags tough, while Minnesota rebounded with a victory.

Week 3

UNLV- 67, Gonzaga- 56
UCLA- 86, Minnesota- 84 (OT)

The Rebels rebound with a strong victory, and it takes overtime, but UCLA gets their first victory. Here are the standings halfway through:

UNLV 2-1 (+12)
Gonzaga 2-1 (+4)
UCLA 1-2 (-8)
Minnesota 1-2 (-8)

[Izulde]

Fucking snaggle-toothed Gophers.

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Minnesota- 70, Gonzaga- 59
UCLA- 68, UNLV- 52

UCLA gets a much needed big victory, as does Minnesota. Every team is now 2-2, and things are wide open.

Week 5

Gonzaga- 80, UCLA- 53
UNLV- 70, Minnesota- 51

Big wins for Gonzaga and UNLV, who will play each other next week. UCLA and Minnesota both need help. Here are the standings with 1 week left:

UNLV 3-2 (+23)
Gonzaga 3-2 (+20)
UCLA 2-3 (-19)
Minnesota 2-3 (-16)

Week 6 games: UNLV @ Gonzaga, UCLA @ Minnesota

No team is eliminated yet. The UNLV-Gonzaga winner will win the group with a 4-2 record, and the UCLA-Minnesota loser will finish 2-4 and be officially eliminated. The loser of the UNLV-Gonzaga game and the winner of the UCLA-Minnesota game will both be 3-3 and will have a tiebreaker situation for second and third.

Week 6

Gonzaga- 76, UNLV- 47
Minnesota- 79, UCLA- 69

So the Zags leave no doubt as to the group winner by hammering UNLV, while Minnesota gets by UCLA. Final group standings:

Gonzaga 4-2 (+49)
UNLV 3-3 (-14)
Minnesota 3-3 (-6)
UCLA 2-4 (-29)

Gonzaga wins the group with a 4-2 record. UNLV wins the tiebreaker over Minnesota for second. Since they split the meetings, but UNLV won by 19 and only lost by 6, then UNLV gets the second spot. Their 3-3 record and negative point differential will probably see them as a seed in the low 50s. Minnesota gets third, but their negative point differential eliminates them from wildcard contention. Also eliminated is UCLA. Celebrating tonight is Texas. With 3 groups left, and Texas being the top of the wildcard contenders right now, they can not be eliminated and will be going to the round of 64.

Wildcard Standings after 27 groups

Texas 3-3 (+29)
Sam Houston St. 3-3 (+12)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Boston College 3-3 (+4)
Charlotte 3-3 (-5) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 3-3 (-6) ELIMINATED
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8) ELIMINATED
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31) ELIMINATED
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
Harvard 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Akron 2-4 (-11) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
Pittsburgh 2-4 (-15) ELIMINATED
Memphis 2-4 (-21) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Indiana St. 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 28

#28 Missouri (Big 12, 23-11, 10-6)
UConn (Big East, 18-16, 7-11)
Northern Colorado (Big Sky, 25-8, 12-4)
Illinois St. (MVC, 22-11, 11-7)

Week 1

Missouri- 74, UConn- 66
Illinois St.- 74, Northern Colorado- 65

Tough games on the first week, I figured the Illinois St.-Northern Colorado match would be a toss-up.

Week 2

Missouri- 76, Northern Colorado- 70
Illinois St.- 60, UConn- 59

Nice win for the Redbirds, knocking UConn to 0-2. Missouri struggles but gets it done.

Week 3

Missouri- 76, Illinois St.- 65
UConn- 71, Northern Colorado- 66

UConn is able to get their first win, and Missouri looks better, giving the Redbirds loss #1. Here are the standings halfway through:

Missouri 3-0 (+25)
Illinois St. 2-1 (-1)
UConn 1-2 (-4)
Northern Colorado 0-3 (-20)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Missouri- 77, UConn- 70
Illinois St.- 70, Northern Colorado- 61

Much like week 1, Missouri and Illinois St. look like the dominant teams from this group.

Week 5

Northern Colorado- 69, Missouri- 66
Illinois St.- 72, UConn- 67

So it took 5 weeks but N. Colorado got their first win, and with the Illinois St. win that means that the Redbirds and Tigers are now tied for first. Here are the standings with 1 week to go:

Missouri 4-1 (+29)
Illinois St. 4-1 (+13)
UConn 1-4 (-16)
Northern Colorado 1-4 (-26)

Week 6 games: Illinois St. @ Missouri, Northern Colorado @ UConn

This group is really simple to figure out. The Missouri-Illinois St. winner wins the group and the loser takes second. They have both already advanced to the round of 64. UConn and Northern Colorado have already both been eliminated. The loser of that game will finish 4th and the winner 3rd.

Week 6

Missouri- 75, Illinois St.- 56
UConn- 74, Northern Colorado- 65

The Tigers handle Illinois St. with ease, as does UConn with N. Colorado. So here are the final standings:

Missouri 5-1 (+48)
Illinois St. 4-2 (-6)
UConn 2-4 (-7)
Northern Colorado 1-5 (-35)

Missouri wins the group, and could be a top 20 seed. Illinois St. will be a low seed with their 4-2 record and a negative point differential. UConn and Northern Colorado are both eliminated, and that means that Sam Houston State has clinched a wildcard spot!

Wildcard Standings after 28 groups

Texas 3-3 (+29)
Sam Houston St. 3-3 (+12)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Boston College 3-3 (+4)
Charlotte 3-3 (-5) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 3-3 (-6) ELIMINATED
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8) ELIMINATED
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31) ELIMINATED
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
Harvard 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
UConn 2-4 (-7) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Akron 2-4 (-11) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
Pittsburgh 2-4 (-15) ELIMINATED
Memphis 2-4 (-21) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Indiana St. 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 29

#29 Richmond (Atlantic Ten, 26-9, 13-3)
Marquette (Big East, 22-12, 11-7)
Tulsa (Conference USA, 23-12, 10-6)
Morehead St. (Ohio Valley, 24-11, 15-3)

Week 1

Marquette- 86, Richmond- 78 (OT)
Morehead St.- 70, Tulsa- 60

Didn't expect Tulsa to lose their first game, but I figured Marquette would win.

Week 2

Tulsa- 64, Richmond- 57
Morehead St.- 69, Marquette- 65

Morehead St. keeps surprising, and Tulsa gets a big first win to keep the ranked team in the group winless.

Week 3

Richmond- 73, Morehead St.- 71
Tulsa- 77, Marquette- 73

Even with the loss, Morehead St. looked impressive, and Richmond still has work to do. Not a lot separating these 4 teams right now. Here are the standings halfway through:

Morehead St. 2-1 (+12)
Tulsa 2-1 (+1)
Marquette 1-2 (0)
Richmond 1-2 (-13)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

Richmond- 62, Marquette- 60
Tulsa- 71, Morehead St.- 64

These are probably the closest games that we've had in this whole tournament. Morehead St. is slumping.

Week 5

Richmond- 63, Tulsa- 60
Marquette- 72, Morehead St.- 63

More close games. It looks like Morehead St. is finally playing like the small conference team that I expected them to play like. Here are the standings with 1 week left:

Tulsa 3-2 (+5)
Richmond 3-2 (-8)
Morehead St. 2-3 (-4)
Marquete 2-3 (+7)

Week 6 games: Morehead St. @ Richmond, Tulsa @ Marquette

It's not out of the realm of possibility that all 4 teams in this group finish 3-3. That's what will happen if Morehead beats Richmond and Tulsa beats Marquette. I don't even know how I would decide that tiebreaker. Best case scenario to avoid massive headaches on my part is if Tulsa and/or Richmond win. I can handle a 2 or even 3 team tiebreaker, but not 4.

Week 6

Richmond- 92, Morehead St.- 86 (2 OT)
Marquette- 67, Tulsa- 64

What a game between Richmond and Morehead St. It took 2 OT's for the Spiders to finally put away the pesky Morehead St. men. That also clinches the group for Richmond because Marquette was able to beat Tulsa, setting up a tiebreaker situation. Only 1 point separated second place from third place. Here are the final standings:

Richmond 4-2 (-2)
Tulsa 3-3 (+2)
Marquette 3-3 (+10)
Morehead St. 2-4 (-10)

So Richmond wins the group, and is only the second group winner to have a negative point differential. They'll most likely be the 29th or 30th seed. Tulsa gets second place by 1 point, and it was a big point. Tulsa beat Marquette by 4 and only lost to them by 3, so Tulsa gets second place. Marquette will get a wildcard spot with their +10 point differential. As I said, that 1 point was big, because had Marquette gotten second, Tulsa would not have had a good enough point differential to take a wildcard spot. Unfortunately that does eliminate Boston College from the wildcard chase. Also eliminated is Morehead St.

Wildcard Standings after 29 groups

Texas 3-3 (+29)
Sam Houston St. 3-3 (+12)
Marquette 3-3 (+10)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9)
Boston College 3-3 (+4) ELIMINATED
Charlotte 3-3 (-5) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 3-3 (-6) ELIMINATED
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8) ELIMINATED
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31) ELIMINATED
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
Harvard 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (0) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
UConn 2-4 (-7) ELIMINATED
Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Akron 2-4 (-11) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
Pittsburgh 2-4 (-15) ELIMINATED
Memphis 2-4 (-21) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Indiana St. 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Group 30

#30 California (Pac Ten, 24-11, 13-5)
Dayton (Atlantic Ten, 25-12, 8-8)
Virginia Tech (ACC, 25-9, 10-6)
Creighton (MVC, 18-16, 10-8)

Week 1

Dayton- 101, California- 76
Virginia Tech- 72, Creighton- 54

Wow, Dayton put some points up this game. A couple blowouts sets the tone so far.

Week 2

California- 81, Virginia Tech- 79
Dayton- 80, Creighton- 70

So Cal gets back on track, and Dayton keeps rolling.

Week 3

California- 75, Creighton- 72
Dayton- 79, Virginia Tech- 76

A couple close games tonight, as Dayton gets a test. They remain undefeated, Creighton remains winless. Nice. Here are the standings halfway through:

Dayton 3-0 (+38)
California 2-1 (-20)
Virginia Tech 1-2 (-13)
Creighton 0-3 (-31)

[collegesportsfanms]

Week 4

California- 75, Dayton- 67
Creighton- 65, Virginia Tech- 62

So Dayton loses their first game while Creighton wins their first game. Both Cal and Dayton are in a great position to advance.

Week 5

Virginia Tech- 73, California- 62
Dayton- 66, Creighton- 49

VA Tech stays alive with a big win, and Dayton clinches a spot in the round of 64 with their victory. Here are the standings with 1 week to go:

Dayton 4-1 (+47)
California 3-2 (-23)
Virginia Tech 2-3 (+21)
Creighton 1-4 (-45)

Week 6 games: Creighton @ California, Virginia Tech @ Dayton

Dayton has already won the group, because even if they lose and Cal wins, the fact that Dayton beat Cal by 25 in the first matchup and only lost by 8 in the rematch. Creighton is officially eliminated no matter what. Cal and Virginia Tech will be battling for second and third, but Virginia Tech must beat Dayton to have a chance.

Week 6

California- 82, Creighton- 68
Virginia Tech- 70, Dayton- 62

So Virginia Tech clinches a spot with their win, since they have a point differential of +29. In the process they hurt Dayton's potential seed. California clinches second. Here are the final standings:

Dayton 4-2 (+39)
California 4-2 (-9)
Virginia Tech 3-3 (+29)
Creighton 1-5 (-59)

So Dayton and Cal are both in, and the final wildcard spot goes to Virginia Tech with their +29 point differential. Unfortunately, that means Missouri St. is the last team to officially be eliminated from this tournament. Final official seedings and round of 64 pairings will be up later.

Final Wildcard Standings

Texas 3-3 (+29)
Virginia Tech 3-3 (+29)
Sam Houston St. 3-3 (+12)
Marquette 3-3 (+10)
Missouri St. 3-3 (+9) ELIMINATED
Boston College 3-3 (+4) ELIMINATED
Charlotte 3-3 (-5) ELIMINATED
Minnesota 3-3 (-6) ELIMINATED
Cincinnati 3-3 (-8) ELIMINATED
Morgan St. 3-3 (-31) ELIMINATED
Vanderbilt 3-3 (-32) ELIMINATED
Louisiana Tech 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
Harvard 3-3 (-36) ELIMINATED
Iowa St. 2-4 (-6) ELIMINATED
UConn 2-4 (-7) ELIMINATED
North Carolina 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED

Kent St. 2-4 (-8) ELIMINATED
Akron 2-4 (-11) ELIMINATED
Weber St. 2-4 (-13) ELIMINATED
Alabama 2-4 (-14) ELIMINATED
Pittsburgh 2-4 (-15) ELIMINATED
Memphis 2-4 (-21) ELIMINATED
San Diego St. 2-4 (-23) ELIMINATED
Green Bay 2-4 (-27) ELIMINATED
Wichita St. 2-4 (-31) ELIMINATED
Indiana St. 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Virginia 2-4 (-34) ELIMINATED
Rhode Island 2-4 (-53) ELIMINATED
Vermont 2-4 (-63) ELIMINATED
Nevada 2-4 (-75) ELIMINATED

[collegesportsfanms]

Round of 64 Seeding

These are the 64 teams that advanced out of group play. Teams were seed 1-64. The Group Winners were seeded 1-30, the 2nd place finishers were seeded 31-60, and the 4 wildcards were seeded 61-64. Seedings were based on overall record and point differential within the group. Since there could be no head to head tiebreaker as obviously none of the group winners or runner ups or wildcards will have faced each other yet, the first tiebreaker would be winning percentage against all teams defeated within the group, and the second tiebreaker would be total points scored by the team in group play. These matchups will be #1 vs. #64, #2 vs. #63, #3 vs. #62 and so on.
The winners of these matchups will advance to a 32 team bracket of which I have not decided how I will set up yet. The teams in bold represent teams that were in the top 30 of the power rankings at the end of the 2009-2010 season. Of those 30 teams, only Pittsburgh, Temple, and Purdue did not make the round of 64.

Group Winners

#1 Syracuse 6-0 (+99)
#2 Villanova 6-0 (+93)
#3 Duke 6-0 (+82)
#4 Notre Dame 6-0 (+81)
#5 Georgia Tech 6-0 (+78)
#6 Ohio St. 6-0 (+65)
#7 New Mexico 6-0 (+44)
#8 Maryland 5-1 (+79)
#9 Kansas 5-1 (+73)
#10 Miami 5-1 (+69)
#11 Xavier 5-1 (+67)
#12 Georgetown 5-1 (+55)
#13 Baylor 5-1 (+55)
#14 West Virginia 5-1 (+51)
#15 Texas A&M 5-1 (+49)
#16 Missouri 5-1 (+48)
#17 Arizona St. 5-1 (+30)
#18 Wake Forest 5-1 (+28)
#19 Kansas State 5-1 (+11)
#20 Florida State 4-2 (+55)
#21 Gonzaga 4-2 (+49)
#22 Ole Miss 4-2 (+41)
#23 Dayton 4-2 (+39)
#24 Kentucky 4-2 (+37)
#25 Michigan St. 4-2 (+32)
#26 Providence 4-2 (+31)
#27 Tennessee 4-2 (+30)
#28 New Mexico St. 4-2 (+8)
#29 Richmond 4-2 (-2)
#30 St. Johns 4-2 (-11)

2nd Place Finishers

#31 Clemson 5-1 (+63)
#32 Illinois 4-2 (+55)
#33 Cornell 4-2 (+43)
#34 St. Marys 4-2 (+38)
#35 Arizona 4-2 (+29)
#36 Northern Iowa 4-2 (+28)
#37 Iona 4-2 (+27)
#38 Wisconsin 4-2 (+25)
#39 South Florida 4-2 (+24)
#40 N.C. State 4-2 (+19)
#41 Butler 4-2 (+15)
#42 UTEP 4-2 (+11)
#43 Florida 4-2 (-2)
#44 Illinois St. 4-2 (-6)
#45 California 4-2 (-9)
#46 Marshall 3-3 (+29)
#47 BYU 3-3 (+25)
#48 Old Dominion 3-3 (+18)
#49 William and Mary 3-3 (+14)
#50 Northeastern 3-3 (+11)
#51 Utah St. 3-3 (+11)
#52 UAB 3-3 (+10)
#53 Tulsa 3-3 (+2)
#54 Mississippi St. 3-3 (-7)
#55 UNLV 3-3 (-14)
#56 South Carolina 3-3 (-22)
#57 Montana 3-3 (-32)
#58 Appalachian St. 3-3 (-34)
#59 Siena 3-3 (-51)
#60 Portland 2-4 (-7)

Wildcard Teams

#61 Virginia Tech 3-3 (+29)
#62 Texas 3-3 (+29)
#63 Sam Houston State 3-3 (+12)
#64 Marquette 3-3 (+10)

[collegesportsfanms]

Round of 64 Conference Breakdown
(Teams in Round of 64 by Conference)

ACC- 9
Big East- 9
Big 12- 6
SEC- 6
Big Ten- 4
Conference USA- 4
Pac Ten- 3
Atlantic Ten- 3
CAA- 3
Mountain West- 3
WCC- 3
MAAC- 2
MVC- 2
WAC- 2
Big Sky- 1
Horizon- 1
Ivy League- 1
Southern- 1
Southland- 1

19 conferences are represented in the Round of 64. The 6 power conference are represented by 37 schools. That means that the mid-majors and small conference schools still have a 42% chance to win the championship. However, 24 of the top 30 teams are from power conferences. Should be fun.

[collegesportsfanms]

Round of 64 Matchups
Teams in bold are top 30 teams in power rankings as of end of 2010 season

#1 Syracuse (Big East, 30-5, 15-3) vs. #64 Marquette (Big East, 22-12, 11-7)
#2 Villanova (Big East, 25-8, 13-5) vs. #63 Sam Houston St. (Southland, 25-8, 14-2)
#3 Duke (ACC, 35-5, 13-3) vs. #62 Texas (Big 12, 24-10, 9-7)
#4 Notre Dame (Big East, 23-12, 10-8) vs. #61 Virginia Tech (ACC, 25-9, 10-6)
#5 Georgia Tech (ACC, 23-13, 7-9) vs. #60 Portland (WCC, 21-11, 10-4)
#6 Ohio St. (Big Ten, 29-8, 14-4) vs. #59 Siena (MAAC, 27-7, 17-1)
#7 New Mexico (MWC, 30-5, 14-2) vs. #58 Appalachian St. (Southern, 24-13, 13-5)
#8 Maryland (ACC, 20-11, 9-7) vs. #57 Montana (Big Sky, 22-10, 10-6)
#9 Kansas (Big 12, 33-3, 15-1) vs. #56 South Carolina (SEC, 15-16, 6-10)
#10 Miami (ACC, 20-13, 4-12) vs. #55 UNLV (MWC, 25-9, 11-5)
#11 Xavier (Atlantic Ten, 26-9, 14-2) vs. #54 Mississippi St. (SEC, 24-12, 9-7)
#12 Georgetown (Big East, 23-11, 10-8) vs. #53 Tulsa (Conference USA, 23-12, 10-6)
#13 Baylor (Big 12, 28-8, 11-5) vs. #52 UAB (Conference USA, 25-9, 11-5)
#14 West Virginia (Big East, 31-7, 13-5) vs. #51 Utah St. (WAC, 27-8, 14-2)
#15 Texas A&M (Big 12, 24-10, 11-5) vs. #50 Northeastern (CAA, 20-13, 14-4)
#16 Missouri (Big 12, 23-11, 10-6) vs. #49 William and Mary (CAA, 22-11, 12-6)
#17 Arizona St. (Pac Ten, 22-11, 12-6) vs. #48 Old Dominion (CAA, 27-9, 15-3)
#18 Wake Forest (ACC, 20-11, 9-7) vs. #47 BYU (MWC, 30-6, 13-3)
#19 Kansas St. (Big 12, 29-8, 11-5) vs. #46 Marshall (Confrence USA, 24-10, 11-5)
#20 Florida St. (ACC, 22-10, 10-6) vs. #45 California (Pac Ten, 24-11, 13-5)
#21 Gonzaga (WCC, 27-7, 12-2) vs. #44 Illinois St. (MVC, 22-11, 11-7)
#22 Ole Miss (SEC, 24-11, 9-7) vs. #43 Florida (SEC, 21-13, 9-7)
#23 Dayton (Atlantic Ten, 25-12, 8-8) vs. #42 UTEP (Conference USA, 26-7, 15-1)
#24 Kentucky (SEC, 35-3, 14-2) vs. #41 Butler (Horizon, 33-5, 18-0)
#25 Michigan St. (Big Ten, 28-9, 14-4) vs. #40 N.C. State (ACC, 20-16, 5-11)
#26 Providence (ACC, 22-10, 10-6) vs. #39 South Florida (Big East, 20-13, 9-9)
#27 Tennessee (SEC, 28-9, 11-5) vs. #38 Wisconsin (Big Ten, 24-9, 13-5)
#28 New Mexico St. (WAC, 22-12, 11-5) vs. #37 Iona (MAAC, 21-10, 12-6)
#29 Richmond (Atlantic Ten, 26-9, 13-3) vs. #36 Northern Iowa (MVC, 30-5, 15-3)
#30 St. Johns (Big East, 17-16, 6-12) vs. #35 Arizona (Pac Ten, 16-15, 10-8)
#31 Clemson (ACC, 21-11, 9-7) vs. #34 St. Marys (WCC, 28-6, 11-3)
#32 Illinois (Big Ten, 21-15, 10-8) vs. #33 Cornell (Ivy, 29-5, 13-1)

[collegesportsfanms]

#1 Syracuse (Big East, 30-5, 15-3) vs. #64 Marquette (Big East, 22-12, 11-7)

Pregame

This is one of a couple round of 64 match-ups that involve teams from the same conference. In total there are 3 matchups between conference teams, and also 4 games between teams that were in the same group. Syracuse rolled through their group undefeated, missing a triple digit point differential by 1 point. Their closest game was a 7 point win at Vanderbilt. Marquette was just a few points away from taking second place in their group, with their loss coming by 4, by 3, and by 2.

My Prediction

Syracuse looks to be the favorite in this one, but Marquette is scrappy and will probably make this a close game. My pick: Syracuse

The Game

Unbelivable! Marquette took an 11 point halftime lead, and knocked out the #1 seed by a score of 66-62! What a win for them.

[collegesportsfanms]

#2 Villanova (Big East, 25-8, 13-5) vs. #63 Sam Houston St. (Southland, 25-8, 14-2)

Pregame

Villanova also had an undefeated record in their group. Their point differential was helped by a 29 point win at Virginia and a 31 point win vs. Siena. Sam Houston State is the cinderella team of the tournament. They got a wildcard spot with a nice sweep of Oklahoma, with one of the wins being a 27 point win. They also beat Florida by 16.

My Prediction

As much as I would like to see the cinderella team win, I think Villanova will look at the Syracuse game and take some lessons from it. My pick: Villanova

The Game

Gotta give Sam Houston State credit, they battled the entire game. Unfortunately Villanova was just too tough as the Wildcats won 90-80.

[hoopsguy]

Originally Posted by collegesportsfanms

The Game

Unbelivable! Marquette took an 11 point halftime lead, and knocked out the #1 seed by a score of 66-62! What a win for them.

Well that is a little different than the real life tournaments By that I mean a Big East team like Marquette being in position to pull a 1/16 shocker.

Interested to see how this plays out, as well as the coverage you give to games as the tournament advances into later rounds.