Who Wants To Dance ... ? 2020

[Akzag]

Summit - The league of Dakotas

SD State 12-2
ND State 11-2
S Dak 9-5

and for good measure

U ND 6-7

four Dakotas ( and friends ) , one bid

[Akzag]

Sun Belt

Ark Little Rock 12-4
Ga State 11-6
Tex St 11-6

One bid

[Akzag]

Going to skip ahead one ...

WAC

There can be only one ...

New Mexico St 12-0

Also playing, teams 4.5+ games back

[Akzag]

And finally ...

WCC ... solid top half of the conf. With apologies to USD's Scholl, I offer a coaching position to Beilein to guide the Toreros forward. We're collecting some good coaches.

Gonz 13-0
BYU 11-3
SMC 9-4

Everybody ( everybody ) has these three teams in, and not just in but well positioned. I don't think that the Gaels can survive another loss ... perhaps not even in the Kennel, let alone in Vegas.

I'm hoping for three, my head screams two.

[Akzag]

So in the land of Ak, 32 leagues ... and I allowed 63 teams in. Psst, Committee ... call me.

[Akzag]

crazy how quickly things change ... no game is in a vacuum

Lunardi has adopted a cool thing lately ... he releases what amounts to "game notes" each day on twitter.

[Akzag]

Anyway ... Merrimack is in fact still ineligible - until the 2023-24 season - for postseason play. Not sure how that works out for the Northeast Conference Tourny ... do they just let them play? and if they win does 2nd place represent the conference? Or do they just sit out the whole tourny? I'll have to investigate.

[Akzag]

An interesting trend that I see increasing is that actual conferences are the Hosts of Sub-regionals / regionals, rather than individual schools ... presumably doing so still allows their members to go to that site - for example, the ACC is the host of Greensboro this year, but I see no restrictions that would not allow ACC schools to go there.



The WCC is a first weekend host at San Jose in 2021. They are one of 4 first round hosts that are purely a conference

[Akzag]

Anyway ... Merrimack is in fact still ineligible - until the 2023-24 season - for postseason play. Not sure how that works out for the Northeast Conference Tourny ... do they just let them play? and if they win does 2nd place represent the conference? Or do they just sit out the whole tourny? I'll have to investigate.

Merrimack will not be participating in the NEC tourny. They are also not allowed in the NIT ... however, the CBI and CIT - which are not NCAA operated - can offer them an invite. So there's that.

[DZ]

This thread is …

As good a rundown as I've seen anywhere. Very nice work.

I have my annual favs that I like to see in the tourney. I always cheer for the Big Sky champ, and I like that Eastern may well be the only public WA school in the tourney this year.

I like Utah State, too.

PAC with all schools in major metro areas gets the benefit of the doubt, I agree with you.

Locally, AK, I'm hearing that Miss State is in contention but is at least one good win away - meaning if they only win the games they're supposed to on the way in, they won't make it. They need one upset, which is doable.

No one should sleep on Houston, they scare me.

Florida State always scares me.

Seems like they can't (and prolly shouldn't) hold a tourney without UVA.

Then there are weird schools I like for some undetermined reasons, I like Rhode Island (maybe the colors?), I like the HBCUs, small low funding schools, best bands on earth. I mostly hate the B1G, except Wisconsin. I love your idea on the Ivys. Skip the tournament, save the country.

It would be really nice of the Coronavirus doesn't win the tournament this year.

[Akzag]

This thread is …

As good a rundown as I've seen anywhere. Very nice work.

I have my annual favs that I like to see in the tourney. I always cheer for the Big Sky champ, and I like that Eastern may well be the only public WA school in the tourney this year.

I like Utah State, too.

PAC with all schools in major metro areas gets the benefit of the doubt, I agree with you.

Locally, AK, I'm hearing that Miss State is in contention but is at least one good win away - meaning if they only win the games they're supposed to on the way in, they won't make it. They need one upset, which is doable.

No one should sleep on Houston, they scare me.

Florida State always scares me.

Seems like they can't (and prolly shouldn't) hold a tourney without UVA.

Then there are weird schools I like for some undetermined reasons, I like Rhode Island (maybe the colors?), I like the HBCUs, small low funding schools, best bands on earth. I mostly hate the B1G, except Wisconsin. I love your idea on the Ivys. Skip the tournament, save the country.

It would be really nice of the Coronavirus doesn't win the tournament this year.

Not that it's surprising, but every game matters. I can see why it can be a full time job for those that are really following it. And to be "up to the minute" you have to squeeze in "your article" in between the end of the day's games and the beginning of the next day. Anyway, most of my info is now outdated. But it was a snapshot in time. I intend to do another run through once the majority of leagues conclude conference play after this weekend.


One big thing is that with Arizona State and Wisconsin both surging, the Gaels appear even more solidified. They have to keep their potential two losses to GU and BYU.

[RenoZag]

Northeast. Merrimack deserves a huge set of kudos. I think they just finished their transition to Div I and they lead the league heading down the stretch.

Merrimack 12-3
St Francis 11-4
Robert Morris 114-4

No at-larges here. One bid

Merrimack isn't eligible for the NCAA tournament.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/why-merrimack-must-sit-out-march-madness-in-its-historic-season-and-is-in-first-place-in-its-conference/

[RenoZag]

Ohio Valley . Ugh ... Murray State just took a "bad" loss, falling to Eastern Illinois. The top four of this league are good programs. But I don't think this is the year that they put two in the dance.

Austin Peay 13-2
Murray State 12-3
Belmont 12-3
Eastern Kentucky 11-4

Let's Go Peay !

[Akzag]

Merrimack will not be participating in the NEC tourny. They are also not allowed in the NIT ... however, the CBI and CIT - which are not NCAA operated - can offer them an invite. So there's that.

Merrimack isn't eligible for the NCAA tournament.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...ts-conference/

yeah ... I caught it later. Still year one of their transition. Apparently, a recent rule requires transitioning schools to gain conference affiliation as an initial part of their transition. Remember when there were still a handful of Independent basketball teams? No mas.

[Akzag]

American Athletic -

The top six are probably all still hoping for what they think is a deserved at-large bid. 3-4 is realistic, possibly ...

Houston 11-3
Cincy 10-4
Tulsa 9-4
Wichita State 8-5
SMU 8-5
Memphis 7-6

I'm thinking Houston, Cincy, and Wichita State get in.

Tulsa 13-4
Houston 12-5
Cincy 12-5
Memphis 10-7
Wichita State 10-7


Southern Methodist 9-8
UConn 9-8