Don’t get confused. This post is not any sort of resurrection for this blog. The splendorous free time of sophomore and junior year are over for me, and as a result so is this blog, as senior year continues to dominate me. But if you thought I wasn’t going to defend my title against Joe Lunardi, you’ve lost your mind. A perfect 65-for-65 last year to follow 64 out of 65 the season before (if you don’t believe me check the archives). I haven’t had as much time to watch college basketball this season, but I’ve made up for it this last week and I’ve done my homework. There’s obviously no point in listing the automatic bids, so I’ll just hit you with the at-large bids. It’s time to give the people what they want. Here you go:
The first 30 at-large bids (in no particular order):
Xavier
Richmond
Clemson
Florida State
Georgia Tech
Maryland
Wake Forest
Baylor
Kansas State
Missouri
Oklahoma State
Texas
Texas A&M
Georgetown
Louisville
Marquette
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Villanova
Syracuse
Michigan State
Purdue
Wisconsin
BYU
New Mexico
UNLV
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
Gonzaga
UTEP
Last Four In:
Minnesota
Virginia Tech
Illinois
Florida
First Four Out:
Mississippi State
California
Utah State
Seton Hall
Next Four Out:
Mississippi
Rhode Island
Dayton
Arizona State
I know Minnesota just got throttled by Ohio State and Mississippi State should’ve beaten Kentucky, but the fact is Mississippi State doesn’t have the resume over the course of the season to get in. Granted they looked like a tournament team today, but while all of the last four teams in have bad losses, so does Mississippi State, California, and Utah State, but neither of them can match the big wins of the last four in. IT’S WHO YOU BEAT.
Just to prove my point, here are the mini-resumes of the last four in and the first four out:
Minnesota
Record: 21-13 (9-9)
Big Wins: Butler (neutral), Ohio State, Wisconsin, at Illinois, Michigan State (neutral), Purdue (neutral)
Bad Losses: Portland (neutral), at Miami, at Indiana, Michigan (2)
Virginia Tech
Record: 23-8 (10-6)
Big Wins: Clemson, Wake Forest, at Georgia Tech
Bad Losses: at North Carolina, at Boston College, Miami (2)
Illinois
Record: 19-14 (10-8)
Big Wins: at Clemson, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, Wisconsin (2)
Bad Losses: Utah (neutral), Bradley (neutral), at Georgia
Florida
Record: 21-12 (9-7)
Big Wins: Florida State, Michigan State (neutral), Mississippi State, Tennessee
Bad Losses: South Alabama, at Georgia, at South Carolina
Mississippi State
Record: 23-11 (9-7)
Big Wins: Old Dominion (neutral), Florida, Vanderbilt
Bad Losses: Rider, at Western Kentucky, at Alabama, at Arkansas, at Auburn
California
Record: 23-10 (13-5)
Big Wins: Washington
Bad Losses: UCLA, at Oregon State, at Arizona, at USC
Utah State
Record: 27-7
Big Wins: BYU
Bad Losses: at Long Beach State, at Utah
Seton Hall
Record: 19-12 (9-9)
Big Wins: Louisville, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame
Bad Losses: at Connecticut
UUUGGGHHH
16 years ago
