Field of "72" Projection

[SelectionSunday]

Let's take a look at my latest bracket projection, this time for the h*ll of it with 72 teams, which is where we foolishly may be headed as soon as next March. Hey NCAA, all change is not necessarily good.

I digress.

Herewith are my current selections, but teams are numbered 1 to 72 (in parentheses) using Bart Torvik's current "T-Rank" projections. An * indicates the projected automatic qualifier in a multiple-bid conference.

FIELD OF "72" PROJECTION (May 30, 2025)
America East (1): Vermont (66)

American (2): *USF (47), Memphis (49)

ACC (6): *Duke (3), North Carolina (15), Louisville (16), NC State (37), SMU (38), Virginia (44)

ASUN (1): Queens (69)

Atlantic 10 (2): VCU (40), *Loyola-Chicago (50)

Big East (4): *Saint John's (8), UConn (11), Creighton (22), Marquette (42)

Big Sky (1): Idaho (64)

Big South (1): High Point (55)

B1G (11): *Purdue (2), Michigan (4), UCLA (7), Illinois (9), Michigan State (18), Ohio State (19), USC (24), Wisconsin (27), Iowa (34), Indiana (36), Oregon (46)

Big XII (9): *Houston (1), BYU (6), Arizona (14), Kansas (17), Iowa State (20), Texas Tech (25), Cincinnati (29), Baylor (31), Kansas State (41)

Big West (1): UCSB (56)

Coastal (1): UNC-Wilmington (58)

Conference USA (1): Liberty (52)

Horizon (1): Oakland (68)

Ivy (1): Yale (51)

MAAC (1): Iona (61)

MAC (1): Miami-Ohio (54)

MEAC (1): Norfolk State (70)

Missouri Valley (1): Illinois State (53)

Mountain West (2): *Boise State (43), Utah State (48)

NEC (1): LIU (71)

OVC (1): Southeast Missouri State (62)

Patriot (1): Navy (67)

SEC (12): Florida (5), Arkansas (10), *Tennessee (12), Kentucky (13), Vanderbilt (21), Missouri (26), Oklahoma (28), Auburn (30), Texas (32), Mississippi State (33), Alabama (35), Ole Miss (39)

SoCon (1): East Tennessee State (63)

Southland (1): Nicholls (72)

SWAC (1): Jackson State (65)

Summit (1): Team Thou Shalt Not Mention (60)

Sun Belt (1): James Madison (59)

WCC (2): *Gonzaga (23), Saint Mary's (45)

WAC (1): Utah Valley (57)
------------------------------------
Last 8 In: Missouri (26), Mississippi State (33), SMU (38), Kansas State (41), Marquette (42), Virginia (44), Saint Mary's (45), Utah State (48)

First 4 Out: Georgia, Miami-Florida, San Diego State, Texas A&M

8 to Watch: Georgetown, Maryland, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Saint Louis, San Francisco, TCU, West Virginia

Last 8 Automatic Qualifiers: Jackson State (65), Vermont (66), Navy (67), Oakland (68), Queens (69), Norfolk State (70), LIU (71), Nicholls (72)

Non-Power 5 At-Large Bids (4): Memphis, Saint Mary's, Utah State, VCU

Multiple-Bid Conferences (9): SEC (12), B1G (11), Big XII (9), ACC (6), Big East (4), American (2), Atlantic 10 (2), Mountain West (2), WCC (2)

Multible-Bid Conferences Last Season (7): SEC (14), Big Ten (8), Big XII (7), Big East (5), ACC (4), Mountain West (4), WCC (2)

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

So will it be all 4 16-seeds, and all 4 11-seeds being double seeded?

 

[SelectionSunday]

So will it be all 4 16-seeds, and all 4 11-seeds being double seeded?

TBD.

They haven’t said if the format basically will remain the same, with half of the “First 4” games being the bottom auto qualifiers & half being the bottom at-larges. I suspect it will stay the same because a lot of the bottom auto qualifier conferences actually prefer to play in it. Gives their conference an extra share if they advance.

 

[60's Guy]

I was feeling bullish on the Gopher roster in the beginning of May...but I was expecting additions.
Hoping for a significant one...best player type. We'll see how the roster rounds out but it seems like it might be tough to be even the 12th place team on May 30th. Disappointed we havem't added 2 or 3 more guys at minimum.

Niko, however, I'm guessing sees it differently. So, I'll try to feel better about the roster too.

 

[WAGopher]

I was feeling bullish on the Gopher roster in the beginning of May...but I was expecting additions.
Hoping for a significant one...best player type. We'll see how the roster rounds out but it seems like it might be tough to be even the 12th place team on May 30th. Disappointed we havem't added 2 or 3 more guys at minimum.

Niko, however, I'm guessing sees it differently. So, I'll try to feel better about the roster too.

I would imagine he doesn’t want to add just anyone to fill out the roster. You know the rotten apple thing.

Are the portal windows pretty much not a concern anymore, and players can transfer almost anytime?

 

[formerlybis]

I would imagine he doesn’t want to add just anyone to fill out the roster. You know the rotten apple thing.

Are the portal windows pretty much not a concern anymore, and players can transfer almost anytime?

If a player is not currently in the portal, they can’t transfer. They missed the window.

Players in the portal just need to find a place before the fall semester.

 

[WAGopher]

If a player is not currently in the portal, they can’t transfer. They missed the window.

Players in the portal just need to find a place before the fall semester.

Thank you for the clarification.

 

[60's Guy]

I was feeling bullish on the Gopher roster in the beginning of May...but I was expecting additions.
Hoping for a significant one...best player type. We'll see how the roster rounds out but it seems like it might be tough to be even the 12th place team on May 30th. Disappointed we havem't added 2 or 3 more guys at minimum.

Niko, however, I'm guessing sees it differently. So, I'll try to feel better about the roster too.

Look at that...couple days later feels like maybe we are on the bubble again. Hopefully we get an even better version of the Belmont Tyson!