Dave Preston is an AP Top 25 voter. Check out his ballots here.
Four Days until Selection Sunday. Eleven automatic bids have been claimed while more than a few hopeful hearts have been broken.
Wednesday is when we begin to transition away from the one-bid leagues to the bloated super-conferences that play 1-2 rounds just to get to the quarterfinals.
I’ve called this “The Dreaded First Round” for some time because previously there was nothing worse than having to play in the 11 vs 14 or 12 vs 13 game. The loser leaves the tournament site before most of the teams arrive, and for the most part, it’s not good basketball.
If there’s one good thing that conference realignment gave us, it’s that we no longer had to sit through Rutgers-DePaul on a Tuesday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. But at least these schools made their conference tournaments: the ACC and Big Ten lopped off the bottom three from admission to Charlotte and Indianapolis this year.
But for every school that falls in the “Dreaded First Round” (still workshopping whether the article should be included), there’s a Delaware who advances from the first round into the finals like the Blue Hens did at the CAA Tournament.
Hokies heading home
Virginia Tech (13-19) was not as fortunate, slipping 82-73 in double overtime to Cal. The Golden Bears were only three days removed from a quadruple-overtime loss at Notre Dame, and for the record, the Fighting Irish also won their “Dreaded First Round” game.
The Hokies turned the ball over 18 times and shot 3 of 25 from 3-point range as the program posted its most losses in a season since 2015. A long summer looms for head coach Mike Young and company.
Bids Awarded
CAA: UNC Wilmington (27-7) held off a late charge that involved a pair of 3-pointers with under a minute left in regulation to defeat upstart Delaware 76-72, securing its first berth in the NCAA Tournament since 2017. They were a No. 12 seed that season and are projected as a No. 13 seed by ESPN as of Tuesday night. Despite the defeat, the Blue Hens can take solace they spent their final spin around the CAA in fine fashion.
Northeast: St. Francis (Pa.) (16-17) defeated Central Connecticut 46-43 in a defensive duel where both teams shot under 20% from 3-point range. And for the record, this is not the St. Francis from Brooklyn, mind you. Those Terriers dropped intercollegiate athletics two years ago without ever reaching the Big Dance, leaving three schools that have been playing Division I hoops since its inception (1948) to still hold that distinction (Army, The Citadel, William & Mary). The Red Flash pack their bags for Dayton and the First Four.
Horizon: Robert Morris (26-8) keeps Youngstown State from reaching its first-ever NCAA Tournament, topping the Penguins 89-78 behind 24 points and 13 rebounds from Josh Omojafo. It’s the Colonials first trip to the field of 68 since they joined the Horizon League. They’ve been a No. 15 seed twice and a No. 16 seed once in their previous three trips this century and are projected a No. 15 this year.
West Coast Conference: Gonzaga (25-8) reclaims their swagger with a 58-51 win over No. 21 Saint Mary’s on a night where they shot 1 of 15 from 3-point range (the Gaels went one step further by shooting 0 of 16 from beyond the arc). The Bulldogs reverse a recent trend (three straight losses in the series) and capture their 20th WCC Tournament title while improving their seeding (from No. 8 to No. 7) as well.
Wednesday Night’s Bids
Patriot, 7 p.m., CBS Sports. American (21-12) and Navy (15-18) are both dealing with NCAA Tournament droughts: the Eagles last danced in 2014 while the Midshipmen haven’t been in the field of 68 since it was the field of 64 (such innocent times) in 1998. But the Mids have the hot hand, having won five of six to end the regular season as well as the quarterfinals and semifinals on the road. They also have American’s number, having beaten the Eagles twice this winter. AU was outrebounded by double digits in each game.
“They normally send two or three to the glass, not many teams in our league do that, and the kid Draper for them. He had 16 rebounds, four offensive (in the February meeting), and he’ll go every single time,” American head coach Duane Simpkins said. “We’ve gotta counteract that by obviously boxing out. But we’ve got to make them pay. When we do get the rebound, we’ve got to push in transition and get some easy baskets.”
They’ll also have their hands full with Midshipman guard Austin Benigni.
“He’s small, he’s quick, he’s a very good ball-handler,” Simpkins said. “He does a really good job of using angles. He’s one of the leaders in the country at drawing fouls.”
We’ll see you courtside.
Southland, 5 p.m., ESPN2. McNeese (26-6) tries to repeat as tournament champion, with Lamar (20-12) in their way. The Cowboys swept the regular season series from the Cardinals and beat them last year in the Southland Semifinals. Will Wade’s team also led the conference in scoring, scoring defense, rebounding margin, and turnover margin.
Big Sky, 11:30 p.m., ESPN2. Northern Colorado (25-8) meets Montana (24-9) in what is anticipated to be a high-scoring affair: The Bears and Grizzlies ranked 1-2 in the conference in scoring, shooting, and hitting 3-pointers. Montana still feels the sting of losing last year’s championship game to in-state rival Montana State while Northern Colorado last played for the title in 2022.
Other games of interest
Atlantic 10 First Round, Richmond (10-21) vs. Davidson (16-15), 11:30 a.m., USA. Next to missing the tournament entirely, the only thing worse than the first round is playing a morning game. The only teams that should play before noon are coached by the Reggie Theus or the late Dick Butkus and feature actor Anthony Anderson in the pivot (for those unaware, the TNBC show “Hang Time!” provided unintentional comedy on many levels). The last time they played the A-10 Tournament in D.C, head coach Chris Mooney’s team (led by seventh-year senior Grant Golden) posted four wins in four days. The current edition has won four games since New Year’s Day. One year removed from winning the A-10 regular season, the Spiders have had issues scoring (last in the A-10) and rebounding (second to last) while dropping their last four regular season games. The Wildcats won the regular season matchup 72-66 in January with Reed Bailey scoring a season-high 32 points.
ACC Second Round, Virginia (15-16) vs. Georgia Tech (16-15), noon, ESPN. The Cavaliers wrap up a season like none other this week, less than five months after learning that head coach Tony Bennett was stepping away from the program. The next hire is at the forefront of the fans’ minds which is a good thing because this has been one tough season to stomach. Some things haven’t changed: Virginia ranks last in the conference in scoring and second to last in rebounding. The Cavaliers took the regular season meeting 75-61 on February 8 but since then the Yellowjackets have won five of seven while Virginia arrives at Charlotte having dropped three of four. How long before they head back to Charlottesville?
Big East First Round, Georgetown (17-14) vs. DePaul (13-18), 6:30 p.m., Peacock. The only other catchphrase I’ve tried to make happen more than “Dreaded First Round” over the years is “Lowly DePaul”. Even though Seton Hall technically finished last in the conference this year, we know that the Blue Demons find their own water level eventually. But this year they’ve had the Hoyas’ number, sweeping the regular season series this winter while taking nine of 17 meetings since the two schools last played in the Big East Tournament (2016). Isaiah Rivera tallied 21 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in last Saturday’s 83-77 Blue Demon triumph. If he’s able to get going again, it could be a long evening.
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