Bracketology: Predicting the NCAA Tournament Field

Hello friends and welcome back Bracketology at ClutchPointswhere this week, in addition to looking at an updated set of bracket projections, we’ll spend some time asking—but definitely not answering—ten big questions about Big Ten Conference. Let’s get to it!

– So, why are we targeting the Big Ten? Well, that’s my question will answer!

Nearly 130 years ago today — on January 11, 1895 — the presidents of Purdue University, the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois, Lake Forest College, Northwestern University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Wisconsin met to discuss and create policies designed to regulate intercollegiate athletics. All these years later, this is considered the first informal meeting of what would be known as the Big Ten Conference.

– How do you think those university presidents would react if they were told that one day their conference would include schools in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Nebraska, California, Oregon and Washington? I imagine they would probably be pretty confused since airplanes hadn’t been invented yet and Washington had only been a state for six years.

-Who is Mick Cronin to blame for UCLA’s struggles now that he is shot both of his players and officials? Joe Bruin better watch yourself!

– Do you think Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey regret, even a little bit, going to Rutgers and struggling on a .500 team when they probably could have gotten just as big a bag to play at a school that will actually make the NCAA tournament?

-Assuming Indiana fires Mike Woodson at the end of the season, would Dusty May consider leaving Michigan after just one year to coach at his alma mater?

– Under first-year head coach Eric Musselman, USC is likely to miss the Big Dance this season. However, teams in their second season under Musselman have historically made a big jump. Nevada won the regular season and the Mountain West tournament title and went to the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade, and Arkansas went to its first Elite Eight in two and a half decades. So I guess the question here is, can someone remind me of this next season so I can bet accordingly?

-Will Northwestern win enough games for Brooks Barnheiser and his mustache to compete for Big Ten Player of the Year? The senior guard is currently ranked in the top ten in all five statistical categories in the conference.

-On the subject of Big Ten Player of the Year, will Braden Smith end up winning the award and giving Purdue the distinction of being the first program in 25 years to produce the conference Player of the Year three straight seasons?

-After three straight conference wins by a combined seven points, will Oregon be here to stay, or will the Ducks’ streak of tight-game competence eventually turn the other way?

-Did I win the Big Ten meet over the weekend? Like I said before, I’m not here to give the answers, but let’s just say I was rooting for Oregon, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue on Sunday afternoon.

And with all those questions raised – and most of them unanswered – let’s move on to this week’s bracketology projections.

Bracketologists Bracket

Bracketology Breakdown

Top seeds: Auburn Tigers (South Region), Duke Blue Devils (East Region), Iowa State Cyclones (Midwest Region), Tennessee Volunteers (West Region)

Leagues with multiple bids: ACC (5), Atlantic 10 (2), Big 12 (8), Big East (3), Big Ten (10), Mountain West (3), SEC (12), WCC (2)

Bracketologists Bubble Watch

Last four times: Ohio State, Texas, Arkansas, Dayton

Last four at: Saint Mary’s, Texas Tech, New Mexico, Cincinnati

First four outs: Missouri, Vanderbilt, Penn State, Villanova

The next four come out: Iowa, Arizona State, Creighton, SMU

The five most intriguing games of the week

Tuesday, Jan. 14 (ESPN, 11 p.m. ET) – Baylor at Arizona

Wednesday, Jan. 15 (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET) – Kansas at Iowa State

Saturday, Jan. 18 (ESPN, noon ET) – Alabama at Kentucky

Saturday, January 18 (NBC, 3 p.m. ET) – Purdue at Oregon

Sunday, Jan. 19 (CBS, noon ET) – Illinois at Michigan State

And one!

Since we kicked off this week’s Bracketology with an extended look at the Big Ten, it’s only fitting that we wrap things up with a Big Ten prediction…one that I won’t be able to cash in on until the first week of March. While it may not be supposed to since they are one of two undefeated teams in conference play at the time of this writing, I will say that Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans win their first Big Ten regular season title since 2020. Let’s hope another pandemic doesn’t follow.

The past And one! Predictions

11/24/24 – I will eat too much food on Thanksgiving (TRUE)

2.12.24. – The Big 12 will win the Big East-Big 12 battle (TRUE) and the SEC will win the ACC-SEC challenge (TRUE)

12/12/24 – At least nine of those 12 SEC teams in the Dec. 12 Bracketology field will win on the weekend (TRUE)

12/16/24 – Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and Ohio State to win in first round of College Football Playoff (TRUE)

23.12.24. – Penn State, Texas, Oregon and Notre Dame to win College Football Playoff quarterfinals (FALSE)

1/2/25 – Florida and Tennessee to secure weekend SEC wins over Kentucky and Arkansas (FALSE)

1/6/25 – Arizona will be considered at least a 9 seed not only by me, but also by my fellow bracketologists (TBD)