Bracketology 2/6/2023

The best game of the weekend was St. Mary’s beating Gonzaga in overtime, cementing their place at the top of the WCC this year. The Gaels were looking shaky after a 6-3 start but now have top 10 computer metrics everywhere and after a 12 game winning streak they enter the protected seeds for the first time all year.

There are always a few teams whose resume looks a lot better than their computer numbers do. Often these teams fall off in the second half of the season and we’re seeing it here- Missouri has slid from a 5 seed to an 11 seed in recent weeks and Arizona State is almost totally out of the tournament picture.

1: Purdue, Alabama, Houston, Arizona

2: Kansas, Texas, Tennessee, UCLA

3: Baylor, Iowa State, Xavier, Marquette

4: Kansas State, St. Mary’s, Virginia, Miami (FL)

5: Indiana, TCU, Rutgers, Connecticut

6: Gonzaga, Duke, Iowa, San Diego State

7: Auburn, NC State, Illinois, Providence

8: New Mexico, Florida Atlantic, Arkansas, North Carolina

9: Michigan State, Kentucky, Creighton, West Virginia

10: Maryland, Nevada, USC, Boise State

11: Utah State, Oklahoma State, (Northwestern/Pittsburgh), (Missouri/Clemson)

12: VCU, Charleston, Oral Roberts, Akron

13: Southern Miss, Utah Valley, UC Santa Barbara, Liberty

14: Iona, Southern Illinois, Princeton, Furman

15: Vermont, Colgate, Youngstown State, Eastern Washington

16: UNC Asheville, Norfolk State, (Northwestern State/UT-Martin), (Grambling State/Fairleigh Dickinson)

First Four Out: Memphis, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, Texas A&M

Next Four Out: Seton Hall, Florida, Wisconsin, Penn State

Also Considered: VCU, Oregon, Michigan, North Texas, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Wake Forest, Charleston