This is part 5 of a 32-part series covering each conference and conference tournament. These previews are meant to provide every bracketologist with the information they need to make informed projections about the teams of the conference.
The final standings:
North:
High Point 12-4
VMI 11-5
Radford 10-6
Campbell 6-10
Liberty 5-11
Longwood 3-13
South:
Coastal Carolina 11-5
UNC Asheville 10-6
Gardner-Webb 10-6
Winthrop 10-6
Charleston Southern 6-10
Presbyterian 2-14
Tournament format:
All 12 teams will play, a simple setup for this conference. Top 2 teams in each division get a first round bye. Coastal Carolina is the host for the conference tournament. First round is March 5, followed by quarterfinals/semis/championships on the 7th-9th accordingly.
The matchups:
Game 1: 4S) Winthrop (17-12) vs. 5N) Liberty (11-20)
Game 2: 3N) Radford (20-11) vs. 6S) Presbyterian (6-25)
Game 3: 4N) Campbell (12-19) vs. 5S) Charleston Southern (12-17)
Game 4: 3S) Gardner-Webb (17-14) vs. 6N) Longwood (8-23)
in the quarterfinals:
Game 1 winner vs. 1N) High Point (16-13)
Game 2 winner vs. 2S) UNC Asheville (16-14)
Game 3 winner vs. 1S) Coastal Carolina (18-12)
Game 4 winner vs. 2N) VMI (18-11)
The stakes:
The winner plays in Dayton in the First Four. Period. End of story. High Point at 170 has the only sub-200 RPI. The analysis of resumes start and end there. High Point will carry the NIT autobid with them. Even CBI/CIT chances are slim, even though seven teams are eligible - all the profiles are beyond awful. I imagine one or two of them will get looks, and given the congested nature of the standings, the conference tournament may be the deciding factor on who gets invited.
This may be the most balanced tournament from top to bottom. You can talk me into 5 or 6 different teams winning this tournament. I expect competitive games, and high drama, because none of these teams separated from the rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment