Updated brackets for every conference tournament are now available at Bubbleteams.com along with conference tournament previews and updated scores.
America East:
Albany will face New Hampshire and Vermont will play host Binghamton in the conference semifinals.
FIRST ROUND
At Events Center
Vestal, N.Y.
Friday, March 3
Game 1: No. 8 Maryland-Baltimore County 88, No. 9 Stony Brook 70
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 2: No. 2 Binghamton 71, No. 7 Maine 62
Game 3: No. 6 Vermont 64, No. 3 Boston University 61
Game 4: No. 1 Albany 79, No. 8 Maryland-Baltimore County 65
Game 5: No. 5 New Hampshire 66, No. 4 Hartford 62
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 6: No. 2 Binghamton vs. No. 6 Vermont, Noon
Game 7: No. 1 Albany vs. No. 5 New Hampshire, 2:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
At higher seed
Saturday, March 11
Game 8: Games 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, Noon ET (ESPN2)
Atlantic Sun:
Belmont wins the Atlantic Sun Championship in overtime vs. Lipscomb to advance to their first NCAA Tournament.
At Memorial Center
Johnson City, Tenn.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 2
Game 1: No. 1 Lipscomb 78, No. 8 Mercer 62
Game 2: No. 4 Gardner-Webb 64, No. 5 East Tennessee State 63
Game 3: No. 2 Belmont 90, No. 7 Campbell 76
Game 4: No. 6 Stetson 54, No. 3 Florida Atlantic 44
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 3
Game 5: No. 1 Lipscomb 70, No. 4 Gardner-Webb 51
Game 6: No. 2 Belmont 72, No. 6 Stetson 59
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 4
Game 7: No. 2 Belmont 64, No. 1 Lipscomb 59
Big Sky:
Eastern Washington joins Sacramento State in the conference semifinals.
FIRST ROUND
At higher seeds
Saturday, March 4
Game 1: No. 5 Sacramento State 71, No. 4 Montana State 70
Game 2: No. 3 Eastern Washington 81, No. 6 Portland State 75
SEMIFINALS
At Walkup Skydome
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Tuesday, March 7
Game 3: No. 2 Montana vs. No. 3 Eastern Washington, 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 1 Northern Arizona vs. No. 5 Sacramento State, 9:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
At higher seed
Wednesday, March 8
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Big South:
Winthrop scored the final basket with under 10 seconds on the clock to defeat Coastal Carolina and become the second team to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
FIRST ROUND
At higher seeds
Tuesday, Feb 28
Game 1: No. 1 Winthrop 93, No. 8 Liberty 52
Game 2: No. 5 High Point 87, No. 4 Radford 84
Game 3: No. 2 Coastal Carolina 78, No. 7 UNC Asheville 62
Game 4: No. 6 Charleston Southern 97, No. 3 Birmingham Southern 76
SEMIFINALS
At Winthrop Coliseum
Rock Hill, S.C.
Thursday, March 2
Game 5: No. 1 Winthrop 77, No. 5 High Point 65
Game 6: No. 2 Coastal Carolina 73, No. 6 Charleston Southern 67
At higher seed
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 4
Game 7: No. 1 Winthrop 51, No. 2 Coastal Carolina 50
Colonial:
NC Wilmington and Northeastern will meet in the semifinals along with George Mason and Hofstra.
At the Richmond Coliseum
Richmond, Va.
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 3
Game 1: No. 9 Delaware 52, No. 8 Drexel 49
Game 2: No. 5 Northeastern 74, No. 12 James Madison 56
Game 3: No. 10 Georgia State 72, No. 7 Towson 64
Game 4: No. 6 VCU 62, No. 11 William & Mary 59
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 5: No. 1 UNC Wilmington 69, No. 9 Delaware 56
Game 6: No. 5 Northeastern 71, No. 4 Old Dominion 63
Game 7: No. 2 George Mason 61, No. 10 Georgia State 56, OT
Game 8: No. 3 Hofstra 72, No. 6 VCU 66
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 9: No. 1 UNC Wilmington vs. No. 5 Northeastern, 3:30 p.m.
Game 10: No. 2 George Mason vs. No. 3 Hofstra, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Monday, March 6
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Horizon:
The Horizon League played out as expected with Butler advancing to the semifinals to play host Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
FIRST ROUND
At higher seeds
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Game 1: No. 6 Illinois-Chicago 77, No. 7 Wright State 64
Game 2: No. 5 Detroit 92, No. 8 Cleveland State 58
Game 3: No. 4 Loyola-Chi. 76, No. 9 Youngstown State 61
QUARTERFINALS
At The Klotsche Center
Milwaukee, Wis.
Friday, March 3
Game 4: No. 3 Wisconsin-Green Bay 76, No. 6 Illinois-Chicago 66
Game 5: No. 4 Loyola-Chi. 64, No. 5 Detroit 55
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 6: No. 2 Butler 73, No. 3 Wisconsin-Green Bay 51
Game 7: No. 1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 80, No. 4 Loyola-Chi 66
CHAMPIONSHIP
At higher seed
Tuesday, March 7
Game 8: No. 1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee vs. No. 2 Butler , 9 p.m. (ESPN)
MAAC:
St. Peter's will play top seeded Manhattan and Iona will face 3 seed Marist in the conference semifinals.
At Pepsi Arena
Albany, N.Y.
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 3
Game 1: No. 5 Saint Peter's 80, No. 10 Rider 51
Game 2: No. 7 Niagara 84, No. 8 Fairfield 77
Game 3: No. 9 Canisius 74, No. 6 Loyola, Md. 72
SECOND ROUND
Saturday, March 4
Game 4: No. 5 Saint Peter's 63, No. 4 Siena 62
Game 5: No. 2 Iona 80, No. 7 Niagara 54
Game 6: No. 3 Marist 68, No. 9 Canisius 62
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 7: No. 1 Manhattan vs. No. 5 Saint Peter's, 6 p.m.
Game 8: No. 2 Iona vs. No. 3 Marist, 8:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Monday, March 6
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
Mid-Continent:
Oral Roberts held off a determined Western Illinois to advance to the conference semifinals along with IUPUI, a winner against last season's conference cinderella Oakland.
At John Q. Hammons Arena
Tulsa, Okla.
FIRST ROUND
Saturday, March 4
Game 1: No. 1 Oral Roberts 60, No. 8 Western Illinois 53
Game 2: No. 2 IUPUI 69, No. 7 Oakland 63
Sunday, March 5
Game 3: No. 4 Valparaiso vs. No. 5 Southern Utah, 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 3 UMKC vs. No. 6 Chicago State, 9:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Monday, March 6
Game 5: No. 1 Oral Roberts vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 IUPUI vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday, March 7
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Missouri Valley:
Bradley continues there amazing run to the MVC title game with an upset of 1 seed Wichita State. The Braves will face the Southern Illinois Salukis, a 55-46 winner in overtime against Northern Iowa.
At Savvis Center
St. Louis, Mo.
FIRST ROUND
Thursday, March 2
Game 1: No. 9 Indiana State 72, No. 8 Drake 63
Game 2: No. 7 Evansville 52, No. 10 Illinois State 45
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, March 3
Game 3: No. 1 Wichita State 81, No. 9 Indiana State 63
Game 4: No. 5 Bradley 54, No. 4 Creighton 47
Game 5: No. 2 Southern Illinois 71, No. 7 Evansville 55
Game 6: No. 6 Northern Iowa 57, No. 3 Missouri State 42
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 7: No. 5 Bradley 60, No. 1 Wichita State 52
Game 8: No. 2 Southern Illinois 55, No. 6 Northern Iowa 46, OT
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, March 5
Game 9: No. 2 Southern Illinois vs. No. 5 Bradley, 2 p.m.
Ohio Valley:
Murray State wins their 20th OVC Championship and advances to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last eight years.
FIRST ROUND
At higher seeds
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Game 1: No. 1 Murray State 65, UT-Martin 52
Game 2: No. 4 Jacksonville St. 86, No. 5 Eastern Kentucky 59
Game 3: No. 2 Samford 78, Tennessee State 67
Game 4: No. 3 Tennessee Tech 78, No. 6 Austin Peay 74
SEMIFINALS
At The Gaylord Entertainment Center
Nashville, Tenn.
Friday, March 3
Game 5: No. 1 Murray State 69, No. 4 Jacksonville St. 64
Game 6: No. 2 Samford 73, No. 3 Tennessee Tech 67
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 5
Game 7: No. 1 Murray State 74, No. 2 Samford 57
Southern:
Chattanooga advances to their fourth straight championship game in the Southern Conference where they will face 3 seed Davidson.
At North Charleston Coliseum
North Charleston, S.C.
FIRST ROUND
Thursday, March 2
Game 1: No. 8 Appalachian St. 66, No. 9 Wofford 65
Game 2: No. 10 UNC Greensboro 69, No. 7 Western Carolina 65
Game 3: No. 11 The Citadel 65, No. 6 Furman 53
QUARTERFINALS
Friday, March 3
Game 4: No. 8 Appalachian St. 74, No. 1 Georgia Southern 61
Game 5: No. 5 Chattanooga 65, No. 4 College of Charleston 63
Game 6: No. 2 Elon 64, No. 10 UNC Greensboro 61 OT
Game 7: No. 3 Davidson 79, No. 11 The Citadel 73
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 8: No. 5 Chattanooga 78, No. 8 Appalachian St. 75
Game 9: No. 3 Davidson 65, No. 2 Elon 58
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, March 5
Game 10: No. 3 Davidson vs. No. 5 Chattanooga, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)
West Coast:
San Diego advances to play host Gonzaga iand St. Mary's Advences to play Loyola Marymount in the conference semifinals.
At McCarthey Athletic Center
Spokane, Wash.
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 3
Game 1: No. 5 San Diego 85, No. 8 Pepperdine 72
Game 2: No. 7 Santa Clara 72, No. 6 Portland 68
QUARTERFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 3: No. 5 San Diego 62, No. 4 San Francisco 59
Game 4: No. 3 Saint Mary's 76, No. 7 Santa Clara 72
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 5: No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 5 San Diego, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 6: No. 2 Loyola Marymount vs. No. 3 Saint Mary's, 10 p.m. (ESPN2)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Monday, March 6
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Bubble Boys
We will update teams that improve their stock and lose serious ground on this first Saturday of Championship Week. Be sure to check back periodically and check out Bubbleteams.com for updated scores, conference tournament brackets, tournament previews and an updated NCAA Tournament bracket.
Expansions and Contractions:
Winthrop: Winthrop advances to the NCAA Tournament with a 51-50 win over Coastal Carolina. The Eagles Craig Bradshaw scored on a short jumper with 10 seconds left in the game. The Chanticleers had a chance to win the game in the final seconds, but failed to get a shot off. Winthrop advances to their second straight NCAA Tournament.
Cincinnati: The Bearcats continue to follow the pattern of winning big games that has been set forth by numerous other teams during this final week of the regular season. Cincinnati defeated West Virginia to get themselves to .500 in the Big East and set up with a possible at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament. The fate of the Bearcats will depend on the outcome of several other teams in the conference tournaments, but at least Cincinnati has a chance to continue fighting for what should be the eighth bid out of the Big East. The Bearcats would be wise to add one more win their resume before resting on their laurels and hoping that all they have done thus far this season is enough to advance to the Big Dance.
NC Wilmington: The Seahawks finished off 9 seed Delaware to move forward to the semifinals of the CAA Tournament. NC Wilmington needs to win their semifinal game and advance to the championship game of the conference tournament to have a legitimate claim at an at-large bid. With so many other bubble teams posting big wins this week, this is the Seahawks' only chance to make a statement and get some needed face time.
Texas A&M: The Aggies post their seventh consecutive win, pushing their Big 12 record to 10-6 and their overall record to 20-7. Texas A&M still has a spotty RPI in the high 40s/low 50s, but given their recent win against Texas, their current winning streak and the failure of Colorado to secure what would be the fourth bid from the Big 12, the Aggies have all but sewn up a berth in this years NCAA Tournament. One more win in the Big 12 Tournament would secure an at-large bid for Texas A&M.
Vanderbilt: The Commodores had their chance to pull of another signature upset and put their name in with the bubble elite. Alas, Vanderbilt withered in the final minutes and lost to Tennessee at home, thus ending any chances at a possible at-large bid. Even a run to the SEC title game will not be enough for the Commodores this season.
Wichita State: The Shockers are far from a bubble team, but they do deserve mention because after their loss to Bradley in the MVC semifinals they will be nervously waiting to see their name in the field of 65. Fear not Wichita State, a regular season championship, 24 wins (including 14 in conference) and a top 25 RPI will be enough to get you into the Big Dance this year.
Bradley: The Braves continue their improbable run towards what appears to be either an automatic or at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. A solid upset of number 1 seed Wichita State has Bradley pushing towards the head of the class of the slew of bubble teams out of the MVC. The Bradley win did hurt Creighton, because now the Braves have a chance to play Southern Illinois for the automatic bid out of the MVC. The Creighton Blue Jays are behind Northern Iowa, Missouri State and Wichita State in the bubble pecking order. At this point, they have to hope Northern Iowa wins the MVC Tournament and they somehow earn an unlikely fifth bid out of the MVC.
Indiana: Gee, Now do you think the Hoosiers deserve an NCAA at-large bid ? After a midseason swoon that indirectly led to head coach Mike Davis' departure, the Hoosiers have righted the ship and are riding a four game winning streak. Indiana is a lock to make the field of 65. A fifth place finish in the Big Ten, nine Big Ten wins, five wins against the top 30 RPI and six wins against the top 50 RPI means head coach Mike Davis will end his tenure at Indiana with an NCAA bid.
Michigan: The Wolverines should be safe, but just to be certain, the maize and blue would not want to flame out in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan has done just enough to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. While losing six of their last nine games is not a good way for the Wolverines to make a statement to the NCAA Selection Committee, three wins against the top 20 RPI and ten wins against the top 100 RPI along with a top 30 RPI should be just enough to get Michigan in.... just be sure to win that first round game in the Big ten Tournament.
Air Force: Eh, the Falcons win again... and yet again it is against a marginal MWC team. Air Force has a lot of wins, 22 to be exact, and they only have 5 losses. Air Force plays in a lower level major conference and they got in two years ago with the same number of conference wins, yet it just does not seem fathomable that the Falcons would be rewarded with an at-large bid over so many other teams that have scored BIG upset wins this past week. The best bet for the Falcons is to win the MWC championship. Anything else, and there might be some sadness in Colorado Springs on Selection Sunday.
Murray State: The Racers become the fourth team to punch a ticket to the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
Alabama: The Crimson Tide lost at Mississippi State to drop to 17-11 and 10-6 in the SEC. Not the smartest move given so many other teams got key wins this week, but when taken into account, it should still not cost the Tide an at-large bid.
Northern Iowa: The Panthers lost a heartbreaker to Southern Illinois. It is a good thing Northern Iowa has a solid non-conference resume to hang their hat on, because their play in the past two weeks has been suspect. Despite the loss, the Panthers are still a solid choice to come out of the MVC for an at-large bid.
Southern Illinois: The Salukis face the Bradley Braves for the MVC Championship. In what must be described as unexpected, the two teams that sat at the bottom of the pile of potential bubble teams from the MVC have each played their way to a possible MVC Tournament Championship. Southern Illinois should push their way back into the top 40 RPI and with another solid win, erase the bad memories of recent losses in the MVC. The Salukis also own two wins over Northern Iowa in the past week and wins against Kent State, Wichita State, Bradley and a season sweep of Creighton in the regular season. The real loser was the Creighton Blue Jays, who have likely dropped to the sixth choice as a bubble teams out of the MVC.
George Mason: The Patriots barely beat 10 seed Georgia State in the CAA quarterfinals. As more and more bubble teams post big wins, the bubble becomes smaller and smaller for teams like the Patriots. Even if George Mason makes the CAA title game, there might not be enough room for them in this year's tournament should they lose.
California: The Bears would be golden in any other year than this one. Just what do you do with a team from a Big 6 conference that has won 18 games and 12 in conference. The answer to that question is usually automatic; you put them in the dance. However, this year is quite a different story. The Pac Ten has struggled, their RPI rating is down and there is some thought that even 12 wins, including wins over UCLA, Washington and Arizona, is not enough. What will most affect the Bears are the happenings from other one-bid conferences. The Bears need to beat USC in the first round of the Pac Ten Tournament and possibly make he tournament finals to make a final stab at an at-large bid. Anything less than that and they are taking their chances with what can be a fickle selection committee.
UAB: The Blazers took care of business winning their 22nd game overall and their 12th in conference. UAB just needs to avoid bad losses (meaning make the Conference USA semifinals) and they should grab another at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Colorado: The Buffaloes barely beat Iowa State in heir season finale. While other bubble teams have been grabbing marquee wins and signature upsets, the Buffaloes have been bumbling and stumbling along. Colorado now sits behind Texas A&M in the race for another bid out of the Big 12. The Buffaloes have the chance to steal that bid away from the Aggies. Colorado is the 5 seed in the Big 12 Conference championship and Texas A&M is the 4 seed. If the Buffs can win their first round game they can possibly steal away an at-large bid from Texas A&M. Even if the Buffs win their first round game, they will still need to beat the Aggies to get back into the field of 65.
Expansions and Contractions:
Winthrop: Winthrop advances to the NCAA Tournament with a 51-50 win over Coastal Carolina. The Eagles Craig Bradshaw scored on a short jumper with 10 seconds left in the game. The Chanticleers had a chance to win the game in the final seconds, but failed to get a shot off. Winthrop advances to their second straight NCAA Tournament.
Cincinnati: The Bearcats continue to follow the pattern of winning big games that has been set forth by numerous other teams during this final week of the regular season. Cincinnati defeated West Virginia to get themselves to .500 in the Big East and set up with a possible at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament. The fate of the Bearcats will depend on the outcome of several other teams in the conference tournaments, but at least Cincinnati has a chance to continue fighting for what should be the eighth bid out of the Big East. The Bearcats would be wise to add one more win their resume before resting on their laurels and hoping that all they have done thus far this season is enough to advance to the Big Dance.
NC Wilmington: The Seahawks finished off 9 seed Delaware to move forward to the semifinals of the CAA Tournament. NC Wilmington needs to win their semifinal game and advance to the championship game of the conference tournament to have a legitimate claim at an at-large bid. With so many other bubble teams posting big wins this week, this is the Seahawks' only chance to make a statement and get some needed face time.
Texas A&M: The Aggies post their seventh consecutive win, pushing their Big 12 record to 10-6 and their overall record to 20-7. Texas A&M still has a spotty RPI in the high 40s/low 50s, but given their recent win against Texas, their current winning streak and the failure of Colorado to secure what would be the fourth bid from the Big 12, the Aggies have all but sewn up a berth in this years NCAA Tournament. One more win in the Big 12 Tournament would secure an at-large bid for Texas A&M.
Vanderbilt: The Commodores had their chance to pull of another signature upset and put their name in with the bubble elite. Alas, Vanderbilt withered in the final minutes and lost to Tennessee at home, thus ending any chances at a possible at-large bid. Even a run to the SEC title game will not be enough for the Commodores this season.
Wichita State: The Shockers are far from a bubble team, but they do deserve mention because after their loss to Bradley in the MVC semifinals they will be nervously waiting to see their name in the field of 65. Fear not Wichita State, a regular season championship, 24 wins (including 14 in conference) and a top 25 RPI will be enough to get you into the Big Dance this year.
Bradley: The Braves continue their improbable run towards what appears to be either an automatic or at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. A solid upset of number 1 seed Wichita State has Bradley pushing towards the head of the class of the slew of bubble teams out of the MVC. The Bradley win did hurt Creighton, because now the Braves have a chance to play Southern Illinois for the automatic bid out of the MVC. The Creighton Blue Jays are behind Northern Iowa, Missouri State and Wichita State in the bubble pecking order. At this point, they have to hope Northern Iowa wins the MVC Tournament and they somehow earn an unlikely fifth bid out of the MVC.
Indiana: Gee, Now do you think the Hoosiers deserve an NCAA at-large bid ? After a midseason swoon that indirectly led to head coach Mike Davis' departure, the Hoosiers have righted the ship and are riding a four game winning streak. Indiana is a lock to make the field of 65. A fifth place finish in the Big Ten, nine Big Ten wins, five wins against the top 30 RPI and six wins against the top 50 RPI means head coach Mike Davis will end his tenure at Indiana with an NCAA bid.
Michigan: The Wolverines should be safe, but just to be certain, the maize and blue would not want to flame out in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan has done just enough to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. While losing six of their last nine games is not a good way for the Wolverines to make a statement to the NCAA Selection Committee, three wins against the top 20 RPI and ten wins against the top 100 RPI along with a top 30 RPI should be just enough to get Michigan in.... just be sure to win that first round game in the Big ten Tournament.
Air Force: Eh, the Falcons win again... and yet again it is against a marginal MWC team. Air Force has a lot of wins, 22 to be exact, and they only have 5 losses. Air Force plays in a lower level major conference and they got in two years ago with the same number of conference wins, yet it just does not seem fathomable that the Falcons would be rewarded with an at-large bid over so many other teams that have scored BIG upset wins this past week. The best bet for the Falcons is to win the MWC championship. Anything else, and there might be some sadness in Colorado Springs on Selection Sunday.
Murray State: The Racers become the fourth team to punch a ticket to the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
Alabama: The Crimson Tide lost at Mississippi State to drop to 17-11 and 10-6 in the SEC. Not the smartest move given so many other teams got key wins this week, but when taken into account, it should still not cost the Tide an at-large bid.
Northern Iowa: The Panthers lost a heartbreaker to Southern Illinois. It is a good thing Northern Iowa has a solid non-conference resume to hang their hat on, because their play in the past two weeks has been suspect. Despite the loss, the Panthers are still a solid choice to come out of the MVC for an at-large bid.
Southern Illinois: The Salukis face the Bradley Braves for the MVC Championship. In what must be described as unexpected, the two teams that sat at the bottom of the pile of potential bubble teams from the MVC have each played their way to a possible MVC Tournament Championship. Southern Illinois should push their way back into the top 40 RPI and with another solid win, erase the bad memories of recent losses in the MVC. The Salukis also own two wins over Northern Iowa in the past week and wins against Kent State, Wichita State, Bradley and a season sweep of Creighton in the regular season. The real loser was the Creighton Blue Jays, who have likely dropped to the sixth choice as a bubble teams out of the MVC.
George Mason: The Patriots barely beat 10 seed Georgia State in the CAA quarterfinals. As more and more bubble teams post big wins, the bubble becomes smaller and smaller for teams like the Patriots. Even if George Mason makes the CAA title game, there might not be enough room for them in this year's tournament should they lose.
California: The Bears would be golden in any other year than this one. Just what do you do with a team from a Big 6 conference that has won 18 games and 12 in conference. The answer to that question is usually automatic; you put them in the dance. However, this year is quite a different story. The Pac Ten has struggled, their RPI rating is down and there is some thought that even 12 wins, including wins over UCLA, Washington and Arizona, is not enough. What will most affect the Bears are the happenings from other one-bid conferences. The Bears need to beat USC in the first round of the Pac Ten Tournament and possibly make he tournament finals to make a final stab at an at-large bid. Anything less than that and they are taking their chances with what can be a fickle selection committee.
UAB: The Blazers took care of business winning their 22nd game overall and their 12th in conference. UAB just needs to avoid bad losses (meaning make the Conference USA semifinals) and they should grab another at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Colorado: The Buffaloes barely beat Iowa State in heir season finale. While other bubble teams have been grabbing marquee wins and signature upsets, the Buffaloes have been bumbling and stumbling along. Colorado now sits behind Texas A&M in the race for another bid out of the Big 12. The Buffaloes have the chance to steal that bid away from the Aggies. Colorado is the 5 seed in the Big 12 Conference championship and Texas A&M is the 4 seed. If the Buffs can win their first round game they can possibly steal away an at-large bid from Texas A&M. Even if the Buffs win their first round game, they will still need to beat the Aggies to get back into the field of 65.
Conference Tournament Previews 3/04/06-(Mid Continent, Big Sky)
We are continuing to post the conference tournament previews from our other website here.
Visit Bubbleteams.com to view each conference tournament bracket and check out the other conference tournament previews.
Mid Continent:
At John Q. Hammons Arena
Tulsa, Okla.
FIRST ROUND
Saturday, March 4
Game 1: No. 1 Oral Roberts vs. No. 8 Western Illinois, 7 p.m.
Game 2: No. 2 IUPUI vs. No. 7 Oakland, 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 5
Game 3: No. 4 Valparaiso vs. No. 5 Southern Utah, 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 3 UMKC vs. No. 6 Chicago State, 9:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Monday, March 6
Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m.
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday, March 7
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Recap: Oral Roberts made a late season run to win eight of their last ten games and forge a tie for the regular season conference title. IUPUI finished in a first place tie with Oral Roberts after losing their last two games. Oral Roberts also earned the 1 seed for the conference tournament, which will be played in their hometown of Tulsa, but not on their home court. IUPUI had been the hottest team in the Mid-Continent Conference, winning 13 of 14 games after starting the season 3-6. The Jaguars spit the season series with the Titans, with each team winning on their home court.
Favorite: Oral Roberts started to live up to their preseason hype once the conference season kicked into gear. With guard Ken Tutt slowly returning to form off the bench, the Titans are finally playing like most pundits expected them to when the season started. Tutt, sidelined by a foot injury most of the season. finally returned to Titans in late February. Tutt has been relegated to coming off the bench since his return. After a slow start, Tutt regained his all-conference from in his final two regular-season games. Tutt averaged 17.0 points, shooting 63 percent from the field and 86 percent from the line. Tutt scored 18 in his regular-season finale against Valparaiso. The Titans are once again the favorite to take the Mid-Continent Conference crown. Oral Roberts hopes to erase the disappointment suffered in last season's conference title game, when the Titans lost to Oakland by one, and make a run to this year's NCAA Tournament.
Darkhorse: Last season was the first since 1999 that Valparaiso did not either tie or win the regular season conference title or win the conference tournament. This season the Crusaders are in the unenviable position as conference underdogs. Valparaiso makes a quaint choice as a darkhorse, yet given their inability to win on the road (only four road wins all season), they are not a solid choice as a darkhorse this year. Chicago State has won eight of their last 12 games, after starting the season 1-14. The Cougars picked up two crucial road wins in that span and defeated conference co-champion IUPUI in their next to last game of the season. Chicago State faces an inconsistent Missouri-Kansas City in the first round. Should the Cougars get past the Kangaroos, they would likely face IUPUI again, just a little more than a week since defeating IUPUI. In a league that rarely has a darkhorse emerge, Chicago State looks to be the best of a mediocre lot.
Big Sky:
FIRST ROUND
At higher seeds
Saturday, March 4
Game 1: No. 4 Montana State vs No. 5 Sacramento State, 4:30 p.m.
Game 2: No. 3 Eastern Washington vs. No. 6 Portland State, 10 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
At Walkup Skydome
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Tuesday, March 7
Game 3: Higher seed vs. No. 2 Montana, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Lower seed vs. No. 1 Northern Arizona, 9:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
At higher seed
Wednesday, March 8
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Recap: Northern Arizona swept through the Big Sky winning 12 of 14 league games. The Lumberjacks only league losses came at Eastern Washington and Montana. Northern Arizona earns the top seed and is the host for the conference tournament. Number 2 seed Montana started their non-conference campaign 8-2 and seemed poised to make a run at a return trip to the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, a few bad losses during the conference season (at Weber State and Idaho State-two teams that did not even make the conference tournament) kept the Grizzlies from winning the regular season championship.
Favorite: Northern Arizona finished the season 12-1 at home and did not lose a Big Sky Conference game at home. However, the Lumberjacks did not win a single conference home game (seven games in all) by more than 10 points. Does that mean that Northern Arizona knows how to win close games, or is just a indicator that the Lumberjacks have been lucky enough to get the right bounce of the ball in the right situation. Northern Arizona will face either Sacramento State or Montana State, two teams that stayed within six points of the Lumberjacks on their home floor. Northern Arizona will be aided by conference alignment that allows the top two seeds to advance to conference semifinals without having to play a game. Should the Lumberjacks somehow lose in the semifinals, Montana will be waiting in the wings to step into the top spot. Last season the Grizzlies emerged from a 3 seed to advance to the NCAA Tournament after top seed Portland State lost in the conference semifinals to Weber State. Montana played a solid non-conference schedule and despite the possibility of having to face the top seed Northern Arizona on their home floor, we will declare the Montana Grizzlies our choice as Big Sky favorite.
Darkhorse: Montana State lost two close games to the top seeded Northern Arizona and seem poised to take a run at the Lumberjacks in the semifinals. The Bobcats must get past Sacramento State, losers of nine of their last 10 games, in the first round. Should Montana State make it to the conference semifinals, we like their chances against top seeded Northern Arizona. In 2000, 2002 and 2005, the regular season conference champion has been upset at some point during the conference tournament. In two of those three tournaments, the Montana Grizzlies have been there to fill the void and emerge as Big Sky Conference Tournament champion.
Visit Bubbleteams.com to view each conference tournament bracket and check out the other conference tournament previews.
Mid Continent:
At John Q. Hammons Arena
Tulsa, Okla.
FIRST ROUND
Saturday, March 4
Game 1: No. 1 Oral Roberts vs. No. 8 Western Illinois, 7 p.m.
Game 2: No. 2 IUPUI vs. No. 7 Oakland, 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 5
Game 3: No. 4 Valparaiso vs. No. 5 Southern Utah, 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 3 UMKC vs. No. 6 Chicago State, 9:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Monday, March 6
Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m.
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday, March 7
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Recap: Oral Roberts made a late season run to win eight of their last ten games and forge a tie for the regular season conference title. IUPUI finished in a first place tie with Oral Roberts after losing their last two games. Oral Roberts also earned the 1 seed for the conference tournament, which will be played in their hometown of Tulsa, but not on their home court. IUPUI had been the hottest team in the Mid-Continent Conference, winning 13 of 14 games after starting the season 3-6. The Jaguars spit the season series with the Titans, with each team winning on their home court.
Favorite: Oral Roberts started to live up to their preseason hype once the conference season kicked into gear. With guard Ken Tutt slowly returning to form off the bench, the Titans are finally playing like most pundits expected them to when the season started. Tutt, sidelined by a foot injury most of the season. finally returned to Titans in late February. Tutt has been relegated to coming off the bench since his return. After a slow start, Tutt regained his all-conference from in his final two regular-season games. Tutt averaged 17.0 points, shooting 63 percent from the field and 86 percent from the line. Tutt scored 18 in his regular-season finale against Valparaiso. The Titans are once again the favorite to take the Mid-Continent Conference crown. Oral Roberts hopes to erase the disappointment suffered in last season's conference title game, when the Titans lost to Oakland by one, and make a run to this year's NCAA Tournament.
Darkhorse: Last season was the first since 1999 that Valparaiso did not either tie or win the regular season conference title or win the conference tournament. This season the Crusaders are in the unenviable position as conference underdogs. Valparaiso makes a quaint choice as a darkhorse, yet given their inability to win on the road (only four road wins all season), they are not a solid choice as a darkhorse this year. Chicago State has won eight of their last 12 games, after starting the season 1-14. The Cougars picked up two crucial road wins in that span and defeated conference co-champion IUPUI in their next to last game of the season. Chicago State faces an inconsistent Missouri-Kansas City in the first round. Should the Cougars get past the Kangaroos, they would likely face IUPUI again, just a little more than a week since defeating IUPUI. In a league that rarely has a darkhorse emerge, Chicago State looks to be the best of a mediocre lot.
Big Sky:
FIRST ROUND
At higher seeds
Saturday, March 4
Game 1: No. 4 Montana State vs No. 5 Sacramento State, 4:30 p.m.
Game 2: No. 3 Eastern Washington vs. No. 6 Portland State, 10 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
At Walkup Skydome
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Tuesday, March 7
Game 3: Higher seed vs. No. 2 Montana, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Lower seed vs. No. 1 Northern Arizona, 9:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
At higher seed
Wednesday, March 8
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Recap: Northern Arizona swept through the Big Sky winning 12 of 14 league games. The Lumberjacks only league losses came at Eastern Washington and Montana. Northern Arizona earns the top seed and is the host for the conference tournament. Number 2 seed Montana started their non-conference campaign 8-2 and seemed poised to make a run at a return trip to the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, a few bad losses during the conference season (at Weber State and Idaho State-two teams that did not even make the conference tournament) kept the Grizzlies from winning the regular season championship.
Favorite: Northern Arizona finished the season 12-1 at home and did not lose a Big Sky Conference game at home. However, the Lumberjacks did not win a single conference home game (seven games in all) by more than 10 points. Does that mean that Northern Arizona knows how to win close games, or is just a indicator that the Lumberjacks have been lucky enough to get the right bounce of the ball in the right situation. Northern Arizona will face either Sacramento State or Montana State, two teams that stayed within six points of the Lumberjacks on their home floor. Northern Arizona will be aided by conference alignment that allows the top two seeds to advance to conference semifinals without having to play a game. Should the Lumberjacks somehow lose in the semifinals, Montana will be waiting in the wings to step into the top spot. Last season the Grizzlies emerged from a 3 seed to advance to the NCAA Tournament after top seed Portland State lost in the conference semifinals to Weber State. Montana played a solid non-conference schedule and despite the possibility of having to face the top seed Northern Arizona on their home floor, we will declare the Montana Grizzlies our choice as Big Sky favorite.
Darkhorse: Montana State lost two close games to the top seeded Northern Arizona and seem poised to take a run at the Lumberjacks in the semifinals. The Bobcats must get past Sacramento State, losers of nine of their last 10 games, in the first round. Should Montana State make it to the conference semifinals, we like their chances against top seeded Northern Arizona. In 2000, 2002 and 2005, the regular season conference champion has been upset at some point during the conference tournament. In two of those three tournaments, the Montana Grizzlies have been there to fill the void and emerge as Big Sky Conference Tournament champion.
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