Selection Sunday is filled with mixed emotions around the country.
As the NCAA selection committee sits over their computers and TVs, college basketball nation will watch its last games of the year and wait in anticipation. For some, today will be one of the happiest days of their lives. And for others, today will be oh so sad.
Some teams have seemingly played their way into the tournament with a strong showing this weekend. West Virginia wrapped up their bid, Miami and Virginia Tech helped their cause, and even Saint Joseph's expects to be dancing by the end of the day.
Other teams are anxiously awaiting tonight’s verdict with worries and doubts. Arizona and Arizona St. will be nervously awaiting tonight. Dayton, UMass, and Oregon are also going to be holding their breath as the brackets are released.
These teams have their destiny riding on the verdict of the selection committee. Their whole season depends on the opinions of nine old men and one old lady.
Georgia and Illinois have an opportunity that some bubble teams wish they had. These two teams have a play-in game today for the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs and Fighting Illini don’t have to worry about a committee determining if they are good enough to get in. Their future is in their own hands.
It has been a topsy-turvy weekend for the Bulldogs. On Thursday afternoon, Georgia defeated Ole Miss 97-95 in overtime to advance to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Friday their game was postponed due to the tornado in downtown Atlanta. And on Saturday the Bulldogs had to play two games in one day. Another successful overtime win over Kentucky in the morning, and semifinal thriller over Mississippi State at night.
Georgia plays Arkansas this afternoon for the SEC conference championship.
Illinois has also had an eventful weekend. The Fighting Illini have knocked off Penn St., Purdue, and Minnesota en route to this afternoon’s Big Ten championship game. The Illini don’t even have a .500 record at 16-18, but they still have a chance to make the Big Dance.
Georgia and Illinois will both be fighting off fatigue today; the two teams have played four games in as many days.
Clemson will battle North Carolina this afternoon for the ACC championship, and a No. 1 seed is essentially on the line in the Big 12 championship as Kansas takes on Texas.
The real college basketball season will start on Thursday with the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. All 65 teams will have a clean slate, and their goal will be the same, to win the National Championship. But who are the teams that will have that opportunity?
We will all know tonight.
The selection show starts at 6:00 Eastern.
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