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HAPPY MARCH MADNESS EVERYBODY!!!!!

UMASS AT DAYTON (Atlantic Ten). This is a game that Dayton simply has to win. They’re right on the bubble, and this is a chance to pick up a win against a team who appears to be safely in the field. It is extremely pivotal and crucial.

-CINCINNATI AT UCONN (American). Both teams are solidly in the field and just looking to add another big win to their profiles. Cincinnati is the better team, but it’s still going to be a tough road game.

-VANDERBILT AT TENNESSEE (SEC). Tennessee may be able to get in, but only with a very strong finish, and even that may not be enough.

-TEXAS TECH AT BAYLOR (Big Twelve). A win for Baylor gets them to 7-9 in league play, but as tough as the Big Twelve is, and as hard as their OOC schedule was, I think the Bears are in good shape.

-MISSOURI STATE AT WICHITA STATE (Missouri Valley). Wichita can finish the regular season undefeated with a win in this game, and remain in good shape for a #1 seed.

-LOUISVILLE AT MEMPHIS (American). For decades, this was a bitter conference rivalry before it went on hiatus when Louisville landed in the Big East and Memphis remained in CUSA. It was a short reunion, but it was fun while it lasted. Both teams are in good shape, but both still have a ton of room to improve. Memphis won the first meeting, but Louisville still appears to have the better profile, especially with Memphis coming off the lost to a really weak Houston team.

-PITTSBURGH AT NOTRE DAME (ACC). Pitt doesn’t have many good wins, but they’ve avoided bad losses, so they’re in decent shape.

-COLORADO AT UTAH (Pac Twelve). Colorado looks to be inside the bubble and Utah is on the outside looking in, but the Utes have been very tough at home this year. Colorado could use a decent road win, or just a road win of any kind.

-RICHMOND AT RHODE ISLAND (Atlantic Ten). Richmond is outside the bubble, and I don’t think they’ll be able to play their way in, but I guess they still have a chance.

-NORTH CAROLINA AT VIRGINIA TECH (ACC). They got off to a slow start, but UNC is very hot right now, and they’re coming off a huge week where they beat both their rivals in Duke and NC State.

-LSU AT FLORIDA (SEC). LSU missed a huge opportunity at a quality win at Kentucky last week. They’re outside the bubble, but if they could pull off a road win against the #1 team in the nation, it would probably land them inside of it. Florida, on the other hand, appears to be safely on the #1 line, and are serious national title contenders.

-SYRACUSE AT VIRGINIA (ACC). This game will most likely determine the first place finisher in the ACC. Syracuse can still get a #1 seed, and this would perhaps be their most impressive win of the year being that they’re on the road. I could see Virginia ending up as high as the #2 line if they win this and pick up some more big wins in the ACC Tourney.

-ILLINOIS AT MICHIGAN STATE (Big Ten). Michigan State has been somewhat inconsistent due to their injuries, but they still have a very strong profile and could end up as high as the #2 line.

-UCF AT SMU (American). SMU is having their best season in decades, and shouldn’t have too much trouble picking this one up at home.

-TEXAS AT OKLAHOMA (Big Twelve). Both teams are safely in the field and could end up as protected seeds with a strong finish. It’s a rivalry game, so the atmosphere should be fun.

-BYU AT SAN DIEGO (West Coast). I think BYU will be okay so long as they don’t lose to anyone other than Gonzaga for the rest of the season and tournament.

-OREGON AT USC (Pac Twelve). Oregon is right on the bubble and cannot afford a loss to a weak USC team.

-CREIGHTON AT XAVIER (Big East). Xavier got a much needed road win earlier in the week, and if they could pick up this one they’ll be very safely inside the bubble. As for Creighton, they’re in a position to possibly win the league and end up seeded as high as the #2 line.

-NORTHWESTERN AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten). Nebraska is coming off a loss, but they have a lot of winnable games down the stretch and they should make the field so long as they hold serve. A loss in this one would be very damaging, though.

-SFA AT SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA (Southland). SFA will be on the bubble if they win out, but lose in the conference tournament. They’re also getting close to the top 25.

-SAINT LOUIS AT VCU (Atlantic Ten). Saint Louis is coming off a loss, but they’re still in very good shape. VCU will be jacked for this one. It’s two teams that are safely in the field and who are trying to put another big win on their profile.

-MINNESOTA AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten). Michigan is having a great year, and I still think they could end up with a #2 seed. Minnesota is inside the bubble, but not safely inside. That will, of course, change if they’re able to win this one.

-KENTUCKY AT SOUTH CAROLINA (SEC). Kentucky is coming off a home loss to Arkansas and will be looking to rebound with a conference road win.

-CALIFORNIA AT ARIZONA STATE (Pac Twelve). Both of these teams are in the field, but somewhat close to the bubble, so it does have a pivotal feel to it.

-WESTERN MICHIGAN AT TOLEDO (MAC). Neither team is likely to end up inside the bubble, but these are two of the better teams in the MAC who could both be dangerous in the NCAA Tournament if they end up getting there, so it’s worth watching.

-IOWA STATE AT KANSAS STATE (Big Twelve). K State has been a home court hero this year, but they have managed to get the wins that they need to make the field. Iowa State has a really good profile, and could still end up as high as the #3 line, especially if they’re able to pick up a tough road win like this one.

-COLUMBIA AT HARVARD (Ivy League). Harvard controls their own destiny when it comes to winning the automatic bid and making the field. They may struggle a little bit today, though. But, with a two game lead over Yale, they’ll clinch a bid if they win and Yale loses.

-DENVER AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE (Summit). A win for North Dakota State gets them to a solid 23-6. If they can win the league out right, the committee should give them a serious look given how good their RPI is.

-KANSAS AT OKLAHOMA STATE (Big Twelve). Kansas is a #1 seed caliber team, and Oklahoma State is a talented team who desperately needs to put a big win on their profile. If the Pokes can get this one, they will without question be back on the right side of the bubble.

-GONZAGA AT SAINT MARY’S (West Coast). This is a rivalry game, but it’s lost some of it’s intrigue since Gonzaga is the only team that’s likely to make the field. Their profile could still use some work, so this is a chance for them to pick up a win against a team that’s tough to beat at home.

-SAN DIEGO STATE AT FRESNO STATE (Mountain West). San Diego State will end up as a protected seed if they finish strong.

On this edition of UTR, Chad and David start off with the disappointing news that Southern, through no fault of the current players or coaches, will be unable to compete in the SWAC Championship or any other postseason tournament including the NCAA Tournament. It is the consensus of this show that it is a raw deal because the people who are largely responsible for not submitting the information to the NCAA aren’t the ones being punished. The players and coaches are.

As we do every week, we run through every conference and project who the favorites are to win the upcoming conference tournaments, and where we feel they’ll be placed in the NCAA Tournament. Several teams have clinched first place finishes already, whereas other conferences like the MAC, Big South, CUSA and Big West are log jammed and entirely up for grabs.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK NOTEBOOK

-As hard as this is to believe, the conference tournaments begin this upcoming Monday with the opening round of the Patriot League Tournament.  Although we are not to the conference tournaments, we are to the stage in the season where we are seeing elimination games as teams from the one bid leagues are fighting for spots in those conference tournaments.  In addition to Southern being eliminated due to an NCAA ban, Lamar, Long Island and Kennesaw State were also mathematically eliminated from making their conference tournaments last night.  The win-and-advance/lose-and-go-home stage of the season is here!!  That means we are debuting this year’s edition of the Hoops HD Tournament Survival Board!!  Here it is!!!

LEGEND:

CHAMPION (BOLD AND ALL CAPS)

Locks (Bold)

Under Consideration (Italics)

Lose and You’re Screwed (normal text)

325 TEAMS REMAIN!!!!

ACC – 15 (Virginia, Syracuse, Duke, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Clemson, NC State, Maryland, Florida State, Miami FL, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech,  Boston College, Virginia Tech)

AMERICA EAST – 8 (Vermont, Stony Brook, Albany, Hartford, UMBC, Binghamton, New Hampshire, Maine)

AMERICAN ATHLETIC – 10 (Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, UConn, SMU, Houston, Rutgers, South Florida, UCF, Temple)

ATLANTIC TEN – 13 (Saint Louis, VCU, George Washington, UMass, Dayton, Saint Joseph’s, Richmond, Saint Bonaventure, La Salle, Rhode Island, Duquesne, Fordham, George Mason)

ATLANTIC SUN – 8 (Mercer, Florida Gulf Coast, East Tennessee State, USC Upstate, Lipscomb, North Florida, Jacksonville, Stetson)

BIG TWELVE – 10 (Kansas, Iowa State, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Baylor, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Texas Tech, TCU)

BIG EAST – 10 (Creighton, Villanova, Georgetown, Xavier, Saint John’s, Providence, Marquette,  Seton Hall, Butler, DePaul)

BIG SKY – 10 (Weber State, Northern Colorado, Montana, Sacramento State, North Dakota, Eastern Washington, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Portland State, Idaho State)

BIG SOUTH – 12 (VMI, High Point, Coastal Carolina, Gardner Webb, Radford, UNC Asheville, Campbell, Winthrop, Liberty, Charleston Southern, Presbyterian, Longwood)

BIG TEN – 12  (Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, Illinois, Penn State)

BIG WEST – 9 (UCSB, UC Irvine, Long Beach State, CS Northridge, Cal Poly, CS Fullerton, UC Davis, UC Riverside)

COLONIAL – 9 (Delaware, Towson, William & Mary, Drexel, Charleston, James Madison, Northeastern, Hofstra, UNC Wilmington)

CONFERENCE USA – 15 (Lousiana Tech, Southern Miss, Middle Tennessee, UTEP, Tulsa, Tulane, Old Dominion, UAB, Charlotte, North Texas, Florida Atlantic, East Carolina, UTSA, Marshall, Rice)

HORIZON LEAGUE – 9 (Green Bay, Cleveland State, Valparaiso, Wright State, Milwaukee, Youngstown State, Detroit, Oakland, UIC)

INDEPENDENT – 0

IVY LEAGUE – 4 (Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown)

METRO ATLATNIC – 11 (Iona, Quinnipiac, Manhattan, Canisius, Rider, Siena, Marist, Saint Peter’s, Monmouth, Fairfield, Niagara)

MEAC – 13 (NCCU, Hampton, Norfolk State, Morgan State, Savannah State, Florida A&M, Coppin State, South Carolina State, Delaware State, Howard, North Carolina A&T, Bethune Cookman, UMES)

MID-AMERICAN – 12 (Toledo, Western Michigan, Buffalo, Ohio, Akron, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami OH, Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Ball State)

MISSOURI VALLEY – 10 (Wichita State, Indiana State, Missouri State, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Bradley, Drake, Evansville, Loyola IL)

MOUNTAIN WEST – 11 (San Diego State, New Mexico, Boise State, UNLV, Wyoming, Nevada, Fresno State, Colorado State, Utah State, Air Force, San Jose State)

NORTHEAST – 8 (Robert Morris, Wagner, Bryant, Mount Saint Mary’s, SFNY, SFPA, Fairleigh Dickinson, Central Connecticut)

OHIO VALLEY – 9 (Belmont, Murray State, Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee Tech, SIUE, Southeast Missouri State, Eastern Illinois, Austin Peay)

PAC TWELVE – 12 (Arizona, UCLA, Stanford, California, Colorado, Arizona State, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Oregon State, Washington State, USC)

PATRIOT LEAGUE – 10 (Boston U, American, Holy Cross, Bucknell, Army, Lehigh, Lafayette, Loyola MD, Colgate, Navy)

SEC – 14 (Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, LSU, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, South Carolina)

SOUTHERN – 11 (Davidson, Elon, Wofford, Western Carolina, Chattanooga, Georgia Southern, UNC Greensboro, Samford, Appalachian State, Furman, The Citadel)

SOUTHLAND – 9 (SFA, Sam Houston State, TAMUCC, Nicholls State, Oral Roberts, Northwestern State, McNeese State, Southeast Louisiana, Central Arkansas)

SUN BELT – 10 (Georgia State, Western Kentucky, Arkansas State, Louisiana Lafayette, TX Arlington, UALR, UL Monroe, Troy, Texas State, South Alabama)

SWAC – 6 (Alabama State, Texas Southern, Alabama A&M, Alcorn State, Prairie View A&M, Jackson State)

SUMMIT LEAGUE – 7 (North Dakota State, IPFW, South Dakota State, Denver, South Dakota, Western Illinois, IUPUI

WEST COAST – 10 (Gonzaga, BYU, San Francisco, Saint Mary’s, Pepperdine, Portland, San Diego, Pacific, Santa Clara, LMU)

WAC – 8 (New Mexico State, Utah Valley, Chicago State, CS Bakersfield, Idaho, UMKC, Seattle, TX Pan American)

On this week’s installment of the Bracket Rundown, Chad, David and Kyle not only run through all the teams that they feel would be in the field if the tournament started today, they actually build a bracket and place all the teams in it.

Just like the real committee, there were disagreements over where some of the teams should have been seeded, particularly Louisville, Xavier, San Diego State, Saint Louis, SMU and UMass. Also like the real committee, there was debate over which bubble teams belonged in and which didn’t. And, like the real committee, they made decisions as a committee, but not all the individuals agreed.

Also, check out Chad Sherwood’s SCGD here:  https://hoopshd.com/2014/02/27/1454/