re: Conference Auto Bids (updated 5/30/2021)

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Locks and Bubbles
American: We want ECU to win this thing. Cincy swept Tulane this past weekend which puts cincy up the ladder but this can potentially be a one bid ECU with all others RPI’s at 77+

America East: tourney winner will be only team in. Stony brook, NJIT and Albany are top 3 teams.

Atlantic 10: VCU has rpi of 34 and could potentially be an at large but we want them to win to take the auto away from the rest. Rhode Island has next best rpi at 64 but is 27-24-1 overall. So fingers crossed this is VCU.

ACC: Let’s cheer for Notre Dame, Florida State, NC State, Georgia Tech, and Miami as both record and rpi look safely in as at large bids. Virginia and North Carolina are at 27-22 and 26-24 respectively with rpis at 45 and 46 with Louisville on rough patch going 3-7 in last 10 and slipping to 27-21 with an rpi of 67. Looks to be a 6 team league most likely with 7 at best. Pittsburgh has fallen off a cliff since being listed as potential regional destination.

Atlantic Sun: similar to A-10, this time it is liberty at 37-12 with an rpi of 28. They win and it’s a one team league if not depends on where they fall in at large picture

Big 12: hoping for Texas, Tcu, Texas tech and Oklahoma st to win this thing. Baylor and Oklahoma are on the bubble but I believe they play a round robin format prior to semis or finals.

Big East: UConn (rpi at 22) looks to be in regardless so it’s another cheer for them to lock up the auto bid. Rest of conference appears to be needing that auto bid with rpis around 100.

Big South: Campbell and SC upstate both sitting at 33-14 and 37-14 with rpis of 38 and 43 with everyone else way behind. If either of these teams loses early, they should plummet out of bubble. Best case scenario is one of them wins and this is a one bid league.

Big west: here’s where we may see some west coast teams get in. UC Irvine is at 36-16 with rpi of 33 so ideally they’re the auto bid. UCSB (35-18 rpi 56) and Long Beach (24-15 rpi of 69) are the challengers. I believe this goes to two teams if Irvine doesn’t win and the Gauchos win it.

Colonial: northeastern has an rpi of 39 with a 32-9 record. After that UNC Wilmington is at rpi of 70. Need northeastern to take this or get eliminated early and hope they fall off the bubble.

Conference USA: looks a legitimate four team year for them. Charlotte, LA Tech, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss. all 4 have RPIs below 30. Need one of them to lock up the conference.

Horizon: Wright St or bust here. They are sitting with an rpi of 30 so we want them to hold serve in the tourney

Metro Atlantic: please let Fairfield win to eliminate any kind of bubble nonsense there. Stags have one loss all year and a decent rpi but any loss should knock them down a notch.

MAC: looks like a one team league unless ball st moves up rpi a bit and loses in championship but I don’t see it being enough. Conference tourney winner should be like rep.

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Big Ten: who knows what they're gonna do beyond Nebraska's automatic bid. Michigan and Maryland are the teams to watch. Michigan plays Nebraska this week and Maryland plays Indiana.

Missouri Valley: we want DBU or Indiana St to win it. Anyone else and we risk that conference getting 3 bids

Mountain West: Potentially 1 bid if Nevada wins or up to 4 if San Diego State does so

Northeast: 1 bid

OVC: 1 bid

Pac 12: Cal could play their way onto the bubble against Oregon this week and give them 7 bids, otherwise they're locked into 6

Patriot League: 1 bid

SEC: Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky and Auburn are the potential bid stealers

Southern: Samford, Wofford, and Mercer are potential bubble teams

Southland: 1 bid

Sun Belt: 1 bid

Summit: 1 bid

WCC: root for Gonzaga. San Diego gets on the bubble if they sweep them

WAC: 1 bid

btw: Big Ten, Big West, MAC, Mountain West, Pac 12, and WCC play regular season games this week