Amazingly, an NCAA bid is still well within reach for Temple. I have never seen a weaker year for the 7th-10th rated conferences. They have to fill the field somehow: P-6 schools below .500 in their league, mid-majors like Middle Tennessee, Lipscomb, Buffalo, etc., or in-between teams like Temple. The following are how few "contenders" there are for at-large bids in the 7-10 conferences and current RPI's:
AAC - Wichita and Cincy (37) look like locks. Temple is at 36. SMU and Houston are contenders
A-10 - Rhode (17) looks good. St. Bona (46) is the only other real possibility
MWC - Nevada (16) looks good. Boise (39) and San Diego State(63) and Wyoming (64) are contenders
WCC - St. Mary's (40), Gonzaga (58) and BYU (67)
The PAC-12 is very weak as well this year.
They could get as low as 6 or so bids from these 4 leagues. How do you fill the rest of the field? Temple is only an underdog of 3 points or more in the 2 Wichita games and at Cincy. The other 11 games are totally winnable and Temple has little margin for error.
AAC - Wichita and Cincy (37) look like locks. Temple is at 36. SMU and Houston are contenders
A-10 - Rhode (17) looks good. St. Bona (46) is the only other real possibility
MWC - Nevada (16) looks good. Boise (39) and San Diego State(63) and Wyoming (64) are contenders
WCC - St. Mary's (40), Gonzaga (58) and BYU (67)
The PAC-12 is very weak as well this year.
They could get as low as 6 or so bids from these 4 leagues. How do you fill the rest of the field? Temple is only an underdog of 3 points or more in the 2 Wichita games and at Cincy. The other 11 games are totally winnable and Temple has little margin for error.
