Chase for NCAA bid begins in three more leagues

THE JOCKEYING for an NCAA bid is intensifying. The power conferences are closing down their regular seasons this weekend, while the would-be Cinderellas are starting to decide who is going to the NCAA ball. Here are the three leagues beginning their tournaments tonight:

At Baltimore

FIRST ROUND/Today

8-Elon vs. 9-Towson, 6

7-Drexel vs. 10-College of Charleston, 8:30

QUARTERFINALS/Tomorrow

1-William & Mary vs. Elon/Towson, 12

4-James Madison vs. 5-Hofstra, 2:30

2-UNC Wilmington vs. Drexel/Charleston, 6

3-Northeastern vs. 6-Delaware, 8:30

SEMIFINALS/Sunday

Times: 2:30 & 5 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP/Monday

Semifinal winners, 7 (NBCSN)

NCAA Tourney prospects: This is a one-bid league.

Fun facts: William & Mary, which joined the CAA in 1985-86, just won a share of only its second crown. When the Tribe split it with UNC-Wilmington in 1998, it lost its first conference tournament game and was not selected for the NCAA Tournament . . . The Tribe is one of five teams playing since 1948, when Division I was created, that have never made it to the NCAAs. St. Francis (N.Y.), Army, Citadel and Northwestern are the others . . . College of Charleston's Canyon Barry was named to the national All-Academic second-team. Barry, the youngest son of former NBA star Rick Barry, is tied for the team lead in scoring at 12.0 points per game. He's the only member of the All-Academic teams to carry a perfect 4.0 GPA, but there is one thing Pop can torture him about. Rick Barry was an 89.3 percent free throw shooter in his NBA career. Canyon has made only 70 percent this season.

At Asheville, N.C.

FIRST ROUND/Today

8-UNC Greensboro vs. 9-Samford, 6

7-Citadel vs. 10-Furman, 8:30

QUARTERFINALS/Tomorrow

1-Wofford vs. UNC Greens./Samford, 12

4-W. Carolina vs. 5-East Tennessee St., 2:30

2-Chattanooga vs. Citadel-Furman, 6

3-Mercer vs. 6-Virginia Military, 8:30

SEMIFINALS/Sunday

Times: 6 & 8:30

CHAMPIONSHIP/Monday

Semifinal winners, 7 (ESPN2)

NCAA Tourney prospects: This is a one-bid league.

Fun facts: Either Wofford or Davidson has won this tournament 9 of the last 9 years. Wofford, the No. 1 seed, won it last year . . . Since VMI and Western Carolina can't meet until the championship, it's unlikely there will be a rematch of the game 2 weeks ago when VMI's Julian Eleby scored 43 points and WCU's James Sinclair countered with 40 in VMI's 113-111 double-overtime win . . . Hate to pick on him, but 10th-seeded Furman's 8-21 season can be summed up in one possession. Junior Stephen Croone, the team's best player, bricked a breakaway dunk against Duke, got the rebound and then followed with two missed layups. YouTube has the clip.

At Las Vegas

FIRST ROUND/Today

8-San Francisco vs. 9-Pacific, 9

7-Santa Clara vs. 10-Loyola Marymount, 11:30

QUARTERFINALS/Tomorrow

3-Saint Mary's vs. 6-Portland, 3

4-Pepperdine vs. 5-San Diego, 5:30

1-Gonzaga vs. San Francisco/Pacific, 9

2-BYU vs. Santa Clara/Loy. Marymount, 11:30

SEMIFINALS/Monday

Times: 9 & 11:30

CHAMPIONSHIP/Tuesday

Semifinal winners, 9 (ESPN)

NCAA Tourney prospects: Gonzaga is in. BYU, with a 39 RPI, needs to win two games to give itself a fighting chance on Selection Sunday. It can't meet Gonzaga until the title game.

Fun facts: Gonzaga has won three of the last four WCC tourneys and 12 of the last 16. For the Zags, though, this is merely a warmup to the NCAAs, where they have failed to get past the first weekend 5 consecutive years. The Zags' best player is Kyle Wiltjer, who contributed as a freshman to Kentucky's 2012 national championship team. He had 45 points in a game against Pacific this season . . . BYU junior Kyle Collinsworth tore his ACL in last year's conference championship game, but remarkably came back and recorded five triple-doubles this season, an NCAA record. The career record of six is held by Shaquille O'Neal and former Drexel star Michael Anderson (class of 1988).