Bracketology 2019: LSU climbing, Oklahoma plummeting in projected field
Updated Bracketology Projected Field of 68: Which teams would be selected and where would they be seeded if the NCAA Tournament started right now?
After an exciting weekend in college basketball, let’s check back in with my bracketology projected field of 68. As is always the case, there were several shifts as teams either missed opportunities or snagged big-time wins for their resume. The bubble is about as fluid as it will ever be right now and teams everywhere are struggling to prove why they belong in the field.
Perhaps more than anyone else, Oklahoma is floundering in a big way. After starting the season quite strong at 15-5, the Sooners have lost five consecutive games and they are trending in the wrong direction and belong right near the cutline. LSU, on the other hand, is definitely trending up in my mind. The Tigers, who are currently a No. 5 seed, are knocking on the door of a protected seed and they are a dangerous team to watch. Head coach Will Wade is superb and his young roster is growing with each contest.
Now, let’s dive into this edition of my field!
"Last Updated: Prior to games on Feb. 12, 2019."
East Region
(1) Duke vs. (16) Prairie View A&M/Robert Morris
(8) Wofford vs. (9) St. John’s
(4) Iowa State v. (13) New Mexico State
(5) LSU vs. (12) Seton Hall/Temple
(6) Maryland vs. (11) Oklahoma
(3) Marquette vs. (14) UC Irvine
(7) Mississippi State vs. (10) Syracuse
(2) Michigan vs. (15) Texas State
South Region
(1) Tennessee vs. (16) Norfolk State/Sam Houston State
(8) Ohio State vs. (9) Baylor
(4) Nevada vs. (13) Yale
(5) Virginia Tech vs. (12) Belmont
(6) Kansas State vs. (11) NC State
(3) Purdue vs. (14) Old Dominion
(7) Cincinnati vs. (10) Alabama
(2) North Carolina vs. (15) Loyola-Chicago
Midwest Region
(1) Virginia vs. (16) Rider
(8) Washington vs. (9) Texas
(4) Wisconsin vs. (13) Vermont
(5) Texas Tech vs. (12) VCU
(6) Iowa vs. (11) Butler
(3) Houston vs. (14) South Dakota State
(7) Buffalo vs.(10) Clemson
(2) Kentucky vs. (15) Montana
West Region
(1) Gonzaga vs. (16) Bucknell
(8) TCU vs. (9) Ole Miss
(4) Louisville vs. (13) Hofstra
(5) Villanova vs. (12) Indiana/UCF
(6) Florida State vs. (11) Minnesota
(3) Kansas vs. (14) Northern Kentucky
(7) Auburn vs. (10) Lipscomb
(2) Michigan State vs. (15) Radford
State of the Bubble
You can check out my complete bubble watch breakdown here (last updated on Feb. 8).
Last Four Byes: NC State, Minnesota, Butler, Oklahoma
Last Four In: Indiana, UCF, Seton Hall, Temple
First Four Out: Florida, Nebraska, Utah State, Arizona State
Next Four Out: UNCG, Creighton, Toledo, Georgetown
Bids by conference breakdown
ACC (9 bids): Duke (1), Virginia (1), North Carolina (2), Louisville (4), Virginia Tech (5), Florida State (6), Syracuse (10), Clemson (10), and NC State (11).
Big Ten (9 bids): Michigan (2), Michigan State (2), Purdue (3), Wisconsin (4), Iowa (6), Maryland (6), Ohio State (8), Minnesota (11), Indiana (12), and Nebraska (F4O).
Big 12 (8 bids): Kansas (3), Iowa State (4), Texas Tech (5), Kansas State (6), TCU (8), Baylor (9), Texas (9), and Oklahoma (11).
SEC (7 bids): Tennessee (1), Kentucky (2), LSU (5), Mississippi State (7), Auburn (7), Ole Miss (9), Alabama (10), and Florida (F4O).
Big East (5 bids): Marquette (3), Villanova (5), St. John’s (9), Butler (11), Seton Hall (12), Creighton (N4O), and Georgetown (N4O).
AAC (4 bids): Houston (3), Cincinnati (7), UCF (12), and Temple (12).
Mountain West (1 bid): Nevada (4) and Utah State (F4O).
MAC (1 bid): Buffalo (7) and Toledo (N4O).
SoCon (1 bid): Wofford (8) and UNC-Greensboro (N4O).
Pac-12 (1 bid): Washington (8) and Arizona State (F4O).
Next. Top-25 national power rankings. dark
That concludes this edition of my bracketology field for Feb. 12. There will be another update coming out on Friday so stay tuned! If you have any questions or comments, let me know on Twitter. This next month of hoops should be a fun one.