A regularly updated list of the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season’s exempt multiple-team events (MTEs) and non-exempt tournaments, which will eventually include schedule and TV information. If you have any additions (non-Rothstein tweets, I already see those), email them to bloggingthebracket at gmail dot com or tweet them to me @ChrisDobbertean.
New season, new bracket format (for this site anyway)
The 1-68 seed list and, for those using screen readers, a text-only bracket for Opening Day of the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season.
Coming Wednesday, comments will look different.
Today’s show features myself and old friend Matt Zemek talking about the first two rounds of March Madness with T.J. Rives.
For the second consecutive tournament, I’ve picked the same team to cut down the nets after the season’s final contest.
I’m not sure if this was my best season ever, but it’s close.
Indiana, Michigan, and Rutgers (despite being seeded fourth) are all in varying levels of bubble trouble heading to Indianapolis. While the top three seeds managed to finish at least two games better than the rest of the conference, five teams finished either 12-8 or 11-9 in Big Ten play. That could portend a very competitive week.
Houston heads to Fort Worth as an NCAA lock, though the Cougars’ chances at a top four seed are all but gone after winning just one of four games against their main league rivals, Memphis and SMU. The Tigers are probably going to make the field provided they don’t stumble in the quarters, while the Mustangs might need to reach the final.
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Bookmark this page for easy access to Blogging the Bracket’s 2022 Division I men’s basketball conference tournament pages.
Richmond’s win in the Atlantic 10 final relegated someone to the NIT. But who it will end up being is anybody’s guess. I’ve made mine for better or worse.
The Selection Show starts in a short time. I’ll be back tonight with a quick recap of how well I did this season.
Davidson is the No. 1 seed and a NCAA lock. Dayton and VCU both have at-large chances, but a potential Saturday semifinal looms as an elimination game for the loser. But bubble fans beware, as teams like St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis, and Richmond could go on a run in Washington, D.C. to steal a bid on Selection Sunday afternoon.
The top four seeds in this season’s SEC bracket finished four games up on a quintet that finished 9-9. But don’t think that means Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas will have a walk to the semifinals in Tampa. This could be one of the most intriguing tournaments of 2022, particularly with seeds 7 through 10 still having some chance at reaching the field. Oh, there’s also the matter of a potential No. 1 seed for Auburn and UK.
The fourth edition of Ivy Madness is the first since 2019. It’s also the first without Harvard—who just happens to be hosting this season. Based on the standings, you might think that both Princeton and Yale should easily make the final. However, each semifinal is a rubber match.
Five games. Five bids. Final moments of bubble worry.
Outside of the last couple of spots, most variables seem to have already sorted themselves out.
Which will the Selection Committee value the most this season? We’ll find out tonight, but I’m leaning toward the former.
The expanded WAC has an expanded tournament, one that has to play at two venues for scheduling reasons. This year the conference implemented a stepladder bracket, which isn’t great for a league that saw five teams finish with either four or five losses.
The Southland retained its stepladder bracket despite dropping down to eight members for this season. All eight teams will make the trip to Katy, Texas for a second time this year, as the conference played a non-league tip-off tournament back in January. Top-seeded Nicholls lost the championship game of that event to second-seeded Southeastern Louisiana, 77-72.
Few conferences dealt with quite as many interruptions this season as the Big West. That means things are fairly wide open. Long Beach State managed just three conference losses, but the next four seeds were all within two defeats while playing differing schedules.
Despite Bill Walton’s protestations, the Conference of Champions is poised to send just three teams to the 2022 NCAA Tournament. However, if a surprise like Colorado, Oregon, Washington, or Washington State can get hot, maybe they can emulate Oregon State’s surprise title of 2021.
C-USA won’t be a 14-member conference for much longer, but this year’s tournament at least sees the league’s entire membership traveling to Frisco. North Texas is the favorite and a possible at-large team should it lose. However, the Mean Green’s chances took a hit with Saturday’s loss at UTEP.
Brooklyn will be Bubbleville this week. Duke is clearly in. UNC should be following Saturday’s win in Durham. But Notre Dame, Miami, and Wake Forest are on less solid ground, while Virginia, Virginia Tech, and any potential surprise that goes on a 2021 Georgia Tech-like run can shake up the at-large picture too.
Montana State heads to Boise as the No. 1 seed, but Southern Utah, who finished two games behind the Bobcats in the standings, will look to claim a Big Sky title on its way to the WAC.