SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By Arnie Leshin
Hey bracketologists, hold your horses, they’re still running up and down the basketball court as you predict this and that.
Six of the power conferences are still in play — the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Southeastern, the Pac-12, the Big Ten, the Big East, the Big 12.
And it’s nice you’ve already inserted the top four seeds as, let’s say, Houston, Kansas, Alabama, UCLA, with the next quartet being Purdue, Texas, Arizona, and Baylor.
You’ve already decided the last four bubble teams will be Mississippi State, Utah State, Nevada, and Rutgers. Your first four out will be Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Arizona, and North Carolina.
Now of these bubbly teams, they are all playing this week leading up to Sunday’s March Madness selections. Same with the eight leading team that the bracketologists have chosen, yes, they are still playing.
Which brings us to No. 1 Houston, a quality team but not invincible. Same with Kansas and Alabama and UCLA. Purdue has been hanging around, but currently looking best as the No. 5 team.
No doubt the Bruins from Los Angeles have the finest resume, and now sport a 27-4 overall record to go with 18-2 the Pac-12. But a lower leg injury to 6-foot-5 junior guard Jaylen Clark may muddle their hopes.
There is still no word on Clark’s return to the lineup, but UCLA does have 3-year all Pac-12 player in 5-11 senior guard Tyger Campbell, who fits in with talented 6-7 senior forward Jamie Jaquez and rising 6-10 freshman Adam Bona.
The Bruins play next in Thursday’s conference semifinals played at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Houston comes out of the American Atlantic League, is 29-2 overall, has won 11 in a row, and plays Friday. Its two losses came versus Alabama, 71-65, and Temple, 56-55. In its last regular-season game, it edged pesky Memphis on a buzzer-beater.
The Crimson Tide from the SEC and Kansas from the Big 12 also play this week. So does Big Ten Purdue, Pac-12 Arizona, and Big 12 Texas and Baylor.
These are all automatics that will land in the 68-team field.
As for the women’s March Madness quest, the Horizon League was settled when Cleveland State downed Green Bay, 73-61, for the championship. The same in the Summit League as South Dakota State won the title romping over outclassed Omaha, 93-71.
In the West Coast final, it was Portland gaining the postseason by way of a 64-60 championship game triumph over Gonzaga.
The Mountain West Conference has the Wednesday televised finals set up as UNLV nipped San Diego State, 71-68, and Wyoming bested Colorado State, 65-56.
In the TV Big Sky title game Wednesday, it will be Northern Arizona getting there by disposing of Eastern Washington, 74-57, and meeting Sacramento State, which turned away Portland State, 42.
But oh those bracketologists love to get a head start and post their choices.
as Northern Arizona topped Portland State, 60-42, for the championship. The same with Cleveland State winning the Horizon League by defeating Green Bay, 73-61.
