Four games for all the marbles. Everyone is jockeying for position and there are a lot of points at stake here.
ATLANTIC 10 CHAMPIONSHIP (80 points):
The Temple Owls are looking for three-straight A-10 tournament titles and are hoping to give themselves a shot at a 3- or 4-seed in tonight selection. Alexi is looking for an A-10 title, which he will get with a Richmond win. If Temple wins, Doogan and Bry will share the title. Bry needs this win for the overall title.
#1 Temple vs #3 Richmond. The Spiders are very, very good and are going to be a tough out for anyone in the big tourney. They will give the Owls everything they can handle today. But, Temple is, yet again, playing their best ball at the right time of year. Bry, J, Doogan, and Lynch all have Temple. Teddy, Lohse, Waters, Alexi, and Stri all have Richmond. If Richmond wins, Teddy clinches the overall title.
ACC CHAMPIONSHIP (80 points):
Duke and…Georgia Tech? I guess it could be worse. I mean N.C. State did have a second half lead yesterday. Stri has already clinched a pretty impressive ACC win here, as he is going to take yet another conference title.
#1 Duke vs. #7 Georgia Tech. The Dukies have not been incredibly impressive through the quarters and semis, but they have won. Georgia Tech is so talented, but so undisciplined, which makes this an interesting matchup. No one has Tech. Bry, Ina, Doogan, Stri, Waters, Lynch, both Lohses, and Teddy all have Duke.
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP (80 points):
In Nashville, we have seen a pretty solid tournament. Now, Mississippi St. is trying to pull off the exact same thing as they did last year to get into the Dance. But, this year, they have the buzzsaw of UK to deal with. Since no one has Mississippi St., no one can catch Alexi to win this conference.
#1E Kentucky vs. #1W Mississippi St. Not surprisingly, given their youth and immense talent, the Wildcats look pretty bad at times and the really, REALLY good at other times. They looked the latter in the second half of the Tennessee game yesterday as they completely ran the Vols right out of the gym in ridiculously incredible fashion. Now, they will try and do the same to Miss St. today. If you’re a URI fan, root for Kentucky, Duke, and Ohio St. today. Bry, Ina, J, Stri, Alexi, Waters, Lil Lohse, and Teddy all have Kentucky here.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP (80 points):
If Temple wins early, the CTC will come down to one game. Ohio St. will win it for Bry; Minnesota will win it for Teddy. And, it’s incredible that the Buckeyes are still here, as they needed that miraculous shot from Turner against Michigan, and then they needed two great shots from Turner to force a double-OT and then beat Illinois there yesterday. Waters is going to win the Big Ten regardless of what happens today, but he will have to share that title with Lil Lohse if Minnesota wins.
#1 Ohio St. vs. #6 Minnesota. The Gophers can steal yet another bid if they can beat the Buckeyes today. Bubble teams join together and root for OSU. Tubby has his boys playing very well, as they have two blowout wins over Penn St. and Purdue book-ending an OT win over Michigan St. Bry, Ina, Alexi, and Waters are the only four with Ohio St. to win this tournament. Obviously, no one has Purdue.
Well Bry, Mississippi State went with the strategy of fouling up by 3 at the end and it didn’t work. I’m still not completely sold that either strategy is right or wrong, but that’s some more evidence for your side of the argument. Especially considering that Kentucky’s main weakness is 3-point shooting. Anyway, your miraculous comeback to win this CTC continues.