Hello, college basketball/Big Ten fans!
Welcome to the first Schmolik 64 Update bracket for March!
| Midwest Regional | Kansas City | ||
| Fri/Sun March 24-26 | |||
| Des Moines | 1 | Kansas | 25-5 |
| Thur/Sat March 16-18 | 16 | ||
| 8 | Pittsburgh | 21-9 | |
| 9 | Providence | 21-9 | |
| Orlando | 5 | Miami | 23-6 |
| Thur/Sat March 16-18 | 12 | ||
| 4 | Indiana | 20-10 | |
| 13 | Utah Valley | 20-7 | |
| Albany | 6 | Iowa | 19-11 |
| Fri/Sun March 17-19 | 11 | Boise State | 22-7 |
| 3 | Gonzaga | 25-5 | |
| 14 | Hofstra | 22-8 | |
| Sacramento | 7 | Kentucky | 20-10 |
| Thur/Sat March 16-18 | 10 | West Virginia | 17-13 |
| 2 | Arizona | 25-5 | |
| 15 | Vermont | 19-10 |
| South Regional | Louisville | ||
| Fri/Sun March 24-26 | |||
| Birmingham | 1 | Alabama | 26-4 |
| Thur/Sat March 16-18 | 16 | Texas A&M Corpus Christi | 17-10 |
| 8 | Illinois | 20-10 | |
| 9 | NC State | 22-9 | |
| Greensboro | 5 | TCU | 20-10 |
| Fri/Sun March 17-19 | 12 | VCU | 23-7 |
| 4 | Xavier | 22-8 | |
| 13 | Toledo | 23-6 | |
| Columbus | 6 | Michigan State | 18-11 |
| Fri/Sun March 17-19 | 11 | ||
| 3 | Marquette | 24-6 | |
| 14 | Colgate | 23-8 | |
| Des Moines | 7 | Rutgers | 18-12 |
| Thur/Sat March 16-18 | 10 | Mississippi State | 20-10 |
| 2 | Baylor | 22-8 | |
| 15 | Youngstown State | 22-8 |
| West Regional | Las Vegas | ||
| Thur/Sat March 23-25 | |||
| Birmingham | 1 | Houston | 28-2 |
| Thur/Sat March 16-18 | 16 | UNC Asheville | 23-7 |
| 8 | Duke | 22-8 | |
| 9 | Missouri | 22-8 | |
| Orlando | 5 | Creighton | 19-11 |
| Thur/Sat March 16-18 | 12 | Bradley | 23-8 |
| 4 | Virginia | 22-6 | |
| 13 | Southern Miss | 22-6 | |
| Denver | 6 | San Diego St | 22-6 |
| Fri/Sun March 17-19 | 11 | Wisconsin | 16-13 |
| 3 | Kansas State | 23-7 | |
| 14 | UC Irvine | 19-10 | |
| Sacramento | 7 | Texas A&M | 22-8 |
| Thur/Sat March 16-18 | 10 | Florida Atlantic | 25-3 |
| 2 | UCLA | 26-4 | |
| 15 | Eastern Washington | 21-9 |
| East Regional | New York | ||
| Thur/Sat March 23-25 | |||
| Columbus | 1 | Purdue | 25-5 |
| Fri/Sun March 17-19 | 16 | ||
| 8 | Iowa State | 17-12 | |
| 9 | Arkansas | 19-11 | |
| Albany | 5 | St. Mary's | 24-6 |
| Fri/Sun March 17-19 | 12 | Yale | 17-7 |
| 4 | Connecticut | 23-7 | |
| 13 | Iona | 23-7 | |
| Greensboro | 6 | Northwestern | 20-10 |
| Fri/Sun March 17-19 | 11 | Oral Roberts | 23-4 |
| 3 | Tennessee | 22-8 | |
| 14 | Furman | 21-7 | |
| Denver | 7 | Maryland | 20-10 |
| Fri/Sun March 17-19 | 10 | Nevada | 21-8 |
| 2 | Texas | 22-8 | |
| 15 | Kennesaw State | 22-8 |
| First Four Games | |||
| Dayton | W | Morehead State | 17-10 |
| Tue March 17 | 16 | Howard | 16-12 |
| Dayton | MW | Alcorn State | 17-12 |
| Wed March 18 | 16 | Fairleigh Dickinson | 16-14 |
| Dayton | MW | Memphis | 23-7 |
| Tue March 17 | 12 | Arizona State | 20-10 |
| Dayton | S | USC | 21-9 |
| Wed March 18 | 11 | Oklahoma State | 16-14 |
Bids by Conference:
Big Ten: 9 (Purdue Boilermakers, Indiana Hoosiers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Michigan State Spartans, Northwestern Wildcats, Maryland Terrapins, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Illinois Fighting Illini, Wisconsin Badgers
Big 12: 8 (Kan, Bay, Tex, KSU, TCU, ISU, WV, OkSt)
SEC: 7 (Ala, Tenn, Ky, A&M, Ark, Mo, MissSt)
Big E: 5 (Marq, Conn, Xav, Creig, Prov)
ACC: 5 (Va, Mia, Duke, NCSt, Pitt)
Pac 12: 4 (UCLA, Ariz, USC, ASU)
MWC: 3 (SDSt, BSU, Nev)
WCC: 2 (Gonz, St. M)
AAC: 2 (Hou, Mem)
Highest NET left out: Utah State (22), Auburn (36), Liberty (40), North Carolina (44). NET Data courtesy of WarrenNolan.com.
Comments:
The four #1 seeds are the same #1 seeds as in the bracket reveal back on Feb. 18. Purdue lost a home game to Indiana and falls to the last #1 seed. UCLA, Baylor, and Texas are nipping at Purdue's tails at the last #1 seed. Houston has a "prove it" game at Memphis as well and also has the AAC Tournament to possibly damage their #1 seed although the Committee ranked them #2 overall ahead of Kansas although I would have to think Kansas has improved their resume a lot since then.
The ACC is the conference I feel no one wants to win. Pittsburgh, Miami, and Virginia lead the conference but all have lost games since my last bracket update, Miami at home to a bad Florida State team. Luckily this week Pittsburgh and Miami play and one of them has to win.
Iowa State has fallen on hard times. They have won just 1 of their last 7 games and 2 of their last 10. But they are still #28 in the NET with 8 Quad 1 wins. If you didn't know they lost 8 of 10, they are a no doubt in and the Selection Committee has often made it clear that when you lose doesn't usually matter. A 17-12 overall record doesn't look really good though. Speaking of the Big 12, Oklahoma State travels to Texas Tech. A Texas Tech win could help get them in and Oklahoma State out although the two could meet in the Big 12 Tournament as well.
Utah State still has no Quad 1 wins although that NET ranking is really high now. A MWC Tournament win will certainly make it tough to leave them out. North Carolina has just one Quad 1 win although they will have a chance for a second one vs. Duke tomorrow (assuming Duke stays in the NET top 30 after losing to UNC).
I hope to have a bracket update next week before next Friday. We are only nine days away from Selection Sunday!
Compare my bracket to other brackets across the internet at the Bracket Matrix.
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