For the first time in years the Bulls have made Joe Lunardi's column on ESPN.com "Bracketology".The weekly feature predicts the possible "March Madness" bracket we all know so well. Lunardi is known to be very accurate with his final bracket but this week's edition is nowhere near that.
There are still 2 full months of regular season play to go as well as the all important MAC Tournament for the Bulls.
All this prediction seems to mean is that Lunardi believes that UB could be the favorite going into the tournament in Cleveland, Ohio. The MAC Champion gets an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
UB has come very close to clinching their first ever NCAA Tournament bid a few times. The Bulls have lost in the MAC Championship game twice, 2005 and 2009.
The 2005 game was a heartbreaking loss to Ohio on a buzzer beating tip in at the end of overtime. The 2009 game was a lot more one-sided as Akron beat the favored Bulls by 12.
What UB really needs to aim for right now is a top 4 seed in MAC Regular Season play, which will earn them the right to a bye into the quarterfinals of the tournament.
UB will not have any easy road to this coveted bye. The MAC East, where UB plays is much tougher than the MAC West this year.
Akron, UB, Ohio, Kent State & Bowling Green are all potential MAC East winners and will be fighting for the 4 byes along with Ball State and Toledo from the West along with others.
While this prediction really has no true worth it is nice to look ahead and see what could be in March.
When it comes to mid majors this early in the year, Lunardi just posts the team that is highest in the respective conference's standing with rpi as his tiebreaker. That is why UB is there right now. I'm Not saying they won't win the conference though
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