Good evening everyone! No, it's not a bracketology post; that will have to wait for another time. I apologize for not updating my projected seedings, but I have noticed a couple teams that may present serious cases for at-large births while being under the radar. Without further ado, let's talk about them:
SMU
The Mustangs mustered a huge win yesterday over AAC powerhouse Houston in Moody Coliseum. They trailed most of the game, but managed to take a lead late and hold on despite doing their best to choke the game away. SMU has a couple ugly losses to Mizzou and Loyola Marymount, but they also possess a 4-4 record against the top two quads, which now includes a marquee victory over Houston to go along with a win at Memphis. They still have work to do, but the Mustangs have a very reasonable shot of being the second team out of the American.
Santa Clara
This has been by far the best year for the West Coast Conference in recent memory. As of now, the conference has 4 projected tournament teams with San Francisco joining the usual suspects of Gonzaga, BYU, and Saint Mary's. However, this Broncos squad is slowly creeping into at-large conversation, creating potential for a, practically unheard of, 5-bid WCC. Like SMU, Santa Clara has its share of bad losses (vs. UC Irvine, at Cal) and quality wins (home against Saint Mary's and BYU, neutral court victory over TCU). They may only be 3-5 against the top 2 quads, but their Q1/2 contests have undoubtedly been more difficult than SMUs. This team plays lockdown defense and I think the WCC should be scared of a desperate Santa Clara team with a realistic shot of playing their way into the tournament.
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