Miami is pretty much assured of making the NCAA tournament for the first time in six seasons this evening. But the Canes potential seeding has dropped in the past several days. At the beginning of the week both Stewart Mandel of SI.com and Jerry Palm of CSTV and CollegeRPI.com had the Canes as a #7 seed. Now Palm has Miami as the last #8 seed and that in my opinion is generous, because several teams on the #9 and #10 lines have better profiles than Miami but have the disadvantage in perception of not playing in the ACC.
Joe Lunardi of ESPN.com has Miami as a #10 seed. Here's what needs to be monitored today from a Miami perspective.
- Miami's seeding can only go down today unless Clemson defeats North Carolina in the ACC Title game. The upset losses by both Morgan State and Mississippi State last night as well as by Alabama State the previous night took Miami from having defeated three regular season conference or division champions to having defeated three teams that bombed out of their league tournaments at the hands of much lower rated teams.
- I'm watching Georgia today. Dennis Felton has been much maligned as head man in Athens even though he cleaned up a rogue program after one of the biggest College Basketball scandals of a generation. Georgia may have been a disaster this season falling well below expectations but a win today and you have a Cinderella story even more compelling than NC State in 1983 and 1987 given the circumstances around the Georgia program and this week's SEC Tournament which has been moved mid stream, and Georgia's subsequent victories over two likely NCAA teams on the same day on their biggest rival's home court! Besides, Dennis Felton is a good man whereas NC State was a scandal plagued program until Les Robinson cleaned them up.
- I'm watching Wisconsin today. Why? Bo Ryan is quite possibly the best coach in America. Not the best coach nobody talks about, the best coach period. Wisconsin once again with little fanfare ripped through the Big Ten and I believe they will run Illinois off the court today. The Badgers are so outstanding in their execution and game management. They unlike the rest of their league are a joy to watch.
- I'm watching Clemson today. The Tigers as ACC fans are aware of have finally gotten over the hump that Rick Barnes as great as he is could never get them over. Oliver Purnell right now has in my opinion the best team in the ACC, and they will finally get over that final hump, Carolina today. No team plays better inside/outside basketball and straight D in the league than Clemson.
- Finally, I'm watching American University tonight on the selection show. The little team that could finally got to the dance under Jeff Jones whose time at Virginia ended in personal scandal. American deserved to be in the NCAAs long ago but something would always go wrong. I'm happy for some of my close friends who American alums and happy for the whole AU community.
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