Seton Hall is one of those teams who definitely battled injuries and has some talent. They could easily steal a bid. They played Creighton really tough. Nova was the team who blasted them twice.

The Hall could be a tough team next year. Not great, but adding Delgado and Whitehead will make them a really dangerous opponent.

Bubble games....

St. John's vs Providence
Utah vs Arizona
Missouri vs Texas A&M
Oklahoma State vs Kansas
South Carolina vs Arkansas
Colorado vs California
Wyoming vs UNLV
Penn State vs Minnesota
Alabama vs LSU
Georgia Tech vs Clemson
Marquette vs Xavier
Stanford vs Arizona State

Missouri can't get a shot off, headed to OT vs A&M...

Really with I could be watching OSU-KU right now. I miss working limited hours right about now lol

BTW, is Oklahoma State still on the bubble. Gotta believe they are in pretty safely at this point. Any win moving forward just improves their seeding.

Probably ahead of everyone on that list, but if I'm 8-11 in a league, it's hard to say they are a flat out lock.

The team that has to worry is K-State. I know S&L and I went back and forth in this thread about it, but honestly, if you consider OSU a lock, then K-State might get squeezed depending who else makes a run this weekend.

K-State is 20-13, 10-9, losing 8 of their last 13 and they were a combined 3-5 vs Baylor, Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

The little man at ESPN who is in charge of bracket expertise says that Oklahoma State is a single-digit seed, no matter what happens against Kansas today. Do not agree with that, especially if the Cowboys lose again today, giving them a 6-10 record to finish the year -- but they're probably a solid 10 or 11 seed at this point. Definitely in the tournament IMO.

I did notice that Utah is now on Lunardi's Next Four Out line. If the Utes make a Pac-12 final run, I think they could sneak a bid away from someone. This is a really good team that just had horrible luck in close games (easily could have beaten Arizona twice, for example).

Although, the above goes against everything I've said about Oklahoma State in recent weeks. I have never considered the Cowboys a lock, like some here. I do think that there's a chance they don't get in, but with a good performance today, win or lose, I think they're in.

They beat Memphis, a decent Louisiana Tech who needs to win C-USA, a bubble team in Colorado, Kansas at home and 2 bubble or slightly better teams in Texas and Kansas State.

How on earth are they a single digit seed, yet Arkansas with wins over SMU, Minnesota, Clemson, Kentucky twice and 3 other bubble teams in the SEC isn't a lock?

Missouri blows a 77-73 lead with 12 seconds left. They foul A&M, makes 2 FT's, steal the inbound pass and make a lay-up. Now in double OT...

Azubuike24;1589913 wrote:They beat Memphis, a decent Louisiana Tech who needs to win C-USA, a bubble team in Colorado, Kansas at home and 2 bubble or slightly better teams in Texas and Kansas State.

How on earth are they a single digit seed, yet Arkansas with wins over SMU, Minnesota, Clemson, Kentucky twice and 3 other bubble teams in the SEC isn't a lock?

See my hate for Joe Lunardi. He's nothing but a sideshow.

As I said, I've never been on board the Oklahoma State bus, but I'm sort of starting to resign to the idea that, despite not really earning a bid -- at least to this point -- they're probably getting one.

My hope is that some other teams like Arkansas, Utah, Cal, etc. all play great and somehow steal their bid. That'd make me happy, for whatever reason. Not really sure why. I don't hate Marcus Smart. I just don't want to see him be happy and make the tournament, I guess, lol.

Well, IMO, Arkansas and Cal will get bids. However, what you need to hope for is teams like Seton Hall, Houston, Illinois and maybe some others make a run. There are some conference tournaments this year where honestly, the favorites have zero motivation to perform well. For instance, there isn't much of an incentive for Arizona or Florida to dominate. They are locks for #1's and I'm not sure if they are all gung-ho about playing 3 games in 3 days.

Joe Lunardi still has Nova as the last number one seed. He says that Wisconsin/Michigan or Duke/Syracuse would have to win their tournaments to be considered. Wut?

More and more I am under the impression that he just tries to be as controversial as possible with his picks. He's just an idiot. Nova is done. They just lost to the last seed in the first round of their tournament and have no quality OOC wins aside from Kansas and really no super-quality conference wins (having lost to Creighton twice, in humiliating fashion).

Auburn fires Tony Barbee. 4 years and gone. 16-54 in the SEC including 0-4 in the conference tournament. I expect him on UK's staff next season.

I want to like Marcus Smart. I love that he spurned the NBA and came back. I want more kids to do that. I so want to cheer for him and have him make a deep run.

But I cant and I dont. Dude exposed himself (personality wise) this year and he is pretty much a douche, imo.

All that said, the bubble is so incredibly putrid, they have to be in. Losing to Kansas wont change that. Now, if they were playing someone else this round, it might. But a loss today, because of the opponent, wont diminish their chances. It wont help them either, obviously. But, because I think they are in, todays game is house money for them...

reclegend22;1589925 wrote:Joe Lunardi still has Nova as the last number one seed. He says that Wisconsin/Michigan or Duke/Syracuse would have to win their tournaments to be considered. Wut?

More and more I am under the impression that he just tries to be as controversial as possible with his picks. He's just an idiot. Nova is done. They just lost to the last seed in the first round of their tournament and have no quality OOC wins aside from Kansas and really no super-quality conference wins (having lost to Creighton twice, in humiliating fashion).

While we might disagree with a ton of stuff, he ends up nailing most of his bubble selections. The seeding, however, has never been a strong suit of his lol.

However, if those teams above all lose, Nova just might sneak into that 1 seed.

What's shitty is, say Syracuse or Wisconsin wins their conference tournament? That would mean they end up getting at least 2 likely top 50 wins. The committee, who of course, isn't going to consider Sunday's games, may still reward Nova. Despite the Big East not being nearly as good as any of the other power 5 leagues + the AAC, they will still possibly get the seed AND not have to go out West because Zona actually represents a West team.

Nova, who doesn't at all deserve a 1, might just end up a 1 in freaking New York City...as it's pretty clear that Wichita will get Indianapolis, IN, Florida will get Memphis, TN and Arizona will get Anaheim, CA. It's a major crock, especially if Cuse wins the ACC and DOES NOT get the #1 in NYC.

Laley23;1589930 wrote:While we might disagree with a ton of stuff, he ends up nailing most of his bubble selections. The seeding, however, has never been a strong suit of his lol.

However, if those teams above all lose, Nova just might sneak into that 1 seed.

Do you personally think Nova is more deserving than a Wisconsin or Syracuse or Michigan who loses in, say, the semis or final of their conference tournaments? I don't, but who knows what the committee is thinking.

If the Big Ten teams lose and Syracuse reaches the ACC final, even with the two horrible losses the Orange suffered late in the year to Boston College and Georgia Tech, I don't see how they don't deserve a one over Villanova, if that's the other team it comes down to. Syracuse crushed Nova and has a better collection of overall wins: Duke, North Carolina, Nova (lol), Baylor, Cal and possibly Duke again.

Friars blasting the Johnnies at MSG. 50-37. Essentially a play-in game.

SMU probably played their way out. 3 straight losses to finish.

Play in at best, I think.

Providence up on St Johns in a game they both need to have.

Mulva;1589944 wrote:SMU probably played their way out. 3 straight losses to finish.

Play in at best, I think.

Providence up on St Johns in a game they both need to have.

I think SMU is probably an 11, maybe a 12. They are a little ahead of the play-in because the AAC was far better than expected. BPI of 31, that's way ahead of many, many other bubble teams. Same for Tennessee at 34 and Arkansas at 39. Others like...

Providence 55 (5th out)
Nebraska 57 (7th in)
California 65 (first out)

reclegend22;1589938 wrote:Do you personally think Nova is more deserving than a Wisconsin or Syracuse or Michigan who loses in, say, the semis or final of their conference tournaments? I don't, but who knows what the committee is thinking.

If the Big Ten teams lose and Syracuse reaches the ACC final, even with the two horrible losses the Orange suffered late in the year to Boston College and Georgia Tech, I don't see how they don't deserve a one over Villanova, if that's the other team it comes down to. Syracuse crushed Nova and has a better collection of overall wins: Duke, North Carolina, Nova (lol), Baylor, Cal and possibly Duke again.

No. Ive stated for awhile how bad I think Nova is. They got drilled by 50 in their 2 games versus the only other team in the Big East, Creighton. Im just saying, I can easily see the committee clinging to the idea that Nova is a 1. If they had them as a 1 before today, and all contenders do what they did (lose in conference tourney), I can see them saying..."fuck it, guess its back to Nova!" lol.

While I also believe they are overrated and not built for March (or ever), put Syracuse and Nova's resumes side by side and somehow justify it should be Villanova over the Cuse.

The Cuse has better wins. The Cuse plays in a better league. The Cuse beat Nova by 16 head to head. This isn't even pending Syracuse wins the ACC. Even if they lose in the Semis to Duke...

Laley23;1589948 wrote:No. Ive stated for awhile how bad I think Nova is. They got drilled by 50 in their 2 games versus the only other team in the Big East, Creighton. Im just saying, I can easily see the committee clinging to the idea that Nova is a 1. If they had them as a 1 before today, and all contenders do what they did (lose in conference tourney), I can see them saying..."fuck it, guess its back to Nova!" lol.

Yeah, unfortunately, I could see that too. Definitely not right. Hopefully one of the ACC teams makes a statement then, because I do know, at least from past years, that the committee will take the 1:00 ACC game into consideration on Sunday (even if they don't the 4:00 Big Ten game, for whatever bizarre reason). Wisconsin is the most deserving of all the remaining possibilities, though, which is stupid.

In other news, Utah getting pummeled by Arizona. It was a good season.