February 24, 2014
A few things have changed since we did our initial bracketology last week.
First, I added a St. Bonaventure fan to the mix to lobby on behalf of mid majors, since UConn, Michigan State and Florida, the initial three schools being represented, are all power-conference schools (even if the SEC is less than powerful and more than awful with the exception of, you know, Florida).
Second, we took another, really good look at Villanova. Yes, there was the sweep at the hands of Creighton, but other than that, they’ve pretty much done everything they’ve had to. Those two losses, plus Syracuse, were their only losses, and they have numerous wins over teams we have in, including Kansas (1 seed), Iowa (5 seed), St. Joe’s, St. John’s, Xavier, and Georgetown.
Third, we took a good look at Wichita State. Yes, they’re undefeated, but their best win is over St. Louis, who we have as a 3 seed. There are teams we have as 5 seeds with better wins than that. Their second best win is over a BYU team we don’t even have in. I was the only one who wanted Wichita State as a 1 seed, but even I agreed that if I would give them a top seed, it would be the fourth 1 seed, and that would have put them in over Syracuse, who was our actual fourth seed, in New York City. We decided to help both teams out, and leave Syracuse as a 1 and put them in New York, and drop Wichita State to a #2 but put them much closer to home in Indianapolis. Kansas was the other choice to drop but that was quickly dismissed. Yes, we are fully aware of Kansas’s record. We’re also aware of their #1 RPI, and the fact that a third of the games they’ve played were against tougher teams than St. Louis.
Fourth, we made some changes at the bottom of the bracket. Out went Tennessee, Mississippi, Providence and Oklahoma State. In came Arkansas, Nebraska, Georgetown and Baylor.
Any questions you may have that I did not answer in the description above, feel free to sound off in the comments. We’ll be happy to let you know why we made our decisions the way we did.
So, without further ado, here’s the bracket:
SOUTH (Memphis)
| (1) Florida |
| (16) UC Irvine/Weber State |
| (Orlando, FL) |
| (8) Virginia |
| (9) Colorado |
| (4) Creighton |
| (13) Delaware |
| (San Antonio, TX) |
| (5) UConn |
| (12) Toledo |
| (6) Kentucky |
| (11) Nebraska |
| (Raleigh, NC) |
| (3) Duke |
| (14) Vermont |
| (7) UCLA |
| (10) St. Joe’s |
| (Milwaukee, WI) |
| (2) Cincinnati |
| (15) Alabama St |
EAST (NYC)
| (1) Syracuse |
| (16) Robert Morris/Utah Valley |
| (Buffalo, NY) |
| (8) Gonzaga |
| (9) Stanford |
| (4) Michigan |
| (13) Mercer |
| (Spokane, WA) |
| (5) UNC |
| (12) Harvard |
| (6) Memphis |
| (11) Xavier/Baylor |
| (Raleigh, NC) |
| (3) Louisville |
| (14) Iona |
| (7) New Mexico |
| (10) Richmond |
| (Buffalo, NY) |
| (2) Villanova |
| (15) Georgia St |
MIDWEST (INDIANAPOLIS)
| (1) Kansas |
| (16) Davidson |
| (St. Louis, MO) |
| (8) George Washington |
| (9) Arizona State |
| (4) Texas |
| (13) S.F. Austin |
| (San Diego, CA) |
| (5) Michigan St. |
| (12) N Dak St. |
| (6) Ohio State |
| (11) Missouri |
| (Milwaukee, WI) |
| (3) Wisconsin |
| (14) Belmont |
| (7) Massachusetts |
| (10) California |
| (St. Louis, MO) |
| (2) Wichita St |
| (15) NC Central |
WEST (ANAHEIM)
| (1) Arizona |
| (16) C Carolina |
| (San Diego, CA) |
| (8) SMU |
| (9) VCU |
| (4) San Diego St |
| (13) Green Bay |
| (Spokane, WA) |
| (5) Iowa |
| (12) Georgetown/St. John’s |
| (6) Oklahoma |
| (11) Arkansas |
| (Orlando, FL) |
| (3) St. Louis |
| (14) Mid Ten St |
| (7) Kansas St |
| (10) Pittsburgh |
| (San Antonio, TX) |
| (2) Iowa State |
| (15) Boston U |
