Saturday morning’s bracket features fewer changes than Friday’s edition, but the modifications are signals that Selection Week is very much in progress. For starters, Harvard, as an auto bid winner, appears in all caps, as is tradition. Either Belmont or Eastern Kentucky will join the Crimson today as Ohio Valley champion. Plus, we have two new “temporary” auto bid holders. Coastal Carolina, the South Division top seed in the Big South, replaces High Point as that league’s representative following the Panthers’ shocking last-second loss to Winthrop. In the MAC, Western Michigan clinched the top seed in next week’s tourney, so they replace Toledo as that conference’s standard bearer.
Bracketology: Harvard clinches first bid of 2014
On Friday night, the Crimson defeated Yale to book their place in the field of 68. On Saturday, one more team will join the Ivy champs as an official participant in the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Some notes about Saturday’s schedule after today’s full bracket and rundown.
| (1) SOUTH Memphis (Thu/Sat) | (2) WEST Anaheim (Thu/Sat) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando (Thu/Sat) | San Diego (Fri/Sun) | ||
| 1 | Florida (SEC) | 1 | Arizona (Pac-12) |
| 16 | Alabama State/Weber State | 16 | Robert Morris (NEC) |
| 8 | Kansas State | 8 88 | George Washington |
| 9 | Arizona State | 9 | Oklahoma State |
| San Diego (Fri/Sun) | San Antonio (Fri/Sun) | ||
| 55 5 | Texas | 5 5 | Michigan State |
| ^12 | Stanford | 12↓12 | Green Bay (Horizon) |
| 4 | Cincinnati (AAC) | 4 | Iowa State |
| 13 | Belmont (OVC) | 13 | Louisiana Tech (C-USA) |
| Raleigh (Fri/Sun) | Spokane (Thu/Sat) | ||
| 6 | Connecticut | 666 | Kentucky |
| 11 | Xavier | ^11 | BYU/Providence |
| 3 | Duke | 3 | San Diego State |
| 14 | Delaware (CAA) | 14 | Georgia State (Sun Belt) |
| Milwaukee (Thu/Sat) | Raleigh (Fri/Sun) | ||
| 7 | VCU | 7 | Ohio State |
| 10 | Oregon | 10 | Gonzaga (WCC) |
| 2 | Michigan (Big Ten) | 2 | Virginia (ACC) |
| 15 | Vermont (AmEast) | 15 | Florida Gulf Coast (A-Sun) |
| (4) EAST New York (Fri/Sun) | (3) MIDWEST Indianapolis (Fri/Sun) | ||
| St. Louis (Fri/Sun) | St. Louis (Fri/Sun) | ||
| 1 | Kansas (Big 12) | 1 | Wichita State (MVC) |
| 16 | Davidson (SoCon) | 16 | Coastal Carolina/Utah Valley |
| 8 | SMU | 8 | Iowa |
| 9 | St. Joseph's | 9 | Baylor |
| Spokane (Thu/Sat) | San Antonio (Fri/Sun) | ||
| 5 | UCLA | 5 | Oklahoma |
| 12 | HARVARD (Ivy) | ↑ 12 | North Dakota State (Summit) |
| 4 | North Carolina | 4 | Creighton |
| 13 | Iona (MAAC) | *13 | Western Michigan (MAC) |
| Orlando (Thu/Sat) | Buffalo (Thu/Sat) | ||
| 6 | Saint Louis (A 10) | 6 | UMass |
| 11 | Pittsburgh | ^11 | Dayton/Nebraska |
| 3 | Louisville | 3 | Syracuse |
| 14 | Stephen F. Austin (Southland) | 14 | Boston U. (Patriot) |
| Buffalo (Thu/Sat) | Milwaukee (Thu/Sat) | ||
| 7 | New Mexico (MW) | 7 | Memphis |
| 10 | Colorado | 10 | Arkansas |
| 2 | Villanova (Big East) | 2 | Wisconsin |
| 15 | N.C. Central (MEAC) | 15 | UC Irvine (Big West) |
| FIRST FOUR (Dayton) | |||
| Tuesday: To Orlando | Tuesday: To Buffalo | ||
| 16 | Alabama State (SWAC) | ^11 | Dayton |
| 16 | Weber State (Big Sky) | 11 | Nebraska |
| Wednesday: To St. Louis | Wednesday: To Spokane | ||
| *16 | Coastal Carolina (Big South) | ^11 | BYU |
| 16 | Utah Valley (WAC) | 11 | Providence |
| BIDS BY CONFERENCE | AVOIDING DAYTON | ARRIVALS | DEPARTURES |
| Big 12: 7 | Arkansas | Coastal Carolina | High Point |
| A 10: 6 | Pittsburgh | Western Michigan | Toledo |
| Big Ten: 6 | Stanford | ||
| Pac-12: 6 | Xavier | ||
| AAC: 5 | LAST FOUR IN | ||
| ACC: 5 | Providence | ||
| Big East: 4 | Nebraska | ||
| SEC: 3 | Dayton | ||
| MW: 2 | BYU | ||
| WCC: 2 | FIRST FOUR OUT | ||
| 1-Bid Conferences: 22 | California | ||
| Tennessee | |||
| Minnesota | |||
| Florida State | |||
| NEXT FOUR OUT | |||
| Georgetown | |||
| Missouri | |||
| Southern Mississippi | |||
| St. John's |
Also considered: Toledo, Utah, LSU, Georgia, Marquette, Clemson, N.C. State, Indiana
Here’s a chronological list of what to watch for from a bubble perspective on Saturday.
- The day begins with a Big East showdown in Milwaukee, where the loser between St. John’s and Marquette will likely need to win out at Madison Square Garden to reach the field.
- Georgetown can boost its case significantly by grabbing its second win in five days over a Big East lock. The Hoyas visit Philadelphia to take on regular season champ Villanova.
- In the Pac-12, Utah can get closer to consideration by handing Stanford its fourth consecutive loss. Then, Oregon can all but lock up a bid by defeating Arizona. Meanwhile, Arizona State probably wants to avoid a loss at Oregon State.
- At 4 p.m. ET, several SEC bubble teams will be in action, as Missouri visits Tennessee in a titanic tilt, LSU looks to end Georgia’s new-found hopes and Arkansas travels to struggling Alabama.
- Pitt will be in major trouble should it lose to a Clemson team that still has hope.
- California, which fell out of my projection as a result of Wednesday night’s loss to Utah, will find itself further back should it drop its fourth in a row. Colorado, which boosted its case by defeating Stanford last time out, visits Berkeley tonight.
- Providence, one of many teams just hanging on, can gain some breathing room by sweeping Creighton. They’ll just have to do it on Doug McDermott’s Senior Night.
My next bracketology update should arrive just before noon on Sunday. I'm anticipating plenty of changes after so many important games wrap up. Until then, you can visit Blogging the Bracket, which features daily TV previews and morning recaps. You can also follow me during each night's action on Twitter @ChrisDobbertean.
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