Friday, April 11, 2014

Preseason BP68

The thing about putting a bracket together just four days after the national title game is that the rosters are still going to change a lot. We still have guys deciding on the draft, we still have transfers in and out, we still have recruits to sign, etc.

But this bracket serves as a starting point. You can click on my conference previews, where I go through all 32 conferences and tell you who I think is coming in and leaving, and why I have teams where I have them.

From here on out, we'll see what happens with certain players. For example, at this point I'm assuming Jabari Parker and Mitch McGary stay. If either one chooses to go pro, their team will drop in the next bracket. But we need to start somewhere, so let's start here.

As for the next bracket, it will be posted around the NBA Draft. After that I'll have a bracket around Midnight Madness. After that will be the "W-17 BP68", 17 weeks from Selection Sunday.

For now, here's how I see things ending up on Selection Sunday 2015:

1. DUKE (ACC)
1. WISCONSIN (BIG TEN)
1. ARIZONA (PAC-12)
1. KENTUCKY (SEC)

2. KANSAS (BIG 12)
2. North Carolina
2. VILLANOVA (BIG EAST)
2. Michigan

3. Texas
3. Florida
3. Virginia
3. VCU (ATLANTIC TEN)

4. SAN DIEGO STATE (MOUNTAIN WEST)
4. Oklahoma
4. GONZAGA (WCC)
4. SMU (AAC)

5. Utah
5. Ohio State
5. Louisville
5. Iowa

6. WICHITA STATE (MISSOURI VALLEY)
6. UCLA
6. West Virginia
6. Dayton

7. UConn
7. Pittsburgh
7. Illinois
7. Colorado

8. Iowa State
8. Stanford
8. Maryland
8. Syracuse

9. Xavier
9. Nebraska
9. Georgetown
9. Cincinnati

10. UNLV
10. Miami-Florida
10. Oregon
10. Northern Iowa

11. BYU
11. Richmond
11. Michigan State
11. HARVARD (IVY)

12. Arkansas
12. Oklahoma State
12. Butler
12. Tennessee
12. TOLEDO (MAC)
12. UC SANTA BARBARA (BIG WEST)

13. CLEVELAND STATE (HORIZON)
13. UTEP (CONFERENCE USA)
13. SIENA (MAAC)
13. DREXEL (COLONIAL)

14. MURRAY STATE (OVC)
14. DENVER (SUMMIT)
14. NEW MEXICO STATE (WAC)
14. FLORIDA GULF COAST (ATLANTIC SUN)

15. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN (SOUTHLAND)
15. AMERICAN UNIVERSITY (PATRIOT)
15. EASTERN WASHINGTON (BIG SKY)
15. STONY BROOK (AMERICA EAST)

16. HIGH POINT (BIG SOUTH)
16. LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE (SUN BELT)
16. NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL (MEAC)
16. WOFFORD (SOCON)
16. ST. FRANCIS-BROOKLYN (NEC)
16. ALABAMA STATE (SWAC)

Teams seriously considered that just missed the cut:
Memphis, Tulsa, Clemson, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Rhode Island, Providence, Minnesota, Purdue, Baylor, Kansas State, Illinois State, Colorado State, California, Georgia, Texas A&M

Other teams with a decent shot to get onto the bubble:
Temple, Florida State, NC State, George Washington, UMass, Creighton, Marquette, Seton Hall, Indiana, Northwestern, UC-Irvine, Northeastern, Louisiana Tech, Green Bay, Iona, Western Michigan, Missouri State, Fresno State, New Mexico, Arizona State, Washington, Alabama, LSU, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina, San Francisco

Other teams I'm keeping my eye on:
Houston, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Duquesne, St. John's, Penn State, Texas Tech, Delaware, Charlotte, Old Dominion, Columbia, Princeton, Northern Illinois, Evansville, Southern Illinois, Boise State, Wyoming, Oregon State, USC, Washington State, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Diego

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