Tourney Central 3/3/07

by Kyle Whelliston on March 3, 2007 8:00 AM • Permalink

Bullet Points

In the first real shocker of Championship Fortnight, Appalachian State was upset by College of Charleston in the SoCon semifinals.
Four leagues crown champions today on the ESPN family of networks. The Big South, Ohio Valley, SoCon and Atlantic Sun seasons will conclude with autobids being given out. For many people who don't read this site, this is the real start of college basketball season.

Semifinals today in the Horizon League and Missouri Valley. The America East, Colonial and Metro Atlantic hold full quarterfinal rounds, and the Mid-Continent tourney kicks off in Tulsa with two of four quarters being played.

The Big Sky also begins play with a campus-site first round, and the West Coast continues with a second verse. As always, blank brackets can be found at Bracket City

#Pennsylvania became the first team to clinch a bid to the NCAA Tournament (again) by virtue of beating Yale to claim the Ivy League title.

Brackets

(2) Belmont 79, (6) Campbell 63 | GameFlo
(1) East Tennessee State 77, (4) Lipscomb 72 | GameFlo

(1) Davidson 91, (5) Furman 68 | GameFlo
(3) College of Charleston 89, (2) Appalachian State 87 | GameFlo

While everyone (myself included) was talking about the Davidson-App State axis in the Southern Conference, Charleston and Bobby Cremins silently put together a 21-win season, if such a thing is possible. After a career high by a Dontaye Draper with nothing left to lose, there's a whole lot of late-night studying going on with the ESPN-TV folks... this is not what anyone expected. Key statline: Appalachian State's star D.J. Thompson went 2-for-15.

(1) Southern Illinois 71, (9) Drake 59 | GameFlo
(2) Creighton 59, (10) Indiana State 38 | GameFlo
(3) Missouri State 67, (6) Wichita State 64 | GameFlo
(4) Bradley 51, (5) Northern Iowa 48 | GameFlo

In the Missouri Valley, the top seeds won out, setting up a semifinal round that could very well determine two NCAA teams. Missouri State put Wichita State out of its misery (and it was misery), and Creighton crushed Indiana State; afterwards, Sycamores head coach Royce Waltman was relieved of his duties. We'll get an intriguing Bradley-#Southern Illinois matchup after the Braves ground out a low-possessions slog against UNI. Please take a moment and study the two teams' January meeting in Peoria, proof that Bradley can play SIU's way.

(1) Austin Peay 65, (5) Samford 55 | GameFlo
(2) Eastern Kentucky 57, (3) Tennessee Tech 54 | GameFlo

The Ohio Valley final is set; Samford fought bravely but fell away in the final few minutes; Austin Peay represents the only OVC team that Eastern Kentucky hasn't beaten.

(5) San Diego 95, (8) Pepperdine 82 | GameFlo
(7) Portland 55, (6) Loyola Marymount 41 | GameFlo

The West Coast first round had an expected win and a slightly unexpected loss. Loyola Marymount, defeaters of UMPFN earlier in the month, shot just 28% and lost. In a fast-and-loose 5-8 game, the Toreros had three guys with 19 points or more and averaged a blazin' 1.28 points per possession.

(4) Wisconsin-Green Bay 72, (5) Youngstown State 55 | GameFlo
(3) Loyola (Ill.) 66, (6) Illinois-Chicago 62 | GameFlo

The Horizon League is playing out according to form; Loyola (Ill.) will now get a return date with a Butler team it beat last week, while Wisconsin-Green Bay will try its luck against top seed Wright State.

(7) Rider 77, (10) Iona 62 | GameFlo
(8) Canisius 62, (9) Saint Peter`s 48 | GameFlo

The only purpose of the MAAC's first round was to properly bury the seasons of Iona and Saint Peter`s. With four league wins between them (SPC had three of those), it's not a moment too soon.

(5) Northeastern 77, (12) Delaware 67 | GameFlo
(6) George Mason 73, (11) James Madison 62 | GameFlo
(7) Towson 67, (10) North Carolina-Wilmington 52 | GameFlo
(9) Georgia State 70, (8) William & Mary 68 | GameFlo

One surprise in the Colonial yesterday as the quarterfinal bracket was assembled: Georgia State, they of the win over Towson and the near miss against George Mason last year, emerged victorious from its first-round game in an upset for the second straight year. The other three higher seeds won, but it's hard to see any of them winning against the monster top four in today's quarters.

(8) Hartford 49, (9) Stony Brook 47 | GameFlo

In the America East, Pillowfight Friday resulted in a tight game in which both teams shot poorly, and Hartford came from way behind to take out Stony Brook at the end. Just so I don't have to e-mail each of you A-East folks individually, I got a late flight so I'll be there sometime during today's second game.

Previews

Big South Final
Virginia Military Institute vs. Winthrop

Ohio Valley Final
Eastern Kentucky vs. Austin Peay

Southern Final
College of Charleston vs. Davidson

Atlantic Sun Final
Belmont vs. East Tennessee State

Missouri Valley Semifinals
Bradley vs. Southern Illinois
Missouri State vs. Creighton

Horizon League Semifinals
Wisconsin-Green Bay vs. Wright State
Loyola (Ill.) vs. Butler

America East Quarterfinals
Hartford vs. Vermont
Albany vs. New Hampshire
Binghamton vs. Boston University
Maryland-Baltimore County vs. Maine

Metro Atlantic Quaterfinals
Canisius vs. Marist
Rider vs. Niagara
Fairfield vs. Loyola
Manhattan vs. Siena

Mid-Continent Quarterfinals
Centenary vs. Oral Roberts
Western Illinois vs. Oakland

Colonial Quarterfinals
Georgia State vs. Virginia Commonwealth
Northeastern vs. Drexel
Old Dominion vs. Towson
George Mason vs. Hofstra

West Coast 2nd Round
Pepperdine vs. San Francisco
Saint Mary`s vs. Portland

Big Sky 1st Round
Idaho State vs. Montana
Montana State vs. Portland State

Good Night

A candy-colored clown they call the sandman tiptoes to my room every night. Well, not last night, because I was tallying all the teams that were eliminated on a ridiculously busy day of hoops. Campbell, Lipscomb, Furman, Drake, Indiana State, Wichita State, Northern Iowa, Samford, Tennessee Tech, Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount, Youngstown State, Illinois-Chicago, Iona, Saint Peter`s, Stony Brook, Delaware, James Madison, UNCW and William & Mary have all drifted away into the magic night. And just before the dawn, Appalachian State, Hoops Nation awakes and finds you gone.