2022-23 Pre-Season Bracketology (merged thread)

[BRS24]

He's back, six days earlier than last year.

Women's Bracketology: South Carolina, USC, UConn and Notre Dame start as 1-seeds

The 2025 bracket will look different with the Pac-12 mostly gone and the ACC (18 teams), Big Ten (18), Big 12 (18) and SEC (16) bigger than ever.

www.espn.com

"The top-16 teams will continue to host first- and second-round games, but the First Four games are expected to move to a separate, pre-determined site. What hasn't changed is South Carolina as the favorite. The reigning NCAA champion will look to become the first to repeat since UConn in 2016."

"Three of the four No. 1 seeds -- South Carolina, UConn and Stanford -- have been on the top line each of the past two years and return so much talent it's hard to imagine them not being there again next March. Texas, which has made consecutive Elite Eight appearances, might be ready to get to the next level as the final No. 1 seed. Led by the Gamecocks, the SEC has nine teams in the way-too-early field, but the ACC looks to be deeper at the top. Five teams from that ACC made the top-16, and the conference could be the most competitive and compelling race in the country."

SEC - 9
ACC - 8
Big Ten - 7
Pac-12 - 7
Big 12 - 6
Big East - 4
Summit - 2

 

[meyers7]

Let's remember how the conferences did this last season.

1. Big East 9-4 (.692)
2. Big Ten 10-6 (.625)
3. ACC 12-8 (.600)
4. Big 12 9-6 (.600)
5. SEC 10-7 (.588)
6. Pac 12 6-6 (.500)

 

[Argonaut]

LSU as a hypothetical 10 seed is just plain disrespectful.

 

[visitingcock]

I'll revisit this after the portal madness clears up a bit. but for now . . .

I don't see both Iowa AND Iowa State as two-seeds.

Top six predictions:
SCar - SEC
UConn - Big East
Stanford - PAC
Texas - Big 12
Notre Dame -ACC
Iowa - Big Ten

Two of the following:
Tennessee SEC #2
Iowa State - Big 12 #2
Louisville ACC #2
Big 10 #2 (i have no idea who)
Arizona - PAC #2

 

[Kaizen]

UConn #1 seed vs. Tennessee #2 seed in Greenville ? interesting.

 

[triaddukefan]

You can throw out the record books when Houston Baptist and Howard meet up.

 

[ucbart]

I can't with him sending Georgia, coached by Abe now, with all of her UCF players going to Athens with her, in Storrs for a second round matchup. LOLOLOLLLL

 

[MooseJaw]

Once again, we find Charlie smoking something a little smelly. As noted above his seeding of LSU seems outrageous as his love for the 2 Iowa teams, granted they should be good, who thinks that they are both one of the best 8 teams in the country. There are more funny picks however I just wanted to agree with 2 of the above posters.

 

[visitingcock]

UConn #1 seed vs. Tennessee #2 seed in Greenville ? interesting.

Would make for great elite 8 attendance.

SCar vs whoever in their backyard.

UConn v Tennessee; Knoxville to Greenville is no great distance. UConn will bring a boatload wherever they play.

 

[oldude]

The top 3 teams are a no brainer, same as last year. But I think there are shakeups coming in both the Big 12 & Big 10 next season. With several key players transferring out of TX, Baylor likely to drop back to the middle of the pack and Joens returning at Iowa St, I think the Cyclones win the Big 12 next season .

At the same time, the usual suspects in the Big 10: MD, MI & IN have all taken a step back. Iowa has not. I see the Hawkeyes not only winning the Big 10, but also securing the 4th #1 seed.

As for the ACC, Louisville looks to be the most likely candidate to win the conference, but the losses of Smith & Engsler are significant. While NCSt & ND have their own rebuilding issues, I could see a dark horse like VT winning the conference.

 

[BRS24]

This wins the day.

 

[SECbbfan24]

LSU as a hypothetical 10 seed is just plain disrespectful.

they lose 4 of their 5 starters but with the transfer portal and a talented incoming class they will probably do better than that. They just added Ladazhia Williams and Esmery Martinez yesterday. They return Alexis Morris which is a good thing. LSU should have a solid squad next year that will be tough by mid SEC play but its going to take time to gel so many new faces.

Interestingly he has Arkansas as a 7 seed, Alabama a 9 seed and Georgia as a 9 seed. I am struggling to make sense of all of that...

 

[Argonaut]

they lose 4 of their 5 starters but with the transfer portal and a talented incoming class they will probably do better than that. They just added Ladazhia Williams and Esmery Martinez yesterday. They return Alexis Morris which is a good thing. LSU should have a solid squad next year that will be tough by mid SEC play but its going to take time to gel so many new faces.

Interestingly he has Arkansas as a 7 seed, Alabama a 9 seed and Georgia as a 9 seed. I am struggling to make sense of all of that...

Also, Oregon at 5, FGCU at 10, Utah at 5...

This feels very much like he has paid no attention to the comings and goings in the portal.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Also, Oregon at 5, FGCU at 10, Utah at 5...

This feels very much like he has paid no attention to the comings and goings in the portal.

Agreed

I always felt Bracketology like this (basically immediately after a season) is silly considering the amount of changes that happen during every offseason. The transfer portal has now become such a major factor in college sports these days and its drastically impacts a lot of programs every year.

Best to get back and do something like this during the fall, after all the transfers, coaching changes, etc have happened.

 

[Geesworld]

Geeeesh! We Can't seem to escape Katie Abrahamson-Henderson

 

[eebmg]

Women's Bracketology: South Carolina, USC, UConn and Notre Dame start as 1-seeds

The 2025 bracket will look different with the Pac-12 mostly gone and the ACC (18 teams), Big Ten (18), Big 12 (18) and SEC (16) bigger than ever.

www.espn.com

UConn 2nd seed in the Seattle Region.


In our April projection, UConn appeared to be South Carolina's biggest challenger in the NCAA title race. Then Paige Bueckers tore an ACL in early August. Without Bueckers, the 2021 national player of the year, UConn no longer heads into this season as a projected No. 1 seed. The Huskies drop to a No. 2, with Tennessee moving up to the No. 1 line. Stanford, the 2021 national champion, and Texas, which has reached consecutive Elite Eight appearances, are the other 1-seeds.

Get those pitchforks sharpened.

 

[Bone Dog]

The top two or theee seeds don’t seem absurd. Without Paige, it’s fair to have questions. I’m glad to see the BE get a little respect with Creighton DePaul and Villanova included. Louisville seems to have gotten shafted. And the usual excessive deference to the SEC (9 teams?) and the ACC (lol). I’d blame Creme for this, but he’s juggling estimates of the teams with estimates of who the tournament committee is likely to favor, and they have indulged these conferences forever.

 

[HopJim]

As usual, many seemingly random projections. Never quite sure what is perspective news or what is click bait. While I like all 3 teams, having Texas #1 in UConn's projected bracket, UConn #2, and North Carolina #3 seems aggressive for TX and a bit low for N. Carolina. I have to admit that there are more teams this year than ever that I have trouble rating.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

We will see soon enough whether Creme has the Texas and UConn seeding
in the Seattle region correct or not.

 

[DEpup]

This is all about click bait....

 

[UConnCat]

We will see soon enough whether Creme has the Texas and UConn seeding
in the Seattle region correct or not.

Nov 14 to be exact.

Both teams have a lot of question marks. Both teams lost 4 of their top 6 scorers from last season. UConn will rely heavily on a mix of returning players (Fudd, Ducharme, Muhl, Juhasz, Edwards), a transfer (Lou) and two elite freshmen. Vic will seemingly rely heavily on returning players (Harmon, Moore and Gaston) and 3 transfers (Gonzalez, Morris and Jones). I don't know much about Texas's 3 freshmen (HG #s 34, 63 and 67 (out with acl tear)) and how much they'll play.

Interesting that Creme thinks Texas will have better answers than UConn.

 

[Bone Dog]

Nov 14 to be exact.

Both teams have a lot of question marks. Both teams lost 4 of their top 6 scorers from last season. UConn will rely heavily on a mix of returning players (Fudd, Ducharme, Muhl, Juhasz, Edwards), a transfer (Lou) and two elite freshmen. Vic will seemingly rely heavily on returning players (Harmon, Moore and Gaston) and 3 transfers (Gonzalez, Morris and Jones). I don't know much about Texas's 3 freshmen (HG #s 34, 63 and 67 (out with acl tear)) and how much they'll play.

Interesting that Creme thinks Texas will have better answers than UConn.

Harmon is a bit of a giant-slayer. But I have to think we're the favorite going into this game. Can Morris and Gonzalez fit themselves into Vic's program this early? We won't have that problem, as our core five are all veterans.

 

[HuskyNan]

Interesting that Creme thinks Texas will have better answers than UConn.

interesting but not surprising.

And Tennessee? Why not LSU, which finished ahead of the LVs in the SEC?

 

[BRS24]

Two up, two down, two new, and seven region changes.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Tenn as a #1 and UConn as a #2? WTH???!!