Bracketology 1/24/19
As we get further into conference play, the contenders for the protected seeds are getting clearer. Some traditional powers who got off to shaky starts are on a roll and have moved into the protected category- namely Kentucky and Villanova. Kentucky will move up to the 2 line if they beat Kansas on Saturday, and have the opportunity for some really needle-moving wins against Tennessee coming up as well. It'll be a bit tougher for Villanova to continue to climb up the seed list given that they only have 4 NET group 1 games left, but them and Marquette will battle it out for the Big East title.
On the other hand, some teams are falling after hot starts. Chief among them is Auburn- The Tigers boast an impressive Kenpom ranking of 17, but are off to a 2-3 start in SEC play. Anyone who saw the Tigers hang tight with Duke and Kentucky would think they're a surefire tournament team, but their best win is against Arizona in Maui, and they have no Q1 wins. Opportunities for big wins continue this weekend in Starkville.
The Big 12/SEC challenge is this Saturday, and while Kansas/Kentucky is undoubtedly the headliner, there's a lot of interesting games. Alabama travels to Baylor in a matchup of 2 of the bubbliest teams in the country, Florida plays at TCU in a battle of 2 teams whose adjusted efficiency is much better than their resume, and Iowa State goes to Oxford to take on Ole Miss in a game of surprise teams.
1: Duke, Tennessee, Michigan State, Virginia
2: Michigan, Gonzaga, Kansas, North Carolina
3: Marquette, Kentucky, Houston, Nevada
4: Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Maryland
5: Oklahoma, Iowa, LSU, Louisville
6: Buffalo, Kansas State, Purdue, Iowa State
7: Florida State, Mississippi State, Wisconsin, Nebraska
8: North Carolina State, Syracuse, Mississippi, Cincinnati
9: Auburn, Texas, TCU, UCF
10: Arizona, St. John's, Indiana, Ohio State
11: Washington, Alabama, Wofford, (Minnesota/San Francisco)
12: (Florida/Seton Hall), VCU, Murray State, Lipscomb
13: Hofstra, New Mexico State, Yale, Old Dominion
14: Vermont, South Dakota State, Northern Kentucky, Radford
15: Texas State, Loyola Chicago, Montana, UC Irvine
16: Bucknell, Rider, (Texas Southern/Sam Houston State), (Robert Morris/Norfolk State)
First Four Out: Baylor, Utah State, Arizona State, Temple
Next Four Out: Butler, Northwestern, VCU, Creighton
Also Considered: Saint Louis, Murray State, Fresno State, Pittsburgh, Clemson
Moving In: None
Moving Out: None
Big Ten: 10
ACC: 8
SEC: 8
Big 12: 7
Big East: 4
American: 3
Pac-12: 2
WCC: 2
MAC: 1
Mountain West: 1
Southern: 1
On the other hand, some teams are falling after hot starts. Chief among them is Auburn- The Tigers boast an impressive Kenpom ranking of 17, but are off to a 2-3 start in SEC play. Anyone who saw the Tigers hang tight with Duke and Kentucky would think they're a surefire tournament team, but their best win is against Arizona in Maui, and they have no Q1 wins. Opportunities for big wins continue this weekend in Starkville.
The Big 12/SEC challenge is this Saturday, and while Kansas/Kentucky is undoubtedly the headliner, there's a lot of interesting games. Alabama travels to Baylor in a matchup of 2 of the bubbliest teams in the country, Florida plays at TCU in a battle of 2 teams whose adjusted efficiency is much better than their resume, and Iowa State goes to Oxford to take on Ole Miss in a game of surprise teams.
1: Duke, Tennessee, Michigan State, Virginia
2: Michigan, Gonzaga, Kansas, North Carolina
3: Marquette, Kentucky, Houston, Nevada
4: Texas Tech, Villanova, Virginia Tech, Maryland
5: Oklahoma, Iowa, LSU, Louisville
6: Buffalo, Kansas State, Purdue, Iowa State
7: Florida State, Mississippi State, Wisconsin, Nebraska
8: North Carolina State, Syracuse, Mississippi, Cincinnati
9: Auburn, Texas, TCU, UCF
10: Arizona, St. John's, Indiana, Ohio State
11: Washington, Alabama, Wofford, (Minnesota/San Francisco)
12: (Florida/Seton Hall), VCU, Murray State, Lipscomb
13: Hofstra, New Mexico State, Yale, Old Dominion
14: Vermont, South Dakota State, Northern Kentucky, Radford
15: Texas State, Loyola Chicago, Montana, UC Irvine
16: Bucknell, Rider, (Texas Southern/Sam Houston State), (Robert Morris/Norfolk State)
First Four Out: Baylor, Utah State, Arizona State, Temple
Next Four Out: Butler, Northwestern, VCU, Creighton
Also Considered: Saint Louis, Murray State, Fresno State, Pittsburgh, Clemson
Moving In: None
Moving Out: None
Big Ten: 10
ACC: 8
SEC: 8
Big 12: 7
Big East: 4
American: 3
Pac-12: 2
WCC: 2
MAC: 1
Mountain West: 1
Southern: 1
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