College basketball is in the final weekend of the conference regular season. Many will 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 3/7/14:
| WEST-Anaheim | EAST-NYC | |
| 1-Arizona* | 1-Kansas* | |
| 16-Weber State* | 16-Robert Morris* | |
| San Diego March 21-23 | St.Louis March 21-23 | |
| 8-Gonzaga* | 8-Memphis | |
| 9-Baylor | 9-Arizona State | |
| 4-North Carolina | 4-San Diego State | |
| 13-Iona* | 13-Green Bay* | |
| San Diego March 21-23 | Spokane March 20-22 | |
| 5-Kentucky | 5-UCLA | |
| 12-Toledo* | 12-No.Dakota St.* | |
| 3-Creighton | 3-Duke | |
| 14-S.F. Austin* | 14-Delaware* | |
| San Antonio March 21-23 | Raleigh March 21-23 | |
| 6-Texas | 6-Ohio State | |
| 11-Pitt/Arkansas | 11-St. Joes | |
| 7-New Mexico* | 7-VCU | |
| 10-Stanford | 10-SMU | |
| Milwaukee March 20-22 | Buffalo March 20-22 | |
| 2-Michigan* | 2-Villanova* | |
| 15-Georgia St* | 15-Vermont* | |
| MIDWEST-Indianapolis | SOUTH-Memphis | |
| 1-Wichita State* | 1-Florida* | |
| 16-High Pt.*/Utah Vly St.* | 16-N.C.Cent*/Ala.St.* | |
| St Louis March 21-23 | Orlando March 20-22 | |
| 8-Colorado | 8-Kansas State | |
| 9-G.Washington | 9-Oregon | |
| 4-Cincinnati | 4-Michigan State | |
| 13-Belmont* | 13-Harvard* | |
| San Antonio March 21-23 | Orlando March 20-22 | |
| 5-Oklahoma | 5-Louisville* | |
| 12-So. Miss.* | 12-G'town/Dayton | |
| 3-Syracuse | 3-Iowa State | |
| 14-Boston U.* | 14-Mercer* | |
| Buffalo March 20-22 | Spokane March 20-22 | |
| 6-St. Louis* | 6-Umass | |
| 11-Tennessee | 11-BYU | |
| 7-Uconn | 7-Iowa | |
| 10-Oklahoma State | 10-Xavier | |
| Milwaukee March 20-22 | Raleigh March 21-23 | |
| 2-Wisconsin | 2-Virginia* | |
| 15-UC-Irvine* | 15-Davidson* |
*Indicate Conference Auto-Bid
Krueger’s Notes on the Bracket:
I did a total scrub of the field similar to what the selection committee does. That resulted in a few minor changes. More importantly, the results this week had a greater impact on the field. Let’s get to the changes.
Kansas moves to the top line after another Syracuse loss. Because of the recent losses and the bad non-conference strength of schedule, the Orange move to the three line. Virginia moves up to the two line as Duke drops to the three seed after another loss. On the bottom of the bracket, Georgetown and Dayton move in while Cal and Minnesota move out. There is still plenty of time for these teams to not only get in the field, but avoid the play-in game.
Villanova continues to impress as they wrap up the Big East regular season title. If the WIldcats win the Big East tournament they could obtain a one seed with a little help.
Creighton hangs on to a three seed as teams around them continue to lose. The Jays need a win Saturday to hold on to the seed. Xavier limps into the Big East tourney having lost Matt Stainbrook for the final game. Xavier should be okay, but really need to win the first tourney game to feel safe.
Last four byes: Tennessee, St. Joes, BYU, Xavier
Last four in: Pitt, Arkansas, Georgetown, Dayton
First four out: Minnesota, Nebraska, Cal, Missouri
Next four out: Providence, Florida State, St. Johns, LSU