Nuge's Bracketology

Bracket Update #4

2008-12-01T16:45:00.000-05:00

1 Seeds: North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Duke

2 Seeds: Texas, Notre Dame, Gonzaga, Oklahoma

3 Seeds: UCLA, Xavier, Purdue, Wake Forest

4 Seeds: Louisville, Tennessee, Syracuse, Memphis

5 Seeds: Michigan State, Villanova, Kansas, Arizona State

6 Seeds: Georgetown, Baylor, Florida, Miami (FL)

7 Seeds: Dayton, Marquette, Davidson, Wisconsin

8 Seeds: Ohio State, BYU, Clemson, St. Mary's

9 Seeds: Kentucky, Washington State, West Virginia, Illinois

10 Seeds: USC, UAB, Vanderbilt, Arizona

11 Seeds: UNLV, Creighton, Michigan, LSU

12 Seeds: Western Kentucky, Butler, South Alabama, Florida State

13 Seeds: Nevada, Siena, Virginia Commonwealth, Kent State

14 Seeds: Mount St. Mary's, Cal State Northridge, Vermont, Winthrop

15 Seeds: Cornell, Belmont, Stephen F. Austin, IUPUI

16 Seeds: Alabama State, Portland State, Morgan State, Murray State, American

Last 4 In:
South Alabama
Florida State
Michigan
LSU

Last 4 Out:
Illinois State
Utah State
Washington
Mississippi

Bracket #3

2008-11-16T10:25:00.002-05:00

1 Seeds: North Carolina, Louisville, UCLA, Connecticut

2 Seeds: Duke, Notre Dame, Purdue, Texas

3 Seeds: Michigan State, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Oklahoma

4 Seeds: Gonzaga, Memphis, Marquette, Wake Forest

5 Seeds: Arizona State, Miami (FL), Baylor, Davidson

6 Seeds: Wisconsin, West Virginia, Xavier, Florida

7 Seeds: Georgetown, UNLV, Ohio State, St. Mary's (CA)

8 Seeds: Villanova, Creighton, Kansas, Syracuse

9 Seeds: UAB, BYU, Vanderbilt, LSU

10 Seeds: Temple, San Diego, Clemson, Virginia Tech

11 Seeds: Alabama, Cincinnati, Siena, Arizona

12 Seeds: South Alabama, Dayton, Texas A&M, Mississippi

13 Seeds: Kent State, Virginia Commonwealth, Nevada, Butler

14 Seeds: American, Winthrop, Cornell, Cal State Northridge

15 Seeds: Belmont, Oral Roberts, Vermont, Stephen F. Austin

16 Seeds: Alabama State, Quinnipiac, Portland State, Murray State, Hampton

Bracket #2

2008-11-12T20:05:00.004-05:00

1 Seeds: North Carolina, Louisville, UCLA, Connecticut

2 Seeds: Notre Dame, Texas, Duke, Purdue

3 Seeds: Pittsburgh, Memphis, Michigan State, Tennessee

4 Seeds: USC, Oklahoma, Arizona State, Gonzaga

5 Seeds: Davidson, Georgetown, Marquette, Ohio State

6 Seeds: Florida, Baylor, Miami (FL), Wake Forest

7 Seeds: UNLV, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Xavier

8 Seeds: Kansas, St. Mary's, Villanova, BYU

9 Seeds: Kentucky, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, UAB

10 Seeds: Alabama, LSU, Clemson, Arizona

11 Seeds: Temple, Virginia Tech, Creighton, Siena

12 Seeds: Virginia Commonwealth, Boston College, Houston, South Alabama

13 Seeds: Kent State, Vermont, Cal State Northridge, Butler

14 Seeds: Northern Arizona, Oral Roberts, Winthrop, Belmont

15 Seeds: American, Boise State, Cornell, Nevada

16 Seeds: Hampton, Stephen F. Austin, Mississippi Valley State, Quinnipiac, Austin Peay

Preseason Bracket (#1-2008-2009)

2008-11-07T15:26:00.004-05:00

1 Seeds: North Carolina, Louisville, UCLA, Notre Dame

2 Seeds: Connecticut, Texas, Duke, Purdue

3 Seeds: Pittsburgh, Memphis, Michigan State, Tennessee

4 Seeds: USC, Marquette, Arizona State, Gonzaga

5 Seeds: Oklahoma, Georgetown, Marquette, Ohio State

6 Seeds: Florida, Baylor, Davidson, Miami (FL)

7 Seeds: Wake Forest, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Xavier

8 Seeds: Kansas, St. Mary's, Villanova, UNLV

9 Seeds: Kentucky, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, BYU

10 Seeds: Stanford, LSU, Clemson, Boston College

11 Seeds: Cal State Northridge, Butler, Creighton, Indiana

12 Seeds: Virginia Commonwealth, Siena, Drake, South Alabama

13 Seeds: Kent State, Houston, Minnesota, Vermont

14 Seeds: Northern Arizona, Oral Roberts, Winthrop, Belmont

15 Seeds: Quinnipiac, American, Boise State, Cornell

16 Seeds: Hampton, Stephen F. Austin, Mississippi Valley State, Boise State, Austin Peay

Top 15 Recruiting Classes

2008-06-07T14:00:00.006-04:00

As taken from Rivals.com

1. UCLA Bruins

Jrue Holiday: No. 2 overall, No. 1 PG

J'Mison Morgan: No. 25 overall, No. 4 C

Jerime Anderson: No. 37 overall, No. 7 PG

Drew Gordon: No. 46 overall, No. 16 PF

Malcolm Lee: No. 48 overall, No. 5 SG

Class details

UCLA's backcourt is in good hands for the foreseeable future. Led by elite prospect Jrue Holiday, the Bruins' recruiting class also includes four-star guards Jerime Anderson and Malcolm Lee. All three of these guards hail from the Los Angeles area, and the Bruins also snagged energetic big man Drew Gordon out of Northern California. J'Mison Morgan's late switch from LSU boosted the Bruins into the No. 1 spot.

Previous rank: 2

2. Kansas Jayhawks

Marcus Morris: No. 29 overall, No. 10 PF

Markieff Morris: No. 50 overall, No. 18 PF

Travis Releford: No. 70 overall, No. 16 SG

Tyshawn Taylor: No. 77 overall, No. 11 PG

Tyrone Appleton: PG

Mario Little: SF

Quintrell Thomas: No. 150 overall, No. 38 PF

Class details

After winning the National Championship, the Jayhawks expected some roster changes. Leading the way are four-star twins Marcus and Markieff Morris. Bill Self and staff landed two of the top junior college prospects in the country in Tyrone Appleton and Mario Little. KU also scored late with former Marquette signee Tyshawn Taylor.
Previous rank: 8

3. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Al-Farouq Aminu: No. 7 overall, No. 1 SF

Ty Walker: No. 17 overall, No. 2 C

Tony Woods: No. 20 overall, No. 3 C

Class details

Quality big men are hard to come by, but Wake Forest managed to land three five-star big men in its 2008 recruiting class. Al-Farouq Aminu has the versatility to do damage inside and outside. He has the polish to his game to make an instant impact. Tony Woods and Ty Walker still need some seasoning, but have very high ceilings.

Previous rank: 1

4. Louisville Cardinals

Samardo Samuels: No. 9 overall, No. 2 PF

Terrence Jennings: No. 18 overall, No. 5 PF

Jared Swopshire: No. 131 overall, No. 20 SF

Kyle Kuric: SG

Class details

Coach Rick Pitino has a post player in Samardo Samuels who has the physicality and skill level to anchor a team in the low post from Day One. His five-star counterpart, Terrence Jennings, has unique athleticism for a big man. Jared Swopshire is a versatile wing who should fit in well into Louisville's system. After originally thought to be a preferred walk-on, Kyle Kuric will have a scholarship to play for the Cardinals.

Previous rank: 4

5. Memphis Tigers

Tyreke Evans: No. 6 overall, No. 3 PG

Wesley Witherspoon: No. 34 overall, No. 5 SF

Angel Garcia: No. 47 overall, No. 17 PF

Matt Simpkins: No. 80 overall

Class details

The Tigers landed the jewel of its recruiting class with the spring signing of elite five-star prospect Tyreke Evans. The rangy combo guard is expected to step in for the departed Derrick Rose and run the show in Memphis. Joining Evans are athletic four-star forwards Wesley Witherspoon, Angel Garcia and Matt Simpkins.

Previous rank: NR

6. Ohio State Buckeyes

B.J. Mullens: No. 1 overall, No. 1 C

William Buford: No. 19 overall, No. 4 SG

Walter Offutt: No. 99 overall, No. 25 SG

Anthony Crater: PG

Nikola Kecman: PF

Jeremie Simmons: PG

Class details

Ohio State enjoyed the services of athletic 7-footer Greg Oden for a year, and now they will have the services of another athletic 7-footer. B.J. Mullens is on board for at least the 2008-2009 season. Joining the top-ranked prospect in the 2008 class is five-star shooting guard William Buford. The Buckeyes looked to add help at the point guard spot and with interior depth. The program found the answers in the junior college ranks. Point guard Jeremie Simmons could be a starter next season, while Nikola Kecman should see minutes because of the need at his position.
Previous rank: 6

7. Connecticut Huskies

Ater Majok: No. 13 overall, No. 3 PF

Kemba Walker: No. 14 overall, No. 5 PG

Nate Miles: No. 79 overall, No. 18 SG

Scottie Haralson: SG

Chukwuma Okwandu: C

Class details

Jim Calhoun took care of his needs at point guard in the fall with the signing of five-star prospect Kemba Walker. This spring he snagged the big man his program needed with five-star forward Ater Majok. The Huskies also have a shooter on the way in Scottie Haralson and are hoping that four-star Nate Miles can make the cut academically.

Previous rank: NR

8. Florida State Seminoles

Chris Singleton: No. 12 overall, No. 3 SF

Xavier Gibson: No. 56 overall, No. 19 PF

Deividas Dulkys: No. 69 overall, No. 15 SG

Luke Loucks: No. 86 overall, No. 13 PG

Derwin Kitchen: SG

Pierre Jordan: PG

Class details

Coach Leonard Hamilton can celebrate his new contract extension with an impressive signing class. Top target Chris Singleton selected the Seminoles over the Kentucky Wildcats during the early signing period. Four-star big man Xavier Gibson has battled recent injuries, but he has amazing potential. On the perimeter, four-star prospects Deividas Dulkys and Luke Loucks are highly skilled players. Junior college standout Derwin Kitchen signed a Grant-In-Aid and joins the Seminoles' already strong class. His experience should be put to the test right out of the gate.

Previous rank: 10

9. Florida Gators

Eloy Vargas: No. 26 overall, No. 9 PF

Kenny Kadji: No. 27 overall, No. 5 C

Ray Shipman: No. 91 overall, No. 14 SF

Allan Chaney: No. 96 overall, No. 28 PF

Erving Walker: No. 102 overall, No. 19 PG

Class details

Coach Billy Donovan isn't letting up after back-to-back national championships and the No. 1 class of 2007 recruiting haul. The Gators have the No. 9-ranked 2008 recruiting class, largely because of four-star post players Eloy Vargas and Kenny Kadji. Florida's other three recruits are also ranked in the Rivals150.

Previous rank: 5

10. Tennessee Volunteers

Scotty Hopson: No. 5 overall, No. 2 SG

Renaldo Woolridge: No. 53, No. 11 SF

Philip Jurick: No. 68 overall, No. 12 C

Bobby Maze: PG

Daniel West: PG

Class details

The SEC school landed a premier prospect in Scotty Hopson, a five-star standout and national top-10 player, in the late signing period. His addition was a major coup for Bruce Pearl's program. Junior college guard Bobby Maze and Michigan native Daniel West will challenge for time at the point guard position. The Vols looked long and hard for a big forward that could stretch the defense but also crash the boards when needed. They found their man in California top-60 prospect Renaldo Woolridge. Coach Bruce Pearl and his staff locked up in-state big man Phillip Jurick early in the spring.

Previous rank: 24

11. North Carolina Tar Heels

Ed Davis: No. 15 overall, No. 4 PF

Tyler Zeller: No. 33 overall, No. 7 C

Larry Drew: No. 71 overall, No. 110 PG

Justin Watts: SG

Class details

After securing five-star forward Ed Davis late in the summer, North Carolina went into Big Ten country and landed another five-star big man. Tyler Zeller, whose brother Luke Zeller is on the Notre Dame roster, will help carry on the tradition in Chapel Hill. Davis and Tyler Zeller are skilled, finesse-type players who should thrive in the up-tempo Tar Heel system. Four-star guard Larry Drew and late addition Justin Watts round out the class for coach Roy Williams.

Previous rank: 9

12. Georgetown Hoyas

Greg Monroe: No. 8 overall, No. 1 PF

Henry Sims: No. 49 overall, No. 10 C

Jason Clark: No. 64 overall, No. 12 SG

Class details

The Georgetown basketball program continues its rise back to national prominence with a stellar 2008 recruiting class. The crown jewel in the class is five-star big man Greg Monroe, who chose the Hoyas over almost every other program in the country. The Hoyas didn't add anyone in the late period. In fact, the program lost four-star big man Chris Braswell. The 6-foot-8 forward has yet to qualify academically and will spend another year trying to take care of business in the classroom.

Previous rank: 3

13. Alabama Crimson Tide

Jamychal Green: No. 21 overall, No. 6 PF

Tony Mitchell: No. 38 overall, No. 7 SF

Andrew Steele: No. 89 overall, No. 22 SG

Anthony Brock: PG

Class details

Coach Mark Gottfried is bringing a strong 2008 recruiting class to Tuscaloosa. Five-star power forward Jamychel Green leads the class, and his blue-collar approach should translate into a number of double-doubles in the SEC. Andrew Steele, the brother of current Tide star Ron Steele, is a physical combo guard. Wing scorer Tony Mitchell has the athleticism to thrive at the next level. The Tide wanted experience at point guard and found that in junior college veteran Anthony Brock.

Previous rank: 11

14. Arizona Wildcats

Brandon Jennings: No. 4 overall, No. 2 PG

Jeff Withey: No. 36 overall, No. 8 C

Brendon Lavender: SG

Kyle Fogg: SG

Class details

The drama continues. Emmanuel Negedu, one of the gems of the class, asked for a release from his National Letter of Intent and will not play in Tucson next season. Losing the four-star forward hurts. The Wildcats added Kyle Fogg, a late-rising sleeper, in the final hour. The Wildcats continue tradition of Point Guard U with top-10 prospect Brandon Jennings.

Previous rank: 7

15. Vanderbilt Commodores

Jeff Taylor: No. 52, No. 10 SF

Lance Goulbourne: No. 72 overall, No. 12 SF

Steve Tchiengang: No. 87 overall, No. 27 PF

Brad Tinsley: No. 94 overall, No. 16 PG

Class details

With four four-star recruits in the fold, Kevin Stallings is bringing in one of the top recruiting classes in school history. Brad Tinsley will fill a major void in the backcourt while Jeff Taylor, Lance Goulbourne and Steve Tchiengang will vie for major minutes in the frontcourt.
Previous rank: NR

2008 Commitments

2008-06-07T13:30:00.006-04:00

Top Point Guards:
http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1619

Top Shooting Guards:
http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1620

Top Small Forwards:
http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1621

Top Power Forwards:
http://rivalshoops.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1622

Top Centers:
http://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?ra_key=1623

Last Bracket Stats

2008-03-23T14:54:00.002-04:00

In my final bracket I picked 63 of the 65 teams, missing Oregon and Villanova and putting Illinois State and Arizona State in their places. I placed 58 of the 65 teams within 1 seed of their actual placement in the bracket, and had 35 exact seedings. Based on the scoring systems on the Bracket Matrix I finished above average but not in the top 5 in any stats.
Overall good season, but my bracket was busted by Pitt yesterday. Good luck with all of your brackets.

Organized Stats:
63 of 65 in tournement
58 of 65 within 1 seed
35 of 65 exact seeding
156 Parrish Scoring
317 Paymon Scoring

Bracket (30 minutes)

2008-03-16T17:36:00.003-04:00

1 Seeds: North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA, Kansas
2 Seeds: Tennessee, Texas, Duke, Wisconsin
3 Seeds: Xavier, Louisville, Georgetown, Stanford
4 Seeds: Connecticut, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Drake
5 Seeds: Butler, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Washington State
6 Seeds: Michigan State, Clemson, Marquette, Southern California
7 Seeds: Indiana, Mississippi State, Arkansas, West Virginia
8 Seeds: BYU, Gonzaga, Miami (Fl), Oklahoma
9 Seeds: Texas A&M, Kansas State, St. Mary's, Davidson
10 Seeds: Kent State, South Alabama, Baylor, UNLV
11 Seeds: Temple, St. Joesph's, Kentucky, Arizona
12 Seeds: Arizona State, Western Kentucky, Illinois State, George Mason
13 Seeds: Georgia, Oral Roberts, San Diego, Boise State
14 Seeds: Siena, Cornell, Winthrop, Cal State Fullerton
15 Seeds: Austin Peay, UMBC, Belmont, American
16 Seeds: Portland State, Mount St. Mary's, Texas Arlington, Mississippi Valley State, Coppin State
Last 4 In:
Arizona State
Illinois State
Arizona
Kentucky
Last 4 Out:
Massachusetts
Oregon
Ohio State
Virginia Tech
Next 4 Out:
Mississippi
Dayton
Villanova
VCU
Bids By Conference:
Big East (7)
Pac-10 (6)
Big 12 (6)
ACC (4)
SEC (6)
Big 10 (4)
Atlantic 10 (3)
WCC (3)
MVC (2)
Sun Belt (2)
MWC (2)

Bracket 3/15

2008-03-15T23:53:00.001-04:00

sorry for the long break from posting but here is my updated bracket:

1 Seeds: North Carolina, Memphis, UCLA, Kansas

2 Seeds: Tennessee, Texas, Duke, Wisconsin

3 Seeds: Xavier, Louisville, Georgetown, Stanford

4 Seeds: Connecticut, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Drake

5 Seeds: Butler, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Washington State

6 Seeds: Michigan State, Clemson, Marquette, Southern California

7 Seeds: Indiana, Mississippi State, Arkansas, West Virginia

8 Seeds: BYU, Gonzaga, Miami (Fl), Oklahoma

9 Seeds: Texas A&M, Kansas State, St. Mary's, Davidson

10 Seeds: Kent State, South Alabama, Baylor, UNLV

11 Seeds: Temple, St. Joesph's, Kentucky, Arizona

12 Seeds: Arizona State, Western Kentucky, Illinois State, Virginia Tech

13 Seeds: George Mason, Oral Roberts, San Diego, Boise State

14 Seeds: Siena, Cornell, Winthrop, Cal State Fullerton

15 Seeds: Austin Peay, UMBC, Belmont, American

16 Seeds: Portland State, Mount St. Mary's, Texas Arlington, Mississippi Valley State, Coppin State

Bold=Play-In Game

Last 4 In:
Arizona State
Illinois State
Arizona
Virginia Tech

Last 4 Out:
Massachusetts
Oregon
Ohio State
Virginia Commonwealth

Next 4 Out:
Mississippi
Dayton
Villanova
UAB

Bids By Conference:
Big East (7)
Pac-10 (6)
Big 12 (6)
ACC (5)
SEC (5)
Big 10 (4)
Atlantic 10 (3)
WCC (3)
MVC (2)
Sun Belt (2)
MWC (2)

Conference Breakdown: Sun Belt (2/2)

2008-02-02T11:51:00.000-05:00

The Sun Belt has two main contenders and a few long shots to win the conference tournement. The two contenders are South Alabama and Western Kentucky. Here are the current standings for the Sun Belt:

EAST
Team Conference...Overall

1. South Alabama 9-1...17-4
2. Western Kentucky 9-1...17-5
3. Middle Tennessee 6-4...9-11
4. Florida Atlantic 4-7...8-14
5. Troy 3-7...10-11
6. Florida International 3-7...6-14

WEST
Team Conference...Overall

1. UALR 6-4...14-7
2. Denver 5-4...9-11
3. Louisiana-Lafayette 5-5...9-12
4. New Orleans 4-6...14-8
5. Arkansas State 4-6...9-12
6. North Texas 4-5...13-7
7. ULM 2-7...8-13

As you can see Western Kentucky and South Alabama are tied for the lead in the east and Arkansas Little Rock is leading the west. The conference tournement is not set up by division so it is possible that the finals will come down to South Alabama and Western Kentucky. Here is my projected Conference Standings:

EAST
1. South Alabama 16-2
2. Western Kentucky 15-3
3. Middle Tennessee 10-8
4. Troy 7-11
5. Florida Atlantic 6-12
6. Florida International 5-13

WEST
1. UALR 11-7
2. North Texas 10-8
3. New Orleans 9-9
4. Denver 9-9
5. Louisiana-Lafayette 8-10
6. Arkansas State 7-11
7. ULM 4-14

I believe that South Alabama will take the Sun Belt tourney securing the bid and end up with a good seeding (10-12) in the tournement. The only other team I could see taking the conference is Wester Kentucky, and if they steal the bid they will most likely end up with a 13-14 seed.

Bracket #5

2008-01-30T17:58:00.000-05:00

1 Seeds: Kansas, Memphis, Duke, North Carolina

2 Seeds: Tennessee, UCLA, Michigan State, Georgetown

3 Seeds: Texas, Xavier, Drake, Washington State

4 Seeds: Wisconsin, Indiana, Marquette, Arizona

5 Seeds: Connecticut, Kansas State, Mississippi, Butler

6 Seeds: St. Mary's, Stanford, West Virginia, Baylor

7 Seeds: Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Southern California

8 Seeds: Gonzaga, Louisville, Mississippi State, Texas A&M

9 Seeds: Rhode Island, Ohio State, Florida, South Alabama

10 Seeds: Arkansas, Massachusetts, Clemson, Notre Dame

11 Seeds: Purdue, Miami FL, Nevada Las Vegas, Kent State

12 Seeds: George Mason, Dayton, Illinois State, Syracuse

13 Seeds: Duquesne, Davidson, Winthrop, Cal State Northridge

14 Seeds: Maryland Baltimore County, Siena, Stephen F. Austin, Oral Roberts

15 Seeds: Brown, Northern Arizona, Nevada, Lafayette

16 Seeds: Wagner, East Tennessee State, Hampton, Austin Peay, Alabama State

Multiple Bid Conferences:
Big East (8)
Big 12 (6)
SEC (6)
Big 10 (5)
Pac-10 (5)
A-10 (5)
ACC (4)
WCC (2)
MVC (2)

Last 4 In:
Dayton
Illinois State
Syracuse
Duquesne

Last 4 Out:
Brigham Young
Seton Hall
Oregon
Saint Joesph's

Next 4 Out:
Ohio
Arizona State
Creighton
Wake Forest

BOLD = Play In Game

Bracket #4

2008-01-27T07:16:00.000-05:00

1 Seeds: Memphis, Kansas, Duke, North Carolina

2 Seeds: Tennessee, UCLA, Michigan State, Texas

3 Seeds: Georgetown, Washington State, Drake, Xavier

4 Seeds: Indiana, St. Mary's, Marquette, Baylor

5 Seeds: Mississippi, Arizona, Stanford, Wisconsin

6 Seeds: Connecticut, West Virginia, Kansas State, Butler

7 Seeds: Vanderbilt, Southern California, Oklahoma, Texas A&M

8 Seeds: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Mississippi State, Rhode Island

9 Seeds: Gonzaga, Clemson, Ohio State, Louisville

10 Seeds: Massachusetts, South Alabama, Miami FL, Arkansas

11 Seeds: Syracuse, Kent State, Dayton, Florida

12 Seeds: Nevada Las Vegas, Illinois State, George Mason, Brigham Young

13 Seeds: Duquesne, North Carolina-Ashville, Davidson, Cal State Northridge

14 Seeds: Nevada, Siena, Maryland Baltimore County, Oral Roberts

15 Seeds: Sam Houston State, Hampton, Brown, Lafayette

16 Seeds: Sacred Heart, Northern Arizona, East Tennessee State, Austin Peay, Alabama State

Multiple Bid Conferences:
Big East (8)
SEC (6)
Big 12 (6)
Pac-10 (6)
A-10 (5)
ACC (4)
Big 10 (4)
MVC (2)
MWC (2)
WCC (2)

Last 4 In:
Florida
Illinois State
Brigham Young
Duquesne

Last 4 out:
Arizona State
Providence
Creighton
St. Joesph's

Next 4 Out:
Villanova
Oregon
Virginia Commonwealth
Ohio

Bold = Play In Game

Conference Breakdown: Big 12 (1/26/08)

2008-01-26T10:47:00.000-05:00

The Big 12 has 12 teams as the name implies, and is one of the top five college basketball conferences is the country. Top teams and sleeper picks reside in this conference. There are eight teams that have a legitimate shot at making the big dance come March and 5-6 that will actually make it. Like the Big East there are no easy conference games because as of now no one is below .500 overall. Here are the current Big XII standings:

Team Conference Record...Overall

1. Kansas 4-0...19-0

2. Baylor 4-0...16-2

3. Kansas State 3-0...13-4

4. Texas 2-1...15-3

5. Iowa State 2-2...2-7

6. Texas Tech 2-2...11-7

7. Oklahoma 1-2...13-5

8. Texas A&M 1-3...15-4

9. Missouri 1-3...11-8

10. Oklahoma State 1-3...10-8

11. Colorado 1-3...9-9

12. Nebraska 0-3...11-5

Kansas and Baylor are both 4-0 this conference season and are 2 of the top 3 teams in the conference. Baylor has been a suprise however they look as strong as ever after the thrilling 5OT win @ Texas A&M. As of now no teams are completely out of the race but Nebraska is not helping their cause with three conference losses and no wins, and Colorado looks like the weakest team in the conference. Here is a look at my projected conference standings:

1. Kansas 14-2
2. Texas 12-4
3. Baylor 12-4
4. Kansas State 11-5
5. Texas A&M 10-6
6. Oklahoma 8-8
7. Texas Tech 7-9
8. Missouri 6-10
9. Iowa State 5-11
10. Oklahoma State 5-11
11. Nebraska 4-12
12. Colorado 2-14

Kansas looks like the top team in the conference by a good amount as shown by their projected conference victory of two games. I also have them beating Texas in the conference finals and securing the auto-bid (not like they need it).

Bracket #3

2008-01-25T18:12:00.000-05:00

1 Seeds: Memphis, Kansas, Duke, North Carolina

2 Seeds: Indiana, Tennessee, UCLA, Michigan State

3 Seeds: Georgetown, Wisconsin, Xavier, Texas

4 Seeds: Drake, Mississippi, Washington State, Pittsburgh

5 Seeds: Baylor, Arizona, St. Mary's, Marquette

6 Seeds: Stanford, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Butler

7 Seeds: Kansas State, Clemson, Texas A&M, Dayton

8 Seeds: Southern California, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Gonzaga

9 Seeds: Ohio State, Florida, Louisville, Oklahoma

10 Seeds: Miami (Fl), Notre Dame, Massachusetts, Mississippi State

11 Seeds: Kent State, South Alabama, Syracuse, Arizona State

12 Seeds: Illinois State, Creighton, Villanova, George Mason

13 Seeds: Winthrop, Brigham Young, Davidson, Cal State Northridge

14 Seeds: Oral Roberts, Utah State, Sam Houston State, Maryland Baltimore County

15 Seeds: Marist, Hampton, Brown, Lafayette

16 Seeds: Northern Arizona, Austin Peay, Quinnipiac, East Tennessee State, Alabama State

Multiple Bid Conferences:
Big East (9)
Pac-10 (6)
Big 12 (6)
SEC (5)
Big 10 (4)
ACC (4)
A-10 (4)
MVC (3)
WCC (2)

Last 4 In:
Arizona State
Syracuse
Creighton
Illinois State

Last 4 Out:
Nevada Las Vegas
Arkansas
Oregon
Duquesne

Next 4 Out:
Providence
Cleveland State
Minnesota
Ohio

BOLD = Play-in Game

Conference Breakdown: Big East (1/24/08)

2008-01-24T21:32:00.000-05:00

The Big East has the most teams out of any conference in the country with 16 and will have about half of the 16 make the NCAA tournement with a few others on pace to make the NIT. Almost all of the Sixteen teams could plausibly make the big dance however the conference is tough with no real cupcakes (ask Villanova about Rutgers) and that could cause the conference to beat up on each other. The Current Standings:

Team Conference Record...Overall

1. Georgetown 5-1...15-2

2. Pittsburgh 4-2 ...16-3

3. West Virginia 4-2...15-4

4. Louisville 4-2...14-5

5. DePaul 4-2...9-9

6. Notre Dame 3-2...13-4

7. Providence 3-2...12-5

8. Connecticut 4-3...13-5

9. Cincinnati 4-3...9-10

10. Marquette 3-3...13-4

11. Villanova 3-3 ...13-4

12. Syracuse 3-4...13-7

13. Seton Hall 2-3...12-6

14. St. John's 1-5...7-10

15. USF 1-6...10-10

16. Rutgers 1-6...9-11

Right now the only teams that are really out of contention are the bottom 3, St. Johns, USF, and Rutgers but like I said they are not cupcakes. I expect the top 3 to be very close, with Georgetown, Pitt, and West Virginia. My current projected Standings:

1. Georgetown 14-4
2. Pittsburgh 13-5
3. West Virginia 13-5
4. Louisville 12-6
5. Marquette 11-7
6. Notre Dame 10-8
7. Connecticut 10-8
8. Syracuse 10-8
9. Providence 9-9
10. Villanova 9-9
11. Cincinnati 8-10
12. DePaul 8-10
13. Seton Hall 8-10
14. USF 4-14
15. St. Johns 3-15
16. Rutgers 2-16

As you can see besides the bottom 3 teams it is a very balenced high power conference. Right now I have Georgetown winning the Big East, and basically the top 13 teams have at least a small chance of making the big dance. Currently I would say that 1-5 are "locks" and 6-10 are "bubble" teams with 11-13 not making it as of now.

Conference Breakdown: Atlantic-10 (1/24/08)

2008-01-24T16:32:00.000-05:00

The Atlantic 10, despite what the name implys, has 14 teams. There are 7 teams with a good chance at gaining an NCAA Tournement bid and right now it looks like the conference will get 4 bids. The current Standings are:

Team Conference Record...Overall

1. Charlotte 3-1...12-5

2. Saint Joseph's 3-1...11-5

3. Xavier 3-1...15-4

4. Dayton 2-1...14-2

5. Temple 2-1...9-8

6. Duquesne 2-2...12-5

7. Fordham 2-2...8-8

8. La Salle 2-2...7-10

9. Massachusetts 2-2...13-5

10. Rhode Island 2-2...16-3

11. Richmond 2-2...9-8

12. George Washington 1-3...5-9

13. Saint Louis 1-3...10-8

14.St. Bonaventure 0-4...6-12

Using current standings and future projections the 7 teams with a legitimate shot to make some noise and make the NCAA tournement are Xavier, Rhode Island, Dayton, Massachusetts, Duquesne, Saint Joesph's, and Charlotte. Here are my projected standings for the Atlantic 10 come regular season end:

1. Xavier 13-3
2. Dayton 12-4
3. Rhode Island 11-5
4. Massachusetts 10-6
5. Duquesne 10-6
6. St. Joesph's 10-6
7. Charlotte 9-7
8. Temple 8-8
9. Richmond 7-9
10. Fordham 6-10
11. St. Louis 5-11
12. George Washington 5-11
13. La Salle 4-12
14. St. Bonaventure 2-14

The Xavier Musketeers are the favorite to win the conference and Dayton is the closest competition they have (big face off between them tonight). Spots 3-7 could really be put in any order because those teams are very close in competition level. St. Bonnies is really bad, and a sleeper pick could be the Temple Owls (already beat Xavier).

Bracket #2

2008-01-24T14:45:00.000-05:00

1 Seeds: Memphis, Kansas, Duke, North Carolina

2 Seeds: Indiana, Tennessee, UCLA, Michigan State

3 Seeds: Georgetown, Wisconsin, Washington State, Texas

4 Seeds: Drake, Mississippi, Xavier, Pittsburgh

5 Seeds: Baylor, Dayton, St. Mary's, Marquette

6 Seeds: Stanford, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Butler

7 Seeds: Kansas State, Clemson, Texas A&M, Arizona

8 Seeds: Southern California, Arizona State, Rhode Island, Gonzaga

9 Seeds: Ohio State, Florida, Louisville, Connecticut

10 Seeds: Miami (Fl), Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Massachusetts

11 Seeds: Kent State, South Alabama, Mississippi State, Cleveland State

12 Seeds: Illinois State, Providence, Creighton, George Mason

13 Seeds: Winthrop, Brigham Young, Davidson, Cal State Northridge

14 Seeds: Oral Roberts, Siena, Stephen F. Austin, Maryland Baltimore County

15 Seeds: Utah State, Hampton, Brown, Lafayette

16 Seeds: Northern Arizona, Austin Peay, Quinnipiac, East Tennessee State, Alabama State

Multiple Bid Conferences:
Big East (8)
Pac-10 (6)
Big 12 (6)
SEC (5)
Big 10 (4)
ACC (4)
A-10 (4)
MVC (3)
WCC (2)
Horz (2)

Last 4 In:
Illinois State
Cleveland State
Providence
Creighton

Last 4 Out:
Syracuse
Arkansas
Duquesne
Oregon

Next 4 Out:
Minnesota
Nevada Las Vegas
New Mexico
San Diego State

BOLD = Play-in Game
Italics = Top team out/ bottom team in

Conference Breakdown: NEC (1/23/08)

2008-01-23T12:25:00.001-05:00

The NEC or Northeast Conference consists of 11 teams including Robert Morris who recently upset Boston College. Right now there are multiple teams with a legitimate shot to win the conference, to start of here are the standings:

Conference Record...Overall Record

1. Quinnipiac 6-1...10-8

2. Wagner 5-1...12-5

3. Sacred Heart 6-2...9-10

4. Robert Morris 4-2...13-6

5. Central Conn. St. 5-3...9-10

6. Mount St. Mary's 4-3...8-10

7.Long Island 2-4...10-7

8. Monmouth 2-5...5-14

9. St. Francis (NY) 2-6...5-14

10. Fairleigh Dickinson 1-5...5-11

11. St. Francis (PA) 1-6...3-15

My Prediction to win the conference is the Quinnipiac University Bobcats because they are currently in 1st and have already beaten Long Island and Mount St. Marys, and their only conference loss was against Robert Morris, who I project to finish 2nd in the NEC. Others who have a good chance of coming out on top include Wagner, LIU, and Sacred Heart. Here is my projected standings:

1. Quinnipiac 14-4
2. Robert Morris 13-5
3. Wagner 13-5
4. Sacred Heart 11-7
5. Long Island 11-7
6. Central Connecticut St 10-8
7. Mount St Marys 10-8
8. Fairleigh Dickinson 5-13
9. St. Francis (NY) 5-13
10. Monmouth 4-14
11. St. Francis (PA) 3-15

I also have Quinnipiac beating Robert Morris in the NEC final to advance to the NCAA tournement.

Bracket #1

2008-01-22T19:50:00.000-05:00

1 Seeds: Memphis, Kansas, Tennessee, Duke

2 Seeds: North Carolina, UCLA, Georgetown, Indiana

3 Seeds: Wisconsin, Michigan State, Washington State, Pittsburgh

4 Seeds: Texas, Dayton, Drake, Mississippi

5 Seeds: Xavier, Vanderbilt, St. Marys, Marquette

6 Seeds: Texas A&M , West Virginia, Stanford, Butler

7 Seeds: Baylor, Rhode Island, Arizona State, Massachusetts

8 Seeds: Gonzaga, Kansas State, Clemson, Miami (Fl)

9 Seeds: Arizona, Louisville, Florida, Southern California

10 Seeds: Oklahoma, Ohio State, South Alabama, Illinois State

11 Seeds: Villanova, Minnesota, Connecticut, Notre Dame

12 Seeds: Kent State , Providence, Nevada Las Vegas, Wake Forest

13 Seeds: Winthrop, Virginia Commonwealth, Davidson, Cal State Northridge

14 Seeds: Oral Roberts, Siena, Stephen F. Austin, Maryland Baltimore County

15 Seeds: Utah State, Hampton, Brown, Lafayette

16 Seeds: Northern Arizona, Austin Peay, Quinnipiac, East Tennessee State, Alabama State

Multiple Bid Conferences:
Big East (9)
Pac-10 (6)
Big 12 (6)
Big 10 (5)
ACC (5)
SEC (4)
A-10 (4)
WCC (2)
MVC (2)

Bracket posting Schedule

2008-01-22T19:41:00.000-05:00

I hope to post brackets 2-4 times per week. I expect to do this every Sunday and have other updates periodically. I will also try to do break downs of some of the minor/mid-major conferences that are not analysed a lot. Hopefully this will be interesting for people to see, also if TheBracketProject/BracketMatrix sees this I would love to be added to the list of websites used to formulate the composite seedings.