Bracketology 2/26/21

You may notice a surprise is this edition of Bracketology. Michigan State, a team left for dead as recently as a week ago, is now not only on the bubble, but as of today in the field. How does a team rise up so dramatically?

The answer, to quote Orwell, boils down to "All games are equal. But some games are more equal than others." In the last three weeks, Michigan State picked up a solid Q1 road win over Indiana, and then two massive home wins over Illinois and Ohio State. In a bubble that is known for mediocre teams losing to good ones, beating two Top 5 teams in the country does huge favors for a resume. In one week, Michigan State now has 5 Q1 wins, two of them Top 5, and only one loss outside of Q1, and the road loss to Northwestern is Q2. The metrics still aren't that strong, and Michigan State has a murderous stretch of games still, including two games against Michigan. But even so, this has been a remarkable achievement for Tom Izzo's group.

Region 1

1       Gonzaga (1)

16   Prairie View A&M (67)/North Carolina A&T (68)

8       Florida (32)

9       Maryland (35)

5       Tennessee (18)

12   Belmont (49)

4       Texas (13)

13   Winthrop (54)

6       Missouri (23)

11   VCU (42)

3       Villanova (9)

14   Liberty (58)

7       Oklahoma State (25)

10   North Carolina (40)

2       Iowa (8)

15   Siena (59)

Region 2

1       Baylor (2)

16   Texas State (65)/ South Dakota (66)

8       Rutgers (30)

9       San Diego State (34)

5       USC (17)

12   Western Kentucky (50)

4       Virginia (15)

13   Toledo (52)

6       Wisconsin (24)

11   Louisville (41)

3       Houston (10)

14   Abilene Christian (57)

7       BYU (26)

10   Drake (39)

2       Illinois (5)

15   James Madison (62)

Region 3

1       Michigan (3)

16   Eastern Washington (64)

8       Loyola (Chicago) (31)

9       UCLA (33)

5       Texas Tech (19)

12   Michigan State (45)/ Xavier (46)

4       Arkansas (16)

13   UC-Santa Barbara (51)

6       Clemson (22)

11   Seton Hall (43)

3       Florida State (11)

14   Wright State (56)

7       Colorado (28)

10   St, Bonaventure (37)

2       West Virginia (7)

15   Grand Canyon (60)

Region 4

1       Ohio State (4)

16   Wagner (63)

8       LSU (29)

9       Oregon (36)

5       Creighton (20)

12   Wichita State (47)/Colorado State (48)

4       Kansas (14)

13   Colgate (53)

6       Purdue (21)

11   Connecticut (44)

3       Oklahoma (12)

14   Furman (55)

7       Virginia Tech (27)

10   Boise State (38)

2       Alabama (6)

15   UMBC (61)

Last Four Byes

Louisville

VCU

Seton Hall

Connecticut

Last Four In

Michigan State

Xavier

Wichita State

Colorado State

First Four Out

Stanford

Minnesota

Duke

Georgia Tech

Next Four Out

Indiana

Richmond

SMU

Ole Miss

Bracketology 2/22/21

For this Bracketology, you'll notice some fluidity in the bracket compared to normal. This is because as the season goes on, I will conduct a large overview of the Bracket, rather than comparing individual teams. This is useful as it allows me to take into account winning streaks and losing streaks, as well as how the metrics look at a team. For example, Rutgers was a team I was high on, as they have good schedule numbers and 4 Q1 wins. However, looking at the resume closely, I saw that a 12-9 record and meh metrics isn't conducive to a high seed, and several other teams felt that. As the season continues to the last three weeks, there will be less fluidity, as more teams will either tighten their resumes or fall off the bubble.

Region 1

1       Gonzaga (1)

16   Prairie View A&M (67)/North Carolina A&T (68)

8       Florida (32)

9       UCLA (33)

5       USC (17)

12   Western Kentucky (50)

4       Kansas (15)

13   Toledo (52)

6       Clemson (24)

11   Drake (41)

3       Villanova (9)

14   Liberty (58)

7       Arkansas (25)

10   St. Bonaventure (40)

2       West Virginia (8)

15   Siena (60)

Region 2

1       Baylor (2)

16   South Dakota (65)/Bryant (66)

8       Colorado (31)

9       Seton Hall (34)

5       Purdue (19)

12   Connecticut (47)/Stanford (48)

4       Florida State (16)

13   UC-Santa Barbara (51)

6       Creighton (23)

11   Boise State (42)

3       Iowa (10)

14   Abilene Christian (57)

7       LSU (26)

10   North Carolina (39)

2       Illinois (5)

15   James Madison (62)

Region 3

1       Michigan (3)

16   Texas State (64)

8       BYU (30)

9       San Diego State (35)

5       Tennessee (18)

12   Belmont (49)

4       Texas (14)

13   Colgate (53)

6       Virginia Tech (22)

11   Minnesota (44)

3       Houston (11)

14   UNC-Greensboro (56)

7       Rutgers (27)

10   Oregon (38)

2       Oklahoma (7)

15   Grand Canyon (59)

Region 4

1       Ohio State (4)

16   Eastern Washington (63)

8       Loyola (Chicago) (29)

9       Xavier (36)

5       Missouri (20)

12   VCU (45)/ Colorado State (46)

4       Virginia (13)

13   Winthrop (54)

6       Wisconsin (21)

11   Louisville (43)

3       Texas Tech (12)

14   Wright State (55)

7       Oklahoma State (28)

10   Maryland (37)

2       Alabama (6)

15   UMBC (61)

Last Four Byes

1.      Drake

2.      Boise State

3.      Louisville

4.      Minnesota

Last Four In

1.      VCU

2.      Colorado State

3.      Connecticut

Stanford

First Four Out

Indiana

Wichita State

Utah State

St. Louis

Next Four Out

Syracuse

Duke

Richmond

Ole Miss

Bracketology 2/19/21

The weirdest resume so far is Minnesota's. At home, they might be the best team in the country. Wins include Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, and Purdue. Those wins rank with any team in the country. The problem is on the road: 0-8. You read that correctly, not a single victory.

In a normal season, no team would be even considered without any road wins. The committee has indicated that they value performance away from home, and have penalized teams with poor road records. However, Minnesota might be extended a mulligan for the circumstances of the season. They can, however, make their lives much easier by beating Penn State in Happy Valley.

Region 1

 1       Gonzaga (1)

16   North Dakota State (67)/North Carolina A&T (68)

8       Florida (32)

9       UCLA (33)

5       Kansas (17)

12   Western Kentucky (50)

4       USC (16)

13   UC-Santa Barbara (51)

6       Virginia Tech (23)

11   Drake (42)

3       Iowa (10)

14   Abilene Christian (57)

7       LSU (25)

10   Maryland (40)

2       Oklahoma (8)

15   Grand Canyon (59)

Region 2

1       Baylor (2)

16   Bryant (65)/Prairie View A&M (66)

8       BYU (31)

9       Xavier (34)

5       Rutgers (19)

12   Belmont (49)

4       Tennessee (15)

13   Toledo (52)

6       Creighton (24)

11   Oregon (41)

3       Houston (11)

14   UNC-Greensboro (56)

7       Clemson (26)

10   VCU (38)

2       Illinois (5)

15   James Madison (62)

Region 3

1       Michigan (3)

16   Texas State (64)

8       Colorado (30)

9       Seton Hall (35)

5       Wisconsin (20)

12   Stanford (46)/Colorado State (48)

4       Texas Tech (13)

13   Winthrop (54)

6       Missouri (21)

11   St.  Bonaventure (44)

3       Virginia (12)

14   Wright State (55)

7       Oklahoma State (27)

10   Minnesota (39)

2       Villanova (7)

15   Siena (60)

Region 4

1       Ohio State (4)

16   Eastern Washington (63)

8       Loyola (Chicago) (29)

9       San Diego State (36)

5       Florida State (18)

12   Indiana (45)/ Boise State (47)

4       Texas (14)

13   Colgate (53)

6       Purdue (22)

11   North Carolina (43)

3       West Virginia (9)

14   Liberty (58)

7       Arkansas (28)

10   Louisville (37)

2       Alabama (6)

15   Vermont (61)

Bracketology - 2/15/21

 I apologize to my 30-40 or so viewers who never saw my final bracketology. My heart broke with the end of last year, and I don't think I'll ever fully get over losing March Madness. But it has made me even more appreciative of this year's season, and even with everything going on we're thankfully on track to play a tournament this season. It'll look different, but any March Madness is better than none.

For this season, the Cinderella darling has been Drake, who are 20-2 and are a lot of fun to watch. Yet they currently are in as a 10 seed, as their SOS is, for lack of a better term, poor. That's what made yesterday's win over Loyola so huge. It was a Q1 win in a conference where they are not abundant, and gives them breathing room on the bubble.

For the brackets themselves, currently the Regions are named the very imaginative names of Region 1, 2, 3, and 4. I expect better names within the next month, but the point is due to the tournament being entirely in Indiana, there are no geographic regions, meaning that geography is no longer a consideration for seeding the teams.

With all that said, here is the first bracketology of 2021:

Region 1

1 Gonzaga (1)

16 North Dakota State (67)/North Carolina A&T (68)

8 Arkansas (32)

9 Xavier (33)

5 USC (17)

12 Western Kentucky (50)

4 Iowa (13)

13 Winthrop (54)

6 Purdue (23)

11 North Carolina (41)

3 Oklahoma (10)

14 Abilene Christian (57)

7 LSU (25)

10 Seton Hall (40)

2 Houston (8)

15 Grand Canyon (59)

Region 2

1 Baylor (2)

16 Bryant (65)/Prairie View A&M (66)

8 Loyola (Chicago) (31)

9 Minnesota (35)

5 Wisconsin (19)

12 Colorado State (47)/Stanford (48)

4 Texas Tech (15)

13 Toledo (52)

6 Creighton (24)

11 Maryland (43)

3 Tennessee (12)

14 Wright State (55)

7 Clemson (26)

10 UCLA (39)

2 Illinois (5)

15 James Madison (62)

Region 3

1 Michigan (3)

16 Texas State (64)

8 BYU (30)

9 Louisville (34)

5 Kansas (18)

12 Belmont (49)

4 Missouri (16)

13 UC-Santa Barbara (51)

6 Virginia Tech (22)

11 Indiana (44)

3 West Virginia (11)

14 UNC-Greensboro (54)

7 Colorado (28)

10 St.  Bonaventure (37)

2 Villanova (7)

15 Siena (60)

Region 4

1 Ohio State (4)

16 Eastern Washington (63)

8 Florida (29)

9 San Diego State (36)

5 Florida State (20)

12 Boise State (45)/Oregon (46)

4 Texas (14)

13 Colgate (53)

6 Rutgers (21)

11 VCU (42)

3 Virginia (9)

14 Liberty (58)

7 Oklahoma State (27)

10 Drake (38)

2 Alabama (6)

15 UMBC (61)