This is going to be the last time auto-bid watch takes on this form. All of the speculating about who will grab an auto is about to become sudden-death, so starting next week, the watch will be updating daily as teams fall out of the running by losing in their conference tournaments.
In the meantime, let's look at this puppy from above the fray one last time:
1. ACC
2. Big 12
3. Pac 10
4. Big East
5. SEC
6. Big Ten
7. Atlantic 10
8. MVC
9. Mountain West
10. C-USA
11. Horizon - Butler (15-2) took down Wright State (12-5) at Hinkle last night, assuring themselves home court advantage throughout the Horizon tournament. Last year, this scenario went the other way, and Wright won out, allowing two bids from the big H. Will it happen this season? It's less likely at Hinkle.
In the meantime, let's look at this puppy from above the fray one last time:
1. ACC
2. Big 12
3. Pac 10
4. Big East
5. SEC
6. Big Ten
7. Atlantic 10
8. MVC
9. Mountain West
10. C-USA
11. Horizon - Butler (15-2) took down Wright State (12-5) at Hinkle last night, assuring themselves home court advantage throughout the Horizon tournament. Last year, this scenario went the other way, and Wright won out, allowing two bids from the big H. Will it happen this season? It's less likely at Hinkle.
12. MAC - Kent State is 11-2 in league play, with Western Michigan just behind at 10-3. With three games left, the top seed is still in doubt, but the two teams don't play each other in any of those remaining contests.
13. CAA - Virginia Commonwealth has locked this one up, with a sterling 14-3 record and just one game left to play. Odds are the Dagger is going back to the Dance.
14. WCC - Saint Mary's and Gonzaga are still tied up at 11-1 apiece, with the big rematch looming this Saturday. This is by far my most anticipated game of the weekend, as the first meeting in Moraga was stellar, and this one in Spokane will be even more intense, with conference seeds on the line.
15. Sun Belt - Still one of the best conference races out there. South Alabama and Western Kentucky (both 11-5) are both dance-worthy, but it seems unlikely that both will get in. Some bubble-ologists have floated the possibility that Team USA has the goods to get in even if they lose in the tourney final, so I could be wrong.
16. Patriot - This one got good overnight. American and Navy are tied at 9-4 after the Midshipmen completed a season sweep of the Eagles, who beat Maryland early on. Each team has one game left, so if it stays this way, Navy gets the #1 seed.
17. MAAC - The top spot has temporarily gone to the surging Loyola Greyhounds, at 12-5. Niagara and Siena (both 11-5) battle tonight to clarify the picture a bit. And I haven't even mentioned Rider, also tied for second.
18. Big West - Cal State Northridge holds a 1 1/2 game lead over CS-Fullerton as of right now, but there are still three games on the sked out West, so there's the chance this could change.
19. Southland - Lamar has the best record at 12-1, but most observers feel that Stephen F. Austin (11-2) is the stronger team. We won't get a head-to-head to test that theory in the remaining three games, so the Southland tourney should be rockin'.
20. SoCon - Blah, Blah, Blah, Davidson. Goin' for 20-0 perfection on Saturday at Georgia Southern (13-6).
21. WAC - Boise State is on top (11-3) with Nevada (10-4) drafting just behind. Each has two games left, but not against one another.
22. Summit - The regular-season championship was locked up by Oral Roberts (16-1) in Thursday's victory over South Dakota State.
23. NEC - Robert Morris is at 15-2, with Wagner just aft at 14-3. With just one game left on the regular-season slate and a win over Wagner in the books already, all the Colonials have to do is hold serve.
24. Ivy - Cornell (10-0) can lock up the auto-bid and the Ivy championship with a win at Dartmouth (2-8) tonight.
25. Big Sky - Portland State has this one dialed in. They're up 2 1/2 games with just two left to play.
26. America East - UMBC's Retrievers (13-2) by a comfortable margin.
27. Big South - UNC-Asheville (9-4) will roll into South Carolina with one game to make up on Winthrop (10-3) in the last game of the season for both teams on Saturday. Think that will be an electric atmosphere?
28. Atlantic Sun - Kind of tight. Belmont sits at 13-2, with Jacksonville 12-3. They don't play each other in the final games tomorrow, so Gardner-Webb has a chance to play spoiler.
29. MEAC - Morgan State (12-2) finally gained some separation from Norfolk State (10-3), but there are two games left to play before the league tourney.
30. Ohio Valley - Austin Peay has clinched the overall #1 seed in the OVC by beating Eastern Kentucky last night.
31. Indies - OK, we can stop talking about them now.
32. SWAC - All Hornets, baby. Alabama State is 11-3, but the SWAC still has a heavy slate of four games left to finish up.
13. CAA - Virginia Commonwealth has locked this one up, with a sterling 14-3 record and just one game left to play. Odds are the Dagger is going back to the Dance.
14. WCC - Saint Mary's and Gonzaga are still tied up at 11-1 apiece, with the big rematch looming this Saturday. This is by far my most anticipated game of the weekend, as the first meeting in Moraga was stellar, and this one in Spokane will be even more intense, with conference seeds on the line.
15. Sun Belt - Still one of the best conference races out there. South Alabama and Western Kentucky (both 11-5) are both dance-worthy, but it seems unlikely that both will get in. Some bubble-ologists have floated the possibility that Team USA has the goods to get in even if they lose in the tourney final, so I could be wrong.
16. Patriot - This one got good overnight. American and Navy are tied at 9-4 after the Midshipmen completed a season sweep of the Eagles, who beat Maryland early on. Each team has one game left, so if it stays this way, Navy gets the #1 seed.
17. MAAC - The top spot has temporarily gone to the surging Loyola Greyhounds, at 12-5. Niagara and Siena (both 11-5) battle tonight to clarify the picture a bit. And I haven't even mentioned Rider, also tied for second.
18. Big West - Cal State Northridge holds a 1 1/2 game lead over CS-Fullerton as of right now, but there are still three games on the sked out West, so there's the chance this could change.
19. Southland - Lamar has the best record at 12-1, but most observers feel that Stephen F. Austin (11-2) is the stronger team. We won't get a head-to-head to test that theory in the remaining three games, so the Southland tourney should be rockin'.
20. SoCon - Blah, Blah, Blah, Davidson. Goin' for 20-0 perfection on Saturday at Georgia Southern (13-6).
21. WAC - Boise State is on top (11-3) with Nevada (10-4) drafting just behind. Each has two games left, but not against one another.
22. Summit - The regular-season championship was locked up by Oral Roberts (16-1) in Thursday's victory over South Dakota State.
23. NEC - Robert Morris is at 15-2, with Wagner just aft at 14-3. With just one game left on the regular-season slate and a win over Wagner in the books already, all the Colonials have to do is hold serve.
24. Ivy - Cornell (10-0) can lock up the auto-bid and the Ivy championship with a win at Dartmouth (2-8) tonight.
25. Big Sky - Portland State has this one dialed in. They're up 2 1/2 games with just two left to play.
26. America East - UMBC's Retrievers (13-2) by a comfortable margin.
27. Big South - UNC-Asheville (9-4) will roll into South Carolina with one game to make up on Winthrop (10-3) in the last game of the season for both teams on Saturday. Think that will be an electric atmosphere?
28. Atlantic Sun - Kind of tight. Belmont sits at 13-2, with Jacksonville 12-3. They don't play each other in the final games tomorrow, so Gardner-Webb has a chance to play spoiler.
29. MEAC - Morgan State (12-2) finally gained some separation from Norfolk State (10-3), but there are two games left to play before the league tourney.
30. Ohio Valley - Austin Peay has clinched the overall #1 seed in the OVC by beating Eastern Kentucky last night.
31. Indies - OK, we can stop talking about them now.
32. SWAC - All Hornets, baby. Alabama State is 11-3, but the SWAC still has a heavy slate of four games left to finish up.
2 comments:
So, wait, I don't understand. Why is that puppy in the fray? Who's puppy is it?
Hmmm.. that's a damn good question.
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