NCAA Tournament Top 16 Seeds

In honor of the NCAA Basketball Selection Committee biting the meaningless college football selection sneak previews, here are my top 16 seeds as of today, February 11, 2017.

1 SEEDS: Villanova; Kansas; Baylor; Gonzaga.

2 SEEDS: Florida State; North Carolina; Butler; Virginia.

3 SEEDS: Louisville, Kentucky; Creighton; Duke.

4 SEEDS: West Virginia; Florida; Oregon; Arizona.

Of course, this will all change in about two hours.

Kruger And Wright Downplay Oklahoma's Early Season Romp Of Villanova

The Final Four is set and familiarity abounds.

Of course, it makes sense that ACC foes North Carolina and Syracuse are familiar with each other, but the other National Semifinal match-up will also be a rematch.

Villanova and Oklahoma played each other during the non conference portions of their schedules in early December and the result was far from kind to the Wildcats. Oklahoma dominated Villanova, winning the neutral court contest in Hawaii, 78-55. 

The Sooners were paced by five players in double figures, led by Isaiah Cousins’ 19 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds, along with Buddy Hield’s 18 points. Meanwhile, the Wildcats shot 32% from the field, including a putrid 4-32 from beyond the three-point stripe. 

That result doesn't seem to bode well for Villanova. However, both coaches downplayed its significance.

“I see very little carryover,” Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said during a Final Four conference call on Monday. “They're doing things differently, we’re doing things differently. It's almost like we played them last year.”

They did, actually.

Villanova coach Jay Wright elaborated a bit more.

“We were both ranked in the Top 10 going into that game,” he said during the conference call. “But, when that game unfolded, it was very clear that Oklahoma was playing like a top ten/top five team and we were not. We really used that [game] as a bar.”

It’s clear Wright believes his team is much better equipped this time around.

“[Oklahoma] was close to a Final Four team at that time of the year,” he said. “We weren't even close at that time. I think we just got to that point, Saturday night, of playing like a Final Four team.”

We’ll see which team is playing at a championship level on Saturday.

Food For Hot Take: Underwood Shows Mid In Mid-Major Refers To Money Only.

What a difference a few days make.

After beating West Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday in Brooklyn, Stephen F. Austin coach Brad Underwood genuinely sounded like a man not just happy to be the coach at SFA, but a man grateful to be at a so-called mid-major program.

“[Mid-majors are] able to get better players [than in the past] and keep them for their career and have seniors, so there’s maturity,” Underwood said. 

“One of the biggest discrepancies in college sports is the difference between an 18-year old freshman and a 22-year old senior. The maturity level is drastically different.”

After Stephen F. Austin’s heart-breaking second round loss to Notre Dame on Sunday, Underwood remarked that “the name [on the uniform] doesn’t mean anything. Stephen F. Austin is here to stay.”

Well, if that’s true, SFA will have to do so without their 89-14 head coach, who bolted Monday for more money, higher stature, and likely, perpetually younger and less mature players, at Power 5 school Oklahoma State.

I am definitely not blaming Underwood, but it illustrates what the “mid” in mid-major truly refers to. It’s no longer talent, great coaching, or good basketball teams.

It’s money. 

Updated Bracketology - Predicting the Tournament Field

As of games through Wednesday, March 9, 2016.

WARNING: The predicted field/seeding is highly likely to change from day to day or minute to minute.

*Automatic bids in italics

1 SEEDS: Kansas; Virginia; Oklahoma; Villanova.

2 SEEDS: Michigan State; Oregon; West Virginia; North Carolina.

3 SEEDS: Miami; Xavier; Utah; Duke.

4 SEEDS: Texas; Iowa State; Indiana; Iowa.

5 SEEDS: Purdue; Kentucky; Texas A&M; Maryland.

6 SEEDS: California; Arizona; Baylor; Wisconsin.

7 SEEDS: Notre Dame; Oregon State; Seton Hall; Texas Tech.

8 SEEDS: Colorado; Connecticut; Dayton; Providence.

9 SEEDS: Butler; Vanderbilt; USC; Cincinnati.

10 SEEDS: Wichita State; Gonzaga; Pittsburgh; Syracuse.

11 SEEDS: St. Joe’s; Tulsa vs. Florida; VCU vs. Saint Mary’s; San Diego State.

12 SEEDS: Arkansas Little Rock; Northern Iowa; Chattanooga; Akron.

13 SEEDS: South Dakota State; Yale; UNC Wilmington; Stony Brook.

14 SEEDS: UC Irvine; UAB; S.F. Austin; Iona.

15 SEEDS: New Mexico State; Green Bay; Weber State; UNC Asheville.

16 SEEDS: Hampton; Texas Southern; Austin Peay vs. Holy Cross; Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Florida Gulf Coast.

LAST FOUR IN: Tulsa; VCU; Saint Mary’s; Florida.

FIRST SIX OUT: Michigan; St. Bonaventure; Georgia Tech; Florida State; South Carolina; Valparaiso.

NEXT SIX OUT: Washington; George Washington; Princeton; Virginia Tech; Temple; Monmouth.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: ACC (7); Big 12 (7); Pac 12 (7); Big Ten (6); Big East (5); SEC (4); AAC (3); Atlantic 10 (3); Missouri Valley (2); West Coast (2).

Note: Automatic bids are determined by conference champion or the highest RPI team remaining in conference.

Updated Bracketology - Predicting the Tournament Field

As of games through Tuesday, March 8, 2016.

WARNING: The predicted field/seeding is highly likely to change from day to day or minute to minute.

*Automatic bids in italics

1 SEEDS: Kansas; Virginia; Oklahoma; Villanova.

2 SEEDS: Michigan State; Oregon; West Virginia; North Carolina.

3 SEEDS: Miami; Xavier; Utah; Duke.

4 SEEDS: Texas; Iowa State; Indiana; Iowa.

5 SEEDS: Purdue; Kentucky; Texas A&M; Maryland.

6 SEEDS: California; Arizona; Baylor; Wisconsin.

7 SEEDS: Notre Dame; Texas Tech; Seton Hall; Oregon State.

8 SEEDS: Colorado; Connecticut; Syracuse; Dayton.

9 SEEDS: Providence; Butler; Vanderbilt; Cincinnati.

10 SEEDS: USC; Wichita State; Gonzaga; Pittsburgh.

11 SEEDS: St. Joe’s; Tulsa vs. Florida; VCU vs. Saint Mary’s; San Diego State.

12 SEEDS: Arkansas Little Rock; Northern Iowa; Chattanooga; Akron.

13 SEEDS: South Dakota State; Yale; UNC Wilmington; Stony Brook.

14 SEEDS: UC Irvine; UAB; S.F. Austin; Iona.

15 SEEDS: New Mexico State; Green Bay; Weber State; UNC Asheville.

16 SEEDS: Lehigh; Hampton; Texas Southern vs. Florida GC; Austin Peay vs. Fairleigh Dickinson.

LAST FOUR IN: Tulsa; VCU; Saint Mary’s; Florida.

FIRST FIVE OUT: Michigan; St. Bonaventure; Florida State; South Carolina; Valparaiso.

NEXT FIVE OUT: Georgia Tech; George Washington; Washington; Princeton; Temple.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: ACC (7); Big 12 (7); Pac 12 (7); Big Ten (6); Big East (5); SEC (4); AAC (3); Atlantic 10 (3); Missouri Valley (2); West Coast (2).

Note: Automatic bids are determined by conference champion or the highest RPI team remaining in conference.

Updated Bracketology - Predicting the Tournament Field

As of games through 9:10PM Tuesday, March 8, 2016.

WARNING: The predicted field/seeding is highly likely to change from day to day or minute to minute.

*Automatic bids in italics

1 SEEDS: Kansas; Virginia; Oklahoma; Villanova.

2 SEEDS: Michigan State; Oregon; West Virginia; North Carolina.

3 SEEDS: Miami; Xavier; Utah; Duke.

4 SEEDS: Texas; Iowa State; Indiana; Iowa.

5 SEEDS: Purdue; Kentucky; Texas A&M; Maryland.

6 SEEDS: California; Arizona; Baylor; Wisconsin.

7 SEEDS: Notre Dame; Texas Tech; Seton Hall; Oregon State.

8 SEEDS: Colorado; Connecticut; Syracuse; Dayton.

9 SEEDS: Providence; Butler; Vanderbilt; Cincinnati.

10 SEEDS: USC; Wichita State; Pittsburgh; St. Joe’s.

11 SEEDS: Tulsa vs. Gonzaga; VCU vs. Florida; Saint Mary’s; San Diego State.

12 SEEDS: Arkansas Little Rock; Northern Iowa; Chattanooga; Akron.

13 SEEDS: South Dakota State; Yale; UNC Wilmington; Stony Brook.

14 SEEDS: UC Irvine; UAB; S.F. Austin; Iona.

15 SEEDS: New Mexico State; Green Bay; Weber State; UNC Asheville.

16 SEEDS: Lehigh; Hampton; Texas Southern vs. Fairleigh Dickinson; Austin Peay vs. Florida GC

LAST FOUR IN: Tulsa; VCU; Florida; Gonzaga.

FIRST FIVE OUT: Michigan; St. Bonaventure; Florida State; South Carolina; Valparaiso.

NEXT FIVE OUT: Georgia Tech; George Washington; Washington; Princeton; Temple.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: ACC (7); Big 12 (7); Pac 12 (7); Big Ten (6); Big East (5); SEC (4); AAC (3); Atlantic 10 (3); Missouri Valley (2); West Coast (2).

Note: Automatic bids are determined by conference champion or the highest RPI team remaining in conference.

Predicting the Tournament Field - Updated Bracketology

As of games through Sunday, March 6, 2016.

WARNING: The predicted field/seeding is highly likely to change from day to day or minute to minute.

*Automatic bids in italics

1 SEEDS: Kansas; Virginia; Oklahoma; Villanova.

2 SEEDS: Michigan State; Oregon; West Virginia; North Carolina.

3 SEEDS: Miami; Xavier; Utah; Duke.

4 SEEDS: Texas; Iowa State; Indiana; Iowa.

5 SEEDS: Purdue; Kentucky; Texas A&M; Maryland.

6 SEEDS: California; Arizona; Baylor; Wisconsin.

7 SEEDS: Notre Dame; Texas Tech; Seton Hall; Oregon State.

8 SEEDS: Colorado; Connecticut; Syracuse; Dayton.

9 SEEDS: Providence; Butler; Vanderbilt; Cincinnati.

10 SEEDS: USC; Wichita State; Pittsburgh; St. Joe’s.

11 SEEDS: Tulsa vs. Michigan; VCU vs. Florida; Saint Mary’s; Valparaiso.

12 SEEDS: San Diego State; Monmouth; Arkansas Little Rock; Northern Iowa.

13 SEEDS: Hofstra; Akron; Chattanooga; South Dakota State.

14 SEEDS: Yale; Stony Brook; UC Irvine; UAB.

15 SEEDS: S. F. Austin; New Mexico State; Weber State; UNC Asheville.

16 SEEDS: Lehigh; Wagner; Hampton vs. Florida GC; Texas Southern vs. Austin Peay.

LAST FOUR IN: Tulsa; VCU; Florida; Michigan.

FIRST FIVE OUT: St. Bonaventure; Gonzaga; Florida State; South Carolina; Georgia Tech.

NEXT FIVE OUT: George Washington; Washington; Princeton; Temple; Stanford.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: ACC (7); Big Ten (7); Big 12 (7); Pac 12 (7); Big East (5); SEC (4); AAC (3); Atlantic 10 (3); Missouri Valley (2).

Note: Automatic bids are determined by the highest RPI team remaining in each Conference/Conference Tournament.

New Blacketology

As of games through Friday, February 26.

WARNING: The predicted field/seeding is highly likely to change from day to day or minute to minute.

*Automatic bids in italics

1 SEEDS: Kansas; Oklahoma; Villanova; Virginia.

2 SEEDS: Xavier; Michigan State; Oregon; Duke.

3 SEEDS: North Carolina; Miami; Iowa; West Virginia.

4 SEEDS: Iowa State; Texas; Utah; Maryland.

5 SEEDS: Kentucky; Notre Dame; Texas A&M; Baylor.

6 SEEDS: Purdue; California; Arizona; Indiana.

7 SEEDS: Texas Tech; Dayton; Wisconsin; Colorado.

8 SEEDS: USC; Syracuse; Connecticut; Oregon State.

9 SEEDS: Providence; St. Joe's; Michigan; South Carolina.

10 SEEDS: Seton Hall; Florida; Butler; Wichita State.

11 SEEDS: Pittsburgh vs. St. Bonaventure; Tulsa; Vanderbilt vs. Cincinnati; Monmouth.

12 SEEDS: Saint Mary’s; Valparaiso; Princeton; San Diego State.

13 SEEDS: Arkansas Little Rock; Hofstra; Chattanooga; South Dakota State.

14 SEEDS: Akron; Stony Brook; UAB; UC Irvine.

15 SEEDS: Belmont; S. F. Austin; New Mexico State; Winthrop.

16 SEEDS: Montana; North Florida; Bucknell vs. Hampton; Texas Southern vs. Wagner.

LAST FOUR IN: Pittsburgh; Vanderbilt; Cincinnati; St. Bonaventure.

FIRST FIVE OUT: Alabama; UCLA; VCU; George Washington; Gonzaga.

NEXT FIVE OUT: Florida State; Washington; Stanford; Georgetown; LSU.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: ACC (7); Big Ten (7); Big 12 (7); Pac 12 (7); Big East (5); SEC (5); AAC (3); Atlantic 10 (3).

Note: Automatic bids are determined at this point by the highest RPI in each league.

Updated Bracketology

As of games through Friday, February 19.

WARNING: The predicted field/seeding is highly likely to change from day to day or minute to minute.

*Automatic bids in italics

1 SEEDS: Kansas; Villanova; Oklahoma; Virginia.

2 SEEDS: Iowa; Oregon; Xavier; Michigan State.

3 SEEDS: Duke; West Virginia; Iowa State; Miami.

4 SEEDS: North Carolina; Texas; Notre Dame; Maryland.

5 SEEDS: Kentucky; Purdue; Utah; Texas A&M.

6 SEEDS: Arizona; California; USC; Dayton.

7 SEEDS: Baylor; Indiana ; Syracuse; Connecticut.

8 SEEDS: Texas Tech; Florida; Providence; Colorado.

9 SEEDS: Wisconsin; St. Joe's; Oregon State; Michigan.

10 SEEDS: Alabama; South Carolina; Butler; Wichita State.

11 SEEDS: Pittsburgh; Florida State vs. Cincinnati; Seton Hall vs. Tulsa; Monmouth.

12 SEEDS: Gonzaga; Valparaiso; Princeton; Chattanooga.

13 SEEDS: Arkansas Little Rock; San Diego State; South Dakota State; Akron.

14 SEEDS: William & Mary; Stony Brook; UC Irvine; Middle Tennessee State.

15 SEEDS: Belmont; S. F. Austin; New Mexico State; Winthrop.

16 SEEDS: Montana; North Florida; Boston U. vs. Hampton; Southern vs. Wagner.

LAST FOUR IN: Florida State; Seton Hall; Tulsa; Cincinnati.

FIRST FIVE OUT: VCU; Vanderbilt; Washington; UCLA; Kansas State.

NEXT FIVE OUT: Saint Mary’s; Clemson; George Washington; LSU; Georgetown.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: ACC (8); Big Ten (7); Big 12 (7); Pac 12 (7); Big East (5); SEC (5); AAC (3); Atlantic 10 (2).

Note: Automatic bids are determined at this point by the highest RPI in each league.

New Bracketology - 2/2/16

It’s February, which means it is officially time to start projecting the NCAA Tournament field.

Here's a look at my first in-season Bracketology for 2015-16.

As of games through Monday, February 1.

WARNING: The predicted field/seeding is highly likely to change from day to day or minute to minute.

*Automatic bids in italics

1 SEEDS: Oklahoma; Iowa; North Carolina; Villanova.

2 SEEDS: Xavier; Virginia; Iowa State; Kansas.

3 SEEDS: Michigan State; Oregon; Texas A&M; Texas.

4 SEEDS: West Virginia; Maryland; Louisville; Miami.

5 SEEDS: Purdue; Kentucky; Providence; Utah.

6 SEEDS: USC; Duke; Arizona; Dayton.

7 SEEDS: Baylor; Florida; Michigan, Indiana.

8 SEEDS: Notre Dame; Wichita State; Colorado; California.

9 SEEDS: St. Mary’s; VCU; Pittsburgh; Syracuse.

10 SEEDS: Florida State; South Carolina; Seton Hall; UConn.

11 SEEDS: Valparaiso; St. Joe’s; Washington; Butler vs. Cincinnati.

12 SEEDS: Monmouth; Clemson vs. Texas Tech; San Diego State; Ark. Little Rock.

13 SEEDS: Chattanooga; William & Mary; South Dakota State; Stony Brook.

14 SEEDS: Princeton; Akron; UC Irvine; Middle Tenn. State.

15 SEEDS: Belmont; Grand Canyon; North Florida; Montana.

16 SEEDS: S. F. Austin; NC Asheville; Navy vs. Wagner; Southern vs. Hampton.

LAST FOUR IN: Butler; Clemson; Texas Tech; Cincinnati.

FIRST FOUR OUT: Vanderbilt; Kansas State; UCLA; Gonzaga.

NEXT FOUR OUT: Oregon State; Georgia Tech; Georgetown; George Washington.

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN: ACC (10); Big 12 (7); Pac 12 (7); Big Ten (6); Big East (5); SEC (4); Atlantic 10 (3); AAC (2).

Note: Automatic bids are determined at this point by the highest RPI in each league.

2015-16 Big East Preview

Despite finishing the 2014-15 season with the third highest conference RPI, Big East conference teams begin this season with a familiar tag: underrated.

Some might even call it disrespected.

Of course, much of it has to do with the Big East’s lack of recent success in March. Villanova stormed through the regular season and were awarded a number one seed by the selection committee, only to be upset by NC State in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32. A disappointment like that can easily cause people to forget all of the big non-conference wins the league accumulated earlier during the season.

However, Nova coach Jay Wright has other theories, as well.

“There are a lot of forces out there in the media and in other conferences that are promoting that,” Wright said about the perception that the Big East is a diminished conference. “I think over time you're going to see the consistency of a lot of teams in the tournament – some of us have to break through – but, great traditional programs doing what they do every year and I think we’ll just wear people out.”

Regardless, this season figures to be another successful one. Teams such as the aforementioned Villanova, as well as Georgetown, Butler and Xavier return a lot of talent and are sure to be formidable. In addition, Marquette and Seton Hall possess promising young players who look ready to explode on the scene, giving both programs a chance to reclaim past glory.

Oh, and I have yet to mention the league could very well have the best player in the country, Kris Dunn from Providence.

So, expect the Big East to show very well versus non-conference foes again this season and for pundits to express shock and awe. Things probably won’t be as smooth within the conference, as the 10-team round-robin promises to be a grind.

But, again, the league’s success and reputation will ultimately be judged on its success in March. Expect six teams to be chosen for that challenge.

ALL CONFERENCE TEAM:

G – Kris Dunn, Jr., Providence
G – D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Sr., Georgetown
G – Billy Garrett, Jr., DePaul
G – Kellen Dunham, Sr., Butler
G – Isaiah Whitehead, So., Seton Hall

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Kris Dunn, Jr., Providence

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:

Henry Ellenson, Fr., Marquette

COACH OF THE YEAR:

John Thompson III, Georgetown


PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH:

Coach Jay Wright, Josh Hart and Ryan Arcidiacono celebrate last season's Big East Championship.                           

1. Villanova – They won't be as dominant as they were last year, but the Wildcats are the clear favorite once again. They are typically guard-heavy again this year, but big man Daniel Ochefu will have to play a more prominent role. Best Player: Ryan Arcidiacono. Key Player: Daniel Ochefu.

2. Georgetown – The Hoyas have been overlooked by most preseason prognosticators, but it won’t take long for the country to take notice. With the return of DSR and some extremely talented sophomores, Hoya Saxa will challenge Nova for the Big East title. Best Player: D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera. Key Player: Isaac Copeland.

3. Butler – They surprised everyone last season by using grit and guile to tie for second place in the Big East. They will be no surprise this year with two of the league’s best players still on their roster. There is a clear three-team top tier this season and the Bulldogs are in it. Best Player: Kellen Dunham. Key Player: Andrew Chrabascz.

4. Xavier – The Musketeers actually played deeper into the NCAA Tournament than any other Big East team last season, reaching the Sweet 16. They lost a couple of key guys, but the cupboard is far from bare. Look for Xavier to be a credible threat to the league’s top three. Best Player: Trevon Bluiett. Key Player: Myles Davis.

5. Providence – The Friars lost a lot in production and experience from last season’s team. But, they still have some talent, including a candidate for National Player of the Year, in Kris Dunn. Coach Ed Cooley is a proven winner, so don’t expect Providence to dip. Best Player: Kris Dunn. Key Player: Jalen Lindsey.

6. Marquette – Despite a 13-19 record, Marquette was a hard-nosed, tough out last year in Coach Steve Wojciechowski’s first year. This season, Wojo comes equipped with a top ten recruiting class, including a top 10 prospect in 6’10, Henry Ellenson. Look for the Golden Eagles to be much-improved and sneak into the NCAA Tournament. Best Player: Henry Ellenson. Key Player: Luke Fischer.

7. Seton Hall – The Pirates are a bit of a wild card in the Big East this season. They have a very talented sophomore class, including guard Isaiah Whitehead, who looks primed to have a breakout season. However, the players and coach have yet to prove they are capable of putting together a successful season. If this prediction is correct, this could be coach Kevin Willard’s last season in South Orange. Best Player: Isaiah Whitehead. Key Player: Derrick Gordon.

8. DePaul – The Blue Demons have been the laughing stock of the league for longer than I care to remember. Former coach Dave Leitao has returned for a second go at it. He actually has some talent to work with, as three starters return. Look for DePaul to be more competitive, but in the tough Big East, it will be difficult to move up the standings. Best Player: Billy Garrett Jr. Key Player: Tommy Hamilton IV.

9. Creighton – A year after Doug McDermott lit up the country, including the Big East, and carried the Blue Jays to a surprisingly successful first season in the conference, Creighton came way back down to earth last season. They played tough and lost many close games, but four Big East wins is four Big East wins. Their roster turns over a great deal again this year, so expect more hard times, while still being a tough beat. Best Player: James Milliken. Key Player: Cole Huff.

10. St. John's – Johnnies’ legend Chris Mullin takes over at his alma mater with one heck of a rebuilding job, at least from a roster perspective. The Red Storm have three players returning from Steve Lavin’s 2014-15 NCAA Tournament team and none of them contributed significantly. Mullin has been quoted as saying he has experienced both winning and losing. He will likely lean on the latter this season. Best Player: Durand Johnson. Key Player: ?