Bracketology 2024: March Madness Predictions (Version 10.4)

Posted on March 14, 2024 by Jon Teitel

For the latest CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK VIDEO NOTEBOOK – CLICK HERE

We are only 3 days away from Selection Sunday as we continue to make our NCAA tourney predictions. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel correctly picked 67 of the 68 teams that made the 2023 tourney with 65 of his 67 within 1 spot of their actual seed, including 53 right on the money. He will spend the upcoming days predicting which 68 teams will hear their names called on March 17th. See below for his list of who would make the cut if they picked the field today and if you agree or disagree then feel free to tweet us. To see how he stacks up with other websites (ranked 11th out of 174 entries over the past 5 years), check out: www.bracketmatrix.com

SEED: TEAM (CONFERENCE)
1: Purdue (Big 10)
1: Connecticut (Big East)
1: Houston (Big 12)
1: Tennessee (SEC)

2: North Carolina (ACC)
2: Arizona (Pac-12)
2: Marquette (Big East)
2: Iowa State (Big 12)

3: Creighton (Big East)
3: Baylor (Big 12)
3: Duke (ACC)
3: Kentucky (SEC)

4: Kansas (Big 12)
4: Illinois (Big 10)
4: Alabama (SEC)
4: Auburn (SEC)

5: BYU (Big 12)
5: South Carolina (SEC)
5: San Diego State (MWC)
5: Clemson (ACC)

6: Utah State (MWC)
6: Wisconsin (Big 10)
6: Texas Tech (Big 12)
6: Washington State (Pac-12)

7: Nevada (MWC)
7: Dayton (A-10)
7: St. Mary’s (WCC): AUTO-BID
7: Florida (SEC)

8: Gonzaga (WCC)
8: Boise State (MWC)
8: Northwestern (Big 10)
8: Texas (Big 12)

9: Colorado State (MWC)
9: Nebraska (Big 10)
9: FAU (AAC)
9: TCU (Big 12)

10: Oklahoma (Big 12)
10: Michigan State (Big 10)
10: Seton Hall (Big East)
10: Mississippi State (SEC)

11: Colorado (Pac-12)
11: Virginia (ACC)
11: St. John’s (Big East)
11: Drake (MVC): AUTO-BID
11: Indiana State (MVC)
11: Princeton (Ivy)

12: Richmond (A-10)
12: James Madison (Sun Belt): AUTO-BID
12: Grand Canyon (WAC)
12: South Florida (AAC)

13: McNeese (Southland): AUTO-BID
13: Samford (SoCon): AUTO-BID
13: UC-Irvine (Big West)
13: Vermont (America East)

14: Charleston (CAA): AUTO-BID
14: Toledo (MAC)
14: Morehead State (OVC): AUTO-BID
14: Oakland (Horizon): AUTO-BID

15: Colgate (Patriot): AUTO-BID
15: Sam Houston (C-USA)
15: Montana State (Big Sky): AUTO-BID
15: South Dakota State (Summit): AUTO-BID

16: Quinnipiac (MAAC)
16: Longwood (Big South): AUTO-BID
16: Stetson (Atlantic Sun): AUTO-BID
16: Norfolk State (MEAC)
16: Grambling (SWAC)
16: Wagner (NEC): AUTO-BID

1ST 4 OUT
Iowa (Big 10)
New Mexico (MWC)
Providence (Big East)
Villanova (Big East)

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Championship Week Video Notebook: Day 10

Posted on March 14, 2024 by David Griggs

WELCOME SELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS!!! We hope you enjoyed your pasta dinner tonight!! We’ve been working hard so you can all relax and enjoy yourselves!!

Check out the HOOPS HD SURVIVAL BOARD, which shows who is a lock, who is on the bubble, and who needs the auto-bid

Also, don’t miss our CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT PAGE, which has brackets, times, and viewing information for all 32 conference tourney

Check out our new HOOPS HD TEAM SHEETS AND DEFCON RATINGS for all 362 D1 teams

Finally, be sure to keep an eye on our most recent BRACKET PROJECTIONS

Three more automatic bids were earned tonight as Colgate blew through the Patriot League final, McNeese had no trouble winning the Southland, and Montana State beat their rivals Montana after coming from behind in the second half to win the Big Sky Championship. It was also a busy day with a lot of opening round games in some of the bigger conferences. We review all that, and preview the tomorrow’s games. It’s the Thursday of Championship Week!! One of the most exciting and busiest days of the year!!

ACC QUARTERFINALS:

BIG 12 QUARTERFINALS:

BIG EAST QUARTERFINALS:

MOUNTAIN WEST QUARTERFINALS:

PAC 12 QUARTERFINALS:

ATLANTIC 10 QUARTERFINALS:

MAC QUARTERFINALS:

WAC QUARTERFINALS:

BIG WEST QUARTERFINALS:

CONFERENCE USA QUARTERFINALS:

MAAC QUARTERFINALS:

MEAC QUARTERFINALS:

SWAC QUARTERFINALS:

BIG TEN 2ND ROUND:

SEC 2ND ROUND:

AMERICAN 2ND ROUND:

And for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…

Posted in Bracketology, Championship Week Video Notebook, News and Notes, Podcasts, Survival Board, Videocasts | 1 Comment

All-Access at the ACC Tournament: 2nd round Wednesday

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Jon Teitel

Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, parents, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The ACC Tournament is taking place this week in Washington, DC, and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD will be covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of articles in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage with a recap of the ACC 2nd round quadruple-header on Wednesday.

The food vouchers keep paying great dividends: brisket sandwich with pickles/chips. Let’s tip if off:

GAME #1: Virginia Tech-Florida State
The 1st half was a tale of 2 sharpshooters. Florida State JR Jamir Watkins made a pair of threes and a couple of jumpers in the 1st 20 minutes, piggybacking off his 26-PT effort in his team’s 8-PT loss in Blacksburg last month. However, Virginia Tech JR Sean Pedulla made a few jumpers/layups in response as the Hokies eked out a 37-36 lead at halftime. Pedulla did not look too shabby in the 2nd half either, finishing with a team-high 24 PTS in 32 minutes, but Watkins was the star of the show. After the Seminoles did not make a single FT before halftime, Watkins made a whopping 14 FTs on his own in the 2nd stanza, scored a career-high 34 PTS, and almost singlehandedly willed his team to an 86-76 win and a date with UNC on Thursday afternoon.

In the postgame press conference I asked FSU coach Leonard Hamilton what it would take to beat the best since his team proved that it can play with the best (holding 2nd half leads in both of their losses to the Tar Heels this year). He smiled and said that even though his team played great for 30 minutes in both games they just need to have a complete 40-minute effort:

GAME #2: Notre Dame-Wake
I missed most of the game due to multiple scheduled interviews.

GAME #3: NC State-Syracuse
Syracuse star G Judah Mintz is from the Maryland suburbs and put on a show for his homecoming game with a couple of jumpers and a layup in the 1st half. However, NC State used the inside/outside combo of DJ Burns (who made a ton of baseline jump shots) and Michael O’Connell (who made a pair of long-range shots) to take a 35-32 halftime lead. Syracuse F Chris Bell made a trio of 3-PT shots in the 2nd stanza to try to keep his team close but it was to no avail. Burns kept dominating inside with his 275-pound frame and his co-DJ (SR G DJ Horne) came off the bench to seal the deal on both offense (16 PTS) and defense (4 STL) in an efficient 20-minute performance as the Orange went down to defeat by the score of 83-65 and a rematch with Duke on Thursday night.

In the postgame press conference I wondered if NC State coach Kevin Keatts found Duke vulnerable after his team punched them in the mouth with a 9-0 run to start the game when they hosted the Blue Devile last week. He claimed that the only thing he learned was that Duke is a really good team. “Early leads do not last” but he is excited for the opportunity to play them again:

GAME #4: Boston College-Clemson
I am sure that it was a great game but it was a long day so that is a wrap for tonight, check back tomorrow for the quarterfinal quadruple-header as the top-4 seeds take the court. Too bad that whatever halftime entertainer shows up will end up in 2nd-place as we already saw the best in the business on Wednesday: RED PANDA!!

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CAA Champs: Charleston postgame celebration!

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Jon Teitel

Here is a quick recap of the best photos I took during the Charleston postgame celebration last night:

After an OT thriller everyone on the winning team deserved a hug:

The fans who made the trip were thrilled with their decision:

Johnny Kelsey was the breakout star of last year’s CAA tourney, and this year he got to hold onto the game ball:

CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio present the championship trophy to Johnny’s father:

…which was then hoisted high into the air:

Tourney MVP Reyne Smith wrapped up the night by answering as many questions as he could:

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Oakland SR F Trey Townsend

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Jon Teitel

Yesterday Oakland beat Milwaukee 83-76 in the Horizon tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA tournament. The Golden Grizzlies made the NCAA tourney 3 times in a 7-year stretch from 2005-2011 but are finally heading back there after a 13-year absence. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Oakland SR F Trey Townsend about what it means to be in the same sentence as Kevin Durant.

You were born/raised in Michigan: what made you choose Oakland? I grew up about 25 minutes from here and my parents played basketball here so I have always been around the university and always wanted to come here.

You play for Coach Greg Kampe: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He has been coaching at this level for 40 years at 1 spot, which is a crazy stat to have. He has had such great success and motivates us to lead each other because he knows what it takes to be the best.

You are 1 of the team captains this year: what is the key to being a good leader? My co-captain Blake Lampman is more of a vocal leader but I like to lead by example. We are a perfect combination in that it gives the other guys a chance to pick and choose how they connect with us.

You led the conference this year with 159 FTM: how much of your offensive strategy is focused on getting to the FT line? I play a pretty phsyical game and am in the post a lot so taller guys will always try to block my shots and let me draw fouls. I worked on my FTs in the offseason and it has paid off.

You started this season 6-8 but have won 17 of your past 20 games: how was your team able to flip the switch starting on New Year’s Eve? We always knew that this group was really talented based on our performance against power conference teams (like Ohio State/Illinois/Xavier/Michigan State). It took a while for the new guys to get comfortable in our system because we play a complicated zone defense but eventually it worked out.

Last week you were named conference POY: what did it mean to you to receive such an oustanding honor? It was such a surreal feeling. Growing up I always wanted to be part of this program. It was such a competitive conference this year but since we finished as the 1-seed I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates.

Last night in the Horizon tourney title game you scored a career-high 38 PTS in a 7-PT win over Milwaukee, becoming the 2nd player in the past 25 years to have 35+ PTS/10+ REB/40+ minutes in a conference championship game (along with Kevin Durant for Texas in 2007): how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what is it like to join such legendary company? Coach likes to say that big-time players make big-time plays, and I have a great supporting cast that always gives me confidence. I am a senior and the title game is a situation of “win or go home” so I had a lot more adrenaline than normal but fortunately my shot was falling. It is crazy for me to even be in the same sentence as a superstar like Durant!

You were able to get the win despite playing without Isaiah Jones/Rocket Watts: any idea if either of them will be back in the lineup next week? They are both dealing with some ankle injuries and will rehab all week and take it day by day. Hopefully we will have them both back next week but if not they will still be cheering us on from the bench.

Your mother Nicole/father Skip both played basketball at Oakland and you brother Zach will play soccer at Oakland: who is the best athlete in the family? My mom was the best basketball player back in the day but I think I have finally received enough accolades to pass her. All my siblings are athletic so it is definitely a competitive houshold.

What kind of seed do you think you deserve, and what kind of seed do you think you will get? I think we are capable of being a 13-seed based on how we played againt the Power 5 teams in non-conference play, and maybe even a 12-seed? Whatever see we end up with, I would hate to have to play against us in the tourney because we will be prepared and play like it is the last game of our career.

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Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Longwood SR F Michael Christmas

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Jon Teitel

Last Sunday Longwood beat UNC-Asheville 85-59 in the Big South tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA tournament. The Lancers now have 3 straight 20+ win seasons and made the NCAA tourney for the 2nd time in the past 3 years. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Longwood SR F Michael Christmas about what it means to have both his former team and his current team going dancing this month.

You began your college career at JMU: are you still friends with anyone on their team, and how did you feel when they won their own conference tourney the other day? There are 2 guys who were on the team with me who I still talk to (Julien Wooden/Terrence Edwards) and it was good to see them get a championship. Their assistant coach Xavier Joyner also hit me up after my own game to give me some encouragement.

Why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Longwood? I just felt that it was time for me to move on from JMU. I had a good relationship with Coach Griff (Aldrich) when he recruited me as a high school senior so it was easy to get back on track. It felt like home here and he challenged me to be my best.

What makes Aldrich such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? His desire to win and to make us better and his love for us. He pushes us to our limits (even if we do not like it!), but it is just to make us better as young men. It has great to see his own growth and he had made me a better man.

You missed all of 2022 with an injury: how bad was it, and how were you able to get back onto the court? I broke my arm during a pickup game the day before classes started. I was only supposed to miss 6-8 weeks but due to a bone infection I had to undergo 4(!) other surgeries.

You started this season 12-1 and then lost 10 of your next 12: what the heck happened, and how did you turn things around over the past 4 weeks? We started the year very strong but were struggling with a lot of things in conference play. What helped us push through was trusting in our principles and believing in ourselves: we knew we were better than what our record was.

In the 2023 Big South tourney title game you scored 18 PTS in a win over UNC-Asheville: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what was the reaction like in your locker room afterward? I have always played well in big moments throughout my career. I knew that it was a big game and I was very emotional beforehand, which helped me play the way I did. There was both relief/excitement in the locker room. We went through a lot of adversity in conference play but it was nice to see that all the work paid off.

You shot 41.1 3P% this year: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? Just getting up reps every day and being consistent with workouts. Do not stray off your path if you get in a slump: keep working on it and it will come back to you.

You are 1 of 4 seniors on the roster: what is the key to being a veteran leader? My experience helps me guide the young guys. I have seen a lot in college so I can give them some good feedback and help them navigate the game.

Your brother Sean played college basketball: who is the best athlete in the family? Me, for sure! He ended up leaving after 2 years to help me get into college, which will always mean a lot to me.

What kind of seed do you think you deserve, and what kind of seed do you think you will get? I feel like we deserve a 14/15 seed…but I think they will put us at a 15/16.

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