As a college basketball fanatic and bracket enthusiast I love making a bracketology every couple of days and especially as we have so much movement later in the season. This is the first of many weekly bracketologies I plan on posting for all to see with a little bit of a breakdown for some of the teams in each one. I am striving for excellence and to correctly predict the field with what I have current as the teams have already played more than two thirds the games this season, but I also try to predict where teams might end up and finish their season as. First up the bubble teams followed by the regions of the bracket.
Projected 1-seeds | Auburn, Duke, Alabama, and Houston
Last 4 Byes | West Virginia, Utah State, Vanderbilt, Georgia
Last 4 in | BYU, San Diego State, Nebraska, Arkansas
First 4 out | SMU, UCF, Bradley, Xavier
First Four (Dayton)
16. Texas Southern (SWAC) vs. Morehead State (OVC)
16. Central Connecticut State (NEC) vs. American (Patriot)
11. BYU vs. Arkansas
11. San Diego State vs Nebraska
East (Newark)
Raleigh
1. Duke (ACC) vs. 16. UNC Asheville
8. UCONN vs. 9. Texas
Providence
5. Kentucky vs. 12. VCU (A10)
4. Michigan State vs. Akron (MAC)
Providence
3. Saint John’s (BE) vs. 14. Charleston (CAA)
6. Michigan vs. 11. Georgia
Raleigh
7. Saint Mary’s (WCC) vs. 10. West Virginia
2. Tennessee vs. 15. Bryant
1 Seed – Duke boasting the Nation’s longest winning streak in the country right now at 16 games and perfect since the start of ACC play. Duke hasn’t lost a game since before thanksgiving and it shows as they are clearly the best team in the ACC and possibly the best in the country. Flagg and company have been stellar this season as they have a great team around him and this team is a certain lock for the one seed in the East.
3 Seed – Saint John’s it seems for me to be higher on than most when hearing around from most. Rick Pitino in year 2 has set up a team that plays bully ball and can compete with anyone in the country. Only with 3 losses they don’t benefit off a weak non-conference schedule along with a down year in the Big East. However, this team that has only lost their 3 games by a combined 5 points I find to be better than most think. I have them as a 3 seed while Marquette is a 4 seed because it has become clear that while metrics disagree, they have separated themselves from the rest in the Big East this year.
South (Atlanta)
Lexington
1. Auburn (SEC) vs. 16. Morehead State or Texas Southern
8. Baylor vs. 9. Gonzaga
Cleveland
5. Maryland vs. 12. Yale (IVY)
4. Marquette vs. 13 Samford (Southern)
Wichita
3. Kansas vs. 14. Cleveland State (Horizon)
6. Missouri vs. 11. San Diego State or Nebraska
Milwaukee
7. Mississippi State vs. 10 Drake (MVC)
2. Purdue vs. 15. Marist (MAAC)
2 Seed – Purdue has found themselves back in the mix this year but this time without their 2-time national player of the year. Instead, they boast a lot of the same key players from last years squad along with national all American hopeful Braden Smith who is possibly the best point guard in the country and a matchup nightmare. Along with Smith Trey Kauffman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer both have taken steps up in their game to help the boilermakers rise back to a top 10 team in the country again.
6 Seed – Missouri has really turned it around this year. After being the worst team in the SEC this year, they have come back to the prominence that they had in 2022-23 season, but this team is even better. Duke Transfer Mark Mitchell and the return of Caleb Grill a guard who transferred in last year but had a season ending injury have both been crucial game changers. Mark Mitchell the leading scorer for the tigers has led the charge while Grill has shot almost 50% from 3 this year making 51-103. This team has potential to be a bracket buster and probably will find themselves at a 5-8 seed come selection day.
Midwest (Indianapolis)
Lexington
1. Alabama vs. 16. Omaha (Summit)
8. Clemson vs. 9. New Mexico (MW)
Seattle
5. Arizona vs. 12. McNeese State (Southland)
4. Wisconsin vs. 13. Arkansas State (Sun Belt)
Denver
3. Iowa State vs. 14. UTEP (CUSA)
6. Memphis vs. 11. BYU or Arkansas
Wichita
7. Creighton vs 10. Utah State
2. Florida vs. 15. Lipscomb (ASUN)
9 Seed – New Mexico have found themselves with an amazing team once again this year taking advantage of a weaker Mountain West and seriously showing out. They lost Jamal Mashburn Jr and now Texas Tech standout forward J T Toppin yet still found themselves with enough talent to improve this year. Guard Donovan Dent and big man Nelly Junior Joseph have been game changers for this team and helped them look strong going down the stretch this season, overtaking Utah State who started out hot and are certainly a lock for the tournament and if they land an 8 or 9 seed the 1 seed’s will be lucky to not play them come march.
11 Seed – Arkansas is my last team in at this moment after 2 big road wins in Lexington against Kentucky John Calipari’s former team Saturday and again last night in Austin, Texas taking down a bubble verge Texas team. Johnell Davis has really found his form since Boogie Fland got injured and has been a game changer for the Razorbacks. If they can score, we are looking at a team that might slip in as a bubble team and have more than enough talent to be a Cinderella and march to the Final Four in San Antonio.
West (San Francisco)
Milwaukee
1. Houston (BIG XII) vs. 16. CCSU or American
8. Oregon vs. 9. Oklahoma
Seattle
5. UCLA vs. 12. UC Irvine (BIG WEST)
4. Ole Miss vs. 13. Grand Canyon (WAC)
Denver
3. Texas Tech vs. 14. Northern Colorado (BIG SKY)
6. Illinois vs. 11. Vanderbilt
Cleveland
7. Louisville vs. 10. Ohio State
2. Texas A&M vs. 15. Norfolk State
3 Seed – Texas Tech has become sneaky good as many saw them underrated to go into the season and they had their hiccups, but the duo of Coleman Hawkins and JT Toppin have put this team in prime position to get a top 3 seed. Beating Houston in Houston Saturday with a controversial call that they were able to overcome and show that they can compete with the best in the Big 12. Since their home loss to Iowa State in overtime last January this team has gone and improved to number 8 in Kenpom with wins over likely tournament teams such as Arizona, Houston, and Baylor. This team can make some serious noise as they are very balanced both offensively and defensively.
5 Seed – UCLA head coach Mick Cronin led off a press conference after a loss to Michigan amid a 4-game losing streak calling player soft and showing off lots of animation. Since the end of that losing streak, they have won 6 straight games with the likes of wins over Wisconsin, Oregon, and Michigan state. This team has found its jam, and they are able of so much under one of the smartest coaches in college basketball. Mick Cronin’s press conference didn’t come as a shock as this is usual with him, but it certainly woke up the players and got this team going.