ESPN Bracketology: Oklahoma State Soars to No. 4 Seed, West Virginia a No. 2 Seed
Joe Lunardi’s newest ESPN.com ‘Bracketology’ saw Oklahoma State soar into a No. 4 seed, after being a No. 8 seed in Lunardi’s last draw on Feb. 26
Lunardi’s newest 68-team field, released on March 2, maintained seven Big 12 teams in the bracket, second to only the Big Ten for most teams in the projected tournament field. All seven of those Big 12 teams were a No. 6 seed or better.
The Cowboys, who have now beaten three ranked teams in a row, were the big mover. Lunardi moved the Cowboys into the Top 16 seeds of the tournament for the first time, and was able to take the Cowboys’ win over Oklahoma on Monday into account.
For now, Lunardi has the Cowboys facing Liberty in the first round in Region 4.
The other Big 12 teams in the bracket included:
Baylor remained a No. 1 seed in Palm’s latest field, but the Bears were no longer a Top 2 seed for the whole tournament. The Bears moved to Region 3 and would face James Madison in the first round.
West Virginia was a No. 2 seed in Region 2 and would face Siena in the first round. The Mountaineers are on the opposite side of the bracket from Michigan, the new No. 1 seed in Region 2.
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Kansas continued to rise, as Lunardi moved the Jayhawks to a No. 3 seed in Region 1, where they would face Eastern Washington in the first round. This puts Kansas in the same region as Gonzaga, the overall No. 1 seed in Lunardi’s bracket.
Texas was a No. 4 seed in Region 1, drawing a game with Cal-Santa Barbara in the first round. The Longhorns held steady from Lunardi’s last bracket.
Oklahoma had to drop after dropping back-to-back games to Oklahoma State, so Lunardi had the Sooners as a No. 5 seed in Region 2, where they would face Toledo in the first round. That make the road to the Sweet 16 a bit tougher for the Sooners, as a win in the first round would propel them into a potential second-round game with Virginia.
Texas Tech was the lowest seed among the seven Big 12 teams, coming in as a No. 6 seed in Region 3, where it would face Colorado State in the first round. Lunardi had the Red Raiders as a No. 6 seed in his last draw.
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