Section 400’s Bracketology, March 5

Welcome to Views from 400 Bracketology! 

Can you believe it? This is the last bracketology before postseason play begins! Now, that postseason play may be the A-Sun, Horizon, and MVC tournaments but it’s postseason play nonetheless. Also if there’s anything you’ve learned about us by now it’s that we don’t care if we’re watching the Big 10 or the Big Sky, ball is ball.

Anyway, check out where your favorite team ranks in our penultimate bracketology.

First Four Out: Drake, Iowa, Texas A&M, Providence

• Drake has been hanging around, but will most likely need to win the MVC to get in.
• Iowa is one of the hotter teams in college basketball and can find its way into the tournament with a strong showing in the Big 10 Tournament.
• Providence lost a game they desperately needed to win at home against Villanova. The Friars will need to pick up a few wins in the Big East Tournament to get themselves back in the conversation.
• Texas A&M is all but cooked. The Aggies need two wins to finish the regular season and a strong showing in SEC Tournament play.

Last Four In: Seton Hall, New Mexico, St. John’s, Virginia

• Seton Hall is hanging on by a thread, but a win over Butler has the Pirates on the right side of the bubble for now. The Pirates need to defeat Villanova to stay on the right side of the bubble.
• New Mexico has become the worst good team in a bad Mountain West.
• St. John’s needs a strong showing to end the regular season but Rick Pitino’s squad could very well do it.
• Virginia is reeling, but the Cavaliers are in the field for now.

Projected Field of 68

16 seeds: Oakland/NC Central, Colgate, Southern/Eastern Washington, Merrimack

15 seeds: Sam Houston State, High Point, Morehead State, Quinnipiac

14 seeds: UNCW, Vermont, Eastern Kentucky, South Dakota State

13 seeds: Akron, UC Irvine, James Madison, Samford

12 seeds: Princeton, McNeese State, Grand Canyon, Indiana State

11 seeds: Colorado, Texas, Virginia/St. John’s, New Mexico/Seton Hall

10 seeds: Colorado State, Nevada, Villanova, Wake Forest

9 seeds: Boise State, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Nebraska

8 seeds: Gonzaga, Washington State, Northwestern, Clemson

7 seeds: Texas Tech, South Florida, TCU, Utah State

6 seeds: FAU, South Carolina, Florida, BYU

5 seeds: Wisconsin, Duke, Dayton, San Diego State

4 seeds: Alabama, Creighton, St. Mary’s, Auburn

3 seeds: Illinois, Kentucky, Kansas, Marquette

2 seeds: Iowa State, UNC, Baylor, Arizona

1 seeds: Purdue, Houston, Tennessee, UConn

 

Projected Major Conference Champions

Purdue, Houston, UCONN, Tennessee, Arizona, San Diego State

 

Bids by Conference

AAC: 2

A-10: 1

ACC: 5

Big 10: 4

Big 12: 10

Big East: 5

Ivy League: 1

MVC: 1

MWC: 6

SEC: 10

WCC: 2

PAC 12: 2