College basketball is in the final week of conference tournaments before Selection Sunday. Many play the role of Bracketologist predicting the field of 68. Tim Krueger, co-host of the Bluejay Banter radio show returns for his 5th season of predicting the field. Krueger ranks up there with the best of them with a Tier 1 ranking participating in The Bracket Project the past several years.
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 1620 the Zone — The Home of the Jays.
The Bracket as of 3/11/14:
| WEST-Anaheim | EAST-NYC | |
| 1-Arizona* | 1-Villanova* | |
| 16-Weber State* | 16-Cost.Carolina*/Utah Vly St.* | |
| San Diego March 21-23 | Buffalo March 20-22 | |
| 8-Gonzaga* | 8-Colorado | |
| 9-Kansas State | 9-Oklahoma State | |
| 4-San Diego State* | 4-Cincinnati* | |
| 13-Georgia State* | 13-Iona* | |
| Spokane March 20-22 | Orlando March 20-22 | |
| 5-Ohio State | 5-North Carolina | |
| 12-Toledo* | 12-So. Miss.* | |
| 3-Creighton | 3-Syracuse | |
| 14-East. Kentucky* | 14-Boston U.* | |
| San Antonio March 21-23 | Buffalo March 20-22 | |
| 6-Kentucky | 6-Umass | |
| 11-Dayton | 11-Neb./Cal | |
| 7-Memphis | 7-Baylor | |
| 10-G. Washington | 10-SMU | |
| St. Louis March 21-23 | Milwaukee March 20-22 | |
| 2-Kansas* | 2-Wisconsin | |
| 15-UC-Irvine* | 15-Vermont* | |
| MIDWEST-Indianapolis | SOUTH-Memphis | |
| 1-Wichita State* | 1-Florida* | |
| 16-NC Cent.*/Ala. St.* | 16-Wofford* | |
| St.Louis March 21-23 | Orlando March 20-22 | |
| 8-Iowa | 8-New Mexico | |
| 9-Oregon | 9-Stanford | |
| 4-Louisville | 4-Oklahoma | |
| 13-Harvard* | 13-S.F. Austin* | |
| San Diego March 21-23 | San Antonio March 21-23 | |
| 5-St. Louis* | 5-Michigan State | |
| 12-No. Dakota St.* | 12-St. Joes/ Pitt | |
| 3-Virginia* | 3-Iowa State | |
| 14-Delaware* | 14-Mercer* | |
| Raleigh March 21-23 | Spokane March 20-22 | |
| 6-Texas | 6-UCLA | |
| 11-Tennessee | 11-BYU | |
| 7-Uconn | 7-VCU | |
| 10-Arizona State | 10-Xavier | |
| Milwaukee March 20-22 | Raleigh March 21-23 | |
| 2-Michigan* | 2-Duke | |
| 15-Wright State* | 15-Robert Morris* |
*Indicate Conference Auto-Bid
Krueger’s Notes on the Bracket:
A new addition has been made to the top line as Kansas loses and is replaced by Villanova. A terrific season for the Wildcats as their only three losses came to teams in the top ten of the RPI. The bottom of the bracket shuffles as well. Nebraska enters the bracket with the big win over Wisconsin. Arkansas and Georgetown drop out after losses this weekend. It is a big weekend for the teams on the bubble as tourneys kick into full gear.
As Villanova moves into the top line, Creighton holds on to the three seed. A potential huge bracket game could occur in the quarters of the Big East with Creighton possibly taking on Georgetown. The Hoyas need that game badly.
Xavier, I think, is still ok and one win in the tourney should wrap up a bid. A loss could have them on dangerous ground.
Providence and St John’s face an elimination game in the quarters of the Big East. The winner will probably need at least one more win to get in the field. And of course losses elsewhere never hurt bubble teams this time of year.
The next bracket is on Friday morning, followed by one on Saturday and the final bracket Sunday afternoon. Follow daily updates on twitter @tkbrackets
Last four byes: SMU, BYU, Dayton, Tennessee
Last four in: Cal, Nebraska, St Joes, Pitt
First four out: Minnesota,Georgetown, Arkansas, Providence
Next four out: St. Johns, Illinois, Missouri, Florida State