It’s going to be a long agonizing week for the Middle Tennessee St Blue Raiders after their upset loss at the hands of Florida International in the Sun Belt Conference semi-finals (more on this later). They were dominant in the regular season winning all but one conference games, but March is cruel as the Blue Raiders know all too well.
Last year they bowed out of the conference tournament in the quarterfinals after being the No. 1 seed as they lost to Arkansas St. They didn’t get in last season and their prospects are grim for this season. While they played a top-20 non-conference schedule they only have two top-100 wins and no top-50. The committee may reward them for challenging themselves out of conference, but it’s unlikely.
You feel bad for the Blue Raiders, but March is cruel and unusual punishment for a team of their kind. The punishment this week will be waiting.
We have some conference tournament finals that I didn’t get a chance to preview so here’s some predictions for some of tonight’s finals.
COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION: Sundays two semi-finals had fantastic finishes so both teams may be spent emotionally. Northeastern came from 24 down to beat George Mason while James Madison had some fortunate calls to preserve victory over Delaware. It’s going to be hard for the Huskies to beat a Virginia school in Richmond though and I expect the Dukes to go dancing for the first time since 1994.
SUN BELT: Neither Florida International nor Western Kentucky is supposed to be here. It’s the second year in a row the Hilltoppers shocked the world to reach the final while Richard Pitino has turned around Florida International in one year after Isaiah Thomas screwed that job up too. The Golden Panthers are a nice story, but the Hilltoppers are used to this and will go dancing again.
SOUTHERN: I watched Davidson go to Charleston earlier this season and put a beat down on the Cougars earlier this season. The margin may be closer, but the result will be the same. The gold standard of SoCon basketball is going dancing again.
METRO ATLANTIC ATHLETIC: Here is another tournament where the teams playing weren’t expected to be here. Iona is a solid program and has proven it can hang with good competition this season. Manhattan, on the other hand, is the beneficiary of getting to play the No. 7 seed in the semifinals. Iona has endured its share of heartbreak in this tournament the past few years, the Gaels will get the job done this time around.
We all so have some other tournaments getting started today.
MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC: It’s been an unusual year in the MEAC where two teams have been way ahead of the pack. Last year’s NCAA tournament darling Norfolk St finished undefeated in league play and North Carolina Central finished with only one loss. That loss didn’t come at the hands of the Spartans because the two didn’t play. They will in the title game and the Spartans will repeat.
MID-AMERICAN: Akron was threatening to run away with this league and was possibly heading towards locking up an at-large bid. Then came a surprising loss at Buffalo and the suspension of point guard Alex Abreu. Those unfortunate series of events leave the Ohio Bobcats as the clear favorites to repeat as MAC champions and go to the big dance.
On to the Bracket:
Good for Games played thru 3/10
Last Four In: Virginia, Boise St, Tennessee, La Salle
Last Four Out: Kentucky, Mississippi, Iowa, Middle Tennessee St
MIDWEST
1.Indiana16.Florida International/Long Island Dayton, OH
8.Wichita St9.San Diego St
5.Pittsburgh12.Bucknell Austin
4.Oklahoma St13.Louisiana Tech
6.VCU11.Minnesota Austin
3.Florida14.Valparaiso
7.Memphis10.Colorado St Philadelphia
2.Georgetown15.Florida Gulf Coast(ASun)
SOUTH
1.Louisville16.Southern/Liberty(BSouth) Lexington, KY
8.NC State9.Temple
5.UCLA12.Tennesse/Boise St Salt Lake City
4.Kansas St13.Davidson
6.Creighton(MVC)11.Colorado Dayton, OH
3.Ohio St14.Stephen F. Austin
7.Butler10.Villanova Lexington, KY
2.Miami(FL)15.Iona
EAST
1.Duke16.Norfolk St Philadelphia
8.Iowa St9.Illinois
5.Saint Louis12.Cincinnati San Jose
4.Arizona13.Harvard(Ivy)
6.Syracuse11.Saint Mary’s Auburn Hills, MI
3.Michigan14.Vermont
7.UNLV10.California Kansas City
2.Kansas15.Long Beach St
WEST
1.Gonzaga16.Northeastern San Jose
8.Oregon9.Missouri
5.Wisconsin12.La Salle/Virginia Kansas City
4.Marquette13.Akron
6.Notre Dame11.Belmont(OVC) Salt Lake City
3.New Mexico14.South Dakota St
7.North Carolina10.Oklahoma Auburn Hills, MI
2.Michigan St15.Montana
Bracketville USA 