Posts Tagged ‘NCAA basketball’

March 6th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

CI’s College Basketball Top 25 Rankings

Our staff has developed college basketball power ratings with up to date rankings and how we as handicappers see these teams. We will list our NCAA basketball team rankings on a week by week basis and as much as possible. You can check this page for up to date NCAA basketball power ratings from Cappersinfo Sports Handicapping. Thanks for visiting and don’t forget to check out all the free sports picks in the forums and free picks monitor, other sports betting information, and college basketball predictions for sports handicappers!

Cappersinfo Current NCAA Basketball Power Rankings
(Through Games Completed 3/6/11)

1: Ohio State Buckeyes (29-2) (LW: 1) – There is absolutely no doubt in our minds anymore that the Buckeyes have the top team in the country right now. They blew through the end of their regular season schedule without any difficulties, including that big win over Wisconsin to end the regular season on a fine note. The next question: How much does OSU have to do to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament? Right now, we’re not so sure that there is anything that has to be done. Ohio State is that far ahead of the curve right now.

2: Kansas Jayhawks (29-2) (LW: 3) – It doesn’t really seem to matter what pieces to the puzzle are missing for the Jayhawks. They always seem to figure out how to get through all of these hassles without missing a beat. You know that the Big XII Tournament is going to be key for this team, as getting revenge on Texas would be sweet. Still, KU can’t take its eye off of the prize. Topping out in the Big 12 tourney would be dangerous, just as we saw last year when Northern Iowa swept this team off of the dance floor far too prematurely.

3: Pittsburgh Panthers (27-4) (LW: 4) – The Panthers might have lost that game at the KFC Yum! Arena, but we know that there is no shame in that. U-Pitt still has a great squad that is sure to be making a ton of noise, not only this coming week in the Big East Tournament, but in the big dance for the whole enchilada as well. The question is whether Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker really have what it takes to lead a team to the Final Four. This is a No. 1 seed in the making as long as it gets to the Big East finale.

4: San Diego State Aztecs (29-2) (LW: 7) – Has all of the carnage around the Top 25 in the land set up the Aztecs to take back a No. 1 seed again? It’s quite possible, though it still seems like a bit of a long shot to actually happen. The better case scenario is getting to stay on the West Coast somewhere as No. 2 seed. Certainly, winning the MWC is a prerequisite for a top seed. Beating BYU for the first time in three tries would also help out dramatically.

5: Duke Blue Devils (27-4) (LW: 5) – Instead, at least for the current moment, the Dookies probably hold the last top seed in spite of the fact that they were beaten by North Carolina on Tobacco Road on Saturday. The Blue Devils still know that there is a lot of basketball to be played. It will be hard to take this team out of the ACC Tournament next week, and as long as that remains the case, the defending champs have to really be in consideration for that top seed in Charlotte.

6: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (25-5) (LW: 9) – It’s fairly clear that Tim Abromaitis and Ben Hansbrough make up a great tandem, but is this the group that can really win the NCAA Tournament this year? We’re really not all that sure to be quite honest. What we do know is that this is a great team that was built to win in the Big East. But what happens when these little guys all come gunning for Notre Dame? Will Irish eyes still be smiling? There might be a big time difference in this team’s seeding depending on what happens next week at Madison Square Garden.

7: BYU Cougars (28-3) (LW: 2) – It’s really hard to punish this BYU team for the way that it has played of late. Let’s be real here. San Diego State can’t beat BYU. BYU can’t beat New Mexico immediately after playing San Diego State. It happens to be if the Lobos were a little better this year, maybe things would be different. But the truth of the matter is that the Cougs are getting punished for those two losses and for the loss of Brandon Davies for his off the court issues.

8: Texas Longhorns (25-6) (LW: 8) – We know that wins against bubble teams generally aren’t necessarily the greatest things in the world for teams that should be contending for top seeds, but the Longhorns have to know that that victory at Baylor was a huge stepping stone. First off, it kept them in the Top 10 in the land, as a loss would have surely knocked them out, and it also kept alive that chance for a No. 1 seed. Jordan Hamilton still has the ability to be an amazing athlete down the stretch, and Head Coach Rick Barnes has to impress upon his team that it has weathered the storm and is now ready to swarm on the rest of the country again.

9: Syracuse Orange (25-6) (LW: 12) – The Orange are one of the hottest teams in the Big East coming into Madison Square Garden this week, and this is a really dangerous proposition for the rest of this conference. Kris Joseph, Scoop Jardine, and company have that massive beat down of DePaul to rally around for the Big East Tournament. Earning that double bye was crucial. Head Coach Jim Boeheim and company know that this is a big chance to make a huge move up in the bracket.

10: North Carolina Tar Heels (24-6) (LW: 13) – First a huge comeback. Then an ACC regular season crown. Is the ACC Tournament title next for a team that was outside of the Top 25 just a few weeks ago? If it is, UNC might actually be on its way to being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in amazing fashion.

11: Purdue Boilermakers (25-6) (LW: 8) – Kiss any hopes of a top seed good bye for the Boilermakers, as they were absolutely stunned by Iowa on the final weekend of the regular season. Fortunately for Purdue, it didn’t cost it the No. 2 slot in the Big Ten Tournament, but it has to be a real confidence killer to get drained in a circumstance such as that against the worst team in the conference.

12: Wisconsin Badgers (23-7) (LW: 10) – We can’t say that we didn’t see Wisconsin getting whooped by Ohio State from a mile away, but it’s really hard to argue now that this is really one of the best 10 teams in the country. Head Coach Bo Ryan has a team that plays fantastic defense, but if Jordan Taylor isn’t at his best, the rest of this team is really going to struggle.

13: Louisville Cardinals (23-8) (LW: 11) – That tremendous signature win for the Cardinals over U-Pitt was only the beginning for Head Coach Rick Pitino and company. The ‘Ville earned its double bye in the Big East Tournament, giving it a huge advantage. Terrence Knowles and company are the real deal, especially defensively. Now, if the stupid cheerleaders just stay off of the court…

14: Florida Gators (24-6) (LW: 15) – The Gators didn’t really need to take out the Commodores on Saturday to make us feel good about their chances in the SEC Tournament, but they did so anyway. There is a great chance that this is a team that is moving up in a hurry, and if UF can successfully end up in the finale of the SEC Tournament, it could be all the way up on the No. 2 line by the time Selection Sunday rolls around.

15: Arizona Wildcats (25-6) (LW: 19) – An outright Pac-10 title was crucial for the Wildcats this year, and that’s exactly what they got when they took care of Oregon on Saturday night at McKeon Pavilion. Derrick Williams might be the best player in an underrated conference, but he certainly isn’t just a one man band. The Cats are deep… very deep, in fact. And when push really comes to shove, the U of A could be moving a long way up in these brackets as well.

16: St. John’s Red Storm (20-10) (LW: 16) – Head Coach Steve Lavin’s team finally suffered its first really terrible loss in quite some time when it was beaten at Seton Hall during the week, but this should have little bearing on what happens to this club for the rest of the year. The Johnnies have made their point, they’re in the NCAA Tournament, and heck, they might even win the darn thing when push comes to shove.

17: Connecticut Huskies (21-9) (LW: 14) – If we were Kemba Walker, we would be absolutely irate right now. Walker went out and scored 34 against Notre Dame at home on Senior Day on Saturday, and the rest of the team couldn’t even match that effort as the whole rest of the squad combined. UConn had better do some damage this year, because once Walker steps outside of that gym in Storrs for the final time, this program might be down the drain with him.

18: Georgetown Hoyas (21-9) (LW: 17) – The body of work suggests that the Hoyas are a Top 25 team, but recent form surely doesn’t indicate that. Georgetown has lost three straight, finished just 10-8 in the Big East, and only just barely ended up hanging on for a bye in the first round of this Big East Tournament starting this coming week. Just one win would do miracles for this team and its psyche heading into the NCAA Tournament, as it doesn’t want another very, very quick exit once again.

19: Kentucky Wildcats (22-8) (LW: 24) – No team in a major conference might have come up with a bigger win this weekend than when Kentucky knocked off Tennessee in Rocky Top. The win preserved a first round bye in the SEC Tournament, which is a crucial thing to have when you have a team that legitimately only goes six players deep (and sometimes, not even that deep). The talent is definitely there, but there is only so much that this team can really do without Enes Kanter in the fold.

20: Utah State Aggies (28-3) (LW: 23) – The Aggies are absolutely in the NCAA Tournament at this point in spite of the fact that everyone would love to take them out of the field of 68. They’re moving further up the charts because of the demise of so many other teams around them. After all, take a look at our power rankings and check out how many teams lost since the last time that we took a looksie at this. USU just keeps on winning, and sometimes, that’s all that you have to do to get into the show.

21: Xavier Musketeers (24-6) (LW: NR) – Xavier has kept its slot in the Top 25, and at the same time, it locked up that regular season A-10 title. With an outrageous set of computer numbers and that 15-1 mark in conference, the X-Men are absolutely set for a great seed in March Madness. But how far can they move up? They’re not San Diego State, but if they win the A-10 title, they could be BYU, believe it or not.

22: Texas A&M Aggies (23-7) (LW: 21) – The Aggies are potentially the sneakiest team in the Big XII Tournament this season because they have a fantastic draw. They’re not playing the greatest ball right now in the world, but let’s be realistic. Who in this conference is aside from Kansas? We don’t have to worry about A&M running into the Jayhawks until the Big 12 finale, and if that’s what happens, even a 50 point loss in that game wouldn’t upset anyone in College Station.

23: Villanova Wildcats (21-10) (LW: 18) – Is it time to say goodnight to Villanova? That’s four straight losses and eight out of 12 for the Cats, and they are really just in a world of hurt right now. They’re going to have to play in the very first round of the Big East Tournament next week, which basically dooms any chances of actually winning the conference title. Right now though, Head Coach Jay Wright would just take a win of any kind.

24: Temple Owls (24-6) (LW: NR) – The Owls are back in the Top 25 this week in spite of the fact that they are dealing with a ton of injuries that are probably going to ultimately end up crippling their season. But give the boys from the City of Brotherly Love some credit. Any time you can go 14-2 in the A-10, you’ve definitely accomplished something, even if the conference is down just a tad this season.

25: Old Dominion Monarchs (26-6) (LW: NR) – We welcome one of the best defensive teams in the land to our NCAA basketball power ratings this week, as the Monarchs are clearly the best team right now in one of the most underappreciated conferences in America. The problem with ODU is that the world will be done seeing it play after Monday night in the CAA finale. There are many bubble teams that are hoping this team just gets the job done and doesn’t swipe another bid out from under them.

 
February 26th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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March Madness picks are nearly here, as we are just a couple of weeks away from the start of the big dance. Here at Cappers Info, we’re narrowing down some of the biggest teams that you might not be thinking about that can be the next Butler Bulldogs or George Mason Patriots to bust your bracket and to get into the Final Four.

Old Dominion Monarchs (200 to 1 @ Hollywood Sportsbook): The Monarchs were good enough to take down the Xavier Musketeers, Clemson Tigers, Richmond Spiders, Dayton Flyers, Cleveland State Vikings, and a ton of big time teams from the CAA, so there’s no reason that this team can’t do a heck of a lot of damage come the dance. The problem with the Monarchs is that they really don’t have that outrageous shooter that can just nail three pointer after three pointer against anyone in the land. However, this defense is as good as it gets in the nation, averaging 58.0 points per game allowed, No. 4 in the country.

Butler Bulldogs (200 to 1 Hollywood Sportsbook): We know that Butler has had a hellacious, rough season, probably due to the fact that they not only are the bosses in the Horizon League, but the national runner up from last season as well. Nine losses shows just that. However, there’s nothing that says that this year’s Bulldogs can’t be… well… the Bulldogs! Sure, it would’ve helped immensely had Gordon Hayward come back to school for his senior season, but there are still some great names hanging around on this roster like Shelvin Matt and Matt Howard that now have a ton of experience at this level. There really aren’t many of those “Wow Factor” wins on the slate, but when push really comes to shove, we know that this team can ball with the best. The Horizon League was significantly better this season than it has been in years past, and it might show come Selection Sunday. It’s not a slam dunk for Butler to be in the field, but if it gets there, look out!

Missouri State Bears (200 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook): The Bears are going to be hanging around the bubble for the rest of the season, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t believe in them. First off, there is probably about a 40% chance or so that they win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, which would earn them an automatic bid to the dance, and as we saw last year with the Northern Iowa Panthers, just getting to the dance is good enough to do some real damage. Just like that UNI team that had a ton of sharpshooters from long range, so do these Bears. Kyle Weems, Jermaine Mallett, and Nafis Ricks can all shoot better than 40 percent from beyond the arc, and if that is what these guys are going to do in the dance, SMS is going to be a very, very difficult team to knock out.

Philadelphia Eagles 20 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook: The Eagles really had a coming of power this year, winning the rough and tumble NFC East and coming together with QB Michael Vick. RB LeSean McCoy had a great season to bust out as one of the best backs in the game, and we already know that WR DeSean Jackson and WR Jeremy Maclin are amongst the best in the fold in the division, the conference, and the game. There are still definitely some holes on this defense, but we know that Head Coach Andy Reid and company can get that shored up, both through the NFL Draft and just the general nature that this young unit is going to only get better and better. We have to think that there is better than a 20 to 1 chance that the Eagles are going to fly high and capture that elusive Super Bowl triumph.

BYU Cougars (30 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook): Sure, the Cougars aren’t exactly this surprise team to deal with, but if they can get past the San Diego State Aztecs either on Saturday on the road or in the MWC Tournament over the course of the next two weeks, there’s a pretty darn good chance that they are going to be a No. 1 seed in the tournament. Jimmer Fredette is the best scorer in America, and though he isn’t going to be sneaking up on anyone this season like he might have in years past, he is still going to put up his points and will be a crowd favorite wherever he goes. This BYU team is for real, and there is just no doubting that fact. Don’t be shocked if this is a Final Four team that legitimately can win the whole enchilada with ease.

 
February 13th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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It's been a wild few weeks in NCAA basketball betting action, but we're finally getting closer to figuring out who the 68 teams will be in the field, while figuring out who will be left home in the NIT. Check out our Bracketology and our college basketball free picks through the conclusion of the games on Saturday, February 13th.

ACC

Locks: Duke Blue Devils
Almost There: North Carolina Tar Heels
Would Be In If The Tourney Started Today: Florida State Seminoles, Virginia Tech Hokies, Boston College Eagles
Just On The Outside: Clemson Tigers
Lots Of Work To Do: Maryland Terrapins, Miami Hurricanes
What To Expect: Eventually, the ACC really has to become a five bid league, right? We can't picture this conference doing less damage than that in the dance, but really, outside of Duke and Carolina, everyone else keeps finding ways to shoot itself in the foot. Florida State is going to have the resume to get into the dance, but Chris Singleton just fractured his foot in the win on Saturday. Clemson blew a chance to get into the dance as of right now by losing at home against UNC. Virginia Tech is in right now, merely because the Selection Committee will be okay with all of these injuries that Head Coach Seth Greenberg has had to endure, but when push comes to shove, 12-13 losses will certainly leave VT right there on the bubble again, a place where it has popped over the course of the last few seasons. Maryland and Miami are definitely on life support. If the Canes don't beat Duke on Sunday, their season is probably over.

Big 12

Locks: Kansas Jayhawks, Texas Longhorns
Almost There: Texas A&M Aggies, Missouri Tigers
Would Be In If The Tourney Started Today: Kansas State Wildcats, Baylor Bears
Just On The Outside: Oklahoma State Cowboys
Lots Of Work To Do: Colorado Buffaloes, Nebraska Cornhuskers
What To Expect: The Big 12 is a goofy conference right now because it just has a lot of mediocre teams and a few dynamos. Once A&M and Mizzou get to their 20th wins of the year, they'll be on the lock line for sure, but we aren't going to count out a late season collapse, especially for teams that are 6-4 and 5-5 in the Big 12 respectively. Baylor didn't do enough scheduling in out of conference play, the Selection Committee might ultimately frown upon that, but if it can get to 20 wins, thus giving it 10 in the Big 12, it would have no choice but to put the Bears in, especially after the Elite 8 run last year. K-State is only in the field right now based upon name and the fact that the tourney wants to see Jacob Pullen again. However, the prospects of finishing 7-9 in the Big 12 aren't good for this team. Okie State has the most average computer numbers in the world and is likely going to be one of the last four teams in or out no matter how to slice it come Selection Sunday. The Pokes have to get to 20 to have a chance. Colorado and Nebraska are both thinking the same thing, but getting to 20 might not be enough for either team.

Big East

Locks: Pitt Panthers, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Georgetown Hoyas, Louisville Cardinals, Villanova Wildcats, Syracuse Orange, Connecticut Huskies
Almost There: West Virginia Mountaineers
Would Be In If The Tourney Started Today: Cincinnati Bearcats, St. John's Red Storm, Marquette Golden Eagles
Just On The Outside: None
Lots Of Work To Do: Providence Friars
What To Expect: We tend to believe that Marquette is going to get back in this tournament when it's said and done, and that the Big East will field a record 11 teams in the dance this year. They can all thank the Johnnies for that, as that win over Duke really gave the entire conference a shot in the arm. The problem that this conference faces is that it really won't be in a spot to have any No. 1 seeds if U-Pitt doesn't win the conference title (sorry, Notre Dame, we just don't buy you as a 1 seed). However, when you look at the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 lines in this year's field, you're going to see a heck of a lot of Big East teams floating around. Providence really needs to find six wins in its last seven games to have a shot, but a loss on Sunday to UConn would pretty much be damning. The schedule isn't all that tough though, and it's not unbelievable to think that the Friars could get near 20 and make things interesting. It's amazing that there might be nine teams winning at least 20 games in this conference.

Big 10

Locks: Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, Purdue Boilermakers
Almost There: Illinois Fighting Illini, Minnesota Golden Gophers
Would Be In If The Tourney Started Today: Michigan State Spartans
Just On The Outside: None
Lots Of Work To Do: Michigan Wolverines, Northwestern Wildcats, Penn State Nittany Lions
What To Expect: Trying to get Northwestern or Penn State into March Madness is going to be awfully difficult, as these teams both have losing records in a conference that, outside of the very top, has been very iffy. Beating Wisconsin for any team in this conference looks a lot better now that the Badgers have beaten the Buckeyes. Illinois and Minnesota just need to hang in there, though both definitely have holes in their resumes right now. Michigan State really doesn't deserve to be here right now, as it really doesn't have the resume to go dancing. However, knowing Head Coach Tom Izzo, he'll figure out how to get the job done. What about Michigan, though? The Wolverines are probably the most interesting case here. Imagine what would have happened if Big Blue had beaten Jayhawks when they were ranked No. 1 in the land instead of losing in OT? Oh well. As it is, Michigan has the talent, but it just doesn't have the resume right now to get the job done.

Pac-10

Locks: Arizona Wildcats
Almost There: None
Would Be In If The Tourney Started Today: UCLA Bruins, Washington Huskies
Just On The Outside: None
Lots Of Work To Do: Washington State Cougars
What To Expect: It's not exactly a banner year for the Pac-10 once again, but at least Arizona is bringing a level of respectability to the conference that has been buried since UCLA was dominating. The Bruins won't be a Final Four team this year, but they really should get into the field of 68 relatively comfortably as long as they win a dozen games in conference and don't suffer an embarrassing first round defeat in the Pac-10 Tournament. Washington needs to be careful to not fall flat too many more times, just like its brethren did from Washington State when it lost at home to Stanford. There are only five games left in the regular season, and the only ways that Wazzu goes dancing is if it upsets Arizona on the road or wins its other four regular season games and makes a deep run into the Pac-10 Tournament. Anything less leaves the Cougs out without the auto bid from the league.

SEC

Locks: Florida Gators
Almost There: Kentucky Wildcats, Vanderbilt Commodores
Would Be In If The Tourney Started Today: Tennessee Volunteers, Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide
Just On The Outside: None
Lots Of Work To Do: Arkansas Razorbacks, Mississippi Rebels
What To Expect: This is probably the best case scenario for the SEC this year, as six teams seems to be the max that are getting in from this conference unless someone crops up and steals the league's auto bid. UF has definitely been head and shoulders above the rest of the field this year, while Kentucky has slacked off and legitimately has come down off of the lock line with two bad losses this week. Vandy has the better case right now to be certainly in. Both teams have work to be done. Tennessee, thanks to a great strength of schedule and that awesome win essentially on the road at Pittsburgh is the only 10 loss team that we feel good about right now, though these close losses in the SEC might come back to bite the boys from Rocky Top. Alabama is going to be an interesting case. It really is going to need to prove that it can beat some of the big boys from the East, as beating up on the lame West isn't going to get the job done. Arkansas and Ole Miss might both get to 20 wins, and even if they do, both might not even be on the bubble picture come Selection Sunday.

Atlantic 10

Locks: None
Almost There: Temple Owls
Would Be In If The Tourney Started Today: Richmond Spiders, Xavier Musketeers
Just On The Outside: None
Lots Of Work To Do: Duquesne Dukes
What To Expect: The A-10 is down this year, and it is really going to show come Selection Sunday when there are only three teams at best that end up getting into the field. Dayton has really played its way out with a 5-6 record in an iffy conference, while teams like Rhode Island and UMass are only living pipe dreams if they think that they're dancing. Temple and Xavier both have great cases, though we know that the Owls don't have the greatest computer numbers in the world. Still, winning a dozen games in this conference is usually good enough to get into the NCAA Tournament, and that's something that all three of these teams will do. Duquesne has no choice but to get to at least 21, maybe even 22 wins to get into the field, and that would mean 14 wins in total in conference play.

Colonial

Locks: None
Almost There: None
Would Be In If The Tourney Started Today: George Mason Patriots, Old Dominion Monarchs
Just On The Outside: VCU Rams
Lots Of Work To Do: Drexel Dragons
What To Expect: Realistically, probably only two of the three of George Mason, VCU, and ODU are going to get into the NCAA Tournament, and the only reason we leave Drexel on this list is because of that win over Louisville. All three of the big boys in the CAA have spotty resumes at best, but it's hard to argue the fact that all three already have 20 wins, and there are very few bad losses to talk about with the three of them. Virginia Commonwealth was dealt a horrifying loss at home to Old Dominion on Saturday which almost certainly put the Monarchs in as of right now. There are only four games left for the Rams, and a win over Wichita State in BracketBusters is an absolute must to be able to get into the field without a deep run into the CAA Tournament.

Mountain West

Locks: San Diego State Aztecs, BYU Cougars
Almost There: UNLV Rebels>Would Be In If The Tourney Started Today: Colorado State Rams
Just On The Outside: None
Lots Of Work To Do: New Mexico Lobos
What To Expect: History will tell us that the Mountain West is going to get shafted in the NCAA Tournament, which is why it really is going to be so important for one of these three bubble teams in the conference to win the league title. We tend to believe that UNLV will get in one way or the other, even though it lost a chance to really seal its dance ticket by losing to San Diego State this week. Colorado State and New Mexico have good chances to get in the field, but both still have horrifying schedules to deal with. The Rams won the bubble battle of these two teams on Saturday, and with a better resume with computer numbers, they're in good shape if they can pick up one or two of these big time scalps along the way.

Other Conferences

Locks: None
Almost There: Utah State Aggies, St. Mary's Gaels
Would Be In If The Tourney Started Today: Wichita State Shockers
Just On The Outside: Missouri State Bears, Butler Bulldogs, Belmont Bears, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Lots Of Work To Do: Memphis Tigers, UAB Blazers, UTEP Miners, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, Harvard Crimson, Princeton Tigers, Gonzaga Bulldogs
What To Expect: The good news is that we have to remember that a lot of these teams will win their conference crowns and take automatic bids, something that Utah State, Belmont, and Coastal Carolina should all do with ease. Beyond that though, the only lower level mid-major that looks to be in good shape is St. Mary's, and if it beats USU this coming weekend in BracketBusters, there is almost certainly no doubt. Utah State needs the win more than St. Mary's does from the standpoint that it now has a very glaring loss to Idaho on the resume and can't really afford too many more slips. We know that neither Princeton nor Harvard is getting into the field without the auto bid from the Ivy League, but both at least have remotely compelling resumes. Butler and Gonzaga have both become tourney mainstays, but the truth of the matter is if these two teams had any other names, they wouldn't even be in the discussion. Conference USA is very interesting, because we know that one of these four teams is probably going to take the league's automatic bid. All four make relatively compelling arguments to go dancing, but right now, none of them would make the cut. Wichita State and Missouri State will probably both end up in the dance if they can win out and meet each other in the MVC finale, but things aren't, by any means, certain for either one.

At Large Bid Breakdown (Note: There are 31 automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament)

ACC: 4
Big 12: 5
Big East: 10
Big 10: 5
Pac-10: 2
SEC: 5
Atlantic 10: 2
Colonial: 1
Mountain West: 3
Other Conferences: 0

Last Four In: Boston College Eagles, Marquette Golden Eagles, Michigan State Spartans, Colorado State Rams
First Four Teams Out: Clemson Tigers, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Missouri State Bears, Butler Bulldogs