NCAA Tournament Picture Takes Shape as Selection Sunday Arrives

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ICARO Media Group
Politics
17/03/2024 17h27

Selection Sunday has arrived, unveiling the NCAA Tournament picture after a chaotic weekend in college basketball. Bid stealers and upsets have shaken up the bracketology and re-shaped the bubble, adding to the suspense in the final hours.

The NET Rankings, an analytic algorithm used by the NCAA, has categorized teams into four quadrants based on their wins and losses, guiding the selection committee in building the 68-team bracket for March Madness. As teams jockey for their place in the tournament, bracketology attempts to predict the committee's seedings by considering various factors.

The race for the final four spots in the NCAA Tournament is intense, given the revelation that there will be two fewer spots available than initially anticipated. With three spots still up for grabs, the competition is fiercer than ever.

According to the latest bracketology projections for the 2024 NCAA Tournament, some of the matchups include Howard (MEAC) against Wagner (NEC), Montana State (Big Sky) against Grambling State (SWAC), St. John's against Oklahoma, and FAU against Northwestern.

In a surprising turn of events, UConn has secured the top seed after witnessing Purdue's defeat in the Big Ten Tournament. Their victory in the Big East has solidified their position at the peak. Meanwhile, North Carolina initially climbed onto the 1-seed line, but a loss to NC State in the ACC championship game caused them to slip. Iowa State capitalized on their Big 12 Tournament victory to surpass North Carolina on the bracketology update.

Arizona holds firm as a projected 2-seed, with their place in the West region seemingly guaranteed as no other contenders emerge from that area. Purdue, meanwhile, has slipped to the No. 2 overall seed following their upset loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten semi-final. The Boilermakers will still host the Midwest region, while UConn will head to the East.

Tennessee, after losing to Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament, has dropped to the 2-seed line. Despite being surpassed by Iowa State, they will still find themselves in Charlotte for the opening weekend.

Houston maintains its position as the No. 3 overall seed despite a blowout loss to Iowa State, thanks to the setbacks of North Carolina and Purdue, along with other strong 2-seed contenders.

Marquette, although losing to UConn in the Big East championship game, remains relatively unscathed. However, this loss might affect their placement in the 2-seed pecking order for determining their bracket placement.

As the NCAA Tournament bracket takes shape, fans eagerly await the official announcements by the selection committee. The upcoming tournament promises to be an exhilarating battle as teams vie for a chance at college basketball glory.

The views expressed in this article do not reflect the opinion of ICARO, or any of its affiliates.

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