Minnesota is one of four Big Ten teams, along with Wisconsin, Michigan and Penn State, who are all neck-and-neck as we count down to today's dramatic unveiling of the bracket.
So. Here we are. Our Christmas Day. Jay Bilas is ready to get pissed. Digger Phelps is ready to proclaim three or four teams “are just on a mission.” Hubert Davis? Hell, what won’t he laugh at?
And Creighton is not on my board. The Blue Birds don’t have one good win against the RPI top 50; seven losses to teams less than 100. If Davidson’s not in the conversation, why Creighton? That selection will bemuse me.
This site, The Big Lead, Ballin’ is a Habit and Rush the Court are having a contest to see who can get the most at-large picks correct, and how we do against the mainstream media guys.
The Big Lead’s prediction is here.
Rush the Court’s take.
Ballin’ in a Habit.
Here’s what I’ve got.
Locks taking auto bids:
Bubblers taking auto bids:
I try to avoid Lunardi as much as possible, but the dude’s showing up on the damn Weather Channel telling me his last four our. He’s got SDSU out and I have them in. You’re going down, Lunardi.
(Record vs. D-I, RPI, Pomeroy ranking, quality road/neutral wins)
(23-9, 35, 34, 3) Gotta have SDSU in. Wins over BYU, sweep of Vegas and a win over Utah. Very consistent. Everyone thinks it’s screwed but me.
(26-7, 27, 83, 3) I’m not comfortable in calling Dayton a lock, but if the Flyers are jobbed Sunday, it would have a better case than anybody. Has wins over Auburn, Marquette and Xavier.
(23-9, 37, 52, 2) The RPI has tumbled, but it’s still better than the Longhorns’. Ugly, ugly loss to Texas Tech probably puts Tech at a 12-seed. Wouldn’t be interesting if it got a five-seed in Syracuse, just like in 2006, when Syracuse had that crazy run to win the Big East? Putting it out there for the Committee, because I know it checks this site daily. Hourly, even.
(20-13, 52, 50, 3) It’s the body of work! Beating UCLA and Duke in 2008 has come to pay off for the Wolverines, who, in my mind, are a 12-seed. Beating Minnesota on the road last weekend was the critical W.
(22-10, 40, 43, 3) Has been a miserable road team this season. The road has gotten bumpy, as the Golden Gophers finished the season going 6-9, four of those six wins coming over Northwestern and Indiana. The win over Louisville keeps getting better, but is it enough? Overall, the schedule looks better than Wisconsin, the RPI and general data ranks higher than Penn State, so Minnesota makes the cut.
(20-13, 51, 54, 2) So curious, Maryland is. Wins over Michigan State, North Carolina and Wake Forest. Ten-point loss to Morgan State, 22-point loss to Gonzaga, 27-point loss to Georgetown, a loss to Virginia and went 7-9 in the ACC.
(19-13, 63, 39, 1) The Wildcats have lost five of their last six. There are some really nice wins (UCLA, Gonzaga, Kansas, Washington, San Diego State), and not one bad loss — just an abundance of respectable ones. Went 2-9 on the road and had a non-con SOS of 74. With my last three in and first three out, I wouldn’t be shocked if I’m off on three teams; there are different strengths in each team’s resumes.
(19-12, 44, 30, 2) Had five quality road and/or neutral wins against 75-or-better teams, but a shift in rankings drops it to two. Best win out of conference is Virginia Tech. It has the sweep over equally tenuous Penn State. Got run by Connecticut, lost close to Marquette and Texas. A tough, tough call here on the Badgers.
—SEED 66 LINE—
(26-6, 48, 60, 1) Three losses in three chances to Gonzaga seals it.
(22-11, 68, 78, 2) No nice wins out of conference. The only team it played more than once and failed to beat was Wisconsin. I think this team is the biggest question mark.
(23-10, 52, 45, 3) Only good out of conference win is over Washington. Non-con SOS = 247. Went 2-7 on the road. Has lost four of its last six and the non-con schedule was a joke. Needed one more W.
(21-11, 81, 41, 3) Finished 4-4 down the stretch. That 81 RPI is an obstacle this team will not overcome. The coaches can look back to the 75-70 loss at Oregonon Dec. 7 as the game that cost this team the NCAA Tournament.
(22-10, 58, 53, 2) The Tigers don’t have enough meat to consider a bid. Had they won yesterday over Tennessee, it would really be interesting. Best wins: LSU and Florida. Has a can’t-explain-it loss to Mercer.
(21-10, 65 , 68, 3) The Runnin’ Rebels could not beat SDSU in three attempts, swept BYU and split with Utah. And it has a win over Louisville. Rebs fans will be PISSED when their team is not fit into a bracket on CBS Sunday night.
(21-9, 58, 62, 2) “To avoid catastrophe, it had better win two in the SEC.” — Dancing on the Bubble, March 5. It won zero. When you’re debating your best wins being on the road at Kentucky or on the road at Baylor, it’s not a good sign. 
(21-11, 66, 35, 0) You’ve heard “body of work” so much in the last week, and New Mexico’s catches up with it in the final week. Despite getting hot down the stretch, the Lobos don’t have enough meat in their schedule.
