Bracketology: Reactions to Way Too Early Bracketology for 2019
A few days ago, we here at Busting Brackets decided to release our own Way Too Early Bracketology for next season already. Here are some thoughts I had about the projected 68 teams.
The 2017-18 college basketball season is over and before we can even finish recapping another great season, many of us have already started previewing next year. It can’t be helped, with the transfers, draft decisions and coaching moves making us all think about the impact it’ll have.
One of them is our very own writer extraordinaire Lukas Harkins who constructed a “Way Too Early” Projection of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, with seeds and even a bubble to go with it.
Whether it’s meaningful or not at this time, seeing something like this is thought-provoking, with many opinions coming to mind. It did for me, and here are some of my instant reactions.
1. The Pac-12 is in some big trouble
Only three teams got a project bid in Washington, UCLA, and Oregon, which seems about right to me. That’s a problem because both the Ducks and the Bruins are extremely young. Early losses are likely to happen to both teams, meaning that there could be a scenario where none of the teams would qualify as a “signature win”.
This past season had just Arizona as a heavyweight, which brought the entire Pac-12 down as a whole. The non-conference slate for the conference will be crucial, including the Huskies’ trip to Spokane to face Gonzaga.
2. Respect for Gregg Marshall and Wichita State
Before I even clicked on the first page, I knew that the Shockers would be included. And they were – as a “Last 4 In” team.
But how? Seven players are leaving, including star point guard Landry Shamet. And with the AAC projected to get just three teams in, the margin of error is basically none.
The answer is simple – it’s Wichita State. They’ve made the NCAA Tournament seven years in a row now, and whether the Shockers needed the automatic bid, Gregg Marshall and company found a way to get in.
The reality is some programs get the benefit of the doubt regardless of talent lost or gained, and Wichita State has become one of them. Would you bet against them missing out? I wouldn’t, even if they need to win the AAC Tournament to get in.
3. The slow – but sure demise of the at-large mid-majors
According to this projection, only three mid-majors would get a bid if they didn’t win their own conference tournament (Gonzaga, Nevada, and Loyola-Chicago). As Harkins mentioned in his piece, it’s unfair to the smaller schools in this early version, especially when it comes to predicting who has a great non-conference.
Next: Complete Way Too Early 2019 NCAA Tournament Bracket
Even still, how can you argue with what he had? What other mid-majors have a realistic shot? When it comes to the top mid-major leagues (Mountain West, WCC, and A-10), maybe BYU, VCU, and San Diego State are capable of getting a bid without the auto. It’s early, but not having a mid-major at-large could very well happen if the right circumstances happen.