This is my best bracket of the year. I spent all of last night, from about 1:30 to 5:45, reviewing every at-large résumé side-by-side. It was a long, tedious process, but it was all worth it in the name of bracketology. This is the most confident I have felt in a bracket all season.
So lay it on me! Ask questions as to why I made certain decisions over others. I’ll respond with confidence.
So, here it is: the Thursday morning edition of Bauertology for March 11.
THE BRACKET
THE TRUE SEED LIST
1 SEEDS
1. Gonzaga (26-0)
2. Baylor (21-1)
3. Michigan (19-3)
4. Illinois (20-6)
2 SEEDS
5. Alabama (21-6)
6. Iowa (20-7)
7. Ohio State (18-8)
8. Houston (21-3)
3 SEEDS
9. West Virginia (18-8)
10. Arkansas (21-5)
11. Oklahoma State (18-7)
12. Texas (17-7)
4 SEEDS
13. Kansas (19-8)
14. Purdue (18-8)
15. Villanova (16-5)
16. Virginia (17-6)
5 SEEDS
17. USC (21-6)
18. Florida State (15-5)
19. Creighton (18-7)
20. Missouri (15-8)
6 SEEDS
21. Texas Tech (17-9)
22. Tennessee (17-7)
23. Oregon (19-5)
24. Colorado (20-7)
7 SEEDS
25. Clemson (16-7)
26. BYU (20-6)
27. Oklahoma (15-9)
28. Loyola Chicago (24-4)
8 SEEDS
29. San Diego State (20-4)
30. Wisconsin (16-11)
31. Florida (13-8)
32. UConn (14-6)
9 SEEDS
33. LSU (16-8)
34. Virginia Tech (15-5)
35. North Carolina (17-9)
36. St. Bonaventure (15-4)
10 SEEDS
37. Rutgers (14-10)
38. VCU (19-6)
39. Georgia Tech (15-8)
40. UCLA (17-8)
11 SEEDS
41. Michigan State (15-11)
42. Maryland (15-12)
43. Drake (25-4)
44. Wichita State (15-4)
12 SEEDS
*45. Syracuse (16-8)
*46. Louisville (13-7)
*47. Colorado State (17-5)
*48. Ole Miss (15-10)
49. Winthrop (23-1)
50. Western Kentucky (18-6)
13 SEEDS
51. UC Santa Barbara (19-4)
52. Toledo (20-7)
53. Colgate (13-1)
54. UNC Greensboro (21-8)
14 SEEDS
55. Liberty (23-5)
56. Morehead State (23-7)
57. Southern Utah (19-3)
58. Abilene Christian (21-4)
15 SEEDS
59. Cleveland State (19-7)
60. Grand Canyon (15-6)
61. Oral Roberts (16-10)
62. Drexel (12-7)
16 SEEDS
63. Hartford (14-8)
64. Iona (10-5)
*65. Mount St. Mary’s (12-10)
*66. Appalachian State (17-11)
*67. Prairie View A&M (15-4)
*68. Norfolk State (14-7)
THE BUBBLE
LAST FOUR BYES
1. Michigan State (15-11)
2. Maryland (15-12)
3. Drake (25-4)
4. Wichita State (15-4)
LAST FOUR IN
1. Syracuse (16-8)
2. Louisville (13-7)
3. Colorado State (17-5)
4. Ole Miss (15-10)
FIRST FOUR OUT (NIT 1 SEEDS)
1. Boise State (18-7)
2. Utah State (18-7)
3. Saint Louis (14-6)
4. Duke (13-11)
NEXT FOUR OUT (NIT 2 SEEDS)
1. Seton Hall (13-12)
2. Xavier (13-8)
3. St. John’s (16-10)
4. SMU (11-4)
NIT 3 SEEDS
1. Memphis (15-7)
2. NC State (13-10)
3. Belmont (26-4)
4. Minnesota (14-14)
NIT 4 SEEDS
1. Indiana (12-14)
2. Penn State (11-13)
3. Stanford (14-13)
4. Richmond (13-8)
BIDS BY CONFERENCE
Big Ten: 9
ACC: 8
Big 12: 7
SEC: 7
Pac-12: 4
Big East: 3
American: 2
Atlantic 10: 2
Missouri Valley: 2
Mountain West: 2
WCC: 2