Bracketology 2020 Projected Field: Creighton, USC on the rise

West Region (Los Angeles)

(1) Gonzaga vs. (16) Bethune-Cookman/Radford

(8) Kentucky vs. (9) Marquette

(4) Penn State vs. (13) Belmont

(5) Colorado vs. (12) East Tennessee State

(6) Michigan State vs. (11) Virginia/DePaul

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

(7) Arkansas vs. (10) Houston

(2) Baylor vs. (15) Eastern Washington

Gonzaga did not play especially well against Portland during this past week as the team trailed at halftime on the road. Yet, the Bulldogs then simply put the hammer down over the final 20 minutes behind the stellar contributions of Ryan Woolridge and Killian Tillie. They wound up winning by 13 and all five starters scored in double-figures. As a result, Gonzaga stays firmly on the No. 1 seed line with a 15-1 record. They have only played four games in Q1+2, though, so any unexpected losses to teams not named BYU/Saint Mary’s could cause them to drop a seed line.

Sticking on the west coast, Colorado and Oregon competed during this past week and that caused both teams to move a seed line. With the Buffaloes coming out on top for yet another win in Boulder, they now sit on the No. 5 line while the Ducks drop one seed line. Both of these teams should be regarded as contenders for the Pac-12 title, although I still give the edge to Oregon moving forward. Payton Pritchard (Oregon) is a National Player of the Year contender but Colorado’s three-headed monster of Bey, Schwartz, and Wright is very tough to stop.

Lastly, let’s talk about Arkansas. When the Razorbacks started this season at 8-0, they received absolutely no respect considering their weak schedule. Their loss to Western Kentucky in overtime then didn’t help matters. During this past week, though, the team rode improved defense and a 3-point barrage for a come-from-behind true road win over an NCAA Tournament caliber team in Indiana. Head coach Eric Musselman’s team now sits at 11-1 with a Quadrant 1 win and is safely in the field.