-Jim Root

We are a fortnight away from college hoops kicking off, and yes, I’m such a loser that the word “fortnight” still only means “two weeks” to me. Honestly, major credit to anyone who has ever been good at a first person shooter video game - I become Jim in the Stamford branch every time I pick up a controller.

That is neither here nor there, though! Interest in our favorite sport is cranking up, and I wanted to go on record with my final preseason bracket before the ball is tipped (and there you are…you’re running for your life…).

No need for a long preamble - if you have any questions, complaints, or otherwise, send them our way on Twitter (@3MW_CBB or me personally @2ndChancePoints). These opinions are mine alone; Ky and Matt cannot be held liable for them.

Bracket

Bubble

Some thoughts…

1) I did ALL THIS WORK putting together a bracket, only to end up with the exact same “first two out” as Joey Bracketeer (Mississippi St. and Oklahoma) - I can assure you that was unintentional and nearly resulted in me driving a stake through the center of my computer.

2) Mark Few is a sly fox. Spokane is an opening weekend location, but for some reason, the University of Idaho is the site host, even though the University of Idaho is over 90 miles from Spokane, rather than Gonzaga, which is zero miles from Spokane. This ensures that Gonzaga can play in Spokane come tournament time, and given the Zags’ dominance of the WCC plus the West Coast’s lack of top teams, that seems like a near certainty.

3) Let’s see if I can preemptively call out all of the narratives that I definitely intentionally set up:

Auburn could knock off top-seeded UNC again!
The Weave hates Washington because they have to play a road game @ Dayton in the Opening Round (hey, at least they’re in the field)
Maryland and LSU could meet in Round Two again
Duke and Kentucky being in the same region is bologna and biased against freshman-heavy teams
Michigan State and Louisville being in the same region is bologna and biased against veteran-laden teams
Let me know what I missed…

4) As is customary every single year, the 4, 5, 12, and 13 seeds get shipped to the distant western sites, thanks to the Best Coast lacking in elite teams. Oregon and Arizona could get there, but both are hampered by player absences, and I’m lower on the rest of the Pac 12. That leaves it up to Gonzaga, St. Mary’s, Utah State…

5) Many of my opinions will surely be wrong. And many of yours will be, too. It’s part of the fun to find out which ones!

6) I’m realistic enough to know that no one is actually reading this part; instead, each person is simply finding his or her own team on the above bracket and reacting with exaggerated triumph or animosity. So here’s a random list of college basketball players I just thought of while writing this: Taylor Coppenrath, Tajuan Porter, Sean Singletary, Adam Emmenecker, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Duany Duany. This list has no purpose whatsoever.

S-Curve

Highlights signify a new “at-large level” team - thus, St. Mary’s, Oregon, and NMSU are all highlighted, even though they made the NCAA Tournament last year.

Teams that fell out of “at-large level” are: Belmont (even though they are in the field), Kansas State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Mississippi State, Buffalo, Wofford, Nevada, Syracuse, UCF, Oklahoma, Iowa, Minnesota, Arizona St., Temple, St. John’s