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 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 Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020):
Bracketology 2020
South (Houston)
1 BAYLOR vs 16 ROBERT MORRIS/NORTH CAROLINA A&T
8 BYU vs 9 Purdue
5 Oregon vs 12 YALE
4 Butler vs 13 STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
6 Iowa vs 11 Rhode Island
3 AUBURN vs 14 HOFSTRA
7 Ohio State vs 10 Wichita State
2 LOUISVILLE vs 15 MONTANA
East (New York City)
1 SAN DIEGO STATE vs 16 AUSTIN PEAY
8 Illinois vs 9 USC
5 Michigan State vs 12 Arizona State/Oklahoma
4 Villanova vs 13 COLGATE
6 Marquette vs 11 Cincinnati/Virginia
3 West Virginia vs 14 UC IRVINE
7 Texas Tech vs 10 NORTHERN IOWA
2 Duke vs 15 LITTLE ROCK
Midwest (Indianapolis)
1 Kansas vs 16 PRAIRIE VIEW A&M/RIDER
8 Rutgers vs 9 St. Mary’s
5 COLORADO vs 12 LIBERTY
4 Creighton vs 13 VERMONT
6 LSU vs 11 Xavier
3 Florida State vs 14 WRIGHT STATE
7 HOUSTON vs 10 Stanford
2 MARYLAND vs 15 NORTH DAKOTA STATE
West (Los Angeles)
1 GONZAGA vs 16 BOWLING GREEN
8 Michigan vs 9 Indiana*
5 Kentucky vs 12 ETSU
4 Penn State vs 13 NORTH TEXAS
6 Arizona vs 11 Florida
3 SETON HALL vs 14 NEW MEXICO STATE
7 Wisconsin vs 10 Arkansas
2 DAYTON vs 15 WINTHROP
* = To keep the seed lines correct with my S-Curve, I have ignored bracket rules against pitting conference foes against one another in the first round.
The Bubble
Last Four Byes
Wichita State
Rhode Island
Xavier
Florida
Last Four In
Cincinnati
Virginia
Arizona State
Oklahoma
First Four Out
Minnesota
Alabama
VCU
North Carolina State
Next Four Out
Georgetown
Memphis
Utah State
Richmond
S-Curve
- Baylor
- Kansas
- Gonzaga
- San Diego State
- Duke
- Dayton
- Maryland
- Louisville
- Florida State
- Auburn
- Seton Hall
- West Virginia
- Villanova
- Penn State
- Creighton
- Butler
- Oregon
- Colorado
- Kentucky
- Michigan State
- Marquette
- Arizona
- Iowa
- LSU
- Ohio State
- Houston
- Wisconsin
- Texas Tech
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Rutgers
- BYU
- St. Mary’s
- Purdue
- Indiana
- USC
- Northern Iowa
- Arkansas
- Stanford
- Wichita State
- Rhode Island
- Xavier
- Florida
- Cincinnati
- Virginia
- Arizona State
- Oklahoma
- ETSU
- Liberty
- Yale
- Stephen F. Austin
- Vermont
- North Texas
- Colgate
- UC Irvine
- New Mexico State
- Wright State
- Hofstra
- Montana
- North Dakota State
- Winthrop
- Little Rock
- Austin Peay
- Bowling Green
- Prairie View A&M
- Rider
- Robert Morris
- North Carolina A&T
Per Conference
Big Ten – 11 (Maryland, Penn State, Michigan State, Iowa, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Rutgers, Purdue, Indiana)
Big East – 6 (Seton Hall, Villanova, Creighton, Butler, Marquette, Xavier)
Pac-12 – 6 (Oregon, Colorado, Arizona, USC, Stanford, Arizona State)
Big 12 – 5 (Baylor, Kansas, West Virginia, Texas Tech, Oklahoma)
SEC – 5 (Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Arkansas, Florida)
ACC – 4 (Duke, Louisville, Florida State, Virginia)
AAC – 3 (Houston, Wichita State, Cincinnati)
WCC – 3 (Gonzaga, BYU, St. Mary’s)
A-10 – 2 (Dayton, Rhode Island)
