W-15 BP68

Coming into the season, the Big East looked like the most muddled of the major conferences. There just wasn't a clear best team. Marquette was getting all of the media hype, but anybody who followed their advanced metrics last year knew that they were very overrated. Georgetown was my pick, but they certainly have their flaws. Creighton is a contender. Maybe Villanova.

But the Big East is not the only league that is confusing. The ACC is suddenly a 4-5 team race where no team is the clear favorite. Duke has not been the best team so far, though I've still got them as champion and a 1 seed simply because I love their ceiling as a team. They should get better throughout the season, and I think they'll look a lot better in March than they do now. But like I said, it's still up for grabs.

And there are other leagues as well that are very difficult to figure, from the Mountain West to Conference USA. And so once again, there's a significant amount of movement amongst the teams seeded in the 9-12 range in my bracket. Once again, the 1-3 seeds basically didn't change at all.

There were two changes to the composition of the Field of 68 this week. Clemson and San Diego State moved in, while Purdue and Texas dropped out.

Please remember that the following is a projection of Selection Sunday and not a list of where teams would be seeded if the season ended now. There is a difference.


1. MICHIGAN STATE (BIG TEN)
1. KENTUCKY (SEC)
1. DUKE (ACC)
1. KANSAS (BIG 12)

2. ARIZONA (PAC-12)
2. Ohio State
2. LOUISVILLE (AAC)
2. Florida

3. Oklahoma State
3. Wisconsin
3. GONZAGA (WCC)
3. Iowa

4. GEORGETOWN (BIG EAST)
4. UConn
4. VCU (ATLANTIC TEN)
4. Pittsburgh

5. NEW MEXICO (MWC)
5. Creighton
5. St. Louis
5. Villanova

6. Michigan
6. Virginia
6. WICHITA STATE (MVC)
6. North Carolina

7. Syracuse
7. Indiana
7. UCLA
7. Marquette

8. Baylor
8. Iowa State
8. Memphis
8. Boise State

9. Notre Dame
9. UMass
9. Cincinnati
9. Colorado

10. Oregon
10. Florida State
10. Tennessee
10. Stanford

11. BYU
11. Dayton
11. HARVARD (IVY)
11. Minnesota

12. Clemson
12. Maryland
12. San Diego State
12. Butler
12. NORTH DAKOTA STATE (SUMMIT)
12. DREXEL (COLONIAL)

13. LOUISIANA TECH (CONFERENCE USA)
13. MANHATTAN (MAAC)
13. WEBER STATE (BIG SKY)
13. NEW MEXICO STATE (WAC)

14. BELMONT (OVC)
14. WISCONSIN-GREEN BAY (HORIZON)
14. TOLEDO (MAC)
14. GEORGIA STATE (SUN BELT)

15. MERCER (ATLANTIC SUN)
15. UC IRVINE (BIG WEST)
15. BOSTON UNIVERSITY (PATRIOT)
15. DAVIDSON (SOCON)

16. VERMONT (AMERICA EAST)
16. NORTHWESTERN STATE (SOUTHLAND)
16. NC CENTRAL (MEAC)
16. HIGH POINT (BIG SOUTH)
16. BRYANT (NEC)
16. SOUTHERN (SWAC)

Teams seriously considered that just missed the cut:
SMU, Boston College, Providence, Illinois, Purdue, Oklahoma, Texas, Indiana State, Utah State, Arizona State, California, Alabama, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, St. Mary's

Other teams with a decent shot, but that need to improve their resume:
George Washington, Richmond, St. Joseph's, St. John's, Xavier, Kansas State, West Virginia, Southern Miss, UTEP, Colorado State, UNLV, Washington State, Arkansas, Vanderbilt

Other teams I'm keeping my eye on, but that need to dramatically improve their resume:
Central Florida, Houston, South Florida, Temple, Georgia Tech, Miami (Fl), NC State, Wake Forest, George Mason, La Salle, DePaul, Seton Hall, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, Delaware, Towson, Charlotte, Middle Tennessee, UAB, Wright State, Iona, Ohio, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Fresno State, Oregon State, Utah, Washington, South Carolina, Texas A&M