North Carolina

National Champions by the Numbers

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:57:22 -0400

This time of the year brings out all kinds of strategies in regards to how one will fill out their bracket. Opinions, uniform colors and mascots are just three of the dozens of ideas that people throughout the nation (and in some cases outside of the US) have in regards to turning in that winning bracket. But what about the statistics of recent champions? Those numbers can go a long way in showing which teams have the best shot at cutting down the nets on April 5^th. Below are the numbers (and national rankings in that particular year) for each of the last six national champions. Does your favorite fit the “profile”?

2003-04 (Connecticut)

Points per game: 78.8 ppg (17^th)

Field goal percentage: 48.0 (16^th)

Three-point percentage: 40.2 (5^th)

Efficiency: 112.0 (13^th)

Free throw percentage: 62.3 (312^th)

Field goal percentage defense: 36.9 (1^st)

Rebounding margin: 9.7 (1^st)

Assist/Turnover Ratio: 1.3 (4^th)

2004-05 (North Carolina)

Points per game: 88.0 (1^st)

Field goal percentage: 49.9 (5^th)

Three-point percentage: 40.3 (7^th)

Efficiency: 115.7 (6^th)

Free throw percentage: 72.5 (54^th)

Field goal percentage defense: 40.1 (26^th)

Rebounding margin: 7.5 (8^th)

Assist/Turnover ratio: 1.2 (18^th)

2005-06 (Florida)

Points per game: 78.3 (22^nd)

Field goal percentage: 50.0 (2^nd)

Three-point percentage: 39.2 (15^th)

Efficiency: 113.9 (2^nd)

Free throw percentage: 74.4 (34^th)

Field goal percentage defense: 39.9% (21^st)

Rebounding margin: 3.6 (59^th)

Assist/Turnover ratio: 1.2 (17^th)

2006-07 (Florida)

Points per game: 79.8 (11^th)

Field goal percentage: 52.6 (1^st)

Three-point percentage: 40.9 (9^th)

Efficiency: 118.4 (1^st)

Free throw percentage: 69.0 (168^th)

Field goal percentage defense: 40.7 (38^th)

Rebounding margin: 8.5 (4^th)

Assist/Turnover ratio: 1.1 (42^nd)

2007-08 (Kansas)

Points per game: 80.5 (13^th)

Field goal percentage: 50.8 (2^nd)

Three-point percentage: 39.7 (14^th)

Efficiency: 116.6 (2^nd)

Free throw percentage: 70.3 (131^st)

Field goal percentage defense: 37.3 (3^rd)

Rebounding margin: 7.9 (5^th)

Assist/Turnover ratio: 1.4 (2^nd)

2008-09 (North Carolina)

Points per game: 89.8 (2^nd)

Field goal percentage: 48.0 (15^th)

Three-point percentage: 38.7 (21^st)

Efficiency: 118.3 (1^st)

Free throw percentage: 75.2 (19^th)

Field goal percentage defense: 41.0 (60^th)

Rebounding margin: 6.3 (17^th)

Assist/Turnover ratio: 1.45 (3^rd)

Average Champ

Points per game: 11th

Field goal percentage: 7th

Three-point percentage: 9th

Efficiency: 7th

Free throw percentage: 102nd

Field goal percentage defense: 25th

Rebounding margin: 16th

Assist/Turnover Ratio: 14th

Trends

- Each of the last six national champions ranked in the Top 25 in scoring offense and FG%. Focus on picking teams that have high-octane, fast-tempo offenses.

- Only Florida’s second national title team and North Carolina last season finished outside of the Top 25 in field goal percentage defense. When looking at quality of defense, focus on FG% against as opposed to total points given up.

- The Gators are also the only national champ out of the last six to not rank in the Top 20 in assist/turnover ratio.

- With the exception of Florida’s first title team each of the last six national champs ranked in the Top 20 in rebounding margin.

- North Carolina (2009) was the worst three-point shooting team of the last six champs and they ranked 21^st nationally. This goes hand in hand with why the last four champions are ranked either the 1^st or 2^nd most efficient offensive teams.

- Connecticut (2004) and North Carolina (2009) are the only titlists to rank outside of the Top 10 in field goal percentage.

This year’s field contenders in relation

- Of the eight teams on the top two seed lines, four (West Virginia, Kansas, Ohio State and Syracuse) rank in the Top 25 in assist/turnover ratio. Duke comes in at 29^th and Kentucky 119^th to round out the top seeds while Kansas State is 113^th and Villanova is 130^th to complete the two line.

- Kansas (3^rd) and Kentucky (7^th) both rank in the Top 10 in field goal percentage defense while Syracuse (33^rd) and Duke (48^th) are further down the totem pole. In regards to the two line, none rank in the Top 50 in this category; Villanova is the highest-ranked at 56^th.

- Three of the nation’s Top 10 scoring teams are on either the one or two seed line. Villanova (3^rd), Kansas (5^th) and Syracuse (6^th) lead the way while Kansas State (13^th), Kentucky (17^th) and Duke (21^st) reside within the Top 25.

- Kansas (5^th) is the only team out of these eight ranked in the Top 10 in three-point percentage. Ohio State (21^st), Syracuse (25^th) and Duke (28^th) are all within the Top 30.

- Kentucky (6^th), West Virginia (9^th) and Kansas (13^th) are the best teams in the field in regards to rebounding margin. Duke (19^th) and Kansas State (29^th) aren’t far behind.

- Kansas, Duke and Syracuse all rank in the Top 10 in offensive efficiency while Villanova, Ohio State, West Virginia and Kentucky are all in the Top 20. Kansas State goes into the Tournament ranked 36^th.

Possible Interlopers: Baylor, New Mexico. If the numbers prove to be “honest” the pool of teams with the best shot of winning the national title may not be as deep as originally thought. But the numbers aren’t everything; expect this year’s national champ to have at least one statistical characteristic that doesn’t fall in line with the last six champions.

UNC 2010 NIT Capsule

Joel Welser — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:13:00 -0400

North Carolina Tar Heels

Atlantic Coast Conference (16-16, 5-11)

Seed: #4

Big Wins: 11/19 vs Ohio State (77-73), 12/1 Michigan State (89-82), 2/27 at Wake Forest (77-68)

Bad Losses: 1/4 at Charleston (79-82), 1/31 Virginia (60-75), 2/20 at Boston College (67-71)

Coach: Roy Williams

Why They Can Surprise:

How did we get here? The reigning national champions certainly lost a ton of a talent, but this is not as inexperienced of a team as they appear to be when they are on the floor. The good news is one of the senior leaders has stepped up his game in the frontcourt. Deon Thompson was supposed to have his breakout year and it would be considered a breakout year if anybody was paying attention to North Carolina. The 6-8 senior is averaging a solid 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds. There is not much else he can do for this team.

The frontcourt gets pretty young after Thompson. Tyler Zeller is a good interior scorer when he is healthy and he is finally healthy again. He lacks the toughness to hit the glass effectively, but he is getting better every day. John Henson has stepped in nicely as a freshman. He is not much of a scorer at this point in his career, but he can step outside and hit the mid-range jumper and battle in the paint. Add Travis Wear to the mix and UNC has plenty of talented options to supplement Thompson up front. However, it would be even better if Ed Davis was around, but a broken left wrist will keep Ed Davis on the sidelines in March.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Believe it or not most of the experienced players are in the backcourt. But that is where this team struggles so much. The defense is awful at times and nobody wants to hit an outside shot. This is a team full of athletes and nobody wants to play defense or shoot the ball. Well plenty of people want to shoot the ball, but it would be helpful if somebody could make it. Yet, it is the turnovers that are the biggest problem. Larry Drew II has done an admirable job. Not only is he one of two legitimate shooting threats on the team, but he also dishes out 6.0 assists per contest. The turnovers are high for the sophomore and the Tar Heels cannot win if their turnovers stay as high as they have been. Marcus Ginyard and Dexter Strickland are also capable ball handlers and can score by attacking the basket.

Who To Watch:

The one consistent shooter on this team is Will Graves. The 6-6 wing connects on 37.0 percent of his attempts from long range and hits about two per game. Most of his shooting does come from the perimeter, but Graves is smart enough to know that the frontcourt needs his help on the glass and he provides it. Another intriguing guard on this team is Leslie McDonald. He was supposed to be the great shooter on the team, but his numbers are not pretty. Yet, he has been playing his best ball late in the year.

Probable Starters:

Larry Drew II, Sophomore, Guard, 8.4 ppg, 6.0 apg

Marcus Ginyard, Senior, Guard, 8.0 ppg, 2.9 apg, 4.8 rpg

Will Graves, Junior, Forward, 9.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg

John Henson, Freshman, Forward, 5.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.6 bpg

Deon Thompson, Senior, Forward, 13.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Leslie McDonald, Freshman, Guard, 3.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg

Dexter Strickland, Freshman, Guard, 5.4 ppg, 1.9 apg

Travis Wear, Freshman, Forward, 3.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg

Tyler Zeller, Sophomore, Forward, 9.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 75.7 (44^th in nation, 3^rd in conference)

Scoring Defense: 72.6 (274, 12)

Field-Goal Percentage: 44.7 (108, 7)

Field-Goal Defense: 41.4 (86, 8)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.8 (287, 10)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: na

Free-Throw Percentage: 65.6 (266, 10)

Rebound Margin: 5.5 (23, 2)

Assists Per Game: 15.6 (26, 2)

Turnovers Per Game: 15.6 (294, 10)

Joel’s Bracket Says: First Round loss to William & Mary

Follow Joel Welser's Postseason Capsules & College Basketball Previews on Twitter@Joel_Welser and on his Facebook page. Joel will be back in June for his annual Top 144 Teams in 144 Days preview on CollegeHoops.net

Poll: Who Will Win the ACC Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:11:22 -0500

Poll: How Good Will North Carolina Be Next Year?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:35:58 -0500

College Hoops Wednesday Recap: Lobos Win in Las Vegas

Raphielle Johnson — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:38:44 -0500

So, how did the first half between New Mexico and UNLV turn out? More than a valid question given the four-overtime contest between TCU and Utah (womens) that spanned the entire first half of Wednesday's game of the night. The Lobos went into the locker room with a 40-28 lead thanks to shooting 15-for-29 from the field and outrebounding the Rebels 23-12. On the verge of turning into a one-sided affair with the lead getting up to as many as eighteen points (61-43), the game actually saved its best drama for when the nation was tuned in. Lon Kruger's team made a 20-4 run to close to within two points (65-63) with 3:38 to go but a Darington Hobson putback moved the game past the one-possession barrier for good.

With the 76-66 win the Lobos take over first place in the Mountain West and gain a valuable season split with UNLV. The differences on Wednesday night: rebounding and three-point shooting. The Lobos were a plus-9 on the boards (35-26) in the first meeting but Steve Alford's club was flat-out dominant in the rematch, outrebounding UNLV 45-23 and grabbing seventeen offensive boards (take away UNM's defensive boards and they would have been just a minus-6). The rebounding edge led to a 19-2 advantage in second chance points, a huge disparity given the teams combining for six fast break points. The Lobos also made eleven of twenty-one shots from behind the arc while also doing a far better job of defending the three-point line.

UNLV made just ten of thirty three-pointers, including 3-for-14 in the first half. In the first meeting the Rebels hit eleven of twenty-six and Kendall Wallace accounted for six of those makes (seven attempts). Wednesday night Wallace made three of six and Tre'Von Willis hit just one (five attempts). Oscar Bellfield led the Rebels with 15 points but they were unable to wrestle away control of the game. Darington Hobson and Roman Martinez scored sixteen points apiece while Dairese Gary (15) and Phillip McDonald (13) also reached double figures.

"I thought we did a good job executing offensively," said Coach Alford after the game. "You come into Vegas and come into this building and we never trailed. We led start to finish, so this is a very, very impressive night. They played outstanding basketball (quote courtesy of golobos.com)."

Three Key Happenings

1. Connecticut and North Carolina leave opportunities on the table, but the Huskies are better equipped to still make a run. Both UConn and UNC went into their games on Wednesday needing wins to turn things back in the proper direction; both are at the point where moral victories earn you nothing more than a pat on the back and a directive to get the next one. But after dropping said games the Huskies look to be better equipped to fight their way into the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies fell 72-67 at Syracuse, fighting back from a 16-point second half deficit to have a shot to win in the final minute. Of course the timeout granted the Orange with just over 35 seconds remaining will receive much of the attention but that whistle didn't tell Jerome Dyson to attempt a contested 25-footer with the Huskies down just two.

Should John Cahill granted the timeout? It was clearly called by Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim while Scoop Jardine was still in possession of the basketball. But it wasn't granted until Stanley Robinson had possession, which is where the controversy lies. As for the result itself the Huskies used the usual formula of their big three (Dyson, Robinson and Kemba Walker) doing the scoring with Gavin Edwards providing the appearance of a bench presence. In order for UConn to pull off a run for an NCAA Tournament berth they need a Jamal Coombs-McDaniel (or anyone else for that matter) to provide some scoring.

As for the Tar Heels the lack of a player who can be a consistent primary scoring option late combined with some shockingly poor rebounding in the final ten minutes to result in Duke's 64-54 victory. One of the taller teams in college basketball you wouldn't expect rebounding to be an issue especially with Duke losing Lance Thomas to a knee injury but the Blue Devils grabbed 19 offensive boards and Jon Scheyer made key shots late. Not trying to make a direct correlation since Carolina is a far more talented team but the issue of lacking a bona fide primary scorer is very similar to what St. John's is going through. And in late-game situations that deficiency will get you beat more times than not.

2. Dayton announces its return to the A-10 race, and Richmond also makes a statement. Dayton's home game against Charlotte was a big one for both with the Flyers needing a win to remain in the Atlantic 10 race while Bobby Lutz' 49ers would have moved one step closer to an NCAA bid with a positive result. Chris Wright made sure there was no doubt who the better team was, scoring 30 points while grabbing nine rebounds in the 75-47 beating. But even with his performance the real star at UD Arena was the Flyers' defense, holding Charlotte to 25% shooting from the field and forcing 13 turnovers to just six 49er assists. The win moved Dayton to within a game in the loss column of first place and given how they've played in decisive wins over Xavier and Charlotte Brian Gregory's team could come through on the preseason expectations of winning the league.

As for who's now in first place, Richmond picked up one of Wednesday's more impressive results in their 69-67 win at Rhode Island as a result they're tied with Xavier atop the A-10. A Keith Cothran three-pointer missed with one second remaining to preserve the win, one the Spiders earned by shooting 58.3% from the field (73.7% in the second half). David Gonzalvez (19 points) and Kevin Anderson (18) led the way for Chris Mooney's team while Dan Geriot added 12 points off the bench. Richmond, who limits opponents to 29.1% from behind the arc, held the Rams to 3-for-15 and that stat likely made the difference. The win should erase any doubt in regards to Richmond's tournament hopes. Barring a collapse they'll be in the field.

3. Sometimes getting to the tournament is more about not showing that you don't belong. That statement refers to Northwestern, who have at the least put themselves right behind the proverbial 8-ball with their disappointing effort at Iowa, falling 78-65 to the Big Ten's 10th place team. The Hawkeyes hit twelve three pointers for the game as the Wildcats had numerous defensive lapses, even allowing three-point specialist Devan Bawinkel hit five shots from distance. Why's Bawinkel's performance so alarming? Because he's yet to attempt or make a two-point shot. Although he's a very good shooter from deep you would think that was mentioned in the scout leading up to the game.

"We just got smacked. They just started making shots right from the beginning and their good shooters were getting the ball," remarked head coach Bill Carmody. "It was like we disregarded the scouting report on [Devan] Bawinkel. We picked other guys to guard tight leaving him open and he's a terrific shooter (quote courtesy of hawkeyesports.com)." Three other Hawkeyes scored in double figures with Matt Gatens scoring a team-high 16 while Michael Thompson led the Wildcats with a game-high 20. But this a crucial loss for Northwestern, who could learn the hard way that a team can also distinguish itself to the selection committee by losing games it should win.

Top Three Games

1. Richmond 69, Rhode Island 67 See above.

2. Miami 64, Georgia Tech 62 The Yellow Jackets dropped a game that on paper they should have won, having to come back from a double-digit halftime deficit only to have James Dews knock down a jumper as time expired. Brian Oliver led all scorers with 19 while Dwayne Collins led the Hurricanes with 13.

3. Nevada 67, Idaho 66 An Armon Johnson three-point play with just under three seconds to go proved to be the difference in Moscow. Johnson led all scorers with 23 points and Luke Babbitt added 21 and seven rebounds while Mac Hopson led the Vandals with 17.

Three Notable Performances

1. F Chris Wright (Dayton) 30 points and nine rebounds in the Flyers' 75-47 pasting of Charlotte.

2. G Josh Davis (Samford) 30 points (7-13 3PT) and seven rebounds in the Bulldogs' 78-54 road win over Chattanooga.

3. F Kawhi Leonard (San Diego State) 26 points (10-14 FG) and eight rebounds in the Aztecs' 88-57 win over Wyoming.

Honorable Mention: TCU 105, Utah 96 (womens) This four overtime game is why the nation missed the first half of the New Mexico/Utah game and to be honest the extra sessions were entertaining to watch. Utah's Kalee Whipple scored a Mountain West-record 45 points, which included an improbable three pointer to send the game into a fourth overtime.

Rivalry Weak? Duke Should Roll North Carolina

John P. Wise — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:14:43 -0500

Evan Turner wasn't necessarily a highlight reel Sunday, but his overall play was instrumental yet again in Ohio State's most recent triumph.

The visiting Buckeyes blasted a pretty good Illinois team riding a five-game winning streak, including a pair of victories over Big Ten heavies Michigan State and Wisconsin.

But OSU, enjoying its own five-game trend heading into the game, got splendid perimeter play from juniors Jon Diebler and David Lighty, and Turner was more than comfortable setting them up.

The trio combined for 51 points, including ET's 16, part of a near-triple double that also included 11 rebounds and eight assists.

Outside of maybe Kansas' Sherron Collins, no player is more valuable to his team than Turner. For some reason, OSU's huge game against Purdue on Wednesday is not scheduled to be televised, but if you watch the Bucks play at Michigan State -- another large conference clash -- on Sunday (Noon, CBS), you'll see he does everything for his team. Not only leading the offense and sharing the basketball, but also energizing an increasingly active defense. Illinois had absolutely no answers for OSU's zone on Sunday.

Turner and the Buckeyes kind of remind me of Francisco Garcia and the 2005 Louisville Cardinals, who started to peak in February and rode a balanced offense all the way to the Final Four. Garcia was clearly the most dangerous weapon on that team, but his supporting cast was more than capable, and his unselfishness only made them better.

Further proof of Turner's value to his team comes next season, when he'll probably be playing in the NBA and the Buckeyes, who bring back every other starter, likely will struggle without him.

BIG UPSETS IN BIG EAST: Speaking of Louisville, the Cardinals got a huge resume win at Syracuse Sunday, and now with two winnable games up next, Rick Pitino's bunch appears headed for an NCAA bid.

As hard as Louisville tried to give the game away -- the Cards missed five free throws and turned the ball over in the final 1:41 -- the visitors held on to beat the Orange for the fifth straight time. The teams meet again in the season finale for both in Louisville on March 6.

And although Rutgers isn't headed to the NCAA Tournament, the Scarlet Knights earned a nice win over visiting Georgetown on Sunday. A Jekyll-and-Hyde stretch that includes wins over Duke and Villanova has seen the Hoyas drop three of their last six games. Georgetown has Syracuase and West Virginia on its remaining schedule, so the Hoyas will still be able to bolster their resume for a favorable NCAA seed.

FINAL FOUR PICKS: It seems like more teams are playing themselves out of top seeds than into them. Kansas and Kentucky could be a delicious championship game, but Syracuse, a team I've liked all season, struggled at home to beat a weak Connecticut squad before losing at home to Louisville. Just a February bump or a sign of something bigger?

+ EAST: Villanova (Duke)
+ SOUTH: Kentucky (West Virginia)
+ MIDWEST: Kansas (Michigan State)
+ WEST: Syracuse (Gonzaga)
+ SLEEPER: Siena

DePAUL OFFERS SCHOLARSHIP TO 14-YEAR-OLD: DePaul has offered a basketball scholarship to 14-year-old Jahlil Okafor, and that doesn't sit well with ESPN analyst Bob Knight.

"If I were a parent, I wouldn't want anybody talking to my son about going to college until he's on his way toward finishing high school," he said on SportsCenter on Monday morning. Didn't Knight do just about the same thing with Damon Bailey 25 years ago?

TUBE TIME: I still can't get over the Purdue-Ohio State game not being televised, but there are a few good ones coming up later this week:

+ Thursday: Syracuse at Georgetown, 7 p.m., ESPN2
+ Saturday: Illinois at Purdue, 4 p.m., ESPN
+ Saturday: Kentucky at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m., ESPN

John P. Wise is the editor of OneGreatSeason.com. He can be reached at jpwise3@hotmail.com.

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:31:39 -0500

While UConn/Syracuse and Duke/North Carolina have been given the ESPN stage on Wednesday night neither one is the biggest game of the night. For that honor, look out west where UNLV hosts New Mexico in a game matching two of the three teams tied for first place in the Mountain West. The Lobos have won seven straight since losing 74-62 to the Runnin' Rebels back on January 9th, and in addition to the revenge angle Steve Alford's team needs the win to avoid losing out on an important tiebreaker. Lon Kruger's team has won five straight, most recently soundly defeating BYU on Saturday with Tre'Von Willis putting together a dominant performance. With Willis and UNM's Darington Hobson on the floor this game promises to be an exciting affair.

The difference-maker in the first meeting wasn't Willis however. Kendall Wallace made six of seven three-pointers in the second half to help the Rebels end New Mexico's 19-game home win streak, and UNLV made eleven of twenty-three from behind the arc. The UNLV defense was also effective, limiting the Lobos to 36% shooting from the field and 4-for-18 from behind the arc. And while the Lobos were a plus-9 in rebounding margin, they also had twelve turnovers to ten assists while UNLV finished with twenty assists and just eight turnovers.

If players such as Roman Martinez and Dairese Gary can get their offense going the Lobos will score points on the top field goal percentage defense in the Mountain West. But the key for New Mexico will be how they defend the Rebels' versatile offensive options. Outside of Willis there are a number of players that can hurt you on any given night, as UNM learned in the first meeting. And with a road record of 6-2 Coach Alford's team has the mettle needed to pick up the win in Las Vegas. As for the rest of Wednesday's schedule the goal is quite simple for Connecticut and North Carolina if they want to find their way to the NCAA Tournament.

They both need wins, especially against top competition. The Huskies have yet to win a true road game and their one neutral win came over LSU. Not going to get it done. And with their lack of depth and inconsistent offense it's going to be tough sledding at the Carrier Dome. At least the Tar Heels get Duke at home; Roy Williams' young team will need to feed off of a crowd that goes wild when the Blue Devils invade Chapel Hill. But can Carolina execute offensively with efficiency? If so they can hang around, but turnovers will be an easy way to get blown out of the Dean Dome.

TV GAMES

6:30p BTN Ohio St at Indiana
7p ESPN Connecticut at Syracuse
7p ESPN2 Florida State at Clemson
7p CSS UCF at Memphis
7p ESPN+/MASN UNCW at Towson
8:30p BTN Northwestern at Iowa
9p ESPN (Raycom in ACC markets) Duke at North Carolina *
9p ESPN2 Baylor at Nebraska
9p ESPNU Virginia Tech at N.C. State
10:30 MTN Wyoming at San Diego St
11p ESPN2 Nevada at Idaho
11p CBS C New Mexico at UNLV

OTHER GAMES

7p Charlotte at Dayton
7p Maine at Stony Brook
7p Navy at Lehigh
8p Florida at South Carolina

ONE PREDICTION

UNLV over New Mexico: Don't see this turning into the beating that ensued on Saturday afternoon when BYU visited Thomas & Mack but the Rebels will pick up the win. They've been a solid defensive team all year long; the improvement of their offense of late will ultimately be the difference in a close contest.

Poll: Will UNC (13-8, 2-4) Make the NCAA Tournament?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:12:21 -0500

NCAA Bracketology: UNC Drops 5 Seeds

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:29:25 -0500

The weekly Bracketology field is based on how the tourney looks "as of this moment." The field below is not necessarily who I think deserves to be in, but simply a prediction of what the committee would do as things stand. In late February, I release Bracketology updates daily as the season approaches crunch time.

Why should you care what I have to say? In 2007 & 2008, I was considered to have one of the Top 2 or 3 brackets amongst 53 national experts including Joe Lunardi, Gary Parrish and the like. (Admittedly my 2009 final bracket was rather weak.. not sure what happened. Can't win 'em all.)

Notes:

Arrows indicate movement by seed. Green indicates new to the field this week. Conference champions are not my end of season predictions, but current leaders. (Ties atop conference standings go to the higher RPI team).

ONE

Kansas**

TWO

Duke

THREE

FOUR

Temple**

Gonzaga**

Wisconsin

BYU**

FIVE

Vanderbilt

SIX

Butler**

SEVEN

UAB**

EIGHT

NINE

Oklahoma St

TEN

Cornell**

ELEVEN

Old Dominion**

Maryland**

William & Mary

TWELVE

North Carolina

Siena**

Richmond

Cincinnati

THIRTEEN

Louisiana Tech**

Northwestern

Murray State**

Charleston**

FOURTEEN

Oakland**

Weber St**

Coastal Carolina**

Pacific**

FIFTEEN

Sam Houston St**

Arkansas St**

Morgan St**

Maine**

SIXTEEN + ONE

Central Michigan**

Lehigh**

Campbell**

Quinnipiac** / Texas Southern**

** = Automatic Bid

League Leaders/Winners (31)

- Leaders throughout the season are merely the first place team in the standings as of the update, and not projected winners. Ties go to the higher RPI team. New teams this week in green.

America East - Maine

A-10 - Temple

ACC - Maryland

Atlantic Sun - Campbell

Big 12 - Kansas

Big East - Villanova

Big Sky - Weber St

Big South - Coastal Carolina

Big Ten - Michigan St

Big West - Pacific

CAA - Old Dominion

Conference USA - UAB

Horizon - Butler

Ivy - Cornell

MAAC - Siena

MAC - Central Michigan

MEAC - Morgan St

MVC - Northern Iowa

MWC - BYU

Northeast - Quinnipiac

Ohio Valley - Murray St

Pac-10 - California

Patriot - Lehigh

SEC - Kentucky

Southern - Charleston

Southland - Sam Houston St

SWAC - Texas Southern

Summit - Oakland

Sun Belt - Arkansas St

WAC - Louisiana Tech

WCC - Gonzaga

*** = Locked Up Automatic Bid

Last In: Richmond, Virginia Tech, Northwestern, Notre Dame

Last Out: Arizona St, Notre Dame, Florida, Virginia Tech

Further Four: Seton Hall, Louisville, Tulsa, Virginia

Dropped Out Of Field (at-large): Arizona St, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech

College Hoops Wednesday: Your Commentary

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:22:12 -0500

Wednesday sets up to be an intriguing day in college basketball given some of the matchups. Connecticut and North Carolina set out to stop the bleeding with conference home games and the Huskies will be without head coach Jim Calhoun against St. John's. George Blaney, who has plenty of head coaching experience, will take over until Coach Calhoun returns and the Huskies need a win going into their game against Texas on Saturday. But the Red Storm can be a dangerous foe given their depth and willingness to compete for forty minutes.
The Tar Heels have yet another tough matchup at home, taking on a Wake Forest team eager to pull off a big win on Tobacco Road. The Demon Deacons had their shot at Duke on Sunday night but saw the game turn on a questionable intentional foul call in the second half. Led by point guard Ish Smith and forward Al-Farouq Aminu, Dino Gaudio's team has more than enough talent to pull off the win at the Dean Dome. But the Tar Heels will be fired up given their overall performance in a home loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday. However, if Larry Drew and the rest of the backcourt struggles to take care of the ball it could be a long night in Chapel Hill for the home team.
Other games of interest include Georgetown visiting Pittsburgh in what could be the game of the night, UTEP attempting to break Memphis' Conference USA win streak and Michigan visiting Wisconsin in search of another resume-building win. The key for Georgetown will be the consistency of point guard Chris Wright. Hindered by foul trouble on Sunday at Villanova, Wright has to contribute alongside Greg Monroe and Austin Freeman if the Hoyas are to pick up the road victory. And in their home game against a talented UTEP squad Memphis needs a consistent effort from Wesley Witherspoon. Blessed with great talent, the sophomore has the maddening ability to drift into and out of games. That cannot happen if the Tigers are to defend their home floor.
TV GAMES
6:30p BTN Iowa at Michigan St
7p ESPN Wake Forest at North Carolina
7p ESPN2 South Florida at Cincinnati
7p ESPNU Georgetown at Pittsburgh
8p CBS-College UTEP at Memphis
8p MTN Wyoming at BYU
8:30 BTN Michigan at Wisconsin
9p ESPN2 Baylor at Kansas
9p ESPNU Colorado at Oklahoma State
9p Raycom Duke at NC State
10p MTN UNLV at Colorado St
OTHER GAMES
7p St. John's at Connecticut
7p Xavier at Temple
7p Charlotte at Richmond
7:30p William & Mary at VCU
8:05p Creighton at Illinois St
9p West Virginia at Marshall
ONE PREDICTION
Memphis over UTEP: There's no doubt that the Miners have the ability to leave Memphis with a win given the talent of players such as Randy Culpepper and Derrick Caracter. But when it comes to the Tigers and Conference USA they have simply found ways to win games and keep their streak alive. Look for a big night from Elliot Williams as the Tigers remain undefeated in league play.