Bracketology 2/18/2023

No team has moved faster through the bracket in recent weeks than New Mexico. The Lobos started the season far from relevance but surged to a 14-0 start. At 19-3 they were a comfortable 7 seed in my bracket but plunged out of the field with a 4 game losing streak, capped by a disastrous home loss to Wyoming. A pair of games against the class of the MWC (Boise State and San Diego State) awaits- they need at least a split to stay in the conversation.

1: Alabama, Houston, Kansas, Purdue

2: UCLA, Baylor, Texas, Arizona

3: Tennessee, Virginia, Gonzaga, Xavier

4: Connecticut, Kansas State, Marquette, Iowa State

5: Indiana, Miami (FL), San Diego State. St. Mary’s

6: Maryland, Illinois, Auburn, Northwestern

7: TCU, Michigan State, Creighton, NC State

8: Duke, Providence, Iowa, Oklahoma State

9: Florida Atlantic, Arkansas, Nevada, Missouri

10: Memphis, Rutgers, West Virginia, Boise State

11: Texas A&M, Pittsburgh, (Wisconsin/Kentucky), (USC/North Carolina)

12: Oral Roberts, Charleston, VCU, Southern Miss

13: Drake, Utah Valley, Liberty, Kent State

14: UC Irvine, Princeton, Iona, Eastern Washington

15: Vermont, Samford, Colgate, UNC Asheville

16: Youngstown State, Northwestern State, (Morehead State/Howard), (Alcorn State/Fairleigh Dickinson)

First Four Out: Mississippi State, Clemson, New Mexico, North Texas

Next Four Out: Utah State, Penn State, Oregon, Seton Hall

Also Considered: Wake Forest, Oral Roberts, Charleston, Florida, Oklahoma, Santa Clara, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt

Moving In: Princeton

Moving Out: Yale

Bids by Conference:

Big Ten: 9

Big 12: 8

SEC: 7

ACC: 6

Big East: 5

Mountain West: 3

Pac-12: 3

American: 2

West Coast: 2