Big 12 Attrition Starting to Show in Latest Bracketology Update
The meat grinder that is the Big 12 basketball schedule is starting to leave bumps and bruises on resumes around the league. Every game, be it midweek or Saturday night, is a knockdown, drag-out bar fight in this league; just ask Kansas State and Cincinnati.
Jerome Tang’s Wildcats are on a two-game skid, falling to Iowa State and Houston in back-to-back road contests. The result? They’re now projected to be on the outside looking in in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology update.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati falls to the “First Four Out” category after going 1-1 last week, picking up an 11-point win over UCF after dropping a 74-69 contest to Kansas at the Phog.
Last week, K-State and Cincinnati were projected as play-in teams in the “Last Four In” games, but now find themselves on the wrong side of the bubble.
It’s a tough draw to play in the Big 12, and the grind can be costly—Especially when you consider that each of those teams enters the week with 14-6 records and multiple Quad 1 wins.
The updates aren’t all bad for the Big 12 though, as Texas moved into the “Last Four Byes” group and up to a No. 10 seed, while Iowa State, Texas Tech, and TCU all moved up in seeding.
Here’s a look at each of the Big 12’s projected matchups following the update, courtesy of ESPN.
PROJECTED BIG 12 TEAMS IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
(1) Houston vs. (16) South Dakota State
(3) Kansas vs. (14) Drexel
(3) Iowa State vs. (14) Vermont
(5) Baylor vs. (12) Cornell
(5) BYU vs. (12) McNeese State
(6) Oklahoma vs. (11) Indiana State
(7) Texas Tech vs. (10) Saint Mary’s
(8) South Carolina vs. (9) TCU
(7) New Mexico vs. (10) Texas
ON THE BUBBLE
Last Four Byes: Memphis, Texas, Providence, Texas A&M
Last Four In: Nebraska, Seton Hall, Colorado, Boise State
First Four Out: Villanova, Cincinnati, Washington State, Gonzaga
Next Four Out: Oregon, Kansas State, Florida, Butler
The Big 12 still has a fantastic chance at getting double-digit teams in the tournament, and leads the country with nine teams currently projected to get bids in March.
