Monday, March 9, 2015

Schmolik 64 Update (3/9/15)

Hello, college basketball fans!

Welcome to the Championship Week Monday edition of the Schmolik 64!
I am trying a new format this edition.

* - Automatic Bid
If the place is blank, it is reserved for a play in game winner.

Midwest Regional
Cleveland
Thur/Sat March 26-28
Louisville 1 Kentucky 31-0
Thur/Sat March 19-21 16
8 Ohio State 22-9
9 Davidson 22-6
Columbus 5 West Virginia 23-8
Fri/Sun March 20-22 12
4 Notre Dame 26-5
13 Valparaiso 24-5
Omaha 6 Providence 21-10
Fri/Sun March 20-22 11 Tulsa 21-8
3 Iowa State 22-8
14 South Dakota State 20-9
Seattle 7 Michigan State 21-10
Fri/Sun March 20-22 10 San Diego St 23-7
2 Gonzaga 29-2
15 Belmont * 21-10
East Regional
Syracuse
Fri/Sun March 27-29
Charlotte 1 Duke 28-3
Fri/Sun March 20-22 16
8 VCU 22-9
9 Oklahoma State 17-12
Portland 5 Utah 22-7
Thur/Sat March 19-21 12 Iona 26-7
4 Northern Iowa * 30-3
13 UC Davis 22-5
Jacksonville 6 Arkansas 24-7
Thur/Sat March 19-21 11 Purdue 20-11
3 Oklahoma 21-9
14 Eastern Washington 20-8
Columbus 7 St. John's 20-10
Fri/Sun March 20-22 10 Dayton 23-7
2 Wisconsin 28-3
15 William & Mary 18-11




South Regional
Houston
Fri/Sun March 27-29
Charlotte 1 Virginia 28-2
Fri/Sun March 20-22 16 Texas Southern 19-12
8 Cincinnati 21-9
9 Oregon 22-8
Seattle 5 Wichita State 27-4
Fri/Sun March 20-22 12 Wofford 25-6
4 North Carolina 21-10
13 Louisiana Tech 23-7
Pittsburgh 6 Georgetown 20-9
Thur/Sat March 19-21 11
3 Maryland 26-5
14 Yale 20-9
Omaha 7 Iowa 21-10
Fri/Sun March 20-22 10 Colorado State 25-5
2 Kansas 24-7
15 NC Central 21-6
West Regional
Los Angeles
Thur/Sat March 26-28
Pittsburgh 1 Villanova 29-2
Thur/Sat March 19-21 16 Albany 23-8
8 NC State 19-12
9 Boise State 22-7
Jacksonville 5 SMU 23-6
Thur/Sat March 19-21 12 Stephen F. Austin 24-4
4 Louisville 24-7
13 Georgia State 21-9
Louisville 6 Butler 22-9
Thur/Sat March 19-21 11 Temple 22-9
3 Baylor 22-8
14 Central Michigan 19-7
Portland 7 Xavier 19-12
Thur/Sat March 19-21 10 BYU 22-8
2 Arizona 28-3
15 New Mexico State 19-10












Play In Games
Dayton MW American 17-15
Tue March 17 16 North Florida * 20-11
Dayton E St. Francis 22-10
Wed March 18 16 Coastal Carolina * 20-9
Dayton S Texas 19-12
Tue March 17 11 Old Dominion 24-6
Dayton MW Indiana 19-12
Wed March 18 12 Buffalo 21-9


Highest RPI (by CBS Sports RPILeft Out: Georgia (40), LSU (50)

Bids By Conference:

Big 12 (7): Kan, Bay, ISU, Okl, WV, OkSt, Tex
Big Ten (7): Wisc, Md, MSU, Iowa. OSU, Pur, Ind
ACC (6): Va, Duke, ND, UNC, Lville, NC St
Big East (6): Vill, Prov, GTown, Butl, St. J, Xav
AAC (4): SMU, Cin, Tulsa, Temp
Pac 12 (3): Ariz, Utah, Ore
A-10 (3): VCU, Dav, Day
MWC (3): BSU, SDSt, CSU
SEC (2): Ky, Ark - No, that's not a typo!
WCC (2): Gonz, BYU
MVC (2): Wich St, N Iowa
MAC (2): C Mich, Buff
C-USA (2): LaT, ODU
One Bid: 19

As always, the assumption is the season ends today. I'm pretty sure that the final Schmolik 64 will have more than 2 SEC teams but right now just three SEC teams ranks in the top 49 of the RPI (LSU ranks 50th) and Georgia, which ranks 40th, has zero top 50 wins. I feel LSU is the third best SEC team, but they have only played five games (out of 31) vs. top 50 opponents. If you don't think Old Dominion belongs in over LSU, Old Dominion beat LSU (and their RPI is way higher). If you're an SEC bubble team, this is the week to send a message to put yourself in the tournament. I would say making the SF is a must and making the final would help a lot.

Right now, Old Dominion and Buffalo have RPI's too high to ignore. If either fall early (especially Buffalo, which has no top 50 wins and lost twice to Central Michigan, the next highest RPI team from the MAC), they're in trouble. But the worst case scenario for other bubble teams is if both make their conference finals and lose to quality teams. If Buffalo and Old Dominion remain in the top 40 after the tournament, they will be harder to ignore (and LSU would like Old Dominion out of the at large pool for sure).

In determining the official representative for a conference, I usually took the "best" of the remaining teams (if it is just two teams, I took the "better"). In the Patriot League, American beat Lafayette twice so I put them in over Lafayette even though Lafayette is the higher seed. Of course, it's irrelevant and the winner will get it. As for Harvard and Yale, at the time this was posted, Yale's RPI was 64 to Harvard's 65. The last time Yale made the field was 1962 (before I was born!) So if Harvard does win, at least Yale gets to see their name in a bracket for a few days (then again, I'm sure they're still in shock over their last game).

As for the top, I think there are six candidates for #1 seeds. There's a decent chance the team that doesn't win the ACC Tournament falls to a #2 (especially if they don't make the final) and either Wisconsin or Arizona wins their conference tournament. Wisconsin would probably rather have Duke win the ACC because they don't have a claim for a #1 over Duke. Villanova will also have to win its tournament to claim a #1 seed or it opens the door for Wisconsin and/or Arizona to pass them. 

I would expect an update either Wednesday or Thursday and of course the final bracket on Sunday.

Compare my bracket to others: http://www.bracketmatrix.com/


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