The victor will go on to play No. 6 seed Arizona in the first round.
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Vanderbilt was thought to be in the tournament, but a first round upset at the hands of rival Tennessee had many experts knocking the ‘Dores out of the projected field.
Guard Fred VanVleet – a two-time Missouri Valley player of the year – has been slowed by a strained hamstring for much of the season. The conference tournament games have had major implications for just how the selection committee will put together the NCAA Tournament bracket, and the three programs below should make the tournament despite being considered bubble watch teams. “I think it’s gonna make us more excited to play, and I think we’re all ready to get to Dayton”. We’ve got your back.
This is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 81.2 points per game, which ranks 19th nationally.
FIVE STRAIGHT: Marshall coached Winthrop in the first NCAA Tournament play-in game at Dayton in 2001. This team is led by the same spectacular backcourt that helped guide the team to the Final Four in 2013, an undefeated regular season and No. 1 seed in 2014, and the Sweet 16 last season. Six of the others are still actively coaching: John Calipari, Fran Dunphy, Steve Fisher, Bob Huggins, Rick Pitino and Roy Williams. The over is 8-2 in Vanderbilt last 10 overall and the under is 6-2-1 in their last 9 non-conference games while the under is 16-6-1 in their last 23 neutral site games. They’ve won at least one game each of the last three years, going 7-3 over that span. They’re 15-13 all-time.
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After worrying for days about their chances of making the NCAA Tournament, Vanderbilt quickly has to turn its attention to basketball once again.
