I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I've concluded that I'm a big giant idiot. I am completely and totally amped up for the Purdue game tomorrow (preview later today if I feel like it). As in, I can't stop thinking about it and getting excited. Why? What has this team done to make me think they have a prayer against a Purdue team ranked in the top five which has won at both Ohio State and Michigan State in the last two weeks? This is going to be a romp for the Boilers, and yet I can't stop being optimistic - and I'm not even remotely an optimistic person. I really hate myself sometimes.
Anyway, last night UCONN got the big win they needed, knocking off #7 West Virginia 72-63 and suddenly vaulting themselves back into the NCAA bracket. Hmmm, let's take a look at UCONN's season:
1. Preseason projections have the team easily making the NCAA Tournament
2. Team fails to live up to projections
3. Team has to deal with off the court drama
4. Team whiffs on chances for good non-conference wins early in the season.
5. Team struggles in conference
6. Team loses on the road to a bottom of the conference foe
7. Team loses to Michigan
8. Team seems to be hitting their stride and gelling just as a top 10 team comes to town
9. Team beats said top 10 team in order to strengthen NCAA bid chances
Sound familiar? If they can do it, why not the Gophers?
Aside from the obvious, I mean.
BUBBLE GAMES OF NOTE:
New Mexico @ Colorado State - The Lobos are pretty much a guaranteed lock, but if anything can hurt them a loss against Colorado State could.
Georgetown @ Louisville - The Hoyas are already in, but Louisville needs to keep winning. They're in very good shape so a loss won't hurt and a win probably moves them into lock status.
Tennessee @ Florida - This is a very big game for Florida since they don't have much in the way of marquee wins. Beating the Vols probably moves them from the middle of the bubble to the top.
Northern Iowa @ Evansville. The only way UNI doesn't get an at-large is if they crash and burn coming down the stretch here. And losing to Evansville would be th every definition of crashing and burning.
Illinois @ Michigan. This is suddenly a very important game for the Illini because it's their last chance and getting an easy win (other than against the Gophers, obviously).
Old Dominion @ Georgia State. ODU probably has the resume to get in, but they can't afford a loss before the CAA tournament semis.
Seton Hall @ Rutgers. A loss here ends the Hall's chances.
Hofstra @ Northeastern. The Bracket Busters loss to Louisiana Tech probably killed them, but if they win out and then lose in the CAA tournament final they'd be in the conversation.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
5 comments:
Fox Sports still has the Gophs in the tourney:
http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/NCAA-tournament-bracket-prediction-022210
Chance are UNI doesn't need an at-large since they have clearly seperated themselves from anybody in MVC. The only way I see them losing is if Josh Young(drakes all time leading scorer) goes off for about 50 in the tourney or their big douche gets another DUI next week.
The only difference you forgot between UCONN and MN is that UCONN has talent and black kids that are good.
As I stated UNI is in big trouble having not yet seperated themselves in the MVC especially against top teams like Evansville.
WWW why is Wichita State not a bubble team, don't know where to find RPI and the such and I figure you wouldn't mind.
I still consider them a bubble team, although they are all the way at the bottom. Their RPI is 50 with a Strength of Schedule of 138. They are 7-4 against the RPI top 100, which is good, but they have losses to three teams with a sub-100 RPI, which is bad.
Their biggest problem is that they don't have an impressive win on the whole list outside of a single victory of Northern Iowa.
I think if they win their last two and then make the MVC final and lose to UNI they have a chance.
Post a Comment