Bracketology: Seventeen Locks Entering Weekend, Huge Win for Virginia, and Kentucky and Tennessee Both Barely In
The top seeds are in shambles after a week where Michigan lost to Penn State, Indiana lost to Minnesota, Duke lost to Virginia and Florida lost to Tennessee. Gonzaga is the one team that has continued to plug along, and right now what looked like a long shot because of all the candidates in the power conferences a month ago looks like an almost certainty now (Gonzaga may even be able to get a #1 seed with a loss to St. Mary’s in the WCC Championship Game).
So right now, I’ll put Georgetown with a question mark in the fourth slot, but twelve teams are still in contention.
What about the teams that I think have locked up bids, as in, they don’t have to win any more games to merit an at-large? (Certainly a losing streak would impact seeding, of course). Here are the teams I believe have done enough already–and the list will probably grow substantially by the middle of next week. It is currently at 17 teams, but 15 more are within one win of pretty much guaranteeing a bid.
Big Ten (5): Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio State
Big East (4): Georgetown, Louisville, Syracuse, Marquette
Big XII (2): Kansas, Kansas State
ACC (2): Duke, Miami
Mountain West (1): New Mexico
SEC (1): Florida
Pac-12 (1): Arizona
West Coast (1): Gonzaga
Here are my projections for seeds in the NCAA tournament. These projections are still based on trying to be predictive of the final games in the regular season and the conference tournaments. I did also begin considering RPI rank with all its strength of schedule vagaries, since we know the committee will use it, in addition to what I think the resumé will look like.
#1 Seeds: Duke, Indiana, Gonzaga, Georgetown (?)
#2 Seeds: Michigan State, Florida, Miami, Louisville
#3 Seeds: Michigan, Kansas, Syracuse, New Mexico
#4 Seeds: Wisconsin, Marquette, Arizona, Ohio State
#5 Seeds: Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Colorado State
#6 Seeds: Pittsburgh, Butler, St. Louis, UNLV
#7 Seeds: St. Mary’s, Virginia Commonwealth, North Carolina, Illinois
#8 Seeds: Missouri, Memphis, San Diego State, Notre Dame
#9 Seeds: UCLA, Middle Tennessee State, North Carolina State, Wichita State
#10 Seeds: Colorado, California, Oklahoma, Oregon
#11 Seeds: Creighton, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Akron
#12 Seeds: Virginia, Temple, Belmont, Kentucky vs. La Salle
#13 Seeds: Tennessee vs. Boise State, Bucknell, Louisiana Tech, Valparaiso
#14 Seeds: South Dakota State, Stephen F. Austin, Davidson, Harvard
#15 Seeds: Stony Brook, Long Beach, Weber State, Robert Morris
#16 Seeds: Niagara, Northeastern, Mercer vs. Texas Southern, Norfolk State vs. Charleston Southern
First Six Out: Mississippi, Baylor, Iowa, Villanova, Southern Miss, Alabama

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35 Responses to “Bracketology: Seventeen Locks Entering Weekend, Huge Win for Virginia, and Kentucky and Tennessee Both Barely In”
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March 1st, 2013 at 3:34 PM
Not only is Duke not going to be a one seed, they’re going to end up finishing behind Carolina in conference play somehow.
March 1st, 2013 at 3:34 PM
What a weird couple of months. After the debacling by Pitt I kind of worried the Hoyas would do another slide (like Greg Monroe’s freshman season) and miss the tourney entirely. And here we are
March 1st, 2013 at 3:34 PM
After Michigan loses to MSU and IU. Flip OSU and Michigan.
March 1st, 2013 at 3:34 PM
I’m guessing MSU has to win out and reach the B1G Final to grab a 1 seed unless those teams fall apart. but at this point, i would rather see them grab a 2 seed and play in Auburn Hills the opening weekend. the other 1 seed besides Indiana would push them West.
March 1st, 2013 at 3:35 PM
Oregon is closer to a 5 seed than a 10.
Sun Devils will make it.
March 1st, 2013 at 3:36 PM
If Miami destroys Duke again tomorrow do you just switch those two?
March 1st, 2013 at 3:38 PM
Coack K’s System at it again.
March 1st, 2013 at 3:41 PM
Curious how the committee views games like KU @ ISU when determining tournament eligibility. Which team does it help/hurt?
March 1st, 2013 at 3:42 PM
BearPower vs. Lisk, who ya got?
March 1st, 2013 at 3:49 PM
Anyone who thinks UNC isn’t a lock at this point is kidding themselves. They could lose every game they have left and still make it. Maybe a 12 seed, but they would make it.
March 1st, 2013 at 3:50 PM
Farts
March 1st, 2013 at 3:52 PM
I just hope Indiana gets put in the Indianapolis region.
March 1st, 2013 at 3:53 PM
Zipz
March 1st, 2013 at 3:54 PM
Yup.
March 1st, 2013 at 3:58 PM
I’m praying that KU and Mizzou get put in the same regional. I’ve been missing having a team to hate this season. KSU just does not cut it.
March 1st, 2013 at 3:59 PM
Does the committee usually avoid conference matchups in the opening rounds? It’d be nice to see Kansas v. Iowa St again.
March 1st, 2013 at 4:01 PM
I’m praying that KU and Mizzou get put in the same regional. I’ve been missing having a team to hate this season. KSU just does not cut it.
You see Lunardi had KU as a 1 with the winner of MU/Wichita State playing them in the second round in KC? Can’t even imagine what would happen if that was the case.. The other region playing in KC had Kstate, Creighton and SLU… No way that happens, right?
March 1st, 2013 at 4:05 PM
Lisk – I know the AP rankings aren’t the gospel, but isn’t Oregon in the top 25? I’m surprised you have them as a 10 seed. Although my brain would probably explode if I tried to create a bracket of 68 on my own. So who am I to talk.
March 1st, 2013 at 4:08 PM
It seems like the selection committee always avoids early round matchups in conference. But they love to sneak in those round of 64 and 32 games where old coaches “just happen” to meet up. I think Memphis and UMass had that happen, when Calipari made a move. I know there are others, but I’m too brain dead on a Friday afternoon.
Having KU and Mizzou meet up early would be fantastic, and possible, now that Mizz is in the SEC.
March 1st, 2013 at 4:09 PM
You see Lunardi had KU as a 1 with the winner of MU/Wichita State playing them in the second round in KC? Can’t even imagine what would happen if that was the case..
I had not seen that.It’d be chaos in Kansas City. Literally. The game would be here. There would be a solid four or five days of build-up. I can’t wait.
The other region playing in KC had Kstate, Creighton and SLU… No way that happens, right?
So much can happen in the next two weeks and then the conference tourneys that it is fun, yet foolish, to speculate. However, that’d be really cool. You would start listening to jabbering heads talk about how it is a shame KC voted down the rolling roof over Arrowhead/Kauffman.
March 1st, 2013 at 4:10 PM
I think they try to avoid those matchups as much as possible overall, usually you won’t see two teams on the same side of one regional bracket unless one of the bloated conferences sends too many teams
March 1st, 2013 at 4:10 PM
I know there are others, but I’m too brain dead on a Friday afternoon.
That’d be a good post. I agree this happens. That is why I have no doubt Mizzou and KU will be in the same region.
March 1st, 2013 at 4:14 PM
ot
Does anyone hear read WWTDD? They just booted the original editor and writer. The new staff is awful. Might have to look elsewhere to get my fill out model and bikini shots. That search might take forever.
/ot
March 1st, 2013 at 4:19 PM
Does anyone hear read WWTDD? They just booted the original editor and writer. The new staff is awful. Might have to look elsewhere to get my fill out model and bikini shots. That search might take forever.
I used to read WWTDD and the superficial, they were very similar. Should do the trick for you if it’s still a real thing.
March 1st, 2013 at 4:20 PM
How does Butler drop to a six since your last poll?
March 1st, 2013 at 4:20 PM
Does anyone hear read WWTDD? They just booted the original editor and writer. The new staff is awful. Might have to look elsewhere to get my fill out model and bikini shots. That search might take forever.
I’ve been following that somewhat over the past week. I had quit going there because it was rarely updated and never before noon. The new guys are trying way too hard. Apparently Brenden is either bored with his job, mentally ill, a drug addict, a recluse, or all four.
March 1st, 2013 at 4:25 PM
Oregon is indeed in the top 25, and in 1st place in a power conference that will get at least 5 bids, probably more. Sounds like a 10 seed to me.
March 1st, 2013 at 4:28 PM
Thanks td_kc32 – The Superficial rings a bell. I wonder if JMac has linked to in the roundup before.
KC Res – I totally agree. I hope Brenden has some ideas for something new and he was just bored. But I would wager that he’s off his rocker (putting it kindly).
March 1st, 2013 at 4:29 PM
I think Oregon and Arizona have a shot at a 4 or seed, depending on who wins the conference tournament. That said, those a-holes at UCLA will probably get hot and win it. Or ASU. And screw everything up.
March 1st, 2013 at 4:30 PM
* 4 or 6 seed
March 1st, 2013 at 4:31 PM
AL- Jmac doesnt link to other sites, he quotes them as his link and gives no credit, ala Reddit style
March 1st, 2013 at 4:33 PM
That collection of 1s will be the weakest we’ve had in a while if Kelly doesn’t come back. My word. Gonzaga hasn’t beaten anybody of note (not really their fault) and Georgetown is 75th in the country in offensive efficiency. I would think teams would be lining up to get in those two brackets. It won’t happen, but Georgetown would be extremely succeptible in the 1/16 game with their scoring issues outside of Porter.
March 1st, 2013 at 4:47 PM
You will all be stunned, stunned, when LSU wins out the regular season, sweeps through the SEC tourney and completes a sizzling run to the national title as the lowest-seeded champion ever, and Johnny Jones is then lured away by Duke after it dumps K.
/ This won’t happen, so, no, you won’t really be stunned
// But if it does, remember I said so
March 1st, 2013 at 4:54 PM
Georgetown being the first #1 seed to lose the opening game doesn’t sound that far-fetched. It might even fill up their resume of disappointing ways to lose in the tournament.
March 1st, 2013 at 6:18 PM
No chance Duke gets a one seed.