I meant to have this up at noon, but it's been just another crazy day at work.
Was anyone else as disappointed as I was after Sunday's games?
I don't think I've ever rooted as hard for Texas A&M or Mark Turgeon in my life — and it was all for naught. Now we have to hear about the three Big Ten co-champions that reached the Sweet Sixteen, instead of three of the Big 12's top four teams doing it. Dammit all.
I didn't expect Missouri to win, and indeed, it's probably better for K-State's media profile (especially in Kansas City) that the Tigers did not. But Texas A&M had its chances to win that game and piddled them away. It was tough to see Bryan Davis and Donald Sloan (and Derrick Roland, I guess) end their careers that way, but them's the breaks.
Meanwhile, I was hoping Pittsburgh would pull through for two reasons. First, I wanted another chance to puncture the myth of the Big East (although failing to get more than two teams into the Sweet Sixteen accomplished that anyway).
Second, Xavier will be very motivated for this game and I guarantee the Musketeers will play better this time around — both because it's on a neutral court and because the stakes are infinitely higher.
But hey — we beat Baylor twice, and Baylor beat Xavier. If the Cats are the team we all think they are, they'll take care of business and reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 1988.
AP Ranking = 7
ESPN/USA Today Ranking = 7
NCAA Seed = 2 (West Region)
Record = 28-7
- Loyola Chicago (14-16)
- Western Illinois (13-17)
- Boston University (20-13)
- No. 2* seed Ole Miss (23-10)
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No. 3* seed Dayton (21-12)
- IUPUI (25-10)
- FHSU (22-7)
- Washington State (16-15)
- No. 6 seed Xavier (26-8): Win over No. 3 seed Pittsburgh (71-68 in the NCAA Tournament)
- No. 8 seed UNLV (25-9)
- Alabama (17-15)
- No. 16 seed UAPB (18-16)
- Cleveland State (16-17)
- South Dakota (22-10)
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No. 10 seed Missouri (23-11): Loss to No. 2 seed West Virginia (68-59 in the NCAA Tournament)
- No. 5 seed Texas A&M (24-10): Loss to No. 4 Purdue (63-61 in overtime, in the NCAA Tournament)
- Colorado (15-16)
- No. 8 seed Texas (24-10)
- No. 7 seed Oklahoma State (22-11)
- No. 3 seed Baylor (27-7)
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No. 1 seed Kansas (33-3)
- Nebraska (15-18)
- Iowa State (15-17)
- Oklahoma (13-18)
- No. 5* seed Texas Tech (19-15)
- No. 15 seed North Texas (24-9)
- No. 7 seed BYU (30-6)
*NIT