5 extra bids have been handed out on Tuesday night time and whereas a couple of main convention tournaments obtained underway, there actually weren’t any significant video games. That each one adjustments on Wednesday with a number of key video games on the slate:
• Within the ACC, Wake Forest, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech are all technically nonetheless alive (though some greater than others), however none of them can transfer the needle of their Wednesday video games. Nonetheless, victories there would open up quarterfinal alternatives for every. Wake would face Pitt, who can be within the bubble dialogue, whereas Syracuse and Virginia Tech would face Duke and North Carolina, respectively.
• It’s the same story within the Large East for Villanova and Windfall. The Wildcats would tackle Marquette within the quarterfinals so long as they don’t slip up towards DePaul, whereas the Friars must keep away from catastrophe towards Georgetown to arrange a date with Creighton.
• Maybe not surprisingly, the Large 12 has the perfect slate of video games, headlined by TCU-Oklahoma. Each groups may use yet another win to solidify their case with each within the 9-to-11 seed vary relying on the place you look. Kansas State faces Texas and desires a deep run to get into the sector, whereas Cincinnati has an opportunity to get to the quarterfinals by knocking off a banged-up Kansas squad.
• Within the Mountain West, New Mexico and Colorado State are in motion in video games that may solely damage them.
• Utah must beat Arizona State within the Pac-12 Match to maintain its slim at-large probabilities alive.
Right here’s a fast refresher about how the NCAA choice committee classifies wins based mostly on the NET score:
· Quad 1: Dwelling vs. groups ranked 1-30 / Impartial vs. groups ranked 1-50 / Highway vs. groups ranked 1-75· Quad 1A: Dwelling vs. groups ranked 1-15 / Impartial vs. groups ranked 1-25 / Highway vs. groups ranked 1-40· Quad 2: Dwelling vs. groups ranked 31-75 / Impartial vs. groups ranked 51-100 / Highway vs. groups ranked 76-135· Quad 3: Dwelling vs. groups ranked 76-160 / Impartial vs. groups ranked 101-200 / Highway vs. groups ranked 136-240· Quad 4: Dwelling vs. groups ranked 161-351 / Impartial vs. groups ranked 201-351 / Highway vs. groups ranked 241-351
The Bracket
The projections beneath are based mostly on all video games performed by March 12, 2024. Following the bracket, I included some fast notes on the final 4 in and first 4 groups out.
DETROIT (MIDWEST)
DALLAS (SOUTH)
Indianapolis – March 22/24
Memphis – March 22/24
1) Purdue
1) Houston
16) Norfolk St. / Wagner
16) Longwood
8) Boise State
8) Florida
9) Oklahoma
9) Northwestern
Pittsburgh – March 21/23
Spokane – March 22/24
5) Clemson
5) Utah State
12) James Madison
12) Richmond
4) Kentucky
4) Alabama
13) McNeese State
13) Vermont
Pittsburgh – March 21/23
Brooklyn – March 22/24
6) Wisconsin
6) Dayton
11) Drake
11) Indiana St. / Texas A&M
3) Creighton
3) Duke
14) Charleston
14) Morehead State
Memphis – March 22/24
Indianapolis – March 22/24
7) Gonzaga
7) Washington State
10) Mississippi State
10) TCU
2) Baylor
2) Marquette
15) Sam Houston
15) South Dakota State
LOS ANGELES (WEST)
BOSTON (EAST)
Charlotte – March 21/23
Brooklyn – March 22/24
1) Tennessee
1) Connecticut
16) Grambling / Stetson
16) Quinnipiac
8) Texas
8) Colorado State
9) Florida Atlantic
9) Nebraska
Spokane – March 22/24
Salt Lake Metropolis – March 21/23
5) South Carolina
5) BYU
12) South Florida
12) Grand Canyon
4) Illinois
4) Auburn
13) UC Irvine
13) Samford
Omaha – March 21/23
Omaha – March 21/23
6) San Diego State
6) Nevada
11) Princeton
11) St. John’s / Virginia
3) Kansas
3) Iowa State
14) Oakland
14) Toledo
Salt Lake Metropolis – March 21/23
Charlotte – March 21/23
7) Saint Mary’s
7) Texas Tech
10) Seton Corridor
10) Michigan State
2) Arizona
2) North Carolina
15) Montana
15) Colgate
Final 4 In:
• Virginia: The Cavaliers closed the season with a 15-point win over Georgia Tech on Saturday. UVA sits at 8-9 within the prime two quadrants with two Q1 wins (at Clemson and Florida on a impartial court docket) and no different losses. Nonetheless, all 9 losses have come by double digits, damaging their predictive metrics within the course of. A possible quarterfinal matchup with Clemson within the ACC Match would offer the chance for a much-needed high quality win.
• St. John’s: After avoiding catastrophe in video games towards DePaul and Georgetown, the Purple Storm stay firmly within the bubble combine. They now have three Q1 wins and 9 victories within the prime two quadrants, together with a sweep of Villanova and a neutral-court win over fellow bubbler Utah. Nonetheless, simply considered one of their victories got here towards an at-large group in right now’s discipline (Creighton). Thursday’s date with Seton Corridor is shaping as much as be an essential one for each squads.
• Indiana State: It is going to be a protracted few days of ready for the Sycamores. All 4 group sheet metrics are hovering round fortieth and ISU is twenty ninth within the NET. That mentioned, their lone Q1 victory got here at Bradley, and their different two Prime 100 victories have been at dwelling towards Drake and Bradley. ISU has simply two losses outdoors the highest quadrant, however one is a brutal This fall loss to Illinois State. It seems like we’ve seen the committee give some prime mid-majors the good thing about the doubt lately, and I plan to dig in additional this week to search out out whether or not these comparisons mirror favorably on Indiana State.
• Texas A&M: The Aggies have assembled an odd profile. On the one hand, they’ve 5 Q1 victories and are 11-9 towards the highest two quadrants, with wins over Tennessee and Kentucky at dwelling and Iowa State on a impartial ground. A prime 25 non-conference energy of schedule might assist A&M as properly, however they’ve additionally managed to go simply 2-4 in Q3, contributing to their 13 whole losses. The Aggies received at Ole Miss to shut out the common season and can tackle the Rebels once more of their first SEC Match contest.
First 4 Out:
• Colorado: The Buffs swept the street journey to the Oregon colleges, which helped to bolster their street report. Their two Q1 wins got here at Washington and Oregon, whereas they’ve only one victory over an at-large group on this week’s discipline (Washington State). Colorado’s group sheet metrics have a tendency to check favorably to different bubble groups, and although the Buffs don’t have any losses outdoors of the highest two quadrants, they do have 4 losses to groups ranked ninety fifth or worse within the NET that sit on the low finish of Q2. CU will face both Utah or Arizona State on Thursday.
• New Mexico: After dropping a detailed recreation at Utah State, the Lobos are on the surface wanting in. They’ve six wins within the prime two quadrants, with a house win over UC Irvine, which is the one one to not are available in MWC play. New Mexico has additionally been swept by UNLV and is saddled with a This fall dwelling loss to Air Pressure. A poor non-conference energy of schedule can be a possible situation and although they’re 9-6 in street/impartial video games, eight of these victories fall in Q3 or This fall. The Lobos have an opportunity for revenge towards Air Pressure, establishing a date with Boise State within the quarterfinals.
• Villanova: The Wildcats closed the season with a pair of losses, dropping their total report to 17-14. They’ve 9 wins within the prime two quadrants, together with marquee wins over North Carolina and Texas Tech on impartial flooring and on the street at Creighton. However three Q3 losses have left Villanova at 12-14 in non-This fall contests. Wednesday’s recreation towards DePaul supplies an opportunity to pad the win whole, however extra importantly, it might arrange a date with Marquette in a recreation that might transfer the needle.
• Iowa: There’s a little bit of a drop-off between the primary three groups out and the Hawkeyes. They may not knock off Illinois within the season finale, leaving them at 3-8 in Q1, with seven of these losses falling in Q1A. Iowa does have 5 Q2 victories and has crushed Michigan State and Northwestern on the street. A Q3 loss to Michigan definitely doesn’t assist, so Iowa might want to beat Ohio State on Thursday so the Hawkeyes can get one other crack at Illinois.
The opposite groups thought-about for the primary 4 out have been Pittsburgh and Windfall.
Convention Breakdown:
Large 12 (9): Baylor, BYU, Houston, Iowa St., Kansas, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech
SEC (8): Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M
Large Ten (6): Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin
Large East (5): Connecticut, Creighton, Marquette, St. John’s, Seton Corridor
Mountain West (5): Boise State, Colorado St., Nevada, San Diego State, Utah State
ACC (4): Clemson, Duke, North Carolina, Virginia
American (2): Florida Atlantic, South Florida
Atlantic 10 (2): Dayton, Richmond
Missouri Valley: Drake*, Indiana State
Pac-12 (2): Arizona, Washington State
West Coast (2): Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s*
America East: Vermont
Atlantic Solar: Stetson*
Large Sky: Montana
Large South: Longwood*
Large West: UC Irvine
Coastal: Charleston*
Convention USA: Sam Houston
Horizon: Oakland*
Ivy: Princeton
MAAC: Quinnipiac
MAC: Toledo
MEAC: Norfolk State
Northeast: Wagner*
Ohio Valley: Morehead State*
Patriot: Colgate
Southern: Samford*
Southland: McNeese State
SWAC: Grambling
Summit: South Dakota State*
Solar Belt: James Madison*
WAC: Grand Canyon
* – Computerized Bid
Observe Andy on Twitter (@andybottoms) for extra ideas on faculty hoops and to obtain an replace at any time when new brackets are posted.
Filed to: 2023-2024 Bracketology
