Bubble Watch

[GATA]

Lobos pulling away!

[GATA]

Lobos hang on 70-67!

[throwback]

So here the anal-retentive, all-encompassing list of games to keep an eye on today, at least by my count 

• 10:30 - CBS - CUSA title game - LA TECH vs Tulsa (LTU has almost no chance at an at-large, but hopefully they claim the auto bid, better safe than sorry ... plus I need some game to obsess over until things really heat up at noon  )
• Noon - ABC - SEC Semi - FLORIDA vs Tennessee (Hope to keep UT below us on the pecking order for at-larges, a UT win boosts them well past us)
• 12:30 - CBSN - A-10 Semi - St Joes vs St Bony (Tough one to pick here - St Bony has no at-large chance, so they need to lose today or tomorrow, but a St Joes loss today would be a shaky one and perhaps push them below us on the at-large pecking order, so perhaps St Joes loses today and St Bony loses tomorrow)
• 12:40 - CBS -  B1G Semi - OHIO ST vs Michigan (as distasteful as rooting for OSU is, if they win, it helps our profile, need OSU to stay in the RPI Top 25)
• 2:20 - ABC - SEC Semi - KENTUCKY vs Georgia (UGA has virtually no at-large chance, so they need to not claim the SEC auto;; an UGA win today though followed by a loss tomorrow could help our "resume" a little bit)
• 2:20 - ESPN - ACC Semi - DUKE vs NC State (NCST joins the at-large discussion with a win today, need them to lose today) 
• 3 - CBS - B1G Semi - MICH ST vs Wisconsin (would be nice to see MSU win to ensure they're in RPI Top 25)
• 5:30 - ESPN2 - MAC title game - TOLEDO vs W Michigan (UT has almost no chance at an at large if they lose, but they do have a mid-30s RPI, so hopefully they claim the auto bid, better safe than sorry)
• 7:30 - FS1 - BE title game - CREIGHTON vs Providence (A PU loss hopefully keeps them below us on the pecking order for at-larges ... although if you don't want to take a rooting side here, I won't blame you  PU is likely in either way)

Not a whole lot of chances for teams to steal bids, lots of favorites have been winning in league tournaments, which helps us. Biggest ones today are probably Duke over NC State and Florida over Tennessee - then we need Georgia and St Bony to lose today or tomorrow.

 

I think we're in regardless, but avoiding these upsets improves our chances of staying out of the First Four games.

[throwback]

Tulsa leads 29-28 late first half

[throwback]

LTU 40-38 early 2nd half - very tight contest all the way through so far

[The Coach]

St. Bonaventure and Tennessee both up early.....not good

[49r]

Michigan leads 11-2 early against Ohio State.

 

That game might just be over already.

[throwback]

Whew - rough start

 

Michigan 15, OSU 2, first media timeout

 

Much worse though:

 

Tennessee 35, Florida 28 at halftime

 

And LTU loses to Tulsa 69-60 - I don't think LTU gets in, Southern Miss probably has a better at large chance out of C-USA than LTU. But does the NCAA committee "feel sorry" for some of these mid-major teams that really don't compare resume-wise to a team like Nebraska, such as So Miss, Green Bay, Belmont, La Tech, maybe Toledo or SF Austin if they lose today. You know CBS will put up that graphic they use every year about how many mid-majors receive at large bids, so there's always some pressure to give the "little guy" a chance.

 

Will be interesting to see what happens there. Can't imagine any of those teams receiving an at large bid though.

[throwback]

Florida comes out with a purpose in second half, within 37-36 at first media timeout. 

[throwback]

Ohio St has finally stemmed the onslaught but still down 37-25 near 4:00 mark.

[throwback]

Florida briefly took the lead, then gave up a 6-0 run 

 

Tennessee leads 43-40 at the 10:00 mark, but Gators shooting FTs

[throwback]

St Bony & St Joe tied 29-29 at halftime

 

Ohio St just won't go away, fought back to within 41-37 of Michigan at halftime

 

And while I had UM-OSU on, Florida has jumped to a 45-43 lead.

 

Man I love this time of year! 

[throwback]

UF and Tennessee tied at 45 with 5:00 to go - have to think Tennessee is in either way by at least playing Florida close, if they win they jump us in the seeding though.

 

WOW! UT player just picked up a T saying something to the ref - there's no way the ref wanted to call that at this juncture of the game, wonder what he said, had to have been bad - and that was his 5th foul - ouch.

 

UF hits both T FTs and the 2 FTs on the foul called initially, Florida up 49-45, 4:39 to play.

[throwback]

Florida up 51-49 1:21 to play, UF will shoot FTs after timeout

 

St Joes leads St Bony 42-33 about 12:00 to go

[throwback]

During the timeout, they reviewed the Tennessee foul and decided to make it a flagrant 1 - UF gets 2 FTs and the ball, looked like a good review and change of the call as it came on a breakaway layup

 

So UF up 53-49 with the ball, 1:21 to play

 

WOW! Now Florida player elbows UT player  in face on the inbound pass inadvertently, offensive foul on UF. Crazy game! Another video review - whew, tough video review here, it almost looks like the UT player flopped, depending on the angle.

[throwback]

Review over, they'll let the offensive foul stand, no flagrant - UT has it down 4

[throwback]

Tennessee misses a 3, Florida runs the shot clock all the way down and misses, but UT loses rebound out of bounds, 20.6 to play - looking good for us!  Another video review now...

[throwback]

Florida made one FT, UT missed a 3, Florida has it clinched with 2.4 to go.

 

Florida wins 56-49

[hskr4life]

Florida wins!!

[Tallbaby21]

Palm tweets UT is still in his last four.

[throwback]

Palm tweets UT is still in his last four.

Yeah I don't think they're out with this loss, they played well enough to stay in it, but that reduces NU's chances of being in the First 4 games, as I don't think Tennessee is seeded ahead of us now.

[GoBigRed]

St. Bonaventure down 15 now, no bid going to be stolen there.

[throwback]

St Joes up 55-40 on St Bony with 7:00 left, looks like that Cinderella is just about done.

 

Now it would help us to have St Joes lose in the A-10 final tomorrow, as they may stay behind us on the seeding pecking order - have to think St Joes is in the tourney with this win though.

 

Michigan 58, Ohio St 53, 10:45 to go

[throwback]

If OSU gets to the B1G final, they should send Walt a thank you card for waking up Ross on that tech foul call yesterday. He is playing incredible again today. Mich 58, OSU 57, timeout UM.

[GoBigRed]

Now we have to hope Duke and Creighton win. I feel dirty.

 

We don't want Georgia to win the SEC, but if they beat Kentucky to reach the final and Florida takes care of them tomorrow, that would be ideal.