Sleeper Alert - Siena (MAAC)

At PPI headquarters, we hope that Siena from the MAAC conference wins their conference tournament because it seems that this team is getting no love. Siena is currently #35 in the PPI after losing to other MAAC standout Niagara by 15 points yesterday. As of right now, the PPI believes that both of these teams should be in the field of 65. However, ESPN does not agree. They just performed a mock exercise where four teams were left for one spot in the tourney: Siena, Michigan, Virginia Tech, and Providence. They eliminated Siena from consideration first and then Providence. We believe that Michigan, Virginia Tech, and Providence still need to do work to get in the tourney, whereas Siena has done enough (as of right now, even with the loss last night). If Siena makes the tournament, look for this team to do damage; if you recall last year, the team destroyed Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA in an upset.

NCAA Bracket Projection - 2/26/09

BOSTON REGIONAL

Philadelphia
#1 Connecticut/BIG EAST vs. #16 Morgan State/MEAC
#8 Florida vs. #9 Oklahoma State
Boise
#4 Wake Forest vs. #13 VA Commonwealth/COLONIAL
#5 Arizona State vs. #12 Ohio State
Miami
#3 Missouri vs. #14 Miami (OH)/MAC
#6 Purdue vs. #11 St. Mary's
Greensboro
#2 Duke vs. #15 Radford/BIG SOUTH
#7 Utah/MOUNTAIN WEST vs. #10 So. Carolina

MEMPHIS REGIONAL
Greensboro
#1 No. Carolina/ACC vs. #16 Robert Morris/NORTHEAST
#8 Texas vs. #9 Siena/MAAC
Boise
#4 Illinois vs. #13 Vermont/AMERICA EAST
#5 We. Virginia vs. #12 UAB
Philadelphia
#3 Villanova vs. #14 Weber St./BIG SKY
#6 Butler/HORIZON vs. #11 Wisconsin
Minneapolis
#2 Kansas vs. #15 Cornell/IVY
#7 California vs. #10 Illinois State

PHOENIX REGIONAL
Dayton
#1 Pittsburgh vs. #16 Belmont/ATLANTIC SUN
#8 Brigham Young vs. #9 Kentucky
Portland
#4 Washington/PAC 10 vs. #13 We. Kentucky/SUN BELT
#5 Creighton vs. #12 Boston College
Miami
#3 LSU/SEC vs. #14 No. Dakota State/SUMMIT
#6 Clemson vs. #11 Dayton
Kansas City
#2 Oklahoma/BIG 12 vs. #15 Tennessee-Martin/OVC
#7 Syracuse vs. #10 Arizona

INDIANAPOLIS REGIONAL
Kansas City
#1 Memphis/CONFERENCE USA vs. #16 Play In Game: Alabama State/SWAC v. Long Beach State/BIG WEST
#8 Florida State vs. #9 Utah State/WAC
Portland
#4 Xavier/ATLANTIC 10 vs. #13 Davidson/SOUTHERN
#5 Marquette vs. #12 New Mexico
Minneapolis
#3 Michigan State/BIG TEN vs. #14 Sam Houston St./SOUTHLAND
#6 Gonzaga/WEST COAST vs. #11 Tennessee
Dayton
#2 Louisville vs. #15 American University/PATRIOT
#7 UCLA vs. #10 Texas A&M

Who's In? (as of 2/26/09)

ACC (6): No. Carolina, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State, Boston College
America East (1): Vermont
Atlantic 10 (2): Xavier, Dayton
Atlantic Sun (1): Belmont
Big 12 (6): Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M
Big East (7): Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Villanova, Marquette, We. Virginia, Syracuse
Big Sky (1): Weber St.
Big South (1): Radford
Big Ten (5): Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Wisconsin, Ohio State
Big West (1): Long Beach State
Colonial (1): VA Commonwealth
Conference USA (2): Memphis, UAB
Horizon (1): Butler
Ivy (1): Cornell
MAAC (1): Siena
MAC (1): Miami (OH)
MEAC (1): Morgan State
Mountain West (3): Utah, Brigham Young, New Mexico
MVC (2): Creighton, Illinois State
Northeast (1): Robert Morris
OVC (1): Tennessee-Martin
PAC-10 (5): Washington, Arizona State, UCLA, California, Arizona
Patriot (1): American University
SEC (5): LSU, Florida, Kentucky, So. Carolina, Tennessee
Southern (1): Davidson
Southland (1): Sam Houston St.
Summit (1): No. Dakota State
Sun Belt (1): We. Kentucky
SWAC (1): Alabama State
WAC (1): Utah St.
West Coast (2): Gonzaga, St. Mary's

Last Four In: New Mexico, Ohio State, UAB, Boston College
First Four Out: Tulsa, Minnesota, UNLV, Rhode Island
Next Four Out: Michigan, No. Iowa, Niagara, Cincinnati

NCAA Bracket Projection - 2/22/09

BOSTON REGIONAL
Dayton
#1 Pittsburgh/BIG EAST vs. #16 Belmont/ATLANTIC SUN
#8 Texas v. #9 Kentucky
Boise
#4 Arizona State/PAC 10 vs. #13 VA Commonwealth/COLONIAL
#5 Wake Forest vs. #12 Tennessee
Minneapolis
#3 Marquette vs. #14 Weber State/BIG SKY
#6 Xavier/ATLANTIC 10 vs. #11 St. Mary's
Greensboro
#2 Duke vs. #15 Cornell/IVY
#7 Utah/MOUNTAIN WEST vs. #10 Wisconsin

INDIANAPOLIS REGIONAL
Kansas City
#1 Memphis/CONFERENCE USA vs. #16 Robert Morris/NORTHEAST
#8 Arizona vs. #9 Utah State/WAC
Portland
#4 LSU/SEC vs. #13 Vermont/AMERICA EAST
#5 Creighton/MVC vs. #12 Boston College
Miami
#3 Villanova vs. #14 Miami (OH)/MAC
#6 Butler/HORIZON vs. #11 UAB
Dayton
#2 Michigan State/BIG TEN vs. #15 Radford/BIG SOUTH
#7 Florida State vs. #10 Oklahoma State

PHOENIX REGIONAL
Philadelphia
#1 Connecticut vs. #16 Morgan State/MEAC
#8 California vs. #9 Illinois State
Boise
#4 Clemson vs. #13 We. Kentucky/SUN BELT
#5 Illinois vs. #12 Davidson/BIG SOUTH
Miami
#3 We. Virginia vs. #14 No. Dakota State/SUMMIT
#6 Purdue vs. #11 UNLV
Kansas City
#2 Oklahoma vs. #15 Tennessee-Martin/OVC
#7 Florida vs. #10 Dayton

MEMPHIS REGIONAL
Greensboro
#1 No. Carolina/ACC vs. #16 Play In: Alabama State/SWAC v. Long Beach State/BIG WEST
#8 Siena/MAAC vs. #9 Syracuse
Portland
#4 Washington vs. #13 New Mexico
#5 Missouri vs. #12 Texas A&M
Philadelphia
#3 Louisville vs. #14 American U./PATRIOT
#6 Gonzaga/WEST COAST vs. #11 Minnesota
Minneapolis
#2 Kansas vs. #15 Sam Houston St./SOUTHLAND
#7 UCLA vs. #10 Brigham Young

Who's In? (as of 2/22/09)

ACC (6): No. Carolina, Duke, Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, Boston College
America East (1): Vermont
Atlantic 10 (2): Xavier, Dayton
Atlantic Sun (1): Belmont
Big 12 (6): Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M
Big East (7): Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Louisville, Villanova, Marquette, We. Virginia, Syracuse
Big Sky (1): Weber St.
Big South (1): Radford
Big Ten (5): Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Wisconsin, Minnesota
Big West (1): Long Beach State
Colonial (1): VA Commonwealth
Conference USA (2): Memphis, UAB
Horizon (1): Butler
Ivy (1): Cornell
MAAC (1): Siena
MAC (1): Miami (OH)
MEAC (1): Morgan State
Mountain West (4): Utah, Brigham Young, UNLV, New Mexico
MVC (2): Creighton, Illinois St.
Northeast (1): Robert Morris
OVC (1): Tennessee-Martin
PAC-10 (5): Arizona State, Washington, UCLA, California, Arizona
Patriot (1): American University
SEC (4): LSU, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee
Southern (1): Davidson
Southland (1): Sam Houston St.
Summit (1): No. Dakota State
Sun Belt (1): We. Kentucky
SWAC (1): Alabama State
WAC (1): Utah St.
West Coast (2): Gonzaga, St. Mary's

PPI Rankings: 2/22/09

#1 No. Carolina
#2 Memphis
#3 Pittsburgh
#4 Connecticut
#5 Oklahoma
#6 Duke
#7 Michigan State
#8 Kansas
#9 Louisville
#10 Villanova
#11 Marquette
#12 We. Virginia
#13 Arizona State
#14 Clemson
#15 LSU
#16 Washington
#17 Missouri
#18 Creighton
#19 Illinois
#20 Wake Forest
#21 Purdue
#22 Xavier
#23 Butler
#24 Gonzaga
#25 UCLA
Others receiving votes: Florida State, Utah, Florida, California, Texas, Siena, Arizona, Syracuse, Kentucky, Illinois St., Utah St., Wisconsin, Dayton, Brigham Young, Oklahoma State