The day we’ve all been waiting for is here!
…Kinda.
While casual fans probably won’t get that much excitement out of today’s top 16 teams preview at 12:30 p.m. EST on CBS, bracketologists will.
If Selection Sunday is the final exam, this is the midterm. This is our chance to find out whether or not our studying of résumés and historical trends through the past few months have added up in a meaningful way. And even if we’re off the mark from reality, this reveal can at least steady the course and give us an understanding of just what exactly the selection committee is looking for.
Before I get into my full 68-team projection for today, here’s a glimpse at what I’m predicting to see in today’s preview show.
Some of the most important questions I’m hoping today’s show will answer:
- What will the selection committee value most at the 1 seed line: résumé quality (Alabama), expected performance (Houston), or Quad 1 dominance (Kansas)?
- Which Pac-12 team will be seeded higher, UCLA with its higher NET and predictive metrics, or Arizona with its superior quality victories (5-0 in Q1A)?
- How will the Big East’s top three teams be evaluated in comparison to one another?
- Will a head-to-head result (i.e. Indiana over Xavier) matter for earning a protected seed?
- In which order do the Big 12 teams stack up?
- Where do Gonzaga and Virginia fit amid the cluster of Big 12 and Big East teams expected to be on those seed lines?
The answers to each of these questions will be analyzed, dissected, and picked apart for future use, as we bracketologists try to apply what we’ve learned to the rest of the bracket. Listening to what the committee says to justify their choices as well as inferring other trends will be critical!
Once I learn what those trends are, I’ll apply them to my current bracketing process. But for now, here’s the final post-top-16-preview Bauertology bracket to digest. Enjoy!
THE BRACKET
THE TRUE SEED LIST, BUBBLE, AND BIDS BY CONFERENCE
