Spec Sheet 2/24

KJ's 2006 NCAA Bid Spec Sheet
Picks as of 2/24-Sixteen days till Selection Sunday!!!
The info is brief today, but more spec will be here on Monday. Conference tourneys begin next week as well which will step up the chase.

Atlantic Coast In Duke, Bost College, UNC, NC State
Hoping and Wishin' Virginia, Florida State
KJ Sez: Virginia is making its case to get in by routing a tourney bound BC squad, Florida State keeps it faint hopes alive by deep-sixing the Terps' chances. The North Carolina based schools are just marking time till March.

Atlantic 10
In George Washington
Hopin' And Wishin' Charlotte
KJ Sez- Pops Mensah-Bonsu's knee injury hurts the Colonials #2 seed chances especially if they go into a tailspin. A berth isn't in doubt but falling into a 4 or 5 seed is. No one wants to get in the dangerous 4-13 or 5-12 trap matchups. The Niners have blown every chance they've had to make tourney worthniness statement, the loss to Wake Forest is especially galling.

Big 12
In Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas
Hoping and Wishin' Nebraska, Texas A&M
KJ Sez:Four in and thats all. Kansas hitting the 20 win plateau locks them in. A saturday showdown between A&M and Nebraska may be for another berth...but the winner must still run the table to get a serious look. and neither team has a marquee win though the Huskers whipping of Colorado got them some notice.

Big East
In- W. Va, UConn, Pitt, Villanova, Marquette, Georgetown, Cincy
Hopin' and Wishin' Seton Hall, Syracuse
KJ Sez: 9 teams in? That may be a bit too many, The 'Cuse is getting close to getting back in. Cincy's heroic effort against 'Nova gets them even closer to lock and beating Seton Hall might put the Pirates out as well.
Big 10
In Illinois Michigan Wisconsin, Iowa , Michigan State, Ohio State
Hopin' and Wishin' Indiana
KJ Sez: No real status changes here, Indiana righted its ship, but still needs a miracle. Wisconsin's loss to Northwestern may hurt their seeding but they are safe.

C-USA
In Memphis
Hopin' and Wishin' UAB, UTEP
KJ Sez: UTEP blew its best chance to make a stronger case by getting smashed at Memphis, neither they nor UAB deserve anything beyond a home NIT game.

Colonial
In George Mason, Hofstra
Hopin' and Wishin UNC-Wilmington, Old Dominion
KJ Sez: Look whos on the In-side now. Hofstra thumped a ranked George Mason squad and announced to the world that they will have to be dealt with come tourney time. UNCW still can make a case but needs to win and now and don't look now but a hard-chargin' Monarchs squad looks to be an intrigung dark horse

Mountain West
Lock San Diego State,
Hopin' and Wishin' Air Force, BYU
KJ Sez: Its still SDSU's berth to lose, Air Force is still hanging around and BYU is pleading for some props. UNLV??? Are they still in this discussion???

Mid-American
In Akron, Kent St
Hopin' and Wishin' Miami, Northern Illinois
KJ Sez: No real changes here either. Miami may still have to win it to get in it.

Missouri Valley In Wichita State, Northern Iowa, Creighton, Southern Illinois
Hopin' And Wishin' Missouri State
KJ Sez: Five bids for this conference make the so-called big boy conference apologists (that means you Digger Phelps, Jay Bilas and Billy Packer)weep and gnash their teeth. I'll give 'em four but five may be too much. The conference tourney will undoubtedly leave one of these five good teams on the outside looking in.

Pac-10 In UCLA, Cal, Washington, Arizona
Hopin' and Wishin' Stanford, USC
KJ Sez: UCLA is marking time till selection sunday, Cal held off a tough Washington State team and solidified its standing. U-Dub is in and Arizona is close enough to taste it. Stanford and Southern Cal both need prayer.

Patriot
In Bucknell
Hopin' and Wishin' Lehigh
Bandit Sez: The Bison are still the team to beat here. Lehigh may have blown its chances by getting spanked at Bucknell

SEC
In Tennessee, Florida, LSU, 'Bama
Hopin and Wishin'UK, Arkansas,
KJ Sez: UK preps for a pair of showdowns the blowout home win over Ole Miss proves nothing, Vandy is gone and Arkansas may have made its tourney case with a thriller against 'Bama

WAC
In Nevada
Hopin' and Wishin' Louisiana Tech, Utah State
KJ Sez: Nevada is still in front, but an 20 win Aggie team is coming on strong. They have a Saturday Night showdown in Logan with Nevada for control of the conference and a possible top seed in the WAC tourney, which could hinge a bid for Utah State.

West Coast
In Gonzaga
KJ Sez: Gonzaga continues to mark time and isn't worried about going but getting a #2 seed.
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, Horizon, Ivy, MAAC, MEAC, Mid-Continent, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Southern, Southland, Sun Belt, SWAC

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