Championship Week 2019

[X-band '01]

The first automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament gets handed out tonight with the OVC Championship; Belmont plays Murray State for the championship tonight at 8 PM. There is a small chance the OVC gets two bids should Murray State win a close game, but Murray State is all but certain to go to the NIT should Belmont win tonight.

[GoMuskies]

Glad to see Murray State win last night, but Ja Morant got every call down the stretch yesterday. Needed them too in order to eek out a win.

He's going to be great in the NBA, by the way. He had something like 7 assists and 7 turnovers last night, but if his teammates didn't mostly suck it would have been more like 15 assists and two turnovers.

[X-band '01]

Today's Championship Week Action:

Gardner-Webb at Radford (Big South) - 1 PM, ESPN
Bradley vs. Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley) - 2 PM, CBS
Liberty at Lipscomb (Atlantic Sun) - 3 PM, ESPN

Lipscomb isn't quite the threat to get in as an at-large that Belmont is, but suffice it to say that everyone on the bubble better be pulling for Lipscomb today.

[GoMuskies]

That Missouri Valley winner is at beat a 15 seed. Brutal year for that league, and their two best teams lost yesterday.

[GoMuskies]

NIT is filling up. Belmont (probably), Loyola (IL), South Dakota State, Lipscomb, Radford.

[X-band '01]

Belmont might still get in - one of their starters missed the championship game against Murray State last night.

They are by no means a lock like Buffalo or Wofford to get in, however.

[GoMuskies]

Looks like Dean Wade is going to miss the Big XII Tournament with a sore foot. Poor guy can't catch a break. Hopefully K-State is just resting him this week so that he can be healthy for the NCAA Tournament. And hopefully some nice K-State grad here in Kansas will give Wade a nice desk job next fall to make up for all the money he should have made in professional basketball if his body had cooperated.

[scoscox]

Glad to see Murray State win last night, but Ja Morant got every call down the stretch yesterday. Needed them too in order to eek out a win.

He's going to be great in the NBA, by the way. He had something like 7 assists and 7 turnovers last night, but if his teammates didn't mostly suck it would have been more like 15 assists and two turnovers.

don't get me wrong he's very good, but the hype is a little much imo. he relies a lot on athleticism and that works in the ovc, but that advantage lessens as you step up competitively

[GoMuskies]

don't get me wrong he's very good, but the hype is a little much imo. he relies a lot on athleticism and that works in the ovc, but that advantage lessens as you step up competitively

If you just concentrate on his passing, you'll see why (along with that freakish athleticism) he's ranked so high. Unfortunately for him, a lot of his teammates are not talented enough to take advantage of his amazing passing ability.

I would note that I'm fairly certain most Alabama fans would tell you the most awe-inspiring play by a Tide opponent this year was the Morant dunk near the end of the Murray State/Alabama game. That athleticism plays in any league.

My biggest reservation on him right now would be on the defensive end. He didn't seem to expend much energy on that end.

[Masterofreality]

NIT is filling up. Belmont (probably), Loyola (IL), South Dakota State, Lipscomb, Radford.

If Xavier goes to the NIT and plays Loyola, my family will explode. There's gonna be lots of tickets in some form somewhere.

[chico]

NIT is filling up. Belmont (probably), Loyola (IL), South Dakota State, Lipscomb, Radford.

Who goes from the Big South - Radford or Campbell? They tied for the regular season championship, with Campbell winning both head-to-head meetings. Hoping it's Campbell if for no other reason than to see the Clemons kid play.

[GoMuskies]

Probably is Campbell and not Radford.

[SM#24]

Campbell

Larry Austin scored 24 tonight for C. Michigan. Also had 13 rebounds and 9 assists.

[X-band '01]

Auto-Bid Winners through tonight:

Murray State (Ohio Valley)
Gardner-Webb (Big South) - first NCAA Tournament appearance
Bradley (Missouri Valley)
Liberty (Atlantic Sun)
Wofford (SoCon)
Iona (Metro Atlantic)

The big result tonight was Wofford winning; the SoCon is another conference that might sneak an at-large from either UNC-Greensboro or Furman, but their best chance would have been Furman making the title game instead. Belmont is the best under-the-radar team right now that could be at-large.

[GoMuskies]

If Zion can't/won't play, I'll take Gonzaga and give the other 350 teams.

[X-band '01]

Thanks to Drew McDonald's game-winning 3 for NKU, we'll get Round 3 of Wright State-NKU for the Horizon League championship tomorrow night.

[paulxu]

Went to the Wofford/UNCG final in Asheville last night.
Was an electric atmosphere and a great basketball game.
Fortunately for the bubble,Wofford won and won't steal a bid.
Their guard Fletcher Magee is 3 shots away from holding the all time NCAA record of 3's.
He'll get at least one more chance in the first round to reach it.
They have provided us with great basketball all year. Undefeated in conference/tourney play.

[X-band '01]

Here are the five auto bids up for grabs for tonight:

Horizon - (1) Wright State vs. (2) NKU - 7:00 PM (ESPN)
Northeast - (2) Fairleight Dickinson at (1) St. Francis-PA - 7:00 PM (ESPN2)
Colonial - (1) Hofstra vs. (2) Northeastern - 7:00 PM (CBS Sports Network)
West Coast - (1) Gonzaga vs. (2) Saint Mary's - 9:00 PM (ESPN)
Summit - (2) Omaha vs. (4) North Dakota State - 9:00 PM (ESPN2)

Noteworthy here is that Omaha could secure their first ever D-1 Tournament appearance with a win tonight.

[GoMuskies]

I suspect SMC won't be able to stay within 10 of Gonzaga, but is that a bid stealer? Or are the Gaels in? May as well have Gonzaga blow them out just to be safe.

[X-band '01]

Bid stolen thanks to Saint Mary's.

[paulxu]

A little love for little Wofford.

http://www.sportingnews.com/us/ncaa-basketball/news/woffords-mike-young-is-sporting-news-coach-of-the-year-for-2018-19/ara2tv4abj9s1970e510284e3

[GoMuskies]

I assume Hofstra,Wright State and Omaha all picked up NIT bids last night.

[GoMuskies]

Watching the last minute of this Clemson/NC State game, and....these ACC refs are legitimately awful. I don't think they've gotten a single call right in the last minute. It's gone both ways, so at least they've been consistently awful!

[SM#24]

I assume Hofstra,Wright State and Omaha all picked up NIT bids last night.

Omaha did not, but S. Dakota St. did.

[SM#24]

Here are the five auto bids up for grabs for tonight:

Horizon - (1) Wright State vs. (2) NKU - 7:00 PM (ESPN)
Northeast - (2) Fairleight Dickinson at (1) St. Francis-PA - 7:00 PM (ESPN2)
Colonial - (1) Hofstra vs. (2) Northeastern - 7:00 PM (CBS Sports Network)
West Coast - (1) Gonzaga vs. (2) Saint Mary's - 9:00 PM (ESPN)
Summit - (2) Omaha vs. (4) North Dakota State - 9:00 PM (ESPN2)

Noteworthy here is that Omaha could secure their first ever D-1 Tournament appearance with a win tonight.

I guess being a #1 seed is overrated.

[GoMuskies]

I guess being a #1 seed is overrated.

Hopefully that holds true Friday night in MSG.

[GoMuskies]

The Sean Miller era at Arizona is ending in a hungover, half-empty Vegas arena right now. That's unfortunate [note sarcasm].

[Xville]

The Sean Miller era at Arizona is ending in a hungover, half-empty Vegas arena right now. That's unfortunate [note sarcasm].

Wonder what he will be driving after his court date..oldsmobile?

[muskiefan82]

Wonder what he will be driving after his court date..oldsmobile?

Kia

[Xville]

Gawd butler is effing garbage. So pissed we lost to that crap team with a crap coach and that may be the thing that keeps u from the tourney.

[bobbiemcgee]

Gawd butler is effing garbage. So pissed we lost to that crap team with a crap coach and that may be the thing that keeps u from the tourney.

Ditto. Can't believe we lost that game to these fools.

[KabeX]

Ditto ditto. Unfortunately that crap L will keep us out of the dance unless we run the BET table. So damn it! Let's run the BET table!

[GoMuskies]

Dave Leitao vs. Chris Mullin

Prime time clash of the coaching titans!

[GoMuskies]

This Gage is just a complete offensive liability for DePaul. St. John's isn't even pretending to guard him.

[X-band '01]

I wonder how long it takes to get in a game of HORSE between Gage and Butler's Aaron Thompson.

[xubrew]

College Basketball red letter days for me are the opening day, which is almost always the only day there are over 200 games, Championship Week when we have all the exempt tournaments and so many great match-ups in so many unique settings, and of course the Thursday and Friday when we have the Round of 64.

But for my money, this is always the best day of the year. The Thursday of Championship Week. There are so many games, and none of them are unimportant!

[Xville]

IUs bubble seems to be popping as we speak...

on second thought....maybe not....so odd how many teams have zero clue how to handle a press.

[GoMuskies]

IUs bubble seems to be popping as we speak...

5 point game. They've been hard to kill this year.

[Xville]

pop goes IU

[paulxu]

Texas Tech is trying to help somebody out.

[Lloyd Braun]

Myles Powell.... holy f

[muskiefan82]

The hall is boatracing the hoyas. Powell outscored them in the 1st half.

[GoMuskies]

Well, we can cross Georgetown and Creighton off the list of teams ahead of us.

Not that we'd be the team to replace them, but I dont really see why St. John's is considered a virtual lock. They're not very good.

[D-West & PO-Z]

X is the only team in Lunardi's First 8 out that is still alive in its conference tourney. Only one team (FL) is still alive in his last 4 in category. They play LSU today. X probably still needs to win it all at MSG, but beat Nova and we at least have a shot at a bid even if it may remain small.

[GoMuskies]

With the way everyone else on the Bubble is sucking (and they're sucking because Bubble teams are, pretty much by definition, mediocre teams), I think a win today over Villanova changes the narrative for Xavier. Yeah, we'd be a lot safer going ahead and winning it all, but to beat Villanova on a "neutral" court in the Big East semis would give Xavier's profile an enormous boost. I think we'd be awfully, awfully close to sneaking into the field at that point.

[MITTENMUSKIE16]

Louisville still sitting at a 7, just begging for the committee to put us at a 10 should we win

[Xville]

Lunardi can seriously suck my lower body extremity. Being behind Clemson is an effing joke, their best wins are mediocre Syracuse and a not fully healthy Virginia Tech team at home.

Texas is freaking 16-16 and ahead of us. Yes I know they beat UNC but they also lost to Oklahoma State and Georgia, which is even worse than losing to Butler and Depaul.

Florida is ahead of us...based on what? Because they lost to a bunch of good teams? Good job Florida. One good win at LSU, same record as X, and somehow safely in right now?

Yes I know im arguing about whose mediocre resume is better, but makes no sense to me how these teams are ahead of X except for their net numbers, which really makes me question the legitimacy of the net rankings.

[GoMuskies]

Also, after Xavier beats Villanova, everyone please join me in hoping that the Shockers (winners of 10 of their last 12) can stay hot tonight and knock off Temple. That would constitute a very, very good day for us.

[GoMuskies]

Lunardi can seriously suck my lower body extremity. Being behind Clemson is an effing joke, their best wins are mediocre Syracuse and a not fully healthy Virginia Tech team at home.

Texas is freaking 16-16 and ahead of us. Yes I know they beat UNC but they also lost to Oklahoma State and Georgia, which is even worse than losing to Butler and Depaul.

Florida is ahead of us...based on what? Because they lost to a bunch of good teams? Good job Florida. One good win at LSU, same record as X, and somehow safely in right now?

Yes I know im arguing about whose mediocre resume is better, but makes no sense to me how these teams are ahead of X except for their net numbers, which really makes me question the legitimacy of the net rankings.

It's fun to look at and worry about that stuff on a daily basis, but I think this much is clear: beat Villanova today and we're jumping over all of those teams you mentioned (except maybe Florida). Lose to Villanova today, and none of it matters anyway.

[noteggs]

If we beat Nova, there’re not a lot teams in the power 5 that can say they won their last 8 of 9 against conference competition. They say that doesn’t matter with the committee for at large but not sure I believe that. At minimum has to be a conversation starter.

[Xville]

It's fun to look at and worry about that stuff on a daily basis, but I think this much is clear: beat Villanova today and we're jumping over all of those teams you mentioned (except maybe Florida). Lose to Villanova today, and none of it matters anyway.

yeah i guess but the net rankings make no effing sense to me. We beat Creighton at a neutral site yesterday and don't move up at all. Creighton loses to us and moves up 2 spots to 52. Someone explain that shitty metric to me?

The net is a sham.

[paulxu]

If Nova will just collude for us, all the problems are solved.

[GoMuskies]

If Nova will just collude for us, all the problems are solved.

I think we might want Marquette or Seton Hall to get in on it as well...just to be sure.