Bracketology 2020 Projected Field: Virginia re-enters, Villanova rises

VILLANOVA, PA - DECEMBER 04: Justin Moore #5, Brandon Slater #3, Collin Gillespie #2, Jermaine Samuels #23, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #24 of the Villanova Wildcats huddle against the Pennsylvania Quakers in the second half at Finneran Pavilion on December 4, 2019 in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The Villanova Wildcats defeated the Pennsylvania Quakers 80-69. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

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DAYTON, OH – JANUARY 22: Dayton Flyers celebrate. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Midwest Region (Indianapolis, IN)

(1) Kansas vs. (16) Prairie View A&M/Norfolk State

(8) Indiana vs. (9) Wichita State

(4) Florida State vs. (13) Akron

(5) Penn State vs. (12) Liberty

(6) Rutgers vs. (11) Northern Iowa

(3) Butler vs. (14) William & Mary

(7) Colorado vs. (10) BYU

(2) Dayton vs. (15) Little Rock

Dayton just absolutely continues to roll through opponents while emerging as a quiet contender to potentially land on the No. 1 seed line if those current top teams drop any games. The Flyers have simply been dominant throughout the vast majority of this season and their two losses have come to NCAA Tournament-caliber teams (one is a top seed).

With Obi Toppin and Jalen Crutcher leading the way, this team understands who it is and the supporting cast features players who are all stars in their roles. The Flyers have looked like a Top 5 team in the country all season long. That certainly has changed during their current 10-game winning streak that has pushed their record to 19-2 (8-0 A10).

Moving much further down the seed lines, Northern Iowa is another team that I want to discuss. Although the Panthers might not boast a tremendous resume and they have suffered a pair of questionable losses, they are a mid-major taking advantage of an overall weak bubble.

With the Big 12 and ACC, most notably, suffering down seasons in terms of bid quantity, there are plenty of spots open on the bubble this season. It is also important to note that the Big East is leaning more towards becoming a five-bid league and the Big Ten now features a few teams at risk of sub-.500 records for the entire season.

UNI holds an 18-3 (7-2 MVC) record and a true road win over Colorado. If the Panthers are able to dominate the remainder of conference play, they should be able to dance. The door is open.

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