Non-Bubble Teams

And so my blog continues its round-the-clock coverage of March Madness. As a result, I might have lost one or two readers.

So far, nine teams have clinched a spot in the Big Dance by winning conference tournaments. Tonight, we welcomed Gonzaga, VCU, Chattanooga, and the Siena Saints to the fray. There are 22 more automatic bids, and 34 at-large bids available.

If you're upset your team is not going to make it, like me (quack quack), just be glad you're not a fan of the following schools.

• Southeast Missouri State - The Redhawks finished winless in conference play. Their last victory was on December 21st vs. the Western Illinois Leathernecks (9-20).
• Air Force - The Falcons might want to think about relocating to the Patriot League, where they could face off against fellow struggling military schools Army and Navy. Not a good sign when you lose to Wofford and Stony Brook in the same season.
• DePaul - The Big East is tough, and the Blue Demons have proven it. DePaul lost their last 18 games by an average of 16 points per game. Technically they're still alive - if they could string together 5 wins.

Speaking of the Big East, the conference could send as many as eight teams to the NCAA tournament. Seven teams are locks, and Providence has a good chance of slipping into the mix. Three of these teams are vying for No. 1 seeds - Pittsburgh, UConn and Louisville. High expectations, for sure. Over the past ten years, here's what's happened to the Big East Tournament Champions when they get to the Dance:

2008 - Pittsburgh - lost to Michigan State in second round
2007 - Georgetown - lost to Ohio State in Final Four
2006 - Syracuse - lost to Texas A&M in first round
2005 - Syracuse - lost to Vermont in first round
2004 - UConn - Champion, beat Georgia Tech
2003 - Pittsburgh - lost to Marquette in the Sweet Sixteen
2002 - UConn - lost to Maryland (Champion) in the Elite Eight
2001 - Boston College - lost to USC in the second round
2000 - St. John's - lost to Gonzaga in second round
1999 - UConn - Champion, beat Duke
*Not sure what to extract from this information, except that UConn's Jim Calhoun is a good coach.

One word of advice that has nothing to do with brackets: Be careful with your Facebook. Your employer may be watching.
"Private eyes are watching you. They see your every move..."

(Photo courtesy of Charles Liotta - his stack of poker chips at the Luxor Hotel and Casino)