The NCAA Spec Sheet...'06 edition

Bandits 2006 NCAA Bid Spec Sheet Picks as of 2/7

The first of many, this is a spec sheet designed to handicap who makes the 65 team NCAA mens basketball tournament. 30 slots go to the winners of the conference championship tournaments in late February and early March, The Ivy League champion gets an automatic bid as they have no tournament and the remaining 34 slots are selected by the NCAA as at large bids. I will break down who are locks and who needs to polish their tourney resumes to get a bid. Of course with various upsets, hot streaks and dry spells things change. The spec sheet will be posted on Monday or Tuesday thru 2/28 then as often as possible through Selection Sunday on March 12th. As I see right now I have 77 teams in serious contention for those 65 spots, so let the chase begin.

Atlantic Coast
In Duke, Maryland, UNC, NC State, Miami
Hoping and Wishin' Bost College, Fla St.
KJ Sez- UNC makes itself look a whole lot better after beating Maryland, the Dookies are killin' time till the tourney. The ACC isn't as assured as getting the bevy of seeds they are accustomed to.

Big 12
In Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas
Hoping and Wishin' Iowa State, Nebraska, Texas Tech
KJ Sez: KU hasn't missed since they were on probation in '89, but they need to add some quality wins to offset some of their cream puff games and home losses that weight their bid, the home win over Oklahoma will strengthen their chances. The Sooners loss on the road continues its troubling pattern of losing winnable games late, but they are in no danger. Tech, I-State and Nebraska have work to do and may hurt each others chances by playing each other.

Big East
In- W. Va, UConn, Pitt, Villanova, Marquette, Syracuse, Georgetown
Hopin' and Wishin' Cincy, Louisville, Seton Hall
Bandit Sez:Deepest conference, Cincy and Seton Hall have enough quality wins where only a complete divebomb hurts. Louisville is being exposed as a fraud and needs to worry about getting in the Big East Tourney first. Of the in teams Marquette is the shakiest though the nugget of being UConn's lone loss looks real good on its resume. The UC/UofL game may shape up to be an tourney chances elimination game, with Cincy staying afloat and UofL taking a real shot.

Big 10
In Illinois Michigan Wisconsin, Iowa Indiana, Michigan State
Hopin' and Wishin' Ohio State, Michigan State
KJ Sez: Indiana had better not go into its usual February swan dive, The tight loss to top ranked UConn won't hurt 'em and they are still in for now. Ohio State improves its chances after the cupcake games if they can take down Illinois and or Michigan, but the NCAA might keep 'me out longer with probation looming. Iowa is the best team in the Big Ten no one no knows about. Michigan State's brutal non conference slate is paying dividends even though they are in the middle of the Big Ten pack

C-USA
In Memphis
Hopin' and Wishin' UAB, UTEP
KJ Sez: Tigers are the class of the revamped C-USA and are in line for a number 1 seed , Blazers and Miners need some help and may be hard pressed to keep this league from falling into the one-bid status.

Mountain West
Lock San Diego State,
Hopin' and Wishin' Air Force, UNLV
KJ Sez: Weak conference may fall into the one bid category if Air Force comes apart

Mid-American
In Akron, Kent St
Hopin' and Wishin' Miami, Northern Illinois
KJ Sez: Uneven conference is a tough bird to figure, if history repeats itself the MAC conference may decide who gets the bid. Big boys are hoping that Kent stays in front and wins the bid. The hard fought home win over Akron will pay its dividends in the conference tourney.

Missouri Valley
In None yet
Hopin' and Wishin Wichita State, Northern Iowa, Creighton, Southern Illinois
KJ Sez: One of the more competitve conferences that gets little pub. No one wants to schedule these guys cause they are a major pain to beat and they play a rock 'em sock 'em style against each other. This is a league that deserves four bids but will be lucky to get two. All four teams are at 9-3 and nothing will be really settled until the conference tourney.

Pac-10
In UCLA, Cal, USC, Washington
Hopin' and Wishin' Arizona, Stanford
KJ Sez: Arizona is another team with a long tourney streak in jeopardy. They need more wins though, but they should get the benefit of the doubt. Cal sits on the fence, but they are still in right now. SC needs no more bad losses like the one they took vs Arizona State, especially after a rousing win over Arizona.

SEC
In Tennessee, Florida, LSU
Maybe Babies UK, 'Bama, Arkansas
KJ Sez: UK needs more wins and a bad timed loss to high flying Florida doesn't help at all, but as it stands they may still get in on rep alone in a weak year for the league. Arkansas but they stand a better chance than Bama does, though a home upset of division leader LSU helps a bunch.

West Coast
Lock Gonzaga
Bandit Sez: Unless Adam Morrison forgets where the Kennel is, the Bulldogs get in and could go deep, they only get mention above the other one bidders cause they are top ten.

1 bid conferences: Tourney winners of the following will get the auto bid with no others from the conference: Amer. East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Ivy, MAAC, MEAC, Mid-Continent, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Sun Belt, SWAC, WAC

This list is under the provision that no are wild card/cinderellas in their respective tourneys. That won’t happen right?