Bracketology 3/15/19: Endgame

Data uses games played through Mar. 14

Welcome to the field, Belmont! The Bruins are the beneficiaries of a number of teams (Texas, Clemson, Creighton, Indiana) striking out on their last chances to make an impression and gain a quality win or two.

Now with all of these teams practically drawing dead, there are only a couple of teams left that could crack the field as an at-large. The primary candidate would be Alabama, who just picked up their third Q1 win against Mississippi to throw themselves back into the fray. A win against Kentucky today would likely be enough to move the Crimson Tide over the line.

Other than Avery Johnson’s team, though, it might only be Xavier that can make things interesting if they take down Villanova. I don’t think Oregon has the quality wins to get there, or the big-name opportunities in the Pac-12.

For someone like Belmont, the bigger worry is bid thieves. Just one or two surprises (like someone not named VCU winning the A-10) could burst the bubble of the last few teams on the edge. If we can steer clear of that situation, though, this just might be a good year for mid-majors. In the last couple weeks, Utah State has played themselves in the field, St. Mary’s has earned an auto-bid, and the Ohio Valley has put themselves in decent shape for two bids. Sadly, I think UNCG’s at-large hopes (and the dream of a two-bid SoCon) are slim at best, but you never know.

Next update: Sat, 3/16

For additional data and previous brackets.