Other 5 roundups/letdowns

SunBelt: (1)Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans have had plenty of rest and  start their battle for the SunBelt Dance ticket against (4)ULL. They beat ULL twice this season and will focus on stopping the long distance Cajun shoooter, Shawn Long.  (2) ULM/(3)UTA is the other semi-final . UTA is one of the most  perplexing squads . Drew Charles treys saved them last night but Kevin Hervey has been their anchor. Roberson and Deng are the ULM anchors.

MWC- I'm going with (2) Bulldogs behind Marvelle Harris to beat top seed SD St n the final. Both teams are dancing.

MAC- Buffalo is another perplexing team and they 've had a nice run, but Isaiah Johnson and Akron will secure the MAC ticket.

CUSA: It's March and ODU is chasing a dance ticket- same old story. Trey Freeman scored 42 yesterday in the win over WKU, but MTSU, a winner over Herd yesterday, will slow him down and get the CUSA ticket.

AAC= crazy tournament. Tulane was about to fire their head coach before they upset Houston to face Memphis on one side of the bracket. Temple, who should be in  the Dance, faces  another March bloomer UConn today. I wouldn't hazard a guess as to what other AAC squads go Dancing.

For new readers Other 5= AAC, CUSA,MAC, MWC,  and SunBelt

March13 review
SunBelt- Ark LR/ULM for the ticket today/ ULL scored 25 but that was enough again st Little Rock.
MWC- Fresno punched its ticket and I still think SD St gets an at large.
MAC-  Massinburg was solid in Buffalo's win. I can't see Akron getting and at large.
CUSA:MTSU held Freeman under 20 points and got the W.
AAC: UConn /Memphis in the final- the bubble grows.

March 17: Tulsa (AAC) made a run but Michigan held them off in the play -in game. Tulsa (20-12) got 23 points from Shaquille Harrison, There were five ties and 12 lead changes in the  second half. 

July 13, 2016
Dropping  an off-season note: SMU must've had enough of Larry Brown when he pushed for a contract extension. Tim Jankovich, who  has been in head coach in waiting at SMU since 2012 and had a 104-64  record as HC at Illinois St, takes over. SMU was 9-0 under Jankovich  during Brown's suspension last season. Jankovich promises more treys and hopesto take advantage of SMU being the only 1A hoops team in the Dallas area.
Brown (2012-16)guided the Mustangs to their first dance ticket since 1993 in 2015, but that feels lile steep price. 

AACT-Houston has lift off

SMU is ineligible and Houston has moved into the two seed. I see only three AAC  Dance tickets
#1Temple should be dancing regardless of how they do in the conference tournamnet, They'll open with winner of the USF/ECU game.
Here comes the fun: Houston needs a deep run. They open with the #7 UCF/#10 Tulane winner. Gray Jr. Dotson , and Pollard are the core of the HU squad
#3 Tulsa plays  # 6 Memphis. Tulsa has to get by Memphis who's  beat them last week
I could be wrong but  the loser of this game #4 Cincy/#5 UConn may be NIT bound.. this should be a hell of a game.

MWCT - how about Fresno

#1 seed San Diego St should get a Dance ticket regardless of how they do in the MWCT and they should get by the winner #8 Wyoming/#9 Utah St easily. Only one other Dance ticket is likely available for the MWC.
#2  Fresno St  led by Marvelle Harris is a very hot team,   and I see them getting  by the winner of #7 UNLV/#10 Air Force and eventually facing SD St in the final.
#3  Boise St 's lost to SJSU which cost them the 2 seed and their only chance at a Dance ticket is winning the tourney. They face the winner of #6 Colorado St/#11 San Jose St
#4 New Mexico plays #5 Nevada. The Lobos beat Nevada  yesterday behind solid play from Cullen/Neal, but it's  anyone's guess who wins the turn around  re-match Thursday. Maybe Criswell scores 40 and Nevada wins.

March10
UNLV needed three OTs to get by AFA. Fresno should take  handle the Rebs.
Boise St will have a tough one against Colorado St who  stomped SJSU
Aztecs should handle Utah St easily.
March 11
Fresno rolls on . SD ST outlasts USU.

CUSA Tee is on

The top four CUSA teams get a double bye .
#1 UAB has proven they can win close ones and is the only CUSA squad that deserve a look for an at large if they fail to win the the CUSAT.UAB's two excellent shot blockers ,Mehinti & Lee, protect the  rim well
#2 MTSU should handle the winner of  #7 Charlotte/#10 Rice. Hats off to Charlotte for improved play during the season. Reggie Upshaw has spurred MTSU in the last few weeks.
#3 Marshall faces the winner of #6 UTEP/#11FIU.  The #herd will be rooting for FIU because UTEP is playing like a late season Cinderella.The Herd D is shaky as they barely survived a weak USM squad  yesterday. MU 108 USM 106
#4 Louisina Tech plays the winner of #5ODU/#9North Texas. . La Tech's loss to WKU yesterday cost them the 2 seed.and they look pprimed for an upset loss.

MAC T seeding

MAC is the first Other 5 conference  tournament tip off on March 7 and its top four get into action on March 10.

Game 5:  No. 8 Eastern Michigan vs. No. 9 Toledo  Winner vs. No. 1 Akron, 12 Noon

Game 6: No. 5 Kent State vs. No. 12 Bowling Green  Winner vs. No. 4 Central Michigan

Game 7: No. 7 Northern Illinois vs. No. 10 Western Michigan  Winner vs. No. 2 Ohio

Game 8: No. 6 Ball State vs. No. 11 Miami  Winner vs. No. 3 Buffalo

Ball St loss to NIU last night cost them a first round bye.. Akron has been playing well and is the only MAC team that deserves and at large if they fail to win the MAC T. The power resides in the East and Ohio led by Antonio Campbell or Buffalo led by the Bearden/Hamilton due appear to be the likely candidates to knock off #1 Akron.

My Cellar Cinderella  pick is Miami of Ohio who played better in February  and perhaps  Gavin Block and the Red Hawks will take advantage of the reeling  Ball St squad. March is madness time.

For new readers: Other5 , a football creation, is  AAC, CUSA, MAC, MWC, & Sunbelt

MWC- SD St  crushed fading New Mexico .

SunBelt- Arkansas Little Rock led by Roger Woods defeated Ark St and remains in high gear going into the conference tourney. Texas Arlington beat Tx St and has some Cinderella  capability.

MAC: Akron won the East title with a win over Ohio.  Buffalo lost to Miami (Ohio) -huh.Central Michigan beat  Ball St  while W.Michigan beat Toledo which tightened up the West. with one conference game remaining.

WEST	CONF	OVERALL
Ball State	10-7	19-11
Central Michigan	10-7	17-13

MAC tourney March 7

Big night in the MAC as teams jockey for MACT positions starting March 7.
Antonio Campbell leads Ohio into Akron as they battle for first in the East. I'm watching the Toledo/W.Mich game out the corner of one eye.
Ball St hosts CMU in a big battle in the West. The steady trio of House, Calhoun, & Weber  have kept the Cards atop the West deck but  faces a solid CMU squad led by Fowler & Rayson.

EAST	CONF	OVERALL
Akron	11-5	22-7
Ohio	10-6	19-9
Kent State	9-7	18-11
Buffalo	9-7	16-13

WEST	CONF	OVERALL
Ball State	10-6	19-10
Central Michigan	9-7	16-13
Northern Illinois	8-8	19-10
Toledo	8-8	17-12