Bracketology 2020 Projected Field: Creighton, USC on the rise

South Region (Houston)

(1) Kansas vs. (16) Rider

(8) BYU vs. (9) NC State

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

(5) Villanova vs. (12) Liberty

(6) Iowa vs. (11) VCU

(3) Auburn vs. (14) Wright State

(7) Oklahoma State vs. (10) Rutgers

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

There is absolutely no reason to drop Kansas from the No. 1 seed line. Although the Jayhawks already have two losses, they also rank in the Top 7 in every single committee-used metric, are second in the country in Q1 wins, and both of their losses came to highly-regarded opponents. With Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike leading the way, this is an elite defensive team with plenty of offensive firepower. Baylor and others are very talented + well-coached this season but Kansas remains the Big 12 favorite.

Oklahoma State, though, could be a potential dark-horse in the league. Behind strong defensive efforts, the Cowboys sit at 9-3 on the season against a difficult schedule. They have struggled a bit as of late, dropping three of five, but still hold a 5-3 record in Q1+2 games. This is a team worth monitoring moving forward as all metrics point to it being an NCAA Tournament team down the road. The Big 12 is a gauntlet, though, and the Cowboys need to improve on the offensive end a bit.

Lastly, BYU continues to fly under-the-radar as a team that is scorching hot right now. After starting the season strong while playing without Yoeli Childs, the team is now taking another leap now that he is back in the rotation. The Cougars are currently winners of five straight, including victories over Nevada and Utah State. They now hold an 11-4 record on the year with all major metrics ranking in the Top 40. One could make a fairly strong argument that BYU belongs even higher on the seed list.