This bracketology never existed last year. And while I was sipping my coffee yesterday morning, I thought it was happening again. We all got the news Duke caught COVID-19 and it brought back the nightmares from last year at this time. There were two other conference tournament games deemed a no-contest last week, but this was the first major program to have it happen to. We took some deep breaths for a half hour and 14 hours later, the day was completed with no more cancellations.
Bad news out of the MEAC. Top-seeded North Carolina A&T caught COVID and will have to opt-out of its conference tournament. Brutal for a team in position to make the NCAA Tournament as the auto-bid.
Villanova is in a lot of trouble. I mean the Wildcats are definitely going to make the NCAA Tournament. But good luck trying to figure out where they belong. You have to keep reminding yourself not everything happens in a vacuum. That’s what the OG Joe Lunardi says. No. 1 and 2 seeds are basically a lock of where they are. I’m comfortable saying Arkansas and Kansas are safe on the three line.
People want to knock West Virginia down a line. On Monday, we said the Mountaineers were clearly the third best team in the Big 12. Just because they lost to a red-hot Oklahoma State team doesn’t mean we knock them down. Virginia beat Syracuse. It didn’t beat Florida State. I am however okay with moving Texas up to a three.
After further review, I’m beginning to like Tennessee and USC more. The winner of Creighton and UConn will have a landmine in the Big East Championship. Texas Tech and Oklahoma deserve to slide. Probably one of the best games Friday will be LSU vs. Ole Miss. Tigers are now sitting good on the seven line, and the Rebels can make things very interesting with a win.
I honestly can’t see Wisconsin slipping below an eight seed. The Atlantic-10 Championship can’t come soon enough. Maryland helped its seeding but didn’t knock out Michigan State by any means. If you thought Syracuse deserved a bid after its first game, then losing to Virginia shouldn’t change that. We have this discussion every year, and it seems like it always happens in the ACC Tournament.
With Duke done, Boise State losing to Nevada, St. John’s and Xavier losing, Drake is continuing to hang on to a bid. It also helps Saint Louis hasn’t scheduled a game yet. Seton Hall can’t really improve its resume with a win over Georgetown. And Memphis and SMU can’t until they play Wichita State and/or Houston.
We’re almost to the promise land. I can feel it.
Check us all out on the ever-growing and changing Bracket Matrix.
Automatic Qualifiers
- Loyola-Chicago
- Winthrop
- Liberty
- Morehead State
- Appalachian State
- UNCG
- Drexel
- Mount Saint Mary’s
- Cleveland State
- Gonzaga
- Oral Roberts
Pod 1
1 Gonzaga
16 PV A&M/Coppin State
8 Virginia Tech
9 Missouri
5 Florida State
12 Colgate
4 Tennessee
13 UNCG
- Clemson
11 Drake/Colorado State
3 Texas
14 Liberty
7 LSU
10 St. Bonaventure
2 Ohio State
15 Nicholls State
Pod 4
1 Illinois
16 Mt. St. Mary’s
8 Oklahoma
9 Loyola-Chicago
5 USC
12 Utah State/Syracuse
4 Purdue
13 Toledo
6 Creighton
11 Louisville
3 Kansas
14 Southern Utah
7 BYU
10 Rutgers
2 Alabama
15 Oral Roberts
Pod 2
1 Baylor
16 St. Peter’s/Drexel
8 Oregon
9 Georgia Tech
5 Colorado
12 Syracuse/Boise State
4 Oklahoma State
13 Winthrop
6 Texas Tech
11 Michigan State
3 Arkansas
14 Cleveland State
7 San Diego State
10 Maryland
2 Iowa
15 Grand Canyon
Pod 3
1 Michigan
16 App. State
8 UConn
9 North Carolina
5 Villanova
12 Western Kentucky
4 Virginia
13 UCSB
6 Florida
11 UCLA
3 West Virginia
14 Morehead State
7 Wisconsin
10 VCU
2 Houston
15 Hartford
Last four byes
Maryland
UCLA
Michigan State
Louisville
Last four in
Drake
Colorado State
Syracuse
Utah State
First four out
Saint Louis
Ole Miss
Boise State
Seton Hall
Next four out
Xavier
Memphis
SMU
Louisiana Tech