Happy Valentine’s Day. It’s a day after, but I’m writing this on Valentine’s Day. This was our slowest Friday in quite a while. There were five games that had potential to impact this bracket. They were all auto bids in one-bid leagues. The only one that was really going to shake up seeds 12-16 was if Yale lost to Princeton. But the Bulldogs won. So Vermont, you’re not getting a 12 seed this time.
I said the 1 seeds weren’t going anywhere for some time. The same could be said about two of the 2 seeds. Dayton and Duke won’t be going anywhere for a while either. Maryland has too many tough opponents left, and the fourth #2 seed is going to be changing quite a bit. The only thing about the top 16 that changed is Michigan State dropping out. The Spartans went on a three-game losing streak, it did snap, but Creighton picked up a huge win.
Butler and Oregon seem to be grouping together quite a bit. And the same goes for Colorado and Arizona. As fast as Rhode Island, Xavier and Cincinnati joined the field in recent weeks, Arizona State is with us too, giving the Pac-12 5 teams. Bobby Hurley has done it again. Just when you think the Sun Devils aren’t getting in, here is he, making things interesting late in the season.
ESPN College GameDay is finally coming to Big Ten country, but that still doesn’t mean I’m going to watch. But I’ll be tuned in for Maryland vs. Michigan State because both are serious Final Four contenders. I don’t care how bad the Spartans have been struggling. They’re still going to be a threat in March. The game I’m looking forward to the most is Loyola-Chicago vs. Northern Iowa. The Panthers won’t lose first place in the Missouri Valley, but it’ll hurt their resume and right now they’re in position to get an at-large if they don’t win the tournament.
Enjoy another Saturday in February with all sorts of good college basketball. Check us out and the almost 100 others on the Bracket Matrix.
South
1. Baylor
16. Robert Morris/North Carolina Central
8. Wisconsin
9. Florida
5. Oregon
12. East Tennessee State
4. Marquette
13. Stephen F. Austin
6. Iowa
11. Xavier
3. Auburn
14. New Mexico State
7. Houston
10. Northern Iowa
2. Maryland
15. Little Rock
Midwest
1. Kansas
16. Siena/Prairie View A&M
8. Rhode Island
9. Michigan
5. Butler
12. Cincinnati/USC
4. Kentucky
13. Vermont
6. LSU
11. Arizona State
3. Florida State
14. Colgate
7. BYU
10. Alabama
2. Dayton
15. South Dakota State
West
1. Gonzaga
16. Montana
8. Rutgers
9. Stanford
5. Michigan State
12. Yale
4. Villanova
13. Akron
6. Arizona
11. VCU/Arkansas
3. West Virginia
14. Hofstra
7. Ohio State
10. Oklahoma
2. Louisville
15. UC Irvine
East
1. San Diego State
16. Murray State
8. Texas Tech
9. Saint Mary’s
5. Penn State
12. Liberty
4. Creighton
13. North Texas
6. Colorado
11. Purdue
3. Seton Hall
14. Wright State
7. Illinois
10. Wichita State
2. Duke
15. Winthrop
Last four byes
Wichita State
Xavier
Arizona State
Purdue
Last four in
VCU
Arkansas
Cincinnati
USC
First four out
Minnesota
Utah State
Indiana
Virginia
Next four out
Mississippi State
Richmond
NC State
Tennessee
Photo courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics
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