Bracketology: Sorting out the mess …

Look at the latest bracket projection and ask, does Michigan (or Arizona, South Carolina, Maryland, Wisconsin, UNLV, Rhode Island) really deserve an at-large spot?  It’s a tough one to answer.  Pick apart the schedules, wins, losses, records, road games, power numbers, league marks, etc., and you’ll find arguments either way.  One thing to note … no team exists in a vacuum.  Their current standing is both a reflection of their own performance and those of other teams.   Teams can look better (or worse on the s-curve) based on how well they rank against teams around them.

The March 6 bracket update is now available in Bracketology.

To further emphasize the carnage surrounding bubble teams, consider that the last five in, last five out, and next five in line could all switch places pretty quickly.  I’m not sure there’s ever been a year where conference tournaments and the final weekend of the regular season mean so much.