Bracketology 2022: March Madness Predictions (Version 10.4)

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Jon Teitel

CLICK HERE for the latest CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK VIDEO NOTEBOOK where we review all of yesterday’s action, preview all of today’s action, and have all the tournament brackets and links that you need

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 2021 tourney, 62 of which were within 1 spot of their actual seed, including 47 right on the money. He will spend the upcoming week predicting which 68 teams will hear their names called on March 13th. 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 we stack up with other websites (ranked 19th out of 135 entries over the past 5 years), check out: www.bracketmatrix.com

SEED: TEAM (CONFERENCE)
1: Gonzaga (WCC): AUTO BID
1: Baylor (Big 12)
1: Arizona (Pac-12)
1: Auburn (SEC)

2: Kansas (Big 12)
2: Kentucky (SEC)
2: Duke (ACC)
2: Villanova (Big East)

3: Purdue (Big 10)
3: Tennessee (SEC)
3: Wisconsin (Big 10)
3: Texas Tech (Big 12)

4: Illinois (Big 10)
4: UCLA (Pac-12)
4: Providence (Big East)
4: Arkansas (SEC)

5: Houston (AAC)
5: Connecticut (Big East)
5: Texas (Big 12)
5: St. Mary’s (WCC)

6: LSU (SEC)
6: Alabama (SEC)
6: Iowa (Big 10)
6: Ohio State (Big 10)

7: Colorado State (MWC)
7: USC (Pac-12)
7: Seton Hall (Big East)
7: Murray State (OVC): AUTO BID

8: Boise State (MWC)
8: Michigan State (Big 10)
8: Marquette (Big East)
8: Iowa State (Big 12)

9: San Diego State (MWC)
9: North Carolina (ACC)
9: TCU (Big 12)
9: San Francisco (WCC)

10: Creighton (Big East)
10: Memphis (AAC)
10: Michigan (Big 10)
10: Davidson (A-10)

11: Loyola-Chicago (MVC): AUTO BID
11: Miami (ACC)
11: Notre Dame (ACC)
11: Wyoming (MWC)

12: Rutgers (Big 10)
12: Wake Forest (ACC)
12: Xavier (Big East)
12: VCU (A-10)
12: North Texas (C-USA)
12: South Dakota State (Summit): AUTO BID

13: Chattanooga (SoCon): AUTO BID
13: Toledo (MAC)
13: Vermont (America East)
13: New Mexico State (WAC)

14: Princeton (Ivy)
14: Montana State (Big Sky)
14: Longwood (Big South): AUTO BID
14: Colgate (Patriot): AUTO BID

15: Delaware (CAA): AUTO BID
15: Long Beach State (Big West)
15: Jacksonville State (Atlantic Sun): AUTO BID
15: Monmouth (MAAC)

16: Georgia State (Sun Belt): AUTO BID
16: Norfolk State (MEAC)
16: Wright State (Horizon): AUTO BID
16: Bryant (NEC): AUTO BID
16: New Orleans (Southland)
16: Texas Southern (SWAC)

1ST 4 OUT
BYU (WCC)
Indiana (Big 10)
Iona (MAAC)
SMU (AAC)

Posted in Bracketology | Comments Off on Bracketology 2022: March Madness Predictions (Version 10.4)

Championship Week Video Notebook: Day 10

Posted on March 10, 2022 by David Griggs

IT’S THE THURSDAY OF CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK!!!  This is a special day on the college athletics calendar, and a day when you can totally binge on college basketball!

WELCOME SELECTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS!!!  We realize that you are all together as a group, and we are here to guide you through the process!!  We take our obligation to you and the public very seriously!!

CLICK HERE to check out the HOOPS HD SURVIVAL BOARD to see who is a lock, who is under consideration, who needs the automatic bid, and who has been elimianted

CLICK HERE for our latest BRACKET PROJECTIONS

CLICK HERE for the CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT INFO TAB, which has all the brackets, match-ups, and tip times

Tonight we discuss a very busy night where we saw Iona go down in an upset, Xavier likely blowing their chances of making the NCAA Tournament after losing to Butler, a wild day in the ACC, an even wilder day in the SWAC, and we preview the busiest day of Championship Week, and one of the greatest days of the year…Thursday of Championship Week!!

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

ACC QUARTERFINALS:

BIG EAST QUARTERFINALS:

BIG 12 QUARTERFINALS:

PAC 12 QUARTERFINALS:

MOUNTAIN WEST QUARTERFINALS:

MID AMERICAN QUARTERFINALS:

CONFERENCE USA QUARTERFINALS:

WAC QUARTERFINALS:

BIG WEST QUARTERFINALS:

BIG SKY QUARTERFINALS:

METRO ATLANTIC QUARTERFINALS:

MEAC QUARTERFINALS:

SOUTHLAND QUARTERFINALS:

SWAC QUARTERFINALS:

AMERICAN OPENING ROUND:

BIG TEN 2ND ROUND:

SEC 2ND ROUND:

ATLANTIC TEN 2ND ROUND:

Posted in Bracketology, Championship Week Video Notebook, Podcasts, Videocasts | 1 Comment

All-Access at the A-10 Tournament: 1st round

Posted on March 10, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The A-10 Tournament is taking place in Washington, DC this week and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD will be covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel’s gets us started with a recap of a pair of 1st round games on Wednesday.

Seems like I just finished the CAA tourney at the Entertainment & Sports Arena but now I am trying to make a seamless transition to the A-10 tourney at Capital 1 Arena. The pregame meal, like the crowd today, was sparse: cold sandwich/chocolate chip cookie, and once the food was gone it was gone for good. On the plus side, I was not even there for 15 minutes before having a pair of A-list sightings:
Joe Lunardi eating!:

…and John Feinstein broadcasting!:

Good news is that I have a great view from the 2nd row at midcourt, bad news is that my view is of mostly empty stands, but attendance will keep going up and up the rest of the week:

And as if my location was not good enough, shout-out to the conference for giving each member of the media a lovely thank-you gift of not 1 but 2 pint glasses (I even made it home without breaking them!):

Let’s tip it off:


GAME #1: La Salle vs. St. Joe’s
You know that this Penn alum is a sucker for an old school Big 5 matchup: #PhillyPride! 6’10” Explorers SR Clifton Moore looked great early with 13 PTS in the 1st 12 minutes, helping his team build a 39-27 halftime lead. Their reward was to come back out of the locker room for the 2nd half to see the Hawk standing at center court still waving his wings:

The Hawks had a big man of their own, as 7’ JR Charles Coleman came off the bench to pour it on in the 2nd half, finishing with a double-double (18 PTS/4-5 3PM/11 REB). While the 2 big men canceled each other out, St. Joe’s had no answer for JR SG Jack Clark (no not that 1!) and his 20 PTS/13 REB as La Salle hung on to win it 63-56.

In the postgame press conference I asked Clark (who set a career-high last Saturday with 30 PTS) if he was playing the best basketball of his life. He agreed that he was, and that the biggest factor was not anything physical but simply his confidence. He has been working with his coaches and spending time in the weight room, and it seems to be paying major dividends:

Moore had previously been 0-7 from behind the arc this year vs. the Hawks before making a pair of threes today, so I wondered if La Salle coach Ashley Howard would give him the green light the rest of this week. He responded that it is never easy when you do not have time for a pregame shootaround in the arena, but that Moore is the hardest-working guy on the team who took advantage of the opportunities he had (including a big shot down the stretch):


GAME #2: Rhode Island vs. Duquesne
The Dukes entered this contest on a 16-game losing streak…which sadly is NOT the longest losing streak I have seen in DC this year, but FR Primo Spears (who turns 21 on Thursday!) looked, well, primo in the 1st half with 17 PTS/3 AST as his team was up 41-37 at halftime and the streak looked like it might come to an end after all. We even saw the ever-popular “ball stuck behind the backboard” moment:

The Rams were not going to win it at the FT line as they are a terrible FT shooting team (as evident by their 11-18 performance tonight), but they picked a great time to get hot from behind the arc (10-20 3PM) as they mounted a comeback, which made their mascot happy:

Spears almost won the game singlehandedly, finishing with 30 PTS while playing all 40 minutes, but Rhode Island had great balance scoring with 5 guys in double-digits as they avoided the upset by holding on for a 79-77 victory.

In the postgame press conference I asked JR F Antwan Walker (17 PTS/3-3 3PM/11 REB) how it felt to win a game on this floor for the 1st time since he was a freshman at Georgetown who played 3 minutes in a 4-PT 2-OT win over St. John’s in January of 2018. He said it went back even farther than that, as he played his high school championship game in this arena, so he was excited to come back here and win with his current team:

Rhode Island coach David Cox has his own local roots (college at William & Mary, high school coach at Archbishop Carroll, assistant coach at Georgetown, etc.) so I wondered how he enjoyed his own homecoming. He reflected that while he did not get a lot of time to dwell on it earlier this week, when he walked into the home team locker room he started to feel a bit nostalgic. He even recalls coming to the building in his younger days as a basketball spectator:

That is a wrap for the 1st round, check back tomorrow for a 2nd round quadruple-header!

Posted in CBB | Comments Off on All-Access at the A-10 Tournament: 1st round

Bracketology 2022: March Madness Predictions (Version 10.3)

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Jon Teitel

We are only 4 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 2021 tourney, 62 of which were within 1 spot of their actual seed, including 47 right on the money. He will spend the upcoming week predicting which 68 teams will hear their names called on March 13th. 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 we stack up with other websites (ranked 19th out of 135 entries over the past 5 years), check out: www.bracketmatrix.com

SEED: TEAM (CONFERENCE)
1: Gonzaga (WCC): AUTO BID
1: Baylor (Big 12)
1: Arizona (Pac-12)
1: Auburn (SEC)

2: Kansas (Big 12)
2: Kentucky (SEC)
2: Duke (ACC)
2: Villanova (Big East)

3: Purdue (Big 10)
3: Wisconsin (Big 10)
3: Tennessee (SEC)
3: Texas Tech (Big 12)

4: Illinois (Big 10)
4: UCLA (Pac-12)
4: Providence (Big East)
4: Arkansas (SEC)

5: Houston (AAC)
5: Connecticut (Big East)
5: Texas (Big 12)
5: St. Mary’s (WCC)

6: LSU (SEC)
6: Alabama (SEC)
6: Iowa (Big 10)
6: Ohio State (Big 10)

7: Colorado State (MWC)
7: USC (Pac-12)
7: Seton Hall (Big East)
7: Murray State (OVC): AUTO BID

8: Boise State (MWC)
8: Michigan State (Big 10)
8: Marquette (Big East)
8: Iowa State (Big 12)

9: San Diego State (MWC)
9: North Carolina (ACC)
9: TCU (Big 12)
9: San Francisco (WCC)

10: Creighton (Big East)
10: Memphis (AAC)
10: Michigan (Big 10)
10: Davidson (A-10)

11: Miami (ACC)
11: Wake Forest (ACC)
11: Loyola-Chicago (MVC): AUTO BID
11: Notre Dame (ACC)

12: Xavier (Big East)
12: Wyoming (MWC)
12: Rutgers (Big 10)
12: VCU (A-10)
12: North Texas (C-USA)
12: South Dakota State (Summit): AUTO BID

13: Chattanooga (SoCon): AUTO BID
13: Iona (MAAC)
13: Toledo (MAC)
13: Vermont (America East)

14: New Mexico State (WAC)
14: Princeton (Ivy)
14: Montana State (Big Sky)
14: Longwood (Big South): AUTO BID

15: Colgate (Patriot)
15: Jacksonville State (Atlantic Sun): AUTO BID
15: Long Beach State (Big West)
15: Delaware (CAA): AUTO BID

16: Georgia State (Sun Belt): AUTO BID
16: Wright State (Horizon): AUTO BID
16: Norfolk State (MEAC)
16: New Orleans (Southland)
16: Bryant (NEC): AUTO BID
16: Texas Southern (SWAC)

1ST 4 OUT
BYU (WCC)
Indiana (Big 10)
SMU (AAC)
UAB (C-USA)

Posted in Bracketology | Comments Off on Bracketology 2022: March Madness Predictions (Version 10.3)

Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Belmont PG Destinee Wells

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Jon Teitel

On Saturday Belmont beat Tennessee Tech 51-29 in the OVC women’s tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA tournament. The Bruins have owned the postseason for almost a decade, making the NCAA tourney 6 times in the past 7 years. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Belmont PG Destinee Wells about making the NCAA tourney yet again and developing a dynasty.

Photo credit: Belmont Athletics

You were born/raised in Tennessee: what made you choose Belmont? They made the decision easy for me during my recruitment since all of the players/coaches were nice and welcoming. I wanted to come here so that I could play immediately and win some games.

You play for Coach Bart Brooks: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He cares about us as more than just players, such as with our mental health.

You are 5’6”: do you see your height as an advantage or disadvantage on the court? An advantage, of course! I have been small all my life but I am quick and use my speed to try to make my opponents uncomfortable.

Last year you were named OVC ROY: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was a huge honor for me, I was really nervous as a freshman and it was a big adjustment for me, but I had some amazing teammates who helped me get that huge accomplishment.

In the 2021 OVC tourney title game you scored a career-high 32 PTS and had 4 STL in an 8-PT win over UT-Martin en route to being named tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? Championship games are the most fun time of the year. We worked hard during a difficult season and felt that we deserved it. Our goal was to get the win and I was willing to do whatever it took: it was so much fun!

In the 2021 NCAA tourney you upset Gonzaga before losing to Indiana: what did you learn from that tourney run that you think will help you this time around? In the offseason we worked hard in the weight room to get stronger/faster so we will be more prepared to compete this month and let our hard work show itself.

Last Saturday in the OVC tourney title game you scored a game-high 22 PTS in a win over Tennessee Tech: how does this year’s championship compare to last year’s championship? It felt great. We started out rough (only scoring 17 PTS in the 1st half), but then we pushed the ball and turned up our defensive pressure and were able to hold them almost scoreless in the 4th quarter (outscoring the Golden Eagles 13-3 in the final 10 minutes).

The Bruins have now made the NCAA tourney 6 times in the past 7 years: is it fair to call your program a “dynasty”? Yes. Our seniors have worked so hard, which is why the rest of us chose to come to Belmont: we wanted to be a part of that.

1 of your AAU teammates is now your college teammate: how nice is it to share all of your success with fellow starter Tuti Jones? It is amazing. We only played together for 1 year in AAU but then we grew closer over time. 1 day we jokingly said, “Hey, let’s go to Belmont!”…and we both ended up here. I love playing with her.

What kind of seed do you think you deserve, and what kind of seed do you think you will get? I think that we deserve an 8/9 seed but will probably get a 12/13. We will be ready to play whoever we get matched up with and I cannot wait!

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on Tourney Talk: HoopsHD interviews Belmont PG Destinee Wells

All-Access at the A-10 Tournament: HoopsHD interviews Rhode Island cheerleader Annie Reynolds

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Jon Teitel

Conference tournaments are about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The A-10 Tournament is taking place in Washington, DC this week and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD will be covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel’s next interview subject is Rhode Island cheerleader Annie Reynolds, who talked about winning a national championship and making the dean’s list.

You grew up in New Jersey: what made you choose Rhode Island? I was touring schools and when I got to Rhode Island it was rainy and the worst day ever…but my mom thought that I would end up here. It turned out to be the place where i wanted to be and the school is great.

How did you 1st get into cheerleading, and what is the best part? I did not start cheering until high school: I used to be a dancer/gymnast. I immediately fell in love with it after trying out and Rhode Island expanded my love for it. The best part is the people I met and the experiences I have with student from all over the country.

What do you think the role of a college cheerleader is today, and how has it changed over time? It has definitely changed over time: it used to be more of a sideline activity but has progressed into an elite-level sport. Not only do we participate on gameday but we complete at nationals every January. It is nice to have that secretive other side as it is becoming more recognized.

You previously helped lead your team to a national championship: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? That was easily the best moment of my life, I was a sophomore in 2020 and our coach said that we could win it all even though we had never competed at that level before. We gave it our all and the moment we found out we won was easily the best moment of my career!

You are majoring in Kinesiology/Exercise Science: why did you pick those subjects, and what do you plan to do after graduating? I knew that I wanted to do something in a sports-related field. I want to help out other athletes who are having a difficult time, as it has been very beneficial for me in the past and needs to become more acknowledged.

You made the dean’s list last semester: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? It is definitely a challenge but the key is certainly time management. You need to have a schedule: we have study hall/tutoring and can always reach out to our coaches if we need more help. When you are a freshman and college is new and your schedule is crazier and you are practicing 5 times/week it takes a bit of time to get it down.

What is the atmosphere like on campus this week now that the conference tournament is here? It is crazy that we are finally here and everyone is excited. There are posters/gameday emails and it has all been great: everyone has been so supportive for this peak of the season.

How does your school decide who gets to go to DC, and what does it mean to you to see your group doing their thing in front of a national TV audience? A lot of it is based on gameday performances/availability: 1 group went to the men’s tourney and 1 went to the women’s tourney. We love the Ryan Center but it is great to come to this elite venue: the environment is incredible and I feel lucky to be a part of it.

Does your squad have anything extra-special planned for the A-10 Tournament this weekend? We have been preparing a couple of different things, but the thing the fans like most is seeing our mascot Rhody go up in the air as we spin around him!

Any prediction for your game vs. Duquesne? I have a good feeling but do not want to jinx it. The energy is so high and when we have a lot of fans in the crowd there is typically a very good outcome.

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , | Comments Off on All-Access at the A-10 Tournament: HoopsHD interviews Rhode Island cheerleader Annie Reynolds