Bracketology 2019: Wisconsin falls, Florida rises in the projected field

West Region

(1) Tennessee vs. (16) Holy Cross

(8) Louisville vs. (9) Maryland

(4) NC State vs. (13) New Mexico State

(5) Houston vs. (12) VCU

(6) Buffalo vs. (11) Iowa

(3) North Carolina vs. (14) Yale

(7) Purdue vs. (10) Kansas State

(2) Gonzaga vs. (15) Radford

Iowa might have been ranked in the AP top-25 during this past week but their resume is overrated. The Hawkeyes’ wins over Oregon and Syracuse, which launched them into the national rankings, no longer carry much weight and the team has fallen to 0-3 in conference play. Iowa’s offense can score against just about anyone but their defense is showing signs of weakness once again this year.

On the flip side, Purdue is seemingly starting to pick up their play. After struggling a bit in non-conference schedule, the Boilermakers culminated a fairly strong recent stretch with a beatdown of Iowa in their most recent game. Carsen Edwards is clearly a National Player of the Year candidate and his ability to carry the offense will help in conference play.

Lastly, I am curious to see how long Tennessee remains as a No. 1 seed. Don’t get me wrong; I think that the Volunteers are a very good team, but the SEC will surely cause them to lose a few games. And with Nevada and Gonzaga nipping on their heels with easier conference schedules approaching, I am curious to see how the committee might utilize in-conference strength of schedule with regards to seeding.