Bracketology 2020 Projected Field: Colorado rises, Virginia plummets

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 26: The Colorado Buffaloes, including Tyler Bey #1, celebrate their 71-67 victory over the Clemson Tigers to win the MGM Resorts Main Event basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on November 26, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – MARCH 03: Zegarowski of the Bluejays is defended. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

West Region

(1) Gonzaga vs. (16) Texas Southern/Bethune-Cookman

(8) Indiana vs. (9) DePaul

(4) Penn State vs. (13) Vermont

(5) Wichita State vs. (12) Kentucky/Rutgers

(6) Creighton vs. (11) Oklahoma

(3) Oregon vs. (14) Stephen F. Austin

(7) Marquette vs. (10) Florida

(2) San Diego State vs. (15) Hofstra

Nobody should really be surprised to see Gonzaga as a No. 1 seed right now. The Bulldogs, even with their loss to Michigan earlier in the year, boast the best resume in the country and pass the eye test with flying colors as well. Head coach Mark Few has built yet another offensive juggernaut out in Spokane and the defense is coming along quite well also. Many expected that Gonzaga’s biggest strength this season would be its frontcourt but arguably the biggest difference-makers have been guards Ryan Woolridge and Joel Ayayi.

Moving a bit further down this region, Creighton has been quietly rising for the last several weeks. Thanks to steady improvements on the defensive end of the floor, the Bluejays are currently riding a six-game winning streak that includes victories over Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Arizona State. They might not be the most physical team in the country but this group can really fill it up offensively. Marcus Zegarowski and Ty-Shon Alexander make up one of the most dangerous scoring backcourts in the entire country.

Additionally, the 12-seed play-in game warrants attention here. For starters, Kentucky might be nationally-ranked but its resume barely warrants inclusion in the field right now. The Wildcats’ efficiency metric rankings are still quite strong but they are slotted at No. 72 in the NET and No. 98 in SOR. Additionally, they are just 2-2 in Q1/2/3 games while also featuring a Q4 loss. Rutgers, on the other hand, has exceeded its preseason expectations and joins the field thanks to three Q2 wins.

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