Updated Championship Week Predictions

As expected, there were some more great action yesterday, with monumental comebacks, upsets, bursting bubbles, and a bunch of close games.  We're only a day away from Selection Sunday, people.  While you're getting hammered today, there's gonna be a lot going on in the college basketball world, so make sure the bar at which you're downing Guinness has some TVs -- you know, because there are so many bars without TVs these days.  Here are some highlights from yesterday's Championship Week action, as well as some previews of today's championship games.  Take a deep breath.  A lot went on yesterday.

• We had a big upset in the Atlantic 10, with top seed St. Louis going down to 9-seed St. Bonaventure on a last-second three by Jordan Gathers, nephew of Hank.  The Billikens have now lost 4 of their last 5 since being ranked in the Top 10 in both polls three weeks ago, and have fallen from a 3- or 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament to probably a 7-9 seed.
• In the Big Ten, 9-seed Illinois missed a last-second shot that would have give them a huge upset win over top seed Michigan.  With the loss, the Illini's NIT fate is sealed.  5-seed Ohio State came back from 18 down in the second half to beat 4-seed Nebraska, advancing to the Big Ten Tournament semis for the sixth year in a row and potentially knocking the Cornhuskers off of the NCAA Tournament bubble.
• In the ACC, 2-seed Syracuse fell to 7-seed NC State, 66-63, missing six shot attempts (including four 3-point attempts) in the last 20 seconds.  I guess that puts to bed that "if Syracuse wins the ACC, they deserve a 1-seed" talk.  3-seed Duke, on the other hand, beat 6-seed Clemson in a 63-62 thriller to keep the Blue Devils' chances of a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament alive.
• In the Big 12 semis, 1-seed Kansas lost to 4-seed Iowa State, ending all that "if Kansas wins the Big 12, they deserve a 1-seed" talk, while 7-seed Baylor beat 3-seed Texas.  The Cyclones are an NCAA Tournament lock, and they will be playing in their 16th NCAA Tournament and third in a row.  With the win, the Bears are also now likely a lock to make the Big Dance.  They will be playing in their 8th NCAA Tournament and first since 2012.
• In the Big East semis, 4-seed Providence held off 8-seed Seton Hall to advance to the finals, while 2-seed Creighton beat 3-seed Xavier.  The Friars are likely off of the NCAA Tournament bubble, and will be playing in their 16th NCAA Tournament berth and first since 2004.  The Bluejays are a lock for the NCAA Tournament, and will be playing in their 20th NCAA Tournament and third in a row.
• In the Pac-12 semis, 1-seed Arizona beat down 4-seed Colorado, and 2-seed UCLA pummeled 6-seed Stanford.  Arizona likely clinched a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament with the win.  This will be the Wildcats' 32nd NCAA Tournament appearance and 3rd in a row.  UCLA is also a tournament lock.  The Bruins will be playing in their 46th NCAA Tournament and second in a row.
• In the AAC semis, top seed Cincinnati came a roll around the rim short of 4-seed UConn, while 2-seed Louisville murdered 6-seed Houston.  Both finalists are NCAA Tournament locks.  It will be Louisville's 40th NCAA Tournament appearance and its 8th in a row.  It will be UConn's 32nd NCAA Tournament and its first since 2012 after being ineligible for the postseason last year.
• In the America East final today, 4-seed Albany plays at 2-seed Stony Brook.  Albany is going for its 4th NCAA Tournament appearance and second in a row, while the Seawolves are going for their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
• In the Big West semis, 7-seed Cal Poly continued its improbable run, upsetting top seed UC Irvine, and 5-seed Cal State Northridge upset 3-seed Long Beach State.  The Mustangs will be playing for their first NCAA Tournament berth.  The Matadors will be playing for their 3rd NCAA Tournament berth and first since 2009.
• In the wiggity wiggity wiggity wiggity wiggity wiggity WAC semis, 1-seed Utah Valley State was upset by 5-seed Idaho.  I guess that's what you get when one of your fans punches an opposing player in the face during a court rushing.  The Vandals will be seeking their 5th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 1990.  In the other semi, 2-seed New Mexico State had to come back to beat 6-seed Cal State Bakersfield. The Aggies will be seeking their 20th NCAA Tournament and third in a row.
• In the Southland semis, 1-seed Stephen F. Austin (who, at 30-2, is quietly tied with Florida with the second-fewest losses in D-1 this year and has a 27-game winning streak) held off 4-seed Northwestern State, and 3-seed Sam Houston State beat 2-seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.  The Lumberjacks will be playing for their 2nd NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2009.  The Bearkats (yes, that's how they spell it) are seeking their 3rd NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2010.
• In the Big Sky semis, 1-seed Weber State needed overtime to get rid of 6-seed Northern Colorado, and 2-seed North Dakota beat up on 5-seed Portland State.  The Wildcats will be playing for their 15th NCAA Tournament berth and first since 2007.  The Fighting Sioux will be playing for their first NCAA Tournament appearance.
• In the MAC semis, top seed Western Michigan beat 4-seed Akron in OT, while 2-seed Toledo routed 6-seed Eastern Michigan.  The Broncos are seeking their 4th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2004, and the Rockets are seeking their 5th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 1980.
• In the Mountain West semis, top seed San Diego State beat UNLV, and 2-seed New Mexico slipped by 6-seed Boise State.  The Aztecs are a Top 10 team, so they will be going to the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens in the title game.  They will be playing in their 10th NCAA Tournament and fifth in a row.  New Mexico is also a tournament lock.  The Lobos will be playing in their 15th NCAA Tournament and third in a row.
• In the MEAC semis, 1-seed North Carolina Central pummeled 4-seed (and former NCAA Tournament darling) Norfolk State, while 3-seed Morgan State beat 7-seed Coppin State.  The Eagles will be playing for their first NCAA Tournament berth, and the Bears with be playing for their 3rd NCAA Tournament berth and first since 2010.
• In the SWAC semis, 2-seed Texas Southern beat 3-seed Alabama State, and 8-seed Prairie View A&M beat 5-seed Alabama A&M.  The Tigers -- coached by former IU head coach Mike Davis, who is looking to take his third different school to the NCAA Tournament -- will be seeking their 5th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2003.  The Panthers will be playing for their 2nd NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 1998.
• In the Conference USA semis, 1-seed Louisiana Tech beat 4-seed Southern Miss, while 2-seed Tulsa topped 3-seed Middle Tennessee State.  The Bulldogs are playing for their 6th NCAA Tournament berth and first since 1991, and the Golden Hurricane will be playing for its 15th NCAA Tournament berth and first since 2003.
• In the Sun Belt quarterfinals, in-state rivals 4-seed Arkansas State and 5-seed Arkansas-Little Rock played in a four-overtime thriller, with Arkansas State surviving, 116-114.  Six players fouled out.
• With losses by St. Louis, Kansas, Utah Valley State, UC Irvine, and Cincinnati, there have now been 15 1-seeds who have failed to win their conference tournaments (AAC, America East, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Sun, Big 12, Big East, Big West, Horizon, MAAC, NEC, OVC, Patriot, Southern, SWAC, WAC), while 5 1-seeds have won their conference tournaments (Big South, CAA, MVC, Summit, West Coast), and 11 1-seeds are still playing (ACC, Big Sky, Big Ten, Conference USA, MAC, MEAC, Mountain West, Pac-12, SEC, Southland, Sun Belt).
• Bubble teams that won yesterday:  Georgia, Louisiana Tech, NC State, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. Joseph's, Tennessee
• Bubble teams that lost yesterday:  Clemson, Dayton, Florida State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Southern Miss, Stanford, Xavier

Over the next two days, the remaining 19 automatic bids will be clinched -- 14 of which will be clinched today -- and all remaining 19 tournaments have games today.

Here are the tournaments with games today, bids up for grab today, who has already clinched an automatic berth, and my predictions for the remaining conference tournaments. 

Tournaments with games today:

-AAC
-ACC
-America East
-Atlantic 10
-Big 12
-Big East
-Big Sky
-Big Ten
-Big West
-Conference USA
-MAC
-MEAC
-Mountain West
-Pac-12
-SEC
-Southland
-Sun Belt
-SWAC
-WAC

Bids up for grabs today (in chronological order; all times Eastern):

-America East:  (4) Albany at (2) Stony Brook (11:30 a.m.; ESPN2)
-Conference USA:  (1) Louisiana Tech vs. (2) Tulsa (11:30 a.m.; CBS)
-SWAC:  (2) Texas Southern vs. (8) Prairie View A&M (4:30 p.m.; ESPN2)
-AAC:  (2) Louisville v. (4) UConn (6 p.m.; ESPN)
-MEAC:  (1) North Carolina Central vs. (3) Morgan State (6 p.m.; ESPNU)
-Mountain West:  (1) San Diego State vs. (2) New Mexico (6 p.m.; CBS)
-Pac-12:  (1) Arizona vs. (2) UCLA (6 p.m.; Fox Sports 1)
-MAC:  (1) Western Michigan vs. (2) Toledo (6:30 p.m.; ESPN2)
-Big Sky:  (1) Weber State vs. (2) North Dakota (8 p.m.; ESPNU)

-Big East: (2) Creighton vs. (4) Providence (8:30 p.m.; Fox Sports 1)
-Southland:  (1) Stephen F. Austin vs. (3) Sam Houston State (8:30 p.m.; ESPN2)

-Big 12:  (4) Iowa State vs. (7) Baylor (9 p.m.; ESPN)
-WAC:  (2) New Mexico State vs. (5) Idaho (10 p.m.; ESPNU)
-Big West:  (5) Cal State Northridge vs. (7) Cal Poly (10:30 p.m.; ESPN2)

Already clinched automatic berths (in parentheses is the school's number of NCAA tournament appearances, including the bid just clinched):

-Atlantic Sun:  Mercer (3)
-Big South:  Coastal Carolina (3)
-Colonial:  Delaware (5)
-Horizon:  Milwaukee (4)
-Ivy League:  Harvard (4)
-MAAC:  Manhattan (7)
-Missouri Valley:  Wichita State (11)
-Northeast:  Mount St. Mary's (4)
-Ohio Valley:  Eastern Kentucky (8)
-Patriot League:  American (3)
-Southern:  Wofford (3)
-Summit League:  North Dakota State (2)
-West Coast:  Gonzaga (17)

Remaining Tournaments (all times are Eastern):

AAC (March 12-15; Memphis)

3/15 - Finals

6 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Cincinnati vs. (2) Louisville.  Winner:  Louisville

ACC (March 12-16; Greensboro)

3/15 - Semifinals

1 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Virginia vs. (5) Pittsburgh.  Winner:  Virginia

3 p.m. (ESPN) (7) NC State vs. (3) Duke.  Winner:  Duke

3/16 - Finals

1 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Virginia vs. (3) Duke.  Winner:  Virginia

Atlantic 10 (March 12-16; Brooklyn)

3/15 - Semifinals

1:30 p.m. (CBS Sports) (9) St. Bonaventure vs. (4) St. Joseph's.  Winner:  St. Joseph's

4 p.m. (CBS Sports) (2) VCU vs. (3) George Washington.  Winner:  VCU

3/16 - Finals

1 p.m. (CBS) (4) St. Joseph's vs. (2) VCU.  Winner:  VCU

Big 12 (March 12-15; Kansas City)

3/15 - Finals

9 p.m. (ESPN) (4) Iowa State vs. (7) Baylor.  Winner:  Iowa State

Big East (March 12-15; New York)

3/15 - Finals

8:30 p.m. (Fox Sports 1) (4) Providence vs. (2) Creighton.  Winner:  Creighton

Big Sky (March 13-15; Ogden, UT)

3/15 - Finals

8 p.m. (ESPNU) (1) Weber State vs. (2) North Dakota.  Winner:  Weber State

Big Ten (March 13-16; Indianapolis)

3/15 - Semifinals

1:40 p.m. (CBS) (1) Michigan vs. (5) Ohio State.  Winner:  Michigan

4 p.m. (CBS) (2) Wisconsin vs. (3) Michigan State.  Winner:  Michigan State

3/16 - Finals

3:30 p.m. (CBS) (1) Michigan vs. (3) Michigan State.  Winner:  Michigan State

Big West (March 13-15; Anaheim)

3/15 - Finals

10:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (5) Cal State Northridge vs. (7) Cal Poly.  Winner:  Cal Poly

Conference USA (March 11-15; El Paso)

3/15 - Finals

11:30 a.m. (CBS) (1) Louisiana Tech vs. (2) Tulsa.  Winner:  Louisiana Tech

MAC (March 10, 12-15; first round at campus sites of higher seed; remaining rounds in Cleveland)

3/15 - Finals

6:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Western Michigan vs. (2) Toledo.  Winner:  Toledo

MEAC (March 10-15; Norfolk, VA)

3/15 – Final

6:00 p.m. (ESPNU) (1) North Carolina Central vs. (3) Morgan State.  Winner:  North Carolina Central

Mountain West (March 12-15; Las Vegas)

3/15 – Finals

6 p.m. (CBS) (1) San Diego State vs. (2) New Mexico.  Winner:  San Diego State

Pac-12 (March 12-15; Las Vegas)

3/15 – Finals

6 p.m. (Fox Sports 1) (1) Arizona vs. (2) UCLA.  Winner:  Arizona

SEC (March 12-16; Atlanta)

3/15 - Semifinals

1 p.m. (ABC) (1) Florida vs. (4) Tennessee.  Winner:  Florida

3 p.m. (ABC) (2) Kentucky vs. (3) Georgia.  Winner:  Kentucky

3/16 - Finals

3:15 p.m. (ESPN) (1) Florida vs. (2) Kentucky.  Winner:  Florida

Southland (March 12-15; Katy, TX)

3/15 – Finals

8:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Stephen F. Austin vs. (3) Sam Houston State.  Winner:  Stephen F. Austin

Sun Belt (March 13-16; New Orleans)

3/15 – Semifinals

3 p.m. (Sun Belt Network) (1) Georgia State vs. (4) Arkansas State.  Winner:  Georgia State

5:30 p.m. (Sun Belt Network) (2) Western Kentucky vs. (3) Louisiana-Lafayette.  Winner:  Western Kentucky

3/16 – Finals

1 p.m. (ESPN2) (1) Georgia State vs. (2) Western Kentucky.  Winner:  Georgia State

SWAC (March 11-15; Houston)

3/15 - Finals

4:30 p.m. (ESPN2) (8) Prairie View A&M vs. (2) Texas Southern.  Winner:  Texas Southern

WAC (March 13-15; Las Vegas)

3/15 – Finals

10 p.m. (ESPNU) (5) Idaho vs. (2) New Mexico State.  Winner:  New Mexico State