READ THIS FIRST!!!!!!!!
First and foremost, this bracket is a CHECKPOINT based on CURRENT MERIT. Not, a forecast of the future. For that matter, it’s really not a bracket that reflects how good we think teams actually are currently. Just what they’ve done on paper. If we were forecasting instead of check pointing, teams like Kansas, North Carolina, and Iowa State would have much better seeds. Likewise, teams like George Washington and Chattanooga wouldn’t be where they currently are. So, if it looks crazy, that’s why.
I have two reasons for doing them this early: 1), It’s fun to look at, and 2) This is a season long evaluation, and this helps me evaluate. Nothing more, nothing less.
BRACKET NOTES
-The bracket reflects all games played through Sunday, November 22nd
-No teams needed to be moved off of their natural seed lines.
-Chattanooga has wins at Illinois and at Georgia. Neither Illinois or Georgia appear to be outstanding, but those are still two very good road wins against teams that could end up inside the bubble, and will likely win the vast majority of their home games. That’s why Chattanooga is so high.
-Tulsa isn’t likely to end up anywhere near the the #3 line, but as of now they’ve beaten Wichita State and racked up some notable wins away from home. Many teams below them will probably pass them, but as of now their profile is rather strong.
-George Washington is another unbeaten team who has done some stuff away from home, as well as beat Virginia at home. They’re probably not a #4 seed come March, but this is a checkpoint and not a forecast.
-Western Illinois is unbeaten with a win at Wisconsin. I wasn’t expecting them to be that strong by Summit League standards, much less NCAA Tournament standards, but they have my attention.
-Saint Joseph’s, who I thought would finish at or near the bottom of the Atlantic Ten, also has my attention. They have just one loss to Florida, and beat what we think is a pretty good Old Dominion team (although they’ve been disappointing so far).
-The Seed List is posted below. I know, it’s a mess, and it’s very interchangeable as far as who could be or should be ahead of who right now. Basically, when it comes to what everyone has done on paper, all 351 teams are still separated by just three or four games.
1. KENTUCKY
2. MIAMI FL – 5-0. Beat Butler and Utah away from home
3. Duke
4. MICHIGAN STATE
5. GONZAGA
6. Virginia
7. VILLANOVA
8. Purdue
9. OKLAHOMA
10. ARIZONA
11. Oregon
12. TULSA – multiple quality wins
13. Maryland
14. GEORGE WASHINGTON – unbeaten with win against Virginia
15. Utah
16. Xavier
17. Butler
18. Indiana
19. California
20. Dayton
21. North Carolina – no big wins
22. Kansas – only win is against Northern Colorado
23. Lsu – no big wins
24. Vanderbilt – no big wins
25. Cincinnati – no big wins
26. Connecticut –no big wins
27. Baylor
28. CHATTANOOGA – 2-0. Won @ Illinois and @ Georgia
29. Providence
30. Notre Dame
31. Florida
32. Louisville
33. Saint Joseph’s – 4-1 with wins over ODU and Drexel
34. Iowa State
35. West Virginia
36. VALPARAISO – win @ Rhode Island. Close loss at Oregon
37. WESTERN ILLINOIS – 4-0. Won @ Wiscy
38. Syracuse
39. Florida State
40. Georgetown
41. Wisconsin
42. NORTHERN IOWA
43. Wichita State
44. COLORADO STATE – 3-0. Won at Northern Iowa
45. WILLIAM & MARY
46. Washington – 3-0 with a win over Texas
47. South Carolina
48. Vcu – no big wins yet, but close losses to Duke and Wiscy
49. Rhode Island
50. Usc – 3-0 with a win over New Mexico
51. Michigan
52. Richmond
53. Evansville
54. Hofstra
55. Oregon State
56. NORTH FLORIDA
57. LITTLE ROCK
58. UT Arlington
59. Saint Mary’s
60. Davidson – 2-0 vs weak teams
61. RADFORD
62. MONMOUTH
63. Pittsburgh
64. YALE
65. BELMONT
66. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
67. Ohio U
68. SACRAMENTO STATE
69. Iowa
70. Texas A&M
71. Southern Illinois
72. Fresno State
73. Long Beach State
74. Byu
75. San Francisco – win over UIC
76. Unlv
77. New Mexico
78. Wake Forest
79. Northwestern
80. Clemson
81. Georgia
82. LOUISIANA TECH – 3-0. Beat UTA
83. UC IRVINE
84. Kansas State
85. Boston College
86. Duquesne
87. Hawaii
88. STEPHEN F AUSTIN
89. Saint John’s
90. Saint Louis
91. UMass
92. BUCKNELL
93. SOUTHERN
94. NEW MEXICO STATE
95. ALBANY
96. LIU BROOKLYN – only unbeaten NEC team
97. SAVANNAH STATE