Welcome to Bracketology 2020, where our resident bracketologist, Justin Meyer, gives you his prediction of what the selection committee would have the NCAA Tournament look like if the season were to end today. He has done bracketology for roughly 10 years, and this is his sixth season as part of the Bracket Matrix.
This is not what he would make the bracket if he were the selection committee, and this is not a guess for what it will look like on Selection Sunday (unless, of course, it is Selection Sunday). It is merely a snapshot of where things stand right now.
Moving forward, you can also expect updates to our Bubble Watch series, breaking down where all remotely relevant teams stand relative to the cutline, with resume explanations and a set of requirements for what the team needs to secure its spot in the Big Dance. You can find the previous bracketology entry here.
Without further ado, here is your update for how the Field of 68 stands right now in our Bracketology 2020 (as of games played through Sunday, March 8, 2020):
Bracketology 2020
Midwest (Indianapolis)
1 KANSAS vs 16 PRAIRIE VIEW A&M/NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL
8 St. Mary’s vs 9 Marquette
5 Louisville vs 12 LIBERTY
4 BYU vs 13 VERMONT
*6 Michigan vs 11 Xavier
*3 Michigan State vs 14 COLGATE
7 Iowa vs 10 Richmond
2 CREIGHTON vs 15 UC IRVINE
East (New York City)
1 DAYTON vs 16 LITTLE ROCK
8 Arizona vs 9 LSU
5 West Virginia vs 12 Cincinnati/North Carolina State
4 KENTUCKY vs 13 NORTH TEXAS
6 Ohio State vs 11 ETSU
3 Seton Hall vs 14 BELMONT
7 HOUSTON vs 10 Arizona State
2 FLORIDA STATE vs 15 WINTHROP
South (Houston)
1 Baylor vs 16 SIENA/ST. FRANCIS (PA)
8 USC vs 9 Florida
5 Butler vs 12 YALE
4 OREGON vs 13 AKRON
6 Illinois vs 11 UTAH STATE
3 Duke vs 14 HOFSTRA
7 Penn State vs 10 Texas Tech
2 Villanova vs 15 NORTH DAKOTA STATE
West (Los Angeles)
1 GONZAGA vs 16 EASTERN WASHINGTON
8 Providence vs 9 Oklahoma
5 Auburn vs 12 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
4 WISCONSIN vs 13 NEW MEXICO STATE
6 Virginia vs 11 Indiana/Stanford
3 Maryland vs 14 BRADLEY
7 Colorado vs 10 Rutgers
2 San Diego State vs 15 WRIGHT STATE
Note – * indicates a matchup that breaks bracket rules, but to keep my seeding consistent, I’m ignoring it for the purposes of a mock bracket.
The Bubble
Last Four Byes
Rutgers
Texas Tech
Richmond
Xavier
Last Four In
Indiana
Stanford
Cincinnati
North Carolina State
First Four Out
Wichita State
UCLA
Texas
Saint Louis
Next Four Out
Northern Iowa
Memphis
Mississippi State
Rhode Island
S-Curve
- Kansas
- Baylor
- Gonzaga
- Dayton
- San Diego State
- Florida State
- Villanova
- Creighton
- Michigan State
- Seton Hall
- Duke
- Maryland
- Kentucky
- Oregon
- BYU
- Wisconsin
- Louisville
- Butler
- Auburn
- West Virginia
- Ohio State
- Virginia
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Iowa
- Penn State
- Colorado
- Houston
- Arizona
- Providence
- USC
- St. Mary’s
- Marquette
- Oklahoma
- Florida
- LSU
- Arizona State
- Rutgers
- Texas Tech
- Richmond
- Xavier
- Indiana
- Utah State
- ETSU
- Stanford
- Cincinnati
- North Carolina State
- Stephen F. Austin
- Yale
- Liberty
- Vermont
- Akron
- New Mexico State
- North Texas
- Belmont
- Bradley
- Hofstra
- Colgate
- UC Irvine
- North Dakota State
- Wright State
- Winthrop
- Little Rock
- Eastern Washington
- Siena
- St. Francis (PA)
- Prairie View A&M
- North Carolina Central
Per Conference
Big Ten – 10 (Michigan State, Maryland, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Penn State, Rutgers, Indiana)
Big East – 7 (Villanova, Creighton, Seton Hall, Butler, Providence, Marquette, Xavier)
Pac-12 – 6 (Oregon, Colorado, Arizona, USC, Arizona State, Stanford)
ACC – 5 (Florida State, Duke, Louisville, Virginia, North Carolina State)
Big 12 – 5 (Kansas, Baylor, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas Tech)
SEC – 4 (Kentucky, Auburn, Florida, LSU)
WCC – 3 (Gonzaga, BYU, St. Mary’s)
AAC – 2 (Houston, Cincinnati)
A-10 – 2 (Dayton, Richmond)
MWC – 2 (San Diego State, Utah State)