College basketball is well underway this season and as we hit the conference season, many will play the role of Bracketologist predicting the field of 68. Tim Krueger, co-host of the Bluejay Banter radio show, is one such fan. Krueger has conducted his own bracket projections for years, even before ESPN’s Joe Lunardi gave such a practice the term Bracketology.
Leading up to Selection Sunday, Krueger will provide White & Blue Review his updated bracket predictions. Bluejay Banter can be heard every Monday from 6-7 PM on 590 AM, Omaha’s ESPN Radio, with podcasts of the show available via www.am590espnradio.com and the Bluejay Underground A/V room
Stay tuned this season as Bluejay Banter Bracktology takes on “The Bracketeer”.
The bracket as of 12/23/2011:
EAST SOUTH
1-Syracuse* 1-Duke*
16-American/Albany** 16-Ala AM/Nor. ST**
Pittsburgh (Mar 15-17) Greensboro (Mar. 16-18)
8-Florida St 8-Temple
9-Wichita St 9-Oklahoma
4-Indiana 4-Uconn
13-Davidson* 13-Ind St./St Joseph's
Columbus (Mar.16-18) Pittsburgh (Mar. 15-17)
5-Kansas 5-Michigan St
12-Marshall/Arizona 12-Ohio*
3-Florida 3-Mississippi St
14-Charleston* 14-Denver*
Nashville (Mar. 16-18) Albuquerque (Mar. 15-17)
6-Pitt 6-Gonzaga*
11-Northwestern 11-Texas A&M
7-Michigan 7-Minnesota
10-Murray St* 10-Stanford
Greensboro (Mar. 16-18) Omaha (Mar.16-18)
2-North Carolina 2-Missouri*
15-Coastal Carolina* 15-S Dakota St*
MIDWEST WEST
1-Kentucky* 1-Ohio State*
16-Lamar* 16-Old Dominion*
Louisville (Mar. 15-17) Louisville (Mar. 15-17)
8-S Diego St. 8-Seton Hall
9-West Virginia 9-St Louis
4-Wisconsin 4-Virginia
13-Cleveland St* 13-L Beach St*
Omaha (Mar. 16-18) Portland (Mar.16-18)
5-Xavier* 5-UNLV*
12-Texas 12-St Marys
3-Georgetown 3-Marquette
14-Nevada* 14-Belmont*
Portland (Mar. 16-18) Columbus (Mar.16-18)
6-Cal* 6-Alabama
11-Illinois 11-Iona*
7-Kansas St, 7-Creighton*
10-Southern Mississippi* 10-Purdue
Nashville (Mar. 16-18) Albuquerque (Mar. 15-17)
2-Louisville 2-Baylor
15-Robert Morris* 15-Weber St*
* Indicate Conference Automatic Bid
Krueger’s notes on the Bracket:
Last four in: Arizona, Marshall, Indiana State, and Saint Joseph’s
First four out: Memphis, Vanderbilt, New Mexico, Providence
Next four out: Northern Iowa, Dayton, Mississippi, Virginia Tech
Comments: At this stage, the brackets have a lot of guesswork in them. My bracket is based on about 60% projection and 40% on this season’s performance. Several teams are tough to seed at this point — the toughest is Xavier. They are really struggling with key players out from the Cincinnati fight. How well will they play when the players come back? That’s just one of many questions to be answered in the next couple of months.
I think at this point the Jays are seeded about right where they should be — easily in the tourney with room to move up. Indiana State is in with their victory over Vanderbilt, although UNI with two double-digit losses has some work to do.
