Tag: ncaa tournament

What NCAA seed could Ohio State land if it wins the Big Ten tournament?

The Ohio State basketball team has a chance to make a multi-game run in the Big Ten Tournament, and it could seriously help its resume.

The Ohio State basketball team has a chance to improve its seeding in the NCAA Tournament if it can make a deeper-than-expected run in the Big Ten Tournament.

Already with a first-round bye, the tournament’s seventh seed will start out playing the No. 11 seed, the Purdue Boilermakers. It won’t be easy (Big Ten games rarely are), but Ohio State did defeat Purdue by 16 just a few weeks ago. That game was at home though, and this one is just a stone’s throw from West Lafayette. It should be a pro-Boilermaker crowd.

They’ll then get Michigan State.

For argument’s sake, let’s assume the Buckeyes defeat Michigan State. Then, for kicks and giggles, we assume they defeat Maryland and lose in the final to a Wisconsin team they’ve yet to beat this season.

If that were to happen, Ohio State would have two additional top-15 victories under their belt. Maryland is currently ranked No. 12 while Michigan State is No. 9.

Ohio State does have double-digit losses, but they have a stellar resume. Rattling off nine straight wins to start the season, Ohio State has six top-25 victories to go with a perfect 3-0 record against teams in the top ten.

With most bracket projections giving the Buckeyes a No. 5 seed currently, those victories should boost them back into the top 15 and potentially into the No. 4 seed range if everything else falls into place nationally.

Either way, with their action in the Big Ten Tournament kicking off against Purdue at 6:30 p.m. EST on March 11, the Buckeyes will have a chance to get a hot streak going and figure out how to improve an already impressive resume heading into late March.

Let all the fun begin.

 

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Streaky Ohio State basketball team primed for deep Big Ten tournament run

The Ohio State basketball team has a chance to make a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament, but it’ll need quite a bit of help to get it done.

On Thursday, March 11, the Ohio State Buckeyes will start their quest for a Big Ten Championship. This one could come just months after their conference championship in football.

Entering the conference-wide tournament as the No. 7 seed, the Buckeyes have both looked like the best team in the conference and the worst at times.

They’ve amassed both a nine-game win stretch that included wins over two top-ten teams to start the season, and a four-game losing streak during a stretch of losing six of seven in January. With wins over the Big Ten’s best, the Buckeyes will be primed for a deep run in the Big Ten Tourney.

They’ll kick off the madness with a 6:30 p.m. Eastern tipoff against the Purdue Boilermakers, a team they beat by 16 under a month ago, but at the Schott. It can be watched on the Big Ten Network.

However, Ohio State’s real test will come against Michigan State, a team it just lost against in its season finale Sunday. It was Cassius Winston’s 27 points that helped the Spartans to a double-digit victory.

Sparty doesn’t have too many quality wins this season, but they do have Ohio State’s number. If the Buckeyes get by Michigan State, they’ll play a Maryland team which they’ve already downed this season.

Get through those first three games and they’ll be in the tournament final. But all the games will be tough, even the first-round game against the Boilermakers.

That’s the gameplan, and if we’ve seen anything from this Buckeyes team, it’s that, if they play as a team and cohesively, they can beat any college team in the nation.

They’ll need the help to make a deep run in the precursor to the NCAA Tournament, but the run could certainly help their bid, potentially bumping them from a five or six seed to somewhere in the four-seed range.

Boston has many March Madness vets – who went deepest in the tourney?

Many of the Boston Celtics’ current players have had varying degrees of success in NCAA Tournament in their college days — but who has gone how deep in March Madness before they put on the green and white?

With the arrival of March comes the hallmark event of collegiate basketball — the NCAA tournament and its trademark ‘March Madness’ — which is often the first close look many casual basketball fans get at incoming prospects who will soon be drafted into the NBA.

The Boston Celtics have 17 players on their roster, three of whom came to the team from overseas, one who wasn’t in college long enough to make the NCAA Tournament, and 13 who advanced to various stages of the 64-team, single-elimination contest.

Some were happy just to have made it to the big dance, while others made their mark with a deep run. But which current Celtics had a chance to win at all — and who ended up cutting down the net?

The Celtics Wire put together a comprehensive list of exactly that information to get you primed for the biggest event in basketball outside of the NBA, so without further ado, let’s get started.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11

BAMA BEAT: Alabama basketball closes regular season (Ep. 320)

Cecil Hurt and Hunter Johnson discuss Alabama basketball’s disappointing close to the regular season with losses against Vanderbilt and Missouri. The two then turn towards the SEC Tournament and where the Crimson Tide go from here. View embedded …

Cecil Hurt and Hunter Johnson discuss Alabama basketball’s disappointing close to the regular season with losses against Vanderbilt and Missouri. The two then turn towards the SEC Tournament and where the Crimson Tide go from here.

 [protected-iframe id=”7c087b26481e1a105e9c4564dca7bc26-162776958-84624375″ info=”https://omny.fm/shows/the-bama-beat/alabama-basketball-closes-regular-season-the-bama/embed” width=”100%” height=”180″ frameborder=”0″]

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NCAA Statement Unclear on COVID-19 and NCAA Championship

Consider the NCAA the masters of saying something, yet saying nothing at the same time.  

Consider the NCAA the masters of saying something, yet saying nothing at the same time.

With the outbreak of COVID-19 or Coronavirus as the world has been calling it, the rumors and thoughts that the NCAA Tournament might be played in an empty stadium.  Many, myself included, downplayed initial reports of this a week or so ago but in their statement released Tuesday afternoon, the NCAA was entirely non-committal to the games having or not having crowds.

The NCAA continues to assess how COVID-19 impacts the conduct of our tournaments and events. We are consulting with public health officials and our COVID-19 advisory panel, who are leading experts in epidemiology and public health, and will make decisions in the coming days.  – NCAA on March 10, 2020

So what the heck does that mean?

I interpret it as anything and everything is on the table.  The world and country are in a state of panic and nobody has any interest in being liable for a stadium full of fans being exposed to the virus.  It will certainly be interesting to see how all of this goes, especially after the ACC Tournament has already begun in Greensboro, North Carolina with no plan whatsoever to keep fans from the games while most of the other power conferences get their tournaments started Wednesday.

Stay tuned, this story isn’t going away and is only going to get bigger in the coming days and probably weeks.

Austin Reaves publicly reprimanded by Big 12 for throat slash against TCU

The shot heard ’round the Big 12 just does not want to die.

The shot heard ’round the Big 12 just does not want to die.

The Big 12 Conference came out three days after Austin Reaves nailed a game-winner with 0.5 seconds left to cap off a 19-point comeback road win against TCU.

In the public reprimand, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said that “Austin Reaves’ conduct after his game-winning shot last Saturday is contrary to the Conference’s Sportsmanship standards,”

Bowlsby went on to state that he appreciated Reaves’ apology posted Monday morning and that he was grateful to Oklahoma’s administration and coaching staff in their assistance in the matter.

No further punishment is expected to come from the situation and Reaves is fully expected to be on the court with his teammates when the three-seeded Sooners take on six-seed West Virginia in the Big 12 Tournament at 8 p.m. CT on Thursday.

Oklahoma currently sits well inside the bubble after flirting with being left out of the NCAA Tournament for the last two weeks of the regular season. A large reason why the Sooners are in is due to the play of Reaves.

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If Wisconsin is a 4 seed in NCAA Tournament, which region is best?

Badgers in the Dance

The Wisconsin Badgers could very easily be a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Winning the Big Ten championship might have moved them onto the 4 line just before Selection Sunday. Let’s acknowledge this point, though: Even if Wisconsin doesn’t get a No. 4 seed, it will surely be a No. 5 seed. If there is a big-picture question about Wisconsin’s seed, it is more possible for UW to rise all the way to a No. 3 seed than to fall all the way down to a 6 seed.

Why am I making that point? Simple: If you are a 4 or 5 seed, you’re still in the path of a No. 1 seed in the Sweet 16. In order to avoid a No. 1 seed in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, you either have to rise above the 4 line — to a No. 3 seed — or fall below the 5 line to a No. 6 seed. Wisconsin’s odds of rising above a 4 or below a 5 are low at this point. UW is almost surely going to be in the path of a No. 1 seed in the Sweet 16, also referred to as the regional semifinal round.

One of the bigger stories of the 2020 NCAA Tournament is going to be the collection of 4 and 5 seeds which will be bracketed against the No. 1 seeds. Why? Because blue-bloods aren’t going to be widely represented on the 1 line in this tournament. Kansas is the only blue-blood which will be a No. 1 seed. Is Gonzaga a blue-blood? Maybe… but I would personally argue that GU has to win a national championship before cementing that status. Kansas is the only obvious blue-blood program on the No. 1 seed line.

Gonzaga will be the 1 seed in the West. Baylor will be the top seed in the South Region. In the East, it’s a wild scramble involving Dayton, Florida State, and San Diego State.

With Wisconsin likely to meet one of those top seeds in the Sweet 16 — in the event the Badgers get that far — let’s ask the question: Which region would be best for UW?

Reasonable people can and will disagree, but to me, it’s not so much which team Wisconsin would like to play; it’s more a question of which teams Wisconsin would like to avoid.

I am more clear on the teams UW would like to elude than on the teams the Badgers would like to play.

Kansas, with Udoka Azubuike in the paint and Devon Dotson on the perimeter, has elite players who would pose major problems for Nate Reuvers and D’Mitrik Trice. Kansas could bother Wisconsin’s offense near the basket and on the wings. I don’t like that matchup for the Badgers, who need to play a team with fewer stars and inconsistent discipline.

Gonzaga has fewer stars, yes, but the Zags play very integrated basketball. They have worked well together all season long. They don’t make lots of mistakes. Wisconsin would probably be able to play GU closely, but Gonzaga would have to play well below its normal standard for the Badgers to have a good chance.

Wisconsin would probably benefit if it avoided the Midwest (Kansas) or West (Gonzaga). Playing Baylor (South) or the No. 1 seed in the East would seem to promise an easier path to the Final Four.

Baylor is a disciplined defensive team, but the Bears have no elite scorers. Wisconsin could certainly get into a rock fight with Baylor and pull it out.

San Diego State has been an ordinary team over the past three weeks. The Aztecs have played nowhere near the standard they set in late November, all of December, and all of January.

Dayton has Obi Toppin and Jalen Crutcher, but the Flyers have spent two months playing in the Atlantic 10, and their depth hasn’t been tested recently against elite competition. In Maui before Thanksgiving, yes, but not recently.

Florida State, the other contender for a No. 1 seed in the East, barely beat Notre Dame a few days after losing to Clemson. The Seminoles are very tough, but they have won a lot of close games this season and often play to the level of their competition. They go through lulls in games and would be vulnerable against a locked-in version of the Badgers.

We’ll see where Wisconsin goes on Selection Sunday, but for now, a trip to the South or East would seem to be a lot better than the Midwest or West.

Vegas Odds: Who will win Big 12 men’s basketball tournament

The Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament will begin on Wednesday evening for the men. The latest Vegas odds on who will get the automatic bid.

The Phillips 66 Big 12 men’s basketball tournament officially tips off on Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm CST with the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Iowa State Cyclones in the first round. That game will be followed with the Kansas State Wildcats and Texas Christian Horned Frogs. Each winner will move on to the quarterfinals to take on Kansas and Baylor.

The winner of the tournament will earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Here is how BetMGM see it shaking out. No shock on who Vegas has the top team heading into the Big 12 tournament that will conclude on Saturday March 14th at 5:00 PM CST. The game will air on ESPN.

Tournament Odds:

  • Kansas Jayhawks (+105)
  • Baylor Bears (+225)
  • West Virginia Mountaineers (+400)
  • Texas Tech Red Raiders (+800)
  • Oklahoma Sooners (+1300)
  • Texas Longhorns (+2000)
  • Texas Christian Horned Frogs (+4500)
  • Kansas State Wildcats (+10000)
  • Oklahoma State Cowboys (+12500)
  • Iowa State Cyclones (+20000)

 

 

(Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated 3/10 at 7:00 a.m. CST. )

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. 

 

Austin Reaves apologizes, comments about celebration after game-winning shot against TCU

With Oklahoma’s post-season fate on the line, Austin Reaves took the ball from Jamal Bieniemy and waited to make his move.

With Oklahoma’s postseason fate on the line, Austin Reaves took the ball from Jamal Bieniemy and waited to make his move. Sizing up RJ Nembhard with six seconds left Reaves faked a drive to the lane off the right elbow, gathered, stepped back and released an 18-foot dagger into the hearts of the TCU faithful.

With half a second left on the game clock, Reaves capped off an 18-point halftime deficit, giving the Sooners their 19th win of the season, the most important of the season so far.

Immediately Reaves walked down court flexing to the cameras before telling the crowd both inside Schollmaier Arena and at home that “it’s over” while making a slashing motion at his throat.

Reaves took to Instagram Monday morning to express remorse for how his celebration could have been taken the wrong way.

“Hey everyone, had a little time to process our great team win last night,” Reaves wrote in a post on Instagram. “Just before the game was over I got caught up in the heat of the moment and took things too far in celebrating our team’s great comeback. Emotions were high as my teammates and I fought hard to beat a really good TCU team. I meant no disrespect by my actions or celebration but want to apologize for taking it too far. Excited to get back on the floor to prepare for the week ahead. AR”

He was asked about his apology after practice on Monday.

“I guess I took it a little bit overboard,” he said. “Just caught up in the emotions. It was a big win.”

Reaves went on to say that the apology was “pretty much all me” in terms of why he felt the need to apologize.

It was a big win. With a win, the Sooners would be a 3-seed in the Big 12 Tournament. With a loss, a 7-seed and a much tougher road in the Big 12 Tournament.

The win cemented Oklahoma as the 3-seed as they will face 6-seed West Virginia on Thursday night at 8 p.m. CT on either ESPN or ESPN2.

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Kansas coach Bill Self predicts Texas to make the NCAA tournament

Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self believes that Texas has already done enough to receive an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament.

The madness continues.

Texas men’s basketball coach Shaka Smart led the Longhorns on a miraculous five-game win streak over the past month. In what appeared to be a disappointing season that had minimal hope, Texas began to creep into discussions regarding the NCAA tournament.

The hype was short-lived as Texas fell flat in the season finale at home to Oklahoma State. In doing so, the Longhorns finished the regular season .500 in Big 12 play and 19-12 overall.

Some believed Texas would need to defeat Oklahoma State in order to receive an at-large bid into the tournament, while others were confident Texas had already done enough to sneak in.

Kansas head coach Bill Self agrees with the latter. According to Dallas Morning News reporter Chuck Carlton, Self believes six teams from the Big 12 should be included in the selection process.

It’s quite an uphill battle for Texas to win the Big 12 tournament and receive an automatic bid. Kansas and Baylor are in a superior tier to the rest of the conference, while the Longhorns would still have to defeat a solid Texas Tech team in the first round to even make it to that point.

In terms of how successful Self has been this season with the Kansas program, his words carry a bit of weight. If you go at least .500 in conference play, you have a much higher probability of making it into the NCAA tournament.

The six Big 12 teams mentioned would include Kansas, Baylor, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Texas and Texas Tech. Four of those six programs concluded the season by going 9-9 in conference play. Texas Tech has the worst overall record of the six teams, but they also have a legitimate chance to make a statement in the Big 12 tournament.

Each of these six teams can make a great case for the NCAA tournament, it solidifies that Texas is still very much in consideration for an at-large bid this year.