POLLYANNA
02-12-2011, 02:01 PM
For tip off of the game, here is what I think the 2011 Dance Card looks like.
Not pairings, that is just dumb that anyone can say who is going to play who and where, except where the number one seeds are going to play. That is set by NCAA policy.
Now, this year we have an enlarged field by four, so 68 teams make up the field, but even that doesn’t get Dayton in. Sorry Charley, No pretenders!
So, without further adieu …..
The field is first filled with 31 Conference TOURNAMENT champions.
I have 21 Conferences sending ONLY their tournament champion, and even if their regular season champion doesn’t with the conference tournament, tough luck.
They are: American East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Great West, Horizon, Ivy, MAC, Metro, Mid East, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, SWAC, Sun Belt, Summit, Southern, Southland, WAC and West Coast.
I have Four Conferences sending as many as four teams, but I am including one of those multiple choices as also winning the conference tournament.
They are (and who I think are locks) are Conference USA (Texas El Paso and Southern Miss); Mountain West (BYU and SDSU); Mo Valley (Wichita, Missouri State and Northern Iowa); and the Atlantic Ten (Xavier, Temple, Richmond, and Duquesne).
An aside here. Bit of prejudice? Maybe, but I think the added four teams to the field makes it very probable.
OK .. Now I have 32 teams in the field, and 36 to go.
From the Big Ten (Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota); From the ACC (Duke, North Carolina, Florida State and Clemson); from the Big 12 (Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas Missouri, K-State, and Baylor); from the SEC (Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama); PAC 10 (Arizona, UCLA, Washington, Washington State); and Big East: (Villanova, Georgetown, Uconn, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Louisville, West Virginia)
Now I have added 31 leaving five teams on the bubble as they say.
Second aside … see where the field of 68 makes the A-10 likely to get four invites?
Those seven bubble teams fighting for inclusion will include (not in any particular order, nor exclusive) UAB, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Boston College, Buffalo, Kent State, yeah and Cincinnati.
Anyway, I’ll put dollars to donuts My field of 61 is absolute.
Remember, every huge upset in the top seven conferences, such as Michigan State, St John;s, LSU, bursts somebody’s bubble.
Not pairings, that is just dumb that anyone can say who is going to play who and where, except where the number one seeds are going to play. That is set by NCAA policy.
Now, this year we have an enlarged field by four, so 68 teams make up the field, but even that doesn’t get Dayton in. Sorry Charley, No pretenders!
So, without further adieu …..
The field is first filled with 31 Conference TOURNAMENT champions.
I have 21 Conferences sending ONLY their tournament champion, and even if their regular season champion doesn’t with the conference tournament, tough luck.
They are: American East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Great West, Horizon, Ivy, MAC, Metro, Mid East, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, SWAC, Sun Belt, Summit, Southern, Southland, WAC and West Coast.
I have Four Conferences sending as many as four teams, but I am including one of those multiple choices as also winning the conference tournament.
They are (and who I think are locks) are Conference USA (Texas El Paso and Southern Miss); Mountain West (BYU and SDSU); Mo Valley (Wichita, Missouri State and Northern Iowa); and the Atlantic Ten (Xavier, Temple, Richmond, and Duquesne).
An aside here. Bit of prejudice? Maybe, but I think the added four teams to the field makes it very probable.
OK .. Now I have 32 teams in the field, and 36 to go.
From the Big Ten (Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota); From the ACC (Duke, North Carolina, Florida State and Clemson); from the Big 12 (Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas Missouri, K-State, and Baylor); from the SEC (Florida, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama); PAC 10 (Arizona, UCLA, Washington, Washington State); and Big East: (Villanova, Georgetown, Uconn, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Louisville, West Virginia)
Now I have added 31 leaving five teams on the bubble as they say.
Second aside … see where the field of 68 makes the A-10 likely to get four invites?
Those seven bubble teams fighting for inclusion will include (not in any particular order, nor exclusive) UAB, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Boston College, Buffalo, Kent State, yeah and Cincinnati.
Anyway, I’ll put dollars to donuts My field of 61 is absolute.
Remember, every huge upset in the top seven conferences, such as Michigan State, St John;s, LSU, bursts somebody’s bubble.