College basketball is headed into the final stretch with March now upon us. Many will play the role of Bracketologist predicting the field of 68. Tim Krueger, co-host of both the Bluejay Banter radio show and of the new MVC Hoops 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. The MVC Hoops show can be heard on local radio stations across the MVC six-state footprint.
The Bracket as of 3/5/13:
| EAST | WEST | |
| 1-Duke | 1-Miami* | |
| 16-Northeastern* | 16-Norfolk St/Mercer** | |
| Philadelphia March 22-24 | Lexington March 21-23 | |
| 8-San Diego St | 8-Memphis* | |
| 9-Oregon* | 9-Missouri | |
| 4- Kansas St | 4-Marquette | |
| 13-Bucknell* | 13-Belmont* | |
| Kansas City March 22-24 | San Jose March 21-23 | |
| 5-Wisconsin | 5-UNLV | |
| 12-Villanova/St. Mary's | 12-Louisiana Tech* | |
| 3-Michigan | 3-Arizona | |
| 14-Stony Brook* | 14-Montana* | |
| Auburn Hills March 21-23 | Salt Lake City March 21-23 | |
| 6-VCU | 6-Minnesota | |
| 11-Virginia | 11-Iowa St | |
| 7-Oklahoma | 7-Butler | |
| 10-California | 10-Cinncinati | |
| Dayton March 22-24 | San Jose March 21-23 | |
| 2-Louisville | 2-Gonzaga* | |
| 15-Princeton* | 15-South Dakota St* | |
| SOUTH | MIDWEST | |
| 1-Kansas* | 1-Indiana* | |
| 16-Niagara* | 16-Southern/High Point** | |
| Kansas City March 22-24 | Dayton March 22-24 | |
| 8-North Carolina | 8-North Carolina State | |
| 9-Notre Dame | 9-Creighton* | |
| 4-Ohio St | 4-Syracuse | |
| 13-Akron* | 13-Stephen F. Austin* | |
| Lexington March 21-23 | Austin March 22-24 | |
| 5-St. Louis* | 5-Oklahoma State | |
| 12-Boise St./Kentucky | 12-Middle Tennessee St.* | |
| 3-Michigan State | 3-Florida* | |
| 14-Valparaiso* | 14-Davidson* | |
| Auburn Hills March 21-23 | Austin March 22-24 | |
| 6-Pittsburgh | 6-Colorado St | |
| 11-LaSalle | 11-Temple | |
| 7-UCLA | 7-Illinois | |
| 10-Wichita State | 10-Colorado | |
| Salt Lake City March 21-23 | Philadelphia March 22-24 | |
| 2-New Mexico* | 2-Georgetown* | |
| 15-Long Beach St* | 15-Robert Morris* |
*Indicate Conference Auto-Bid
Krueger’s Notes on the Bracket:
Before I get started breaking down the bracket, here’s a note on the bracket schedule. My next bracket will be next Tuesday, March 12th . Then beginning on Friday, March 16th, I will post a bracket each day concluding with the final bracket in the afternoon before selection Sunday.
The bubble continues to shrink as teams play their way out of the tournament. Right now of my last eight teams out, I really only feel like four have any chance of the eight getting into the tourney. At the top of the bracket, the top 13 to 14 teams are not separated by much. There could be a lot of movement as we get into the last week of the regular season and conference tournaments.
Both Creighton and Wichita State look good and are almost locks. One win by each of them in Arch Madness and the Valley is assured of two teams. A run to the MVC tourney title could move the Jays to a seven seed.
Last four in: Boise St, St Mary’s, Kentucky, Villanova
First four out: Tennessee, Mississippi, Maryland, UMass
Next four out: Arkansas, Southern Mississippi, Providence, Alabama