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Crystal Basketball




NCAA Tournament Crystal Ball

by Dan Hauptman and Michael Protos

March 2, 2007

Remembering back to high school math, the underrated and underutilized Law of Syllogism works as follows: If p is greater than q, and q is greater than r, then logically, p is greater than r. Using this theorem, the lowest team in the RPI (No. 336 Northern Colorado) is greater than the No. 1 team in the RPI (UCLA). The proof is in the hoops results.

  • Jan. 11: Northern Colorado def. Northern Arizona 88-86
  • Nov. 13: Northern Arizona def. Arizona State 75-71
  • Feb. 18: Arizona State def. USC 68-58
  • Feb. 22: USC def. Stanford 69-65
  • Jan. 28: Stanford def. UCLA 75-68

As you can see, Hoopville genies Dan Hauptman and Michael Protos would favor the other UNC in a No. 336 vs. No. 1 game against UCLA. Forget about the 11 national titles won by the Bruins, or UCLA’s impressive 26-3 record, Hauptman and Protos like UNC’s chances, despite the 4-24 record that the Bears posted in their just-completed fourth season in Division I.

Anything can happen in the third month of the year, hence the March Madness moniker. To help sort out the craziness, Hauptman and Protos peeked into Hoopville’s Crystal Basketball and fortunately, a solid picture is coming into focus. For the first time in the history of the Crystal Basketball, Hauptman and Protos saw identical visions for the teams in the field. The placement of those teams crosses a range of seeds. But Hauptman and Protos saw a synchronized vision in which the bubble favors Alabama, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Missouri State, Oklahoma State, Syracuse and West Virginia. Hauptman and Protos see Purdue, Clemson and Drexel immediately on the wrong side of the bubble, lingering in the discussion.

Even before the conference tournament in St. Petersburg, Fla., the ACC is epitomizing the chaotic course of March. Just one day into the greatest month of the year, the ACC has produced an upset of the conference’s highest rated team that likely vaults the victor into the NCAA Tournament. Georgia Tech had been on the wrong side of the bubble until Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Hauptman and Protos agree that North Carolina’s two-game losing streak at the wrong time of the season has cost the Tar Heels a No. 1 seed. Hauptman prefers to give that vacant spot to Florida, which joins UCLA, Ohio State and Wisconsin. Protos, on the other hand, likes Kansas to move up into that spot, possibly ending a two-year run of first-round exits for the Jayhawks. Or it sets up the most monumental first-round upset – a No. 16 seed has never defeated a No. 1 seed – in the history of the NCAA Tournament.

In addition to Georgia Tech’s upset of North Carolina, Virginia avenged a hideous performance in Blacksburg by taking out Virginia Tech, which previously had the inside track to the ACC title. Now the regular-season title is the Cavaliers’ to lose. Virginia gets Wake Forest to end the season. Who would’ve thought that would happen? Ah, March.

Let’s take a look at the rest of field, as seen by Hauptman and Protos.

Hauptman’s Hoops Horoscope Protos’ Prognostications

Ohio State
UCLA
Florida
Wisconsin

UCLA
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Kansas

Kansas
North Carolina
Memphis
Texas A&M

Florida
North Carolina
Texas A&M
Georgetown

Georgetown
Washington State
Southern Illinois
Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh
Memphis
Washington State
Southern Illinois

Texas
Virginia Tech
Nevada
Tennessee

Maryland
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia Tech

BYU
Maryland
Oregon
Butler

Kentucky
UNLV
Duke
Marquette

Duke
Kentucky
Virginia
Arizona

Nevada
Butler
Arizona
BYU

Boston College
Vanderbilt
UNLV
Notre Dame

Villanova
Vanderbilt
Boston College
Virginia

Marquette
Texas Tech
Creighton
USC

Oregon
Indiana
Michigan State
Stanford

Villanova
Air Force
Louisville
Indiana

USC
Notre Dame
Air Force
Louisville

Syracuse
Michigan State
Stanford
Gonzaga

Creigthon
Xavier
Texas Tech
Syracuse

Georgia Tech
Illinois
Old Dominion
Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State
Missouri State
Alabama
Winthrop

Xavier
Winthrop
West Virginia
Missouri State

Georgia Tech
Gonzaga
VCU
Illinois

Alabama
Davidson
Akron
Holy Cross

Davidson
West Virginia
Holy Cross
Akron

Long Beach State
South Alabama
Penn
Oral Roberts

Vermont
Oral Roberts
Penn
Texas A&M – Corpus Christi

Vermont
Austin Peay
Marist
Weber State

Marist
Long Beach State
South Alabama
Austin Peay

Texas A&M – Corpus Christi
East Tennessee State
Central Connecticut State
Delaware State
Mississippi Valley State

East Tennessee State
Delaware State
Central Connecticut State
Weber State
Mississippi Valley State
Last 4 In:
Oklahoma State
West Virginia
Missouri State
Alabama
Last 4 In:
Alabama
Georgia Tech
Illinois
West Virginia
Last 4 Out:
Purdue
Clemson
Drexel
Kansas State
Last 4 Out:
Purdue
Clemson
Drexel
Florida State
Shooting Stars:
Maryland
Texas
Tennessee
Georgetown
Shooting Stars:
Maryland
BYU
Tennessee
Louisville
Sinking Ships:
Oklahoma State
West Virginia
Alabama
Air Force
Sinking Ships:
Air Force
Oklahoma State
Butler
Indiana
Conference Breakdown:
Big East: 8
ACC: 7
Pac-10: 6
Big 12: 5
Big Ten: 5
SEC: 5
Missouri Valley: 3
Mountain West: 3
23 one-bid conferences
Conference Breakdown:
Big East: 8
ACC: 7
Pac-10: 6
Big 12: 5
Big Ten: 5
SEC: 5
Missouri Valley: 3
Mountain West: 3
23 one-bid conferences

Check back throughout the next week, as Hauptman’s and Protos’ visions for the Big Dance become clearer as the days until Selection Sunday count down.

Whose field looks more accurate to you? Or are both Hauptman and Protos off target? E-mail us your comments on the Crystal Basketball or give us your own NCAA Tournament prognostications. The calendar reads March. Madness ensues.

     

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