Tourney Central 3/8/07

by Kyle Whelliston on March 8, 2007 8:04 AM • Permalink

Bullet Points

Central Connecticut State from the NEC is going dancing, and so is Weber State of the Big Sky. Both are double champions of their respective leagues, and both just plain rock.
No autobids tonight. Deep breath...

No surprises in the MAC quarters, or the SWAC and MEAC early rounds, but No. 7 seed Pacific beat No. 6 Cal State Northridge in the Big West first round. Since they're the three-time BWC champs, you have to chalk that one up to championship experience.

The big boys are dominating the airwaves now, but there's still plenty of great mid-major action. Lots of quarterfinals today: the MAC, MEAC, Southland, SWAC and WAC begin or continue efforts to make eight into four. The Big West continues with its ladder-step second round.

Autobids: Pennsylvania, Winthrop, Eastern Kentucky, Davidson, Creighton, Virginia Commonwealth, Niagara, Wright State, Oral Roberts, North Texas, Central Connecticut State, Weber State.

NIT: Austin Peay, Marist, East Tennessee State, South Alabama and Southern Illinois (SIU won't need it, though).

Brackets

(1) Weber State 88, (2) Northern Arizona 80 | GameFlo

(1) Central Connecticut State 74, (2) Sacred Heart 70 | GameFlo

(5) Ohio 69, (12) Bowling Green 59 | GameFlo
(6) Western Michigan 67, (11) Northern Illinois 62 | GameFlo
(7) Central Michigan 80, (10) Buffalo 74 | GameFlo
(8) Eastern Michigan 51, (9) Ball State 48 | GameFlo

First Round

(6) Norfolk State 81, (11) Maryland-Eastern Shore 70 | GameFlo
Quarterfinals
(1) Delaware State 68, (8) Coppin State 49 | GameFlo
(2) Florida A&M 61, (6) Hampton 58 | GameFlo

(2) Jackson State 74, (7) Southern 65 | GameFlo
(1) Mississippi Valley State 62, (8) Alabama State 52 | GameFlo

Note: the Big West reshuffles the seeds going into the second round and the semifinals. The high seed gets to play the lowest remaining seed from the previous round.

(5) California-Irvine 53, (8) California-Riverside 52 | GameFlo
(7) Pacific 71, (6) Cal State Northridge 54 | GameFlo

Previews
Will turn into boxscores once play is compete.

Mid-American Quarterfinals
Central Michigan vs. Akron
Eastern Michigan vs. Toledo
Ohio vs. Miami
Western Michigan vs. Kent State

Mid-Eastern Quarterfinals
Morgan State vs. South Carolina State
Norfolk State vs. North Carolina A&T

Southland Quarterfinals
Texas-Arlington vs. McNeese State
Lamar vs. Sam Houston State
Stephen F. Austin vs. Northwestern State
Southeastern Louisiana vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

Southwestern Athletic Quarterfinals
Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. Grambling State
Texas Southern vs. Alcorn State

Western Athletic Quarterfinals
Idaho vs. Nevada
Hawaii vs. Utah State
Boise State vs. Fresno State
Louisiana Tech vs. New Mexico State

Big West Second Round
California-Irvine vs. California-Santa Barbara
Pacific vs. Cal State Fullerton

Good Night

Regretfully they tell us (cuckoo, cuckoo), but firmly they compel us (cuckoo, cuckoo) to say goodbye. So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night to defending SWAC and MEAC conference champions Southern and Hampton. Adieu, adieu, to Northern Arizona and Sacred Heart and Bowling Green and Northern Illinois and Buffalo and Ball State and Maryland-Eastern Shore and Coppin State and Alabama State and UC Riverside and Cal State Northridge. That doesn't sound as good when you try to sing it.