NCAA Tournament bids...

With March coming next week, it is time to see what teams are "in" the tourney, and who is on the "bubble." More importantly for the bubble teams, who do you need to root for in the conference tournaments that start next week?

Teams that have secured a spot as of now, with their always-important RPI in parentheses:

SEC - Kentucky (4), Florida (17), Vanderbilt (26)

ACC - UNC (5), Duke (3), Florida St (18), Virginia (37)

Big 10 - Michigan St (2), Ohio St (7), Michigan (10), Indiana (19), Wisconsin (22)

Big East - Syracuse (1), Marquette (8), Georgetown (15), Louisville (21), Notre Dame (33)

Big 12 - Baylor (9), Kansas (6), Missouri (13), Kansas St (41)

Missouri Valley - Creighton (28), Wichita St (11)

Mountain West - UNLV (12), SDSU (30), New Mexico (29)

WCC - Gonzaga (20), St Mary's (34)

Pac 12 - California (32)

Conf-USA - Southern Miss (16), Memphis (27)

A-10 - Temple (14), St Louis (23)

Ohio Valley - Murray St (39)

Add to the list 19 other conferences that will get Auto-Bids, and assuming one of the teams from each of the conferences listed wins the conference tournament, we have 15 bids left.

Your bubble teams:

UConn - (24, 17-10) - Under .500 in the Big East right now, the Huskies have work to do...They are 3-7 their last 10 and host Syracuse Saturday night. They have some good wins over Florida St, Harvard, WVU, Seton Hall, and Notre Dame, but can lock up a spot with a win over the Orange. Lose, and the need to win their final 2 Big East games and at least 1 in the Big East Tournament. Prediction: In

Colorado St (25, 17-9) - Only on the list due to the RPI number, the Rams just picked up their signature win this week against New Mexico. Lots of losses to high ranked RPI teams have helped their number. Prediction: Out

Seton Hall (31, 19-9) - After a 6 game losing streak, the Pirates have rebounded nicely and are in position to grab a bid. Win at home against Rutgers Saturday and then on the road against Depaul next week and their 10-8 conference record looks pretty good. Prediction: In

Alabama (38, 17-9) - They fought through their suspensions and still have a pretty good shot at a bid. Early season wins over Wichita, VCU, and Purdue will help along with some quality wins against Oklahoma St and Maryland. Prediction: In

Middle Tennessee St (40, 23-4) - The Blue Raiders don't really have any wins to speak of, but beating Belmont and Ole Miss isn't bad. Prediction: Must win conference tourney

Iowa St (43, 20-8) - The Mayor's squad has been hot as of late but has a tough finish to the conference schedule. The Kansas win looks great, but they can't lose all of their final 3 games at Kansas St, at Missouri, or at home vs Baylor. Prediction: In

West Virginia (44, 17-11) - WVU is your classic bubble team...They are 3-6 their last nine, play in a big-time conference, have some good wins mixed in, but don't really know their fate yet. If they can beat Marquette this weekend at home and follow it up with a home win against Depaul and can win at USF, they have an excellent shot. Slip up and they will need a deep run in the Big East tournament to get in. Prediction: In

BYU (46, 21-6) - Their best wins are Gonzaga, Oregon, and Nevada, and they got swept by St Mary's. The Baylor and Wisconsin losses aren't bad, but getting one of those would have put them "in" by now. Prediction: Must get to conference title game

Northwestern (47, 16-11) One team I really hope gets in is Northwestern, as they have never gotten in...The Cats don't really have a bad loss, and that Michigan State win looks better each week. But, I still think they need to win either at home against Ohio St or at Iowa (which has shown is a very tough place to win lately) to get on the right side of the bubble. Prediction: In

Miami (49, 16-10) - Miami has the Duke win, and that is why they are on the bubble. Their 5-game stretch in December where they lost to Ole Miss, Purdue, Memphis, and West Virginia really hurt. Any one of those wins would really help their case right now, especially after losing their last game to Maryland. I think Miami needs to get to 20 wins, either by winning out (FSU, at NCSU, vs BC) or making a conference tourney run. Prediction: Out

Purdue (50, 18-10) - What Purdue has going for them is that they have a lot of wins over other bubble teams (Miami, NW x2, Illinois x2, Iowa x2). They have lost most of their big games against the top of the Big 10, but do have a quality win over Temple. They need to win at Indiana or at Michigan to really put themselves into a good spot. Prediction: In

Oregon (51, 19-8) - The Ducks have played 8 teams that have or are going to be mentioned here and are 1-7 in those games. The lack of quality wins and the lack of good teams in the Pac-12 will make it tough on Oregon. They need to win their last 3 (@OSU, Col, Utah) and probably get to the conference championship game. Prediction: Out

Washington (52, 19-8)- Washington split with Oregon, and is in basically the same position as the Ducks. The Huskies are hot, winning 8 of their last 9, but they squandered their big chances in December. They need to win their final 3 games (@UCLA, @WSU, @USC) and make a conference tourney run to get in. Prediction: In

Xavier (53, 17-10) - Xavier is a tough team to gauge due to their early-season shenanigans. They were on a real run early in the year with consecutive wins over Vanderbilt, Purdue, Butler, and Cincinnati. Since then, they were knocked off several times after a few key players were suspended, and have turned out to be a pretty good team in a better A-10. They really need to win at Saint Louis next week to help their resume, but a run in the conference tourney can help as well. Prediction: In

Texas (55, 17-11) - Good wins against Temple, Iowa State, and Kansas State, but they have lost most of their other big games. They need to win at Texas Tech and beat Oklahoma before we put them in. Prediction: In

Arizona (67, 19-9) - The Cats are usually a lot higher on the RPI list with their record, but their only win of note is at Cal. Another Pac-12 team that needs to win out and make a conference tourney run. Prediction: In

Mississippi State (60, 19-9) - Even with their recent stumbles, MSU has a good shot at an at-large bid if they finish strong. Early in the season, they beat Arizona, WVU, and TAMU. Their Vanderbilt win is solid, but they need to get going quickly as they have lost 4 straight. Win at least 2 of 3 and get a couple in their conference tourney, and I think MSU has a shot. Prediction: In

NC State - (62, 18-10) - Six conference wins, none against teams with a .500 record or better in the ACC. Only win against team mentioned here was early in the year against Texas. Prediction: Out

Cincinnati (82, 19-8) - The Bearcats have a pretty tough stretch to end the season (@USF, vs Marq, @Nova), but at 10-5 in the conference, they can really lock up a bid by ending the season strongly. They have wins against 5 of the top Big East teams and have moved into the final spot of the bracket by beating Louisville this week. Prediction: In

All teams on this list need to make sure they are rooting for Creighton/Wichita in the Valley, MTSU in the Sun Belt, Long Beach State in the Big West, Iona in the MAAC, and Oral Roberts in the Summit, just to be safe...

Selection Sunday Predictions 2 weeks early...

1. Kentucky, Syracuse, UNC, Ohio State

2. Michigan St, Kansas, Missouri, Duke

3. Marquette, Michigan, Georgetown, Florida St

4. Louisville, Florida, Wichita St, UNLV

5. Baylor, Wisconsin, Murray St, Temple

6. Indiana, Creighton, Southern Miss, Vanderbilt

7. New Mexico, Notre Dame, Gonzaga, Virginia

8. Alabama, San Diego St, Kansas St, St Mary's

9. Cal, St. Louis, Harvard, Iowa St

10. WVU, Memphis, Xavier, UConn

11. Purdue, Texas, Seton Hall, BYU

12. Long Beach St, Harvard, Arizona, Cincy/Washington

13. Miss St/NW, Iona, Oral Roberts, MTSU

14. Davidson, VCU, Belmont, Nevada

15. Akron, Valpo, UNCA, Weber St

16. LIU, UTA, Savannah St/Bucknell, MVSU/Vermont

Top 15 Atlanta Hawks

It has been a long time since our last post, but with hoops in full swing now, the blog entries will be coming. Thanks to loyal reader Beezbo for the topic for today...it was tough narrowing down this list, as you I considered players for the Hawks since their move to Atlanta, but focused only on their time in Atlanta. Walt Bellamy just missed the cut, as he only played a few seasons in Atlanta in his 30's, and Jason Terry was a late scratch due to the awful teams he was forced to be a part of...but I digress...

15) Tree Rollins - Rollins, the Hawks 1st round pick (14th) in 1977, played his first 11 seasons in Atlanta. Never a big scorer, Rollins was a solid presence in the paint, bringing down an average of between 6.0 and 9.4 rebounds per game in each season as a Hawk. Rollins best skill, though, was shot blocking, as he racked up almost 2300 blocks in his Hawk career. He led the league in 82-83 with 343 blocks (4.3 bpg) and was in the NBA's top 5 in blocks per game 8 out of 11 seasons.

14) Al Horford -Horford has had a tremendous start to his Hawk career, even though his 5th season was cut short by injury. Al has started all but 4 games he has appeared in during his career, is a 2-time All-Star, and has finished in the top 10 in rebounding twice. Al's drive, scoring, rebounding, defensive, and passing abilities have him in position to move up this list quickly throughout the next few years.

13) Eddie Johnson - Johnson had a terrific career as a Hawk after being selected in the 3rd round of the 1977 draft out of Auburn. He averaged over 15 points a game and 5 assists a game from 77-85, was a 2-time All-Star (80-81), and twice was named to the 2nd team All-NBA defensive team.

12) John Drew - Drew was an 8 year Atlanta Hawk from 74-82 and was a scoring machine from day 1. After being the Hawks 2nd round pick in 74 out of Gardner-Webb, Drew was a 1st team All-NBA rookie after averaging 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. He went on to average over 21 points per game 5 times, finishing in the top 10 in the NBA twice.

11) Doc Rivers - The Hawks took Doc in the 2nd Round in 1983, and he immediately became a starter and top contributor for all 8 seasons he spent in Atlanta. His best years were 85-88, as he led the team to 29 playoff games in that stretch, while averaging a double-double in playoff games. Doc averaged a double-double in 86-87 with 12.8 points and 10 assists per game. He was a member of the 1988 All-Star team and had 3 seasons as a Hawk in the top 10 in the league in steals, and 2 seasons in the top 10 in assists.

10) Josh Smith - Smith is a stat sheet filler that has been a key player during the current Hawk stretch of solid playoff teams. In his 8th season, Smith has been a part of 41 playoff games, averaging 15.5 ppg and 8 rebounds per game, slightly above his career averages. He has finished in the top 3 in the NBA in blocks 4 times, the top 10 in steals once, and was a member of the 2nd team All-NBA defensive squad in 09-10. He currently is on pace for his 6th straight season averaging over 15 points per game and over 7 rebounds per game.

9) Mookie Blaylock - Mookie's 7 seasons as the Hawks point guard saw the team reach the playoffs each season. He was a key part of several really good Hawk teams, including the 96-97 team that was one of the top 3 teams in the NBA but ran into the Bulls in Round 2. In his Atlanta career, Mookie was an All-Star in 1994, finished in the top 6 in steals all 7 seasons, was top 3 in 3-pointers made 3 times, and finished top 10 in assists 3 times.

8) Steve Smith - Smith only spent 4 1/2 years in Atlanta, but he was the go-to guy and leader on some of the franchises best teams. He led the team in scoring each season he was a Hawk, peaking with a 20.1 ppg average in 96-97 and 97-98. He hit several game-winning shots and was an All-Star in 1998.

7) Pete Maravich - Pistol Pete played his first 4 seasons in the NBA in Atlanta, and he put on a show. After being the Hawks 1st round pick (3rd overall) in 1970, Pete averaged 23.2 points per game as a rookie. After a slight dip in production in his second season, Pete exploded in the 72-73 and 73-74 seasons, putting up 27 points and 6 assists per game. He was also a 24+ point and 5+ assist per game guy for the Hawks in the playoffs. As a Hawk, Maravich was a 2-time All-Star, finished in the top 10 in scoring 3 times, and was 7th in the league in assists in 72-73.

6) Joe Johnson - True Hawk fans will always love Joe because he came to Atlanta when no other player of his caliber would. He has been a 20+ point scorer since signing as a FA from Phoenix in 2005, and has averaged around 5 assists per game as well. He has made 5 All-Star teams as a Hawk, named All-NBA 3rd team, and finished in the top 10 in 3-pointers made twice.

5) Kevin Willis - Willis played in the league a long time, and his most successful seasons were in Atlanta. Kevin had many big-time seasons in the mid-to-late 80's and early 90's as a Hawk, highlighted by a 18.3/15.5 season in 91-92. He was an All-Star in 92 and was 3rd team All-NBA, finished top 5 in rebounds 3 times, and even came back in 04-05 to contribute some to current Hawk team when they were younger.

4) Dan Roundfield - Roundfield had a tremendous career as a Hawk from 78-84, making 3 All-Star teams and helping the team get to the playoffs 5 times. He averaged 15+ points and 10+ rebounds in each season in Atlanta, peaking at 19.0 and 11.4 in 82-83. Consistently at the top of the NBA leaders in rebounds and blocks, Roundfield earned 1st team All-Defensive team honors 3 times as a Hawk and was 2nd team twice. Roundfield also was rewarded for his 79-80 season with 2nd team All-NBA honors.

3) Dikembe Mutombo - Most of the reason for the success of the mid-to-late 90's team was that they finally signed a dominate center to defend and rebound in Mutombo. Deke averaged a double-double every season as a Hawk, highlighted by a 11.4 ppg and 14.0 rpg season in 99-00. He made 4 All-Star games as a Hawk, was NBA defensive POY twice, led the league in rebounds 3 times, and led the league in blocks twice.

2) Lou Hudson - Sweet Lou spend 11 years as a Hawk, with the last 9 being after the franchise moved to Atlanta. Hudson scored between 22-25 points per game every season in Atlanta, while collecting just under 5 rebounds and 4 assists per game. He was a 6-time All-Star, 2nd team All-NBA in 69-70, top 6 points 3 times, and top 8 in FG's made 4 times.

1) Dominique Wilkins - 'Nique is clearly the top Atlanta Hawk of all-time as he did it all while in Atlanta from 82-93. Wilkins was a scoring champion, slam dunk champion, 7-time All-NBA, 8 time All-Star, and one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. Dominique consistently was an MVP candidate and top scorer in the league, and was recent inductee to the NBA Hall of Fame.

Bowl thoughts...

I mentioned earlier how the Chick-Fil-A bowl committee were celebrating the Clemson win last night as they land the VT-Auburn match up they wanted. Here are what some of the other bowl committees have on their plates...

Fiesta Bowl: Outside of Bama fans, this committee wants a LSU-Bama match up more than anyone. Why? Not only do they get OSU in their game as the Big 12 champ, but they can hype the game with a BCS title game-worthy opponent that will receive plenty of press if they are not in the game and place them against another top 5 team in Stanford.

Orange Bowl: This game is all but set, and with all the bad match ups this game has had the last few years, the Orange Bowl finally gets 2 teams that will travel and provide a high-scoring shootout that people will want to watch in Clemson and West Virginia.

Rose Bowl: Another BCS bowl that got their dream match up with Oregon and Wisconsin. Any time the Rose gets their Pac-10/Big-10 game they will be happy.

Cotton Bowl: This a pleased committee as well because it appears they might get their dream SEC team in Arkansas and will be able to pair them with a Heisman finalist and fun team to watch with RG3 and Baylor.

Gator Bowl: This bowl might get big name powerhouses Florida and Ohio State in an Urban Meyer bowl, plenty of ways to hype this game.

Sugar Bowl: They really want LSU-OSU too, as they would then get an SEC team in Alabama. The Sugar would like to pair Bama with another BCS-at large team like Kansas State.

Music City: The Music City would love to grab Vanderbilt to play in Nashville against an ACC team like Virginia or NC State.

Holiday Bowl: This has been one of the earlier bowls featuring big-name, ranked teams over the years. Not so in 2011. This game is Pac-12 #3 vs Big-12 #5, and typically there are quality teams in these slots. Look for a pair of 7-5 teams, Cal and Mizzou to be in this game.

BCS Projections:

Title Game: LSU-OSU
Rose Bowl: Oregon-Wisconsin
Fiesta Bowl: Stanford-Michigan
Sugar: Alabama-Kansas State
Orange: WVU-Clemson

Final Heisman ballot

1. Robert Griffin III - I've gone back and forth between the top 4, but my vote goes to RG3. Over 72% completion rate, 4,000 yards, 36 TD's, and only 6 picks. I don't like how the award has gone to the best player on the best team so much recently, I think we should get back to giving it to the most outstanding player. If Baylor was 11-1, Griffin would be close to a unanimous selection with this season.

2. Andrew Luck - Another QB who had an amazing season, Luck isn't the winner because he had his worst game in his teams biggest game. However, the rest of his season was so good, he gets an invite and is certainly worthy of some 1st place votes.

3. Montee Ball - The nations leading rusher and leading TD man on a BCS conference champion should have more Heisman-hype than Montee has received.

4. Trent Richardson - Another outstanding player who deserves consideration and will get 1st place votes. He was the "guy" on the Tide offense in a season where they were one of the top teams, rushing for over 1500 yards with 20 TD's.

5. Tyrann Mathieu - If this years award went to the best player on the best team, Tyrann would be the winner. He makes the list by having his 3 best games (Oregon, Arkansas, UGA) in 3 of the Tigers 4 biggest games. He covers receivers like a maniac, has elite return skills, and added 6 forced fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries this season.

Who is playing in the Tittle Game?

I can't wait to see the polls today that will go a long way towards determining who will play in the BCS title game. There are arguments galore, but after yesterday I think the game should be LSU-Oklahoma St. I think OSU made a big statement by destroying OU in a much hyped game. Bama has a strong argument by playing LSU tough, but OSU is the pick for the title game.

Hard to believe Clemson hasn't won the ACC in 20 years, but kudos to them for bouncing back from a horrendous November to take the title game. I know the Chick-Fil-A Bowl is happy that they don't have choose between a Clemson team on a huge downward slide, UVA that was blown out by VT in their last game, FSU who played in the game last year, or the local team in GT that has lost momentum. That game will be Auburn-VT now...

I also think Michigan gets in the BCS, which drops MSU to the Cap 1 and Nebraska to the Outback. The Cap 1 also takes Arkansas, with South Carolina to the Cotton, and UGA to the Outback.

Final regular season RSM Poll

1. LSU
2. Oklahoma St
3. Alabama
4. Oregon
5. Stanford
6. Arkansas
7. South Carolina
8. Wisconsin
9. Boise St
10. Kansas St
11. Michigan
12. Georgia
13. Michigan St
14. USC
15. Baylor
16. TCU
17. Clemson
18. Virginia Tech
19. Oklahoma
20. Nebraska
21. Penn St
22. Notre Dame
23. Southern Miss
24. Houston
25. Texas

Winding down the CFB season...

With years and years of the SEC Championship game being one of the biggest of the season, this years game looks pretty insignificant. With all the big wins LSU has (@BAMA, Oregon, Arkansas, etc), even with a loss in this game they will likely stay in the top 2 and play for the national title. In a game where you would assume UGA would play as if they had nothing to lose, LSU seems like they could play that part instead.

I still think that the voters will all have OSU #2 or #3 with a win over OU next week, even if VT avenges their only loss. There is a chance at OSU knocking out Bama, but when ESPN gets an agenda like Bama/LSU rematch, they usually get their way.

Before I rank 'em this week, here is my Heisman poll as of this morning and BCS projections:

1. Andrew Luck
2. Trent Richardson
3. Robert Griffin III
4. Montee Ball
5. Matt Barkley

BCS Title Game: LSU vs Oklahoma St
Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs Houston
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs Louisville
Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs Oregon
Fiesta Bowl: Stanford vs Michigan

1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma St
4. Oregon
5. Stanford
6. Arkansas
7. Virginia Tech
8. Houston
9. Boise St
10. South Carolina
11. Georgia
12. Michigan St
13. Oklahoma
14. Wisconsin
15. Kansas St
16. Michigan
17. USC
18. TCU
19. Baylor
20. Nebraska
21. Penn St
22. Notre Dame
23. Clemson
24. Texas
25. Tulsa

Rivalry week predictions and discussion...

There has been plenty of BCS discussion here, and before we look at this weeks games, I want to point out that BCS-Guru Brad Edwards can figure out the BCS formula, but there is one thing he can't calculate that has a major impact on the standings...The human vote.

Call me crazy, but even with Alabama's .9491 average, I still think that Oklahoma State (even at .8408) can jump the Tide on December 4th. Regardless of what happens in the Iron Bowl, a majority of voters around the country are cringing at the thought of 2 SEC teams playing for the championship, as every other BCS conference is tired of the leagues dominance in the big game.

If OSU beats Oklahoma on December 3rd, when Bama is idle, I think enough voters will bump OSU up ahead of Alabama and that, along with the computers love for the Big 12, will get OSU in the BCS Title game.

Lots of game with significance this weekend, here is a quick breakdown with predictions.

Texas A&M 26 Texas 17 - TAMU has not had the season they expected, but they get some revenge in what should be a very high-emotion game.

Tulsa 41 Houston 38 - Tulsa has a really good team with the balanced attack that will match the Cougars point-for-point. The Golden Hurricane won in Houston last year, albeit w/o Case Keenum, but look for Tulsa to run for 250+ and throw for 250+ in the upset.

LSU 31 Arkansas 17 - This one is usually close, but the Hogs have struggled a bit on the road this year. LSU establishes the power run game early, and wins this one easily.

Alabama 35 Auburn 21 - The Tigers were blown out on the road against Arkansas, LSU, and UGA, but should come out stronger at home in their rivalry game. AU makes it interesting early, but Bama pulls away in the 2nd half.

Georgia Tech 31 Georgia 30 - The Jackets have been so close in this game and come up short the past 20 years, they are due to squeak out a close one at home, a place they haven't beaten UGA since 1999. UGA's defense does a good job slowing down the GT run game, but loses the turnover battle and makes 1-2 special teams mistakes.

Clemson 24 South Carolina 21 - South Carolina is small favorite at home, but Clemson was definitely looking ahead to this game last week. USC's QB issues and mounting injuries gives the Tigers a slight advantage.

Michigan 28 Ohio State 17 - Talk about being due in a rivalry game. The Buckeyes have won 9 of 10 and 7 in a row in this one...look for Big Blue to take this years contest.

Florida 17 Florida St 16 - A defensive struggle, the Gators find a way in their finale and salvage a little from a disappointing season.

Wisconsin 31 Penn St 14 - The Badgers steam-r0ll PSU en route to a re-match with Sparty. This could be a week for Montee Ball to get to NY for the Heisman ceremony much like RGIII did last week.

Stanford 35 Notre Dame 24 - Stanford gets a 2nd quality win and puts themselves in the running for a top 5 finish.

Virgina 24 Virginia Tech 21 - Mike London is incredibly high-energy and he gets his team up at home against a Hokie team that thinks they can play for it all.

Should be an entertaining week...don't forget if you are using these predictions to help place bets, that you always take the Lions over...book it tomorrow.