Quick synopsis of the main NBK-related events since Sunday:
Appy State is OUT!
On Sunday night, Sun Belt regular season champs Appalachian St fell behind early to Arkansas St in their semifinal, hung around long enough to take the lead briefly in the last six minutes, traded baskets for a bit and ultimately fell to a buzzer-beater and now board the express train straight to the NIT.
James Madison is IN!
JMU are the primary recipient of this gift from the Mountaineers, as the Dukes cruised in their own Sun Belt semifinal, winning 73-68 over toothless Texas St, then rolled Arkansas St in the final 91-71. Madison started the season rated #136 in the KenPom and made an immediate statement beating #19 Michigan St in OT in the opener. The Dukes last NCAA appearance was back in 2013, and they will carry a 13-game winning streak into the tourney.
We have a new #1!
With an emphatic 85-70 win over Michigan in their Big Ten finale, Nebraska cements their place in the field by going 6-1 down the home stretch and snagging the top spot in the NBK. TCU has lost four of six and yield their perch atop the NBK to Herbie Husker.
Sycamores hate the Drake!
The Missouri Valley Conference final Sunday started off as a laugher, as Drake ran out to a hot start and held a 45-32 lead at half. but Indiana St went on a big run with ten minutes remaining to cut it to one and then take a couple of brief leads late. Arch Madness was on. Tucker DeVries, Atin Wright, Darnell Brodie and the Drake Bulldogs held on to win 84-80 and punch their ticket for the second straight year. Indiana St goes down after their best post Larry Bird year ever — they will be on pins-and-needles the rest of the week as they await their fate.
The Dons get whacked!
Gonzaga refused to admit any one else to their private party showdown with Saint Mary’s in the WCC final — they dispatched San Francisco with ease 89-77 in the semifinal Monday night in a game that was nowhere near as close as the final score.
Samford is IN!
Top seed in the Southern Conference Samford held serve and ripped right through the field, topping East Tennessee St in the final Monday. They are sure to be a hot upset pick in the Bracket Breakdown shows next week, as they shoot the lights out (#7 in three-point shooting percentage, #50 on twos) and run deep and have active hands (#3 in Bench Minutes and #10 in Steal percentage).
Charleston is IN!
The Cougars sport the nation’s second-longest winning streak at 12, topping Stony Brook in an overtime thriller of a Coastal Athletic Association final on Tuesday night. Guard Reyne Smith shot poorly – 7 for 18 overall – but added 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals to earn game MVP honors. This is the first NCAA appearance for the Cougs.
Everyone in the Mountain West is 22-9!
OK maybe not EVERYone but the three top NBK teams from the MWC — New Mexico, Colorado St & Boise St — all finished 22-9 with KenPoms of 34, 36 & 38. In an election year, to see such unity is truly inspiring. Joey Brackets is able to parse these best buds apart, as his bracket excludes New Mexico but includes the other two.
We are just getting started!
McNeese St won their Southland opener, and Vermont has already made the America East final. Most of the rest of the conferences kick off preliminary rounds on Wednesday. Stay tuned.
Data courtesy Kenpom.com and Basketball Reference
Game Score metric created by John Hollinger detailed here
Plot format by Aaron Baggett
Inspiration from Ken Pomeroy
Inspiration from Rock M Nation
Team colors courtesy:Benjamin S. Baumer and Gregory J. Matthews (2020). teamcolors: Color Palettes for Pro Sports Teams. R package version 0.0.4