2011 NCAA Tournament: Media Bracket Projections Focus on Seven Teams
By Jason McIntyre
The NCAA tournament brackets will be released at 6 pm, but our focus here will be on the media’s projections. After looking at bracket predictions from ESPN (Joe Lunardi), Rivals (Mike Huguenin), Sports Illustrated (Andy Glockner) and CBS Sports (Jerry Palm), the bubble is comprised of basically seven teams: St. Mary’s, Colorado, Alabama, Harvard (well, kind of), VCU, USC, and Georgia. Not the sexiest bubble. Jason Lisk’s IN/OUT on those seven at the bottom.
Resumes first, then the breakdown of whether the media has them in or out
(RPI/SOS info from here; Top 50/Top 100 info via ESPN)
St. Mary’s 23-8, 11-3 in the WCC; RPI: 46, SOS: 102; 1-4 top 50, 3-6 top 100
USC 19-14, 10-8 in the Pac 10; RPI: 69, SOS: 39; 5-5 top 50, 8-8 top 100
Colorado 20-13, 8-8 in the Big 12; RPI: 65, SOS: 49; 5-7 Top 50, 8-10 Top 100
Alabama 21-11, 12-4 in the SEC; RPI: 80, SOS: 114; 4-4 top 50, 5-7 top 100
Georgia 21-11, 9-7 in the SEC; RPI: 48, SOS: 40; 3-9 top 50, 5-11 top 100
VCU 23-11, 12-6 in the CAA; RPI: 49, SOS: 86; 3-6 top 50, 8-8 top 100
Harvard 23-6, 12-2 in the Ivy; RPI: RPI: 35; SOS: 141;1-5 top 50; 3-5 Top 100
Adding: Jeff Goodman, Fox Sports. In regards to these seven, he has St. Mary’s, Colorado, and Georgia in. So that’s now six writers who cannot agree on the final three teams.
Adding: Gary Parrish, CBS Sports. In regards to these seven, he has St. Mary’s, Colorado, VCU and Georgia in. Which means he thinks a team everyone else has as a lock, will be left out of the field. That team is Clemson (the Tigers have zero Top 50 wins).