Latest Bracketology Update
A significant shift has occurred in the latest bracketology from USA TODAY Sports, with Houston ascending to the prestigious No. 1 seed position, supplanting Connecticut after the Huskies were handed their first defeat since mid-November. Connecticut’s undefeated streak of 18 games came to an end following an 81-72 defeat to St. John’s at Madison Square Garden. This loss adversely affected their standing, dropping them to eighth in the NET rankings and reducing their record to 5-2 against teams in the top tier of competition (Quad 1).
Houston’s Rise
Conversely, Houston has demonstrated its strength by winning four consecutive games, the latest victory being a solid 77-66 win over Brigham Young in Provo. This recent performance reflects a turnaround after a prior loss to Texas Tech on January 24 and places Houston just one game behind Arizona in the highly competitive Big 12 standings.
Top Seed Lineup
The updated top seed lineup now includes Houston, followed by Arizona, Michigan, and Duke, the latter retaining its No. 1 seed status even after a narrow loss to North Carolina at the very end of their matchup. Despite this blemish being Duke’s second defeat against Quad 1 teams, they continue to lead NCAA Division I with an impressive total of 10 Quad 1 victories.
North Carolina’s Performance
Meanwhile, the rivalry victory for North Carolina has elevated them to a No. 4 seed in the current projections. The Tar Heels now hold an overall record of 19-4, with a 7-3 mark in the ACC, placing them 2.5 games behind the co-leaders Duke and Clemson, and improving their Quad 1 record to 5-4.
NCAA Tournament Projections
The competitive landscape continues to evolve as teams vie for a place in the coveted NCAA Tournament. Currently, the last four teams projected to make the tournament are San Diego State, UCLA, Ohio State, and Miami (Fla.), while the first four teams left out are New Mexico, Missouri, California, and Virginia Tech.
Conference Representation
In terms of conference representation, multi-bid leagues include the Big Ten with 11 bids, the SEC with 10, the ACC with 8, the Big 12 with 7, the Big East with 3, the West Coast with 3, and the Mountain West with 2 bids respectively.
