Sunday, November 15, 2015

W-17 BP68

The season just started, but today marks exactly 17 weeks until Selection Sunday, so it's time for the first of many weekly bracket projections.

The most important thing early in the season is to not overreact to single games. Remember that by March there will be very few November games that we really care about anymore. These games just don't matter that much in the grand scheme.

The most heartbreaking team to drop out of the Field of 68 is Rhode Island, after the season-ending injury to EC Matthews. Illinois State also drops out. Tulsa and Oklahoma State take their place. In addition, Princeton replaces Harvard as the Ivy League favorite.

For now, here's how I see things ending up on Selection Sunday 2016:

1. KANSAS (BIG 12)
1. NORTH CAROLINA (ACC)
1. KENTUCKY (SEC)
1. ARIZONA (PAC-12)

2. Virginia
2. MICHIGAN STATE (BIG TEN)
2. VILLANOVA (BIG EAST)
2. Maryland

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

4. Purdue
4. Texas
4. WICHITA STATE (MVC)
4. Baylor

5. Indiana
5. Xavier
5. DAVIDSON (ATLANTIC TEN)
5. UCONN (AAC)

6. UCLA
6. Oregon
6. Texas A&M
6. Cincinnati

7. California
7. Miami-Florida
7. Michigan
7. Utah

8. Louisville
8. Notre Dame
8. Wisconsin
8. Vanderbilt

9. SAN DIEGO STATE (MOUNTAIN WEST)
9. Pittsburgh
9. West Virginia
9. Ohio State

10. LSU
10. Dayton
10. Providence
10. Georgetown

11. Butler
11. NC State
11. BYU
11. Florida State
11. UNLV

12. Oklahoma State
12. Tulsa
12. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN (SOUTHLAND)
12. VALPARAISO (HORIZON)
12. CENTRAL MICHIGAN (MAC)

13. UAB (CONFERENCE USA)
13. IONA (MAAC)
13. BELMONT (OVC)
13. UC-IRVINE (BIG WEST)

14. SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (SUMMIT)
14. GEORGIA STATE (SUN BELT)
14. HOFSTRA (COLONIAL) 
14. STONY BROOK (AMERICA EAST)

15. PRINCETON (IVY LEAGUE)
15. WINTHROP (BIG SOUTH)
15. NEW MEXICO STATE (WAC)
15. MONTANA (BIG SKY)

16. NORTH FLORIDA (ATLANTIC SUN)
16. CHATTANOOGA (SOUTHERN)
16. LEHIGH (PATRIOT)
16. ROBERT MORRIS (NEC)
16. NORFOLK STATE (MEAC)
16. SOUTHERN (SWAC)

Teams seriously considered that just missed the cut:
Memphis, Temple, Syracuse, George Washington, Rhode Island, Marquette, Illinois, Iowa, TCU, Old Dominion, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, Boise State, Oregon State, Stanford, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee

Other teams with a decent shot to get onto the bubble:
Clemson, Georgia Tech, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, VCU, Creighton, Seton Hall, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, William & Mary, UTEP, Akron, Kent State, Evansville, Colorado State, New Mexico, Arizona State, Colorado, USC, Washington, Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Pepperdine, Saint Mary's

Other teams I'm keeping my eye on:
Vermont, Houston, Boston College, Virginia Tech, La Salle, UMass, St. Joseph's, DePaul, St. John's, Nebraska, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Hawaii, James Madison, Northeastern, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Oakland, Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Monmouth, Siena, Buffalo, Western Michigan, Loyola-Chicago, Fresno State, Utah State, Wyoming, Murray State, North Dakota State, Washington State, Missouri, Portland

No comments: