The Sports Headquarters

TSHQ’s Championship Week Preview Part 3

by Gus Elvin

Big East

Dates: March 12^th-16^th

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Favorites: Georgetown, Louisville

Top Challengers: Syracuse, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame

Top Players: Otto Porter (Georgetown), C.J. Fair (Syracuse), Jack Cooley (Notre Dame), Tray Woodall (Pittsburgh), Russ Smith (Louisville), Peyton Siva (Louisville), Bryce Cotton (Providence), Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati)

TSHQ’s Championship Week Preview

by Gus Elvin

As you all well know, Selection Sunday is nearly upon us and with conference tournaments tipping off this week it is time we start looking at the various conference tournaments.  Of the 68 teams that will reach the NCAA Tournament, 31 of those will receive automatic bids by winning their conference tournament championship or in the case of the Ivy League, the regular season title.  Over the next 2 weeks, I will preview all 31 of these leagues, handicapping the tournaments with my favorites, sleepers and top players. Today marks the beginning of one of the best times of the year, so sit back and enjoy the ride starting with the Big South and Horizon League, which tip of Tuesday.

Bracketology (March 4th, 2013)

By Gus Elvin

It’s that time of year again folks, as the calendar has turned to March, which means the NCAA Tournament is just around the corner. Like I have been doing the past few weeks, I will continue to project the field of 68, updating the field as much as possible between now and Selection Sunday (March 17^th). For those new to the science we call “Bracketology”, some general rules and a key are listed below. Postseason play officially starts Tuesday March 5^th, so between now and next weekend we expect a lot of movement with the teams in the field, as auto bids will be won and bubbles will pop. Here is my newest installment of Bracketology, covering all games through Monday March 4th.

KEY:

-Teams in BOLD CAPS * are the Projected Conference Winner, which at this point means the current conference leader.

- Auto bid goes to current league leader or if there is a tie, the team highest in the RPI.

-#1 Seeds are ranked 1-4, while all other # seeds are in no particular order.

-Italics indicates First Four Matchup (Last 4 At Large Teams) and (The 4 Lowest ranked Conference Champions)

Bracketology Update: Feb 17^th

By Gus Elvin

After another wild week in the world of college basketball it is time to update my mock bracket to reflect this past weeks’ games. With the season winding down and the action picking up, it time to start keeping a close eye on the constantly changing NCAA Tournament picture, as some teams are playing themselves into the field, while others are play themselves closer and closer to the bubble. This week was especially significant, as Kentucky went 0-2 and lost their best player in Nerlens Noel to a season ending injury, while Maryland grabbed a much needed marquee win over #2 Duke. Like in years past, I will  continue to project the field of 68, updating the field weekly from now until Selection Sunday (March 17^th). For those  new to the site or unfamiliar with how “Bracketology” works, I have listed some rules and regulations below that i hope will help. With exactly one month until Selection Sunday here is how my updated bracket looks covering all games through Sunday February 17^th.

KEY:

-Teams in Bold with * are the Conference Auto-bid (Team currently in 1^st  or 2nd  in their conference).

- Auto bid goes to current league leader or if there is only a 1 game separation, the 1^st or 2^nd place team at my discretion.

-#1 Seeds are ranked 1-4, while all other # seeds are in no particular order.

-Italics indicates First Four Matchup (Last 4 At Large Teams) and (The 4 Lowest ranked Conference Champions)

TSHQ’s Bracketology (February 6^th, 2013)

By Gus Elvin

It’s that time of year again folks, as the calendar has hit February and it is time to start talking about the NCAA Tournament. Like in years past, I will project the field of 68, updating the field weekly from now until Selection Sunday (March 17^th). Below I listed some of the criteria and rules regarding my bracket, for those who are not familiar with the science we have come to call Bracketology or might new to the site.. Without further ado here is my 1^st installment of Bracketology for the 2012-13 season covering all games through February 5^th.

 KEY:

-Teams in Bold with * are Projected Conference Winner.

- Auto bid goes to current league leader or if there is only a 1 game separation, the 1^st or 2^nd place team at my discretion.

-#1 Seeds are ranked 1-4, while all other # seeds are in no particular order.

-Italics indicates a “First Four Game”, (Last 4 At Large Teams) and (The 4 Lowest ranked Conference Champions).

-The “First 4  Games” will be played on March 19th and 20th in Dayton, Ohio with the winners advancing to play in the traditional 64 team bracket.

TSHQ’s Pac 12 Midseason Update

by Gus Elvin

PAC-12 Projected Order

*1.) UCLA

*2.) Arizona

*3.) Oregon

*4.) Colorado

5.) Stanford

6.) Arizona State

7.) California

8.) Washington

9.) USC

10.) Oregon State

11 Washington State

12.) Utah

*(Denotes NCAA Tournament Team)

TSHQ’s Big Ten Preview   

By Gus Elvin

Big Ten Projected Standings

1. Indiana

2. Michigan

3. Michigan State

4. Minnesota

5. Ohio State

6. Wisconsin

7. Illinois

8. Iowa

9. Purdue

10. Northwestern

11. Nebraska

12. Penn State

*(Denotes NCAA Tournament Team)

TSHQ’s Big East Preview

by Gus Elvin

America’s premiere basketball conference over the past 30 years, the Big East unfortunately has become the biggest casualty to what we have come to know as “Conference Realignment”.  In the pursuit of lucrative TV deals, football and more money, institutions around the nation have started to sacrifice values like loyalty and tradition, which has resulted in a cosmic shift in the landscape of college sports. The Big East has been the 1st domino to fall, as the once proud and powerful conference now has seen 13 of its’ 16 members leave the league, leaving only South Florida, Connecticut and Cincinnati for the time being. With the Big East as we know it dying at the end of the 2012-13 season, we might as well enjoy one more year of Big East basketball. In the final season of a conference that produced players like Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullen, Allen Iverson and Ray Allen, it is time to celebrate the tough and rugged style of play that became associated with the Big East over the years, one last time.  In 2012-13, the Big East like usual is one of the nation’s deeper and more competitive leagues, as the conference looks poised to send at least 6 or 7 teams to the NCAA Tournament, with teams like Syracuse and Louisville being viewed at as National Title contenders. It makes me sad to see the Big East dissolve like this over money and greed but in the last year of the traditional Big East here is how the conference stacks up top to bottom.