NCAA Basketball: Busting Brackets Bracketology
By Doug Winkey
3 Seeds: Iowa State, Maryland, Michigan State, Louisville
Maryland. The Terps finally got their signature win for the season when the beat Iowa at home last week. They haven’t shown they can put their magnificent paper roster together for a whole game just yet, but their defense has been smothering enough in recent games to suggest they are entering a groove with just over a month left.
Iowa State could honestly get anywhere from 1-seed to a 5-seed the way this season has gone in Ames. They lost at Texas A&M to snap a four-game win streak, but has beaten three teams that have been ranked in the top-5 so far this year. The team has shown a lot of grit lately and are still near-unbeatable at home. They remain among the most dangerous teams in America.
Michigan State is a good team that has started to wake up in recent weeks. They had a three-game stretch where they lost to Iowa, Wisconsin, and a bad Nebraska team. They have rebounded with wins over Maryland, Northwestern, and Rutgers. Winning the Big Ten is unlikely given that Iowa swept the Spartans, but the Spartans are among the teams most prone to magical runs in the postseason every single year.
Louisville has no bad losses this season and have beaten North Carolina and Pittsburgh for their big wins. They sit behind only the Tar Heels and could win the ACC if things break their way. Transfers have done the heavy lifting for Rick Pitino’s squad. Cleveland State’s Trey Lewis and Drexel’s Damion Lee are playing great basketball. One of those two players will be the ACC newcomer of the year.
Next: 2 Seeds