Predictions for the NCAA tournament
It's time for NCAA tournament predictions.
We all have our ideas of who is in and who will be left out, so let's have all of your predictions before Sunday when we all have to reshuffle and predict who will win using the actual brackets.
Hofstra really hurt its chances by losing to Villanova in the Colonial Athletic Association semifinal.
The field for the NCAA tournament is tight, and I think UMass, Hofstra, Maryland and Georgetown are all bubble teams now.
If Notre Dame or UMBC do not win their tournaments, more than one of the teams above will not get in.
Here's my prediction for the pairings if Notre Dame wins the Great Western Lacrosse League tournament, UMBC wins the America East title and Towson is victorious in the CAA:
(1) Syracuse vs. Siena
(8) Johns Hopkins vs. UMBC
(5) Princeton vs. Maryland
(4) Virginia vs. Brown
(3) Notre Dame vs. Loyola/UMass
(6) Cornell vs. Hofstra
(7) UNC vs. Navy
(2) Duke vs. Towson/Villanova
If Notre Dame and/or UMBC loses this weekend, then Maryland -- or maybe even Hofstra, Loyola or UMass -- also will be out. UMBC and Notre Dame are going to be in the tournament even with a loss in their conference tourneys. Loyola would be in with a win over Johns Hopkins, regardless of how UMass does against Rutgers.
You can join the prediction discussion on The Baltimore Sun's lacrosse forum.
Comments
How can you possibly have Georgetown on the bubble? They've lost to every tournament quality team they've played . . . except Maryland, who shouldn't get in either.
Posted by: TFB | April 30, 2009 5:04 PM
Excuse me, John, but I see neither Villanova nor Towson in your match-ups, and one of them will earn the AQ Saturday night, right? Or am I missing something?
Besides, Maryland doesn't deserve to make the tourney. So what if they beat Duke and UNC? Those were early in the season, before they started burning out and everyone else started putting it together.
Posted by: trebort49 | May 1, 2009 5:07 AM
I'd love to see the Loyola-Notre Dame rematch for 2 reasons: I know Loyola would love to replay that loss from February and it would give us all the chance to figure out if that undefeated record of ND is for real.
Isn't this a great time of year!?
Posted by: Bill | May 1, 2009 8:12 AM
Not real good - as Towson or Villanova are an automatic and you ahve neither shown??!!
Posted by: ?? | May 1, 2009 8:40 AM
The winner of Towson/Villanova gets the CAA bid. They are not in your prediction.
Posted by: Bryan | May 1, 2009 8:44 AM
Right you all are. I knew I had forgotten something. Had that feeling like I left my wallet somewhere. The Towson/Villanova winner will likely play the # 2 or 3 team in the first round.
Posted by: John Weaver | May 1, 2009 9:16 AM
The winner of Towson vs. Villanova is getting an automatic bid to the tourney.
Where are they?
Posted by: hmm | May 1, 2009 1:38 PM
Just so those with comments don't look insane, I mistakenly left the CAA unrepresented in my picks. I recently replaced UMass with Towson as you see above. If Villanova upsets Towson, they get the spot. Sorry CAA fans!
Posted by: John Weaver | May 1, 2009 3:32 PM
Maryland hoping UMBC wins to get into the tourney? After last year's screwjob that Cottle and NCAA tourney company put on UMBC, the irony puts us all in shock.
Posted by: Neil | May 2, 2009 1:57 PM
How bout them Villanova Wildcats tonight!!!!
Posted by: Steve | May 3, 2009 12:33 AM