Projecting the Field
OK, OK, it is time to get out the chalkboard and help out the NCAA selection committee. Those members have a tough job, and I want to give them an early list, baby! I sat down and figured out the 65 teams that I believe will be dancing come March Madness. It is not an easy task as expectations, expectations, expectations can weigh heavy on a team. Injuries can take their toll. Plus you know there will be a handful of upsets in the conference tournaments.
I went on a limb in a lot of cases. Save this and compare it to the real thing come March. I hope it is awesome with a capital A! If not, it was fun trying to figure it out.
Here is a look at Dickie V's preseason projection for the 2009 field of 65 at the big dance:
| Dick Vitale's NCAA Tournament Teams | ||
| Conference | Number | Teams |
| America East | 1 | Vermont |
| Atlantic 10 | 2 | Xavier, Temple |
| ACC | 6 | North Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Miami, Virginia Tech, Clemson |
| Atlantic Sun | 1 | Belmont |
| Big East | 9 | Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Connecticut, Notre Dame, W. Virginia, Pittsburgh, Villanova, Syracuse |
| Big 12 | 6 | Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas A&M, Missouri |
| Big Sky | 1 | Portland |
| Big South | 1 | Gardner-Webb |
| Big Ten | 4 | Wisconsin, Purdue, Ohio St., Michigan St. |
| Big West | 1 | Cal State-Northridge |
| CAA | 1 | Virginia Commonwealth |
| C-USA | 2 | Memphis, UAB |
| Horizon | 1 | Cleveland St. |
| Ivy | 1 | Cornell |
| MAAC | 1 | Siena |
| MAC | 1 | Kent St. |
| MEAC | 1 | Hampton |
| MVC | 2 | Creighton, Southern Illinois |
| Mountain West | 2 | UNLV, BYU |
| Northeast | 1 | Mt. St. Mary's |
| OVC | 1 | Tennessee-Martin |
| Pac-10 | 5 | UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, USC, Washington |
| Patriot | 1 | American |
| SEC | 5 | Tennessee, Florida, Kentucky, Alabama, LSU |
| Southern | 1 | Davidson |
| Southland | 1 | Texas-Arlington |
| SWAC | 1 | Alabama St. |
| Summit | 1 | North Dakota St. |
| Sun Belt | 1 | Arkansas-Little Rock |
| WCC | 2 | Gonzaga, St. Mary's |
| WAC | 1 | Nevada |
On the fringe: Providence, Tulsa, Oklahoma State, Mississippi, Auburn, Washington State, San Diego.
