A possible’89 reservable! Michigan beats us twice then we beat them in the Final Four and win it all! It’s possible!!!!!
Week of 3/2 Bracketology
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wettsten
- Chicago
to expand, we are 19-4 when ranked higher and 1-4 when ranked lower. also 4-5 when we are both ranked. to be ranked higher is obviously better but when we're both ranked seems like a coin toss.
DeonThomas
- South Carolina
A staggering statistic!
Regardless of next Friday, we have virtually locked in a 2 seed in the NCAAs.
Can someone explain to me why I haven't seen Illinois slotted in as the 2 seed in the Chicago bracket? Is it simply that we haven't been the highest 2 seed, so we wouldn't get preference there? I know Michigan is basically locked in as a 1 see, but I don't see any rules that says we can't be the 2 seed with Michigan being the 1 seed, because we wouldn't meet until the elite 8?
If we have a good run in the BTT and the other 2 seeds above us drop, is it possible?
If we have a good run in the BTT and the other 2 seeds above us drop, is it possible?
The thing I would like about playing Arizona is their lack of 3pt attempts. Even if they get hot from 2 and we can't stop them, if we can get hot from 3 we win.
We all pretty much know or offense is going to have to play lights out to have a chance against Arizona, Duke, Michigan, and/or Florida. IMO Arizona is the least likely to be able to keep up if our offense is rolling.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
The NCAA website says they separate the top 4 teams from each conference (if they’re seeded #4 or better), but then at the end they say this principle can be relaxed if that conference gets 9 NCAAT bids … so there’s that!
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
As a follow-up on this, here is where the top 4 (protected) seeds from each conference were sent in recent years. Keep in mind, it won't always apply, as a conference would have to have 4+ protected seeds for it to matter. I listed every protected seed for context, but it is only the first 4 that should be separated.
The ranking refers to where a team is on the overall seed ranking (S-Curve), with the number in parentheses being that team's actual seed.
2025
SEC
#1 (1) Auburn in South
#4 (1) Florida in West
#5 (2) Tennessee in Midwest
#6 (2) Alabama in East
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#11 (3) Kentucky in Midwest
#13 (4) Texas A&M in South
Big XII
#3 (1) Houston in Midwest
#9 (3) Texas Tech in West
#10 (3) Iowa State in South
#16 (4) Arizona in East
Big Ten
#7 (2) Michigan State in South
#12 (3) Wisconsin in East
#14 (4) Purdue in Midwest
#15 (4) Maryland in West
ACC - N/A ... #2 (1) Duke in East = only protected seed
Big East - N/A ... #8 (2) St. John's (NY) in West = only protected seed
2024
Big XII
#2 (1) Houston in South
#8 (2) Iowa State in East
#9 (3) Baylor in West
#14 (4) Kansas in Midwest
SEC
#5 (2) Tennessee in Midwest
#11 (3) Kentucky in South
#15 (4) Auburn in East
#16 (4) Alabama in West
Big East - N/A ... #1 (1) UConn in East, #7 (2) Marquette in South and #10 (3) Creighton in Midwest = only protected seeds
Big Ten - N/A ... #3 (1) Purdue in Midwest and #12 (3) Illinois in East = only protected seeds
ACC - N/A ... #4 (1) North Carolina in West and #13 (4) Duke in South = only protected seeds
2023
Big XII
#3 (1) Kansas in West
#6 (2) Texas in Midwest
#9 (3) Baylor in South
#11 (3) Kansas State in East
Big East - N/A ... #8 (2) Marquette in East, #12 (3) Xavier in Midwest and #13 (4) UConn in West = only protected seeds
Big Ten - N/A ... #4 (1) Purdue in East and #15 (4) Indiana in Midwest = only protected seeds
SEC - N/A ... #1 (1) Alabama in South and #14 (4) Tennessee in East = only protected seeds
ACC - N/A ... #16 (4) Virginia in South = only protected seed
2022
SEC
#5 (2) Auburn in Midwest
#6 (2) Kentucky in East
#10 (3) Tennessee in South
#16 (4) Arkansas in West
Big XII - N/A ... #3 (1) Kansas in Midwest, #4 (1) Baylor in East and #12 (3) Texas Tech in West = only protected seeds
Big Ten - N/A ... #9 (3) Wisconsin in Midwest, #11 (3) Purdue in East and #14 (4) Illinois in South = only protected seeds
Big East - N/A ... #7 (2) Villanova in South and #15 (4) Providence in Midwest = only protected seeds
ACC - N/A ... #8 (2) Duke in West = only protected seed
2021
Big XII
#2 (1) Baylor in South
#10 (3) West Virginia in Midwest
#11 (3) Texas in East
#12 (3) Kansas in West
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#15 (4) Oklahoma State in Midwest
Big Ten
#3 (1) Illinois in Midwest
#4 (1) Michigan in East
#6 (2) Ohio State in South
#7 (2) Iowa in West
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#14 (4) Purdue in South
SEC - N/A ... #5 (2) Alabama and #9 (3) Arkansas in South = only protected seeds
ACC - N/A ... #13 (4) Florida State and #16 (4) Virginia in West = only protected seeds
Big East - N/A ... zero protected seeds
2019
ACC
#1 (1) Duke in East
#2 (1) Virginia in South
#3 (1) North Carolina in Midwest
#14 (4) Florida State in West
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#16 (4) Virginia Tech in East
SEC - N/A ... #5 (2) Tennessee in South, #7 (2) Kentucky in Midwest and #11 (3) LSU in East = only protected seeds
Big Ten - N/A ... #6 (2) Michigan State in East, #8 (2) Michigan in West and #12 (3) Purdue in South = only protected seeds
Big XII - N/A ... #10 (3) Texas Tech, #13 (4) Kansas in Midwest and #15 (4) Kansas State in South = only protected seeds
Big East - N/A ... zero protected seeds
So at least since 2019, the Committee has never broken that rule of separating a conference's top 4 protected seeds. However, conferences keep getting bigger and bigger, and the current Bracket Matrix has protected seeds breaking down like this from the conferences ... so it could be more of a headache than in years past!
Big Ten
#2 (1) Michigan
#7 (2) Michigan State
#8 (2) Illinois
#10 (3) Purdue
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#11 (3) Nebraska
Big XII
#3 (1) Arizona
#6 (2) Houston
#9 (3) Iowa State
#12 (3) Texas Tech
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#15 (4) Kansas
SEC - N/A
#5 (2) Florida
#14 (4) Alabama
ACC - N/A
#1 (1) Duke
#16 (4) Virginia
Big East - N/A
#4 (1) UConn
It would be SUCH an annoying scenario if Nebraska ends up like one spot ahead of Purdue on the S-Curve to get into the Big Ten's top four, and Purdue gets rewarded by technicality by getting put in the Chicago Region while we get shipped off to some distant land, lol.
We don't want to be in Michigan's region anyway.
Yes, what we want is a mirror of 89, where we meet in the Final Four and crush their dream season en route to the national championship.
This Duke team is currently the second best team ever recorded on Kenpom. Arizona is really good, but would rather see them than Duke.
Give me Arizona's region, don't want anything to do with Duke, Michigan, or UCONN.
So you'd RATHER be in Arizona's bracket than UConn's? Have you watched college basketball at all this year? (other than Illinois)
Just do not understand the logic.
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Others have generally answered your question, but here are the full details from the NCAA website:
Uconn/Florida then Arizona
I have watched a ton of college basketball this year, yes, just personal preference. We got creamed by UCONN this year, I guess YOU didn't watch that game. Hurley seems to have had the upper hand on the coaching side against us. I am talking about specifically playing one of the 4 top seeds, I just don't want us playing UCONN not the specific teams in the region so far.
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Well we'd have to drop to the 3 seed line for this to happen. The Purdue game next Friday is basically a 2 seed sweepstakes with a 3 seed consolation prize.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
And needless to say, they will not be able to accommodate all of these guiding principles every year; if you are hellbent on getting the top 4 Big Ten and Big XII teams in different locations and you want to avoid rematches, you might "accidentally" put a team in a location where they face a crowd disadvantage ... like #3 Kentucky playing #6 Illinois in Milwaukee in front of a crowd that had at least twice as many Illini fans last year.
I'm guessing they go in descending order of this list, but I certainly wish they cared about the crowd part the most!
It doesn't matter whose bracket we are in; from a 1-seed standpoint, we are not beating any of the 1 seeds this year. We will be lucky to make it to the second weekend.
Unless craziness happens this weekend or next, it’s Duke, AZ, Michigan and UConn with Florida, Houston, Michigan State and Illinois as the 1s and 2s. There is a gap between the 2 seeds and the 3 seeds as Nebraska, Virginia, Gonzaga and Iowa State as the 3 seeds with KU, Purdue, Tech and who knows who will be the last 4.
I agree with this analysis as they have Duke, Michigan, AZ and Florida at the best shot of final four.. (Captain Obvious)..With respect to us, I most likely see SW16 with a loss in OT (Hasn't that been foreshadowed by now??) with whomever to get the E8..
https://fivestarbracketology.com/20...2-2025-26-college-basketball-archetype-board/
"We are now sitting on 3 Juggernaut’s which is obviously unprecedented since we only have had 5 since 2002. Just to reiterate, all 5 of those historical teams have made the Final 4 with 3 of them getting to the title game. Those saying oh maybe this will be a top heavy tourney I say unequivocally it will be. The top-5-6 teams are great to elite, giving us even a bigger group than we had last year. Last year it was 4 and they all made it to the Final 4. So yes, I expect these teams to get deep into the tourney, especially considering Duke is now right there with the 2015 undefeated Kentucky team in terms of overall net efficiency.
https://fivestarbracketology.com/20...2-2025-26-college-basketball-archetype-board/
"We are now sitting on 3 Juggernaut’s which is obviously unprecedented since we only have had 5 since 2002. Just to reiterate, all 5 of those historical teams have made the Final 4 with 3 of them getting to the title game. Those saying oh maybe this will be a top heavy tourney I say unequivocally it will be. The top-5-6 teams are great to elite, giving us even a bigger group than we had last year. Last year it was 4 and they all made it to the Final 4. So yes, I expect these teams to get deep into the tourney, especially considering Duke is now right there with the 2015 undefeated Kentucky team in terms of overall net efficiency.
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