-For our CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS tab, with all the brackets, sites, and tip times – CLICK HERE
-Michigan State keeps stringing together wins. They beat a really good Wisconsin team yesterday 71-62, they’re looking like the best team in the Big Ten, and will likely ended up as high as a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The loss barely even qualifies as a setback for Wisky. They’re still well within the protected seed range.
-Illinois, who had not looked good in the last few weeks or so, looked pretty good yesterday! They blew Michigan off of their own floor 93-73 and probably exercised a lot of frustrations during that game. Michigan had been playing with fire by cutting it close in so many games and barely escaping with a win. Well, they didn’t cut it close yesterday. They just got run over.
-Memphis picked up a nice road win at UAB 88-81. I hope the committee gives them some credit for this. UAB is nowhere near the bubble, but they had been playing well down the stretch and beating them on their home floor wasn’t easy.
-Drake needed overtime to get by Missouri State on their home floor, and while they won it was the second straight game where they struggled against a very weak team. Some say this would have been a quad 5 loss. But, they did hold serve, they did get the win, and I think Drake should be inside the bubble and in the field even if they lose in the Missouri Valley Tournament.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-WAKE FOREST AT DUKE (ACC). Duke is cruising to a #1 seed and should be able to hold serve at home in this one. Wake Forest is outside the bubble, but they are close enough to it to where picking up a colossal level win such as this could put them inside of it. Easier said than done, though. Winning at Duke is…well…kinda hard to do.
-KANSAS AT HOUSTON (Big 12). Kansas has struggled in true road games for most of the season and struggled in big games recently. Well, this is a chance to correct both of those issues in a very big way!! It’s much easier said than done, though. Houston appears to be on pace for a #1 seed and is as good as anyone in the country right now and winning at Houston is…well…kinda hard to do.
-UCLA AT NORTHWESTERN (Big Ten). UCLA is solidly in the top half of the bracket and depending on how they finish and how well they do in the Big Ten Tournament they may still have a shot at a protected seed.
UTR WATCH:
-McNeese @ Stephen F Austin (Southland) – McNeese has wrapped up the Southland title and is just biding their time until the conference tournament starts.
-BIG SKY – Montana and Northern Colorado are deadlocked for 1st place and both are in action tonight
A full panel is assembled tonight and they all build this week’s seedlist line by line! They debate, discuss, assess, and argue about each team as they go. Find out who they have on the #1 lines so far, who is safely in, who still has work to do, and who on the bubble just made it in and just missed it.
Below is a final copy of The Bracket, but don’t look at it until you’ve watched the show!!
And, for all you radio lovers, below is an audio only version of the show…
HoopsHD kicks off the greatest time of the year with Part 1 of our 3-part preview of every single conference tourney in the nation. Jon Teitel commences our coverage with his predictions for 11 conference tourneys getting underway this week. Tweet us if you have any comments, and check back later this week for Part 2 and next week for Part 3.
Atlantic Sun tourney predicted champ: Lipscomb (#1 seed) Dates: March 2-9 Location: Campus sites 2024 tourney champ: Stetson (#2 seed) Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 4 years Seeding: Each of past 8 champs were top-2 seed The Bisons were tested early and often in non-conference play, starting 2-4 with double-digit losses at Arkansas/Kentucky on their John Calipari national tour. In late-November they flipped the switch and ended up winning 20 of their final 25. Since this tourney is played on campus sites this is 1 of those where it usually pays to pick a top seed. Since Lipscomb and North Alabama split the season series with the home team winning each game by double-digits it is definitely a coin flip. I will pick the team from NashVegas due in large part to Coach Lennie Acuff, who has been a head coach for more than 35 years and made 11 D-2 tourneys when he coached at Alabama-Huntsville. I thought this team was going to fall apart after Dylan Faulkner broke his foot in January, but thanks to Jacob Ognacevic’s transformation from medical redshirt to best player in the conference and their opponents’ inability to make FTs (66.1 FT% allowed is #3 in the nation) they have a good chance of making the NCAA tourney for just the 2nd time in school history.
Big South tourney predicted champ: High Point (#1 seed) Dates: March 5-9 Location: Johnson City, TN 2024 tourney champ: Longwood (#5 seed) Fun fact: 5 different champs in past 7 years Seeding: 4 of past 7 champs were not #1 seed This tourney is frequently unkind to #1 seeds so I was tempted to pick UNC Asheville…until I noticed that the Bulldogs lost 3 games last month. Since this tourney does enjoy seeing some new blood hoist the trophy, the Panthers are the pick as they try to make the 1st NCAA tourney in school history. Coach Alan Huss won 27 games last year in his debut season, and avoided a sophomore slump by winning 26 games this year, including each of his final 11 games. While their defense leaves a lot to be desired, their offense is awesome as they are top-25 in the nation in PPG/FG%/FTM. As much the transfer portal is designed to allow power-conference teams to pluck the best players from smaller schools, High Point has flipped the script by bringing in several players from larger schools including 3 of their top-4 scorers in D’Maurian Williams (who spent the past 2 years at Texas Tech)/Kimani Hamilton (who began his career at Mississippi State)/Bobby Pettiford (who spent his 1st 2 years at Kansas). They even have power-conference size in the form of 7’ center Juslin Bodo Bodo, who is the “big” reason that they only allow 30.8 RPG.
CAA tourney predicted champ: Towson (#1 seed) Dates: March 7-11 Location: Washington, DC 2024 tourney champ: Charleston (#1 seed) Fun fact: 5 different champs in past 6 years Seeding: 7 of past 9 champs were top-2 seed The sentimental pick (as always) is the Tribe because they are 1 of only 3 original D-1 schools (along with Army/Citadel) who have never made the NCAA tourney…but then they lost 4 games in February. Since this tourney likes top-2 seeds who have not won it in awhile the clear choice is Towson, who last made the NCAA tourney in 1991 as a member of the venerable East Coast Conference. After only winning 4 games in 2021 Coach Pat Skerry has now won 20+ games for the 4th year in a row. It is hard to believe the Tigers had a 6-game losing streak during non-conference play, but after big man Tyler Tejada got healthy they have been near-unstoppable with just 2 losses since Christmas. Offense is not their strong suit but their defense will keep them in most games, as they only allow 11.2 APG…and for those who wonder whether prayer can help win games, may I remind you that 2 of their starters are named Christian (May) and Messiah (Jones)!
Horizon tourney predicted champ: Youngstown State (#4 seed) Dates: March 4-11 Location: Campus sites and Indianapolis, IN 2024 tourney champ: Oakland (#1 seed) Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 4 years Seeding: 7 of past 9 champs were not #1 seed I do like Penn alumni so I am dying to go with my fellow Quaker Andy Toole, the head coach at Robert Morris (or as the folks at HoopsHD like to call them: Morris Robert). However, this tourney dislikes #1 seeds so I will go with another HoopsHD favorite: the Penguins! Even though I dislike 1st-year coaches, Coach Ethan Faulkner has had quite a wild debut season. He started 2-5 in non-conference play, then won 8 in a row, then had a rocky ride in conference play but was still able to finish top-4 in the conference standings. Their starting lineup is a little short with nobody standing taller than 6’6”, yet they are #10 in the nation with 5.4 BPG due in “large” part to 7’3” C Gabe Dynes, whose defensive prowess is…DYN-O-MITE!!
NEC predicted champ: LIU (#2 seed) Dates: March 5-11 Location: Campus sites 2024 tourney champ: Wagner (#6 seed) Fun fact: 7 different champs in past 7 years Seeding: 3 of past 4 champs were not top-3 seed This tourney does not love top-3 seeds but does like new blood, and you would think that 1-seed CCSU would have the advantage with games played at campus sites. However, 1 of their only 2 home losses all season was to LIU, who has not won this tourney since 2018, so beware of the Sharks. They were 4-11 in non-conference play and then began a rollercoaster of a conference season: a 6-game winning streak to start things off, followed by a 4-game losing streak including a pair of OT losses, and then yet ANOTHER 6-game winning streak to finish the regular season. Coach Rod Strickland’s offense is 1 of the worst in the nation, which puts a lot of pressure on their defense to keep them in games. LIU must be 1 of the only teams in this country featuring 3 starters from the country just north of ours: Malachi Davis (from Toronto)/Jamal Fuller (from Toronto)/Shadrak Lasu (from Winnipeg). Good luck, eh!
OVC predicted champ: Southeast Missouri (#1 seed) Dates: March 5-8 Location: Evansville, IN 2024 tourney champ: Morehead State (#3 seed) Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 5 years Seeding: 3 of past 4 champs were not #1 seed I know that the Redhawks are both the #1 seed AND won this tourney 2 years ago, but they are just too hot to ignore. After losing 22 games last year, starting non-conference play this year 3-6, and losing 4 of 6 during a 3-week stretch in January, Coach Brad Korn’s team flipped the switch in late-January and won 10 in a row before getting a wake-up call in a 15-PT loss at Eastern Illinois to end their regular season. Their offense needs some work but their perimeter defense is fantastic, as their 28.5 3P% allowed is #5 in the nation. The scary thing is that only 1 of their top-6 scorers is a senior so this could actually be the start of a nice multi-year run.
Patriot predicted champ: Army (#6 seed) Dates: March 4-12 Location: Campus sites 2024 tourney champ: Colgate (#1 seed) Fun fact: Colgate has won 5 titles in past 7 years and finished 2nd each of the other 2 times Seeding: 6 of past 8 champs were #1 seed Colgate, led by my fellow Penn alum Matt Langel, has appeared in the title game during each of the past 7 years and won 4 of them in a row. However, the Raiders finished with a losing record for the 1st time since 2017 so let’s go with the sentimental favorite. It would be quite a sight to see Army make the NCAA tourney for the 1st time in their 123-year basketball history. The Black Knight split each of their season series with the top-4 seeds (American/BU/Bucknell/Colgate) and won 10 conference games for the 3rd time in the past 6 years. They have won multiple games this year that have lasted multiple overtimes, but I suppose it is easy to have endurance when Coach Kevin Kuwik rolls out his 24-man roster (seriously!). There are plenty of seniors whose college basketball debut occurred in 2020 but few have faced the obstacles that SR Jalen Rucker has: he missed all of last year due not to an injury/suspension but rather the rules of West Point. Cadets who begin their junior years must commit to fulfilling their education, so even after Rucker announced that he was transferring the academy would not release him from his commitment: hopefully there will be a happy ending next month for both Jalen and his school.
SoCon predicted champ: Chattanooga (#1 seed) Dates: March 7-10 Location: Asheville, NC 2024 tourney champ: Samford (#1 seed) Fun fact: 6 different champs in past 6 years Seeding: each of past 7 champs were #1-seed I know I cannot select the #1 seed to win every tourney, but this tourney likes #1 seeds almost as much as the Puppet likes last year’s champ (#BuckyBall!) so the pick is Chattanooga. Coach Dan Earl never won more than 16 games during his 7 years at VMI, but since moving to Tennessee he has now won 18+ games for the 3rd year in a row. It is hard to believe the Mocs started conference play by losing 2 of 3 because since then they have been near-perfect by winning 14 of 15 with just a 4-PT loss to Samford in January. Then again, for those of you who research each team’s roster, why would you ever pick against a team that has a pair of starters named Honor (Huff) and (Frank) Champion?!
Summit predicted champ: South Dakota State (#3 seed) Dates: March 5-9 Location: Sioux Falls, SD 2024 tourney champ: South Dakota State (#1 seed) Fun fact: only 3 champs since 2012 are North Dakota State/Oral Roberts/South Dakota State Seeding: 4 of past 5 champs were #1 seed Omaha is the #1 seed but split their season series with the defending champ, and since the tourney will take place in their home state the choice is South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits lost 2 of their 1st 3 conference games but finished strong by winning 10 of their final 13. Coach Eric Henderson may never repeat his ridiculous 30-win season of 2022…but putting up 6 straight winning seasons is nothing to sneeze at. His team is top-75 in the nation in FG% from each of 1-PT/2-PT/3-PT land which means its success is based on its offensive output. Their November neutral-site non-conference schedule prepared them well for league play (a win over McNeese in Sioux Falls in their season opener and a 1-PT loss to Boise State in the Cayman Islands during the week of Thanksgiving), and having the best big man in the conference does not hurt either. 6’11” Oscar Cluff was perfectly decent at Washington State last year but the Australian Sensation has taken it up several notches this year: 17 PPG/12 RPG/3 APG/64 FG%/60 3P%/78 FT%.
Sun Belt predicted champ: Troy (#3 seed) Dates: March 4-10 Location: Pensacola, FL 2024 tourney champ: JMU (#2 seed) Fun fact: 4 different champs in past 4 years Seeding: 6 of past 7 champs were not #1 seed This should be 1 of the most entertaining tourneys of the week with the top-5 only separated by 1 game in the standings. This tourney does not like top seeds but does like new blood so I think Troy will take the title. It has been 17 years since Coach Scott Cross has won a conference tourney (his UT-Arlington squad won the 2008 Southland title as a #7 seed) but his current squad is battle-tested after non-conference road trips to Arkansas/Oregon/Houston. The Trojans have lost 6 games since Christmas but all 6 of those losses were by 7 PTS or less, which means they have been competitive in every single game during the past 2 months. Their 29.9 3P% is bottom-20 in the nation but they make up for it by rebounding their misses (14.1 ORB is #9 in the nation) and defending for 40 minutes (65.3 PPG allowed is top-30 in the nation). We are still 8 months away from Carlos Boozer’s twin sons Cameron/Cayden taking the court for Duke but until then we can enjoy the Troy equivalent featuring the Rigsby brothers (Marcus Jr./Myles, who have combined for 19 PPG/7 RPG/2 SPG/2 3PM).
WCC predicted champ: St. Mary’s (#1 seed) Dates: March 6-11 Location: Las Vegas, NV 2024 tourney champ: St. Mary’s (#1 seed) Fun fact: Gonzaga has won 20 titles in past 27 years and finished 2nd each of the other 7 times Seeding: 20 of past 21 champs were top-2 seed Gonzaga coach Mark Few’s dominance of this conference since taking over in Spokane in 1999 remains almost incomprehensible: 24 straight NCAA tourney appearances (not counting the COVID cancellation), 22 regular season titles, 19 conference tourney titles, while being named conference COY a ridiculous 14 times. However, it is St. Mary’s who has been doing their best Bulldog impersonation this season by going 17-1 in conference play (including a sweep of the Zags) and only a 1-PT road loss at San Francisco last month. The Gaels continue to take comfort in their dominant defense: their 60.8 PPG allowed is #5 in the nation. Augustas Marciulionis was conference POY in 2024, and after his fellow Lithuanian Paulius Murauskas transferred in from Arizona last year they have become quite the dynamic duo, combining for 27 PPG/11 RPG/8 APG/2 SPG/3 3PM.
We are only 2 weeks away from Selection Sunday as we begin to make our NCAA tourney predictions. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel correctly picked 67 of the 68 teams that made the 2024 tourney: 62 of his 67 were within 1 spot of their actual seed and 41 were right on the money. He will spend the upcoming weeks predicting which 68 teams will hear their names called on March 16th. 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 7th out of 179 bracket veterans over the past 5 years), check out: www.bracketmatrix.com
SEED: TEAM (CONFERENCE) 1: Auburn (SEC) 1: Duke (ACC) 1: Alabama (SEC) 1: Houston (Big 12)
HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel has spent the past few months covering several Georgetown basketball home games, with (thankfully) a very special reward coming later this month. He was in attendance Saturday night at Capital 1 Arena and prepared this photo essay about the Hoyas’ matchup against Marquette. If you would like to check out his prior coverage, please go to:
On a very cold March evening in DC, I was able to warm up with a nice pregame meal: make-your-own burritos from District Taco. Let’s tip it off:
Since I have a lot of other things on my plate this month and the Oscars airing tonight, I decided to choose my own list of Oscar winners in a variety of categories based on last night’s action:
Best Picture: a tie between the Georgetown offense, which shot 33 FG% (aka The Brutalist) and Coach Ed Cooley, who has to finish the season without the injured Thomas Sorber (aka Wicked):
Best Actor: Marquette F David Joplin (who had a team-high 17 PTS/9 REB):
Best Supporting Actor: Marquette PG Kam Jones (who supported every single 1 of his teammates with a career-high-13 AST):
Best Director: Marquette coach Shaka Smart, who is 2 weeks away from making his 5th straight NCAA tourney (1 with Texas and 4 with Marquette):
Best Original Song: for those wondering if the Golden Eagles still get a protected seed, the answer is “Never Too Late” (by Brandi Carlile/Elton John): www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwL4UC_tLTI
Best Visual Effects: Georgetown big man Drew Fielder (between the pink sneakers and the tattoos up and down his left arm he is hard to miss):
Best Costume Design: Georgetown’s mascot (obviously!):
Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Georgetown G Malik Mack (although admittedly more for the dreadlocks than anything else):
Best Original Score: Marquette G Chase Ross (who had a sweet breakaway dunk in the 1st half as the Golden Eagles cruised to a 76-61 win):
In the postgame press conference Shaka left before I could ask a question, but I got to ask Coach Cooley about Sorber’s future after he underwent season-ending surgery on his left foot last Wednesday. Cooley stated that he would do whatever is best for Sorber, and that he will get the right information from Sorber’s mom/representative as well as the NBA. They are blessed to have him, and it will allow Cooley get a top-3 center in America going forward now that high schoolers see how the Hoyas can develop star players. Ultimately if it is time for him to roll to the NBA, he will roll:
That is a wrap for my attendance at Hoya games this season but stay tuned for tons of postseason coverage all March long!
SURVIVAL BOARD UPDATE: In addition to today’s conference tournament games in the ASUN, Harvard would be eliminated if Cornell defeats Princeton.
-Auburn went on the road to Kentucky, opened up a double digit lead in the first half, and basically never sweated after that. Auburn was just on cruise control and won 94-78.
-Tennessee hit a game winning shot that was just beyond halfcourt as time expired to knock off Alabama 79-76. Both teams are fighting for a #1 seed and both put on a show yesterday in an exciting game that was played at a very high level.
-Also in the state of Tennessee, Vanderbilt hit a game-tying 3 at the end of regulation against Missouri to force overtime, and eventually pull out the 97-93 win. Vandy was behind late in the game and it appeared to be out of reach, but they hit several big shots down the stretch and they continue to knock off heavyweight programs on their home court. Mizzou is still in great shape, but this win would have really boosted their profile given how strong Vandy has been at home this year.
-Florida blew Texas A&M off the court 89-70. Even though they were at home that was still a very impressive showing against a very strong TAMU team.
-Iowa State ended up knocking off Arizona rather decisively 84-67 in a game it seemed as though they controlled all the way through.
-Kansas has struggled on the road, but they had been able to get the big wins at home. But…not yesterday. Texas Tech added another really solid win to their profile as they knocked off Kansas at the Phog 78-73.
-Arkansas, who was squarely on the bubble, was completely blown off the floor by South Carolina. This is a REALLY bad look. South Carolina is nowhere near the field, and Arkansas didn’t even bother to show up for a game they really couldn’t afford to lose. The score was 18-3 early on and it never got any closer as the Gamecocks went on to win 72-53.
-Oklahoma dropped yet another close game against a team that could have helped push them toward the right side of bubble. They could not get it done against Ole Miss as they lost 87-84 and are now just 4-12 in SEC play. The Sooners have some good wins on their profile, and none of their losses are bad, but I can’t imagine the committee selecting a team that is so far below .500 in conference play.
-Utah State was blown off the floor by Colorado State 93-66. The loss isn’t a death blow because Colorado State has been playing well and is not easy to beat on the road, but it is a setback of sorts and will likely drop Utah State down the seedlist a bit.
-Yale has wrapped up the Ivy League, but they did suffer their first conference loss of the season yesterday as they fell at Harvard 74-69.
-Xavier is right on the bubble and needs some statement wins, and they got one yesterday as they blew Creighton out of the gym 83-61. It was a home game, but Creighton has been solid enough on the road where Xavier will get some credit for it. If nothing else Xavier just looks like an NCAA Tournament caliber team right now. If they can win out through the regular season and avoid an early loss in the Big East Tournament they should get in.
-Indiana keeps stringing together wins. They picked up another conference road win as they knocked off Washington 78-62. They’ve now won four of their last five and are looking like a tournament team.
-Georgia went into Texas in what was a bubblicious matchup and blew the Longhorns off of their own floor. This is a big blow to Texas and it gives Georgia something they desperately needed and that’s a notable win in a true road game.
-For the second game in a row Gonzaga went on the road, faced a solid team that’s tough to beat on the road, and blew them out. They basically controlled the whole game against San Francisco and got the 95-75 win. It’s been a disappointing season for the Zags, but they’ve looked really good in their last two games and are starting to look good at the right time.
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HIGHLIGHTED GAMES:
-WISCONSIN AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten). Both teams appear to be on their way to protected seeds and Michigan State in particular is coming off two straight road wins at Michigan and Maryland, which are really strong wins to have on their profile.
-MISSOURI STATE AT DRAKE (Missouri Valley). This is Drake’s final regular season game and I believe a win should guarantee them a spot in the field regardless of what happens in the conference tournament next week.
-ILLINOIS AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten). Illinois has shown they can play at a high level, but they’ve also shown that they don’t always play up to that level. They’re just 5-8 in their last 13 games and recently snapped a three game losing streak with their win against Iowa. Michigan has been finding ways to win, but their last nine wins have been either in overtime or by 4pts or less. So, it has certainly been entertaining!
-MEMPHIS AT UAB (AMERICAN). These are probably the two best teams in the American, and while UAB is nowhere near the bubble, they’ve won seven of their last eight and should be way up for this one at home.
UTR WATCH:
-Quinnipiac @ Merrimack (MAAC) – Quinnipiac has a one game lead in the standings with just three games to go
