By: David Kay
Welcome to The Sports Bank’s newest college basketball weekly feature, “The Field of 65.” Every Friday I will do my best Joe Lunardi impersonation and predict the NCAA Tournament field; further proof of my extreme college basketball nerdom.
The season is beginning to take shape as November tournaments are matching up highly ranked teams which gives us a little bit of a better understanding of what the tourney might look like, which teams are for real, and which were over-hyped during the summer. It is early in the season so I am trying not to over-react to a loss too much. UCLA, Mississippi State, and Oregon State (twice) were upset victims to smaller schools and those sort of losses will affect your standing in the Field. In other instances, Memphis and Gonzaga held their own against the top two teams in the country and were actually rewarded rather than hurt for their showings. Teams like Syracuse and Louisville really impressed me thus improving their seeding while Villanova’s narrow win against George Mason caused the ‘Cats to fall a spot. The same thing happened with previous one seed Kentucky who barely beat Miami, Ohio and then only defeated Sam Houston State by ten.
The Selection Committee is always criticized when the brackets come out for leaving a team out, the seedings, or sending a program to play somewhere far away from home. Until you actually sit down and try to figure this thing out, don’t knock the system because believe me, it’s a complex process. Here’s me taking a shot at it. Be sure to check back every Friday for my updated field.
MIDWEST REGIONAL- St. Louis
AT OKLAHOMA CITY
1. Kansas (B12)
16. Morgan St. (MEAC)/Jackson St. (SWAC)
8. Gonzaga (WCC)
9. Xavier (A10)
AT SAN JOSE
5. Clemson (ACC)
12. Wisconsin (B10)
4. Louisville (BE)
13. Long Beach St. (Big West)
AT NEW ORLEANS
6. UConn (BE)
11. Miami, Fl (ACC)
3. Tennessee (SEC)
14. Morehead State (OVC)
AT MILWAUKEE
7. Kansas State (B12)
10. UCLA (P10)
2. Michigan State (B10)
15. Radford (Big South)
EAST REGIONAL-Syracuse
AT JACKSONVILLE
1. North Carolina (ACC)
16. Boston U (AEC)
8. Oklahoma State (B12)
9. Vanderbilt (SEC)
AT BUFFALO
5. Illinois (B10)
12. Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)
4. Syracuse (BE)
13. Old Dominion (CAA)
AT PROVIDENCE
6. Michigan (B10)
11. Siena (MAAC)
3. Villanova (BE)
14. Charleston (Southern)
AT JACKSONVILLE
7. Florida State (ACC)
10. Tulsa (CUSA)
2. Kentucky (SEC)
15. Sam Houston State (Southland)
WEST REGIONAL- Salt Lake City
AT MILWAUKEE
1. Purdue (B10)
16. Weber State (Big Sky)
8. Notre Dame (BE)
9. Wake Forest (ACC)
AT SPOKANE
5. Butler (Horizon)
12. Utah State (WAC)
4. Washington (P10)
13. Cornell (Ivy)
AT OKLAHOMA CITY
6. Minnesota (B10)
11. BYU (MWC)
3. Oklahoma (B12)
14. Akron (MAC)
AT BUFFALO
7. Dayton (A10)
10. Georgia Tech (ACC)
2. West Virginia (BE)
15. Holy Cross (Patriot)
SOUTH REGIONAL- Houston
AT JACKSONVILLE
1. Texas (B12)
16. Mt. St. Mary’s (NEC)
8. Memphis (CUSA)
9. Mississippi (SEC)
AT SAN JOSE
5. Georgetown (BE)
12. Arizona (P10)
4. Maryland (ACC)
13. Northern Iowa (MVC)
AT SPOKANE
6. Cal (P10)
11. Texas A&M (B12)
3. Ohio State (B10)
14. Oakland (Summit)
AT PROVIDENCE
7. Florida (SEC)
10. Cincinnati (BE)
2. Duke (ACC)
15. Jacksonville (Atl. Sun)
Wrong Side of the Bubble:
Pittsburgh (BE)
Mississippi State (SEC)
South Carolina (SEC)
Oregon (P10)
LSU (SEC)
Welcome to the Dance:
Miami, FL
Arizona
Fell Out of the Tourney:
Mississippi State
Oregon State
Six Major Conferences:
Big East (8)
Big Ten (7)
ACC (7)
SEC (6)
Big 12 (6)
Pac 10 (4)