March Madness Bracketology Update for 1/29: New Mexico Soaring
We’re nearing the month of February, which means March Madness is just around the corner. Super Bowl LVIII is set, and it’s time to turn our attention to college basketball, with Selection Sunday just under seven weeks away. If you’re starting to tune in to the collegiate hardwood, we’ve covered you with our latest bracket projections.
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| MIDWEST | SOUTH | EAST | WEST | |
| 1 | Purdue (+700) | Houston (+900) | UConn (+900) | North Carolina (+1300) |
| 2 | Marquette (+3000) | Arizona (+1600) | Wisconsin (+2500) | Tennessee (+1400) |
| 3 | Iowa State (+3000) | Alabama (+2000) | Creighton (+4500) | Kansas (+3000) |
| 4 | Baylor (+3500) | Duke (+2500) | Auburn (+2000) | Illinois (+3500) |
| 5 | Kentucky | San Diego State | Dayton | Texas Tech |
| 6 | Clemson | BYU | Utah State | New Mexico |
| 7 | Florida Atlantic | Oklahoma | Saint Mary’s | TCU |
| 8 | Utah | St. John’s | South Carolina | Mississippi State |
| 9 | Texas A&M | Ole Miss | Colorado State | Northwestern |
| 10 | Texas | Providence | Villanova | Michigan State |
| 11 | Memphis | Cincinnati | NEB/BSU | COL/SHU |
| 12 | Princeton | Grand Canyon | McNeese | Indiana State |
| 13 | Appalachian State | UC Irvine | Louisiana Tech | Samford |
| 14 | High Point | Vermont | Drexel | Akron |
| 15 | Morehead State | Eastern Washington | Youngstown State | Colgate |
| 16 | NORF/JSU | IONA/MERR | Lipscomb | St. Thomas |
LAST FOUR IN: Nebraska, Boise State, Colorado, Seton Hall
FIRST FOUR OUT: Colorado, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Gonzaga
NEXT FOUR OUT: Virginia, Washington State, Butler, Florida
Bold = automatic qualifier through conference title
Odds = National Championship Odds for the Top 16 teams (1-4 seeds)
Conference winners were determined based on the following:
- Power 6 conferences: Highest-seeded team
- Mid-major conferences: Highest KenPom ranking awarded the automatic bid
New Mexico Is Soaring Up the Seed Lines
The Lobos are one of the hottest teams in the country and have ripped off five straight victories, sitting just half a game behind Utah State for the lead in the Mountain West. Their 89-55 thrashing of Nevada late Sunday night was one of the more surprising results of the weekend, and it’s helped push them up to the #6 seed line in our projection, up four lines from a week ago. The Lobos have an incredibly talented backcourt and have the ceiling of a second-weekend team in March.
Mountain West on Pace for Historic Representation
The only time the Mountain West has seen five bids was back in 2013, and we’ve got the league on pace to do it for the second time in league history. San Diego State, New Mexico, Utah State, Colorado State, and Boise State are all projected to make our field as of today. We could see them vulture one another to the point where only three or four end up making it, but for now, it’s looking like a record season for the MWC in terms of NCAA Tournament representation.
Appalachian State Knocking on Door of #12 Seed
It was another exciting weekend in Boone, North Carolina. Appalachian State completed a season sweep of James Madison, the formerly-ranked favorite in the Sun Belt, with a win over Michigan State. It’s got them as the new favorite in the league, and they’ve got a resumé to compete with the other top mid-majors in the field. A 17-4 overall record with an 8-1 record in Sun Belt play with a massive win over Auburn has the Mountaineers close to the #12 seed line, and any stumbles from that line may mean App State will be moving on up.
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