What Changes a Week Will Bring
Well over the weekend VCU, ODU, and GMU played televised BracketBuster matchups. VCU had a 3 point win over Albany on ESPNU in Richmond. ODU blew out Marist on senior day in Norfolk. And most notably GMU went on the road and beat Witchita State in Witchita. This made GMU all but a lock for the NCAA tourney unless they lose the next 3 games against JMU, Hofstra and the quaterfinal matchup in the CAA tourney. That is the only way I can see them moving back onto the bubble. The interesting thing about this is that they are a lock for the NCAA tourney but not a lock for the 1st seed in the CAA tourney. If they lose to Hofstra on Thursday night in NYC and then beat JMU in Fairfax on senior day they could finish in a regular season championship tie with UNCW. The game in NYC is a tossup while the game in Fairfax should easily go to the Patriots. This takes us to the main bubble team in the conference...
The UNCW Seahawks are currently 20-7 overall and 13-3 in the CAA. They follow GMU (21-5, 14-2) by 1 game for first place in the CAA. In the latest bracketology on espn.com UNCW is figured to be a 10 seed as an at large. Lunardi gives GMU the conference title and a 7 seed to go along with it. Incidentally he has Witchita State as a 7 seed and he has the Seahawks facing off against them. GMU's matchup in his bracket is 10 seed Bucknell. Most bracket pundits figure UNCW to be in if they can snag at least a share of the regular season title and win at least 1 game in the CAA tourney. This makes Thursday's trip to Richmond to take on VCU very interesting for the Seahawks. If UNCW can beat VCU again, they did so by 20 earlier this season in Wilmington, and beat GSU on Saturday in Wilmington; they will finish 15-3. If GMU loses to Hofstra and beats JMU they will finish 15-3. If UNCW and GMU are the 1 and 2 seeds in the tournament their road to a matchup in the finals would go like this:
UNCW (Record vs. opponents in regular season 3-1)
Quarterfinals-Drexel (UNCW won both matchups)
Semis- Hofstra (Season Split)
GMU (Record vs. opponents in regular season 2-1)
Quarterfinals-Towson (GMU won only matchup in Fairfax)
Semis- ODU (Season Split)
Both teams could very easliy make it to the finals against these opponents. However these semifinal matchups would be basically a tossup. Don't be suprised if you see ODU vs. Hofstra in the tourney finals. And for that matter if ODU finishes 4th with VCU 5th. You could have one of the better quarterfinal matchups in the tourney's history by having a rematch of last years sold out tourney finals. And keep in mind the tourney is in Richmond and the Coliseium is a total of 2 blocks from VCU's campus. So the concept of this tournament being on a neutral court is quite laughable. But the fact that VCU will not get a bye really works against them and it would be quite a feat for them to make it to the finals even with homecourt advantage.
On to the rankings...
The big news is of course that GMU cracked the top 25 in the espn/usa today coaches poll making them the first CAA team to do so since Navy was #18 back in 1986. UNCW also received 3 votes putting them in a tie for 40th.
In the latest RPI rankings several teams remain in the top 100:
GMU 20
UNCW 38
Hofstra 47
ODU 52
VCU 69
And in the latest collegeinsider.com mid major top 25 several CAA teams are holding strong:
GMU 2
UNCW 7
Hofstra 10
ODU 19
VCU 24
Northeastern 42
Till next time...
GO SEAHAWKS!
The UNCW Seahawks are currently 20-7 overall and 13-3 in the CAA. They follow GMU (21-5, 14-2) by 1 game for first place in the CAA. In the latest bracketology on espn.com UNCW is figured to be a 10 seed as an at large. Lunardi gives GMU the conference title and a 7 seed to go along with it. Incidentally he has Witchita State as a 7 seed and he has the Seahawks facing off against them. GMU's matchup in his bracket is 10 seed Bucknell. Most bracket pundits figure UNCW to be in if they can snag at least a share of the regular season title and win at least 1 game in the CAA tourney. This makes Thursday's trip to Richmond to take on VCU very interesting for the Seahawks. If UNCW can beat VCU again, they did so by 20 earlier this season in Wilmington, and beat GSU on Saturday in Wilmington; they will finish 15-3. If GMU loses to Hofstra and beats JMU they will finish 15-3. If UNCW and GMU are the 1 and 2 seeds in the tournament their road to a matchup in the finals would go like this:
UNCW (Record vs. opponents in regular season 3-1)
Quarterfinals-Drexel (UNCW won both matchups)
Semis- Hofstra (Season Split)
GMU (Record vs. opponents in regular season 2-1)
Quarterfinals-Towson (GMU won only matchup in Fairfax)
Semis- ODU (Season Split)
Both teams could very easliy make it to the finals against these opponents. However these semifinal matchups would be basically a tossup. Don't be suprised if you see ODU vs. Hofstra in the tourney finals. And for that matter if ODU finishes 4th with VCU 5th. You could have one of the better quarterfinal matchups in the tourney's history by having a rematch of last years sold out tourney finals. And keep in mind the tourney is in Richmond and the Coliseium is a total of 2 blocks from VCU's campus. So the concept of this tournament being on a neutral court is quite laughable. But the fact that VCU will not get a bye really works against them and it would be quite a feat for them to make it to the finals even with homecourt advantage.
On to the rankings...
The big news is of course that GMU cracked the top 25 in the espn/usa today coaches poll making them the first CAA team to do so since Navy was #18 back in 1986. UNCW also received 3 votes putting them in a tie for 40th.
In the latest RPI rankings several teams remain in the top 100:
GMU 20
UNCW 38
Hofstra 47
ODU 52
VCU 69
And in the latest collegeinsider.com mid major top 25 several CAA teams are holding strong:
GMU 2
UNCW 7
Hofstra 10
ODU 19
VCU 24
Northeastern 42
Till next time...
GO SEAHAWKS!
posted by TAH at 10:13 PM
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