2015 NCAA Tournament: Meet The One-Bid Leagues!

Nov 29, 2014; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Albany Great Danes guard Ray Sanders (1) holds the ball during a game against the UNLV Runnin

Happy Selection Sunday! Here we will introduce you to the teams that can destroy your brackets. You know, those teams that few people have heard of, but they end up making themselves into a household name. We are talking about those teams from the traditional one-bid leagues. Who can forget Florida Gulf Coast a few years ago? Or George Mason’s miraculous run? Is there a team like that this year? We will try and sniff them out for you!

Just in case you missed any:
ACC
A-10
American
Big East
Conference USA
Big Ten
Big 12
Missouri Valley
Mountain West
West Coast Conference
Pac 12
SEC

America East Conference:

Regular season champ: Albany

Automatic bid: Albany

Albany (24-8, 15-1 AEC, RPI: 108, SOS: 313)

Location: Albany, NY

Last Tournament bid: 2014

Best win: at (62)Yale 64-60

Worst loss: at (285)Niagara 47-65

The Great Danes are in the tournament for the third consecutive year. They won their first NCAA tournament game last season against Mount St. Mary’s in a play-in game. This year, they will get to wait until Thursday or Friday to play their first game.

Australian imports Sam Rowley and Peter Hooley lead the team. Albany has made a name for themselves by testing number one seeds as 16 seeds. This year, they should wind up with a little better seeding. They could be a very dangerous team for some unsuspecting two or three seed.

Projected seed: 14

Next: Atlantic Sun Conference

Jan 2, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; North Florida Ospreys guard Dallas Moore (14) drives to the basket against Alabama Crimson Tide guard Ricky Tarrant (2) at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Atlantic Sun Conference:

Regular season champion: North Florida

Automatic bid: North Florida

North Florida (24-11, 12-2 ASC, RPI: 166, SOS: 337

Location: Jacksonville, FL

Last tournament bid: N/A

Best win: at (52)Purdue 73-70

Worst loss: at (319)Austin Peay 60-65

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Busting Brackets

The Ospreys actually played five teams in the RPI top 100, and took down Purdue. They are making their first ever NCAA tournament appearance. Their RPI is not good, and neither is their SOS. They will likely be playing on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Ospreys shoot well, and like to run the court. They could provide some entertainment against a number one seed. I feel bad for them if they wind up with Kentucky, but such is the nature of the NCAA tournament. Honestly, this year there is not what you would consider a “weak” number one seed. In fact, the top eight seeds are among the strongest in recent memory.

Projected seed: 16 (play-in)

Next: Big Sky Conference?

Nov 24, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Eastern Washington Eagles bench reacts to the victory over the Indiana Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. Eastern Washington Eagles beats Indiana Hoosiers by the score of 88-86. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Big Sky Conference:

Regular season champion:  Montana

Automatic Bid: Eastern Washington

Eastern Washington (26-8, 14-4 BSC, RPI: 78, SOS: 235)

Location: Cheney, WA

Last tournament bid: 2004

Best win: at (56)Indiana 88-86

Worst loss: vs. (225)Portland State 66-68

The Eagles winning the conference tournament shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. They had the best RPI in the Big Sky Conference. EWU will be making their second NCAA tournament appearance. In 2004, they were a 15 seed, and gave Oklahoma State a little big of a fight.

Sophomore Tyler Harvey averaged almost 23 points per game. He is a terrific shooter, especially from beyond the arc. Australian Venky Jois is the force on the interior that gives the Eagles a devastating inside-outside game. The Eagles are third in the country in scoring (80.8 ppg) and 20th in shooting (48%). They will be a tough matchup for whomever has the misfortune of drawing them in the first round.

Projected seed: 15

Next: Big South Conference

Dec 18, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Coastal Carolina Chanticleers guard Elijah Wilson (22) attempts to regain balance after stealing the ball from Mississippi Rebels guard Jarvis Summers (32) during the game at C.M. Tad Smith Coliseum. Mississippi Rebels defeat the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 71-68. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

Big South Conference:

Regular season champion: Charleston Southern

Automatic Bid: Coastal Carolina

Coastal Carolina (24-9, 12-6 Big South, RPI: 127, SOS: 317)

Location: Conway, SC

Last tournament bid: 1993

Best win: vs. (87)High Point 65-60, at (87)High Point 83-68

Worst loss: at (315)Presbyterian 69-80

Coastal Carolina was the third seed heading into the Big South tournament. They got some help with the nine seed Longwood knocking off Charleston Southern. Winthrop advanced from the top half of the bracket.

The Chanticleers claim to fame is being fifth in the country in rebounding (39.8 per game). They don’t really shoot well, but they can be tough to deal with on the interior. They won’t really prove to be a matchup problem for bigger conference schools. They won’t be able to push around any of the high seeds that they will end up playing.

Projected seed: 16

Next: Big West Conference

Mar 14, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; UC Irvine Anteaters celebrate after the game against the Hawaii Warriors in the Big West Conference Tournament championship game at Honda Center. The UC Irvine Anteaters won 67-58. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Big West Conference:

Regular season champion: UC Davis

Automatic Bid: UC Irvine

UC Irvine (21-12, 11-5 Big West, RPI: 90, SOS: 158)

Location: Irvine, CA

Last tournament bid: N/A

Best win: vs. (57)Green Bay 72-70

Worst loss: at (337)Morgan State 62-63

The Anteaters will are making their first NCAA tournament appearance on the heels of their Big West tournament win. They went in as the three seed, and caught a break when Hawaii knocked out UC Davis.

Will Davis is the leading scorer and rebounder on the team. He provided matchup problems against Big West opponents, but he won’t against major conference opponents. Irvine has a decent RPI, so they could end up with better than a 15 seed.

Projected seed: 14

Next: Colonial Athletic Association?

Mar 9, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Northeastern Huskies head coach Bill Coen cuts down the net after beating the William & Mary Tribe 72-61 during the finals of the Colonial Conference Tournament at Royal Farms Arena. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Colonial Athletic Association:

Regular season champion: William and Mary

Automatic Bid: Northeastern

Northeastern (23-11, 12-6 CAA, RPI: 85, SOS: 202)

Location: Boston, MA

Last tournament bid: 1991

Best win: at (58)Richmond 58-57

Worst loss: at (259)Elon 65-72

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Busting Brackets

The Huskies had a better RPI than William and Mary, and had beaten them once before during the season. Northeastern went to the NCAA tournament six times between 1981 and 1991, but have been in a drought since.

6’6″ guard David Walker can provide some matchup problems because of his length. Scott Eatherton is the leading scorer and rebounder for the Huskies, and gives them a good inside presence. Northeastern lacks the size to make a significant tournament run because they will likely not get a favorable seed..

Projected seed: 14

Next: Horizon League

Nov 16, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Valparaiso Crusaders guard Tevonn Walker (2) and Valparaiso Crusaders forward Alec Peters (25) and Valparaiso Crusaders guard Keith Carter (0) during the second half at Mizzou Arena. The Missouri Tigers defeated the Valparaiso Crusaders 56-41. Mandatory Credit: Dak Dillon-USA TODAY Sports

Horizon League:

Regular season champion: Valparaiso

Automatic bid: Valparaiso

Valparaiso (28-5, 13-3 Horizon, RPI: 50, SOS: 277)

Location: Valparaiso, IN

Last tournament bid: 2013

Best wins: vs. (57)Green Bay 63-59, 54-44

Worst loss: at (218)Missouri 41-56

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Busting Brackets

After a one year hiatus, Valpo is back in the NCAA tournament for the eighth time. They have a nice RPI, but it does say something that their worst loss is to an SEC bottom-feeder. They effectively dominated the Horizon League this year.

Alec Peters is a matchup nightmare. He is a forward, but plays and shoots like a guard. He can stretch out defenses and get opposing bigs out of the middle to let the guards penetrate. Their SOS is a bit of a problem, and could keep them from getting the seed that their RPI suggests.

Projected seed: 13

Next: Metro Athletic

Mar 9, 2015; Albany, NY, USA; Manhattan Jaspers forward Zane Waterman (4) cuts down the net after defeating the Iona Gaels in the championship game of the MAAC Conference Tournament at Times Union Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:

Regular season champion: Iona

Automatic bid: Manhattan

Manhattan (19-13, 13-7 MAAC, RPI: 169, SOS: 305)

Location: New York, NY

Last tournament bid: 2014

Best win: vs. (51)Iona 79-69

Worst loss: at (285)Niagara 61-73

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High Post Hoops

Manhattan took out Iona, a team that had beaten them twice during the regular season, to make their second straight tournament bid. Iona’s RPI is good enough to be considered for an at-large, but their SOS is very low.

Senior Emmy Andujar led the team in points, rebounds, and assists. There is a cautionary tale here. If someone can stop Andujar, the Jaspers are in trouble. The terrible RPI suggests that they will land in a play-in game, so they will get a chance for an official NCAA tournament win.

Projected seed: 16 (play-in)

Next: MEAC

Mar 14, 2015; Norfolk, VA, USA; Hampton Pirates guard Brian Darden (14) celebrates with teammates after beating the Delaware State Hornets in the final of the MEAC Conference tournament at Norfolk Scope. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Middle Eastern Athletic Conference:

Regular season champion: North Carolina Central

Automatic bid: Hampton

Hampton (16-17, 8-8 MEAC, RPI: 256, SOS: 333)

Location: Hampton, VA

Last tournament bid: 2002

Best win: vs. (165)Norfolk State 75-64

Worst loss: vs. (340)North Carolina A&T 61-64

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South Bound & Down

Such are the evils of conference tournaments. You get a team like Hampton that doesn’t even have a winning record. North Carolina Central didn’t lose a conference game all season until they were ousted by Delaware State in the MEAC tournament

Hampton will have to play on Tuesday or Wednesday. The play-in games seem like they were created for exactly this type of scenario.

Projected seed: 16 (play-in)

Next: MAC

Mar 14, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Buffalo Bulls guard Rodell Wigginton (20), forward Justin Moss (23) and forward Raheem Johnson (31) celebrate after defeating the Central Michigan Chippewas 89-84 at the championship game of the MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Mid-American Conference:

Regular season champion: Central Michigan

Automatic bid: Buffalo

Buffalo (23-9, 12-6 MAC, RPI: 30, SOS: 66)

Location: Buffalo, NY

Last tournament bid: N/A

Best win: vs (75)Central Michigan 89-84

Worst loss: at (230)Ohio 61-63

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Canes Warning

Buffalo, led by former NCAA tournament icon Bobby Hurley, is making their first ever NCAA tournament appearance. Hurley should be able to offer invaluable tidbits of information about the tournament, which should help the Bulls. Their RPI is good enough that they could have made noise for an at-large bid anyway. Their lack of a big win would have hurt them. Better to be safe and win the conference tourney than to leave things to chance.

Forward Justin Moss averaged almost 18  points and ten rebounds per game. He was a matchup problem for teams in the MAC, but Buffalo will lose that advantage against a major conference school. Buffalo’s RPI and SOS are very good, but they like it won’t make it up to the eight or nine seed that the RPI suggests. Which is fine with them. You would rather try to pull the upset in the middle of the bracket than have to play the number one seed in the second round.

Projected seed: 11

Next: Northeast Conference

Dec 30, 2014; Clemson, SC, USA; Robert Morris Colonials head coach Andrew Toole (right) talks with forward Andre Frederick (33) during the first half against the Clemson Tigers at Littlejohn Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Northeast Conference:

Regular season champion: Saint Francis (Brooklyn)

Automatic bid: Robert Morris

Robert Morris (19-14, 12-6 NEC, RPI: 174, SOS: 252):

Location: Moon Township, PA

Last tournament bid: 2010

Best win: vs. (133)Louisana-Monroe 71-54

Worst loss: vs. (289)Youngstown State 81-89

Robert Morris and St. Francis have about the same RPI. Neither of them were going to do any better than a play-in game anyway. Robert Morris does have a chance to gain on opening round win, which they did in 1983. They won’t do anything after that though.

Projected seed: 16 (play-in)

Next: Ohio Valley Conference

Mar 7, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; OVC tournament champions Belmont Bruins following the game against the Murray State Racers at Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Belmont won 88-87. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Ohio Valley Conference:

Regular season champion: Murray State

Automatic Bid: Belmont

Belmont (22-10, 11-5 OVC, RPI: 105, SOS: 263)

Location: Nashville, TN

Last tournament bid: 2013

Best win: vs. (65)Murray State 88-87

Worst loss: at (306)Jacksonville State 70-72

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Busting Brackets

Belmont has made it to seven NCAA tournaments since 2003. They have made quite a name for themselves in the Ohio Valley, but they have not been able to collect an NCAA tournament bid yet. They likely won’t get much of a chance again this year.

Craig Bradshaw was the catalyst to the unlikely win over Murray State. The Racers went 16-0 in the OVC this year.

Murray State would have been a lot of fun to watch in the NCAA tournament, but they won’t get an at-large. They don’t have the RPI, and they don’t have a good enough win. They are a fast-paced team that was even ranked for a time this year.

As for Belmont, the Bruins will hope against hope for a 14 seed, but that likely won’t happen.

Projected seed: 15

Next: Patriot League

Dec 20, 2014; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Jamari Traylor (31) defends against Lafayette Leopards forward Seth Hinrichs (12) in the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Patriot League:

Regular season champion: Bucknell

Automatic bid: Lafayette

Lafayette (20-12, 9-9 Patriot, RPI: 124, SOS: 192)

Location: Easton, PA

Last tournament bid: 2000

Best win: vs. (136)American 65-63

Worst loss: at (270)Loyola-Maryland 43-62

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Busting Brackets

Bucknell has a worse RPI than Lafayette does, so they have no chance at an at-large. Two seed Colgate was taken out by American, who ultimately became the best win for Lafayette. The Patriot League simply wasn’t as strong as it has been in years past.

Dan Crist and Seth Hinrichs form a nice frontcourt for the Leopards. They helped them to the Patriot league title, and could help them keep a game close against a major conference team.

Projected seed: 16

Next: Southern Conference?

Mar 9, 2015; Asheville, NC, USA; The Wofford Terriers celebrate after defeating the Furman Paladins in the finals of the Southern Conference tournament at the US Cellular Center. Wofford defeated Furman 67-64. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Southern Conference:

Regular season champion: Wofford

Automatic Bid: Wofford

Wofford (28-6, 16-2 Southern, RPI: 48, SOS: 238)

Location: Spartanburg, SC

Last tournament bid: 2014

Best win: at (41)North Carolina State 55-54

Worst loss: at (326)Citadel 66-69

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Busting Brackets

Wofford had a nice RPI top 50 win, which is unusual for a small conference school. They will be attending their second straight NCAA tournament, and their good RPI will give them a decent seeding.

Karl Cochran led the team in points, rebounds, and assists. He is what makes the Terriers go. He is hard to stop, and may be so even for larger conference schools. Ideally, the Terriers would like to see one of the six seeds from the Big East, but they might not get that good of a seed.

Projected seed: 12

Next: Southland

Mar 15, 2014; Katy, TX, USA; Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks teammates celebrate following their win over Sam Houston State Bearkats in the championship game for the Southland Conference college basketball tournament at Merrell Center. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks won 68-49. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

Southland:

Regular season champion: Stephen F. Austin

Automatic bid: Stephen F. Austin

Stephen F. Austin (29-4, 17-1 Southland, RPI: 35, SOS: 194)

Location: Nacogdoches, TX

Last tournament bid: 2014

Best win: (83)Sam Houston State three times

Worst loss: at (206)Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 63-71

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Arrowhead Addict

The Lumberjacks took out 5 seed Virginia Commonwealth last year in the NCAA tournament. They will look to do the same this year. The nice RPI might even get them as high as an 11 seed. At any rate, the Lumberjacks are going to be a very dangerous team again. They were in serious discussions for an at-large bid if had lost in the Southland tourney.

Thomas Walkup had a nice tournament last year for SFA, and was the leader of the team this year. He led the team in points, rebounds, and was second in assists. Jacob Parker is still a force on the inside, and this duo makes SFA difficult to deal with. Especially where they are going to be seeded.

Projected seed: 12

Next: Summit League

Mar 10, 2015; Sioux Falls, SD, USA; North Dakota State Bison celebrates their win after the game during the championship of the Summit League Conference at Denny Sanford Premier Center. The North Dakota State Bison beat the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 57-56. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Summit League:

Regular season champion: South Dakota State

Automatic bid: North Dakota State

North Dakota State (23-9, 12-4 Summit, RPI: 99, SOS: 286)

Location: Fargo, ND

Last tournament bid: 2014

Best win: vs. (94)South Dakota State twice

Worst loss: at (287)Southern Mississippi 65-78

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Busting Brackets

The Bison ousted Oklahoma in last year’s tournament. They will be looking to duplicate the feat this year. That said, they wont have as generous of a seed this year. Their RPI is not good, and they didn’t run off with the Summit League this year.

Lawrence Alexander was the leading scorer for the Bison again this year. They have made a name for themselves in football and are now doing so in basketball as well. The question right now is how much their seeding will suffer compared to last year.

Projected seed: 15

Next: Sun Belt

Mar 15, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Georgia State Panthers head coach Ron Hunter reacts against the Georgia Southern Eagles during the first half of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship game at the Lakefront Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Sun Belt:

Regular season champion: Georgia State

Automatic bid: Georgia State

Georgia State (24-9, 15-5 Sun Belt, RPI: 61, SOS: 167)

Location: Atlanta, GA

Last tournament bid: 2001

Best win: vs. (57)Green Bay 72-48

Worst loss: at (274)UALR 83-92

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Saturday Blitz

The Panthers picked up an NCAA tournament win in they last appearance in 2001. The guard duo of R.J. Hunter and Ryan Harrow is formidable. They averaged 40 points per game between the two of them. If you’re keeping score, that is more points than the Panthers scored in their Sun Belt conference Championship game win over Georgia Southern.

Georgia State is usually a good shooting team. The Georgia Southern defense stifled Georgia State. It stands to reason that their opponent in the tourney could do the sae thing to them.

Projected seed: 14

Next: Southwest Athletic Conference

Mar 14, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Members of the Texas Southern Tigers celebrate after winning the championship game of the SWAC Conference Tournament against the Southern University Jaguars at Toyota Center. The Tigers defeated the Jaguars 62-58. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

SWAC:

Regular season champion: Texas Southern

Automatic bid: Texas Southern

Texas Southern (22-12, 16-2 SWAC, RPI: 125, SOS: 303)

Location: Houston, TX

Last tournament bid: 2014

Best win: at (22)Michigan State 71-64

Worst loss: at (302)UAPB 62-66

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Busting Brackets

The Tigers made it to the dance last year. They ran through the SWAC pretty easily this year. Madarius Gibbs and Chris Thomas provide veteran leadership and tournament experience. That said, the low RPI and SOS will likely land them in a precarious situation. However, as the wins over Michigan State and Kansas State show, they won’t be a pushover either.

Projected seed: 16

Next: Western Athletic Conference

Feb 24, 2015; Boise, ID, USA; New Mexico Lobos guard Deshawn Delaney (33) drives to the basket during first half action against the Boise State Broncos at Taco Bell Arena. Boise State defeats New Mexico 76-65. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

WAC:

Regular season champion: New Mexico State

Automatic bid: New Mexico State

New Mexico State (23-10,13-1 WAC, RPI: 107, SOS: 230)

Location: Las Cruces, NM

Last tournament bid: 2014

Best win: vs. (79)UTEP 71-64

Worst loss: at (283)Seattle 52-58

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Betsided

The Aggies are making their fourth straight NCAA tournament bid, and their fifth in the last six years. They are a well coached and disciplined team. There are no stranger to the perils of the tournament, and won’t be intimidated by higher seeds.

The RPI suggests that they won’t get a favorable seed. That does not mean that they won’t be a factor. This is one of the teams that will have to be accounted for.

Projected seed: 14

Stay tuned for our 11th hour seedings!

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