After a crazy week of conference challenge games - many of which pitted two ranked teams against each other - there was, as expected, considerable shakeup in the bracket. Most of the biggest changes came in the form of seed adjustments, both positive and negative, for big conference teams. What made seeding difficult this week - and what makes it so challenging this early in the season in general - is that many mid-major or middle-of-the-pack big conference teams have played tougher schedules, and have better wins in a lot of cases, than their more talented or higher seeded counterparts. It's up to us to project whether those teams will maintain their level of play once conference play starts, and we then seed the teams based on what they have done and how we see them finishing in their respective leagues.
In this week's bracket, the only conference to pick up an additional bid was the Valley, as Creighton took New Mexico's place in the field after the Lobos lost to Mississippi. The last couple of spots out of the Big East and SEC continue to be very fluid, with three changes being made this week in those conferences alone.
Out This Bracket
Connecticut, Seton Hall, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina A&T, Monmouth, Alabama State
In This Bracket
Providence, Creighton, Mississippi, West Virginia, Hampton, Robert Morris, Alabama A&M
Last Four In
Mississippi, West Virginia, Bradley, St. Joseph's
Last Four Out
Connecticut, New Mexico, Kentucky, Purdue
Next Four Out
Seton Hall, Rhode Island, Boston College, Houston
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Conference Breakdown
Big East (8), ACC (7), Pac-10 (7), Big XII (5), SEC (5), Big Ten (4), MVC (3), A-10 (2), WCC (2)
America East - Albany
ACC - North Carolina, Duke, Clemson, Virginia, Miami (FL), North Carolina State, Florida State
Atlantic Sun - Belmont
A-10 - Xavier, St. Joseph's
Big East - Georgetown, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Villanova, Providence, Syracuse, West Virginia
Big Sky - Montana
Big South - Winthrop
Big Ten - Michigan State, Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio State
Big 12 - Kansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas State, Baylor
Big West - UC-Santa Barbara
Colonial - George Mason
C-USA - Memphis
Horizon - Butler
Ivy - Cornell
MAAC - Siena
MAC - Miami (OH)
MEAC - Hampton
MVC - Southern Illinois, Creighton, Bradley
MWC - BYU
Northeast - Robert Morris
Ohio Valley - Austin Peay
Pac-10 - UCLA, Washington State, Oregon, Arizona, USC, California, Stanford
Patriot - Holy Cross
SEC - Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi
Southern - Davidson
Southland - Sam Houston State
Summit - IUPUI
Sun Belt - Western Kentucky
SWAC - Alabama A&M
WAC - Utah State
WCC - Gonzaga, St. Mary's
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The Seeds
The 1s
North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas, UCLA
The 2s
Texas, Duke, Georgetown, Washington State
The 3s
Michigan State, Marquette, Tennessee, Texas A&M
The 4s
Butler, Indiana, Oregon, Clemson
The 5s
Gonzaga, Pittsburgh, Xavier, Louisville
The 6s
Arizona, USC, Virginia, Vanderbilt
The 7s
BYU, Villanova, California, Wisconsin
The 8s
Ohio State, Arkansas, Miami (FL), Providence
The 9s
St. Mary's, North Carolina State, Southern Illinois, Stanford
The 10s
Florida State, Syracuse, Kansas State, George Mason
The 11s
Florida, Baylor, Davidson, Creighton
The 12s
Mississippi, West Virginia, Bradley, St. Joseph's
The 13s
Miami (OH), Utah State, Winthrop, Holy Cross
The 14s
UC-Santa Barbara, Belmont, Western Kentucky, Siena
The 15s
Sam Houston State, Hampton, Montana, Cornell
The 16s
IUPUI, Albany, Robert Morris, Austin Peay (Play-In Game), Alabama A&M (Play-In Game)
The Bracket
(Bracket courtesy Matt Reeves)
Questions? Comments? E-mail Bracketology 101 at bracketologyblog@yahoo.com
4 comments:
Wow. FSU as a 10-seed. I go to FSU and many of the games. I just don't see them as being a better team than last year. I'd love to see us in the tournament, but our rebounding is paltry. The ACC is stacked. FSU's gotta win some big games to get in. Our non-conference schedule is weak. I see us doing like we have over the past 2 seasons. Starting out well in conference play and then fading at the end of the season, barely missing the tournament.
You're right about the ACC - the league is stacked, and who will end up finishing sixth or seventh is anyone's guess right now. FSU was given the seventh ACC bid over Maryland or BC to this point in large part because of the 'Noles W over Florida, but that probably won't be the case come next week. FSU will likely be replaced in next week's bracket by the winner of Sunday's Maryland-BC game. If the Terps win, it would be their second nice W of the year, and if BC wins, they'd get the seventh spot for picking up a quality win on the road.
You really need to explain the Providence pick. Nice win in Boston considering they blew a 21 point lead and they follow that up with consecutive losses to URI and South Carolina. (Yes, URI won at Syracuse as did UMass.)
This bracket is from last week (Dec. 3), before Providence lost to URI and South Carolina. The Friars are out of this week's bracket, which will be released tomorrow (Dec. 10).
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