The NCAA Tournament Picture (Bracket Below)Handing out the Hardware: CHD’s picks for all-conference players of the year (Part 1 of 2)--CollegeHoopsDaily
NCAA Tournament Locks (35): Arizona, Florida, Syracuse, Wisconsin, Kansas, Duke, Villanova, Virginia, Creighton, Michigan, San Diego State, Iowa State, Michigan State, Louisville, North Carolina, Saint Louis, Cincinnati, UCLA, Texas, Oklahoma, Connecticut, Kansas State, Vcu, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Iowa, Ohio State, George Washington, Memphis, Arizona State, New Mexico, Oregon, Baylor, SMU, Oklahoma State
Clinched NCAA Tournament Auto-Bids (12): Harvard (Ivy), Eastern Kentucky (OVC), Wichita State (MVC), Mercer (ASUN), Coastal Carolina (Big South), Manhattan (MAAC), Wofford (SOCON), Milwaukee (Horizon), Mount St. Mary’s (NEC), North Dakota State (Summit), Gonzaga (WCC), Delaware (CAA)
Bracket Math:
How many spots are still available for bubble teams hoping to win their way into the NCAA Tournament? Let’s break it down with a little bit of simple math.
I have 35 locks above, but when you consider nine conferences figure to have at least three bids or more (American, ACC, A10, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, Mountain West, Pac 12, SEC) it’s fair to assume that in MOST — if not all — of those leagues, the automatic bid will also come from an already “locked in” team. Therefore, we subtract nine from 35, which leaves us with 26 “true locks”. Add in the 32 automatic bids awarded to teams that win their conference tournament (which is where the nine conference champs we discounted a second ago will end up) and you’ve got a total of 58 locks.
Since 68 teams make the NCAA Tournament, that leaves us with 10 spots remaining for bubble teams. Now, let’s take a look at the bubble:
Projected Bubble Spots Left: 10
Bubble In (10): Colorado, Stanford, Nebraska, Saint Joseph’s, Dayton, Xavier, California, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Tennessee
Bubble Out: Byu, Arkansas, Georgetown, Providence, Green Bay, Florida State, St. John’s, Belmont, Missouri, Indiana, West Virginia
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The NIT Picture
Automatic NIT Bids (7): Belmont (OVC), Florida Gulf Coast (ASUN), Davidson (SOCON), Vermont (America East), Green Bay (Horizon), Iona (MAAC), Robert Morris (NEC)
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The CBI/CIT Picture
Projected CBI Field (16): Penn State, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, San Francisco, Boise State, New Mexico State, Siena, Illinois State, Ole Miss, Buffalo, Tulsa, Western Kentucky, Cleveland State, Saint Mary’s, Houston, Missouri State
Teams we know won’t accept CBI bid: Miami FL (link)
Projected CIT Field (27): Grand Canyon (rumored to accept), American, UCSB, Towson, IPFW, William & Mary, Quinnipiac, Princeton, South Dakota State, Holy Cross, Montana, Charlotte, Bucknell, Winthrop, Wagner, VMI, Chattanooga, Hartford, High Point, Drexel, UAB, Radford, USC Upstate, Albany, Hawaii, St. Bonaventure, Wright State
Accepted CIT Bids (5): San Diego (accepted), Valparaiso (accepted), Nebraska-Omaha (accepted), Brown (accepted), Murray State (accepted)
HorizonTournament Central - 3/11--The Mid-Majority
G: Kendrick Perry (Youngstown State)
G: Keifer Sykes (Wisconsin Green Bay)
G: Kelsey Barlow (Illinois Chicago)
F: Juwan Howard, Jr. (Detroit)
C: Alec Brown (Wisconsin Green Bay)
Player of the Year: Keifer Sykes (Wisconsin Green Bay)
Rookie of the Year: Alec Peters (Valpariaso)
6th Man of the Year: Jon Harris (Cleveland State)
Coach of the Year: Brian Wardle (Wisconsin Green Bay)
Horizon LeagueNBCSports.com’s Conference Awards and All-League teams--CollegeBasketballTalk
Green Bay seemed to have the Horizon by the tail, playing the conference tournament at home and finishing two full games clear of the rest of the league. Milwaukee had other ideas and won their third game of the tournament with a thrilling overtime victory. On the other side of the bracket Wright State snuck by Cleveland State to earn the right to host the championship game tonight. Both teams scored less than 1 point per possession during the Horizon League season, so expect a slug fest in Dayton.
#5 Milwaukee vs. #3 Wright State - 7:00 ESPN
HORIZONNCAA Tournament Primer: Milwaukee Panthers--CollegeBasketballTalk
Player of the Year: Keifer Sykes (Green Bay)
Coach of the Year: Brian Wardle (Green Bay)
Newcomer of the Year: Kahlil Felder (Oakland)
All-Horizon
Keifer Sykes (Green Bay)
Kendrick Perry (Youngstown State)
LaVonte Dority (Valparaiso)
Travis Bader (Oakland)
Alec Brown (Green Bay)
Late Night Snacks: Four autobids decided; should BYU be concerned?--CollegeBasketballTalk
IMPORTANT OUTCOMES
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2) Milwaukee 69, Wright State 63
Picked to finish dead-last in the Horizon League in the preseason, the Panthers pulled off another road win on Tuesday after winning at Green Bay in the semifinals. Since senior guard Jordan Aaron returned from suspension, the Panthers haven’t lost and with two consecutive road wins against solid opponents, this team will be a scary 15 or 16 seed in the field of 68.
Wednesday’s Pregame Shootaround: Another doubleheader in Dayton--CollegeBasketballTalk
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH FOR:2014 CollegeInsider.com Tournament: Ohio Will Face Cleveland State In Athens On Wednesday, March 19--Hustle Belt
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3) A CIT matchup that should be entertaining is Cleveland State taking on Ohio in Athens. Ohio’s Nick Kellogg and Maurice Ndour lead the way offensively for the Bobcats, who are scoring nearly 72 points per game. Cleveland State’s a slightly better offensive team, and guard Bryn Forbes is averaging 15.4 points per game for a team that has lost just two games since January 22.
2014 CIT: Ohio vs. Cleveland State Preview--Hustle Belt
2014 CIT, Ohio vs. Cleveland State: Odds, Lines, Spreads--Hustle Belt
2014 College Insider Tournament, Cleveland State Profile: Get to Know the Vikings vis Mid-Major Madness--Hustle Belt
2014 CIT Ohio vs. Cleveland State Recap: Bobcats Overcome Adversity to Beat Vikings 64-62--Hustle Belt
LeBron James, Miami Heat making effort to get Dwyane Wade, Ray Allen more involved--Miami Herald
Spurred on by James, the Heat’s superb ball movement in the final minutes of the game found the open man. More often than not, that player was Allen, who had 14 points in the fourth quarter. Wade added nine points and Norris Cole, who played all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter, had five points. Combined, Allen, Wade and Cole outscored the Rockets by five points.LeBron James back in Cleveland for 'business trip'--South Florida Sun Sentinel
Cole contributesAkron, Cleveland State still playing hoops in the postseason--Cleveland Plain Dealer
In the wake of a slump that had seen him scoreless in two of his three previous appearances, backup point guard Norris Cole was particularly pleased with Sunday's fourth-quarter contribution, when he made both of his shots and had two assists and no turnovers as the lone Heat player to go all 12 minutes in the final period.
"It was good to see some shots go in, good to see some positive plays," he said. "I'm a pretty positive player, so eventually I knew it couldn't get any worse the way I was playing. I knew it couldn't get any worse."
'Other' basketball tournaments start for Cleveland State, Akron--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State accepts bid to CIT; Will Face Ohio on Wednesday--Cleveland State Hoops
Cleveland State's Sebastian Douglas' career might be over after another knee surgery--Cleveland State Hoops
Forbes Named to NABC All-District Second Team--csuvikings.com
CSU Opens Play in CollegeInsider.com Tournament at Ohio--csuvikings.com
Vikings Fall at Ohio, 64-62, in CIT First Round--csuvikings.com
'Superfan' shows Viking spirit since 1994--The Cauldron
Gordon & Livingston Earn Horizon League Postseason Honors--csuvikings.com
No. 5 Vikings Begin Horizon League Tournament At No. 4 UIC--csuvikings.com
Vikings Fall At UIC In Horizon League Quarterfinals--csuvikings.com
Pac-12 Senior Days: Oregon and Transfer U--Rush The Court
Jason Calliste is cold-blooded; literally. It’s why he wears long sleeves for every game and has earned the nickname, “The Sleeved Reaper” from Duck fans. One of the best pure shooters in the conference, Calliste has come up clutch at numerous moments throughout the year, including just this weekend when he hit the go ahead and-one jumper against third-ranked Arizona. The Detroit transfer has become arguably one of the top sixth mans in the Pac-12 and will be exciting to watch in the final month of the season.Moser, Young honored, Ducks look to OSU--The Register-Guard
"I always tell the guys, the spoils kind of go to the winners," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "We didn't win enough. I thought some of the guys were maybe more deserving, but if you don't finish 1-2-3 in the league, I guess we were third but we caught up at the end. Mike, Joe, Jason (Calliste), Johnny (Loyd), I thought they were all deserving of something. I thought Johnny should have been on the all-defensive team with his steals and nobody is better on the ball than Johnny."Ducks beat Beavers, 88-74, in first round of Pac-12 Tournament--The Register-Guard
Jason Calliste provided his usual production off the bench with 17 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field, including 3-for-4 on three-pointers. Point guard Dominic Artis, who was 1-for-12 from the field in his last seven games, had 10 points and six assists in 23 minutes while Carter had six points, his second-highest total of the season, and three assists, which matched his total from the previous nine games, in 20 minutes.UO/UCLA Gameday: Links and web extras--The Register-Guard
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Oregon State scored the first nine points of the game culminating with a jumper from Devon Collier before Oregon finally scored on a three-pointer by Mike Moser after the Ducks missed their first nine shots. OSU led 15-7 when Altman put Carter, Artis, Calliste and Elgin Cook in the game with Damyean Dotson.
You may have noticed during the season that Oregon basically makes Joe Young, Mike Moser, Damyean Dotson, Jason Calliste, and Johnathan Loyd as its spokesmen. Waverly Austin and Nicholas Lucenti were made available once late in the season.Ducks head home from Vegas looking ahead to NCAAs--The Register-Guard
Oregon has seven players with NCAA experience including five back from last year when the Ducks reached the Sweet 16. Mike Moser went to the NCAA Tournament with UNLV last season while Jason Calliste went with Detroit two years ago.Ducks will open NCAA Tourney vs. BYU--The Register-Guard
"Elgin is pretty excited about going back to Milwaukee," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "Richard (Amardi) and Jason (Calliste) were hoping for Buffalo. Joseph (Young) and Dot were hoping for San Antonio. Elgin had Milwaukee and I didn't care. We're in, we're playing, so I am excited about that."Detroit's Ray McCallum back at Palace as Sacramento Kings rookie--The Detroit Free Press
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Calliste, who had a career-high 31 points while shooting 7-for-13 from the field, including 4-7 on three-pointers, and made all 13 of his free throws. He suffered an injury to his side in Oregon's 82-63 loss to UCLA at the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday.
Howard Named to NABC All-District Team--detroittitans.com
Titans to Host Special March Madness Luncheon at Calihan Hall--detroittitans.com
Titans Announce Partnership with Pakmode Media + Marketing--detroittitans.com
Trio Of Titans Earn All-League Honors--detroittitans.com
Titans Drop Horizon League Championship Opener--detroittitans.com
Losing season had its moments--Oakland Post
OU'S BADER NAMED NABC ALL-DISTRICT FIRST TEAM--ougrizzlies.com
Sporting blitz week of 3/12--Oakland Post
Women’s Basketball-OAKLAND FALLS IN LEAGUE TOURNAMENT TO YOUNGSTOWN STATE, 68-64--ougrizzlies.com
Three players received Madness 2013-14 Horizon League All-Conference honors from the Oakland University women’s basketball team. Bethany Watterworth and Elena Popkey were named to the third team, and Kim Bee was named to the fourth team. Meanwhile, the Horizon League announced that Bethany Watterworth was named to second team all-conference and Kim Bee was named to the all-defensive team. The Grizzlies will play Youngstown State in the opening round of the Horizon League Tournament on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.
East Region: Thursday's games--The Chicago Tribune
(2) Villanova (28-4) vs. (15) Milwaukee (21-13)
8:25 p.m., TBS
After setting a school record for wins, the Wildcats saw their chances for a No. 1 seed disappear with a stunning 64-63 loss to Seton Hall in the Big East tournament. The Panthers went 7-9 in Horizon League play but have been a different team since Jordan Aaron (15 ppg) returned from a four-game suspension in late February.
Illinois-Chicago Women's Basketball 2014 NIT Tournament Capsule--College Sports Madness
Flames compete in Horizon League quarterfinals--UIC News
Flames advance to league semifinals with win vs Cleveland State--UIC News
Flames fall to No. 1 Green Bay; postseason play possible--UIC News
Flames prepare for postseason play--UIC News
Hannemann Named Illinois National Guard Student-Athlete of the Week--uicflames.com
Campbell, Story and Bender Earn All-League Honors--uicflames.com
Flames Advance to Horizon League Semifinals; Defeat CSU 77-72--uicflames.com
Flames Defeated in HL Semifinals by Green Bay, 68-59--uicflames.com
Fans Invited to Celebrate the Best WBB Season in Program History--uicflames.com
Flames to Play in Postseason for Second Time, Host IPFW in WBI--uicflames.com
Flames Win First Postseason Game in Program History--uicflames.com
NIT Bracketology: March 10--Big Apple Buckets
Morning Five: 03.10.14 Edition--Rush The Court
It has been March for a while now, but it didn’t really feel like until Friday night when teams started receiving NCAA Tournament automatic bids. The first team to do so was Harvard by virtue of winning the Ivy League regular season title. They were soon joined by Mercer, Coastal Carolina, Wichita State, and Eastern Kentucky. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the weekend was Milwaukee beating Green Bay in the Horizon League semifinals, but we wouldn’t necessarily call them a bid thief because we doubt that Green Bay will be able to get an at-large bid.The RTC Other 26 Superlatives--Rush The Court
Five OthersSMU headlines the list of bubble teams that got snubbed--CollegeBasketballTalk
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Keifer Sykes – Guard – Green Bay. Sykes emerged as one of the best point guards in America, featuring an explosive offensive game, true point guard instincts and a knack for winning. Averaged 20.4 points, 5.0 assists and 4.4 rebounds in the regular season. Combined for 79 points against top-tier opponents Wisconsin, Harvard and Virginia.
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O26 Upset of the Year
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Honorable Mentions: Green Bay over Virginia (75-72); North Carolina Central over North Carolina State (82-72); Northern Colorado over Kansas State (60-58).
Green Bay: The mid-major darling of the at-large field, many fans and pundits were hoping the committee would let the Horizon League regular season champs into the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team. It didn’t happen for the Phoenix (24-6, 14-2) , as an overtime loss to Milwaukee in the Horizon League Tournament semifinals ended Green Bay’s NCAA Tournament hopes. It was the second loss of the season for Green Bay to Milwaukee, but the Phoenix still owned a home win over No. 1 seed and ACC champion Virginia and a respectable three-point loss to Wisconsin. Horizon League Player of the Year Keifer Sykes wasn’t healthy during the Horizon League Tournament, but the committee didn’t seem to notice that Green Bay was playing at less than full strength.Green Bay Men's Basketball 2014 NIT Tournament Capsule--College Sports Madness
Green Bay can only wait and hope after stunning conference tournament loss--The Dagger
A look at the contenders for the NCAA tournament's final at-large spots--The Dagger
70. Green Bay (24-6, 14-2): The downside of conference tournaments for mid-major league champs is that an entire season's worth of good work can unravel in one night. Such is the case for Green Bay, which fell behind by 13 points in the first half against Milwaukee in the Horizon League semis, rallied to force overtime and then ran out of steam. The chances of Green Bay surviving that loss and earning an at-large bid are slim even though the Phoenix's two best players, Alec Brown and Keifer Sykes, both were far from 100 percent healthy that night. What gives the Phoenix hope is they do have a similar profile to the Middle Tennessee team that received a spot in the First Four last March. Green Bay has a great win over Virginia and a respectable No. 57 RPI, but the Phoenix's next best win came against Tulsa, and it has a few bad losses in league play too.SMU headlines this year's list of biggest NCAA tournament snubs--The Dagger
Green Bay (24-6, 14-2): The Phoenix were the most deserving small-conference regular season champion not to get a bid. Their season unraveled when stars Keifer Sykes and Alec Brown both sustained injuries in Horizon League semifinals against Milwaukee, contributing to a surprising loss that dashed Green Bay's hopes of an automatic bid and ultimately excluded it from the NCAA tournament. Green Bay coach Brian Wardle had hoped the committee would consider the injury factor as well as that his team dominated the Horizon League and beat ACC champion Virginia in November. Alas, it wasn't enough to outweight a resume lacking other quality wins.Three things the selection committee got right and three it got wrong--The Dagger
What they got wrong: the 68th team (and BYU's placement)O26 Resume Review: Atlantic 10, Conference USA, BYU & Green Bay…--Rush The Court
Judging from the reaction of NC State players to hearing their name called during the selection show, they were as surprised as anyone to make the field, and they should have been. Little about their profile suggested they were worthy of beating out an SMU team ranked in the Top 25 as recently as Monday or a Green Bay team that dominated its league, beat Virginia in non-league play but stumbled in the Horizon semifinals.
How can one-bid leagues get their best teams into the NCAA tournament?--Sports IllustratedDo Keifer Sykes and Green Bay have an at-large shot?. (USAT)
Green Bay (24-6, #63 RPI). This is just a real shame. Green Bay had the potential to be the next Cinderella that America fell in love with. But then the Phoenix lost to Milwaukee in the Horizon League semifinals, which pretty much sealed their fate as an NIT team. It’s really too bad. Diminutive point guard Keifer Sykes is a scoring machine with major hops, and 7-footer Alec Brown can drain 3s with the best of them. Green Bay’s argument is a 75-72 home win against ACC champion Virginia. But that was way back on December 7, before Virginia got their stuff together. The Phoenix also hung tough with Wisconsin before losing by three at home in mid-November. But they have bad losses to Eastern Michigan, Valparaiso and now two to Milwaukee. That might be one or two bad losses too many for an at-large bid.
Projected seed for now: Out
FINAL BP68--Basketball Predictions
For the bubble teams, I think I'm more or less in the consensus on the teams getting in. If one of my teams in ends up in the NIT, the most likely are SMU, Dayton and Nebraska. Who's the first team out? Honestly, I think it's Green Bay.Green Bay, SMU headline list of NCAA tournament snubs--USA Today
It's not that I necessarily think Green Bay will end up the first team out, but because Green Bay's resume is so different from the other teams, I can see the argument that could be made in the Selection Committee for them. For comparison, you may think Minnesota deserves in before Green Bay, and they may end up being in contention in the Committee room longer than Green Bay, but I don't see an argument anybody could make for Minnesota over Nebraska. Across the board, Nebraska has a better case. I can see an argument for Green Bay over Nebraska or Dayton.
Requiem for the Little Guy; thoughts on each region in NCAA tournament--Sports Illustrated
Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, Green Bay -- y'all never really had a chance. Ditto for Toledo, Belmont and Iona. Middle Tennessee? That was so last year.Mid-Major Rankings for the Week of March 17--The Catch and Shoot
The most surprising exclusion from the field of 68 was, of course, SMU, but who got the last coveted at-large in its stead? North Carolina State. Sure, the Wolfpack beat Syracuse in the ACC tournament to seal the deal, but that's only because they had the opportunity to play Syracuse on a neutral court three days before Selection Sunday. The Little Guy doesn't get those chances. You know the saying: Can't make it unless you take it.
Mark Gottfried can play just about anyone he wants outside the ACC. He knows this, which is why he went about scheduling so smartly. N.C. State's nonconference strength of schedule was ranked 108th in the country -- not great, but not awful, either. The Wolfpack played road games at Tennessee (which it won) and Cincinnati (lost), and it also lost to Missouri at home. The reason those games are smart is because if the Pack wins, they look good, but if they lose, there's not a whole lot of damage. Gottfried also scheduled a home game against North Carolina Central, which the Wolfpack lost. I'm guessing he won't make that mistake again.
Printable bracket | Play SI.com's Bracket Challenge for your chance to win $1 million
This is not to blame Gottfried. It's his job to get his team to the NCAA tournament, which he did, barely. But it does give us a window into the challenges the Green Bays of the world face in the superconference era. The Phoenix are one of those programs where playing them becomes a lose-lose. If you beat 'em, you're supposed to. If you lose to 'em, you must be bad. Green Bay was lucky this year because Virginia coach Tony Bennett, who is an alum, was crazy enough to take his team to the Resch Center on Dec. 7. The Phoenix won the game, and Virginia went on win the title in the same conference where N.C. State plays. Yet, despite winning the Horizon League regular season title by two games and amassing 24 wins, Green Bay was left out, and N.C. State scooped up the last at-large. Little Guy luck.
6. Green Bay (24-6, 14-2 Horizon). Last week: 6Mike Vandermause column: UWGB got exactly what it deserved--Green Bay Press Gazette
Green Bay made a case for an at-large bid but wound up with a spot in the NIT. The Phoenix have the benefit of playing at home, and they will face OVC regular season champion Belmont.
Left out of NCAA tourney, UWGB men get No. 4 seed in NIT--Green Bay Press Gazette
Men's basketball: Phoenix sees NIT as valuable experience for younger players--Green Bay Press Gazette
Men's basketball: Missing Sykes, Phoenix ends season with NIT loss--Green Bay Press Gazette
Green Bay men ousted by Milwaukee--UWGB Fourth Estate
Without Sykes, season comes to an abrupt halt--Phear The Phoenix
Sykes Voted to Star-Studded USBWA All-District Team--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Sykes, Brown Tabbed to NABC All-District First Team--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Green Bay to Host Belmont on Tuesday in NIT Opener--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Green Bay's Great Season Ends with NIT Loss to Belmont--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Green Bay Women's Basketball 2014 NCAA Tournament Capsule--College Sports Madness
Women's basketball: UWGB's Borseth named Horizon League coach of year--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's basketball: UWGB in must-win situation--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's basketball: UWGB rolls past Valpo in Horizon semis--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's basketball: Buck scores 24 to lift UWGB into Horizon League finals--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's basketball: UWGB stunned by Wright State in Horizon League final--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's basketball: UW-Green Bay to face Minnesota in WNIT opener--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's basketball: Patience, persistence pay off for UWGB's Zastrow--Green Bay Press Gazette
Women's basketball: UW-Green Bay stumbles in second half of WNIT loss to Minnesota--Green Bay Press Gazette
Phoenix wins conference--UWGB Fourth Estate
Balanced Attack Leads Phoenix to Quarterfinal Win, 72-55--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Women's Basketball Survives and Advances with 68-59 Win over UIC--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Phoenix Falls in HL Title Game to Wright State, 69-88--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Women's Basketball to Face Minnesota in WNIT--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Women's Basketball Drops 62-60 Heartbreaker to Minnesota in WNIT--GreenBayPhoenix.com
Virginia earns No. 1 seed in the East Region--MICentralSports.com
The Wildcats (28-4) will play Milwaukee (21-13) Thursday in Buffalo, N.Y. With a win, the Wildcats would face a familiar team in the next round: Ex-Big East beast Connecticut or Philadelphia's Saint Joseph's.Ticket Punched: Milwaukee completes stunning turnaround to claim Horizon League--The Dagger
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And Milwaukee won the Horizon League tournament title after posting a 7-9 league record during the regular season.
Bracket Prep: Mount St. Mary’s, Milwaukee, Gonzaga, North Dakota State--Rush The Court
MilwaukeeNCAA Tournament Tidbits: 03.18.14 Edition--Rush The Court
Rob Jeter’s Panthers’ Impressive Run Through The Horizon League Has Milwaukee Tournament-Bound For The First Time Since 2006.
Horizon League Champion (21-13, 11-9)
RPI/Pomeroy/Sagarin = #145/#165/#170
Adjusted Scoring Margin = -1.3
Likely NCAA Seed: #15-#16
Three Bruce Pearls of Wisdom.
Milwaukee, a team that had won just seven Horizon League games all season, won four in a week to earn a ticket to the Big Dance. They had to beat Green Bay for a second time this year (in the semifinals) – something that possible #1 seed Virginia could not do once – to accomplish the feat. The Panthers will be a part of the Tournament for the first time since 2006 — the year after Bruce Pearl departed UW-Milwaukee (as they were then know) for Tennessee. Between that 2006 appearance and a Sweet 16 run the year prior, Milwaukee won three Tournament games, but this year’s team will need to find some serious magic if they hope to make it three straight winning trips to the Dance for the program.
If nothing else, Milwaukee is equally average on both ends. The Panthers are almost right on the D-1 average for offensive and defensive efficiency, ranking 173rd in each category. Offensively, Rob Jeter’s team shoots a lot of threes (30th nationally in 3PA/FGA), but they aren’t especially accurate from distance, making just 33% of those attempts. They also get to the line a good amount (55th nationally in FTA/FGA), where they actually do shoot the ball well. On the season, the Panthers are converting 73.3% of their charity stripe efforts. Jordan Aaron is the team’s leading scorer at 14.6 points per contest, but it’s senior big man Kyle Kelm (12.4 PPG) who is the most efficient Panther when it comes to putting the ball through the hoop.
A year ago, the Panthers went just 8-24 (3-13 in the Horizon). Their 7-9 conference season isn’t exactly the stuff that March sleepers are made of, but overall, this is a vastly improved team. With a pretty similar personnel base (four Panther starters were key parts of last year’s team) and no individual players seeing massive statistical improvements, it’s hard to figure where Coach Jeter made up all the extra wins (and efficiency, for that matter). The Panthers likely won’t win a Tournament game, but for a team picked to finish last in the Horizon in the preseason, making an appearance on college hoops’ biggest stage should be accomplishment enough.
Best Case Scenario: Close loss in Round of 64. Depending on how other conference tournaments shake out, the Panthers should find themselves as either a #15 or #16 seed on Selection Sunday. But no matter which seed line it is, this Milwaukee team simply isn’t built to play the role of giant-killer. Bruce Pearl ain’t walking through those doors!
East RegionO26 Bracketbusting: East and West Regions--Rush The Court
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Milwaukee respects Villanova, but knows that the game can be won on the defensive end, particularly outside. Panthers coach Rob Jeter boils it down to a simple question: ”Can we match up with Villanova’s quickness on the perimeter?”
Milwaukee (#15, East) – Milwaukee went on an improbable run in the Horizon League Tournament, notching road victories over prohibitive favorite Green Bay and Wright State to clinch the automatic bid. The unlikely trek probably ends there for Rob Jeter’s scrappy bunch, though. Unless they are clicking on all cylinders, Villanova’s great balance and depth will likely prove too much for the Panthers over the course of 40 minutes. Forwards Kyle Kelm and Matt Tiby have some size and aren’t lacking in confidence – both flashed demonstrative swagger throughout the conference tournament – but they might really struggle against the Wildcats’ solid interior defense. Jeter’s guards will have to knock down shots, and I just don’t seem them doing that on a consistent enough basis to advance.Checking out all 68 teams in the field--College Basketball Nation Blog
Looking for something more improbable than Bob Knight's successor taking Texas Southern to the NCAA tournament in a year the Hoosiers didn't go? Try Cal Poly (67) earning its first-ever tournament bid with a 13-19 record. Or maybe Mount St. Mary's (66) finishing 16-16 but blowing out established NEC power Robert Morris to get here. Or Weber State (65) making an NCAA tournament appearance two years after Portland Trail Blazers Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard departed the school. Or a center from Coastal Carolina (64) named El Hadji Ndieguene being recognized by fans in an Orlando Wal-Mart? Or Wisconsin-Milwaukee (63) being picked to finish last in the Horizon League before knocking off Green Bay en route to the Horizon tourney crown? Or Louisiana-Lafayette (62) upsetting previously dominant Georgia State? Or Albany (61) going dancing despite wearing -- or maybe because of? -- the goofiest purple-and-yellow uniforms in the sport.Complete East Region Analysis--Basketball Predictions
Thoughts:Tiny Dancers: Milwaukee continues run to Horizon title--CBS Sports
Don't worry about the 1/16 game, of course. Some day we'll have a 16 seed over a 1, but it won't be Coastal Carolina over Virginia. The 2/15 game requires little more thought, as Milwaukee didn't even make it to .500 in Horizon League play. They're going to have a nightmare trying to score against the Villanova defense.
From 1-68: Ranking the NCAA field--Eye On College Basketball
62. Milwaukee: Winning at Green Bay twice means you can be a threat in the Round of 64. Jordan Aaron's return from suspension completely changed the team.WATCH: UW-Milwaukee gets down to Pharrell's 'Happy'--Eye On College Basketball
Ranking the NCAA Tournament coaches by playing career, 1-68--Eye On College Basketball
36. Rob Jeter, Milwaukee -- Jeter starred under Bo Ryan at Division III Wisconsin-Platteville,captaining the team to the 1991 NCAA Division III title. Jeter, who started 89 consecutive games, played professionally in Portugal for a year before becoming an assistant coach at his alma mater.2014 NCAA Tournament Haiku previews--Eye On College Basketball
Villanova (2) vs. Milwaukee (15): Think Wildcats win big / Panthers robbed us of Green Bay / Bracket gods awareViewer's Guide: The best day of the college basketball season--Eye On College Basketball
No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 15 Milwaukee (9:25 p.m., TBS): Milwaukee made a great run through the Horizon League tournament, but that momentum likely stops here. The last time we saw Villanova, it lost to Seton Hall in the Big East quarterfinals. This one should help the Wildcats get their confidence back.2014 NCAA Tournament Preview: Milwaukee vs. Villanova - The Battle of Feline Foes--Mid-Major Madness
NCAA Tournament 2014, Milwaukee vs. Villanova: Preview, TV Schedule, Odds and more--VU Hoops
Milwaukee Men's Basketball 2014 NCAA Tournament Capsule--College Sports Madness
Milwaukee wins 2014 Horizon League basketball tournament--SB Nation
2014 NCAA tournament: East region capsules and analysis--The Detroit Free Press
No. 15 Wisconsin-MilwaukeeNCAA tournament 2014: Breaking down every matchup in the field of 68--The Detroit Free Press
Nickname: Panthers. Location: Milwaukee.
Record:21-13, 7-9.Bid: Horizon League champ.
Last appearance:2006, lost to Florida in second round.
Coach:Rob Jeter, 1-1 in 1 appearance.
Overview:The Panthers claimed the Horizon title a year after finishing 8-24 and after being picked last this preseason. The No. 5 seed won four games en route to the title, including in overtime at top seed Wisconsin-Green Bay. They got a boost with the return from suspension of leading scorer Jordan Aaron in time for the Horizon tournament.
Twitter:@MKEPanthers
Did you know?Jeter's father, the late Bob Jeter, played for the NFL's Green Bay Packers — he is a member of the team's Hall of Fame — and Chicago Bears from 1963 to 1973.
Starters:G Jordan Aaron, 5-10, Sr. (14.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 80.6 FT%); F Kyle Kelm, 6-9, Sr. (12.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 52.5 FG%); F Matt Tiby, 6-8, So. (12.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg); F Austin Arians, 6-6, So. (11.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 78 FT%); G Steve McWhorter, 6-2, Jr. (8.1 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.8 rpg).
No. 2 Villanova Wildcats vs. No. 15 Milwaukee PanthersTuesday's college basketball roundup: Milwaukee gets NCAA bid with Horizon title--The Detroit News
Milwaukee struggled in the regular season but caught fire from three to take down a talented Green Bay team in the Summit League final. Despite their recent play, the Panthers likely won’t have what it takes to upset coach Jay Wright’s offensive juggernaut in Villanova. The Wildcats ranked 30th in the nation in scoring, averaging 78.5 points per game, and 20th in assists, with 15.6 per game.
68 facts about the NCAA tournament's 68 teams--The Oakland Press
8. Milwaukee: Coach Rob Jeter was the leading scorer of Portugal’s pro league in 1992-93.G Jordan Aaron leads Milwaukee's march to NCAAs--MICentralSports.com
NCAA tournament team previews: Milwaukee Panthers--The Sporting News
Milwaukee’s Aaron inspired by late mother--New York Post
Breaking Down the Brackets: East Region--Run The Floor
The key player for every NCAA tournament team--USA Today
(15) Milwaukee: G Jordan Aaron2014 NCAA Tournament: Round of 64 picks for Thursday’s games--The Catch and Shoot
Class: Senior
Height: 5-10 Weight: 160
PPG: 15 RPG: 3 APG: 2.4
When the diminutive Aaron was suspended, the Panthers struggled mightily. But the senior guard returned and averaged over 20 points a game in the Horizon League tournament.
He’ll remind you off: Tu Holloway, Xavier, 2008-12
No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 15 Milwaukee, 8:25 p.m. CT on TBS, East RegionAn Open Letter To UWM Fans--Anonymous Eagle
Milwaukee is already a Cinderella story even without yet playing a NCAA Tournament game. The Panthers were picked to finish dead last in the Horizon League, and even after actually finishing fifth they were not considered much of a threat to win the Horizon League Tournament. After beating Detroit at home and Valparaiso on a neutral site, the Panthers won road games against first-place Green Bay and third-place Wright State to earn a bid to the Big Dance.
The Cinderella streak will likely not carry over into the NCAA Tournament, though. The Panthers have not been consistent enough to go against Villanova for a full 40 minutes. They’ll need all five of their starters to be on their game if they are going to have any shot.
One thing Milwaukee does have that many mid-majors do not is good size with 6’9″ senior Kyle Kelm and 6’8″ sophomore Matt Tiby. And if Villanova has weak spots, they are in the Wildcats’ frontcourt.
My pick: Villanova 80, Milwaukee 64
NCAA Tournament 2014: Villanova must conquer familiar foe to reach Sweet 16--VU Hoops
Behind Enemy Lines: PantherU on Milwaukee--VU Hoops
NCAA Tournament 2014: Transcript of Villanova Press Conference with Jay Wright, James Bell, and Ryan Arcidiacono--VU Hoops
Men's Basketball 2014 NCAA Tournament East 2nd Round Game Breakdowns--College Sports Madness
#2 Villanova vs. #15 Milwaukee (Buffalo, New York)2014 Horizon League Championship: Milwaukee Marches into the Madness--Mid-Major Madness
Jay Wright has his Villanova squad playing great basketball again after some not-so-stellar seasons of late. They are a high scoring team with great balance. They have been a pillar of consistency all year. Outside of their miraculous loss to Seton Hall in the Big East tournament, they have outworked and outplayed their opponents all season. They have three players averaging more than 14 points per game and their ability to run and spread the wealth should be too much for Milwaukee to handle. Plus, the Wildcats will want to get rid of the bad taste in their mouth from the Big East tournament. They have rebounded well from losses this year and there is no reason to suspect that would change now.
UW-Milwaukee caps impressive Horizon finish with NCAA bid--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
UWM's Jordan Aaron wears Horizon League championship net proudly--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Personal loss propels UWM's Jordan Aaron to succeed--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
'Stick to the plan': UWM coach Rob Jeter never wavered--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
UWM draws No. 2 Villanova Thursday in Buffalo--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
For UW-Milwaukee, defense will be key against Villanova--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
UWM's Malcolm Moore battled injuries to a contributing role--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
UWM notes - Wildcats are wary of Panthers--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
NCAA Tournament - Pressure doesn't faze UWM's Steve McWhorter--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
At a glance: No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 15 UW-Milwaukee--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Viewing party set for Panther NCAA bid--On Milwaukee
A little crow for dinner as Panthers earn NCAA tournament berth--On Milwaukee
Grab a seat at UWM's Selection Sunday seeding party--On Milwaukee
Will Milwaukee travel for Panthers?--On Milwaukee
Badgers, Panthers dream big heading into NCAA Tournament--On Milwaukee
UWM sets tournament viewing parties--On Milwaukee
Selection Sunday Party Packed for Panthers--UWM Post
Kelm and Seniors Lead Milwaukee--UWM Post
Milwaukee wins the Horizon League title--PantherU
Unbelievable Panthers Now Dancing in March--PantherU
Social Media Cascade #PantherProud #RevengeWorldTour--PantherU
What it’s all about--PantherU
Panthers get Villanova in Buffalo--PantherU
Panthers will face Villanova in Buffalo--PantherU
Panthers Bask in NCAA Attention--PantherU
Headed to Buffalo to cover tournament game--PantherU
Panthers need to keep quick starts coming--PantherU
Milwaukee Picks Up Win over Wright State 69-63--UWM Update
No.15-Seeded Milwaukee (21-13) and No. 2-Seeded Villanova (28-4) Face Off in Second Round--UWM Update
Milwaukee Beats Wright State 69-63 for Horizon Title--uwmpanthers.com
The Turnaround Is Complete, And The Panthers Are Dancing--uwmpanthers.com
Video: Panthers Celebrate Horizon League Title--uwmpanthers.com
Campus Pep Rally Set For Thursday Afternoon--uwmpanthers.com
Video: Champion Panthers Meet The Media Wednesday--uwmpanthers.com
#PantherProud: Campus Celebrates Champion Panthers--uwmpanthers.com
NCAA Tournament Pairings Party Set For Sunday At Gasthaus--uwmpanthers.com
Video: Countdown To A Championship - Pregame With The Panthers--uwmpanthers.com
Panthers Draw Matchup With Villanova In NCAA Tournament--uwmpanthers.com
Video: Panthers React To Selection Sunday--uwmpanthers.com
Video: Panthers Meet Media Monday Afternoon--uwmpanthers.com
NCAA Tournament Guide: Panthers Headed To Buffalo--uwmpanthers.com
Video: Seniors Roelke, Gustavson Reflect On Post-Season Run--uwmpanthers.com
NCAA Tournament Watch Parties Set--uwmpanthers.com
Wednesday In Buffalo: Panthers Practice, Meet Media--uwmpanthers.com
UW-Milwaukee women lose to Wright State--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Opens Horizon League Tournament At Wright State Wednesday--uwmpanthers.com
Video: Warras and Rechlicz Preview the First Round WBB Matchup--uwmpanthers.com
Raiders End Postseason Hopes For Milwaukee Women--uwmpanthers.com
Mike DeCourcy's ranking of 16 sweet NCAA Tournament moments--The Sporting News
11. Valparaiso's Bryce Drew hits buzzer-beater to upset No. 4 seed Ole Miss, 1998 first round. The play drawn up by his father, Homer, worked perfectly to get the superstar son an open 3-pointer. But it still was a hard shot. Drew had to catch the ball, worry about the clock, release the ball against the closing defense and assure that he was on target. No wonder it’s still a big deal.Break time’s over for young Crusaders--The Post-Tribune
Valparaiso benefits from CIT experience, but falls to Columbia on buzzer-beater--The Post-Tribune
Valparaiso will be shorthanded in Tuesday’s CIT game against Columbia--The NWI Times
Davidson eager to contribute for Valparaiso--The NWI Times
Columbia ends Valparaiso season with basket at the buzzer in CIT opener--The NWI Times
CIT Again? What's different this time for Valparaiso?--Inside VU Sports
Initial Valparaiso Basketball post-mortem--Inside VU Sports
Dority Earns NABC All-District Honor--valpoathletics.com
Tickets On Sale Now for CIT First Round Game--valpoathletics.com
Crusaders to Host Columbia In CIT First Round Game Tuesday Evening--valpoathletics.com
Valpo Men's Basketball Weekly Preview Show--valpoathletics.com
Valpo Set to Open CIT Play Tuesday--valpoathletics.com
Buzzer-Beater Drops Crusaders in First Round of CIT--valpoathletics.com
Valpo Men's Basketball Postgame Press Conference - Columbia--valpoathletics.com
Crusaders knock off Detroit in tourney opener--The NWI Times
Valparaiso women finish season with loss to Green Bay--The NWI Times
Horton Compels Crusaders to 76-69 Win over Detroit--valpoathletics.com
Crusaders Exit HL Tournament with Defeat to Green Bay--valpoathletics.com
Preview: Wright State vs. Milwaukee--Dayton Daily News
Wright State falls in title game--Dayton Daily News
Wright State falls again in Horizon final--Dayton Daily News
First half hurts WSU in title game--Dayton Daily News
WSU has much to consider before accepting postseason bid--Dayton Daily News
Wright State men’s team accepts CIT bid--Dayton Daily News
Donlon renewing his rivalry with ECU--Dayton Daily News
Wright State-East Carolina preview--Dayton Daily News
Wright State: No NCAA Tournament, just a smack down--Through the Arch
Milwaukee goes worst to first to claim Horizon League title--RaiderRoundball.com
Wright State Takes Loss against Milwaukee 69-63--Rowdy Review
Men’s Basketball: Panthers drop Raiders in HL Championship--The Guardian
Men’s Basketball: Despite loss, Raider fans show up big when it mattered most--The Guardian
Men’s Basketball: Wright State opens CIT with win at ECU--The Guardian
Men Fall to Milwaukee in HL Championship Game--wsuraiders.com
Men Roll to 73-59 Win at East Carolina in CIT First Round--wsuraiders.com
Raiders to Play at Ohio in CIT Second Round--wsuraiders.com
Best overall year ever in college hoops in Greater Dayton area?--Through the Arch
Wright State Women's Basketball 2014 NIT Tournament Capsule--College Sports Madness
Women's Basketball 2014 NCAA Tournament South Bend Region 1st Round Game Breakdowns--College Sports Madness
#3 Kentucky vs. #14 Wright State (Lexington, Kentucky)Dance Card: Wright State, Horizon--Swish Appeal
This is the first time since 1983 that the Wildcats have earned this high a seed in NCAA play, and the beauty of this seed is Kentucky would play the first two rounds at home should the Wildcats advance this far. Although Kentucky faces Wright State for the first time in school history, an ominous stat awaits Kentucky’s neighbors to the north. Kentucky has gone 14-0 against Horizon League opponents in the history of the program, including eight wins against the University of Detroit. Kentucky, led by senior DeNesha Stallworth (12.3 points per game), reached the Elite Eight each of the past two seasons. Wright State won 26 games this year, including a Horizon League title, and this is Wright State’s first trip to the NCAA tournament. Despite the fact junior Kim Demmings (22.7), Ivory James (17.2) and Tay’ler Mingo (15.7) average almost 55 points per game, Kentucky’s 82.4 scoring average should overcome that.
NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament: Kentucky Women Land a #3 Seed in South Bend Regional--A Sea Of Blue
Demmings named HL Player of the Year--Dayton Daily News
Elkins ending career in record-breaking fashion--Dayton Daily News
WSU women play for NCAA bid, HL crown today--Dayton Daily News
WSU women are going dancing--Dayton Daily News
Can WSU make another dream come true?--Dayton Daily News
Wright State women headed to NCAA Tournament--Through the Arch
Women’s Basketball: Raiders grind out win over Panthers in HL quarterfinals--The Guardian
Women’s Basketball: Raiders pound Penguins, advance to HL title game for NCAA bid--The Guardian
Women’s Basketball: Creme’s Bracketology projects rematch for Raiders, Wolfpack--The Guardian
Women Defeat Milwaukee in HL Quarterfinals--wsuraiders.com
Women Roll Over Youngstown State in HL Semifinals--wsuraiders.com
Raider Women Win Horizon League Title!--wsuraiders.com
Women's Basketball Moving Up in the Rankings--wsuraiders.com
Women to Face Kentucky in NCAA Opening Round--wsuraiders.com
Bradbury Appears on FOX 45 in the Morning--wsuraiders.com
Women's Basketball Appears on Living Dayton--wsuraiders.com
Demmings Featured on NCAA's Starting Five--wsuraiders.com
Kendrick Perry’s YSU career one to remember--Youngstown Vindicator
YSU’s Perry named NABC all-District, first-team for second straight year--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Kendrick Perry Named NABC All-District First-Team For Second Straight Year--ysusports.com
YSU’s Schlegel named first-team All-Horizon League--Youngstown Vindicator
Thompson’s three-point play helps Penguins top Oakland--Youngstown Vindicator
Penguins, Raiders meet tonight in Green Bay--Youngstown Vindicator
Wright State ends YSU’s season--Youngstown Vindicator
YSU moving on--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Penguin women to face up-tempo Wright State team--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Wright State dominates YSU women, ends Penguins’ season--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
‘You’ve Got to Find a Way’: Penguins move on in Horizon League tournament--The Jambar
YSU Hosts Oakland Wednesday in Horizon League Tournament--ysusports.com
Thompson's Late Three-Point Play Lifts Women's Basketball to 68-64 Win over Oakland--ysusports.com
Penguins Face Wright State in Horizon League Semifinals--ysusports.com
YSU’s Season Ends in Tournament Semifinals--ysusports.com
Heidi Schlegel Named to Horizon League All-Tournament Team--ysusports.com
Sykes Named USBWA All-District--Horizon League Network
Milwaukee Crowned #HLMBB Champions--Horizon League Network
Seven #HLMBB Players on NABC All-District Team--Horizon League Network
Valpo to Host Columbia in CIT Opening Round--Horizon League Network
Campus Celebrates Panthers' NCAA Berth--Horizon League Network
Wright State Headed to East Carolina in CIT--Horizon League Network
Milwaukee to Meet Villanova in NCAA Tournament--Horizon League Network
Green Bay to Host Belmont in NIT Opening Round--Horizon League Network
Cleveland State to Open CIT at Ohio--Horizon League Network
Wright State Advances in CIT--Horizon League Network
CSU Season Ends in Final Seconds at Ohio--Horizon League Network
Milwaukee Set to Open NCAA Tournament Against Villanova--Horizon League Network
UWM's Malcolm Moore Grateful for Last Opportunity--Horizon League Network
Valpo Takes Down Detroit to Advance to #HLWBB Quarterfinals--Horizon League Network
Home Teams Advance in #HLWBB Quarterfinals--Horizon League Network
Green Bay, Wright State Advance to #HLWBB Championship--Horizon League Network
Wright State Punches Ticket to NCAA Tournament--Horizon League Network
Wright State to Face Kentucky in NCAA Tournament--Horizon League Network
Green Bay and UIC Accept Bids into Postseason Tournaments--Horizon League Network
UIC Wins First Postseason Game in Program History--Horizon League Network
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