Bracketology 2023: 10 storylines to watch on Selection Sunday

9. Which potential Cinderella will have the best matchup?

History has taught us that Cinderella stories emerge when we least expect them: nobody expected 16-seed UMBC to beat Virginia by 20 points or for Saint Peter’s to run to last year’s Elite Eight as a 15-seed. The stories we do expect are those hot mid-major programs that land as 11, 12, or 13 seeds with the potential to do major damage in the Tournament field.

This year, that group includes Charleston, Drake, and Oral Roberts who should all grab 12-seeds and will be picked in a lot of brackets. However, if one of those teams finds themselves against a hot Duke squad in the first round, their chances of a first-round upset may be significantly lower than expected. It’s all going to boil down to the matchups. In fact, a potentially 13-seed like Iona or Kent State could cause major damage if they get a susceptible opponent like Tennessee or Virginia.

10. Who from the ACC will survive the bubble?

It’s a down year in the ACC, with Duke, Miami, and Virginia emerging as the strongest teams and the ones that are certainly safely in the field of 68. Bad seasons for Florida State, Louisville, and Syracuse have significantly impacted the conference, while North Carolina has really floundered and a few other schools haven’t been great either. The most intriguing thing to watch in regards to this conference is the fate of their three bubble teams.

We could compare the resumes of Clemson, NC State, and Pittsburgh, but it’s truly unknown how the Committee will judge these three teams against one another and against the other bubble teams. Pittsburgh might have the best selection of wins, but also have poor losses and the worst NET of the trio. NC State simply has not looked great in recent weeks, while it’s easy to argue that Clemson should’ve done far more this season. Who will leave Selection Sunday with a ticket and who will see their hopes and dreams come to an end?

These are just ten storylines to watch for Selection Sunday; an event that always gives us intriguing matchups and something to talk about until March Madness. Who do you think will grab those top seeds or survive the bubble?