The 2009-10 College Basketball Clearinghouse.

[BigMac12]

Also, this is the final weekend for Freedom Hall in Louisville and Mac Court in Oregon.

[HedleyLamarr]

It's going to get mad fast as the next three bids are up for grabs today.

Atlantic Sun Championship

#6 Mercer Bears vs. #5 East Tennessee State Buccaneers

Chaos has reigned supreme in the Atlantic Sun this season as four teams all shared the conference title at 14-6. The carnage continued as top seed Lipscomb fell to 8th seed Kennesaw State on Wednesday. The following days saw that trend continue as Belmont, Campbell and Jacksonville... All three shared the conference title with Lipscomb, all fell in the tourny. What remains from the rubble are the 5th seeded ETSU Bucs, the defending champions of the tourny, and the 6th seed, the home standing Mercer Bears.

Go Mercer! Give the state at least one team in the tournament!

[floydnimrod]

Pretty sure our own sc49erfan was just on ESPN2 during the Winthrop-Coastal Carolina game, only to have a sign held up in his face while he looked down at his phone.

[BigMac12]

Louisville upsets #1 Syracuse in the final game at Freedom Hall. Nice way to go out.

[Seadragon76]

Congrats to Winthrop and ETSU as they join Cornell in the Field of 65.

Winthrop used a smothering D to control the game at Coastal Carolina and prevail on the road at a hostile Kimbel Arena. This is the 9th NCAA trip for the Eagles while CCU is relegated to compete in the NIT as the regular season champs of the Big South.

ETSU returns after holding off a fierce challenge from the home standing Mercer Bears and become the latest to be back-to-back Atlantic Sun champs. If last year taught us anything, it's that ETSU can be a dangerous foe if you're thinking of sleepwalking your way through.

[lordsketor]

I see the NCAA Tournament wide open and interesting this year, with no clear favorite.

[dfwabel]

IMO, this year is the point which coaches and others are trying to make in which the tournament needs to expand to 96 teams. Since there are teams within lesser conferences who don't win their conference tournament, yet are deserving from their regular season, fail to get in; I can understand their minor or mid-major worthiness. The Horizon League, MVC, C-USA, and A-10 get jobbed by the committee. The Mtn. West still gets hurt be their formation too, so just let 32 other teams in since in reality, it is only about 24 "new" teams in.

[HedleyLamarr]

The tournament structure is perfect right now (well, aside from having 65 teams instead of the rounder 64 teams). It includes every conference's champion as well as the best of the rest. The more teams you invite to the tournament, the less relevant the season becomes.

There's a reason why the college football thread has 114 pages and the college basketball thread has just 10 pages. The basketball season is relatively meaningless until late February and early March.

The only folks that want more teams in the Big Dance are coaches (so they can't lose their jobs as easily) and misguided fans who don't realize that you can have too much of a good thing....

[Seadragon76]

We can add Murray State to the list of teams that have punched their ticket to the Big Dance with their win over Morehead State in the OVC Championship. I'd hate to be a high seed because Murray State is a pretty good team and can give someone fits.

One bid is up for grabs today.

Missouri Valley Championship

#2 Wichita State Shockers vs. #1 Northern Iowa Panthers

Many of the teams that are on the bubble are going to have their eyes glued to this game as a Wichita State win would essentially knock someone out of the tourny and land them in the NIT or worst, and Wichita can play against a strong UNI team beating them eariler in the regular season. This can all be for naught if UNI can take care of business and beat the Shockers

[Seadragon76]

Despite my double post, I want to congratulate the UNI Panthers on repeating as MVC champs. They join Cornell, ETSU, Winthrop and Murray State into the field of 65.

Now, to preview tommorow's championship clashes.

Colonial Athletic Association Championship

#3 William & Mary Tribe vs. #1 Old Dominion Monarchs

William and Mary got the early headlines in the traditonally strong CAA with wins over Maryland and Wake Forest, but the school is one of five D-I programs that aren't in the transition process that has never made the Big Dance. The only thing standing in the way of that is the big bad ODU Monarchs, who made it to the top of the CAA and hope to quiet their own naysayers

Metro Atlantic Athletic Championship

#2 Fairfield Stags vs. #1 Siena Saints

Siena was the chic and trendy pick to be the next Butler or even the next Gonzaga, but the Saints haven't lived up to those lofty expectations with losses to said Butler team and recently crowned Missouri Valley champions Northern Iowa. Even with that dream shattered, the Saints are still the team to beat in the MAAC, a challenge that 2nd seeded Fairfield would love to take on and prove to the world that Siena is nothing more then a pumpkin masquerading as Cinderella.

Southern Championship

North #1 Appalanchian State Mountaineers vs. South #1 Wofford Terriers

After the first two rounds at Bojangles Coliseum, the semis and Championship game are held in the more expansive Time Warner Cable Arena, and the fans there should get a good game between the two of the league's best. Wofford comes in on a red hot roll winning 10 in a row to not only earn the top seed in the South Division, but the best overall record in the conference and it's NIT bid should they fall tonight against Appalanchian State. The Mountaineers are more known for their prowess of the football field, but a win tonight can change that perception easily.

West Coast Championship

#2 St. Mary's Gaels vs. #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs

This is a story all too familar to fans of the other seven WCC schools. Gonzaga's power hold on the conference hasn't weaken at all despite losing twice in WCC play. While the Bulldogs would love nothing more then yet another season sweep of the regular season and tourny titles, St. Mary's comes in with much more on the line. With the Gaels squarely on the bubble, a win over rival Gonzaga would not only give them the Auto Bid from the WCC, it would knock someone else out of the bubble picture.

[sc49erfan15]

Pretty sure our own sc49erfan was just on ESPN2 during the Winthrop-Coastal Carolina game, only to have a sign held up in his face while he looked down at his phone.

Guilty as charged. As one of about 8 Winthrop students there (Coastal only gave us 100 tickets to split between the players' families, coaches' families, and pep band...) I got quite a few texts saying that people saw me on TV - which explains why I was looking at my phone.

But this explains it all...

WE'RE GOING DANCING!

[Cujo]

Pretty sure our own sc49erfan was just on ESPN2 during the Winthrop-Coastal Carolina game, only to have a sign held up in his face while he looked down at his phone.

Guilty as charged. As one of about 8 Winthrop students there (Coastal only gave us 100 tickets to split between the players' families, coaches' families, and pep band...) I got quite a few texts saying that people saw me on TV - which explains why I was looking at my phone.

But this explains it all...

WE'RE GOING DANCING!

Wow. Really? Nice!

[BigMac12]

Add Siena, Old Dominion, St. Mary's and Wofford to the conference champions.

[crashcarson15]

My God, what happened to Gonzaga tonight...?

[NEW.ERA]

Maybe the Zags needed this adversity to actually advance past the Sweet Sixteen this year. Though this will really hurt their seeding.

[rams80]

Maybe the Zags needed this adversity to actually advance past the Sweet Sixteen this year. Though this will really hurt their seeding.

I doubt they'll drop more than one or two ranks, since St. Mary's was likely going to be dancing even if they lost tonight.

[NEW.ERA]

Maybe the Zags needed this adversity to actually advance past the Sweet Sixteen this year. Though this will really hurt their seeding.

I doubt they'll drop more than one or two ranks, since St. Mary's was likely going to be dancing even if they lost tonight.

Yeah I just checked the Gaels record that's easily worth an 7 to a 10 and with the WCC Title that's almost a guarantee. If the Zags were to pull this off they'd be anywhere from a 6 to a 9 was possible but now they'll be around St Mary's is seeded.

Selection Sunday will probably be one of the most anticipated in recent memory and we haven't even gotten to the Major Conference's tourneys.

[OnWis97]

Also, this is the final weekend for Freedom Hall in Louisville and Mac Court in Oregon.

Really? We all know about Freedom Hall, but I did not know about Oregon. That sucks. I've always wanted to see a game there. It looks like it's got more character than it knows what to do with. I'm crushed to know that it's being replaced.

[Thad]

Dang it Apps, that's what I get for getting my hopes up.

Who would have thought our two best shooters would be absolutely off on the biggest game of the season.

[Seadragon76]

The four teams mentioned by BigMac are your newest teams in the Big Dance. In Wofford's case, this is their first ever tourny trip.

Tonight, three more bids are up for grabs.

Sun Belt Championship

#2 North Texas Eagles vs. #1 Troy Trojans

The Sun Belt didn't have a truely dominant team in conference play this season, but it'll see two of the tri-champs facing each other for the automatic bid. North Texas is expericing a grand comeback while Troy is still as dangerous as ever

Horizon League Championship

#2 Wright State Raiders at #1 Butler Bulldogs

What Butler has done this season is akin to what Gonzaga has done in the WCC a few years ago: Total and complete domination of their Horizon rivals. But, there is still a chip on their shoulder after last year's loss to Cleveland State in the title game. This time, it's Wright State that stands in the way of a possible Butler domination

Summit League Championship

#2 IUPUI Jaguars vs. #1 Oakland Golden Grizzlies

Oakland has been on fire since the New Year, losing only once... To the same IUPUI team they're facing tonight. Either team looks great on paper, but only one can advance to the Big Dance.