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Cincinnati entered the Big 12 tourney with results-based metrics between 58th and 60th. Really wasn't particularly close to being in the field despite a few truly nifty victories and a strong finish to the regular season.
Bearcats needed a deep run. Didn't get it with an OT loss to Central Florida.
Auburn defeats Mississippi State 79-61 to ensure it will have a winning record on Selection Sunday. It's the least an at-large candidate can do.
Tigers (17-15) tangle with Tennessee tomorrow afternoon in what could be one of the most consequential games of the week.
Southern Cal was 18-6 in early February. A projected No. 10 seed at the time, but in decent shape. Some might have gotten ahead of themselves and called it a lock to make the tournament.
Eight consecutive losses later, the Trojans are toast. This season's most comprehensive collapse.
SMU: Not finished as an at-large candidate with today's loss to Louisville, but it doesn't have a large tolerance for bid thievery (or, in a less likely scenario, stellar play this week from teams at the edge of the field).'
Metrics in the 40s, 4-9 Q1, 5-4 Q2, no bad Ls. Still in for now.
That's a deep exhale from N.C. State. Wolfpack caused some agitation the last few weeks, but avoided a land mine today against Pitt.
Still a bit vulnerable to Dayton, depending on bid-thieving activities in a bunch of leagues, but still a nice cushion between itself and the edge of the field.
Edge of the field team breakdowns are refreshed for the day as well over at OviesAndGiglio.com
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The Wednesday morning bracket is updated at OviesAndGiglio.com.
Out goes Virginia Tech, a #TuesdayInCharlotte casualty. In comes ... Indiana, because why not?
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Today's many highlights as the edge of the field begins to sort itself out are up at OviesAndGiglio.com. Plenty of ACC, Big 12 and SEC games today with at least some significance, plus three conference title games.
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Wednesday's D-I MBB conference tourneys ...
* Southland final: Stephen F. Austin-McNeese
* Patriot final: Boston U.-Lehigh
* Big Sky final: Montana-Idaho
* Part of the CUSA, MEAC and SWAC quarters
* Round 2 of ACC, Big Ten, Big 12
* American, A-10, Big East, Big West, MW, SEC, WAC get started
March 11 Big Ten second round: Maryland vs. Iowa in Chicago, noon (Peacock) Atlantic 10 first round: Richmond vs. Loyola Chicago in Pittsburgh, approx. 2 (USA) Mid-Eastern Athletic quarterfinal: Morgan State vs. Delaware State in Norfolk, Va., 6 Conference USA quarterfinal: Liberty vs. Missouri State in Huntsville, Ala., 6:30 Big East first round: Georgetown vs. DePaul in New York, approx. 9 (Peacock)
Wednesday's D.C./Maryland/Virginia D-I men's basketball schedule ..
Men's and women's tournament at the same site.
Women's quarters at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. CT, men's semis 6 and 8:30 yesterday.
Women's semis at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., men's final at 4 (for TV purposes) today.
The happiest team in America right now is Stephen F. Austin.
Lumberjacks are probably long since back at their hotel and their opponent tomorrow afternoon is playing a third overtime. No doubt rooting for six.
The biggest difference for UMBC was it was 6/26 from 3 when it lost in Burlington and 11/26 from 3 when it won in Catonsville.
Hate to be simple about it. Vermont got to the line a bit more the first time around, too, though 22 FTA isn't obnoxious (though on the high side for a UMBC opponent).
Well, that ought to finish off Virginia Tech, which had the least offensive of the undistinguished resumes of the last five or six teams chasing the final bid.
One of those teams is bound to win a game this week ... right?
(Alternately: There's bound to be a bid snatcher somewhere ... right?)
FINAL: (1) UMBC 91, (4) UMass Lowell 69.
Jah'Likai King scored 24 points and Ace Valentine added 15 for the Retrievers (23-8), who will face Vermont or NJIT here on Saturday for the America East title at 11 a.m.
Angel Montas Jr. finished with 20 points for the River Hawks (15-18).
Under-4 in Catonsville. UMBC 81-63.
Retrievers are on their way to their sixth conference title game appearance at the Division I level (2008, 2009, 2018, 2019, 2022). This one will be only the second game at home and the first in this building (2008 was at the RAC).
Under-8. UMBC 74-56.
Retrievers have tied for their largest lead of the night as Ace Valentine makes a layup. He 13 points and just one turnover in 29 minutes.
Based on the live stats' possession count of 52, UMBC is at 1.42 points per trip.
UMass Lowell's Pat Duquette just started walking down the bench after UMBC grabbed its eighth offensive rebound of the second half. Probably best he didn't turn around; seconds later, Riley Jacobs slammed one in.
UMBC 70-56, 9:09 left.
Under-12. UMBC 67-51.
Jose Tanchyn with 10 rebounds, his eighth double-digit rebounding day of the season, all in the last 13 games. He's done a lot to help the Retrievers plow through the back half of the league schedule.
UMass Lowell narrowed it to 11, had a chance to get it to single digits and then had the ball poked away in the paint.
Ace Valentine made a bucket the next time down.
Jah'Likai King swished a 3 on UMBC's following possession.
UMass Lowell timeout, 11:37 left. Retrievers 67-51. King has 21 points.
Under-16. UMBC 58-41.
UMass Lowell's offense has shown some life, but it does not have an answer for UMBC at the other end. Retrievers carved up a zone to open the half.
UMBC's Josh Odunowo has seven points and just hit 1,000-point plateau for his college career this half.
SMU checked the box today, snapping a four-game skid while defeating Syracuse on the opening day of the ACC tournament.
Mustangs might land an at-large if they lose to Louisville (greater concern from bid snatchers than teams at the edge of the field passing them). A win makes them hard to exclude.
HALFTIME: (1): UMBC 43, (4) UMass Lowell 29.
Jah'Likai King has 14 points and Caden Diggs scored 12 for the Retrievers, who were 6/10 from 3.
Darrel Yepdo leads the River Hawks with 10 points.
Under-4. UMBC 38-23.
Retrievers have only three turnovers and only three fouls. And UMass Lowell is still shooting less than 30 percent.
Under-8. UMBC 28-18.
Retrievers' run is now 19-6, and that included a four-point play for UMass Lowell.
River Hawks shot 37.1 percent in the first meeting, 35.8 percent the second time. This isn't going any better for them: 26.1 percent (6/23).
Jah'Likai King now has 13 points, w/two FTs coming.
Under-12. UMBC 18-12.
Retrievers went on a 9-0 run that featured scoring from four players. Been like that a lot this season for UMBC.
Jah'Likai King up to eight points.
Under-16. UMass Lowell 10-9.
Shawn Simmons II with four points for the River Hawks.
Good sign for UMBC: Jah'Likai King has made his first two shots and has five points.
UMBC starters: Valentine, King, Armstrong, Odunowo, Tanchyn
UMass Lowell starters: Yepdo, Spencer, Montas Jr., Simmons II, Green
Officials: Jason Bradwell, Tommy Deneen, Tyler Sandmann
Greetings from Catonsville, where an America East semifinal is about to tip off.
Fourth-seeded UMass Lowell (15-17) in town to face top-seeded UMBC (22-8). Retrievers won the regular-season meetings by 24 and 23 points.
I doubt it will be sold out.
I also doubt many people who purchased them in advance were going to dump them into the secondary market.