Any particular reporter/media analyst is going to have his particular opinions and take on things. CBS not only has the natural eastern bias that pervades much of the national media but also is attached lips to a** with the SEC so they tend to believe that the world starts and ends in the eastern half of the country focused on the southern states. With this in mind it is no surprise that you would see SEC schools like Tennessee hyped as well as schools like VCU and George Mason that happen to exist in that part of the country and play a lot of OCC games against SEC schools.
Is it possible that CU will be left out? Yes, they are not ranked, have a low RPI, have a couple of ugly losses, and aren't a historical basketball power. In addition to underestimate the ability of the NCAA to do stupid things would be a hard task. On the other hand the majority of the media guys looking at the situation including some who have pretty good records of being right in the past have us solidly in. These guys are making this call from the same national media viewpoint as CBS is so I think that it would be logical to put us in.
Is it possible that CU will be left out? Yes, they are not ranked, have a low RPI, have a couple of ugly losses, and aren't a historical basketball power. In addition to underestimate the ability of the NCAA to do stupid things would be a hard task. On the other hand the majority of the media guys looking at the situation including some who have pretty good records of being right in the past have us solidly in. These guys are making this call from the same national media viewpoint as CBS is so I think that it would be logical to put us in.