WKU Wins Sun Belt Again to become Breitbart Sports' 50th Bid, 18 left

Anyone who doesn’t believe that almost every team gets invited to the “National” March Madness tournament, need only look at Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers do not have a top 500 player on www.valueaddbasketball.com, and have not had a winning season in the Sun Belt Conference any of the past three season. Yet in the Sun Belt tournaments those same three years, they are 10-1, and Monday they were the 50^th team to make the tournament (see list of all 50 below).

Jamal Cook, the team’s best player but only the 533^rd best player in the country, scored 17 points while George Fant also scored 17 and added 13 rebounds in the 65-63 win.

Florida International had provided the first spoiler in the semifinals, by defeating 1-seed and NCAA lock Middle Tennessee in the semifinal.

Others will argue that our selection of Middle Tennessee as a lock was premature, since their two biggest wins are over Vanderbilt on a neutral court and Mississippi at home. However, the starting point for selections is the RPI, and by that count Middle Tennessee is the 27^th best team in the country, and even when adjusting for the more scientific numbers at www.kenpom.com they rank as the 31^st best team.

While lacking size, they may finish as the only team in the country with four guards in the Top 500 in Value Add with Marcos Knight (6-foot-2), Bruce MAssey (6-3), Tweety Knight( 6-1) and Raymond Cintron (6-0).

The following is the updated list of the 50 teams that are in the tournament. They are listed alphabetically, except the four teams that were added tonight are listed on top – Davidson, Iona, James Madison and Western Kentucky.

Team, Conf

1. Davidson, SC
2. Iona, MAAC
3. James Madison, CAA
4. Western Kentucky, SB
5. Arizona, P12
6. Belmont, OVC
7. Butler, A10
8. California, P12
9. Cincinnati, BE
10. Colorado, P12
11. Colorado St., MWC
12. Creighton, MVC
13. Duke, ACC
14. Florida, SEC
15. Florida Gulf Coast, ASun
16. Georgetown, BE
17. Gonzaga, WCC
18. Harvard, Ivy
19. Illinois, B10
20. Indiana, B10
21. Kansas, B12
22. Kansas St., B12
23. La Salle, A10
24. Liberty, BSth
25. Louisville, BE
26. Marquette, BE
27. Memphis, CUSA
28. Miami FL, ACC
29. Michigan, B10
30. Michigan St., B10
31. Middle Tennessee, SB
32. Minnesota, B10
33. Missouri, SEC
34. Nevada Las Vegas, MWC
35. New Mexico, MWC
36. North Carolina, ACC
37. North Carolina St., ACC
38. Notre Dame, BE
39. Ohio St., B10
40. Oklahoma, B12
41. Oklahoma St., B12
42. Oregon, P12
43. Pittsburgh, BE
44. San Diego St., MWC
45. St. Louis, A10
46. Syracuse, BE
47. UCLA, P12
48. Virginia Commonwealth, A10
49. Wichita St., MVC
50. Wisconsin, B10