Sporting News: Marquette an 11 seed in latest projection

[Aughnanure]

http://www.sportingnews.com/college-basketball/article/2010-02-08/projecting-field-65-big-east-has-four-top-eight-seeds

6 Big East teams, Wiscy a 3 seed.

11. Saint Mary's (West Coast), Ole Miss, California (Pac-10), Marquette
Saint Mary's 21-3 record is shiny, but the Gaels only have one win this year against a team in this week's Field of 65 list. That win was against Northeastern, which sits atop the Colonial standings. The Gaels already lost to Gonzaga at home and really need a road win against the Zags on Thursday to feel secure about their tournament bid.

Rest of the Field:
1. Kansas (Big 12), Syracuse (Big East), Kentucky (SEC), Villanova
Syracuse has been No. 1 or No. 2 in the collegeRPI.com standings since the middle of January, and the Orange should continue that streak with a couple of home games this week. Of course, the two visiting teams, Connecticut and Louisville, could really use an upset of Syracuse on their tournament resumes

2. West Virginia, Georgetown, Duke (ACC), Kansas State
The Hoyas have been better against teams in the RPI top 25 (5-2 record) than against teams ranked 26-50 (0-2). You won't see many performances more impressive than Georgetown's dismantling of Villanova last Saturday.

3. Michigan State (Big Ten), Purdue, Wisconsin, Texas
Call the No. 3 seeds the land of the Big Ten, which is by far the most top-heavy of the six power conferences. This was a good week for Wisconsin and Purdue but a bad two-loss week for Michigan State. The Spartans need PG Kalin Lucas healthy for their showdown with Purdue on Tuesday.

4. Ohio State, Wake Forest, New Mexico (Mountain West), Tennessee
The Volunteers have rebounded nicely from their two-game slide (at Georgia, vs. Vanderbilt) in late January, winning three in a row. This week, though, earning a split of road games at Vandy and Kentucky would be a huge success.

5. Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, Temple, Butler (Horizon)
Butler isn't necessarily crushing Horizon League foes, but the Bulldogs are getting the job done on a game-by-game basis. It's a matter of maintaining focus until they host Siena in a BracketBuster matchup Feb. 20.

6. Vanderbilt, UNLV, Texas A&M, Gonzaga
Texas A&M went a long way toward securing its berth in the NCAA field with a pair of come-from-behind conference wins last week, at Missouri and at home against Baylor. Just one game on the slate this week, on the road against a Texas Tech team the Aggies beat by 15 Jan. 30.

7. Baylor, BYU, Charlotte (Atlantic 10), Rhode Island
Wednesday is a huge day for the two No. 7 seeds from the Atlantic 10. League-leading Charlotte plays on the road at Dayton — where the Flyers crushed Xavier on Saturday — and Rhode Island hosts a Richmond team that hammered Temple on Saturday.

8. Missouri, Florida, Florida State, Northern Iowa (Missouri Valley)
Florida has won six of seven — with the only loss by one point at Tennessee — and this week plays at South Carolina before hosting a rare nonconference game this time of year against another bubble team, Xavier, on Saturday.

9. Dayton, UAB, Richmond, Oklahoma State
See the note on the No. 7 seeds. Wednesday is a big day for the two No. 9 seeds from the Atlantic 10, too.

10. Cornell (Ivy), Maryland, Xavier, Clemson
Since falling short in their upset bid at Kansas on Jan. 6, Cornell has won eight games in a row, but its RPI has fallen from 25 to 49. Such is life in the Ivy League.

12. Illinois, Old Dominion, UTEP (Conference USA), Utah State (WAC)
The Fighting Illini have a couple of nasty losses on their resume (Utah and Bradley), but they have a trio of wins not many bubble teams can match — Michigan State, Vanderbilt and at Clemson. Plus, they're 8-3 in the Big Ten. Their stay might not last long, though. Their next three games are at Wisconsin, home vs. Ohio State and at Purdue.

13. Kent State (Mid-American), Siena (Metro Atlantic), Northeastern (Colonial), Murray State (Ohio Valley)

14. Charleston (Southern), Arkansas State (Sun Belt), Weber State (Big Sky), Oakland (Summit)

15. Coastal Carolina (Big South), Morgan State (Mid-Eastern), Sam Houston (Southland), Pacific (Big West)

16. Robert Morris (Northeast), Stony Brook (America East), Lehigh (Patriot), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Southwestern), Belmont (Atlantic Sun)

Newcomers this week: Illinois, UTEP, Northeastern, Belmont

Dropped out: Louisville, Cincinnati, George Mason, Jacksonville

Bubble boys (in alphabetical order): Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Mississippi State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, San Diego State, South Carolina, South Florida, Texas Tech, Tulsa, VCU, Virginia Tech, Washington, Wichita State

Multiple-bid leagues
Big 12: 7 (Seeds: 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9)
ACC: 6 (Seeds: 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 10)
Atlantic 10: 6 (Seeds: 5, 7, 7, 9, 9, 10)
Big East: 6 (Seeds: 1, 1, 2, 2, 5, 11)
Big Ten: 5 (Seeds: 3, 3, 3, 4, 12)
SEC: 5 (Seeds: 1, 4, 6, 8, 11)
Mountain West: 3 (Seeds: 4, 6, 7)
Colonial: 2 (Seeds: 12, 13)
Conference USA: 2 (Seeds 9, 12)
West Coast: 2 (Seeds: 6, 11)

[NersEllenson]

No way the A-10 should get 6 and the Big East 6 as this projection lists...

[Aughnanure]

No way the A-10 should get 6 and the Big East 6 as this projection lists...

I view these bracketology type projections as an 'if the season ended today' kind of thing.

[Doctor V]

When there are so many teams to break down and rank you will be able to find a few baffling things in each projection

1- Completely agree that there is NO WAY the A-10 should have as many teams as the BE in the tourney- the BE should get atleast two more teams in. The title of the article is that the BE has four of the top 8 seeds for crying out loud. Also, if these seeds hold its pretty amazing that MU has been on the doorstep of beating 4 #1 or 2 seeds (beat one)

2- If I see U'Conn in one more of these "first or next four out" I am going to throw up. Seriously?? I know they were once highly ranked, but they have 1 good win against Texas and that is all. They are 4-6 and they have lost to Louisville, Cincy, MU- all teams on that same bubble. They have the ability to play themselves in with some tough games left, but if these are supposed to be projections to this point they have no right being mentioned

Those are just two quick observbations that involve the Big East

[willie warrior]

No way the A-10 should get 6 and the Big East 6 as this projection lists...

Agreed. Also, if Big 12 gets 7, BEast should get 8

[willie warrior]

I view these bracketology type projections as an 'if the season ended today' kind of thing.

Agree with that. Just keep winning and the rest takes care of itself.

[tower912]

Looking at the 11 seeds and the 6 seeds for first round matchups in this projection, I have no doubt the committee would stick us up against Gonzaga somewhere out west.    Just for laughs to watch us try to match up with all of their 7 footers. 

[MU B2002]

Just for laughs to watch us try to match up with all of their 7 footers. 

Or is it watch their 7 footers try and guard our guys on the perimeter?

[tower912]

And due to switches, Mo is guarding a 7 footer and vice versa.    That would be fun to watch. 

[Benny B]

And due to switches, Mo is guarding a 7 footer and vice versa.    That would be fun to watch. 

Mo is the perfect height to make a charging foul excruciatingly painful for a 7-footer.

Of course, if I was Mo, I wouldn't want to be subjected to that at any cost.