Busting Bracketology 2.0: ACC and Big 12 in command
By Doug Winkey
6 Seeds: Baylor, Indiana, Utah, Arizona
Baylor, after their recent struggles, got a massive win over the visiting Iowa State Cyclones. The tourniquet win keeps Baylor tied for third in the Big 12 at 8-5. With four hard games left at Texas and Oklahoma, hosting Kansas and West Virginia, and a breather in the middle at TCU, Baylor should feel mostly confident about their postseason prospects.
Arizona Wildcats
Indiana again sits tied atop the Big Ten leaderboard. The Hoosiers have a record of 11-3 after their most recent win over Nebraska. Three of the final four games left are tough, with home contests against Purdue and Maryland along with a road visit to Iowa as well. It’ll be interesting if Indiana’s 11th ranked offense continues to make up for the 121st best defense.
Arizona has won six straight to retake first in the Pac 12. The Wildcats are 10-4, a half game up on Oregon for the regular season title. What’s even more impressive is how the team has done it without two of their best in Allonzo Trier and Kaleb Tarczewski, who have missed 15 games combined. Ryan Anderson has been a workhorse, averaging nearly 16 and 10 while also shooting 58% from the field.
Utah continues to fight through the muddy Pac-12 behind Arizona. The Utes are 8-5, good for a third place tie with USC. I have no real doubts that Utah will make the NCAA’s, but potential wins at USC and home against Arizona and Colorado will only improve the resume. Jakob Poeltl is a legitimate contender for conference POY while averaging 17.8 points and 8.8 boards a game.
Next: The Phenomenal 5s