With the departure of Boston U. to the Patriot League next year, they are excluded from the AmEast tournament festivities this year, leaving us a standard 8-team tournament without a pigtail game.  Depending on how you look at it, that is either good news or bad news for Binghamton.  It is good news because the 3-26 Bearcats aren’t stuck in the pigtail game and only have to win 3 games to qualify for the Big Dance.  But, it’s also bad news because – as we saw last year – that pigtail game against the second-worst team in the league is probably their only realistic chance to win an AmEast tournament game against this year.  They will open with a Stony Brook team that is not just “low-major” good, but they are really, really good.  Don’t believe me?  Just ask power conference teams UConn, Maryland, and Seton Hall, who all were pretty fortunate to survive at home against the Seawolves.  Or, ask good mid-major teams like Rider, Sacred Heart, Manhattan, or Marist, who were not fortunate enough to survive at home against Stony Brook.  This is a legit team, but not unbeatable because it has been a decent year at the top of the AmEast, particularly for Vermont and tournament host, Albany.  Hartford came out of nowhere to win 10 league games and grab the 3-seed, while Maine underperformed to the tune of 6-10 in the league.  UMBC – typically a Binghamton-like doormat in recent years – showed signs of life with 5 league wins.

CHAMPIONSHIP (March 16th – 18 points)

#2 Vermont vs #4 Albany
UVM has caught some serious breaks throughout this AmEast bracket.  They hammered a bad New Hampshire team in the quarters, then took care of #6 UMBC (who upset #3 Hartford) in the semis.  Now, because Albany – on their home court – upset top-seeded Stony Brook, Vermont gets to host the championship instead of going to Stony Brook for the finals.  But, the Great Danes are no walkovers, as they have been good all year long.

No one has Albany winning this tournament.  Eight people (Cheryl, Dave, Doogan, Primm, RDoc, Scoot, Stumpf, and Teddy) have UVM winning here.  No matter what happens here, Dave will take home the 2013 CTC America East crown.

SEMIFINALS (March 10th – 12 points each)

#1 Stony Brook vs #4 Albany
Stony Brook looked every bit the #1-seed in the quarters on Saturday – or Binghamton looked every bit the #8-seed – winning by 23, and it wasn’t even that close.  Albany squeaked by the Black Bears of Maine, 50-49.  Now, the Seawolves of SB, who have won 3 of the last 4 regular season titles, will try to take one more step towards their first NCAA Tournament berth.

Dave, Doogan, RDoc, and Teddy have a big upset pick here with Albany.  The other 20 all have SB, including 15 people who took them to win this tournament.

#2 Vermont vs #6 UMBC
The Catamounts of Vermont had no trouble with #7 New Hampshire and now will get a break, as they will get the 6th-seeded Retrievers of UMBC after their upset of #3 Hartford.

GrossSr and PapaCim are the only two with UMBC in this big upset pick.  PapaCim has the Retrievers winning this tournament.  Caleb, GrossJr, Lohse, and Lynch have already lost this game with Hartford.  Eight people (Cheryl, Dave, Doogan, Primm, RDoc, Scoot, Stumpf, and Teddy) have UVM winning this tournament.

QUARTERFINALS (March 9th – 6 points each)

#2 Vermont vs #7 New Hampshire
Vermont looked like a possible challenger to Stony Brook after their 8-point win over the Seawolves on January 8th.  But, a 17-point loss in the return game, coupled with head-scratching losses at Maine and at home against Hartford actually left them barely within shouting distance of the top dogs.  UNH was mired near the bottom of the league standings pretty much from start to finish, though they did start playing a lot better towards the end of the year.  The AmEast is a top-heavy league, so an upset like this would be a big shakeup.

All 24 entries took Vermont in this one, so Caleb, GrossJr, GrossSr, Lohse, Lynch, and PapaCim (the only ones not to have the Catamounts in the finals) should be rooting for UNH here.  Eight people (Cheryl, Dave, Doogan, Primm, RDoc, Scoot, Stumpf, and Teddy) have UVM winning this tournament.

#3 Hartford vs #6 UMBC
UMBC looked better – by recent UMBC standards – but they still were not noticeably awful on the defensive end at times.  Hartford looked a lot better by recent Hartford standards, but struggled mightily to score at times.  So, something’s gotta give here in this surprising 3/6 matchup.  Judginging by Hartford’s 3-game winning streak that included a 68-56 win over the Retrievers last Thursday, it will probably not be the Hartford defense.

Nine people took UMBC here in the quarterfinal upset.  GrossSr and PapaCim took them to reach the finals, with PapaCim as the true “Retriever Believer” and picking Yours Truly’s alma mater to win this tournament.  Caleb, GrossJr, Lohse, and Lynch all have Hartford reaching the finals.

#1 Stony Brook vs #8 Binghamton
This might be the biggest mismatch in the entire two weeks of conference tournament action, as Stony Brook is a legit top-60 team in the country, while Binghamton is easily one of the worst 4 or 5.

Everyone has SB in this one, so Dave, Doogan, RDoc, and Teddy (those that have the Seawolves losing in the semis) will be rooting for the most unlikely of quarterfinal upsets here.  Most of the field has SB winning this tournament.

#4 Albany vs #5 Maine
For a while, the Great Danes of Albany were the talk of the conference, as they went 11-3 in the non-conference part of the season (against an okay schedule) and opened 5-1 in conference play.  But, they came back to earth when the conference schedule got tougher and settled probably even a spot lower than their talent would suggest.  But, they do get the conference tournament on their own home floor and the Black Bears of Maine are not nearly as good as your typical 5-seed.  If Albany can get through Maine, it would most likely set up a really good semifinal at home against #1 Stony Brook.

Only Gersh, GrossSr, J, Lazarow, and PapaCim have the Black Bears eliminating the tournament hosts in the quarters.  Dave, Doogan, RDoc, and Teddy have the Great Danes beating Stony Brook in the semis, so they need them to win here to get that chance.

CTC UPDATE

Championship Picks

• #1 Stony Brook (15)
• #2 Vermont (8)
• #3 Hartford (-)
• #4 Albany (-)
• #5 Maine (-)
• #6 UMBC (1)

Biggest Upsets

• QF – #6 UMBC (many)
• SF – #6 UMBC (GrossSr & PapaCim)
• Champ – #6 UMBC (PapaCim)

Previous CTC Champions

• 2008 – Alexi
• 2009 – Bry
• 2010 – Lynch & Stri
• 2011 – Doogan (perfect)
• 2012 – Scoot & Waters

2013 Scores

The MEAC is a frustrating conference to me, at times.  Not because the basketball is at a really low level (which, it is, though, it’s nowhere near the SWAC), but because it is actually an interesting league every year, despite the level of play, but it just doesn’t seem like it is run very well.  First of all, they don’t ever have an actual conference schedule that they stick to, but that’s a minor issue.  The general issues come down to quirky things that just appear to be thoughtless and half-assed.  For instance, the two best teams in the league this year were Norfolk St., who went 16-0 in conference play, and N.C. Central, who was one game behind at 15-1.  But, NCC’s one loss was NOT to Norfolk.  Think about that…yes, that’s right – that means that the two teams didn’t play.  Two conference foes that didn’t play once all year.  Fortunately for the league (unfortunately, if you actually want some light shined on the f’ed-upness of the league), NCC did lose at Savannah St. on February 16th.  But, what if they hadn’t?  How do you break a tie between two 16-0 teams?  Strength of schedule?  Margin of victory?  It doesn’t matter how – it all fails.

Okay, didn’t mean to distract from another interesting year in the MEAC.  Aside from Norfolk St. and N.C. Central, who were clearly the class of the league – which is surprising, considering the defending league champs, Savannah St. returned their whole starting lineup, but finished 4th.  Hampton has played really well lately and jumped to 3rd place by the end.  And, Morgan St. has won 5 straight entering the tournament and seems to be coming together at the right time.  N.C. A&T could be a dark horse, as they have been solid all year.  As for disappointing years other than Savannah St.?  That is easy – Delaware St. has been a lot worse than they anticipated when the season started, as has Bethune-Cookman.  Neither team were even competitive, despite having the talent level to at least entertain possible top-of-the-league finishes.

CHAMPIONSHIP (March 16th – 12 points)

#5 Morgan St. vs #7 N.C. A&T
Welcome to the first Dayton Invitational First Four Play-In Game.  The winner of this one should just pack their bags for Dayton, as they are destined for the First Four.  Hell, maybe they should just bite the bullet and start scouting Western Kentucky.  Both of these teams were sleeping giants in this tournament, but the top two teams just seemed too good.  But, with that insane quarterfinal day, the door was opened, and these two teams stormed through it.

Nobody has either of these teams winning this tournament, so we can officially crown Alex as the 2013 CTC MEAC champion – his first ever CTC conference title.

SEMIFINALS (March 15th – 8 points each)

#5 Morgan St. vs #8 Bethune-Cookman
If you haven’t been following the MEAC tournament, then you may have missed some of the maddest madness you will find.  The quarterfinal round, played over Wednesday and Thursday, were utterly ridiculous.  After the top two seeds lost on Wednesday, the 3- and 4-seeds followed suit on Thursday, clearing the way for a dark horse winner here to head to Dayton for the First Four.  BC started it all with an overtime upset over undefeated Norfolk St. on Wednesday afternoon.  Morgan capped it off with an overtime upset of #4 Savannah St. on Thursday night.  Now, they will face for a title shot on Saturday.

Alexi, Caleb, Dave, and Lynch have Morgan here.  Everyone else has already lost, so they are BC fans (and, who wouldn’t be as the alma mater of John Chaney?).  All championship picks were wiped out in the MEAC quarters.

#6 Delaware St. vs #7 N.C. A&T
To think that it might finally all fall in place for the DSU Hornets this year is shocking.  After finally being pegged in the preseason as a real favorite for this league, they bumbled their way to a .500 season in the conference, and now they might be the favorite to win this tournament.  If it isn’t them, though, it is probably N.C. A&T, who handled 2nd-seeded N.C. Central on Wednesday in impressive fashion.  Winner of this one gets on ESPN on Saturday.

No one has either of these teams winning this game.  Yes, it’s been a crazy MEAC…

QUARTERFINALS (March 13th & 14th – 4 points each)

#1 Norfolk St. vs #8 Bethune-Cookman
With Kyle O’Quinn now in the NBA, Norfolk’s program-changing team from 2011-12 is essentially a thing of the past.  They had to completely remake the roster this year, and I’d say they did an “okay” job.  They completed a perfect 16-0 MEAC schedule (that didn’t include a game against 15-1 N.C. Central) to gain the top seed in this tournament in hopes that they could get back to the Dance and wreak some havoc again.  Their first test is against the alma mater of John Chaney, as BC knocked off Coppin St. on Tuesday to get to the quarters.  BC is no tough out, as they have talent, so this won’t be a walk in the park for the league’s top team.

Alex and Lohse both have the huge upset pick of BC in this one.  Dave has already lost it, picking Coppin St., so he wouldn’t mind an upset here.  Eight people (Cheryl, Gersh, GrossJr, J, Rikey, Scoot, Teddy, and Waters) have Norfolk winning the whole thing, so they need them to get past this tough quarterfinal first.

Bethune-Cookman 70 – Norfolk St. 68 (OT)
MADNESS!  Adrien Coleman scored the last 5 points in regulation to tie it, and then Pendarvis Williams missed a free throw that would have tied it in OT for Norfolk, and the Spartans lose their first conference game of the year – at a terrible time. Wow!

Alex and Lohse hit the BIG upset here.  Dave is happy that the other 21 people missed it.  Eight people lose their champions here.

#2 N.C. Central vs #7 N.C. A&T
The league’s #2-seed didn’t get a walkover in the quarters, either, as NCC has to take on a tough in-state rival in NC A&T in the late game Wednesday.  NCC looked, for most of the year, like the best team in the league, going 15-1 against a really tough unbalanced schedule.  But, there is some depth in the league this year, so they will have to earn their way to the final if they want to finally get a shot at Norfolk.  N.C. A&T took care of business against FAMU on Tuesday to earn the right to matchup with Central here.

Gersh, GrossJr, J, and Teddy all have A&T in a nice upset pick here.  Cheryl, GrossSr, and Primm have already lost this game with FAMU.  The other 17 all have Central winning this game, with 13 of them picking them to take the title.

N.C. A&T 55 – N.C. Central 42
MADNESS AGAIN!!!  Right after watching the #1-seed go down in overtime, the 2nd-seeded Eagles of N.C. Central followed suit – just simply not showing up against their in-state rivals, N.C. A&T.  A&T has shown signs of really solid play all year, and it all came together now.  They might actually be the favorite remaining now.  Who knows?  This thing is WIDE OPEN now.

Gersh, GrossJr, J, and Teddy hit a nice upset pick here, while 13 people lose their MEAC champion just hours after 8 other lost theirs.  GrossSr (Savannah St.), Lynch and Primm (Hampton) are the only three that got their MEAC champions even out of the quarterfinals.

#3 Hampton vs #6 Delaware St.
Hampton had a really nice season in the MEAC, including a red-hot finish.  Now, they get a shot at a DSU team that knocked off Howard in the opening round.

Alex, GrossSr, and Lazarow are the only three with DSU in this one – with none of them having the Hornets going any further.  The other 21 people all have Hampton here, including Lynch and Primm, who have the Pirates cutting down the nets.

Delaware St. 63 – Hampton 60
The third MEAC quarterfinal saw the third top-3 seed fall.  Unbelievable Madness going on in Norfolk this year for the MEAC.  Delaware St. led most of the way, and may be finally putting the pieces together here.  With everything upside-down, who knows about this tournament now.

Alex, GrossSr, and Lazarow are the only three to hit this upset.  Two more people lost their champions, leaving only GrossSr (Sav State) with a chance to get his champion out of the quarters.

#4 Savannah St. vs #5 Morgan St.
This is one of the better matchups that the MEAC tournament could offer.  And, with the top two seeds losing on Wednesday night, this game might give us the MEAC favorite going forward.  Both teams took care of inferior opponents on Tuesday night and now will battle for a spot in the MEAC semis.

This is a pretty nice CTC battle, too, as eleven people have (Cheryl, GrossJr, GrossSr, J, Lazarow, Mac, PapaCim, Primm, Rikey, RDoc, and Scoot) Savannah St. and the other 13 have Morgan.  Alex, Alexi, Caleb, Dave, and Lynch have Morgan going to the finals, though no one has them winning it.  GrossSr, Mac, and Primm all have SSU in the finals, with GrossSr having them winning this tournament.

Morgan St. 64 – Savannah St. 61
And, there it is – all four top seeds lose in the quarterfinals, and the MEAC is officially upside-down with the 5, 6, 7, and 8-seeds are the final four in this crazy tournament.  Morgan had a 5-point lead at the half, but gave it all back and looked like they might give it away.  But, Justin Black hit a clutch three to send the game to OT and then another one in the overtime that was the difference.  What a performance by Mr. Black on this one, and Morgan is the top seed remaining.

That’ll do it.  GrossSr loses his champion, and not a single championship pick made it out of the quarters.  I’m guessing that this is a first in CTC history.  13 people did get this one right, including Alex (who is KILLING this tournament), Alexi, Caleb, Dave, and Lynch, who keep alive a finalist.

OPENING ROUND (March 11th & 12th – 2 points each)

#8 Bethune-Cookman vs #9 Coppin St.
This was a disappointing season for both of these teams, as they both thought that they might compete for a top spot in the MEAC.  BC thought that because they had a solid returning roster, while Coppin thought that because, well, they always compete in this league.  But, both struggled at various times during the season.  CSU enters the tournament on a high, while BC has been struggling.  That was apparent on Thursday – the last day of the regular season in the MEAC – when Coppin handled BC in Baltimore by 8.  The winner here moves on to face the undefeated top-seeded Norfolk St. squad.

Only nine people (Alex, Bry, Cheryl, Doogan, GrossJr, Lohse, Primm, RDoc, and Scoot) took BC here as the favorite, while the other 15 have Coppin.  There are some bigger implications, though.  Alex and Lohse have BC beating Norfolk in the quarters.  Dave has Coppin beating Norfolk.  So, at least – maybe two – people will lose a semifinalist in this one.

Bethune-Cookman 89 – Coppin St. 76
Adrien Coleman and Kevin Dukes combined for 50 points for the alma mater of the great John Chaney and the Wildcats move on to face #1 and undefeated Norfolk St. in the quarters on Wednesday.

15 people missed on this upset pick, including Dave, who loses a semifinalist.  Alex and Lohse both keep alive the possibility of a big quarterfinal upset pick of BC over Norfolk.

#7 N.C. A&T vs #10 Florida A&M
N.C. A&T had a pretty solid year, but a tough unbalanced conference schedule dropped them to 7th place in the league.  FAMU was the opposite – their conference schedule was rather soft, bolstering them to the 10-seed.  So, an underseeded 7-seed against an overseeded 10-seed.  You know what that means?  Why, Upset City, naturally.  The winner here will face 2nd-seeded N.C. Central.

Eight people (Cheryl, Dave, GrossSr, Mac, PapaCim, Primm, Scoot, and Stumpf) have FAMU in the upset.  Cheryl, GrossSr, and Primm all took them a step further to the semis.  GrossSr even has them going all the way to the finals.  Gersh, GrossJr, J, and Teddy all have N.C. A&T beating N.C. Central in the quarters, though none of them have them going to the finals.

N.C. A&T 65 – Florida A&M 54
In a close game throughout, the Aggies pulled away late to win going away, ending the Rattlers’ season.  A&T moves on to face their in-state rival N.C. Central in one of the better quarterfinals in the Wednesday quadruple-header.

Eight people missed on this upset pick, including Cheryl and Primm, who lost semifinalists, and GrossSr, who actually lost a finalist with this one.  Gersh, GrossJr, J, and Teddy all kept alive semifinalists.

#6 Delaware St. vs #11 Howard
This was supposed to be “the year” for DSU.  But, as usually happens to this program down in Dover, it didn’t happen.  They have been hyped up for a couple years now and just never live up.  They have made a habit of playing up…and down…to their competition.  They grab some really good wins and then head-scratching losses.  And, that was the case again this year, losing to MD-E.Shore and S.C. State – the two worst teams in the league.  But, they beat N.C. A&T, Morgan St., and lost by 1 in triple OT on the road at Hampton.  They did sweep Howard this year – their opening round opponent.  The Bison had another rough year in the nation’s capital.  The winner of this one will take on 3rd-seeded Hampton in the quarters.

Eight people (Bry, Caleb, Doogan, GrossJr, J, PapaCim, Scoot, and Waters) went for the big upset pick with Howard here.  Alex, GrossSr, and Lazarow have the most at stake with Delaware St., as they all have them in the semis.

Delaware St. 73 – Howard 61
The Hornets of DSU dominated this game pretty much wire-to-wire and will now take their underachieving bunch into a quarterfinal game with Hampton.  Howard’s season comes to an early close, yet again.

16 people got this one right, including Alex, GrossSr, and Lazarow, who keep alive a semifinalist.

#4 Savannah St. vs #13 MD-Eastern Shore
For years and years, UMES had been the doormat of this league.  Then, two years ago, they broke out with a surprisingly good season with a team that almost completely came back the next year.  But, the next year (last year) was riddled with injuries and inconsistent play.  Now, this year, they are back to doormat status.  As for their opponent in the quarterfinals, Savannah St., they know nothing but success in the MEAC.  Their first year as a full-fledged D-I program was last year and they won the MEAC regular season title. But, they did fall short in the conference tournament, falling to Norfolk St., who, as we all know, went on to upset Missouri in the NCAA Tournament.  Now, with everyone back, the Tigers were supposed to dominate – it didn’t happen.  They finished in 4th place and, oftentimes, looked actually a full step behind a brand-new Norfolk St. team and an N.C. Central team that is probably the best in the league.  Also finishing behind a red-hot Hampton team has forced them into this first-round game with UMES.

Bry, Dave, and Waters all went with this big upset pick.  GrossSr has the most to lose with Sav State here, as he picked them to win this whole tournament.  Mac and Primm also have them in the finals.

Savannah St. 59 – MD-Eastern Shore 44
In what was a close game for a lot of the way, the Savannah St. Tigers avoid a really bad upset here, as they pull away late.  Deven Williams had 26 of the Tigers 59, and Savannah St. moves on to the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Bry, Dave, and Waters miss a big upset pick.  GrossSr keeps his MEAC champion in place; Mac and Primm keep alive a finalist.

#5 Morgan St. vs #12 South Carolina St.
The Bears of Morgan St. had an uncharacteristically terrible 2011-12 season, and looked on their way to another disappointing 2012-13 year, but down the stretch, they started to play up to their limitless potential and shot all the way up to 5th in the league.  There is no question that the talent on this roster rivals anyone in the MEAC, but when will they put it together is still up for question.  As for S.C. State, well, they are just a flat-out bad team.  Ranked above on Grambling in most of the tempo-free numbers for most of the season, but don’t let your guard down, as their two MEAC wins this year were head-scratchers against Delaware St. and N.C. A&T, who were playing really well when they took defeats to S.C. State.

GrossJr and Primm both took a shot at this big upset pick.  While six people have Morgan going to the finals (Alex, Alexi, Caleb, Dave, Lohse, and Lynch), no one picked them to win the whole thing.

Morgan St. 61 – South Carolina St. 52
Down three at half, Todd Bozeman must have laid into his Morgan St. Bears club, as they came out in the second half and took control of this game, finishing off a 9-point win that puts them into the quarters against #4 Savannah St.

GrossJr and Primm miss a nice upset pick here, while Alex, Alexi, Caleb, Dave, Lohse, and Lynch all keep alive a finalist.

CTC UPDATE

Championship Picks

• #1 Norfolk St. (8)
• #2 N.C. Central (13)
• #3 Hampton (1)
• #4 Savannah St. (2)

Biggest Upsets

• R1 – #13 MD-Eastern Shore (Bry, Dave, Waters)
• QF – #10 Florida A&M (Cheryl, GrossSr, Primm)
• SF – #10 Florida A&M (GrossSr)
• Champ – #4 Savannah St. (GrossSr)

Previous CTC Champions

• 2008 – Alexi
• 2009 – Lynch
• 2010 – Bry
• 2011 – Doogan
• 2012 – Dave

2013 Scores

1. Alex – 44
2. Lohse – 34
3. Gersh – 28
4. Teddy – 28
5. GrossJr – 20
6. J – 20
7. Lazarow – 18
8. GrossSr – 16
9. Alexi – 14
10. Doogan – 14
11. LohseJr -14
12. Lynch – 14
13. Bry – 12
14. Caleb – 12
15. Stumpf – 12
16. Dave – 10
17. RDoc – 10
18. Waters – 10
19. Cheryl – 8
20. Rikey – 8
21. Mac – 6
22. Primm – 6
23. Scoot – 6
24. PapaCim – 4

The Southland got with the mid-major times and updated their tournamet to the double-bye format, as well.  They excluded Texas A&M – Corpus Christie for poor academic performance and Lamar for poor basketball performance, leaving an eight-team field that is still top-heavy.  The league lost a slew of teams to the WAC, leaving a vacuum at the top that cannot immediately be filled by their new addition, Oral Roberts, alone.  Stephen F. Austin and ORU are now clearly the best programs in the conference, though Northwestern St. is possibly experiencing a program-building year right now – we will see what the SL tournament has in store for NW State.  Sam Houston St. is always decent, but never great – this year is the same.  SE Louisiana is always tantalizing on paper, but bad on the court – and, this year is the same.  I am intrigued by where Central Arkansas is heading because they have been steadily improving each year, making a jump this year under a first-time head coach who many Arkansasans may have heard of.  I’ll give you a hint:  he used to go by the name Big Nasty (one of the greatest nicknames ever, by the way), but now he is probably just called Mr. Williamson, Coach Williamson, or just plain Corliss.

CHAMPIONSHIP (March 16 – 18 points)

#1 Stephen F. Austin vs #2 Northwestern St.
Here we go!  Not sure why this excited me so much, but it does.  The nation’s #1 defense takes on the nation’s #1 offense.  These clashes of style are always fun.  Steve took care of SELa in the semis on Friday, while NW State survived a real scare from a feisty Sam Houston team.  Watch for tempo in this one…obviously.

J, Mac, PapaCim, and Stumpf all have NW State in this one, while everyone else except Cheryl and GrossSr have SFA.  A Stephen F. Austin championship will give the 2013 SL title to Dave.  A NW State win, will allow J and PapaCim to split the crown.

SEMIFINALS (March 15th – 12 points each)

#1 Stephen F. Austin vs #4 SE Louisiana
The Lumberjacks of Stephen F*king Austin were really f*king good this year.  No, seriously.  If I were a team in the 3- or 4-seed range for the NCAA Tournament, I would be paying serious attention to the Southland Tournament, hoping that someone knocks these guys off because they are going to be a nightmare for someone next week, if not.  You heard it here first.  The best defensive team in the country can also score, when needed.  They are legit.  SELa is trying to make something of what seems to be another lost season, but they did pound a decent McNeese St. team in the quarters, so who knows.

All 24 people have Steve here, with 17 people taking them to win this tournament.

#2 Northwestern St. vs #6 Sam Houston St.
This was supposed to be a showdown of the SFA bridesmaids here with NW State versus Oral Roberts, but ORU was welcomed rudely to the Southland by being ousted by Sam Houston in the quarters on Thursday.  Now, the Houstons will get the highest-scoring team in the country, Northwestern St.  The Demons are averaging over 82 points per game (in a season where they played the best defensive team in the country twice).  And, it’s not one of two guys, as this is a well-balanced, potent, uptempo offense.  Personally, I am really hoping for the best offense in the country (NW State) to face the best defense in the country (SFA) in the championship.

Nobody has Sam Houston here, but nine people (Alex, Cheryl, Gersh, GrossJr, GrossSr, Lynch, Primm, Scoot, and Waters) had Oral Roberts here, so they’ve already lost it.  The other 15 have NW State, with J, Mac, PapaCim, and Stumpf taking the Demons to win this tournament.

QUARTERFINALS (March 14th – 6 points each)

#4 SE Louisiana vs #8 McNeese St.
SELa had another interesting season where their results just didn’t really live up to their talent.  But, they did finish 4th, and no one would say that they are as good as the top 3, so I guess they are where they are supposed to be.  They will open their SL sleeper run Thursday night against a McNeese team that slipped past Nicholls St. on Wednesday.  The winner of this game will move on to a semifinal against #1 Stephen F*king Austin.

Ten people (Alex, Bry, Doogan, Lynch, GrossJr, Lazarow, Lohse, Lynch, Primm, Rikey, and Scoot) have McNeese in another upset Thursday.  Everyone else has SELa, though no one has either of these teams beating SFA on Friday.

#3 Oral Roberts vs #6 Sam Houston St.
SHSU beat a feisty C.Ark team on Wednesday night and now gets the SL newcomer, Oral Roberts, in their first ever SL tournament game.  ORU finished 13-5 in their first SL season, but were 2 games behind NW State and 3 behind SFA.  They were clearly the 3rd-best team in this conference – a spot in which they are not used to being.  The winner of this game will take a shot at #2 Northwestern St. in the semis.

Dave, J, PapaCim, RDoc, and Teddy all have Sam Houston in a nice upset pick here.  Cheryl and GrossSr both have ORU winning this tournament.

OPENING ROUND (March 13th – 3 points each)

#5 Nicholls St. vs #8 McNeese St.
Nicholls had an absolutely dreadful non-conference slate, but seemed to find something in conference play, nearly reaching the .500 mark.  It has been a night-and-day difference between the product put out there prior to conference play and the one out there during conference play.  Maybe they had someone get eligible between semesters, I don’t know.  McNeese actually had a pretty promising non-con slate, but then went on to lose 11 conference games.  The two games between these teams in the regular season were epic (a 1-point win for McNeese on the road followed by a double-OT win for Nicholls in the return game).  This one has a recipe for Madness with the winner to take on 4th-seeded SE Louisiana in the quarters.

McNeese St. is a very popular upset pick here, as only seven people (Alexi, GrossSr, LohseJr, RDoc, Stumpf, Teddy, and Waters) took favored Nicholls here.  And, making this a bigger CTC game is the lack of faith in 4th-seeded SELa in the quarters.  RDoc has Nicholls going to the semis, while ten people (Alex, Bry, Doogan, GrossJr, Lazarow, Lohse, Lynch, Primm, Rikey, and Scoot) have McNeese beating SELa and going to the semis.  No one has either of these teams going to the finals.

McNeese St. 62 – Nicholls St. 59
Nicholls was in control of this game for most of the way, but McNeese rallied to take the lead in the final minute and hold on.

Seven people hit this upset pick; RDoc lost a semifinalist here.

#6 Sam Houston St. vs #7 Central Arkansas
It was a pretty encouraging first season for Coach Corliss Williamson at CAU.  They had a couple of wins early, gained some confidence, hit a rough patch, but fought through it, winning four straight to end the season.  And, this is a pretty young team, so the meter is pointing in the right direction for Big Nasty.  Sam Houston St. is one of the more steady programs in the Southland.  They are always solid, but rarely spectactular.  This year was no different, going 8-10 in conference play, beating the teams below them and losing to the teams ahead of them.  Ho-hum.  The winner of this game will take on SL newcomer Oral Roberts in the quarters.

Seven people took the mild upset pick here with Central Ark, with Alexi, Caleb, and Lazarow believing enough in them to have them beating Oral Roberts in the quarters.  Dave, J, PapaCim, RDoc, and Teddy all have SHSU beating Oral in the quarters.  Nobody has either of these teams reaching the finals.

Sam Houston St. 69 – Central Arkansas 63
Central Arkansas led by a point at halftime, but SHSU turned it on out of the locker room to cruise to the opening round victory, advancing to take on ORU in the quarters.

Seven people missed this upset pick, including Alexi, Caleb, and Lazarow, who lost semifinalists.  Dave, J, PapaCim, RDoc, and Teddy keep alive semifinalists themselves.

CTC UPDATE

Championship Picks

• #1 Stephen F. Austin (17)
• #2 Northwestern St. (5)
• #3 Oral Roberts (2)

Biggest Upsets

• R1 – #8 McNeese St. (many)
• QF – #8 McNeese St. (many)
• SF – #3 Oral Roberts (many)
• Champ – #3 Oral Roberts (Cheryl & GrossSr)

Previous CTC Champions

• 2008 – Bry
• 2009 – Waters
• 2010 – Alexi, Lynch, Stri & Teddy
• 2011 – Dave
• 2012 – Lohse & Scoot

2013 Scores

1).

This a D-I conference by official title only.  The quality of basketball is not nearly on a D-I level, with the exception of two teams – one of whom (Texas-Southern) isn’t eligible for the conference tournament due to academic performance.  The only real interesting aspect of this conference tournament is the change that they made to the format of this 7-team tournament this year.  It is really interesting how they have laid it out, where the top seed gets a bye AND gets to face the winner of the worst two teams.  Very interesting and thoughtful.  I commend the SWAC for thinking creatively, but, realistically, this tournament is essentially unwatchable.  Expect the winner (which should be Southern) to lose in the First Four next week.  If not Southern, I guess look for Jackson St. to cut down the nets, but they are a whole level below.  The only other competitor to Southern (and TX-Southern) would have been AR-Pine Bluff, but they didn’t make the academic scores to qualify either.

CHAMPIONSHIP (March 16th – 12 points)

#1 Southern vs #4 Prairie View
The Jaguars of Southern looked less than dominant, but still took a 13-point semifinal win over Alabama A&M on Friday.  Prairie View handled #2 Jackson St. in the early game and will now try and get themselves to Dayton with a win here.

Dave and Gersh have Prairie View in a really nice champion pick here.  Cheryl, Lynch, and Mac have already lost this game.  The other 19 people all have Southern.   If Southern wins, GrossJr, Rikey, and Teddy will share the 2013 CTC SWAC crown.  If Prairie View wins, Gersh will win the title outright.

SEMIFINALS (March 15th – 8 points each)

#2 Jackson St. vs #4 Prairie View
Jackson St. came from behind to beat Alabama St. on Thursday, while PV upset 3rd-seeded Alcorn St.  Now, they face off here in the semis for the right to play in the final of the First Four Invitational.

The field was all over the map with picking the winner of this semifinal.  Alexi, Cheryl, Lohse, Primm, RDoc, and Waters have Jackson St. here.  Alex, Bry, Dave, Gersh, GrossJr, Rikey, and Teddy all have Prairie View.  The other 11 have already lost this game with either Alcorn St. or Alabama St.  At least one person is going to lose a champ here, as Cheryl has Jackson St. winning this tournament, while Dave and Gersh have PV.

#1 Southern vs #6 Alabama A&M
This conference was seven pathetic teams, one just-barely-not-pathetic team, and two semi-decent low-major teams.  Well, the just-barely-not-pathetic team (AR-Pine Bluff) and one of the two semi-decent low-major teams (Texas-Southern) are ineligible for this tournament, so we’re left with Southern and six pathetic D-I teams.  Southern not winning this tournament (particularly because they only have to win two games to do it, and the first was against the winner of a game between the two worst teams in the worst conference) would probably be more surprising than if any other team in the country were to fall.  They open Friday against an Alabama A&M team that got here by beating an 0-29 team by 8 points.

All 24 people have Southern here, with 19 of them picking the Jaguars to win the tournament and be placed in the First Four in Dayton.

QUARTERFINALS (March 13th & 14th – 4 points each)

#6 Alabama A&M vs #7 Grambling
This Grambling team might go down as the worst team in NCAA D-I history.  Their roster consists of mostly walkons and the scholarship players aren’t very good.  They lost all 27 games they played this year and never had a final score closer than 13.  They didn’t have a single second-half lead, and there were very few times in the second half that they were even within double-digits.  Alabama A&M isn’t good at all, but Grambling is historically bad.  The non-loser of this game will get #1 Southern in the semifinals.

Cheryl, Dave, LohseJr, PapaCim, Primm, and Waters took a shot at Grambling here.  No one has either of these teams beating Southern in the semis.

#3 Alcorn St. vs #4 Prairie View
Alcorn St. was probably the closest thing to a contender to Southern, among the teams that will be playing in the tournament, but they were not very close.  Prairie View has a little talent, actually, but almost no results to show for it.

This is kind of a big CTC game – at least as bis as a SWAC quarterfinal can be (which isn’t very big).  Ten people (Alex, Bry, Cheryl, Dave, Gersh, GrossJr, Primm, Rikey, RDoc, and Teddy) have PV in the mild upset here.  Alex, Bry, GrossJr, Rikey, and Teddy all have them losing in the finals.  Dave and Gersh both have them winning this whole tournament.  Doogan, LohseJr, and Stumpf have Alcorn St. going to the finals and losing, while Lynch and Mac have them winning this tournament.  So, no matter what happens here, we will have some people lose finalists and other lose champions here.

#2 Jackson St. vs #5 Alabama St.
Jackson St. has the best tempo-free numbers of anyone team in the tournament other than Southern, so I guess they are as deserving as anyone of the 2-seed.  Alabama St. showed some signs of life in conference play, but finished middle of the pack.

Only eleven people (Alexi, Cheryl, GrossJr, Lohse, LohseJr, Mac, Primm, Rikey, RDoc, Teddy, and Waters) went with the favorites, JSU, here.  Cheryl is the only one to take this 2-seed to win the tournament.  Caleb, GrossSr, J, Lazarow, PapaCim, and Scoot all have Alabama St. reaching the finals, though none of them have them winning.

CTC UPDATE

Championship Picks

• #1 Southern (19)
• #2 Jackson St. (1)
• #3 Alcorn St. (2)
• #4 Prairie View (2)

Biggest Upsets

• QF – #7 Grambling (Cheryl, Dave, LohseJr, PapaCim, Primm & Waters)
• SF – #5 Alabama St. (Caleb, GrossSr, J, Lazarow, PapaCim & Scoot)
• Champ – #4 Prairie View (Dave & Gersh)

Previous CTC Champions

• 2008 – Waters
• 2009 – Ina (perfect)
• 2010 – Teddy
• 2011 – Lynch
• 2012 – Dave, Doogan & Stri (perfect)

2013 Scores

First of all, it is very strange in its composition.  Even though it is called the “Great West,” it incorporates all directions of the USA.  One of the teams in the Great West is the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Jersey City, NJ.  Two of the other teams are Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, TX, and Chicago St. in Chicago.  UTPA is about 20 miles from the Mexican border, while the city of Chicago is possibly the most recognizably northern American cities.  So, this conference has teams on the easternmost, southernmost, and northermost border of the United States.  In fact, the only “direction” not really covered is, well, west.  In fact, Utah Valley is the only school that could even be considered western at all.  Very strange.

Anyway, this conference isn’t very good and doesn’t get a bid to the Dance, so we shouldn’t waste any time on the actual basketball, but let me just say that the quality of play is improving.  NJIT was almost mediocre, while the two Texas schools weren’t terrible either.  Utah Valley – the flagship program (if there is one) of this league – finished in last place…

CHAMPIONSHIP (March 16th – 6 points)

#3 Chicago St. vs #4 Houston Baptist
There is something about this Great West tournament that creates absolute Madness.  And, this year, Houston Baptist is right in the middle of it.  They won a double-OT game in the quarterfinals against #5 Utah Valley, and then a last-second 1-point win over #1 NJIT in the semis has brought the Huskies to the finals.  Chicago St. knocked off #2 UT-Pan American in the semis to get them here.

No one has HB in this one.  Bry, Dave, GrossSr, Lazarow, and PapaCim have Chicago St. in this one.  If Chicago St. wins, Dave, GrossSr, and Lazarow will split the 2013 Great West title. If HB wins, they will all split it a fourth way with Waters.

SEMIFINALS (March 15th – 4 points each)

#1 N.J.I.T. vs #4 Houston Baptist
Surprisingly, there has only been one multiple-overtime game in this year’s CTC thus far, and it occurred in – literally – the most meaningless game imaginable.  Houston Baptist survived #5 Utah Valley in the Great West play-in game to set up a semifinal against #1 NJIT.  Jersey Tech had a pretty solid year that was probably a tryout for a low-major league like the NEC or America East or maybe even eventually the MAAC or the Colonial.  Either way, they are building this program and this year will do wonders for that process.

No one has Houston Baptist in this one, but Alex, Bry, and Teddy all had Utah Valley, so they are hoping for a HB upset to zero this one out.  More than half the field has NJIT winning this tournament.

#2 UT-Pan American vs #3 Chicago St.
UT-Pan American is typically one of the worst teams in D-I, but this year, they were vastly improved, even finishing as runner-up in the Great Great West.  Chicago St. is also typically one of the bottom-feeders, but they are new and building.  This year was a step in the right direction.  A tournament title would be nice for either of these guys.

Most people have the mild upset with CSU here, but there are 10 people (Alexi, Gersh, Lohse, LohseJr, Mac, Primm, Rikey, Scoot, Stumpf, and Teddy), who have UTPA here, including Lynch, Mac, and Stumpf, who have them winning this tournament.  Bry, Dave, GrossSr, Lazarow, and PapaCim. Have Chicago St. taking this title.

QUARTERFINALS (March 14th – 2 points each)

#4 Houston Baptist vs #5 Utah Valley
They stripped the conference tournament from UVU just in time to avoid the embarrassment of the home team being the last place team.  But, it’s probably a stretch to say that they are definitely the worst team.  Their quarterfinal opponent probably is.  The winner of this one will get top-seeded NJIT in the semis.

Nine people (Alexi, Dave, Gersh, GrossSr, Lazarow, Primm, Scoot, Stumpf, and Waters) took HB here, though no one has them beating NJIT on Friday.  Bry has UVU going to the finals.  Alex and Teddy have them winning this whole tournament – as the bottom seed.

CTC UPDATE

Championship Picks

• #1 N.J.I.T. (14)
• #2 UT-Pan American (3)
• #3 Chicago St. (5)
• #4 Houston Baptist (-)
• #5 Utah Valley (2)

Biggest Upsets

• SF – #5 Utah Valley (Alex, Bry & Teddy)
• Champ – #5 Utah Valley (Alex & Teddy)

Previous CTC Champions

• 2010 – Stri (perfect)
• 2011 – J
• 2012 – Lynch & Waters (perfect)

2013 Scores

1).

In the gigantic Day Eleven, Teddy hit all three of the big upsets – UMass, Vanderbilt, and Maryland – to win the day with nearly 800 points and gain an unbelievable 12 spots in the rankings, jumping from 23rd to 11th.

Mac had a big day, as well, catapulting him into the top spot in the overall standings with just two days left.

Primm is up to his second-weekend tricks again this year, as he is right behind on the day, picking up 7 spots into 3rd place.  Last year, Primm made up a TON of ground in the last weekend and took the overall title.  He’s in position to repeat that feat in 2013.

Doogan also has a huge day, bringing him up to 4th place and definitely in serious contention for the overall championship.  RDoc dropped from 2nd to 5th, but is still right in the mix.  Alex and Alexi are in contention, but probably need a lot to go their way to take the title.  Lazarow and Lohse saw their overall title hopes take a shot with a subpar Day Eleven.

Other big climbers on the day included Stumpf (6 spots to 13th), LohseJr (5 spots to 12th), Gersh (5 spots to 15th), and Waters (4 sots to 18th).

GrossJr and J have watched as they have fallen from contender for the crown to contender for the basement.  Tough-luck Day Elevens for each of them, drop then 11 and 8 spots, respectively.  J has actually fallen to the basement, after leading the overall for much of the first week.

Dave, after a HUGE Day Ten, fell right back down in Day Eleven – falling 7 spots back to 19th.  Other fallers on the day included Scoot (7 spots to 21st) and Lynch (4 spots to 17th).

Day Twelve is going to be fantastic, as there might be as many as 14 people still alive for the overall title.  But, after today, that will be whittled down to just a handful.  If you’re going to make a move – now is the time.

DAY ELEVEN SCORES (days won):

1. Teddy – 792.5 (1)
2. Primm – 768 (1)
3. Stumpf – 741
4. Mac – 739 (2)
5. LohseJr – 721 (1)
6. Doogan – 703.5 (1)
7. Gersh – 697
8. GrossSr – 695.5
9. Bry – 669 (2)
10. Waters – 657
11. Rikey – 651 (1)
12. Alexi – 648.5
13. Cheryl – 625.5
14. Alex – 614 (1)
15. RDoc – 576.5 (1)
16. Lynch – 573
17. Lohse – 569
18. Lazarow – 566 (1)
19. PapaCim – 548.5
20. Caleb – 523.5
21. Dave – 518 (1)
22. Scoot – 504.5
23. J – 439.5 (1)
24. GrossJr – 409

OVERALL SCORES (confs won):

1. Mac – 2503.5 (MVC*)
2. Bry – 2489 (SoCon)
3. Primm – 2382.5 (CAA)
4. Doogan – 2379
5. RDoc – 2351.5
6. Alex – 2323
7. Alexi – 2294.5
8. Lazarow – 2279.5 (SunBelt)
9. Lohse – 2246 (MAAC, Summit, Patriot*)
10. Rikey – 2239.5 (Patriot*)
11. Teddy – 2238
12. LohseJr – 2217.5
13. Stumpf – 2213 (NEC)
14. GrossSr – 2210 (WCC)
15. Gersh – 2156 (OVC*, CAA)
16. Cheryl – 2119
17. Lynch – 2117 (A-Sun*)
18. Waters – 2106
19. Dave – 2100.5
20. GrossJr – 2042.5 (Patriot*)
21. Scoot – 2033.5
22. PapaCim – 2006.5 (A-Sun*)
23. Caleb – 1951 (Horizon)
24. J – 1946 (BigSouth, Patriot*)

Alex wins his first day and is definitely within striking distance of the top spot.  Bry finished second on the day to take back the outright overall lead.  Dave and Primm make the biggest moves up the standings board, gaining three spots each.  Alexi climbed two spots from 6th to 4th, and Stumpf climbs out of the basement.

Waters lost four spots on the standings board, and GrossSr dropped three spots to the basement.  Caleb also had a rough day, falling from 11th to 14th. 

Overall, it kind of looks like a road cycling race or cross-country skiing race (ya know, because we’re all familiar with those popular sports…).  Bry has the lead over a close chas pack of Mac and RDoc.  Then a little behind them is a large pack of people in striking distance, many with strong past performances on their resumes (Alexi, GrossJr, Lohse, etc.).  Then there is a middle pack and a trail pack that is trying to get back to the core group.  Alright, that made no sense, but whatever.

DAY NINE SCORES (days won):

1. Alex – 278 (1)
2. Bry – 270 (2)
3. Lynch – 251
4. Primm – 251 (1)
5. Doogan – 234 (1)
6. Alexi – 232 (1)
7. Rikey – 228 (1)
8. Cheryl – 221
9. Stumpf – 221
10. Dave – 216
11. Scoot – 216
12. Mac – 215 (2)
13. Teddy – 211
14. Lazarow – 208 (1)
15. GrossJr – 204
16. RDoc – 203 (1)
17. Caleb – 199
18. Lohse – 198
19. Gersh – 197
20. PapaCim – 194
21. J – 192 (1)
22. LohseJr – 189 (1)
23. GrossSr – 163
24. Waters – 139

OVERALL STANDINGS (confs won):

1. Bry – 1353 (SoCon)
2. Mac – 1290.5 (MVC*)
3. RDoc – 1286
4. GrossJr – 1220.5 (Patriot*)
5. Lohse – 1203 (MAAC, Summit, Patriot*)
6. Lazarow – 1187.5 (SunBelt)
7. Alexi – 1172
8. Alex – 1172
9. J – 1146.5 (BigSouth, Patriot*)
10. Doogan – 1125.5
11. Primm – 1111.5 (CAA)
12. Lynch – 1111 (A-Sun*)
13. Rikey – 1094.5 (Patriot*)
14. Caleb – 1074.5 (Horizon)
15. Scoot – 1059
16. PapaCim – 1036 (A-Sun*)
17. Teddy – 1034.5
18. LohseJr – 1022.5
19. Cheryl – 1011.5
20. Dave – 984.5
21. Waters – 981
22. Stumpf – 972 (NEC)
23. Gersh – 971 (OVC*, CAA)
24. GrossSr – 951.5 (WCC)

Eight northeastern schools, all with excellent academic reputations and some of the oldest and fiercest basketball rivalries in the nation played by athletes that – with the rarest of exceptions – are not going to be playing professionally after college so they are playing the last truly competitive games of their lives.  No, it is not the Ivy League, it is the Patriot League.  In a sport that many have accused of sacrificing more and more of its “purity” for the almighty dollar, leagues like the Patriot League (along with the Ivy and a couple others) stand as shining reminders of what the sport of college basketball truly is at its core.

This year in the PL was supposed to be an epic, epic war pitting Lehigh and their star do-everything lead guard (and future NBA draft pick), C.J. McCollum, against Bucknell and their bruising, yet skilled, big man, Mike Muscala (who Doogan has as his #12 big man in the nation earlier this year.  But, to the disappoinment of many, that war never materialized because McCollum broke his foot back in December and missed nearly the entire conference schedule.  Without McCollum (and his nation-leading 26 ppg), Muscala was the easy choice for Player of the Year (he also won Defensive POY and Top Scholar-Athlete) and his Bison won the regular season title by 2 full games.  Lehigh still managed to go 10-4 in the conference – a tribute to McCollum’s supporting cast – but were actually swept by their bitter rivals, Lafayette, who catapulted them and grabbed the 2-seed, which is big because now the Leopards would host the Mountain Hawks in the semifinals, if both teams survive their quarterfinal tests.  A big shout-out to Army for a terrific season and an upper-division finish.  Holy Cross and American were both big disappoinments in the PL this year.

CHAMPIONSHIP (March 13th – 18 points)

#1 Bucknell vs #2 Lafayette
In a conference tournament that is almost always VERY chalky, it has happened again this year, as we haven’t had a single road team win thus far.  That is good news for the Bucknell Bison, who host this title game on Wednesday night.  It is no surprise to anyone that Bucknell is here, but after the start to the season for Lafayette, it is really amazing that they are 40 minutes from a tournament berth.

GrossSr and Mac both have Lafayette in a really nice championship pick if it comes through.  Cheryl, Lazarow, LohseJr, Lynch, PapaCim, and Waters all had Lehigh winning this tournament, but the other 19 people all have Bucknell here.  If Bucknell completes the all-chalk bracket, GrossJr, J, Lohse, and Rikey will all split the crown with a perfect bracket.  If Lafayette wins, GrossSr and Mac will steal the 2013 CTC Patriot title.  Sounds like a Civil War a-brewin’ in the Gross household over this one…

Bucknell 64 – Lafayette 56
The Patriot League’s best (healthy) player led the Patriot League’s best team complete a run to the Dance, where they will scare the hell out of some big school out there.  Mike Muscala was absolutely dominant, and the Bison take care of a pretty feisty Lafayette team that has to be happy with their 2012-13 season.

19 people nailed this champion, including GrossJr, J, Lohse, and Rikey, who all completed perfect PL brackets to take the 2013 CTC PL crown.  This was GrossJr’s 2nd perfect PL bracket in the past 3 years.

SEMIFINALS (March 9th – 12 points each)

#1 Bucknell vs #4 Army
After an all-chalk quarterfinal night on Wednesday, the PL picks up with semifinal action on Saturday.  Top-seeded Bucknell took care of business in an unimpressive yet convincing performance against Navy.  Army looked rock solid in a 21-point beatdown of American.  Can the Black Knights continue a dynamic season and go into Lewisburg and upset the Bison?  It’s certainly possible…

All 24 entries have Bucknell winning this game and reaching the finals, with most of them picking the Bison to win this tournament, so whoever did not pick Bucknell as their PL champs should be rooting for the United States Army in this one.

Bucknell 78 – Army 70
In a really tough, hard-fought game, the Patriot League’s finest eliminated America’s finest in the Patriot semis, giving the Bison a shot – at home – go go back to the Dance on Wednesday night.  A close game all day, Army actually took a 61-59 lead with just over 4:00 minutes left, but Mike Muscala (who went over 2,000 career points in this one) was just too much down the stretch.

Everyone got this one right, including 16 people who have them winning it all.

#2 Lafayette vs #3 Lehigh
A couple years ago, I did a post ranking the best sports rivalries in the country, and in some research for that post, I uncovered the hidden gem of rivalries.  In fact, it is the only one that I found that is universally referred as simply “The Rivalry.”  That’s right – I feel comfortable in my ranking of Lehigh-Lafayette as the 11th-best sports rivalry in the country.  And, now they will play for a shot at Patriot League supremacy here in Saturday’s semifinal.  Lehigh entered this season as one of two prohibitive favorites in the PL (albeit that was with a healthy C.J. McCollum), but they finished in 3rd place, due in large part to the gut-wrenching fact that they were swept by their arch-rivals in a season that was supposed to be a bit of a rebuilding year for the Leopards.  That sweep is the tiebreaker for the home court in this one, which Lafayette will enjoy.  It looks more and more like McCollum will not be back for this game, which gives the edge back to the home team.  Either way, it could be another chapter in – at the very least – the most underrated rivalry in American sports.

This game is, essentially, split right down the middle of the CTC (which makes it rather important game).  Twelve people picked Lehigh; eleven picked Lafayette; and Teddy picked Colgate.  GrossSr and Mac have the most at stake with Lafayette, as they picked them to win this tournament, while six people (Cheryl, Lazarow, LohseJr, Lynch, PapaCim, and Waters) have Lehigh as their champs.

Lafayette 82 – Lehigh 69
“The Rivalry” most certainly goes to Lafayette in 2013, as the Leopards top off a regular season sweep with a 3rd head-to-head win in the PL semis.  The first half was nip and tuck, with Lafayette leading by a deuce at the half, but they opened the 2nd half on a 17-7 run to open up a 12-point lead that they never gave back.  Lehigh did get within 5 in the final five minutes, but never any closer, and the Mountain Hawks season is over, as is the STELLAR career of C.J. McCollum.  It was a joy to watch you play, C.J., maybe you should have given it one more go here.  Then again, never mind – get paid.  As for Lafayette, after the start to the season, it is amazing that they are now 40 minutes from the NCAA Tournament.  Then again, the home team ALWAYS wins the Patriot League championship.

Eleven people (Alexi, Gersh, GrossJr, GrossSr, J, Lohse, Mac, Primm, Rikey, RDoc, and Stumpf) got this one right, including GrossSr and Mac, who keep alive their champion.

QUARTERFINALS (March 6th – 6 points each)

#1 Bucknell vs #8 Navy
Navy is not a very good basketball team – though they are improving.  Bucknell is a legit threat to make noise in the next tournament, so a home game with the Midshipmen might be easily overlooked.  But, on paper, this is a serious mismatch.

All 24 people actually have Bucknell going all the way to the finals, and 16 have them winning this tournament.

Bucknell 58 – Navy 42
The Bison got 15 & 13 from PL Player of the Year, Mike Muscala, and cruised to an easy win over a bad Navy team.

The 16 people who picked the Bison to win this tournament should be satisfied with this “taking care of business” result.

#2 Lafayette vs #7 Holy Cross
Lafayette has pretty much already made its season with their surprising sweep of their bitter rivals at Lehigh.  Because of that, they earned the 2-seed and a home quarterfinal date with the underachieving HC team.  The Crusaders weren’t supposed to be rebuilding and were picked 3rd behind the big two in the PL this year.  They have one last chance to make something of 2012-13.

Cheryl, Scoot, and Waters all have the nice upset pick here, though none of them have the Crusaders going to the finals.  GrossSr and Mac both have Lafayette winning this tournament.

Lafayette 77 – Holy Cross 54
Lafayette made short work of the Crusaders tonight, ending a very disappointing season for HC.  The Leopards, who got 45 points and 16 assists from their star three-man backcourt, cruise into a semifinal matchup at home on Saturday.

Cheryl, Scoot, and Waters miss a nice upset pick.  GrossSr and Mac have to feel pretty good right now about their Lafayette championship pick.

#3 Lehigh vs #6 Colgate
Colgate has long been a bit of a Patriot doormat, but this year they showed signs of life and were pretty competitive all season long.  Even if McCollum doesn’t play in this one (he’s questionable and has been advised to shut it down for the season because of his impending NBA draft prospect), the Mountain Hawks have considerably more talent and are at home.  But, you never know what could happen in a close game without the leading scorer in the country to lean on.

Teddy is on his own with Colgate tonight and actually has them going to the finals.  Six people (Cheryl, Lazarow, LohseJr, Lynch, PapaCim, and Waters) have Lehigh repeating as tournament champs this year.

Lehigh 71 – Colgate 64
The Mountain Hawks of Lehigh trailed for the entire first half and most of the second before turning it around and pulling away from a game Colgate team.  A somewhat decent season is over for Colgate and the Mountain Hawks have three days to get ready for a road semifinal showdown against their bitter, bitter rivals, Lafayette, who have already beaten them twice this year.

For a while it looked like Teddy might get a big upset on his own, but in the end, the other 23 people get the points here.  The six people with Lehigh as their champs can breathe a sigh of relief now.

#4 Army vs #5 American
While American is used to competing for the top of the Patriot League, their fifth-place finish this year isn’t a total disappoinment, considering they are in total rebuild mode.  Army, on the other hand, put together one of their best seasons in years and actually place out really well in the advanced analytics because of their outstanding defense.  With the winner here probably taking a trip to Bucknell for the semis, the defensive-oriented Black Knights may be better suited to pull off the upset, but we will see if they get that chance.

Ten people (Alexi, Cheryl, Dave, Gersh, GrossSr, Mac, PapaCim, Primm, RDoc, and Stumpf) have American in the minor upset tonight.  No one has either of these teams beating Bucknell next round.

Army 65 – American 44
Army’s excellent season continues with a domination of American in the quarterfinals.  Larry Toomey had 13 points and 6 boards (more than twice his averages in each) in just 12 minutes, as the Army bench outscored the American bench 29-0.  The Black Knights will travel to Lewisburg for a semifinal date with Bucknell on Saturday.

The ten backers of American missed out on this minor upset.

CTC UPDATE

Championship Picks

• #1  Bucknell (16)
• #2  Lafayette (2)
• #3  Lehigh (6)

Biggest Upsets

• QF – #7 Holy Cross (Cheryl, Scoot & Waters)
• SF – #6 Colgate (Teddy)
• Champ – #3 Lehigh (Cheryl, Lazarow, LohseJr, Lynch, PapaCim & Waters)

Previous CTC Champions

• 2008 – Doogan
• 2009 – Alexi
• 2010 – Teddy
• 2011 – Gross (perfect)
• 2012 – Mac (perfect)

FINAL 2013 SCORES

1. GrossJr (’11*, ’13*) – 66*
2. J (’13*) – 66*
3. Lohse (’13*) – 66*
4. Rikey (’13*) – 66*
5. Alexi (’09) – 60
6. Gersh – 60
7. Primm – 60
8. RDoc – 60
9. Stumpf – 60
10. Alex – 54
11. Bry – 54
12. Caleb – 54
13. Doogan (’08) – 54
14. Dave – 48
15. Scoot – 48
16. Teddy (’10) – 48
17. GrossSr – 42
18. Mac (’12*) – 42
19. Lazarow – 36
20. LohseJr – 36
21. Lynch – 36
22. PapaCim – 30
23. Waters – 30
24. Cheryl – 24

Rikey’s 84 points are enough to win him Day Eight and climb him 5 spots in the standings.  As a defending overall champ, the rest of the field felt much better with him in 17th than pushing the Top 10.  Waters and Caleb also gain a couple of spots, as does Lohse, who is in serious contention for the overall title, sitting in 5th place now, just 78 points off the leaders.  And, it is leaders – plural – now, as Bry has fought back to earn a flat-footed tie with RDoc for the top overall spot.  Mac continues to pick up ground, now sitting a mere 7.5 points behind the leaders in a tight 3-man pack up top.  GrossJr and Alexi are still very much in striking distance, and Lazarow continues his climb up the standings.

PapaCim had a rough day, with just 5 points, costing him 5 spots in the standings.  J also struggled, as he fell from 5th to 8th and is not 128.5 points off the lead.  LohseJr was the only other person to fall more than a single spot in the standings.

DAY EIGHT SCORES (days won)

1. Rikey – 84 (1)
2. Waters – 82
3. Lohse – 81
4. Lazarow – 74 (1)
5. Alexi – 66
6. Mac – 65
7. Cheryl – 61
8. Caleb – 60
9. Scoot – 60
10. Dave – 59
11. Gersh – 56
12. Primm – 54 (1)
13. Stumpf – 48
14. Bry – 46 (2)
15. Lynch – 44
16. Teddy – 43
17. LohseJr – 38 (1)
18. GrossSr – 37
19. Alex – 28
20. RDoc – 28 (1)
21. GrossJr – 26
22. Doogan – 21 (1)
23. J – 17 (1)
24. PapaCim – 5

OVERALL STANDINGS (confs won):

1. RDoc – 1083
2. Bry – 1083 (SoCon)
3. Mac – 1075.5 (MVC*)
4. GrossJr – 1016.5
5. Lohse – 1005 (MAAC, Summit)
6. Alexi – 998
7. Lazarow – 979.5 (SunBelt)
8. J – 954.5 (BigSouth)
9. Alex – 894
10. Doogan – 891.5
11. Caleb – 875.5 (Horizon)
12. Rikey – 866.5
13. Lynch – 860 (A-Sun*)
14. Primm – 860.5 (CAA)
15. Scoot – 843
16. PapaCim – 842 (A-Sun*)
17. Waters – 842
18. LohseJr – 833.5
19. Teddy – 823.5
20. Cheryl – 790.5
21. GrossSr – 788.5 (WCC)
22. Gersh – 774 (OVC*, CAA)
23. Dave – 768.5
24. Stumpf – 751 (NEC)