Three Thoughts on Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology for Feb. 14
The Big 12 has eight teams in the men’s basketball bracket in the latest ESPN Bracketology for the Men’s NCAA Tournament next March.
Who’s moving up and who’s moving down? Let’s dig into this week’s update.
Kansas Back in Control
Kansas has returned to a No. 1 seed line after a few weeks of fighting back from that drop after its three-game losing streak. Now, The Jayhawks have one more big game this week — at home on Saturday against Baylor — after taking down Oklahoma State on the road Tuesday night.
Those two games will heavily influence where Kansas ends up next week. Going into Monday night’s games, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi had Kansas as the top No. 2 seed. So what happened on Monday night influenced the Jayhawks’ move to a No. 1 seed line. But Kansas is right on the edge. The Jayhawks probably need a win over Baylor to stay there when we touch base again next week.
Oklahoma State’s Big Rise
I think ESPN finally caught up to where Oklahoma State is right now. From our last thoughts piece last Tuesday to today, the Cowboys have moved up three spots in bracketology. The Cowboys were a No. 11 seed last week and now they are a No. 8 seed.
In other words, the Cowboys are firmly off the bubble and would have to really go in the tank to miss the tournament. It’s a testament to the work that coach Mike Boynton Jr. and his players have put into this, especially as of late
Sure, Oklahoma State could’ve improved its seeding further with a win over Kansas on Tuesday night, but as a No. 8 seed now, the hard work appears to be over for the Cowboys.
TCU Takes a Fall
When we checked in last week TCU was a No. 4 seed, but right on the edge. Well, after two losses last week, along with the current three-game losing streak, the Horned Frogs are a No. 6 seed.
The Horned Frogs are not in the driver’s seat of their destiny at this point. TCU has a great chance to change that on Wednesday night at Iowa State, and the Cyclones are fighting to stay among the Top 16 seeds (ISU is a No. 4 this week).
But TCU has to find a way to win some games or it risks repeating last year’s situation, which was being in an 8-9 game and having to face a No. 1 seed in the second round. That was the scenario TCU coach Jamie Dixon wanted to avoid.
Big 12 Teams in Projected Field
The eight Big 12 teams in the current projected field are:
Kansas, No. 1 seed in the East Region (New York) vs. Milwaukee in Des Moines, Iowa
Baylor, No. 2 seed in the South Region (Louisville) vs. Vermont in Denver, Colo.
Texas, No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region (Kansas City) vs. UNC-Asheville in Denver, Colo.
Kansas State, No. 3 seed in the West Region (Las Vegas) vs. UC Santa Barbara in Des Moines, Iowa
Iowa State, No. 4 seed in the West Region (Las Vegas) vs. Drake in Albany, NY
TCU, No. 6 seed in the East Region (New York) vs. Memphis in Greensboro, NC
West Virginia, No. 10 seed in the East Region (New York) vs. Missouri in Sacramento, Calif.
Oklahoma State, No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region (Kansas City) vs. Arkansas in Columbus, Ohio
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
