Bracketology: The updated projected field and a look to the weekend
For the first time this season, here is the Friday update for Bracketology in addition to a preview of the weekend’s action.
Starting with this bracket update, a new projected bracket will be released both on Monday and Friday of each week for the remainder of the season. The Monday article will go more in depth with each section, while the Friday article will make the necessary updates from the week and preview what to look for in that weekend.
Even with it being NBA All-Star weekend, there are plenty of college basketball games to tune into with major implications for the postseason. Before getting into the new updated bracket, let’s look into which specific games mean the most for seeding and for the bubble.
For Friday night, the biggest ticket seems to be Valparaiso at Oakland, which is a battle between the two top teams in the Horizon League. In watching, make sure to focus on #25 for Valpo, Alec Peters, who is one of the most talented mid-major players in the country.
I’m sure this comes as no surprise, but Saturday is full of outstanding games. There are several bubble teams with major opportunities against ranked opponents, but my biggest “Bubble Battle” occurs when the Clemson Tigers travel to the Sunshine State to take on the Miami Hurricanes. Both teams are right on the cutline and could use another ACC win, especially for Clemson, who is just 4-9 in conference.
Then, the game of the day clearly lies with Kansas at Baylor. The Jayhawks are the conference leader, which is not a surprise given their season and their history in the Big 12, but Baylor is not too far behind. It will very difficult for the Bears to defeat Kansas, but playing in Waco gives them a significant advantage.
On Sunday, our Bubble Battle remains in the ACC with Syracuse at Georgia Tech. The ACC is full of solid bubble teams, and that one could be the difference between making the Big Dance and not. Moving to the Big Ten, our game of the day is between Maryland and Wisconsin. After the Badgers fell to Michigan on Thursday night, Maryland and Wisconsin (also Purdue) are tied atop the league and this game would at the very least knock one of those teams off the top.
Projected Bracket (Updated through Thursday, February 16th)
1 Villanova
16 Mount St. Mary’s/UC Davis
8 Virginia Commonwealth
9 Wichita State
4 UCLA
13 Valparaiso
5 Creighton
12 Boise State
6 Wisconsin
11 Arkansas
3 Kentucky
14 Bucknell
7 Xavier
10 Michigan
2 Louisville
15 Furman
Kansas 1
North Carolina Central/Weber State16
Dayton 8
Iowa State 9
Duke 4
Vermont 13
Maryland 5
Middle Tennessee 12
Southern Methodist 6
Syracuse/California 11
Arizona 3
Belmont 14
Northwestern 7
Kansas State 10
Florida State 2
Florida Gulf Coast 15
1 Gonzaga
16 New Orleans
8 Oklahoma State
9 Iowa State
4 West Virginia
13 Monmouth
5 Cincinnati
12 NC-Wilmington
6 South Carolina
11 Seton Hall
3 Virginia
14 UNC-Asheville
7 St. Mary’s
10 Miami
2 Oregon
15 CSU-Bakersfield
Baylor 1
Texas Southern 16
Southern California 8
Michigan State 9
Butler 4
UT-Arlington 13
Purdue 5
Akron 12
Notre Dame 6
Marquette/Illinois State 11
Florida 3
Princeton 14
Minnesota 7
Texas Christian 10
North Carolina 2
North Dakota State 15
Bubble Preview
Next Four In
Miami
Kansas State
Arkansas
Seton Hall
Last Four In
California
Syracuse
Marquette
Illinois State
First Four Out
Wake Forest
Georgia Tech
Georgetown
Clemson
Next Four Out
Providence
Tennessee
Texas Tech
Rhode Island
Bids by Conference Breakdown
ACC: 9 Big 12: 7 Big Ten: 7 Big East: 6 Pac-12: 5
SEC: 4 WCC: 2 AAC: 2 A-10: 2 MVC: 2
Next: Updated Bubble Watch and the Mailbag
That ends this edition of Bracketology, with the next update coming on Monday. Enjoy the weekend action and may your bubble remain intact. For comments or questions, tweet @hardwiredsports (that’s me!).