January 5, 2016

I'm way overdue for an initial bracket update, but I have good reasons...lots of good reasons, none of which I'll mention here. I have admittedly watched far less college hoops this year than in prior years, due in large part to the late season success of the Vikings, and more time spent following the Wild. Once the Vikings season is done, I will be able to switch more sports resources to Bracketology, and will try to get out more frequent updates. Until then, here's a preliminary stab at where the chips may fall if the season were to end today.

1's: Michigan State, Xavier, Kansas, North Carolina
2's: Oklahoma, Dayton, Kentucky, Virginia
3's: Texas Tech, Miami (FL), Villanova, Iowa State
4's: Providence, Arizona, USC, Maryland
5's: Iowa, Texas A&M, Purdue, Oregon State
6's: South Carolina, Duke, West Virginia, Pittsburgh
7's: Oregon, California, Louisville, George Washington
8's: Colorado, Saint Mary's College, Florida, UTA
9's: Butler, Utah, Gonzaga, Arkansas-Little Rock
10's: Saint Joseph's, Seton Hall, Michigan, Connecticut
11's: Alabama, Texas, Monmouth, Arizona State, Notre Dame
12's: Kansas State, Ole Miss, Chattanooga, South Dakota State, Louisiana Tech
13's: Valparaiso, Wichita State, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, Charleston
14's: UC Irvine, Kent State, Stony Brook, Boise State
15's: Yale, Belmont, Idaho, Cal State Bakersfield
16's: North Florida, High Point, Army, Wagner, Southern, Norfolk State

FFO: Cincinnati, Indiana, Georgia State, Akron
NFO: Baylor, Davidson, Syracuse, Georgia

2015-2016 Pre-season bracket

College hoops are back a week from Friday!  Below are my initial pre-season bracket projections.

1's: Kansas, Villanova, Arizona, Virginia
2's: North Carolina, Kentucky, Baylor, Maryland
3's: Iowa State, Gonzaga, Duke, Wisconsin
4's: Texas, Wichita State, Georgetown, Notre Dame
5's: Arkansas, West Virginia, Michigan State, Oregon
6's: Oklahoma, Louisville, Oklahoma State, Tulsa
7's: Boise State, San Diego State, Utah, VCU
8's: Temple, Butler, Xavier, Cincinnati
9's: Colorado State, North Carolina State, Connecticut, Davidson
10's: Northern Iowa, Valparaiso, Indiana, Pittsburgh
11's: Purdue, Texas A&M, LSU, Old Dominion
12's: Providence, Stanford, Saint John's, Miami (FL), Ole Miss, Iona
13's: Georgia State, Stephen F. Austin, Murray State, Central Michigan
14's: Harvard, High Point, Wofford, North Carolina Central
15's: Northeastern, UC Irvine, Albany, South Dakota State
16's: Florida Gulf Coast, Eastern Washington, Lafayette, New Mexico State, Alabama State, Saint Francis (PA)

FFO: Illinois, Ohio State, UCLA, Georgia
NFO: Memphis, Dayton, Syracuse, Massachusetts

March 15, 2015 - Final Bracket

1's: Kentucky, Villanova, Duke, Wisconsin
2's: Virginia, Kansas, Arizona, Gonzaga
3's: Iowa State, Notre Dame, Maryland, Baylor
4's: North Carolina, Oklahoma, SMU, Northern Iowa
5's: Louisville, Arkansas, West Virginia, VCU
6's: Utah, Wichita State, Butler, Georgetown
7's: Providence, Michigan State, Oregon, Saint John's
8's: San Diego State, Davidson, Cincinnati, Iowa
9's: Colorado State, Ohio State, Xavier, North Carolina State
10's: Texas, Oklahoma State, Dayton, Temple
11's: Indiana, Georgia, LSU, BYU, Purdue, Tulsa
12's: Stephen F. Austin, Wyoming, Wofford, Buffalo
13's: Harvard, Valparaiso, Georgia State, Eastern Washington
14's: New Mexico State, North Dakota State, UC Irvine, Albany
15's: Northeastern, Belmont, Coastal Carolina, UAB
16's: Texas Southern, Lafayette, Manhattan, North Florida, Robert Morris, Hampton

FFO: Boise State, Ole Miss, Illinois, Old Dominion
NFO: Connecticut, Richmond, Rhode Island, UCLA

March 15, 2015 - Update #2

Update through Sunday's first three games. No surprises in these games as Kentucky, VCU, and Georgia State were victorious. Below are contingencies based on today's remaining two games. I will post my final bracket by 5pm CST.
1. UConn vs. SMU. A UConn win would get them in as either a low 10- or high 11-seed, knocking Tulsa out. No changes with an SMU win.
2. Wisconsin vs. Michigan State. This is the big one! Wisconsin moves up to a 1-seed with a win, replacing Virginia. Michigan State would remain a 7-seed. A Michigan State win would move them up to a 6-seed and leave Wisconsin on the 2-line.

1's: Kentucky, Villanova, Duke, Virginia
2's: Wisconsin, Kansas, Arizona, Gonzaga
3's: Iowa State, Notre Dame, Maryland, Baylor
4's: North Carolina, Oklahoma, SMU, Northern Iowa
5's: Louisville, Arkansas, West Virginia, VCU
6's: Utah, Wichita State, Butler, Georgetown
7's: Providence, Michigan State, Oregon, Saint John's
8's: San Diego State, Davidson, Cincinnati, Iowa
9's: Colorado State, Ohio State, Xavier, North Carolina State
10's: Texas, Oklahoma State, Dayton, Temple
11's: Indiana, Georgia, LSU, BYU, Purdue, Tulsa
12's: Stephen F. Austin, Wyoming, Wofford, Buffalo
13's: Harvard, Valparaiso, Georgia State, Eastern Washington
14's: New Mexico State, North Dakota State, UC Irvine, Albany
15's: Northeastern, Belmont, Coastal Carolina, UAB
16's: Texas Southern, Lafayette, Manhattan, North Florida, Robert Morris, Hampton

FFO: Boise State, Connecticut, Ole Miss, Illinois
NFO: Old Dominion, Richmond, Rhode Island, UCLA

March 15, 2015 - Initial update

Update through Saturday's games. Below are contingencies based on today's five games. I will post my final bracket by 5pm CST.
1. Kentucky vs. Arkansas - No change either way for Kentucky. Arkansas moves up to a 4-seed with a win, no change with a loss.
2. VCU vs. Dayton - VCU win moves them up to a 5-seed and drops Dayton to a 9-seed. A Dayton win moves them up to an 8-seed and VCU stays on the 6-line
3. Georgia Southern vs. Georgia State. State would be a 13, Southern would be a 14.
4. UConn vs. SMU. A UConn win would get them in as either a low 10- or high 11-seed, knocking Tulsa out. No changes to with an SMU win.
5. Wisconsin vs. Michigan State. This is the big one! Wisconsin moves up to a 1-seed with a win, replacing Virginia. Michigan State would remain a 7-seed. A Michigan State win would move them up to a 6-seed and leave Wisconsin on the 2-line.

1's: Kentucky, Villanova, Duke, Virginia
2's: Wisconsin, Kansas, Arizona, Gonzaga
3's: Iowa State, Notre Dame, Maryland, Baylor
4's: North Carolina, Oklahoma, SMU, Louisville
5's: Northern Iowa, Arkansas, West Virginia, Utah
6's: Wichita State, VCU, Butler, Georgetown
7's: Providence, Michigan State, Oregon, Saint John's
8's: San Diego State, Davidson, Cincinnati, Iowa
9's: Colorado State, Dayton, Ohio State, Xavier
10's: North Carolina State, Oklahoma State, Texas, Temple
11's: Georgia, Indiana, LSU, BYU, Purdue, Tulsa
12's: Stephen F. Austin, Wyoming, Wofford, Buffalo
13's: Harvard, Valparaiso, Georgia State, Eastern Washington
14's: New Mexico State, North Dakota State, UC Irvine, Albany
15's: Coastal Carolina, Northeastern, Belmont, UAB
16's: Texas Southern, Lafayette, Manhattan, North Florida, Robert Morris, Hampton

FFO: Boise State, Connecticut, Ole Miss, Illinois
NFO: Old Dominion, Richmond, Rhode Island, UCLA

March 14, 2015 - (only games through Friday, March 13)

Update through Friday's games. Not sure if I'll be able to get another update posted this evening.

1's: Kentucky, Villanova, Virginia, Duke
2's: Kansas, Wisconsin, Arizona, Gonzaga
3's: Maryland, Iowa State, Notre Dame, Baylor
4's: Oklahoma, North Carolina, West Virginia, Louisville
5's: SMU, Utah, Northern Iowa, Arkansas
6's: Butler, Wichita STate, Georgetown, VCU
7's: Providence, Oregon, San Diego State, Saint John's
8's: Cincinnati, Michigan State, Xavier, Davidson
9's: Colorado State, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Texas
10's: Ohio State, Temple, North Carolina State, Dayton
11's: Georgia, Tulsa, Purdue, Indiana, Boise State
12's: LSU, BYU, Stephen F. Austin, Wofford, Buffalo
13's: Valparaiso, Harvard, Georgia State, Eastern Washington
14's: North Dakota State, Coastal Carolina, Northeastern, Belmont
15's: Manhattan, Stony Brook, New Mexico, State, UC Irvine
16's: Middle Tennessee, Texas Southern, North Florida, Lafayette, Robert Morris, Delaware State

FFO: Rhode Island, Connecticut, Ole Miss, Richmond
NFO: Illinois, UCLA, Texas A&M, Miami (FL)

March 13, 2015

Unfortunately, I'm short on spare time this morning, so I'll try to get another update posted later this afternoon with more commentary. The one thing I'll say is that the Gophers are most likely bound for the CBI after last night's loss to Ohio State. I'll also try to post an updated NIT bracket today, but at first glance, it looks like they dropped at least four spots, and they were the 2nd in as of yesterday, so probably not gonna happen...

Today's bracket update.

1's: Kentucky, Virginia, Villanova, Duke
2's: Kansas, Wisconsin, Arizona, Gonzaga
3's: Maryland, Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma
4's: Notre Dame, West Virginia, Louisville, North Carolina
5's: Georgetown, SMU, Utah, Northern Iowa
6's: Wichita State, Arkansas, Butler, VCU
7's: Providence, Colorado State, San Diego State, Cincinnati
8's: Saint John's, Davidson, Oregon, Ohio State
9's: Iowa, Oklahoma State, Michigan State, Texas
10's: Xavier, North Carolina State, Indiana, Temple
11's: Georgia, Dayton, LSU, Tulsa, Purdue
12's: Boise State, Ole Miss, Stephen F. Austin, Wofford, Buffalo
13's: Valparaiso, Harvard, Louisiana Tech, UC Davis
14's: North Dakota State, Georgia State, Northeastern, Eastern Washington
15's: North Carolina Central, Belmont, Stony Brook, New Mexico State
16's: Coastal Carolina, Lafayette, Texas Southern, North Florida, Manhattan, Robert Morris

FFO: Richmond, Texas A&M, UCLA, Connecticut
NFO: BYU, Rhode Island, Illinois, Old Dominion

Any teams not listed above will need to win their tourney to secure an automatic bid.