Bracketology Losers: Indiana, Virginia Tech among this week’s wounded

Oregon Ducks

If the Ducks want to secure a top-two seed in the NCAA Tournament, they sure aren’t playing like it. Last week provided nearly nothing positive, as Oregon eked out an ultimately insignificant win over Cal in Berkeley—before falling to Stanford by ten in Palo Alto.

Oregon was once squarely in the conversation for a 1-seed in the Big Dance, but three early Pac-12 losses have probably closed the door on that possibility. What’s more, the Ducks are in danger of seeing two of their five losses slip into Q3 territory, as North Carolina and Washington State could both potentially slip below their respective thresholds.

As it stands, Dana Altman’s squad is still in good shape to secure a favorable seeding and pod placement. Barring any more setbacks, the Ducks should be flying up to Spokane and wearing the home whites as a 3- or 4-seed in March. They have nine Q1/Q2 victories and have played one of the toughest schedules in America this season.

Still, they are likely to take at least one more lump during conference play, as they still have tricky road games against Arizona, Arizona State, and in-state rivals Oregon State left on the docket. The Ducks will also host Colorado and Stanford in important games down the stretch.

If Oregon runs the table the rest of the way, they might still have a chance at grabbing a 1-seed. They would need some help from their west coast counterparts Gonzaga and San Diego State, as well as for the top teams in the ACC and Big 12 to continue their infighting.

But Saturday’s loss to the Cardinal puts those odds in serious danger. Oregon only has one game next week, but it could be a massive momentum builder if they can pull off a Civil War victory over the Beavers in Corvallis.

Check back next week for another installment of Bracketology Losers.