This is Selection Sunday, and the Hokies are ACC Champs!
ZWF #5: Sunday, March 13, 2022
Welcome to one of the greatest days of the year, Selection Sunday! Today at 6:00 pm et, the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Committee will unveil the 68 teams in this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. This past week, Champ Week, has proven a worthy lead-up to Selection Sunday, with 32 collegiate athletic conferences hosting their conference tournaments.
This week’s Zander’s Weekend Facts will focus on the latest in college basketball, and what you should know to get ready to fill out your bracket! Plus, some more updates on the war in Ukraine and other news from the past week.
Also, you should go listen to Episode 56 of the Zander’s Facts Podcast! This week, Dr. Bobby, Director of the Russian Program at Virginia Tech, joined the podcast for the second week in a row to give his insight on the war in Ukraine. Plus, there were many Champ Week facts you might be interested in. Download and listen to the Zander’s Facts Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
The goal of Zander’s Weekend Facts is to give you the facts about anything going on in the world around us. You’ll just have to read these facts, instead of listening to them on the Zander’s Facts Podcast.
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, March 13, 2022:
Today is Selection Sunday
Get your brackets ready everyone! Selection Sunday is upon us, and the field of 68 teams in this year’s college men’s basketball tournament will finally be unveiled later today. March Madness officially begins this week, with the First Four beginning on Tuesday and the rest of the field tipping off on Thursday.
32 of those teams will have already known their name will be called tonight, as the champions of each conference tournament receive an automatic bid to the tournament. As of Sunday morning, 27 conferences have crowned a champion. Here are the teams that have won their conference tournaments and are going dancing:
America East Conference: Vermont (28-5)
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC): Virginia Tech (23-12)
Atlantic Sun Conference: Jacksonville State (21-10)* (Did not win conference tournament, won regular season.)
Big 12 Conference: Kansas (28-6)
Big East Conference: Villanova (26-7)
Big Sky Conference: Montana State (27-7)
Big South Conference: Longwood (26-6)
Big West Conference: CSU Fullerton (21-10)
Colonial Athletic Association: Delaware (22-12)
Conference USA: UAB (27-7)
Horizon League: Wright State (21-13)
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC): Saint Peter’s (19-11)
Mid-American Conference (MAC): Akron (24-9)
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC): Norfolk State (24-6)
Missouri Valley Conference (MVC): Loyola Chicago (25-7)
Mountain West Conference: Boise State (27-7)
Northeast Conference (NEC): Bryant (22-9)
Ohio Valley Conference (OVC): Murray State (30-2)
Pac-12 Conference: Arizona (31-3)
Patriot League: Colgate (23-11)
Southern Conference: Chattanooga (27-7)
Southland Conference: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (23-11)
Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC): Texas Southern (18-12)
Summit League: South Dakota State (30-4)
Sun Belt Conference: Georgia State (18-10)
West Coast Conference (WCC): Gonzaga (26-3)
Western Athletic Conference (WAC): New Mexico State (26-6)
One of those teams that clinched a bid, Virginia Tech, did so by winning the ACC tournament for the first time in program history. The Hokies are heading to their fifth-straight NCAA Tournament, the longest streak in program history. Check out this @zandersfacts post for all the facts after the Hokies’ win on Saturday night:
There are five conferences holding their championship games in their conference tournaments today. Here is a look at those five championship games:
Atlantic 10 Conference:
Richmond vs Davidson; 1:00 pm et - CBS; Washington, DC
American Athletic Conference:
Memphis vs Houston; 3:15 pm et - ESPN; Fort Worth, TX
Big Ten Conference:
Iowa vs Purdue; 3:30 pm et - CBS; Indianapolis, IN
Ivy League:
Yale vs Princeton; 12:00 pm et - ESPN2/ESPN+; Cambridge, MA
Southeastern Conference (SEC):
Texas A&M vs Tennessee; 1:00 pm et - ESPN; Tampa, FL
While there are teams that are certain, or fairly confident, that they are going to the NCAA Tournament this week, there are also teams that are unsure of their future. The bubble is alive and well on Selection Sunday, and there are several teams vying for only a few spots. This is the final Bubble Watch of the season, and what follows is a compilation of the squads vying to be a part of the madness from the six major conferences as well as other teams looking for an at-large bid. Teams that have the LOCK designation appear almost certain to make the tournament or have made the tournament, while teams with the BUBBLE designation are on the bubble and may only have to wait.
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
LOCK: #7 Duke (28-6, 16-4 ACC)
LOCK: #25 North Carolina (24-9, 15-5 ACC)
LOCK: Virginia Tech (23-12, 11-9 ACC) (Won ACC tournament)
BUBBLE: Miami (23-10, 14-6 ACC)
NET ranking: 62
ESPN Projection: Last Four Byes
BUBBLE: Notre Dame (22-10, 15-5 ACC)
NET ranking: 53
ESPN Projection: Last Four In
BUBBLE: Wake Forest (23-9, 13-7 ACC)
NET ranking: 48
ESPN Projection: First Four Out
Big 12 Conference
LOCK: #3 Baylor (26-5, 14-4 Big 12)
LOCK: #6 Kansas (25-6, 14-4 Big 12) (Won Big 12 tournament)
LOCK: #14 Texas Tech (23-8, 12-6 Big 12)
LOCK: #22 Texas (21-10, 10-8 Big 12)
LOCK: Iowa State (20-11, 7-11 Big 12)
LOCK: TCU (20-12, 8-10 Big 12)
BUBBLE: Oklahoma (17-14, 7-11 Big 12)
NET ranking: 40
ESPN Projection: First Four Out
Big East Conference
LOCK: Marquette (19-12, 11-8 Big East)
LOCK: #11 Providence (25-5, 14-3 Big East)
LOCK: Seton Hall (21-10, 11-8 Big East)
LOCK: #20 UConn (23-9, 13-6 Big East)
LOCK: #8 Villanova (26-7, 16-4 Big East) (Won Big East tournament)
BUBBLE: Creighton (22-11, 12-7 Big East)
NET ranking: 55
ESPN Projection: In the tournament
BUBBLE: Xavier (18-13, 8-11 Big East)
NET ranking: 41
ESPN Projection: First Four Out
Big Ten Conference
LOCK: #16 Illinois (22-9, 15-5 Big Ten)
LOCK: #24 Iowa (25-9, 12-8 Big Ten)
LOCK: Michigan State (22-12, 11-9 Big Ten)
LOCK: Ohio State (19-11, 12-8 Big Ten)
LOCK: #9 Purdue (27-6, 14-6 Big Ten)
LOCK: #12 Wisconsin (24-7, 15-5 Big Ten)
BUBBLE: Indiana (20-13, 9-11 Big Ten)
NET ranking: 39
ESPN Projection: Last Four Byes
BUBBLE: Michigan (17-14, 11-9 Big Ten)
NET ranking: 34
ESPN Projection: Last Four In
BUBBLE: Rutgers (18-13, 12-8 Big Ten)
NET ranking: 77
ESPN Projection: Last Four Byes
Pac-12 Conference
LOCK: #2 Arizona (31-3, 18-2 Pac-12) (Won Pac-12 Tournament)
LOCK: #13 UCLA (25-7, 15-5 Pac-12)
LOCK: #21 USC (26-7, 14-6 Pac-12)
Southeastern Conference (SEC)
LOCK: Alabama (19-13, 9-9 SEC)
LOCK: #15 Arkansas (25-8, 13-5 SEC)
LOCK: #4 Auburn (27-5, 15-3 SEC)
LOCK: #5 Kentucky (26-7, 14-4 SEC)
LOCK: LSU (22-11, 9-9 SEC)
LOCK: #9 Tennessee (25-7, 14-4 SEC)
BUBBLE: Florida (19-13, 9-9 SEC)
NET ranking: 59
ESPN Projection: Out of the tournament
BUBBLE: Texas A&M (23-11, 9-9 SEC)
NET ranking: 42
ESPN Projection: Last Four In
Mid-Major Conferences
LOCK: Boise State (27-7, 15-3 MWC) (Won MWC tournament)
LOCK: #23 Colorado State (25-5, 14-4 MWC)
LOCK: #1 Gonzaga (26-3, 13-1 WCC) (Won WCC tournament)
LOCK: #18 Houston (28-5, 15-3 AAC)
LOCK: Loyola Chicago (25-7, 13-5 MVC) (Won MVC tournament)
LOCK: #19 Murray State (30-2, 18-0 OVC) (Won OVC tournament)
LOCK: #17 Saint Mary’s (25-7, 12-3 WCC)
LOCK: San Diego State (23-8, 13-4 MWC)
LOCK: South Dakota State (30-4, 18-0 Summit) (Won Summit League tournament)
BUBBLE: BYU (22-10, 9-6 WCC)
NET ranking: 54
ESPN Projection: Next Four Out
BUBBLE: Davidson (27-5, 15-3 A10)
NET ranking: 38
ESPN Projection: In the tournament
BUBBLE: Dayton (23-10, 14-4 A10)
NET ranking: 58
ESPN Projection: Next Four Out
BUBBLE: Memphis (21-9, 13-5 AAC)
NET ranking: 31
ESPN Projection: In the tournament
BUBBLE: North Texas (24-6, 16-2 C-USA)
NET ranking: 47
ESPN Projection: Out of the tournament
BUBBLE: San Francisco (24-9, 10-6 WCC)
NET ranking: 22
ESPN Projection: In the tournament
BUBBLE: SMU (23-8, 13-4 AAC)
NET ranking: 44
ESPN Projection: First Four Out
BUBBLE: VCU (21-9, 14-4 A10)
NET ranking: 56
ESPN Projection: Next Four Out
BUBBLE: Wyoming (25-8, 13-5 MWC)
NET ranking: 50
ESPN Projection: Last Four In
*Of note, Richmond can steal a bid from a bubble team if they defeat Davidson in the Atlantic 10 championship game. The winner of the Ivy League championship game will also clinch a bid.
Once again, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Selection Show begins tonight after the Big Ten championship game at 6:00 pm et on CBS. As of now, it appears that the four #1 seeds have been locked up by Arizona, Baylor, Gonzaga, and Kansas. Additionally, the women’s tournament field will be unveiled at 8:00 pm et on ESPN. Stay tuned to @zandersfacts on Instagram for the latest updates and a chance to fill out an official Zander’s Facts-branded bracket.
The Latest on Ukraine
If you’ve been paying way too much attention to college basketball like I have, you’ve probably missed some updates on the war in Ukraine. Here is the latest information:
Several sources are reporting that Russia is preparing to use chemical weapons in their invasion of Ukraine. the head of NATO is warning that a false Russian claim that Ukraine is storing biological weapons may be used as a pretext for chemical attacks by Russia. President Joe Biden has warned that that Russia will pay a “severe price” for any chemical attacks.
Sunday morning, Russian missiles hit a large Ukranian military base near Lyiv, close to the Polish border.
On Sunday, a former New York Times correspondent and freelancing journalist was killed in Ukraine. Brent Renaud’s death comes as Russian forces are ramping up their attacks on civilian areas in Ukraine.
Remember to check out Episode 56 of the Zander’s Facts Podcast to hear insight from an expert on the situation.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
There was a lot that happened in sports this week. Here are a couple of the headlines you need to know:
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended through the 2022 NFL season by the NFL after it was revealed he had bet on NFL games during the 2021 season. Ridley placed the bets in November while he was away from the team and on the team’s non-football illness list.
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich became the winningest coach in NBA history on Friday, winning his 1,336th career game. The win for the Spurs against the Utah Jazz allowed Popovich to pass Don Nelson for most wins in league history.
After another offseason of speculation, Green Pay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers announced he is staying in Green Bay. Rodgers went on social media to announce he was returning, but that reports of the details of the contract were not true. Many sources have reported and confirmed that Rodgers will sign a four-year, $200 million extension, making him the highest-payed player in the NFL.
After months of speculation that Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was unhappy in Seattle, he has finally been dealt. The Denver Broncos agreed to acquire Wilson and a fourth-round pick in a trade that will send three players, two first-round draft picks, two second-round draft picks and a fifth-round draft pick to Seattle.
On Thursday, Major League Baseball officially announced the end of a lockout with the Major League Baseball Players Association that had halted league activities since December. While MLB had earlier canceled games, those games will now be made up and a 162 game season will be played. Spring training camps begin today while the season will begin April 7. In other news, MLB and Apple announced a deal that will allow Apple to air MLB doubleheaders on Friday nights on their Apple TV+ service. MLB is also negotiating a deal with NBC to place Sunday morning and afternoon games on the company’s Peacock streaming service.
Wrapping up
Before this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast. Download and listen to Episode 56 wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Zander’s Facts’ Linktree page for more on anything Zander’s Facts related: Zander's Facts on Linktree
A brand new edition of the Zander’s Facts Podcast drops this Wednesday! On Episode 57, Zander will be joined by a special guest to exclusively unveil the Zander’s Facts bracket for the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament! You won’t want to miss all the facts that will be coming on Wednesday!
Do remember to check out the next edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts next Sunday! If you haven’t already, make sure to sign up with the link below to get Zander’s Weekend Facts in your inbox every Sunday so you don’t miss anything!
That’s a wrap on this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, March 20, 2022.
