After scoring fewer than 55 points in their last three games, the Gophers notched their highest point total of the season in a 95-89 win over Iowa at the Barn last night. Pitino the younger was right when he said his boys had a fire lit under them in Monday's practice. Minnesota shot 9 for 11 from behind the arc in the first half for an awesome 51 points at halftime. The Hawkeyes kept it close most of the way, shooting 48% from the floor and 40% from 3-point range. It looked like the Gophers were going to put it away, going up by 13 with 8 minutes to go, but Iowa pulled back within two with just over a minute to go. The Gophers hot free throw shooting sealed the game down the stretch, as they made 13 of 14 in the last 1:12.
1's: Wichita State, Arizona, Florida, Syracuse
2's: Villanova, Saint Louis, Kansas, Creighton
3's: Wisconsin, San Diego State, Cincinnati, Duke
4's: Iowa State, Virginia, Massachusetts, New Mexico
5's: Kentucky, Louisville, UCLA, Ohio State
6's: Michigan State, Michigan, Connecticut, North Carolina
7's: Gonzaga, Texas, SMU, VCU
8's: Memphis, Oklahoma, Colorado, George Washington
9's: Saint Joseph's, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Iowa
10's: Arizona State, Stanford, Oregon, Indiana State
11's: Kansas State, Green Bay, Southern Miss, BYU
12's: Xavier, Missouri, Richmond, Middle Tennessee, Dayton, California
13's: North Dakota State, Belmont, Iona, Stephen F. Austin
14's: Harvard, Mercer, North Carolina Central, New Mexico State
15's: Delaware, Georgia State, Boston University, UC Santa Barbara
16's: Vermont, Robert Morris, Elon, Northern Colorado, VMI, Alabama State
FFO: Baylor, Saint Mary's, Oklahoma State, Ohio
NFO: Boise State, Minnesota, Providence, Nebraska
As a serious fan of the MVC, I'll have to break this to you gently... there's no way Indiana State's getting an at-large bid to the tourney. Not a single top-50 win to speak of (and just one, ONE top-100 win), and their recent two-game slide's given them an RPI of #62. That's not just well, well off the NCAA at-large bubble, it's putting their NIT hopes in sudden jeopardy as well.
ReplyDeleteIt's true their poor schedule and lack of quality wins hurts them, but it's tough to leave a 6 or 7 loss team from the bracket. As of today, there are 34 teams with 7 or fewer losses and top-150 SOS. I have all 34 as at-large bids.
ReplyDeleteHad the Sycamores won their remaining 3 regular season games and made it to the MVC final (presumably losing to Wichita St), that puts them at 24-7, with 3 of those losses to the Shockers. With their 8th loss, I agree they'll need to win the MVC in order to dance.