Bracketology

Duke

Kansas

Michigan St

Missouri

Ohio St

Other (Baylor, Marquette, Murray St, etc..)

While getting an 8 or 9 seed as compared to a 10 or 11 seems like an accomplishment, its actually a kiss of death. #1 seeds are usually head and shoulders above the rest of the field, and 8-9 winners get stuck playing them in the 2nd round.

 

Gonzaga (25-6, 12-4 WCC, 24th)

Long Beach St (20-8, 15-1 BW, 35th)

New Mexico (23-6, 10-4 MWC, 33rd)

Pac-12 School (Arizona, Cal, Oregon, Washington, etc)

Saint Mary's (25-5, 14-2 WCC, 25th)

San Diego St (22-6, 10-4 MWC, 26th)

UNLV (23-7, 9-5 MWC, 15th)

While bubble teams were able to breathe easier when Murray St and Creighton won close conference titles, the coast is not entirely clear.

Here's a brief look at the remaining teams most likely to "steal" bids from the bubble hopefuls**.


ACC

Bracketology projections will be coming fast and furious this week. Tennessee enters the field for the first time all season, replacing Arizona, who choked in a loss to Arizona State. UCONN also returns, replacing South Florida. South Florida still has a strong chance to return, while Arizona has been replaced by Oregon as the Pac-12's third most likely team.

 

Inevitably, when the committee announces the bracket on selection sunday, a "mid-major" will be highest ranked RPI team to be left out of the field.

Over the last 6 years, the highest RPI team not to make the field has consistently come from a non-BCS conference. In fact, over the last three years, the committee became even more biased. At least the 5 best RPI teams not to make the field were "mid-majors".