Bracketology for February 24, 2020
This is another edition of bracketology for February 24, 2020.
There were some changes in how the bracket looks thanks to some of the action that has transpired recently. The Top 8 do seem to be less fluid than the next 16. Disagreements will abound as to what to do with San Diego State and Gonzaga, but in this situation there were scheduling considerations and a direct comparison that made the difference between the #1 seed for San Diego State and #2 seed for Gonzaga.
The metrics like Alabama, but their strength of schedule and the lack of accomplishments in non-conference play hurt them considerably. So they are OUT and they will not be considered for quite some time due to their bad losses, non-conference struggles, and weakness of the SEC. The same could be said about Mississippi State. Arkansas is not in consideration due to their soft out-of-conference schedule and struggles within the SEC, missing Isaiah Joe should not result in the team having a complete collapse and it speaks to the weakness of the team as a whole. The SEC is a poor conference and they fall down the priority chain when it comes to seeding.
The highlights from this bracket:
- Michigan rises up further, various metrics love them and their recent wins help them considerably.
- Indiana is back in the bracket while Purdue is out.
- Kentucky rises again in the bracket as they are proving to be the best team in the SEC.
- Penn State dropped to a #6 seed due to other teams rising up and the Nittany Lions dropping two in a row.
- Stanford is back in the bracket after a strong week and weakness from other bubble teams.
- Florida State earned a #3 seed as others have fallen, the metrics do not like Florida State.
- Metrics like Texas Tech and while other brackets may be down on Chris Beard's team, they are a #4 seed here.
- Creighton is a #2 seed, there has been general weakness with the last #2 seed and Creighton was the best team to fit in here.
| Conference | Conference | |||
| SOUTH – Houston | MIDWEST – Indianapolis | |||
| St. Louis | Omaha | |||
| 1) Baylor | Big XII | 1) Kansas | Big XII | |
| 16) St. Francis (PA)/Prairie View A&M | NEC/SWAC | 16) Norfolk St./Siena | MEAC/MAAC | |
| 8) Florida | SEC | 8) Butler | Big East | |
| 9) Arizona St. | Pac-12 | 9) Utah St. | MWC | |
| Tampa | Omaha | |||
| 5) Michigan | Big Ten | 5) Kentucky | SEC | |
| 12) Yale | Ivy | 12) Liberty | A-Sun | |
| 4) Texas Tech | Big XII | 4) BYU | WCC | |
| 13) North Texas | C-USA | 13) Stephen F. Austin | Southland | |
| Tampa | Greensboro | |||
| 6) Penn St. | Big Ten | 6) Colorado | Pac-12 | |
| 11) Wichita St. | American | 11) Virginia | ACC | |
| 3) Florida St. | ACC | 3) Maryland | Big Ten | |
| 14) UC Irvine | Big West | 14) Little Rock | Sun Belt | |
| Cleveland | St. Louis | |||
| 7) Wisconsin | Big Ten | 7) Iowa | Big Ten | |
| 10) Cincinnati | American | 10) Northern Iowa | MVC | |
| 2) Louisville | ACC | 2) Creighton | Big East | |
| 15) Wright St. | Horizon | 15) South Dakota St. | Summit | |
| EAST – New York | WEST – Los Angeles | |||
| Cleveland | Sacramento | |||
| 1) Dayton | A-10 | 1) San Diego St. | MWC | |
| 16) Winthrop | Big South | 16) Austin Peay | OVC | |
| 8) Rutgers | Big Ten | 8) Auburn | SEC | |
| 9) LSU | SEC | 9) Saint Mary's | WCC | |
| Albany | Spokane | |||
| 5) Ohio St. | Big Ten | 5) Oregon | Pac-12 | |
| 12) Xavier/North Carolina St. | Big East/ACC | 12) ETSU | SoCon | |
| 4) West Virginia | Big XII | 4) Seton Hall | Big East | |
| 13) Akron | MAC | 13) Hofstra | Colonial | |
| Albany | Sacramento | |||
| 6) Michigan St. | Big Ten | 6) Houston | American | |
| 11) USC/Oklahoma | Pac-12/Big XII | 11) Indiana | Big Ten | |
| 3) Villanova | Big East | 3) Arizona | Pac-12 | |
| 14) Vermont | America East | 14) New Mexico St. | WAC | |
| Greensboro | Spokane | |||
| 7) Illinois | Big Ten | 7) Marquette | Big East | |
| 10) Rhode Island | A-10 | 10) Stanford | Pac-12 | |
| 2) Duke | ACC | 2) Gonzaga | WCC | |
| 15) Colgate | Patriot | 15) Montana | Big Sky |