On Saturday, we were spoiled. From Peter Hooley’s game-winner in the morning game to Steve Mondou-Missi putting Harvard through, from the resilience of Wyoming to the resurgence of Connecticut, from coast to coast and court to court, the level of basketball reached an apex. We’ll see if the conference championships that remain can live up to yesterday. I will post a bracket prediction after all of the games have finished. In the meantime, here’s what’s at stake in the five championship games on Sunday:
(#1) Kentucky vs. (#18) Arkansas – not a whole lot, other than Kentucky’s perfect record. The Wildcats will be the top overall seed, no matter what. The Razorbacks will likely be a 4 or 5 seed. Bobby Portis and the rest of Arkansas will be a dangerous team in the tournament, as they are a little underrated. But as far as this game goes, it’s just a formality.
(#22) VCU vs. (#40) Dayton – again, not that much. Virginia Commonwealth can make up for a lot of their late-season slippage if they finish with an A-10 title. Much the same way, Dayton is playing for a better seed, but they’re in either way. I don’t expect much out of either of these two teams in the postseason, but that doesn’t change anything.
(#78) Georgia State vs. (#132) Georgia Southern – The top-seeded Panthers will look to run past the Eagles in order to grab the Sun Belt bid. The ramifications for this game are limited to the Sun Belt. There is no effect on any at-large movement.
(#2) Wisconsin vs. (#23) Michigan State – The Spartans looked impressive in their win over Maryland on Saturday. They should have a favorable seed around the 6-8 range. Wisconsin can solidify a 1-seed, although they won’t lose the 1, even if they lose this game.
(#19) SMU vs. (#73) Connecticut
This is probably the most important game on Sunday. If Ryan Boatright and the Huskies are able to take down the Mustangs in Hartford, they will shrink the bubble even further than it already is. Boatright is drawing favorable comparisons to former UConn guards Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier. I don’t know if this team is talented enough to win the national championship, but I fully believe they will get a shot at it. Here’s what the Bubble will look like depending on the outcome of this game:
If Connecticut wins the AAC:
LAST FOUR BYES:
Davidson, Dayton, St. John’s, LSU
LAST FOUR IN:
UCLA, Miami, BYU, Ole Miss
FIRST FOUR OUT:
Boise State, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois
NEXT FOUR OUT:
Old Dominion, Tulsa, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M
If SMU wins the AAC:
LAST FOUR BYES:
Dayton, St. John’s, LSU, UCLA
LAST FOUR IN:
Miami, BYU, Boise State, Ole Miss
FIRST FOUR OUT:
Indiana, Georgia, Illinois, Old Dominion
NEXT FOUR OUT:
Tulsa, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Richmond
-AD
Dieckhoff Power Index 