Sunday, March 9, 2014

3/10 NIT projections

So I'm gonna focus more on the NIT bubble in this one.  Bid poachers are coming.  So far, we've had 5 NIT bids poached by regular season conference champions:

A-Sun:  FGCU falls to the NIT.  Actually, I had Mercer on the NIT bubble if they had lost, but I'll still count it as a bid poaching situation
A-East:  Vermont lost
SoCon:  Davidson lost
Horizon:  Green Bay lost.  Note that I had projected Green Bay in the NCAAs with no Horizon team in the NIT.  Because of the upset, now the Horizon will place 2 teams in the NCAA/NIT combined instead of 1.  Therefore, it IS a bid poaching situation even if Green Bay makes the NCAAs.
Big South:  High Point lost
OVC:  Belmont lost

I would suggest that 4 or 5 of the NIT bubble teams will miss the NIT by Sunday.

So here's my NIT field as of now:
On NCAA bubble, NIT locks:  California, Minnesota, Georgetown, Providence, Southern Miss, St John's, Missouri, Florida St, West Virginia, Green Bay

Off the NCAA bubble, but are NIT locks:
Clemson (19-11)
Utah (18-10)
LSU (18-12)
Georgia (18-12)
Illinois (18-13)
North Carolina St (19-12)
Maryland (16-14)
Toledo (25-5)

NIT bubble:
Indiana (17-14)
Marquette (17-14)
St Mary's (21-10)
Washington (17-14)
Richmond (18-13)
Indiana St (21-10)
Boise St (17-12)
San Francisco (19-10)
Middle Tennessee (21-8)

last out of the NIT: Manhattan, New Mexico St, Ole Miss, UNLV

NIT autobids:
FGCU (20-12)
Belmont (23-9)
High Point (14-14)
Vermont (20-10)
Davidson (19-12)



Bracket of the field below, for posterity (the geographic considerations are very tough to sort out here; having Boise and Washington go across the country so much, sending the Utah/St Mary's winner across the country, etc.  No way to fix it without severely compromising the seeding)

1) California (19-12) vs. 8) San Francisco (19-10)
4) LSU (18-12) vs. 5) Illinois (18-13)
3) Green Bay (21-6) vs. 6) Marquette (17-14)
2) Missouri (21-10) vs. 7) Boise St (17-12)

1) Providence (20-11) vs. 8) Vermont (20-10)
4) North Carolina St (19-12) vs. 5) Richmond (18-13)
3) Clemson (19-11) vs. 6) Middle Tennessee (21-8)
2) West Virginia (17-14) vs. 7) Indiana St (21-10)

1) Georgetown (17-13) vs. 8) High Point (14-14)
4) Indiana (17-14) vs. 5) Toledo (25-5)
3) Southern Miss (24-5) vs. 6) Washington (17-14)
2) Florida St (18-12) vs. 7) FGCU (20-12)

1) Minnesota (18-12) vs. 8) Davidson (19-12)
4) Georgia (18-12) vs. 5) Maryland (16-14)
3) Utah (18-10) vs. 6) St Mary's (21-10)
2) St John's (20-11) vs. 7) Belmont (23-9)

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