Dead or Alive March 8

We've reached the weekend before Selection Sunday, which means we have title games, which means we'll have our first AUTO BIDS of the tourney.  Last night we lost another 21 teams in the race for the title.  Two teams were close to achieving the first Zombie status of the year.  BYU has an RPI of 65 but they have zero top 50 RPI wins, that won't get it done.  Eastern Kentucky also has an RPI in the 60's but they have zero wins in the Top 100 RPI, therefore, they aren't getting in.  They can watch the Selection Show, but I hope they don't have their hopes up.  Here is the list of teams added to the Cemetery on Friday...

DEAD:
Missouri Valley - DRAKE, EVANSVILLE, MISSOURI STATE, NORTHERN IOWA
Southern - WOFFORD, SAMFORD, CHATTANOOGA, CITADEL
Atlantic Sun - USC UPSTATE, STETSON
Horizon - YOUNGSTOWN STATE, ILLINOIS-CHICAGO
Sun Belt -  LOUISIANA-MONROE, NORTH TEXAS, FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Ohio Valley - TENNESSEE STATE, EASTERN KENTUCKY
MAAC - MARIST, ST. PETER'S
West Coast - SANTA CLARA, BRIGHAM YOUNG


STANDINGS:
TEAMS           347
DEAD               97
AUTO                 0
LOCK                 0
ZOMBIE             0
ALIVE            250

Three more tourneys get underway on Saturday.  Here they are, and my picks...
America East - I'll take the Catamounts of Vermont.  Always liked them since they won me some money in Vegas with that upset over Syracuse a few years back.
Colonial - I'm going to guess that George Mason finds a way to get this done.
Summit - In these tourneys, you need a guy that can score.  South Dakota State's Nate Wolters is averaging almost 23 a game.  I'll take the Jackrabbits to get it done.



We have two Championship games today that will get us the first AUTO BIDS of the tourney.  Here is who is playing...

Atlantic Sun - Florida Gulf Coast vs. Mercer
The two top seeds have made it to the final.  The game is on Mercer's homecourt.  I picked Mercer at the start of the tourney, I'll keep my pick.  This will be their third meeting of the year.  First game Mercer won at home in OT and the second game was a FGC win on their homecourt by two points.  Should be a good one.

Ohio Valley - Murray State vs. Belmont
The top two seeds have made it to this final also.  This game is going to be good.  Belmont is the better team, but Murray and Isaiah Cannan don't want to give up their stranglehold on this conference.  Game is in Nashville, which is Belmont's home.  I would be surprised if Murray wins this, but you never know.

Also, with a Harvard win and a Princeton loss, Harvard would win the Ivy League and get the AUTO BID since they don't have a Conference tourney.

We have a total of 35 tourney games on the slate today.  Along with an elimination in the A10, two in the Big Sky, and a possible Ivy League elimination, the Cemetery is going to get awfully crowded. 

I'd be remissed if I didn't mention the Loyola Marymount upset last night.  They had one conference victory this year but they have now won two straight in the tourney and they get the Zags tonight.  So, uh, ya, probably over, but who knows, right?


And oh, probably some other good games going on today, UNC Duke anyone?

Anything you would like to point out so far this tourney season?  Any picks in these tourneys?  Down to 250, getting close.  Selection Sunday is only 8 days away.  Enjoy your day.  Til next time, thanks for reading.

Curt