March Madness Blurbs and Observations

1) Since 1989, a No. 12 seed has upset a No. 5 seed every year expect one. The 12-5 matchups this year are: Butler (5)-Old Dominion (12), USC (5)-Arkansas (12), Virginia Tech (5)-Illinois (12) and Tennessee (5)-Long Beach State (12). The best bet for an upset in this seed matchup this year? Call me a homer, but I'm going with the Monarchs of ODU over Butler. While this might be an upset in terms of seeding only (since the committee thought it'd be fun to pit two mid-majors against each other in the first round), these are essentially two teams headed in opposite directions. Butler got off to that great start, winning the preseason NIT and beating the likes of Tennessee and Gonzaga, but have lost four of its last eight, including the Horizon League tournament final against Wright State. ODU, meanwhile, had won 12 in a row before bowing out to George Mason in the CAA semis -- including six on the road.

2) Since I'm fond of tooting ODU's (and by extension, the CAA's) horn on this site, let me take time out to congratulate the Lady Monarchs on their 16th consecutive CAA title (an NCAA record). ODU beat James Madison Sunday 78-70 to take the crown, and the automatic bid, and will face Florida State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Lady Monarchs haven't won an NCAA tournament game since 2002, when they advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to eventual national champion Connecticut. Meanwhile, James Madison and Delaware give the CAA three bids for the first time in the history of the conference. ODU may still be the class of CAA women's basketball, but the conference as a whole is getting better each year.

3) I'm still trying to figure out how Arkansas and Stanford got in, while Syracuse and Drexel didn't. Sure, the Razorbacks fought their way to the SEC tournament final, but they got destroyed by Florida. Granted, that in and of itself might not be much to keep Arkansas out, but how about a 7-9 record in the weak SEC West? I could never give an at-large bid to a team that can't finish .500 in-conference, regardless of the league. If you can't win half your league games, you have no business being in the tournament. Now...as for Stanford. 18-12 overall, 10-8 in the Pac-10; well, at least the Cardinal meet the .500 in league play criteria. BUT ... this is a team that got bounced early from its conference tournament, and didn't even win 20 games. Meanwhile, teams that did win 20 games -- Drexel (23), Syracuse (22), Akron (26), Appalachian State (25) -- got snubbed. You can argue RPI and SOS all you want, but I have a hard time letting an 18-win team gobble up an at-large in lieu of a team with anywhere from 22 to 26 wins.

4) Speaking of Drexel ... the Dragons did everything the committee asked teams to do. They scheduled tough road games and won a fair bit of them. They beat: Syracuse at Syracuse, Villanova at Villanova and Creighton at Creighton. I realize Drexel finished fourth in the CAA, two spots behind ODU, and wound up 1-5 against the conference's best teams (ODU went 4-2 against the CAA's best), but how do you leave a team out after it did everything you, the committee, asked them to do?

5) I already said Duke didn't belong in the tournament, though I knew all along they'd get in. Being a No. 6 seed is a joke, though; the Blue Devils really should've been anywhere from a No. 9 to a No. 11 seed. Their gift? A first-round tilt in Buffalo, N.Y. against CAA champion Virginia Commonwealth. I love this match-up for the Rams; though Duke has the edge in the paint with Josh McRoberts, VCU has a three-headed monster in the backcourt, led by CAA tournament MVP Eric Maynor. He's much too fast and athletic for Greg Paulus, and I think VCU's all-game full-court press will give the Dookies fits. Don't be surprised if VCU continues the CAA's run of postseason success and sends Duke home early.

6) I feel really bad for Akron. Not only did the Zips lose out on an NCAA tournament bid, despite a 26-7 overall record (13-3 Mid-American Conference), but they couldn't secure an NIT bid, either. Joke all you want about how the NIT means nothing and how it really stands for N ot I nvited T ournament, but how does a team with 26 wins -- who was a buzzer-beating 3-pointer away from going to the Big Dance -- NOT see postseason play?! I feel really bad for the Zips; they are the biggest snub in all of March.

7) Will Florida repeat its national title? It's possible, especially since the Gators finally woke up when the games started to matter again. Everyone wondered what was wrong with Florida when it lost three out of its last four in the regular season, but I never thought anything was wrong -- this team was just bored. They'd locked up the SEC regular-season title, and pretty much knew it was getting a high NCAA seed no matter what. I'd be pretty bored too...

8) Who's going to Atlanta this year? Well, in my almost-humble, not-quite-professional opinion, it'll be Florida, Kansas, Texas A&M and Georgetown. The Hoyas are possibly the hottest team in the nation right now, and that Princeton-style offense could give the Tar Heels fits. Talk all you want about Brandon Wright and Tyler Hansborough, but I'll take the experience of Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green any day with a ticket to Atlanta on the line. Also, the Aggies could be the one team nobody wants to see, mainly because of Acie Law IV and how Texas A&M can put points on the board.

9) National title? I'll say Florida over Georgetown.

Remembering Another Champion

Amid the excitement of March Madness and the upcoming NCAA college basketball tournament, I'd be remiss if I didn't pause and reflect on one of the things that touched me most from last season's postseason frenzy.

Not only am I huge fan of the NCAA men's tournament, I'm also a fairly big fan of the women's college game. Part of that could be the school I went to -- Old Dominion, which coach Wendy Larry is guiding to yet another 20-win season and a possible 16th straight CAA title -- but I like the game itself. It's not always as pretty or flashy as the men's game, but it's still basketball.

And come on, watching Candace Parker play is one of the top ten best things to do in sports...in my opinion, anyway.

But what I want to discuss came last year. ODU was one of the host sites for the first round of the NCAA women's tourney, which meant eight teams would flood the Ted Constant Convocation Center for a weekend. I don't remember all eight teams there, but I know ODU, USC, Tennessee, George Washington and Army were there.

George Washington is important because it beat ODU in the first round, but what I want to focus on isn't Tennessee, but the Lady Vols' first round opponent, Army.

More specifically, Army's head coach.

By this point, most everyone already knew the story of Maggie Dixon. Pittsburgh men's basketball coach Jamie Dixon's younger sister, Maggie took the Army job 11 days before the start of the season. Twenty wins and 11 losses later, Army was searching for the first NCAA bid in the program's history. And in winning the Patriot League tournament, the team did just that.

Maggie was taking this team to the NCAA tournament.

Never mind the 15 seed, or the first round beatdown at the hands of Tennessee. Army had made the NCAA tournament, and the general feeling surrounding Maggie and the program was one of elation and hope. I remember talking to an Army cadet in the hospitality room between games at the tournament that weekend, and he was all smiles after the loss, waxing poetic about how wonderful a coach and person Maggie was.

In fact, I distinctly remember him saying, "We have nowhere to go but up so long as Maggie's the coach of this team. We'll be in the tournament for years to come."

Three weeks later, on April 5, 2006, I thought of that cadet. I thought of him and what he said when I found out Maggie had died that day of an "arrhymetic episode of her heart." I thought of him when the autopsy revealed she'd had an enlarged heart and a heart valve problem. I thought of him and the girls who played their hearts out for Maggie just weeks earlier.

I thought of how weeks earlier, in my campus' home arena, I'd seen her coaching. How she'd stood not 60 feet away from me, directing her players and cheering them on, even when Tennessee was wiping the floor with them. I thought of her in the post-game press conference, smiling that infectious smile of hers.

I thought of stopping her after the press conference and talking to her for a few brief moments, discussing her team and what she expected out of the next season. That smile never left her face, and I left that encounter, brief as it was, feeling better. I had a smile the rest of the day that was hard to shake.

I thought of her brother, who had been bounced in the second round of his tourney by Bradley. I thought of how they were the first brother and sister to coach in the NCAA tournament in the same season. He was in the area for the PIT, but flew back up to New York when Maggie was in the hospital. As important as basketball was to the Dixons, family was more so.

I thought of how the players sobbed and mourned at her funeral, and how the general feeling of loss not only hit Army, but all of women's college basketball. I thought of Maggie every time I shook Wendy Larry's hand this year, feeling for the entire Army community.

It might seem odd to outsiders that Maggie was buried at the West Point cemetery, an honor usually reserved for high-ranking officials. A basketball coach next to commanders and lieutenants, but that speaks to just how important Maggie was to the Army community, and how much she captured a nation's attention with her team's Patriot League title. I still get chills every time I see the video of her team hoisting her into the air in celebrating that title, and I suspect we'll see that video again in the coming weeks.

Army won't make a return trip to the tournament this year -- Holy Cross took the Patriot League's automatic bid and Army's not looking good for an at-large despite a 24-6 record -- but the memory of last season's run, and the coach behind it, remains.

I'll root hard in this year's tournament, and I'll fill out a bracket like I always do. But this year, I'll do it with Maggie Dixon in mind, and I'll probably be smiling the whole way through.

Cause you know, she's probably doing the same thing out there somewhere.

My Field of 65

Okay, pardon me while I try my best Joe Lunardi impression, but the excitement over March Madness, coupled with the disappointment of missing my prediction of Old Dominion over Virginia Commonwealth in the Colonial Athletic Association final last night, has me thinking about the job the Selection Committee has this coming Sunday and who the 65 teams who'll get to fight for a trip to Atlanta will be.

But before I give the conference-by-conference breakdown of this year's NCAA field, I must point out a couple very important details:

#1: I am not giving out seeds or setting up first-round matchups. That's for the highly-paid Lunardi to do. Give me an ESPN salary and I might start doing the same.

#2: Any RPI and SOS numbers I use are taken from collegerpi.com. The list I used was updated as of March 5 at 7:05 AM.

#3: In conferences with more than one bid, the automatic bid winner will be in bold. Teams that have already punched their free ride will also be italicized, while other auto winners are merely my predictions (take them for what they're worth; I did get the CAA champ wrong).

#4: There are not necessarily the 65 teams I think should get in; this is a list of the 65 teams I think will get in. Some editorializing has been done (I have three bids coming out of the CAA and another four out of the Missouri Valley), but there are a few teams on this list I think have no business dancing this year, yet will likely get the nod anyway.

Okay, enough talking...time to unveil the 65 teams I think are going to the NCAA tournament, conference-by-conference.

America East -- Albany

Atlantic 10 -- Xavier

ACC -- North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Duke, Georgia Tech

Atlantic Sun -- Belmont

Big 12 -- Texas, Kansas, Texas A&M

Big East -- Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Notre Dame, Marquette, Syracuse, West Virginia, Villanova

Big Sky -- Weber State

Big South -- Winthrop

Big Ten -- Ohio State, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State

Big West -- Long Beach State

CAA -- Virginia Commonwealth, Old Dominion, Drexel

Conference USA -- Memphis

Horizon -- Butler

Ivy -- Penn

MAAC -- Niagra

Mid-Continent -- Oral Roberts

MAC -- Akron

MEAC -- Delaware State

Missouri Valley -- Creighton, Southern Illinois, Missouri State, Bradley

Mountain West -- UNLV, BYU, Air Force

NEC -- Sacred Heart

Ohio Valley -- Eastern Kentucky

Pac-10 -- UCLA, Washington State, Oregon, Arizona, USC

Patriot -- Bucknell

SEC -- Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky

Southern -- Davidson

Southland -- Sam Houston State

SWAC -- Jackson State

Sun Belt -- Arkansas State

WCC -- Gonzaga

WAC -- Nevada

So there you have it; the 65 teams I think will be duking it out for a trip to the Final Four and a shot at the national championship. The Big East leads the way with eight potential bids, while the ACC gets seven (they want nine, but how about showing me nine teams above .500 in league play first) and the Big Ten sends six. The Pac-10 will send five and the SEC will send four -- all from the East Division.

Again, this is not who I think should be in the tournament -- otherwise, Duke, Syracuse and Purdue wouldn't be on this list. Then again, every ranked team is on my list, because despite certain biases and other facts (Duke went a pedestrian 8-8 in-conference this year), I have trouble keeping a ranked team out of the tournament. So, Duke, Air Force and USC will likely get bids.

I gave Georgia Tech a bid, despite its 8-8 ACC record, because of its RPI of 34 and its SOS of 25. The Yellow Jackets do have a few quality wins, including one at Memphis and a season sweep of Clemson. Syracuse gets a bid from me simply because I expect the Orange to make some noise in the Big East tournament. They won't win it, but time and again we see major programs on the bubble secure their spot with a conference tourney win or two. Same goes for iffy Purdue and Michigan State, but not Iowa -- an RPI of 83 won't get you a bid, I don't care who you are.

But what I really want to talk about are the four bids I gave to the Missouri Valley and the three I gave to the CAA. Anyone who saw ESPN last night knows VCU secured its berth (and good thing, too; that 51 RPI and 133 SOS would've made an at-large dicey at best), but what about Old Dominion and Drexel, both of which fell in the semis? Well, let's look at the resumes:

ODU (24-8, 15-3 CAA): The Monarchs are 39th in the RPI after their semifinal drubbing to George Mason, but had won 12 straight to that point -- and the committee likes to see how a team closes out a season. ODU also boasts a huge road win over possible No. 2 seed Georgetown, and has gone 4-2 against the conference's other top teams. ODU split with Hofstra and VCU, while sweeping the season series with Drexel in convincing fashion. None of ODU's nonconference losses -- Marist, Vrigina Tech, Clemson, Winthrop -- look all that bad, and their loss to James Madison (RPI 301) was on the road, and everyone loses to a conference bottom-feeder every once in a while.

Drexel (23-8, 13-5 CAA): Drexel does have 15 true road wins, including some very nice ones at Creighton, Syracuse and Villanova. But the Monarchs are one point better in the RPI and have a better SOS (90 to the Dragons' 96). Also, ODU swept Drexel in the season series and the Dragons finished fourth in the CAA while the Monarchs finished second behind VCU. I think both ODU and Drexel deserve bids, but if I had to choose one over the other, I'd give the nod to ODU because of the head-to-head.

What about Hofstra, you ask? Granted, the Pride finished third in the CAA, ahead of Drexel, but...an RPI of 71 and a SOS of 147 (not to mention a quarterfinal loss in the conference tournament) will not sway the committee. Hofstra got jobbed last year, but the team's NIT trip this year will be well-deserved.

We know Southern Illinois' going to the NCAA tourney despite losing in the MVC final to Creighton. After all, the Salukis are ranked 11th in both polls and that top-10 RPI (sixth, to be exact) will be impossible to ignore. But what about:

Missouri State (22-10, 12-6 MVC): I always give a team that won 20 games at least a glance, and the more I looked at Missouri State, the more I liked the thought of handing out an at-large. Its RPI of 38 is better than ODU and Drexel, so seeing as how I think they both should be in, stands to reason Missouri State should be as well. However, this will be a nervous week for this team; a lot will depend on how many upsets there are in the tournaments to come. Missouri State, ODU and Drexel are all nervously on the bubble, though I think they should all be in.

Bradley (21-12, 10-8 MVC): The Indians have two things to hang their hat on: a nice road win over CAA champion VCU and a SOS of 19. Bradley did lose the season series to both Southern Illinois and Creighton, but none of those losses look that bad (Bradley nearly pulled the road upset over the nationally-ranked Salukis in the season finale, 53-51). This could just be my mid-major bias talking, but I think Bradley deserves a shot at the Big Dance.

I'm fairly certain I left someone out who's deserving, so if you disagree with my predictions, feel free to post your arguments here. One of my favorite parts of March Madness is debating who is and isn't deserving of an NCAA bid, and I would be more than happy to do some friendly debating leading up to Selection Sunday.

Oh, and one more thing: If I'm right, and the CAA gets three and the MVC gets four, will we see Billy Packer's head explode on national television? Jim Nantz might have to get a new suit...

Tournament Time!

Today, the Colonial Athletic Association begins its annual trek to the Richmond Coliseum for the CAA men's basketball tournament. Twelve teams over four days vying for the conference crown and the automatic bid for the Big Dance (if you're not aware how big such a thing can be, check out my opinion My Favorite Time of Year below...yeah, it's practically a novel, but I think it's worth the read).

This year's tournament will have a different feel, with each of the top four teams in the conference looking at possibilities (remote or otherwise) of an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament should they falter this weekend. George Mason's run last year will undoubtedly weigh heavily on the Selection Committee's mind, and with four CAA teams boasting at least 20 wins -- Virginia Commonwealth, Old Dominion, Hofstra and Drexel -- on the surface it appears as if all four squads have a shot.

But I'll determine each team's at-large chances in the team-by-team breakdowns. Each team is listed in order of seeding, with overall and conference records in parentheses. The top four seeds get a first-round bye, which means they won't play until tomorrow's quarterfinals. No team seeded lower than fourth has won the CAA tournament since No. 7 East Carolina did so in 1993.

East Carolina's no longer in the CAA.

Anywho, enough with the prepatory bibble-babble; onto the team-by-team previews.

VCU (24-6, 16-2 CAA): Given how the Rams nearly ran roughshod over the CAA, it's little surprise first-year coach Anthony Grant won the conference's Coach of the Year honors. Point guard Eric Maynor, a no-brainer CAA First-Team selection, is averaging 13.8 ppg and a confrence-high 6.4 apg, and his assist-to-turnover ratio is 3-to-1. The Rams will be tough from behind the arc, specifically with B.A. Walker (15.3ppg) and Jesse Pellot-Rosa (13.4 ppg).

VCU is probably the most athletic team in the conference, something Grant uses to his advantage when he presses nearly the entire game. The press is very effective when the team's on its game, but the Rams do have occasional defensive lapses, which can result in their opponents finding easy hoops and going on runs. VCU did sort of stumble into the tournament, and with an RPI or 60 and a horridly easy nonconference schedule (they lost to their best OOC foe, Xavier), VCU will need to win the tournament to go dancing.

ODU (23-7, 15-3 CAA): The CAA champions of two years ago are also the conference's hottest team coming into the tournament, having won their last 11 games. If the Monarchs advance to the championship game and flater, they'll have a 13-game winning streak, much like George Mason did a year ago. Senior forward Valdas Vasylius leads ODU with 16 ppg and 6.3 rpg, and Drew Williamson continues to be one of the best point guards in the CAA, averaging nearly 12 points and five assists a contest. Also, look for forward Arnaud Dahi (9.6 ppg) and guard Brandon Johnson to give ODU quality minutes.

ODU has a quality road win against nationally-ranked Georgetown and the 18th toughest nonconference schedule in the country. That, combined with an RPI ranging from the low to mid 30s, should give ODU enough should they advance to the title game and fall. The Monarchs might still get an at-large if they lose in the semifinals, but the best way to ensure an at-large is to advance to Monday's final. Then again, they could just win the tournament and forget the whole thing.

Hofstra (22-8, 14-4 CAA): The Pride will be a factor, if for no other reason than their backcourt. The combination of Loren Stokes, Antoine Agudio and Carlos Rivera has led Hofstra to 73.6 ppg, second-best in the conference, so whoever they're facing should prepare to work on defense. Stokes leads the team with 20.8 ppg, while Agudion parlayed 20.5 ppg to a First-Team selection. Rivera chips in 12.9ppg and 4.0 apg. But the Pride have nothing down low, which can be a problem against teams with strong frontcourts, like ODU and Drexel.

Hofstra has the 123rd toughest OOC schedule in the country, and have an RPI approaching the 70s. With those two details in mind, Hofstra needs to win out in Richmond or face yet another trip to the NIT.

Drexel (22-7, 13-5 CAA): I must say, I didn't expect Drexel to be this good this year, but it was. Frank Elegar (team-high 15.5 ppg) is the best pure center in the CAA, while Chaz Crawford leads the conference with 9.7 rpg and 3.3 bpg. Guard Dominick Mejia averages 11.9 ppg and is deadly from behind the arc, but his defense can make him a liability on the court at times. Point guard Bashir Mason will. be the catalyst for this Dragons team.

Key nonconference wins against Syracuse, Creighton and Villanova help the Dragons' at-large profile, but did little to help them in-conference. A sweep at the hands of ODU and a tough road loss against William & Mary will hurt, despite the team's low-40 RPI. The Dragons are looking at a possible semifinal match against VCU, and if the Dragons can advance to Monday's title game, they're the only team outside of ODU with a realistic at-large shot.

Northeastern (12-18, 9-9 CAA): Another team I really didn't expect anything out of, given the loss of Shawn James and coach Ron Everhart to Duquense. But the Huskies have won five of their last six coming into the tournament, making them the second-hottest team in the CAA behind ODU. One of those wins was a 23-point blowout of George Mason. Bennett Davis leads the team with 14.8 ppg and 6.8 rpg, while Matt Janning (11.8 ppg) and Bobby Kelly (10.9 ppg) give the Huskies a triple-threat. If they beat Delaware in the first round today, Northeastern could give Drexel a tough time in the quarters tomorrow.

George Mason (15-14, 9-9 CAA): The Patriots had a down-year, compared to their Final Four run of a year ago, but that's to be expected when you lose your three seniors from that squad (Tony Skinn, Lamar Butler, Jai Lewis). George Mason lost five of its last seven, including an overtime stunner at home against ODU and a 23-point drubbing at the hands of the Huskies. Will Thomas led the team with 13.7 ppg, but it's obvious he misses Lewis down low. Folarin Campbell is a legitimate threat outside with 46 3-pointers on the year, but the Patriots are stumbling at the wrong time and could lose today against lowly James Madison if they're not careful.

Towson (14-16, 8-10 CAA): Yet another losing season for the Tigers, but coach Pat Kennedy has made progress in Baltimore. Gary Neal not only leads the conference in scoring (25.6 ppg), but he's fifth in then ation in scoring, and prone to Gilbert Arenas-like moments of consciousness. Forward Dennard Abraham averages 11.3 ppg for the Tigers, which will be a tough test for anyone who faces them in the tournament. Towson should dispatch of UNC Wilmington in the first round today, and while ODU should beat the Tigers tomorrow in the quarters, it will be a tough contest.

William & Mary (15-14, 8-10 CAA): Speaking of progress, William & Mary scored its first winning season since 1997-98. Adam Payton leads the team with 13.7 ppg and forward Laimis Kisielius pitches in 11.3 ppg, but the Tribe lack the one thing of utmost importance in this conference: athleticism. They're small and not terribly deep, but the lack of athleticism will hurt the Tribe the most. I expect them to beat Georgia State today, but VCU will have their way with the Tribe in tomorrow's quarterfinal.

Georgia State (10-19, 5-13 CAA): The Panthers lead the CAA with 16 turnovers a game, speaking to not only an inability to take care of the basketball, but a lack of coaching ability as well. The team does have some athletes, namely Lance Perique (15.6 ppg) and Leonard Mendez (13.4 ppg), but when six of your 19 losses are by 25 points or more, there's definite trouble brewing somewhere in Atlanta. I expect a one-and-done for the Panthers this year.

UNC Wilmington (7-21, 4-14 CAA): Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Last year, the Seahawks took the CAA tournament and nearly upended George Washington in the first round. But then they lost John Goldsberry and coach Brad Brownell went to Wright State. First-year head man Benny Moss has done the best he could, but with Tim Soyebo and T.J. Carter either hurt or ineffective, there isn't much cause for celebration in Wilmington. The Seahawks have lost five of their last six (their only win against lowly Delaware), and are on pace for their worst season since 1968-69.

James Madison (7-22, 4-14 CAA): The Dukes have lost 20 games in each of the past four seasons, so this year was really just more of the same. JMU has lost 10 of its last 11, its only win coming against Delaware (those poor Blue Hens...they can't beat anybody). While the team has some good athletes -- sophomore forward Juwann James (13.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg) among them -- the team allows a league-worst 49.4 precent shooting and 73 points a game. You can't win if you can't keep the opposition out of the hoop.

Delaware (5-25, 3-15 CAA): I said in my season preview this team would be lucky to win eight games this season, and it looks like that was a generous prediction. Herb Courtney carries the load for the Blue Hens, averaging 17.9 ppg and 8.1 rpg, but outside of him, there is little, if anything, good to say about this team. Anything outside of a major first-round exit today would be a huge shock; it's almost inexplicable the way this team has fallen over the past couple years.

Okay, enough with the numbers and the waxing poetic about who's been good this year and who, well, hasn't. Who's going to be cutting down the nets on ESPN come Monday night? Well, much like two seasons ago, it's going to come down to the top two seeds: VCU and ODU. And it wouldn't surprise me if this one went into overtime as well. But ODU will pull out its second CAA crown in three seasons, and the Monardchs will end the string of five straight top seeds to win the tournament.

As for at-larges? If the above holds true, VCU and Drexel will be biting their nails all week waiting for Selection Sunday. And if that's the case, VCU gets left out and Drexel might get in. But if VCU beats ODU? Both those teams are locked in, and Drexel still has a shot. But for Drexel to get in, they need to at least advance to the final, and Hofstra just needs to go ahead and win the tournament.