We’re so close. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the final bracket of February. Two days from now, we will be diving head-first into the greatest month of them all, home to buzzer-beaters, upsets and the magic that makes college basketball worth watching: March.
And although we’re only about two weeks removed from Selection Sunday, the bracket is still seeing some wild fluctuations. For example, Arkansas moves up two seed lines after beating Alabama on Wednesday, and Michigan State, a team previously thought to be dead, moves all the way up from “Also Considered” to “Last Four Byes” with a week of victories over two top-5 teams (Ohio State and Illinois).
There is still plenty more time for college basketball to surprise before the tournament arrives. For now, here’s the Saturday morning edition of Bauertology for Feb. 27.
THE BRACKET
THE TRUE SEED LIST
1 SEEDS
1. Gonzaga (23-0)
2. Baylor (18-0)
3. Michigan (17-1)
4. Ohio State (18-6)
2 SEEDS
5. Illinois (17-6)
6. Alabama (18-6)
7. Villanova (15-3)
8. West Virginia (16-6)
3 SEEDS
9. Iowa (17-7)
10. Houston (19-3)
11. Florida State (14-3)
12. Texas (14-6)
4 SEEDS
13. Virginia (15-6)
14. Arkansas (18-5)
15. Oklahoma (14-6)
16. Kansas (17-8)
5 SEEDS
17. USC (19-5)
18. Creighton (17-5)
19. Purdue (16-8)
20. Tennessee (16-6)
6 SEEDS
21. Wisconsin (16-8)
22. Clemson (14-5)
23. Texas Tech (14-8)
24. Missouri (14-7)
7 SEEDS
25. Colorado (18-7)
26. Oklahoma State (15-6)
27. BYU (18-5)
28. Florida (12-6)
8 SEEDS
29. Virginia Tech (14-5)
30. San Diego State (18-4)
31. Loyola Chicago (20-4)
32. Rutgers (13-9)
9 SEEDS
33. LSU (14-7)
34. UCLA (17-5)
35. Maryland (14-10)
36. Oregon (15-5)
10 SEEDS
37. VCU (17-5)
38. Boise State (18-5)
39. Louisville (12-5)
40. North Carolina (14-8)
11 SEEDS
41. Drake (24-2)
42. St. Bonaventure (13-3)
43. UConn (11-6)
44. Michigan State (13-9)
12 SEEDS
*45. Duke (11-8)
*46. Georgia Tech (12-8)
*47. Colorado State (13-4)
*48. Seton Hall (13-10)
49. Western Kentucky (15-5)
50. Winthrop (20-1)
13 SEEDS
51. Belmont (24-2)
52. Toledo (18-6)
53. UC Santa Barbara (17-3)
54. Colgate (11-1)
14 SEEDS
55. Wright State (18-5)
56. Abilene Christian (19-3)
57. Furman (16-7)
58. Liberty (19-5)
15 SEEDS
59. Eastern Washington (12-6)
60. Vermont (10-4)
61. Grand Canyon (13-5)
62. Siena (10-3)
16 SEEDS
63. James Madison (13-6)
64. Texas State (17-6)
*65. Bryant (14-5)
*66. South Dakota (12-9)
*67. Prairie View A&M (10-4)
*68. Norfolk State (13-7)
THE BUBBLE
LAST FOUR BYES
1. Drake (24-2)
2. St. Bonaventure (13-3)
3. UConn (11-6)
4. Michigan State (13-9)
LAST FOUR IN
1. Duke (11-8)
2. Georgia Tech (12-8)
3. Colorado State (13-4)
4. Seton Hall (13-10)
FIRST FOUR OUT
1. Wichita State (13-4)
2. Stanford (14-10)
3. Indiana (12-11)
4. Xavier (12-5)
NEXT FOUR OUT
1. Minnesota (13-11)
2. Saint Louis (12-5)
3. Richmond (13-6)
4. Ole Miss (13-9)
ALSO CONSIDERED
Georgia (14-9)
Memphis (13-6)
Providence (12-11)
Saint Mary’s (13-7)
SMU (11-4)
St. John’s (14-10)
Syracuse (13-7)
Utah State (15-7)
BIDS BY CONFERENCE
Big Ten: 9
ACC: 8
Big 12: 7
SEC: 6
Big East: 4
Pac-12: 4
Mountain West: 3
Atlantic 10: 2
Missouri Valley: 2
WCC: 2