Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

NEW BRACKETOLOGY UPDATE: Hawkeyes surge to top line

Jarrod Uthoff, Dom Uhl

Iowa forward Jarrod Uthoff (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

AP

A bit quietly, at least on the national scene, the Iowa Hawkeyes are putting together a resume worthy of No. 1 seed consideration. Their last loss was a one-point decision at Iowa State. Since then, the Hawkeyes have beaten both Michigan State and Purdue twice, and also taken down a pretty good Michigan squad. As such, Iowa joins the top seed line in today’s bracket update - alongside Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Kansas.

Elsewhere, teams like Butler, Gonzaga, and UCLA are struggling to hold onto bracket spots, each is among the final teams with a bye - meaning they are just above the First Four grouping. Clemson is in that group too, trying to overcome a non-conference scheduled ranked above 300. It’s a tall order, for sure.

Although the pool of at-large candidates is starting to dwindle a bit, the movement among teams remains very much a work in progress. Even at this late January date, there isn’t much room between seed lines and teams just in the field and those just out. Enjoy your week of college hoops.

UPDATED: January 25, 2016

Teams in CAPS represent the projected AUTOMATIC bid. In the event of a tie in the loss column, RPI is first tiebreaker. Notes: To simulate actual bracket conditions, we’ve used current conference leaders to receive the automatic bid. Exceptions are made for teams that use an abbreviation (ex: UCLA)

Several new bracketing principles were introduced a couple of years ago. You can read them for yourself at www.ncaa.com. For example: teams from the same conference may now meet before a Regional final, even if fewer than eight teams are selected. The goal is to keep as many teams as possible on their actual seed line.

FIRST FOUR PAIRINGS - Dayton (First Round)


  • Florida vs. George Washington | Midwest Region
  • Boise State vs. Saint Joseph’s | South Region
  • HAMPTON vs. NAVY | East Region
  • MOUNT ST. MARY’S vs. TEXAS-SOUTHERN | South Region

BRACKET PROJECTION ...

SOUTH - LouisvilleEAST - Philadelphia
Oklahoma CityRaleigh
1) OKLAHOMA1) NORTH CAROLINA
16) TX-SOUTH / MT. ST. MARY’S16) HAMPTON / NAVY
8) Colorado8) Connecticut
9) South Carolina9) VCU
ProvidenceSpokane
5) Kentucky5) Utah
12) MONMOUTH12) CHATTANOOGA
4) Miami-FL4) Purdue
13) BELMONT13) UC-IRVINE
St. LouisProvidence
6) USC6) Dayton
11) Boise St / St. Joseph’s11) Gonzaga
3) Michigan State3) West Virginia
14) NORTH FLORIDA14) HOFSTRA
RaleighSt. Louis
7) Indiana7) Pittsburgh
10) Butler10) UCLA
2) Virginia2) Xavier
15) NC-ASHEVILLE15) TEXAS AM-CC
WEST - AnaheimMIDWEST - Chicago
Des MoinesDes Moines
1) KANSAS1) IOWA
16) CSU-BAKERSFIELD16) MONTANA
8) WICHITA STATE8) Texas
9) SAINT MARY’S9) California
SpokaneDenver
5) Louisville5) Baylor
12) ARK-LITTLE ROCK12) VALPARAISO
4) OREGON4) Providence
13) TULSA13) UAB
BrooklynDenver
6) Arizona6) Michigan
11) Clemson11) Florida / Geo Washington
3) Maryland3) Iowa State
14) STONY BROOK14) KENT STATE
BrooklynOklahoma City
7) Notre Dame7) Duke
10) SAN DIEGO STATE10) Washington
2) VILLANOVA2) TEXAS AM
15) PRINCETON15) OMAHA

NOTES on the BRACKET: Oklahoma is the No. 1 overall seed, followed by North Carolina, Iowa, and Kansas. Next in line: Villanova, Texas AM, Xavier, Virginia

Last Four Byes (at large): Clemson, UCLA, Butler, Gonzaga

Last Four IN (at large): George Washington, Boise State, Florida, Saint Joseph’s

First Four OUT (at large): Seton Hall, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Oregon State

Next four teams OUT (at large): Stanford, Florida State, Texas Tech, LSU

Breakdown by Conference ...

Pac 12 (8): OREGON, Utah, Arizona, USC, Colorado, California, Washington, UCLA

ACC (7): NORTH CAROLINA, Virginia, Miami-FL, Louisville, Duke, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame

Big 12 (6): OKLAHOMA, Kansas, Iowa State, West Virginia, Baylor, Texas

Big 10 (6): IOWA, Michigan State, Maryland, Purdue, Michigan, Indiana

Big East (4): VILLANOVA, Xavier, Providence, Butler

SEC (4): TEXAS AM, Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida

Atlantic 10 (4): VCU, Dayton, George Washington, Saint Joseph’s

American (2): TULSA, Connecticut

West Coast (2): SAINT MARY’S, Gonzaga

Mountain West (2): SAN DIEGO STATE, Boise State

MAAC (1): MONMOUTH

Missouri Valley (1): WICHITA STATE

ONE BID LEAGUES: UAB (C-USA), Ark-Little Rock (SBELT), Princeton (IVY), Montana (BSKY), Valparaiso (HORIZON), Texas AM-CC (SLND), Chattanooga (STHN), UC-Irvine (BWEST), Kent State (MAC), North Florida (ASUN), Belmont (OVC), Hofstra (CAA), UNC-Asheville (BSO), Hampton (MEAC), Omaha (SUM), Cal-Bakersfield (WAC), Stony Brook (AEAST), Navy (PAT), Mount St. Mary’s (NEC), Texas-Southern (SWAC)