We had two very exciting days of college basketball, as conference tournaments are underway. Most of the seeds have gone chalk with two #1 seeds that played already including Liberty and Robert Morris, and both won. No changing among the auto-bids, but we’re going to see two #1 seeds play right away today with Winthrop and San Diego State. I’m happy because I’ll be able to watch those games as I go into work at 6:00. Hopefully I can catch the second half of that final Mountain West game after work.
Bubble teams in all shapes and forms played on Tuesday and Wednesday. South Carolina beat Mississippi State to move up the extremely weak bubble, and somehow the Bulldogs are still here too. Maryland lost a 2 seed thanks to maybe giving Rutgers what they needed to get a bid. Villanova beat Seton Hall on the road, which knocks off Creighton on the 2 line after a loss to St. John’s. Cincinnati and Richmond won to hold their spots, while Marquette is in a huge tumble in typical Marquette form. Tennessee beat Kentucky at Rupp to make it even harder for the Wildcats to get something better than a 4 seed. I couldn’t quite get the Vols into the first 8 out though.
Purdue beat Iowa on the road, but my adjusted winning percentage for the Boilermakers is still really bad. The Texas Longhorns made an enormous leap from the next 4 out spot to last 4 byes. Now Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech have very similar resumes. Minnesota was officially fried by Indiana, while Providence is nearing lock status despite 4 bad losses. Auburn losing at home to Texas A&M with Iowa and Penn State also falling made way for Wisconsin to join the top 16. Tulsa keeps on winning to make the American interesting.
Florida avoided defeat, but LSU did not which brings Arkansas back into the picture. Butler won on senior night as the Bulldogs are a team I’m liking more and more. Dayton tore apart Rhode Island, but that’s not a bad loss. A win probably would’ve gotten the Rams in though. Florida State is another that avoided a bad loss and stayed firmly on the 2 line. Virginia escaped Miami and moved up to a 7 seed thanks to LSU struggling.
If you haven’t already, kill off Clemson, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, SMU, Temple, Georgia, Alabama and Minnesota. And then check us all out on the Bracket Matrix.
Midwest
1 Kansas
16 Robert Morris/NC Central
8 LSU
9 Stanford
5 Iowa
12 Yale
4 Louisville
12 North Texas
6 Colorado
11 Cincinnati/Texas Tech
3 Maryland
14 Hofstra
7 Virginia
10 USC
2 Seton Hall
15 North Dakota State
South
1 Baylor
16 Siena/Prairie View A&M
8 Marquette
9 Saint Mary’s
5 Ohio State
12 Utah State/Wichita State
4 Kentucky
13 Akron
6 Butler
11 Oklahoma
3 Michigan State
14 Colgate
7 Illinois
10 Xavier
2 Florida State
15 UC Irvine
West
1 Gonzaga
16 Radford
8 Providence
9 Florida
5 Penn State
12 Northern Iowa
4 Oregon
13 Stephen F. Austin
6 Arizona
11 Texas
3 Duke
14 Belmont
7 West Virginia
10 Rutgers
2 Villanova
15 Wright State
East
1 San Diego State
16 Montana
8 Michigan
9 Arizona State
5 BYU
12 Vermont
4 Wisconsin
13 Liberty
6 Auburn
11 East Tennessee State
3 Creighton
14 New Mexico State
7 Houston
10 Indiana
2 Dayton
15 Little Rock
Last 4 byes
Indiana
USC
Texas
Oklahoma
Last 4 in
Cincinnati
Texas Tech
Utah State
Wichita State
First 4 out
NC State
UCLA
South Carolina
Rhode Island
Next 4 out
Memphis
Richmond
Arkansas
Mississippi State