Auburn is rewriting the script in college basketball as they remain the only undefeated SEC team
Johni Broom and the Auburn Tigers look to close the gap even further to cement themselves as one of the top dogs in the men’s college basketball.
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There are plenty of shifts happening in the projected NCAA men’s tournament bracket, and it’s all thanks to the Big Ten.
The 18-team conference is projected to have 10 members in the tournament field in the latest USA TODAY Sports Bracketology And that group from the league are moving up and down the field and changing the dynamic of the bracket. \Michigan and Wisconsin have shown, right now is the pristine time to get hot, while others like Purdue and Illinois are showing how a slump can dramatically change not only what seed you are, but how far you’ll have to travel for the tournament.
There are also changes among schools in different conferences. The SEC has a small crop that are seemingly changing by the week, and Connecticut, tthe back-to-back defending champions, are seeing a much more difficult path toward a three-peat.
Even though it’s been less than a week since the selection committee unveiled its top 16, there already is movement happening. Here are the teams on the rise and teams that are falling down the seed line.
Rising
Michigan
Current projected seed: No. 3 (Midwest)
The hottest team in the Big Ten has moved quickly toward the top of the bracket. The Wolverines are riding a six-game win streak and is alone on top of the conference standings. What’s been impressive is the last three victories were against Quad 1 opponents, including the big-time home win against Purdue and the close road one against rival Ohio State. Now with a 6-2 Quad 1 record, Michigan awaits in-state rival Michigan State to visit in a battle for first place.
Wisconsin
Current projected seed: No. 3 (East)
Wisconsin has gone from a No. 5 seed to a No. 3 in one week thanks to two significant road victories. After comfortably beating Iowa, the Badgers had a second half to remember against Purdue to take down the Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. They then followed that with an emphatic defeat of Illinois on Tuesday. Wisconsin now has the highest NET ranking in the Big Ten and are in position to get a first-round bye in the conference tournament.
Maryland
Current projected seed: No. 5 (South)
The Terrapins have continuously climbed up the bracket, going from a projected No. 9 seed to No. 5 in less than a month. Maryland has won seven of its last eight games, four of which were Quad 1 victories. It is fighting for the first-round bye in the conference tournament and has the third best NET ranking in the Big Ten at No. 14.
Mississippi State
Current projected seed: No. 6 (East)
The Bulldogs have been hanging around the middle of the SEC, but they made a big leap in the projected bracket by jumping two seed lines from its previous spot. Mississippi State snatched its second win of the season against in-state rival Mississippi and got a huge top 10 victory over Texas A&M. The schedule also gets lighter as it only faces one ranked opponent − Alabama − in the last five regular season contests.
Nebraska
Current projected seed: No. 9 (Midwest)
In the first version of Bracketology, Nebraska was nowhere to be found. Now the Cornhuskers have gone from hanging around the bubble to a more comfortable spot as a single-digit seed. After falling to Maryland on the road, Nebraska rebounded nicely with a comeback victory at Northwestern for the sixth Quad 1 victory of the season. The biggest home game of the season comes on Monday against Michigan.
New Mexico
Current projected seed: No. 8 (South)
Not only is New Mexico in position to get the automatic bid from the Mountain West, but the Lobos are improving their stock in the process. They are 14-1 in league play and have won eight in a row, the latest one the most impactful yet with a Quad 1 win over Utah State. A 3-1 Quad 1 record is nice for a team with little opportunities, and New Mexico gets to add to the total with consecutive road games at Boise State and San Diego State in the upcoming week.
Falling
Purdue
Current projected seed: No. 3 (West)
Three straight losses have moved Purdue from a No. 2 seed that could play a regional final in nearby Indianapolis to a No. 3 seed that would have to go West to California. The losses were against strong opponents in Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State. The manner of those defeats is concerning. The Boilermakers blew a double-digit second half lead to the Wolverines and couldn’t stop the Badgers’ hot shooting lat weekend. Tuesday they couldn’t handle the Spartans. The Boilermakers are no longer in front of the Big Ten, and they’ve got to turn things around quickly.
Illinois
Current projected seed: No. 7 (Midwest)
Illinois continues to see its stock fall due to inconsistent play. Even though it is tied for the most Quad 1 wins in the Big Ten at seven, Illinois is 5-7 in its last 12 games that includes two Quad 2 losses and some non-competitive contests. The Fighting Illini need to find a rhythm quickly. However, the schedule doesn’t get any easier with a Saturday trip to Madison Square Garden to face Duke.
Connecticut
Current projected seed: No. 9 (South)
Things keep getting worse for Dan Hurley and company when several late errors led to a disastrous loss to Seton Hall. The Huskies bounced back Tuesday against Villanova − albeit not a pretty win. A 3-2 Quad 3 record is something the selection committee cannot overlook, even for the two-time defending champions. Any chance to climb back up the bracket rests on the big matchup at Madison Square Garden against St. John’s on Sunday.
Utah State
Current projected seed: No. 10 (Midwest)
Utah State continues to be a tournament team no matter who the head coach is, but the Aggies are now in double-digit seed territory after it suffered the season sweep to New Mexico. A 3-1 Quad 1 record and No. 38 NET ranking is still valuable, but the Aggies don’t appear to be headed toward a regular-season conference title. Opportunities still await to improve the resume after playing lowly San Jose State on Wednesday.
Oklahoma
Current projected seed: First four out
After spending much of the season in the projected bracket, Oklahoma is now on the outside of the field. It’s lost five straight and although the results came against some of the best in the SEC, the loss to LSU on Saturday was disastrous and it got blown out by Florida. Now with a 3-10 conference record, it won’t get any easier for the Sooners to get back in the picture with the next four games against ranked opponents.
