For now, Saint Mary’s remains in our projected NCAA tournament bracket. Losing to a potential No. 1 seed isn’t a reason to drop the Gaels. But as we noted in the Bubble Update, the third loss to Gonzaga leaves Saint Mary’s profile a bit light on high quality wins. Between now and Sunday, dozens of important conference tournament games will be played, and the proverbial bubble will shift – probably several times. How that ultimately affects Saint Mary’s, and several other bubble teams, remains to be seen.
Below is a quick update to the bracket with the latest automatic-bid qualifiers included. It’s going to a fun week.
UPDATED: March 13, 2013 | 11:00 am ET
Teams in CAPS represent the AUTOMATIC bid based on conference tournament results. Exceptions are made for teams that use an abbreviation (UTEP, BYU, etc). Records are for games against Division I teams only.
FIRST FOUR PAIRINGS – Dayton (First Round)
- La Salle vs. Kentucky | South Region
- Iowa State vs. Saint Mary’s | East Region
- Norfolk State vs. LIBERTY | Midwest Region
- Southern vs. JAMES MADISON | South Region
BRACKET PROJECTION …
| EAST – Washington, DC | MIDWEST- Indianapolis | |
| Philadelphia | Dayton | |
| 1) Duke | 1) Indiana | |
| 16) LIU-BROOKLYN | 16) LIBERTY / Norfolk State | |
| 8) Memphis | 8) Missouri | |
| 9) Illinois | 9) Cincinnati | |
| San Jose | Austin | |
| 5) UNLV | 5) Saint Louis | |
| 12) Saint Mary’s / Iowa State | 12) BELMONT | |
| 4) Marquette | 4) Oklahoma State | |
| 13) VALPARAISO | 13) Akron | |
| Austin | Lexington | |
| 6) Butler | 6) UCLA | |
| 11) Oklahoma | 11) Temple | |
| 3) Florida | 3) Miami-FL | |
| 14) HARVARD | 14) S.F. Austin | |
| Auburn Hills | Philadelphia | |
| 7) CREIGHTON | 7) Colorado State | |
| 10) Villanova | 10) Minnesota | |
| 2) Michigan State | 2) Georgetown | |
| 15) Vermont | 15) IONA | |
| SOUTH – Dallas | WEST – Los Angeles | |
| Lexington | Salt Lake | |
| 1) Louisville | 1) GONZAGA | |
| 16) Southern / JAMES MADISON | 16) WESTERN KENTUCKY | |
| 8) Oregon | 8) NC State | |
| 9) Wichita State | 9) San Diego State | |
| Kansas City | San Jose | |
| 5) Wisconsin | 5) Syracuse | |
| 12) La Salle / Kentucky | 12) DAVIDSON | |
| 4) Kansas State | 4) Arizona | |
| 13) Bucknell | 13) Louisiana Tech | |
| Dayton | Auburn Hills | |
| 6) Pittsburgh | 6) Notre Dame | |
| 11) Tennessee | 11) Boise State | |
| 3) Ohio State | 3) Michigan | |
| 14) FLA GULF COAST | 14) SOUTH DAKOTA ST | |
| Salt Lake | Kansas City | |
| 7) VCU | 7) North Carolina | |
| 10) California | 10) Colorado | |
| 2) New Mexico | 2) Kansas | |
| 15) Long Beach | 15) Montana |
NOTES on the BRACKET: Duke is the No. 1 overall seed followed by Indiana, Gonzaga, and Louisville. Next in line: Kansas, Georgetown, New Mexico, and Michigan State.
Last Five teams in (at large): Boise State, Iowa State, Saint Mary’s, La Salle, Kentucky
First Five teams out (at large): Virginia, Baylor, Middle Tennessee, Alabama, Iowa
Next Five teams out (at large): Massachusetts, Arkansas, Xavier, Southern Miss, Air Force
Breakdown by Conference …
Big East (8): Louisville, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Villanova
Big Ten (7): Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois
Mountain West (5): San Diego State, UNLV, New Mexico, Colorado State, Boise State
Pac 12 (5): Arizona, Colorado, UCLA, Oregon, California
Big 12 (5): Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Iowa State
Atlantic 10 (5): Butler, VCU, Temple, La Salle, Saint Louis
ACC (4): Duke, NC State, North Carolina, Miami-FL
SEC (4): Missouri, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky
Missouri Valley (2): CREIGHTON, Wichita State
West Coast (2): Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s
Conference USA (1): Memphis
Conference Automatic Qualifiers … BELMONT (Ohio Valley), Bucknell (Patriot), WESTERN KENTUCKY (Sunbelt), SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (Summit), VALPARAISO (Horizon), DAVIDSON (Southern), Louisiana Tech (WAC), IONA (MAAC), Stephen F. Austin (Southland), Akron (MAC), FLORIDA GULF COAST (A-Sun), HARVARD (IVY), Long Beach (Big West), JAMES MADISON (Colonial), Vermont (American East), Montana (Big Sky), Norfolk State (MEAC), LIBERTY (Big South), LIU-BROOKLYN (NEC), Southern (SWAC)
-
Kentucky phenoms choose 2013-14 preparation over other possibilities
May 22, 2013, 10:04 PM EDT
AP
As a recruiting class that has been hailed by some as the best in the history of college basketball, Kentucky’s incoming freshmen will receive a lot of attention throughout the 2013-14 campaign. And with the skills that players such as Julius Randle, Aaron and Andrew Harrison, Dakari Johnson and James Young possess a number of…
-
AP
A third player with eligibility remaining will not return to the BYU program next season, as it was reported that 6-8 forward Agustin Ambrosino will not be a member of the basketball program in 2013-14. Ambrosino, who played an average of 6.2 minutes in 31 games last season, joins Raul Delgado (transferring to Metro State)…
-
UMKC head coach Kareem Richardson completes coaching staff
May 22, 2013, 7:07 PM EDT
One week ago UMKC announced the addition of a fourth player to the program, as 6-10 forward/center Isaac Kreuer will return to the Kansas City metropolitan area after spending last year at the Impact Basketball Academy in Las Vegas. According to the Kansas City Star, first-year head coach Kareem Richardson has filled out his coaching…
-
Report: Elon to officially join Colonial Athletic Association Thursday
May 22, 2013, 5:55 PM EDT
AP
With the loss of four institutions the Colonial Athletic Association has some work to do on the realignment front. Apparently the league has found a new member, as it was reported by the Wilmington Star-News that Elon will officially join the CAA on Thursday. Elon has announced a press conference for 2:00 p.m. EST Thursday…
-
Nate Robinson, other Washington greats to play in alumni game June 23
May 22, 2013, 4:44 PM EDT
University of Washington
On Tuesday, the University of Washington announced plans for an alumni basketball game to be held on June 23. Returning for the game will be former Husky stars such as Brandon Roy, Nate Robinson and Jon Brockman among many. Festivities will begin at 1:00 p.m., with there also being three-point and slam dunk competitions for…
-
Will Yeguete out four months after another surgery on right knee
May 22, 2013, 3:10 PM EDT
Getty Images
Will Yeguete just cannot get healthy. The Florida forward missed the final nine games of his sophomore season with a broken foot and then had to sit out much of February after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee as a junior. He returned to play the final six games of the season. Yeguete underwent more…
-
Is Antonio Barton the answer for any of the four schools chasing him?
May 22, 2013, 2:04 PM EDT
On Monday afternoon, former Memphis big man Tarik Black announced that he would transferring to Kansas where he’ll team up with Andrew Wiggins, Wayne Selden and Joel Embiid to give Bill Self the nation’s best non-Kentucky recruiting class and a shot at a national title. Black, who will be eligible immediately, may never end up…
-
USA Basketball has released a list of 24 players that will be attending training camp in Colorado Springs from June 14th-19th to try and earn a spot on Team USA for the U19 championships, which take place in Prague from June 27th-July 7th. While there is some solid talent on that roster, it’s not necessarily…
-
AP
It’s all-but official now: Mike Krzyzewski will be returning to coach Team USA in the 2014 World Championships in Madrid and the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. That’s according to a report from Pete Thamel of SI, who reported over the weekend that Coach K was strongly considering returning to head up the stars…
-
Five-Star NC native Theo Pinson commits to North Carolina
May 22, 2013, 12:34 PM EDT
On Wednesday afternoon, five-star small forward Theo Pinson officially announced his intentions to stay in-state and attend North Carolina. The Greensboro, NC, native picked the Tar Heels over Indiana, Louisville, Georgetown and Duke. A 6-foot-6 athlete on the wing, Pinson is known for his ability to get up and down the floor and finish around…
-
FBI: San Diego point-shaving scandal netted ‘more than $120,000′
May 22, 2013, 11:52 AM EDT
Getty Images
Back in March, former San Diego Torero Brandon Johnson, the school’s all-time leader in points and assists, was sentenced to six months in federal prison for his role in a point-shaving scheme during the 2009-2010 season back in March. Johnson was lucky; the state wanted to give him a year. He’ll begin serving his sentence…
-
Memphis emerging as the leader to host the AAC tournament?
May 22, 2013, 10:38 AM EDT
The last that we had heard about the AAC tournament, Mohegan Sun was planning on cobbling together an offer to get bring the ‘old Big East’ to Connecticut to play out their league championship. That does not look like it’s going to end up happening, however. According to a report from the Memphis Commercial-Appeal’s Kyle…
-
Enosch Wolf’s suspension lifted, but no scholarship available at UConn
May 22, 2013, 9:47 AM EDT
AP
Enosch Wolf’s suspension from the UConn basketball team has officially been lifted, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the 7-foot-1 German will be returning to Storrs next season. Wolf was suspended back in February as a result of a domestic dispute where he refused to leave a women’s apartment, pushed her and knocked her glasses…
-
Renovations to Hinkle Fieldhouse to cost $34 million dollars
May 21, 2013, 9:52 PM EDT
AP
Butler will begin play in the Big East next season with Hinkle Fieldhouse, its home floor for more than 80 years under renovations that will cost up to $34 million dollars. The university believes the renovations will be complete around November 2014. “The important role our athletic programs have had within Butler’s strategy and national…
-
AMHERST, Mass. — In the Class of 2014, one player who should continue making a name for himself is 7-foot-2 center Paschal Chukwu. He is fresh off his junior season at Fairfield College Preparatory School (Conn.), leading the Jesuits to the championship game of the Class LL. Chukwu is currently on the AAU circuit with Connecticut Basketball…
-
After spending one year on the coaching staff at LSU, long-time assistant Robert Kirby is once again leaving the SEC, this time to join Josh Pastner and the Memphis Tigers. Jim Kleinpeter of The Times-Picayune reports that the first-year LSU assistant resigned as an assistant coach on Monday night in order to take a similar position…
-
Jay-Z gives Skylar Diggins a Mercedes Benz as graduation gift
May 21, 2013, 6:02 PM EDT
Getty Images
Tulsa Shock guard Skylar Diggins wrapped up a great career with the Fighting Irish earlier this spring. Following her graduation from the University Notre Dame on Sunday, her sports agency, Roc Nation Sports — founded by Jay-Z — rewarded her with a Mercedes Benz. Got surprised with a new mercedes! Thanks so muchto Jay and…
-
Getty Images
The Connecticut back court was already in good shape with the return of Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatright and Omar Calhoun. On Tuesday afternoon, Kevin Ollie added to his guard depth with George Washington transfer Lasan Kromah. This news came according to CBSSports.com, who confirmed the transfer through a source. Kromah is graduating from George Washington,…
-
Getty Images
The field for the Legends Classic has been announced. Pittsburgh highlights the field and will be joined by Stanford, Houston and Texas Tech. Each of the four teams will host a pair on games on campus prior to going to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the semifinals and the finals. The final two rounds…
-
Montana announced on Tuesday that Washington transfer Martin Breunig would be transferring into the program. “We are very excited about signing Martin Breunig at the University of Montana,” head coach Wayne Tinkle said in a statement. “He’s a strong, athletic post player, and he really adds good size and strength to our front line.” “We…
