NCAA Tournament Auto Bids: Duke, Kentucky, Richmond Wrap Up Automatic Berths

Dayton came into Selection Sunday hoping to poach the Atlantic 10's automatic berth and play bid thief. Instead, Richmond handled the Cinderella Flyers and kept the NCAA Tournament bubble intact with a 67-54 victory in the Atlantic 10 Tournament final.

Richmond's Kevin Anderson led all scorers with 23 points, and the Spiders' Justin Harper added 18 points. Both teams struggled to produce on offense, with Richmond shooting just 42.2% from the field, only marginally better than Dayton's 38.2%.

Richmond's win dashes the amusing possibility that Dayton could make the NCAA Tournament and be sent to the First Four play-in games in Dayton, but the Spiders are certainly not going to be shedding any tears for their rivals. The win gives Richmond a strong profile and should produce a No. 10 or No. 9 seed for the Spiders, who rank among the most dangerous mid-major teams in this year's March Madness field.

For more NCAA Tournament predictions, check out SB Nation's latest bracketology.

Duke got its revenge on North Carolina in the ACC Tournament final with a convincing 73-58 victory that should propel the Blue Devils to a No. 1 seed on this Selection Sunday.

Duke got 20 points and 10 assists from Nolan Smith in the win, and the Blue Devils' National Player of the Year candidate led all scorers despite making just six of 18 shots. Kyle Singler and Seth Curry each added 11 points for Duke.

North Carolina has less success. Harrison Barnes followed a 40-point outburst in the semifinals with a quiet 16 points, and John Henson's 18 rebounds were not enough to keep the Tar Heels in this game.

After that result, it will be very hard to deny Duke a No. 1 seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. The Selection Committee has a slightly harder job before it with North Carolina: the Tar Heels' white-hot finish was tempered by a miserable loss at the very end, and could make a team that was talked about as a No. 2 seed entering today into a No. 4 seed by the time the bracket is released tonight.

For more on the Tar Heels, visit SB Nation's Carolina March; for more NCAA Tournament predictions, check out SB Nation's latest bracketology.

Kentucky didn't need an automatic berth to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, but the Wildcats got one with a 65-54 victory over Florida in the SEC Tournament final. Now, the 'Cats can wait for even better news about their potential March Madness seeding on this Selection Sunday.

The Wildcats did a number on regular season SEC champion Florida's offense, holding it well below its season scoring average and to under 40% shooting from the field. Kentucky also got 17 points from super freshman Brandon Knight, and another 16 from fellow freshman Terrence Jones.

With the victory, Kentucky is likely to be in the hunt for a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee's eyes. Florida's hopes of securing a No. 2 seed have likely dimmed, but it would be hard to see the Gators falling below the No. 3 line.

For more on the Wildcats, visit SB Nation's Kentucky blog; for more on the Gators, hit up SB Nation's Alligator Army. And for more NCAA Tournament predictions, check out SB Nation's latest bracketology.

At least one bubble team can breathe a sigh of relief as Utah State, a lock to make the NCAA tournament field of 68, has defeated Boise State 77-69 to win the Western Athletic Conference's automatic bid. This keeps an at-large spot open, keeping the bubble one of the softest in recent memory. The Aggies shot better than 53% from the field and out-rebounded the Broncos by 12 as they won a game that was much closer in reality than it was on the box score. Boise State were in it to the very end, pulling Utah State's lead back to one possession on multiple occasions, but they could never string together enough buckets and stops to take the lead and hold it.

Though the WAC conference tournament isn't one of the most difficult in the country to win, Utah State did themselves a massive service by taking care of business and winning the conference's automatic bid. While they were in the tournament no matter what, this win will almost certainly help their seeding.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation's Blogging the Bracket.

The Big East was never in real danger of having an automatic berth-winner that would not have otherwise qualified for the 2011 NCAA Tournament. But with Connecticut's 69-66 victory over Louisville in the Big East Championship, the Huskies may have pulled off the greatest accomplishment in conference tournament history.

Kemba Walker, as usual, was fantastic for the Huskies: he had 19 points, staked UConn to a huge first half lead, and made a splendid pass to Jeremy Lamb for the lay-up that gave his team a lead it would not relinquish. Walker's Big East Tournament performance set all sorts of records, and his 130 points over UConn's unprecedented five wins in five days will likely be emblazoned in lore for a long, long time. Heroism isn't quite right for sports, but there are certainly heroics, and Kemba Walker's play over the last five days qualifies.

With the win, expect UConn to get a 2 or 3 seed from the NCAA Selection Committee; Louisville might well be a 3 seed if the Huskies get a 2.

For more, be sure to check out SB Nation's Louisville blog, Card Chronicle, and our UConn blog, the appropriately-named UConn Blog.

Alabama State is going dancing after a 65-48 win over Grambling State in the SWAC Tournament championship on Saturday night. Alabama will make a fourth appearance in the tournament, the latest of which came in 2009.

Tramayne Moorer finished with a team-high 14 points off the bench in the win. Tramaine Butler added 13 points as Alabama State spread the scoring load around. Shareif Adamu scored nine points and Kenderek Washington had eight.

Grambling State had three players in double-figures, led by Donald Qualls’ 12 points. Lance Feurtado finished with 11 points and Justin Patton scored 10 points. The Grambling State bench was almost non-existent in the loss, with Peter Roberson’s seven points the only bench scoring on the night.

Alabama State is safely in the 2011 NCAA Tournament field by way of the SWAC automatic bid. The Hornets will head home to await their seeding during the Selection Sunday show.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation’s Blogging the Bracket.

With a nifty step-back move and the flick of the wrist, Washington guard Isaiah Thomas lifted the Huskies to a Pac-10 Tournament championship and automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. After assisting on the jump that tied the game at the end of regulation, Thomas did it himself with time winding down and the score tied in overtime, drilling a jumper at the buzzer, to give Washington a 77-75 win over the Arizona Wildcats.

Thomas finished with a game-high 28 points, none more important than those final two. Washington's two freshmen, C.J. Wilcox and Terrence Ross, stepped up in prime-time, scoring nine and 16 points respectively. It was Wilcox hitting the clutch shot in regulation, taking the feed from Thomas and draining a three to tie it up, sending the game to overtime.

Derrick Williams had a double-double for the Wildcats, finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Solomon Hill and Kevin Parrom were also in double-figures with 12 points apiece.

Washington awaits its fate on Selection Sunday with an NCAA Tournament secure after the Pac-10 Tournament title. Arizona also appears to be safely in the picture as well. The full field will be announced at 6 p.m. on Sunday in the traditional selection show.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation's Blogging the Bracket. To connect with Washington fans, visit UW Dawg Pound and SB Nation Seattle.

There will be Gauchos in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. UC Santa Barbara scored the Big West's automatic NCAA Tournament berth with a 64-56 win over Long Beach State in the Big West Tournament final late Saturday night.

The Gauchos have been led by big guard Orlando Johnson all year, and he didn't disappoint on this night. He led all scorers with 23 points, and helped limit both Casper Ware and Larry Anderson to underwhelming shooting nights for the 49ers.

On the season, though, UCSB hasn't been able to do much to prove its worth. The Gauchos have one marquee win, over UNLV in November, and had been 4-6 over their last 10 games entering the Big West Tournament. That's the sort of profile that translates to a 16 seed — maybe a 15 seed, if the NCAA Selection Committee is feeling charitable — and a quiet first round exit.

The NCAA Tournament appearance is UCSB's second straight. The Gauchos lost to Ohio State in the first round last year.

Despite the absence of Brandon Davies, the BYU Cougars have been able to make a run to the final of the 2011 Mountain West Conference basketball tournament on the back of some stellar performances by Jimmer Fredette. He dropped 52 against New Mexico and put up a solid 30 points tonight, but he got little help from his teammates as San Diego State coasted to an emphatic 72-54 victory. Aztecs forwards Billy White and Kawhi Leonard both hit 20 points and were both fantastic on the glass.

BYU shot 25% from behind the arc as a team, which was probably their biggest undoing. Though, only having one player other than Fredette in double figures and getting out-rebounded probably didn't help either. With their win, San Diego State all but locked themselves into a No. 2 seed and has forced the committee into giving them serious consideration as a No. 1 seed. Based on the heavy nature of this loss and the absence of Davies, BYU, once a possible No. 1 seed, could see themselves drop below the No. 3 line.

For more on the Mountain West Conference Tournament, including Jimmer Fredette's 52-point explosion in the semifinals, check out SB Nation Denver and Mountain West Connection.

The Mid-American contest was heavily contested all season, so it's only fitting that the tournament championship game was just as tight. In the end, Akron upset Kent State, 66-65, in overtime to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament. 

Brett McKnight, who air balled a free throw in regulation, nailed two clutch free throws with 13 seconds to go in overtime to seal the win. Kent State had two chances to win, but Rodriquez Sherman had his shot blocked, and Randal Holt missed a three-pointer after an offensive rebound. McKnight led the Zips with 15 points off the bench, while Holt led Kent State with 14.

The Zips entered the MAC Tournament as the No. 6 seed, but upset several teams on their way to the conference crown. They topped Western Michigan in the semifinals before defeating Kent State in this one. Kent State, meanwhile, was the regular-season champion, so they can at least console themselves with an NIT berth. 

In the Southland Conference Championship on Saturday, UTSA punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament. The Roadrunners topped the Cowboys 75-72, but only after a determined rally from McNeese State.

Down 71-63 with under a minute remaining, McNeese State began to sink threes. When sent to the line, UTSA couldn't sink its free throws reliably, opening the door for the Cowboys. McNeese State made it a one-possession game, but an out-of-bounds call all but sealed the win for the Roadrunners.

Jeromie Hill led UTSA with 25 points. Teammate Stephen Franklin recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. On the Cowboys' side of the ball, Diego Kapelan contributed 20 points in a losing effort.

This is UTSA's first Southland Conference Championship win since 2004; they figure to enter the Tournament as a 16-seed. McNeese State, meanwhile, falls a game short of winning its first conference title since 2002.

The Princeton Tigers have secured the Ivy League's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA basketball tournament, defeating the Harvard Crimson 63-62 on an incredible buzzer beating shot from Douglas Davis. The end of the second half of the match was an incredible up and down battle with lead change after lead change, but it was Princeton who pulled it out in the end with a shot so close, the officials had to review. Upon replay, the ball left Davis's hand with 0.2 seconds remaining on the game clock.

If Harvard had won the game, it would have been their first bid into the NCAA tournament since 1942. While a very big longshot for an at-large bid, getting into the tournament is not completely out of the question for the Crimson. They have an RPI under 50 with only one bad loss, away to Yale, but their record of 3-4 against the RPI top 100 is unlikely to be good enough to get them into the tournament.

Princeton had an RPI that was sub-50 going into this game, according to some rankings, and that will only improve as a result of this win over Harvard. The Tigers could manage to pull themselves into a 13 or 12 seed position, meaning a first round upset wouldn't be completely out of the question.

For the first time in five years, Hampton will be dancing: the Pirates earned the MEAC's automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament with a 60-55 win over Morgan State, earning Hampton's first NCAA Tournament bid since 2006.

It was an ugly game for both teams. Neither shot over 36 percent from the field, and Reggie Jackson's 25 points for Morgan State led all scorers but came on 19 shots.

Hampton has a fairly strong NCAA Tournament history for a team that is a decade removed from its first entry and makes the field only with the MEAC's automatic bid. Hampton upset second-seeded Iowa State as a 15 seed in its first appearance in 2001.

These Pirates are also likely to need a big first round upset to advance. They have only one win over a team ranked in Ken Pomeroy's top 100, and that came with a 77-75 victory over Colorado State on New Year's Day.

As was the case with many other games this past week, the American East championship game featured a team winning after taking its only lead of the game in the closing seconds. This time, it was Boston University rallying to top Stony Brook, 56-54, and punch its ticket to the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

Boston University was heavily-favored and was playing at home, but upstart Stony Brook nearly pulled off the stunning upset. The No. 5-seeded Seawolves, who upset No. 1 seed Vermont in the semifinals, led 41-28 with 16 minutes remaining before Boston University rallied. The Terriers tied the game on two free throws by John Holland with 1:03 to go, setting up a great finish. Holland then stole the ball with 31 seconds left, and eventually drove and got fouled with 2.5 seconds left. He made both free throws, and a Stony Brook half-court heave fell off the rim.

Holland carried Boston University to the win, scoring 27 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Neither team shot well, both hitting just 31 percent of their field-goal attempts. 

The Patriot League Tournament ultimately ended as expected. No. 1 seed Bucknell, who rolled with just one loss in league play in the regular season, ultimately won the title, defeating No. 6 seed Lafayette, 72-57, to win the league title and punch its bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Bucknell never really pulled away until late in the game, spurring thoughts that Lafayette could pull off yet another shocker. In the end, though, Bucknell scored 25 of the game's final 40 points to account for the final margin. Mike Muscala led the way with 18 points for the Bison in the win.

Lafayette got to this point by shocking No. 2 seed American in double overtime on a buzzer-beating shot, but ultimately, it'll be Bucknell dancing next week.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation's Blogging the Bracket. 

Montana were able to take the Big Sky title on the road last season as they knocked off Weber State to get to the NCAA tournament, but they won't be dancing this year after they fell to Northern Colorado, who successfully defended their home court with a 65-60 victory. These two teams split their season series, with each team winning their home game, but this encounter was considerably closer than the January 6th game that Northern Colorado won by 18 points.

In the end, Montana's biggest undoing was foul trouble. Had Northern Colorado shot better from the free throw line, the game might not have been very close, but due to the Bears barely managing 50%, Montana were involved all the way to the end. However, late in the game, the clutch shooting of Devon Beitzel, both behind the arc and at the free throw line, was too much for Montana to deal with.

Northern Colorado have an RPI over 100 with no wins over the RPI top 100, so despite their solid 13-3 conference record, the Bears are likely to draw one of the top seeds come tournament time. They're unlikely to care, though, as this is their first trip to March Madness in school history.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation's Blogging the Bracket.

Robert Morris and Long Island played a close to neck and neck game for the entirety if the Northeastern Conference championship, eventually resulting in some bonus basketball, but the top seeded Blackbirds grinded out a close win, 85-82, after 65 minutes to take the Northestern Conference's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Long Island had a 16-2 conference record and an RPI of 81 going into this game, so they should have a good chance of avoiding the truly elite teams in the first round of the tournament.

Long Island appeared to have the game wrapped up in regulation time, but Russel Johnson of Robert Morris hit a three point shot to tie the game up at 74-74 with 18 seconds remaining. Long Island had a chance to win with both a shot and an tip on an offensive rebound at the end of regulation, but they were unable to convert. They recovered in overtime, though, eventually pulling out the victory.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation's Blogging the Bracket.

After a magical run through the NCAA Tournament in 2010, ending with a heartbreaking loss to Duke in the national championship, the Butler Bulldogs are back again in 2011 after winning the Horizon League Tournament. Butler, which shared the Horizon's regular season title, took home the championship by dropping league co-champion UW-Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

Butler has been on a mini-run, of sorts, earning NCAA Tournament bids in each of the five seasons. The Bulldogs have gone dancing eight times since 2000, making the Sweet Sixteen in 2003, 2007 and 2010. Butler has won or shared the Horizon League regular season title in each of the last four years, as well, winning the conference tournament three times.

Milwaukee is NIT-bound after sharing the regular season title, earning the Panthers an automatic bid into the tournament. Butler has a few days to bask in its tournament championship before finding out its seeding on Selection Sunday with the rest of the world.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation's Blogging the Bracket.

For the second-straight year, and third time overall, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies are in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Summit League Tournament. On Tuesday, Oakland took home the title, cruising to a 90-76 win over Oral Roberts in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. 

Keith Benson was dominant for Oakland, scoring a team-high 28 points and grabbing rebounds to lead the Golden Grizzlies back to the Big Dance. Reggie Hamilton added 26 points, with Will Hudson, 12 points and Drew Valentine, 10 points, also in double-figures.

Oral Roberts spread the scoring load around, but didn't have an answer for Benson and Hamilton. Dominique Morrison, led the way with a team-high 22 points, with Warren Niles adding 13. Damen Bell-Houlter added 11 points, Steven Roundtree added 10 and Ken Holdman chipped in 10 points off the bench.

Oakland now waits to find out its seeding with the rest of the world on Selection Sunday after bringing home the Summit League's automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation's Blogging the Bracket.

North Texas and Arkansas-Little Rock battled for the Sun Belt's automatic NCAA Tournament bid, with the Trojans taking the conference title game, 64-63. Arkansas-Little Rock's Soloman Bozeman hit a three-pointer with a second left on the clock to send his team to its first March Madness since 1990.

The game was close all evening -- North Texas began to pull away in the closing minutes, leading by seven with just under two to go, but Little Rock closed it to one point with 16 seconds left.

This wasn't an ideal title game for the Sun Belt, as neither of these teams turned in a winning conference record. Both were ranked in the bottom half of the West division, and Little Rock barely mustered a record better than .500 overall. Still, do you think there's a single Trojans fan who's worried about that right now? You do not think that there is.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation’s Blogging the Bracket.

Steven Gray led Gonzaga with 15 points as they captured the WCC Tournament Championship over Saint Mary's by a 75-63 score. The Bulldogs trailed early in the second half before a late run propelled them to their 13th straight visit to the Big Dance. Saint Mary's Mickey McConnell led all scores with 24 points and Matthew Dellavedova tossed in 21 points of his own in a losing cause. 

Gonzaga is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament having been in the field every season since 1999. The Bulldogs have now won nine games in a row and are 24-9 on the season. Coming into tonight's match-up they had split the previous two games with Saint Mary's. The Gaels defeated Gonzaga on the Zags' home floor 73-71 in late January before dropping a 89-85 contest in overtime in late February. Tonight's meeting in the WCC championship proved to be the rubber match with Gonzaga taking home the title. 

Mark Few has become a household name due to the success his Gonzaga teams have had in March and for turning down some higher profile jobs to remain with the Bulldogs. Few has amassed over 300 career coaching victories with Gonzaga and has taken the Bulldogs to the Sweet Sixteen four different times. 

The Bulldogs were led this season by senior guard Steven Gray who led the team in both points and assists averaging 13.7 and 3.9 respectively. 

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation’s Blogging the Bracket.

Wofford is going to its second straight NCAA Tournament after defeating the College of Charleston 77-67 in the SOCON title game. The Terriers trailed 32-28 at the half but outscored Charleston by 14 points in the second half behind Cameron Rundles 21 points. Noah Dahlman added 20 points and 9 rebounds for the Terriers. Andrew Goudelock led Charleston with 25 points in the loss.

The Terriers will be making their second trip to the NCAA Tournament in school history. Last season Wofford gave Wisconsin a scare in the first round before falling 53-49 to the badgers. Wofford is now 21-12 on the season and finished 14-4 in the SOCON's south division.

Wofford coach Mike Young is in his ninth season at the school and has amassed a 136-138 career record. His greatest success has come in the last two seasons when his teams are a combined 46-21. Prior to becoming head coach, Young spent 13 seasons as an assistant coach at the school.

The Terriers are led by senior forward Noah Dahlman who averaged 20 points and 5.4 rebounds per game this season.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation’s Blogging the Bracket.

Saint Peter's becomes the latest team to punch its ticket for this year's Big Dance by defeating Iona 62-57 in the MAAC championship game. Jeron Belin led the way for the Peacocks with 17 points off the bench while Nick Leon added 15 points. Iona got 23 points and 11 rebounds from junior forward Michael Glover.

The win gives Saint Peter's its first MAAC Conference Tournament Championship since 1995 and their third overall. The Peacocks are now 20-13 on the season after winning the tournament despite finishing fourth in the regular season standings.

The Peacocks are led by senior guard Wesley Jenkins how averaged 12.8 points while shooting 42% from three-point range on the season. Saint Peter's is coached by John Dunne who is in his fifth season with the school.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation’s Blogging the Bracket.

Old Dominion basketball overcame an embarrassing mascot snafu to take the 2011 CAA championship and the conference's first NCAA Tournament bid of the year with a 70-65 win over Virginia Commonwealth. George Mason is also a sure thing to make it in, and VCU was reportedly a consideration coming into today, but ODU's victory may have snuffed out that last part.

The Monarchs went 27-6 on the season and 15-4 in the CAA. This is their third tourney trip since 2005 and their sixth CAA conference title. Last year they shocked Notre Dame 51-50 to reach their first second round since 1995.

Star senior forward Frank Hassell leads the team in points and rebounds, averaging 14.6 and 9.8 respectively. Coach Blaine Taylor has been with ODU since 2001.

For more on Old Dominion, visit Mid Major Madness and SB Nation DC.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation’s Blogging the Bracket.

Arch Madness concluded with a tight win by the Indiana St. Sycamores, who topped the Missouri St. Bears 60-56 after leading for most of the second half. This marks Indiana State’s first conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001. In case it’s on the tip of your tongue right now, yes, this is the school Larry Bird led to the 1979 National Championship Game.

The ‘Mores are 20-13 on the year and only 13-6 in conference, entering the MVC tourney as the No. 3 seed. They’re led by junior Carl Richard, who averaged 9.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this year.

Missouri State opened today’s game with a 9-0 lead, but 15 points from Aaron Carter and 12 from Jake Odum wore away at the Bears’ quick advantage. Indy State’s D clamped down as well, holding Missouri State to only 30 percent shooting on the day.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation’s Blogging the Bracket.

Kenneth Faried's had a fantastic collegiate career. And thanks to Morehead State's victory over Tennessee Tech in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament final, it's not over yet.

Faried, a senior forward with some of the best hair you will see come March Madness, led the Eagles past the Golden Eagles and into the NCAA Tournament field with an 80-73 victory. He scored 24 points and snagged 15 rebounds, and added five blocks, and helped the Eagles hold off one final run.

In the final minutes, Tennessee Tech put together a 12-1 run to cut the lead to four. But Faried threw down a dunk and hit two free throws with just over a minute left to keep the lead from dwindling to one possession, then put back a shot in the final minute to push it back to double digits and turn the game into a free throw exhibition.

Demonte Harper led Morehead State with 27 points; Tennessee Tech's Kevin Murphy led all scorers with 30.

Faried's double-double was the 84th of his career. The only two players in NCAA history with as many are Tim Duncan and Ralph Sampson, and both went on to become number one overall picks in the NBA Draft.

Faried probably won't match that feat. But he could get closer to their collegiate records if he can lead Morehead State on an improbable run to the Sweet Sixteen: Chris Dobbertean had Murray State taking the Ohio Valley's automatic bid and earning a 16 seed for their troubles.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation's Blogging the Bracket.

To get to March Madness and have a chance of playing Cinderella, Atlantic Sun bully Belmont first had to take care of its own conference's glass slipper aspirants. Unfortunately for North Florida, Belmont was having none of their fairytale run: the Bruins roared past the Ospreys en route to an 89-47 rout in the Atlantic Sun Tournament final, and clinched their conference's automatic NCAA Tournament bid.

Mick Hedgespeth led the Bruins and all scorers with 23 points, but Belmont's domination was total. The Bruins forced 25 turnovers and committed just five, outrebounded North Florida 39-17, and outscored the Ospreys by 19 points in the first half and 23 in the second.

That's the sort of performance Belmont's been putting together in game after game this year, and the Bruins have earned a bit of respect as an NCAA Tournament sleeper. Three of the Bruins' four losses are to Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Chris Dobbertean had Belmont as a 13 seed entering today.

For updates on every automatic bid to the 2011 NCAA Tournament, keep this StoryStream bookmarked. For bracketology and 2011 NCAA Tournament field projections, be sure to visit SB Nation's Blogging the Bracket.